Failure

The man approached the demonic fire, activating a secret art to inspect the surroundings with care. Although the other party had been very prudent and erased their tracks upon departure, it was not enough to deceive his eyes, and he soon uncovered faint clues. "I tried every method imaginable back then to test it, yet I was nearly burned to ashes by the demonic fire. Even if a late Nascent Soul old ghost came here, they could only sigh in despair. Just who could it be? Of the two late Nascent Soul experts who entered the Hall of Seven Kills this time, the Demon Lord and the Grand Shaman went into Heaven Tower together, and their whereabouts are unknown. As for the other old devils, their cultivation is at most comparable to mine—unless they carry an ancient secret treasure or cultivate some unique demonic art. This demonic fire is of extraordinary origin; it was not born of heaven and earth, but was a divine ability of an ancient demon. If someone cultivates a similar ancient demonic art, it is indeed possible. I know the backgrounds of those old immortals inside out, so could there be something I overlooked...?" The blackness in his pupils receded, returning to normal. He paced back and forth, guessing at the other party's identity. "Could an anomaly have occurred with the demonic fire, causing its power to weaken?" Filled with doubt and suspicion, he suddenly flickered forward and closed in on the demonic fire. The moment he entered the range blanketed by the demonic fire's power, a layer of blue flame abruptly appeared over his body. Though thin, the flame was exceedingly tough, resembling a protective barrier. Sheltered by the blue flame, he strode forward, drawing closer step by step to the demonic fire's true form. Unexpectedly, having only just entered the reach of its power, his eyes suddenly dimmed and lost their luster. A look of confusion washed over his face, as though he were on the verge of losing his wits. Right then, he bit down hard on the tip of his tongue. The searing pain jolted him awake, and he immediately flew backward, fleeing in a panic. Far from the demonic fire, he panted heavily, lingering dread gripping his heart. The demonic fire's power had not changed at all from before. Even before its origin power erupted, he had nearly succumbed right then and there. The bizarre, terrifying methods of ancient demonic cultivators were truly beyond the reckoning of later generations. Even with cultivation as high as his, he could not resist it. How on earth had that mysterious person managed it? He shook his head, staring at the true form of the demonic fire. "Never mind that. First, I'll attempt to tame the demonic fire! Even if the treasures inside were snatched away ahead of me, as long as I can claim the demonic fire for myself, my dominance over the Canglang Sea will be just around the corner. I might even have a chance to break through to Deity Transformation. What treasure couldn't I obtain then?" Having made up his mind, he sat down cross-legged, keeping a distance between himself and the Nine Nether Demonic Fire. A blue glow flickered between his brows at first, and then a tiny blue flame flew out from his glabella, floating before him. This blue flame was crystalline and translucent, hovering gently in the void and flickering with exquisite beauty. Maintaining the blue flame seemed far from easy; his face was flushed crimson, and beads of sweat dripped from his temples. "Go!" He uttered a soft cry, his spiritual sense surging. The blue flame swayed slightly, then drifted weightlessly toward the demonic fire's true form. He opened his eyes, watching the blue flame with great anticipation. Seeing it safely cross the distance and drift toward the demonic fire without collapsing under the influence of its aura, he was instantly overjoyed. The blue flame hovered in front of the demonic fire's true form, fluctuating far more noticeably than before. Seeing this, he knew that the blue flame could not endure the demonic fire's pressure for long. He immediately began circulating his cultivation method, attempting to subdue the demonic fire. He formed one incantation gesture after another. Along with this, a tremendous suction force arose from within the blue flame, aiming straight for the demonic fire in an attempt to draw out a wisp of it for the blue flame to devour. The technique worked. The demonic fire was not provoked, and a wisp of flame genuinely seemed on the verge of detaching from its true form, about to be pulled over by the blue flame. A look of delight had barely appeared on the man's face when an unexpected change suddenly erupted. As the demonic fire drew near, the blue flame shook violently, cowering and shrinking as if in mortal terror, trying to dodge away. The man took fright and hurriedly drove his spiritual sense with all his might to maintain the blue flame. To his dismay, the blue flame abruptly exploded without the slightest warning. *Boom!* Like fireworks bursting into bloom, the blue flame shattered completely. Specks of flame dissolved into the void, dazzling and magnificent. That wisp of demonic flame instantly returned to its original place, and the demonic fire's true form remained untouched. At the same time, a shrill, wretched shriek rang out. The moment the blue flame detonated, the man let out a piercing scream and collapsed to the ground. Clasping his head tightly with both hands, he curled into a ball, trembling violently as he endured immense agony. Only after a long while did he sit up shakily, his hair disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, and blood trickling from all seven facial orifices. Covered in grime and dust, he looked utterly wretched. Paying no heed to this, he hurriedly entered meditation to regulate his breath. After a considerable time, his breathing finally stabilized, and he slowly opened his eyes. "Still no good! Unless I can find more spiritual fire to continue strengthening the seed fire... But spiritual fire of this caliber is exceedingly rare in the world, and I only learned of it before through sheer coincidence..." He let out a long sigh. Another failure. The blue flame was actually so terrified of the demonic fire that before they could even make true contact, the seed fire had shattered on its own. As for directly circulating his cultivation method to refine the demonic fire into a seed fire, he did not even dare entertain the thought. Most likely, before the secret art was even complete, he would burn himself to ashes. He then made several more attempts, failing every time. In the end, he gave up and rose to his feet. Shifting his gaze, his eyes flickered toward the gap beside the demonic fire's true form. "Just what method did that person use to withstand the demonic fire's power and travel back and forth? If I can get my hands on it... There is demonic fire barring the way outside, so the restrictions inside are bound to be even more terrifying; he might not have been able to take the treasures! Besides, seeing such supreme demonic fire, could he possibly not be tempted? It is very likely he will return here in the future..." His eyes suddenly lit up. Then, carefully erasing all traces he had left behind, his figure vanished into thin air. Silence descended over the canyon once more. The demonic fire swayed, and the poisonous mist drifted. *** At the edge of the dense forest. Qin Sang emerged from behind an ancient tree, warily scanning the wasteland. He had changed into a different outfit and dispensed with the cloak altogether. As long as Cui Ji and Xiang Yi were not dead, he could no longer show himself under the identity of Daoist Qingfeng. He did not fear Cui Ji, but he feared Xiang Yi's background was too formidable, capable of mobilizing the forces behind him to orchestrate his assassination. Xiang Yi and the others had long departed, and Qin Sang had no idea where to look for them, so it was best to attend to his own affairs first. The wasteland stretched out boundless and empty; not a single silhouette was in sight. Qin Sang moved along the edge of the dense forest, flitting toward the mountain range. Before long, he arrived before the first mountain. The mountain was not particularly high, but it stretched on endlessly, walling off both the dense forest and the wasteland like a towering bulwark, forming a distinct dividing line. Beyond this mountain lay rolling peaks containing countless secret realms as well as omnipresent dangers. Some places held a notoriety no less dreadful than the Purple Mist Deathland. The poison-warding armor was useless in such terrain, so Qin Sang could only rely on his own vigilance. Heaven Tower stood nestled behind the mountain ranges; after crossing several peaks, one would be able to catch sight of its silhouette. There was no fixed path to Heaven Tower from here, but certain perilous zones could be proactively avoided. Qin Sang retrieved a simple topographical map and located his position. Realizing that entering the mountains from here was a relatively favorable choice, he mapped out a route and set off.