Magma splashed as a scorching light surged forth—the creature had launched another attack. Its crimson feathers blazed like fire, its iron-hard wings slicing through the air with a piercing howl, accompanied by waves of red heat. Shi Hao flicked his finger, unleashing a streak of sword energy that slashed through the beast, sending a spray of blood into the air. The onlookers trembled—this was the difference between them and him. While they could only flee from such a monstrous bird, he could make it bleed with ease.
The crimson beast let out a shrill cry before plunging back into the pool, where steam and waves of heat rolled forth, its red glow searing the skin. It had hidden itself once more.
“How bizarre. It looks like a chicken, yet it’s so powerful. I’ll catch you and take a closer look.” Shi Hao swept his right hand, splitting the magma pool open. The earth layer was thin, and the boiling liquid surged forth, unbearably hot.
Though the beast was strong, it was no match for Shi Hao. Forced out, it erupted in fury, its crimson feathers shooting out like red lightning. Shi Hao summoned the golden Dragon-Horn Scissors, and with a series of sharp *snaps*, he sheared them all off, leaving the feathers to wither.
“It really does look like a chicken,” he muttered in surprise.
The beast was vicious, its aura thick with malice as it lunged again. Its form was indistinguishable from a common fowl—only its size was extraordinary, stretching several *zhang* long. With a swift motion, Shi Hao slashed his fingers like a blade, severing its head in a spray of blood, ending its life.
“The meat is crystalline—looks delicious.” Hungry, Shi Hao plucked its feathers on the spot, pouring water from his Qiankun Bag to clean it. Then, he took out the Heaven-Transforming Bowl, sealed the two spiders inside another artifact, and tossed the mutated chicken in to stew.
The onlookers winced. *Who is this guy? What is he even doing here?* They couldn’t believe he was using such a powerful artifact to cook a chicken.
In the end, Shi Hao devoured the beast. Its essence was dense, carrying a peculiar energy that strengthened tendons and bones. According to the others, this was the unique trait of creatures born here—their bodies contained divine essence, immensely beneficial to humans.
“This was just a common chicken, but after living here for a century, it transformed, gaining cultivation and becoming a monstrous beast,” Shi Hao mused.
*Elsewhere, could a mere chicken undergo such a metamorphosis?* He was astonished. If ordinary creatures could change so drastically here, what about stronger beings? No wonder this was the ancestral land of the Fire Clan!
As he journeyed onward, his suspicions were confirmed. He slew a mastiff, another ordinary creature that had evolved into a formidable beast with considerable cultivation.
“Turning the mundane into the extraordinary—if even chickens and dogs can become monstrous beasts, imagine the potential if one could harness the source of this transformation. How powerful could a person become?” The thought excited him.
The group became Shi Hao’s followers, while a towering wolf, over ten *zhang* tall, became his steed, traversing the scorching wasteland with imposing might.
“Ah, a Blue Lotus!” someone suddenly cried out.
Ahead, a massive canyon split the wasteland in two. In the darkness, a blue glow shimmered—a lotus, not rooted in water but in the crevices of stone. It was short, only a foot tall, yet bore a bowl-sized blossom, crystalline blue, its fragrance wafting from afar.
Shi Hao’s followers rushed forward, eager to pluck it. This was a rare treasure, brimming with divine essence, a chance encounter not to be missed. Here, even the most ordinary herbs surpassed spiritual medicines from the outside world—not in rank, but in the divine energy they absorbed.
Suddenly, a massive bird swooped down from the sky, unleashing sword energies to block their path. A treasure artifact descended, aiming to crush Shi Hao.
“Scram!” roared a voice from the bird.
They had been tailing Shi Hao, initially planning to use him as bait to lure divine creatures. But after witnessing his strength, they had hesitated—until now. The sight of the Blue Lotus was too tempting.
*Clang!*
Shi Hao struck, his hands forming the Suan Ni Seal, transforming into an ancient beast of thunder and wind. The artifact shattered instantly, stunning the attackers.
