The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

He also had Master Gu Yuan make a batch of heat-resistant talismans specifically for exploring volcanic craters. Zhou Yanzhi had someone send him an ancient scroll about the structure of volcanoes in southern Xinjiang. Although it was very old, the geothermal distribution information inside was still very valuable.

Ye Ruolin arrived at the Pill Tower in the second month after winter began, bringing some heat-insulating magical artifacts from the Ye family's collection. She said, "Use these for now, and we'll replace them with better ones later." Xiao Fan took the equipment and saw that it was indeed much better than his own.

What Sun Fei didn't expect was that the man in the straw hat actually brought him a magic staff.

The staff was made of a grayish-white mineral, which felt somewhat cold in the hand. However, once spiritual power was infused into it, the staff head would emit a faint halo. With his cultivation at the third level of the Tribulation Realm, he could form a light shield around it to insulate it from the surrounding temperature.

The accompanying paper had only one line of text: "This item is suitable for walking on fire." It was unsigned, but Xiao Fan still recognized it from the lingering scent on it.

Throughout the winter, Danta Courtyard was bustling with activity in an orderly fashion. Han Fei took the freshly prepared dried rations to the courtyard to air them out, then wrapped them in a waterproof cloth and folded them neatly.

Master Gu Yuan spent his days hunched over his desk, drawing various talismans. Even the low table in the corridor was piled high with talisman papers of all colors. Yun Ruoxi marked several places where they could rest on the map and added many annotations to it.

In late December, Xiao Fan sat in his study and gave his equipment a final check.

The bag contained tattered ancient books, dark golden flames, a Thunderfire Token and copper pieces, heat-resistant talismans, heat-insulating magical artifacts, a short staff, a half-finished Earthfire Crystal Core, and two old archives.

He didn't have many items, but their purpose was clear. He tied up his backpack, put it in the corner, and then went to the lobby for dinner.

Light snow was falling outside the window, and a thin layer of snow covered the bluestone slabs in the courtyard. In the kitchen, Han Fei hummed a little tune as he tidied up the dishes, Gu Yuan sat wrapped in a cotton robe and dozed off by the charcoal fire, while Yun Ruoxi sat under the oil lamp, looking at the last page of the map.

After the New Year, in the spring, they officially embarked on their volcanic journey. Was that fissure the source of the Yin energy? The answer lay in an active volcano three thousand miles south of Burning Bone Abyss, a place never before visited by anyone.

In the third week of the new year, the snow began to melt. Xiao Fan stood at the entrance of the Danta Courtyard, took one last look at the snow-covered rooftops, and turned back to his carriage.

Only four people remained in the group: Xiao Fan, Yun Ruoxi, Gu Yuan, and Han Fei continued driving. Ye Ruolin originally wanted to go with them, but the Ye family had important matters to attend to during the first month of the lunar year, so she sent a message to wait for news from the south before making a decision.

Meng Boyuan and Elder Zhao both had their own sect affairs to attend to, and they agreed that Xiao Fan could notify them immediately if he needed any help.

The carriage had been traveling south for half a month, and the scenery along the way gradually changed from the withered yellow of early spring to green, and then from lush grasslands to rolling hills. The further south they went, the higher the temperature became, and after about twenty days, the trees outside the window had all turned into evergreen broad-leaved trees.

Three thousand miles south of Burning Bone Abyss lies a volcanic region.

Xiao Fan stood atop a hill, his gaze sweeping across the land before him. A vast expanse of dark earth lay before him, its surface riddled with craters and covered in solidified lava.

On the distant horizon, cone-shaped craters stand tall, some emitting wisps of white smoke, others standing silently.

The carriage stopped at the edge of the volcanic area; the road ahead was impassable.

Xiao Fan slung his backpack over his shoulder and looked at Han Fei, saying, "Go find a place to camp nearby and give us five days. If we haven't returned within five days, go to a nearby town and wait for our news."

Han Fei nodded repeatedly and quickly stopped the carriage behind a sheltered rock.

Xiao Fan took a deep breath and stepped into the gray-black earth. Under his feet was hard, warm rock, and with each step, he could feel a warm aura emanating from the depths of the ground.

The monk Gu Yuan and Yun Ruoxi followed behind him. Gu Yuan's talisman pouch at his waist was already bulging, while Yun Ruoxi carried a very light bundle on her back and held a grayish-white short staff in her hand.

Following the directions marked on the map, he headed southeast along the edge of the volcanic zone. As the sun set, a crater covered in dark red minerals appeared before them. The crater's edge had a uniform honeycomb structure, contrasting sharply with the surrounding volcanic rock.

South Gate. On the fragments of the Thousand Fire Gate scroll, there is a natural fire pool, which perfectly matches the entrance described on the stone tablet.

Xiao Fan stood at the edge of the crater and looked down. The inner wall of the crater was steep and deep, and a dark red halo was faintly visible at the bottom.

He took out the grayish-white short staff, infused it with spiritual power, and a light shield appeared at the top of the staff, enveloping his entire body.

It got hotter every day. The further down they went, the stronger the heat became. Even with the protection of his staff, Xiao Fan could feel the heat hitting him.

However, he did not stop. Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the array base pulsed quietly and firmly, pointing to a certain spot at the bottom of the crater—there was something there, its frequency in sync with his spiritual energy, dormant.

Upon reaching the crater, he felt the rocks beneath his feet were incredibly hot, hot enough to cook raw meat. However, the light emanating from the staff completely insulated him from the surrounding heat, protecting him within its embrace.

Beneath the halo was a natural, downward-sloping passage. Xiao Fan placed his hand on the crystal, and the flame of creation slowly seeped into it.

The crystal melted instantly upon contact with the Creation Fire, becoming soft and transparent, and silently transformed into a light curtain, revealing the passage behind it.

An ancient and long-lasting spiritual energy fluctuation emanated from the depths of the passage, steady and slow, just like the formations of Burning Bone Abyss and Azure Cloud Mountain, only deeper.

Xiao Fan sidestepped through the light curtain and slowly walked down.

The light curtain behind him automatically reverted to its crystal form after he entered, completely isolating him from the scorching heat. The passage was cool and dry, with glittering minerals embedded in the stone walls on both sides, making him feel as if he were walking on a long corridor paved with starlight.

He walked steadily, each step landing firmly. The ancient spiritual energy fluctuations grew closer and clearer, as if the other end of the passage had been waiting for a very, very long time.

This passage seemed to have no end. Light, shining from an unknown source, illuminated a huge stone platform in the center, carved entirely from black jade.