Through the puppet’s split consciousness, Han Li could clearly sense everything the moment he entered the cave entrance.
Before the white wolf lay a natural passage seven to eight zhang high, its walls black and red with occasional tongues of flame leaping from the cracks, distorting the nearby air with intense heat. Han Li was certain that any cultivator with slightly lower cultivation would likely be overwhelmed by the scorching winds and faint upon entering.
As a mechanical puppet, the white wolf naturally had no such concerns. It flew forward along the passage, and soon, a fiery red underground world unfolded before it.
The area spanned several hundred zhang, but the most striking feature was a lava lake occupying most of the space. The lake bubbled violently, its fiery red blisters bursting with loud pops, creating a terrifying impression that anyone who ventured too close would be instantly desiccated.
Around the lake lay reddish-brown rocky ground, where patches of green shimmered—spiritual herbs growing against all odds. Though astonishing, these herbs were clearly extraordinary. However, Han Li’s split consciousness within the white wolf paid them no heed, his gaze already fixed on a massive rock protruding from the center of the lava lake.
Upon it lay a fiery red creature, belly-up, snoring loudly. The monster was not particularly large—three zhang wide and five to six zhang long—resembling a giant toad, but its flame-like, glowing skin gave it an imposing aura. With each breath, red mist occasionally swirled around its body, adding an air of mystery.
So this was the Fire Toad Beast! Han Li observed it carefully for a long while before shifting his gaze to a stone platform on the opposite side of the lava lake.
The platform was clearly ancient, its edges eroded and worn despite the intricate carvings and runes adorning its sides. At its center lay the remains of a cultivator wrapped in a cyan robe, lying peacefully. The robe, simple and archaic in design, was clearly not from the current era. Yet despite the passage of time, it remained pristine, emitting a faint green glow—undoubtedly no ordinary artifact. The skeleton beneath had long turned to bones, but each was crystalline and translucent, eerily resembling clear crystal.
After scrutinizing the remains and the Fire Toad Beast, Han Li sent a wisp of his split consciousness toward the skeleton, intending to search for any hidden treasures. The lack of visible artifacts or storage pouches had raised his suspicions. Perhaps they were concealed within the robe or nearby, so he decided to investigate first.
As the wisp of divine sense descended toward the remains, an anomaly occurred. The cyan robe suddenly flared with spiritual light, a layer of cyan mist repelling the divine sense and causing a ripple in the surrounding spiritual energy. The Fire Toad Beast, previously asleep on its back, seemed to sense something—its tightly shut eyes snapped open, its emerald-green pupils darting before locking onto the white wolf puppet at the cave entrance.
“Not good!” Han Li inwardly exclaimed. The white wolf puppet swiftly turned, transforming into a streak of white light as it fled back the way it came.
Simultaneously, the seemingly sluggish Fire Toad Beast flipped over, leaping high onto the rock and assuming a crouched position. It glared at the retreating white streak and let out an enraged croak before kicking off with its powerful hind legs, enveloped in a red mist as it gave chase.
“The Fire Toad is coming. Be careful, fellow Daoists,” Han Li, hidden near the formation, silently transmitted to Marquis Nanlong and the others. The two tensed, their gazes turning toward the distant peak.
A white streak shot out from the cave, heading straight for them. Moments later, a brilliant red mass flashed out of the entrance, hot on the white streak’s tail, its speed matching that of an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
Han Li’s expression shifted slightly. Fortunately, the white wolf puppet was designed for speed—otherwise, luring the beast here would have been uncertain.
With a thought, he pushed the puppet to its limits, disregarding potential damage, while a blue icy flame silently materialized in his palm.
Marquis Nanlong and Lu Weiying, grim-faced, readied their treasures, waiting silently on either side of the formation.
Though the peak seemed far, the white streak and the red mass arrived in the blink of an eye. A fierce glint flashed in Han Li’s eyes as the icy flame in his hand grew slightly larger.
Just as the white streak was about to plunge into their prepared formation, the Fire Toad, still thirty to forty zhang behind, let out an impatient croak and spat out a crimson fireball.
Initially the size of a human head, the fireball expanded to several zhang in midair, engulfing the puppet at the formation’s edge in a towering inferno. Explosions echoed from within the flames before silence fell.
When the flames receded, the puppet had vanished without a trace.
Han Li was inwardly startled. The Fire Toad’s demonic flames were indeed extraordinary—surpassing even the Nascent Soul cultivator’s infant flames. He wondered if his icy flame could counter it. Still, he wasn’t overly concerned. He had more than one method to slay the beast, whether it be the Violet Heavenly Flame or the Great Geng Sword Formation.