“How is he this strong? He crushed a treasure artifact barehanded?!”
They didn’t know his identity. Had they known he had battled pure-blooded creatures, they would have fled without a second thought.
Though they were elites among their peers, compared to Shi Hao, the gap was insurmountable.
“Grab it now!” they shouted, unwilling to fight.
The massive bird dove into the canyon, aiming to snatch the lotus and escape into the clouds, believing Shi Hao couldn’t follow.
*Boom!*
Disaster struck.
Red waves erupted as the canyon split open, magma surging forth in a cataclysmic explosion. The world turned crimson, heat unbearable.
The bird shrieked as the molten tide swallowed it whole, its riders vanishing without a trace. Flesh withered and burned to ash in an instant—utter annihilation.
“Run!” the survivors on the canyon rim screamed, but it was too late. The earth shattered, plunging them into the inferno below.
Magma roared into the sky, obliterating the land. Death loomed over the ancestral grounds.
Shi Hao’s expression darkened as he shot upward, sensing the danger. This was no ordinary magma—its heat was many times deadlier.
He had no time to save anyone. The devastation was too swift, like the heavens collapsing.
The giant wolf let out a mournful cry before sinking into the molten sea, its bones dissolving instantly.
Shi Hao sighed, standing atop a treasure artifact as he watched from the clouds. Nature’s wrath made even the strongest feel insignificant.
Ten *li* of land had collapsed into a sea of magma, its flames laced with ancient runes. No wonder even experts had turned to ash.
“Truly, the ancestral land of the Fire Clan.”
The canyon was gone, replaced by a crimson lake, neither cooling nor drying, eerily still.
Amidst it, the Blue Lotus floated, unharmed, its hue now tinged with silver.
“What a herb. Absorbing even more divine essence—harvesting it could save months of cultivation,” murmured a voice.
A youth of sixteen or seventeen, with wings crackling with lightning, hovered nearby. He eyed the lotus with burning desire but dared not act recklessly.
Instead, he turned to Shi Hao. “Little brother, do me a favor—fetch that herb for me.”
“Why me?” Shi Hao asked.
“No reason. Just do it,” the winged youth replied, his smile laced with authority.
Shi Hao understood—this guy saw him as a subordinate. *How arrogant.*
“Are you… from beyond this domain?”
“Indeed,” the youth nodded, pride flickering in his eyes.
“And that makes you superior?”
“What do you mean?” The youth’s aura flared, stirring the magma below.
“Nothing much. Go fetch that Blue Lotus for me,” Shi Hao said calmly, mirroring the youth’s earlier tone.
“You—!” The youth’s face darkened.
A battle was inevitable. Shi Hao welcomed it—this outsider would be a good measure of strength from other realms.
The youth was formidable, his thunderous wings unleashing storms of lightning. But against Shi Hao, a ten-cavern prodigy, he stood no chance.
Twenty moves later, a single palm strike sent him flying, blood spraying from his lips.
“Go. Pluck the lotus. Don’t damage it,” Shi Hao ordered, tossing him toward the lake.
“You—! My master will crush you!” the youth spat, his pride now humiliation.
Shi Hao’s eyes narrowed. *A mere servant, yet this strong? What kind of master does he serve?*
But fear was foreign to him. The stronger the opponent, the better the tempering.
“Fetch the herb,” Shi Hao repeated, as if commanding a servant.
Gritting his teeth, the youth reached for the lotus—only for a whirlpool to drag him under. Blood sprayed as the lake’s depths revealed a hidden palace, its runes glowing.
“A Divine Mansion!” someone gasped.
Divine Mansions were ancient relics, where days of meditation equaled months of cultivation. Occasionally appearing in the Fire Clan’s ancestral land, they sparked fierce battles.
Each mansion lasted only briefly before crumbling, yet their allure was undeniable. Some even held lost legacies—profound techniques from antiquity.
Figures rushed in from the distance, dozens of them, eyes blazing with greed.
Shi Hao’s heart stirred. *This is exactly what I need.*
The hunt was on.
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