Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

The crazed sandworms seemed quite wary of this ruin, only hissing wildly at the edge of the cave entrance, but dared not actually venture into the depths of the passageway.

It seems we're safe for now.

Before they could even feel relieved, they heard a dense rustling sound coming from deep within the tunnel, as if more sand worms were swarming towards them.

"Have we stumbled into the lair of sandworms?" Chu Yunhe smiled bitterly as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Let's go down and take a look."

Li Yuan walked ahead with his sword in hand. He had a feeling that something was waiting for him deep within these ruins.

Meanwhile, in other areas of the secret realm.

The Taixu Squad landed on a vast grassland, where the lush green grass stretched as far as the eye could see.

They soon discovered that the seemingly beautiful and peaceful grassland was actually fraught with deadly dangers.

Beneath the grasslands lie imperceptible muddy swamps, teeming with various amphibious beasts, ready to ambush at any moment.

Frost Cold cast ice spells along the way, creating a solid ice path to prevent the team members from falling into the swamp.

However, this consumes a lot of magical energy, slows down progress, and requires dealing with poisonous pythons and crocodile demons that suddenly leap out of the swamp from time to time. Even some flowers and plants can launch attacks.

Vientiane, on the other hand, seemed to be even less fortunate, landing directly on a barren Gobi desert.

Under the scorching sun, the heat was intense, the air was thick with the smell of sulfur, the ground was as hard as iron, and occasionally a scorching breath would seep out from the cracks.

Even more troublesome are the groups of lava lizards that roam the Gobi Desert. They use rocks as armor, are violent in nature, and are a real headache for anyone who wants to get away with it.

This place lacks the spiritual energy of the earth's veins, making it difficult to support large-scale formations. As a result, Wanxiang can only rely on martial arts skills to fight, resulting in slow progress.

The place where Tian Ce landed was a primeval forest that blocked out the sky. At first glance, it looked very similar to the Misty Forest they had seen before, but they quickly changed their minds.

Inside, poisonous insects roamed everywhere, miasma filled the air, and there were all sorts of strange plants, including giant man-eating flowers, mushrooms that could spray paralyzing spores, and wire snakes hidden in the tree canopy, causing the Tian Ce group a great deal of suffering.

Zhao Lingyun led his team through the rainforest, killing many monsters with their formidable strength, but they also expended a great deal of energy. To make matters worse, they seemed to have lost their way.

On the stage, the audience's hearts rose and fell with the scenes, and they discussed it animatedly.

"Shenwu fell into the sandpit? That's an ancient ruin?"

"Taixu's movements are a bit slow."

"Vientiane is also suffering terribly in the Gobi Desert!"

"The Tian Ce warriors are going berserk in the rainforest..."

"Which team do you think will be the first to walk out?"

"It's hard to say. None of them are easy to deal with. It depends on luck and skill."

In the passageway, the hissing of sandworms surged from all directions, growing ever closer. Yu Ling'er wore a luminous pearl on her head, the soft light illuminating the surroundings.

"Captain, the terrain here is narrow. What if we get blocked from both ends..." Chu Yunhe looked at the narrow passageway that could only accommodate two or three people side by side, his face showing worry.

Li Yuan closed his eyes. The energy in the cave was chaotic and mixed. He used all his strength to capture a trace of exceptionally pure spiritual energy.

"Buzz!"

In an instant, the nameless knife in his hand emitted a yearning hum.

He suddenly remembered Mr. Mo's words: Could it be that there is also the power it needs here?

Li Yuan's gaze fell upon the depths of the passageway, where a fiery heat emanated. It seemed that within these ruins lay the demonic power needed by the Nameless Blade, something these sandworms were desperately guarding.

In a flash, a plan took shape in his mind.

"There is likely something guarded by sand worms in this cave, which is also the key to breaking this deadlock."

Li Yuan looked at the four of them and said, "The four of you should form a defensive formation here. Don't try to kill the enemy; just hold off most of the sandworms and draw their attention."

"I'll follow my senses to find them. The sandworms will surely come to their aid, and you can then launch a counterattack."

"Captain, it's too dangerous for you to go alone," Yu Ling'er said anxiously.

"What if there are powerful demonic beasts guarding that place?" Chu Yunhe also disagreed.

"No need to say anything more." Li Yuan gave the order directly, "You must trust my judgment. Remember, your mission is to delay. Once the sandworms retreat in large numbers, immediately move towards me."

Seeing that he had made up his mind, the others said no more. Chu Yunhe nodded heavily: "Alright, leave this to us. Be careful."

"Let's go." Without further hesitation, Li Yuan transformed into a blur, darting away past the sand worms surging towards him.

The nameless sword in his hand trembled slightly, guiding him in the right direction.

"Form ranks! Defend!"

Seeing Li Yuan leave, Chu Yunhe immediately gave the order, and he and Shen Lian stood on the left and right, blocking the front. Their sword energy blocked most of the narrow passageway.

A tidal wave of sandworms completely blocked the entrance to the passage. They were incredibly strong and seemed to be endless in number. The group was exhausted, but none of them retreated even a single step.

They roared and forcefully carved out a small space in the swarm of insects.

The further in he went, the higher the temperature became, the air became dry and scorching, and it carried a strong smell of sulfur. Li Yuan pushed his speed to the limit. The sounds of fighting behind him gradually faded away, but in front of him came a terrifyingly violent demonic power.

Finally, the view opened up before them, revealing a huge underground cavern.

In the center of the cave was a pool with a diameter of more than ten zhang (approximately 33 meters), which was filled with dark red viscous magma. The scorching heat made the air seem to be distorted and deformed.

The lava in the pool bubbled and emitted a pungent odor, and in the very center of the lava pool, on a black rock shaped like a lotus platform, a strange crystal was growing.

It was about the size of a fist, its entire body was as red as blood, and flames seemed to flow inside, emitting a dazzling and magnificent radiance.

"Fire Crystal!" Li Yuan's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly recognized the object.

This is a rare and precious natural treasure, born in flames and taking a long time to develop. It contains pure fire power and is a treasure for cultivating fire-based techniques and crafting fire-attribute magical artifacts.

Judging from the color of this Fire Crystal, its quality and age are probably far beyond ordinary crystals. No wonder those sandworms guarded it with their lives.

The aura it emits has an irresistible attraction for sandworms. Long-term exposure to its aura can not only enhance their demonic power but also lead to evolution.

At this moment, the nameless blade in Li Yuan's hand emitted a strong desire to devour.

"It really is it!" A hint of excitement flashed in Li Yuan's eyes.

He had thought that finding the five elements of demonic power would be extremely difficult, but he didn't expect to encounter the Fire Crystal as soon as he entered the secret realm.

With it, the Nameless Blade can take another step forward.

Just as Li Yuan was examining the Fire Crystal, the magma began to churn violently, and a giant sandworm demon emerged.

It was seven or eight zhang long, covered with dark red crystallized carapace, and even had two short red horns growing from its head. It was clearly a sandworm king.

It suddenly raised its head from the magma, its pair of ferocious compound eyes locking onto Li Yuan, radiating endless killing intent.

Judging from the fluctuations of its demonic power, it has actually reached the level of a demon general.

Considering how troublesome the sandworm is, its combat power is probably far beyond that of an ordinary demon general.

"hiss--!"

The Sandworm King let out a deafening, piercing screech, spewing out a blazing flame that swept towards Li Yuan.