The Eternal Saint of Alchemy

Xiao Fan opened the bamboo slip and began to read it carefully. The text on it was somewhat blurred, but the general content was still legible: "Ten thousand miles to the west, at the edge of the Flame Abyss, there is a mountain peak that hangs upside down in the sky."

The mountain is hollow, containing white flames that neither burn nor extinguish, neither warm nor cold, and feel like jade or moonlight to the touch. It seems to be a flame of purity.

"The edge of the Flame Abyss..." Xiao Fan murmured the name.

"Yan Yuan is located west of the Daqing Empire, bordering the Western Regions. There is a volcanic mountain range that stretches for thousands of miles. It is said that there are constant fires there, and ordinary people dare not approach it."

At this point, Jiang Yuanji paused for a moment, then added, "However, with your current Yang Realm Ninth Grade cultivation and the protection of the Creation Flame, you can still go in. However, the terrain deep within the Flame Abyss is complex, and an eruption could occur at any time."

Xiao Fan carefully rolled up the bamboo slip and put it in his pocket, already having made up his mind. The three-year agreement still had a long way to go, and he needed to leave as soon as possible to find the clues to the Immaculate Flame.

He returned to his courtyard, where Yun Ruoxi was drawing circles on a map on the table.

Seeing Xiao Fan come in, she looked up and said, "I've checked. Yan Yuan is very large. According to the map, there are at least several hundred miles of volcanic area."

That upside-down mountain is just a signpost; only by finding that mountain can we find the real entrance.

Xiao Fan walked over and sat down next to her. He glanced at the area circled in cinnabar and suddenly asked, "Do you remember what that heterochromatic-eyed person said?"

This wait lasted three hundred years. I wondered, how did his lineage, passed down from the era of the Supreme Pill Saint, generation after generation guarding that sea, protecting that stolen heart, manage to survive?

Yun Ruoxi put down her vermilion pen, tilted her head, and looked at him. "Feel sorry for him?"

"No." Xiao Fan pondered for a moment and said, "Yes. This feeling of being abandoned by a promise is more chilling than facing an enemy. Although the Grandmaster of the Void Pill is powerful, he is not necessarily a righteous person."

The Nine Towers Seal protects this world from the ravages of Yin energy, but it has exhausted everyone's strength. My promise to fulfill this three-year obligation is not only to protect the seal, but also to atone for the debt owed to the Grandmaster of the Void.

Yun Ruoxi remained silent, simply placing a hand on his shoulder. Her palm was slightly cool, yet Xiao Fan felt inexplicably at ease.

The next day, Xiao Fan summoned Gu Yuan and Han Fei and told them about the journey to Yan Yuan in the west.

Upon hearing that he was to embark on another long journey, Gu Yuan initially wore a pained expression. However, upon hearing the words "volcanic cluster," "upside-down mountains," and "immaculate fire," his eyes widened instantly. He slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I've only ever seen such wondrous sights in ancient books! I never imagined I'd actually witness them with my own eyes today! Let's go! We absolutely must go!"

Han Fei cheered excitedly, already thinking about what kind of dry food and water he should bring.

Xiao Fan couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the two clowns.

He turned around and went back into the house, where he began to pack his things, carefully putting away the thousand-year-old Crimson Flame Ganoderma and other fire-attribute spiritual materials.

The next morning, the carriage set off again from the south gate, heading west.

Outside the window is a golden wheat field, and a gentle breeze carries the fragrance of rice.

Xiao Fan leaned against the carriage, holding a bamboo scroll he had taken from the library, and looked at the description on it.

It was an upside-down mountain peak, with white flames burning inside, like moonlight.

He closed the bamboo slip, shut his eyes, and felt the flame of creation in his sea of ​​consciousness, without the slightest panic or fear in his heart.

All nine towers lit up. The South China Sea agreement was set for three years. The road to Yan Yuan was right in front of us, one step at a time.

The carriage sped along the official road, heading west towards the setting sun.

We traveled westward for ten days, and the scenery was vastly different from that of the Central Plains.

The green fields are becoming increasingly sparse, replaced by large areas of exposed red sandstone and Gobi gravel.

The air grew increasingly dry, feeling like breathing in sand, and my lips began to peel. The further in I went, the higher the temperature became, and the wind grew hotter.

On the evening of the eleventh day, Xiao Fan finally saw a dark red light appear in his field of vision.

That wasn't the afterglow of the setting sun, but a deeper, brighter light, as if a gaping hole had opened at the horizon. Han Fei pulled on the reins, jumped onto the roof of the carriage, squinted for a while, and then turned back to shout, "Brother Xiao, the sky is blood red!"

Xiao Fan got out of the car, walked to a hill, and gazed into the distance.

As far as the eye could see, there was a dark red mountain range with black and red cracks running along its ridges, through which bright flames could be seen.

The flames formed a flowing pattern among the mountains, like the earth breathing slowly.

Yan Yuan has arrived!

The carriage stopped in a small town at the foot of the mountain. The town had only a few dozen houses, low and sturdy houses built of black volcanic rock, with dried meat and herbs hanging under the eaves, and the air was filled with the smell of sulfur and smoke.

Xiao Fan found an inn in the town and stayed there, then inquired about the things deep within the Flame Abyss.

The shopkeeper was an old man in his fifties with dark and rough skin. Upon hearing this, he waved his hands repeatedly: "You can't go there! If you go any further, it's a volcanic area. The ground here is very hot, and your shoes will get burned through if you step on it."

Two years ago, several groups of cultivators came, but out of the three groups that went in, only one group returned alive, and one person was burned beyond recognition.

Xiao Fan thanked him, returned to his room, opened the bamboo slip, and compared the contents with the map.

The Flame Abyss is very large, divided into three layers: middle and outer. According to the bamboo slips, the "Upside-down Mountain" should be located deep in the middle layer, about seventy or eighty miles away from here.

"Let's head into the mountains early tomorrow morning." However, starting from the middle level, volcanic eruptions will occur, so we must proceed with extreme caution. Han Fei, being the weakest in cultivation, will stay close to Elder Gu.

Han Fei nodded, without pressuring him.

The next day, the group packed their bags and set off on an ancient, dusty road, heading deep into the mountains.

The soil beneath his feet grew increasingly hot; before he had even walked five miles, he could feel the intense heat emanating from the soles of his feet.

Xiao Fan channeled his true essence into his feet to resist the scorching heat of the ground, and then transferred a wisp of the Creation Fire to Yun Ruoxi and Han Fei, protecting them.

The surrounding mountains are gentle, and most of the crater is deserted, with only wisps of white smoke occasionally rising from the cracks in the rocks.

The stone walls on both sides of the road are covered with crystal-clear sulfur crystals, which gleam with a yellow-green luster under the sunlight.