I conquer the immortal with my strength.

Chapter 690 Exploration
As soon as Xia Daoming unleashed his power, the runes that had dimmed due to the departure of that True Immortal suddenly lit up again.

"Huh! This fire is of very high quality. No wonder we sent you to our Fire Palace No. 16!" Everyone's eyes lit up when they saw this, and their gazes toward Xia Daoming were no longer contemptuous, but rather tinged with admiration.

Only Xiao Hongyi felt a sudden sinking feeling in his heart upon seeing this, and his face turned very ugly.

"Daoming, quickly reduce your firepower, otherwise if you stand out too much, they will place a restriction on you and not allow you to leave Lieyao Mountain," Xiao Hongyi hurriedly transmitted.

"Don't worry, Uncle-Master, I know what I'm doing. I'm only at the Ninth Stage right now. Even if my firepower is somewhat impressive, it's not enough to attract the attention of their higher-ups so quickly," Xia Daoming transmitted his thoughts.

"It's good that you know. Then find a way to leave as soon as possible. Don't delay, or things might change."

"Was it because of his extraordinary firepower that they placed a restriction on him?"

"That's right. Although it is hard work to keep fire here, the flames emanating from the valley below are incredibly mysterious. They have subtly attracted the Yin-Yang essence of the Candle Dragon Grass that I integrated into my body years ago, which has given me some insights."

The firepower gradually changed, incorporating some of the Candle Dragon's Fire, greatly increasing its power. I even glimpsed the secrets of the Twelve True Immortals, but my immortal power was not enough to overcome the tribulation.

Now that I have glimpsed the secrets of the Twelve True Immortals, I am naturally unwilling to continue doing the arduous task of offering fire, nor do I want their payment, so I take my leave.

Unexpectedly, the guardian deity stationed here had already noticed my extraordinary firepower. Seeing that I was about to leave, he placed a restriction on me, saying that I could only leave after serving for five hundred years.

"This is outrageous! You've done all that hard work for them for decades without taking a single penny of payment, and they still won't let you leave, forcibly placing a restriction on you!"

"So you must keep a low profile and not show off, lest you end up like your uncle."

"Don't worry, Uncle-Master. Since I dared to come, I'm confident I can get you out of here!"

"What? You're taking me away? But you're only at the Ninth Stage of the Qi Refining Realm. Even if you can fight opponents of higher levels, you're only about the same level as me at best!"

Xiao Hongyi was greatly shocked upon hearing this.

"If I were only similar to you, my senior uncle, do you think my senior uncle would have agreed to let me come?"

"Could it be... that you can actually fight a Golden Immortal?" Xiao Hongyi was shocked and almost stood up.

"I should be able to fight against a Golden Immortal in the Condensation Realm, so if we are prepared to take advantage of someone who is not, as long as we plan carefully, it shouldn't be a big problem to escape from Lieyao Mountain."

"Good, good! Xia Daoming is indeed Xia Daoming, always capable of what others cannot. Your master has underestimated you once again!"

Upon hearing this answer, Xiao Hongyi's heavy and anxious mood vanished, and a joyful smile involuntarily appeared on his face.

Xiao Hong's change in demeanor did not arouse suspicion from others.

In their view, this is normal.

The guardians stationed here only sent one Nine-Assembly True Immortal, which was of little help to them and instead took up a spot.

At first, nobody was happy.

However, this Nine-Assembly True Immortal's flames are extraordinary, so that's another story!

"This time, Protector Shuoting is quite generous, sending us a True Immortal who can wield extraordinary flames, which will make things a little easier for us." The True Immortal who was replaced by Xia Daoming saw Xiao Hongyi's happy expression, smiled, walked to his side, and sat down cross-legged.

“Yes! The flame formation in this mountain hollow is truly profound, requiring far higher quality flames than quantity. This new fellow immortal, though only a Ninth-Level True Immortal, can at least achieve the effect of a Tenth-Level True Immortal.” Xiao Hongyi smiled and nodded at the True Immortal.

After saying that, Xiao Hongyi closed his eyes again.

Too much talk leads to mistakes.

Xia Daoming's arrival was crucial to their escape, so he had to be extra careful with his words and actions.

The immortal did not find this strange.

The so-called "hard job" is, of course, arduous and laborious, allowing no room for slackness.

