C2009 The Extreme Flame Was Eating!(1)
Boom! The volcanoes of Hellfire Mountain Range roared to life, spewing forth scorching lava and fire like enraged beasts unleashed. Rivers, gullies, and pools that wove through the mountains were swiftly engulfed by the molten fury.
From high above, the Hellfire Mountain Range was ablaze with light, resembling a fire deity awakening from a billion-year slumber, breaking free from the shackles of time.
Cultivators from the Red Devil Sect, such as Faang Yao and Zhou Cangmin, sensed the fiery aura emanating from both within and outside the mountain range.
The world appeared to be transforming into a bubbling cauldron, causing widespread discomfort among many.
Practitioners from the Cold Yin Sect, along with those who favored the cold, were forced to leave the Boundless Land, taking refuge in the Outland Starry Sky.
Thankfully, those brave enough to remain in the Boundless Land were all of at least Yang God caliber. Such esteemed cultivators possessed the fortitude to withstand the vacuum of space, observing the Boundless Land from a distance with keen interest.
"The world is undergoing a transformation!"
"Our Primordial Yang Sect's golden age has arrived!"
"The Boundless Land shall be our haven!"
Upon reaching the edge of the Hellfire Mountain Range, the cultivators from the Primordial Yang Sect, freshly arrived from the Heavenly Source Continent, were greeted by the spectacle unfolding before them.
They interpreted the dramatic changes and the Geocentric Fire's agitation as harbingers of destiny and chance.
Members of the Primordial Yang Sect, with bated breath and concentrated minds, delved into the intricacies of the mountain's fiery channels. They employed their Dao Arts to harness the torrential flame energy, seeking to refine it within the Yang God's physique.
"I've never witnessed nor heard of anyone being propelled towards divinity in such a manner!"
Wu Rann of the Devil Palace, his gaze fixed on the volcanic crater where Yuan Lianyao had descended, stroked his chin thoughtfully. He sensed a primordial force lingering precisely at her location.
Yet Yuan Lianyao was not ready to challenge the highest echelons of cultivation. Her skills and entitlements had not reached the necessary pinnacle, but a source of power had already presented itself, seemingly in anticipation of her arrival.
Wu Rann was an ancient being who had lived for millennia. He had witnessed numerous ascensions of supreme beings to their lofty realms, yet he had never encountered such an anomaly in the annals of the Boundless Land.
Could Yuan Lianyao, this woman, possibly be the daughter of the Boundless Land's will? Why else would she receive such favor?
Wu Rann was at a loss.
...
"Show me more of your sincerity."
Yu Yuan sat atop the Dragon Slash Platform, gazing at the restless Hellfire Mountain. With a smile and a squint, he mused, "You seek to birth a new spirit, to ascend through this act. You must do more."
Boom!
As if in response to his words, the vast Hellfire Mountain trembled with sudden intensity.
Hua!
A volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted with streams of divine radiance, a sight of sheer splendor.
Amidst the orange-red divine glow, numerous fire meteors, as if infused with life, darted through the light, their dance ethereal.
Clusters of fire clouds, bearing the essence of light and life's sustenance, emerged within the resplendent divine light.
Whoosh!
Another long-silent volcano released orbs of... fire crystals.
These fire crystals, the size of a toddler's fist and as translucent as diamonds, hovered silently over the crater.
A dozen or so small fire crystals began to shine, their brilliance rivaling that of the sun's own radiance!
The eternal sun, guardian of the Boundless Land, visible to all who looked skyward, had its light captured by the Hellfire Mountain's fire crystals, becoming part of them.
The fire crystals absorbed the sun's light, transforming it into their own energy.
They were like the eyes of the Geocentric Fire, aiding it in observing the world above, feeling the celestial flame, and preparing for greater feats.
"Solar nucleus!"
"So many solar nuclei!"
The practitioners of the Red Devil Sect and the warriors who battled across the Outer Star River instantly recognized the significance of these fire crystals.
Faang Yao, along with Zhou Cangmin and others like them, had their eyes shine with an eager light.
The solar nuclei emerging from beneath the Hellfire Mountain were of an unimaginable quality, reminiscent of an era long past, before the dawn of humans or demons, when fragments of the sun's core scattered and vanished into the Geocentric Fire.
It's conceivable that the Extreme Flame, eons ago, sustained itself by consuming suns.
"Perhaps, scattered throughout the galaxy beyond our Boundless Land, there are multiple suns."
Chung Guanyu of the Red Devil Sect, stationed on the moon, gazed intently at the anomalies within the Hellfire Mountain and ventured a speculation.
It was the Geocentric Fire of the Boundless Land that had swallowed numerous suns from the heavens, drawing them into the earth's core.
The Extreme Flame preserved only the last sun, allowing it to shine upon the Boundless Land, providing light.
"Ah!"
Chung Guanyu let out a sudden shriek.
"Look up!"
Above the moon, practitioners from the Spirit Void Sect, Cold Yin Sect, and Taiyuan Sect also pointed and screamed in unison at the sun.
The sun, refined and unified with the Dao by Qin Luo, was being pulled by a mysterious force and began to move slowly.
The sun was heading towards the Boundless Land!
From a volcano in the Hellfire Mountain, a dozen fire crystals rose, creating a magnetic field that attracted the solar nucleus, dragging the ancient, stationary sun towards the Boundless Land.
Incredibly, the sun was indeed being pulled and was now in motion!
"What does the Geocentric Fire of the Boundless Land intend to do?"
"After devouring so many suns and refining countless solar nuclei, why won't it spare this final one?"
"Where is Senior Han?"
The strange events at the Hellfire Mountain Range had left numerous cultivators in shock and fear.
As the last sun began its gradual shift towards the Boundless Land, moving ever so slowly, panic set in.
The pace of the sun's movement was accelerating.
Soon, the sun that had been a source of light and life for the Boundless Land might crash into it with great force.
Wouldn't both the Boundless Land and the sun be destroyed as a result?
"Yu Yuan, what's going on?"
The typically indolent Heavenly Water Sword finally lost his composure, leaping to his feet and exclaiming, "The sun is about to collide with us!"
"Faang Yao, quickly notify the Sect Master!"
Zhou Cangmin's face turned pale.
"There's no need."
From the sword boat beyond the mountain range, Du Yuan shook his head, his voice tinged with bitterness, "The Soul Body of Ji Hui is right now at the Ascension Mountain Range. He can see every subtle change happening in the Boundless Land. Should he wish to inform the Sect Master, he will do so."
Upon uttering these words, Zhou Cangmin turned his gaze back to Yu Yuan.
Yet, he noticed that Yu Yuan remained composed, casting a peculiar glance at the unusually active volcanoes.
"Is this our agreement?"