Moreover, he could simply unleash all his Core Formation-level puppets to overwhelm the creature—though he naturally wouldn’t waste them so recklessly.
Satisfied with destroying the intruder, the Fire Toad let out a triumphant croak and prepared to turn back.
This left Han Li and the other two momentarily stunned. Han Li, in particular, tensed. The Fire Toad was crucial to Nangong Wan’s survival—he couldn’t let it escape. Frowning, he suddenly shot forward as a streak of cyan light, appearing alone on the other side of the formation.
Marquis Nanlong and Lu Weiying, initially puzzled, quickly grasped his intent.
Han Li’s actions successfully startled the Fire Toad, which had already begun turning away. It swiftly spun around, fixing its gaze on the new enemy, its eyes flickering with suspicion.
Without a word, Han Li raised the conspicuous icy flame in one hand while tapping his waist with the other. Six blue lights shot from his storage pouch, landing behind him and revealing six towering, glowing blue tortoises—his newly crafted giant tortoise puppets.
At his mental command, the tortoises’ shells shimmered, instantly forming identical foot-long ice spikes, crystalline and razor-sharp, exuding a chilling aura. The previously harmless-looking tortoises now appeared menacing and formidable.
Sensing Han Li’s hostility, the Fire Toad’s green eyes flashed with malice. With a breath, it spat out another fireball.
Watching the massive fireball hurtle toward him, Han Li remained silent, curious to test the beast’s flames. He flicked his wrist, and the blue icy flame transformed into a delicate ice flower, drifting forward to meet the fireball.
The Fire Toad’s fireball was five to six zhang in diameter, while the ice flower was mere inches in size—utterly disproportionate. Yet when they collided, something astonishing happened.
With a sizzle, blue light flickered across the fireball, encasing it in thick blue ice. A massive ice sphere now floated in the air, its core still pulsing with crimson flames.
Han Li blinked in surprise.
Enraged at seeing its fireball trapped, the Fire Toad roared and spat out hundreds of fist-sized fireballs in a furious barrage.
Han Li pursed his lips and waved a hand. The six tortoise puppets, already primed, shook their shells, launching countless ice spikes to meet the fireballs. A thunderous explosion followed as icy spikes shattered into white mist and fireballs burst into waves of flame, intertwining midair and filling the sky with rolling steam.
Han Li narrowed his eyes. Clearly, the fireballs overpowered the ice spikes, the flames steadily pushing back the cold mist.
Muttering under his breath, Han Li suddenly retreated, the six tortoises following suit.
The flames, having overwhelmed the icy mist, surged after them. But the tortoises unleashed another volley of ice spikes, momentarily halting the fire’s advance while Han Li and the puppets retreated another twenty zhang.
Han Li’s gaze remained fixed on the motionless Fire Toad. Based on his pre-expedition research, the Fire Toad could harness the power of lava for self-healing and was highly skilled in fire escape techniques, capable of traversing thousands of feet in an instant through flames.
With molten lava permeating the underground, if the beast dove into the earth, it could easily escape. While Marquis Nanlong and the others might not care—they were here for the remains and treasures—Han Li couldn’t afford to let it go. He needed its demon core at all costs. Thus, luring it into the formation to cut off its retreat was essential.
Seeing Han Li retreat after a brief skirmish, the Fire Toad hesitated briefly before, with a flash of red mist, it transformed into a streak of light and gave chase.
Han Li inwardly rejoiced.
After pursuing a short distance, blue-white light suddenly enveloped the Fire Toad, forming a watery blue curtain around it. White streaks flickered across the curtain, and faint outlines of water dragons emerged, ready to strike. The air within the curtain grew damp and chilly.
Startled, the Fire Toad halted, its eyes darting nervously as it growled in warning.
Simultaneously, Marquis Nanlong and Old Man Lu materialized on either side of the curtain. Seeing the beast trapped, they wasted no time in attacking.
Marquis Nanlong hurled his jade ring, while Old Man Lu summoned two intertwined blue halberds. The formation’s curtain posed no barrier to their treasures, which shot through unimpeded.
Meanwhile, the white water dragons lunged from the curtain, joining the assault—prompted by Han Li, who activated the formation’s restrictions from afar.
Though dim-witted, the Fire Toad sensed danger. With an earth-shaking roar, it contracted before expanding violently, unleashing its life-saving technique. Countless identical crimson shields materialized around it, layering into three impenetrable barriers.
The jade ring, water dragons, and halberds struck simultaneously. Explosions erupted within the curtain as flames, water, and multicolored light clashed, blindingly intense.
With another roar, a pillar of crimson light as thick as a water vat shot from the chaos, piercing the watery curtain with a *puff*. The barrier held momentarily before a gaping hole was torn through it.
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