Whenever they had a spare moment, they would seize the opportunity to rest and recuperate.

While the three were resting and recuperating in Fire Palace No. 16, and the four were working hard to supply fire, Xia Daoming quietly released his Purple Mansion Divine Sense while supplying fire, attaching it to the fire and extending it along the array runes towards the bottom of the mountain hollow.

He was wary of the Golden Immortal on the mountaintop, fearing that the immortal might notice something. Therefore, at the mountain hollow, he only dared to peek with his Heavenly Eye, not daring to truly release his divine sense to touch and investigate that piece of dead wood.

The divine sense in the Purple Mansion is incredibly profound. Now that he is sitting cross-legged in the Fire Mansion, taking advantage of the fire offerings, he can act in accordance with the situation without any further concerns.

The bursts of fire, following the runes, were like veins connecting to the withered wood at the bottom of the mountain hollow.

The ancient patterns on the dead wood shimmered with light as the fire was poured in, radiating a mysterious vitality and Taoist charm.

Occasionally, a faint Taoist voice could be heard.

On the Blazing Jade, the Flame Sparrow Clan's prodigies absorbed strands of mysterious life force, immersing themselves in the Daoist essence, and subtle changes seemed to occur every moment.

"No wonder the Flame Sparrow Clan has produced so many Golden Immortals throughout the ages, with its lineage unbroken. With this withered tree guarding the clan, how could it not prosper! It's just a pity that you've been too ruthless. You actually dared to place a restriction on my uncle, forcing him to do hard labor. Don't blame me for destroying your foundation." Xia Daoming sensed the subtle changes and his mind raced.

The divine sense of the Purple Mansion attached itself to the fire and continued to penetrate deeper into the withered wood.

Upon delving deeper, Xia Daoming's mind was slightly shaken.

It was clearly a piece of dead wood, but inside it was like a world of flames, not only vast and boundless, but also filled with clusters of flames.

The flames were very weak, swaying in the wind, as if they might go out at any moment.

However, the further in you go, the brighter the flames become, and the more vigorous the life force and firepower they exude.

"It seems that if it weren't for my arrival, this piece of dead wood could have ensured the prosperity of the Flame Sparrow Clan for at least several million years."

Xia Daoming's mind raced, and his divine sense withdrew from the world of withered trees, turning instead to investigate the situation at the bottom of the mountain hollow.

During this investigation, Xia Daoming quickly discovered that all nine main peaks of Lieyao Mountain had formations connected to withered trees through earth veins and fire veins.

The withered tree was clearly the central point of the Flame Sparrow Clan's protective mountain formation.

"No wonder I felt the formation and restrictions of Mount Lieyao were mysterious and powerful when I was observing from outside. It turns out that they were using this withered wood to suppress the formation's core! But this makes it easier for my uncle and me to escape from Mount Lieyao!"

This discovery surprised Xia Daoming more than pleased him, greatly increasing his confidence in leaving safely.

Despite his increased confidence, Xia Daoming still dared not let his guard down.

He then used his divine sense to thoroughly examine the inside and outside of the Purple Mansion for a long time before finally retrieving it.

After taking it back, Xia Daoming dutifully supplied the fire.

For the next six months, Li Guangfeng proceeded as smoothly as ever.

The recruited Fire-Offering Immortals provided fire without ceasing every day, while the proud disciples of the Flame Sparrow Clan sat cross-legged on the Fire Jade, absorbing the profound life force day and night, immersing themselves in the Daoist rhythm, and comprehending the divine mysteries originating from their ancestral bloodline.

No one knew that invisible roots had already reached deep into the fiery world within the withered wood.

That is the most precious part of the remaining vitality in the dead tree.

The fire-offering immortals provide fire every day, but what they maintain and stimulate is merely the faint life force on the periphery of the withered tree that is about to dissipate.

Firewood and dead wood are inherently one.

Although it had long forgotten the ancient past, the moment its roots touched the dead wood, the familiar and intimate feeling made it naturally understand how to extract the life essence from it.

The world formed by the life essence of the dead tree not only does not resist the intrusion of these foreign roots, but is filled with peace and joy, like an infant returning to its mother's embrace.

The interaction between the two is instinctive and natural.

It did not cause any external disturbance; it happened quietly.

　That concludes today's update.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)