Chapter 791 - The Fire Devouring King
Chapter 791 - The Fire Devouring King
Ru Xin also realised how she had lost her composure. She shook her head gently. “Then forget that I said anything at all. I might not be able to help you with this.”
Li Qingshan was in thought. As the cloud moved towards the south, Ru Xin gradually spoke less before falling completely silent. She stared at the south for prolonged periods of time.
By the time the sun had set in the west and stars littered across the sky, Li Qingshan said, “We’re at Savage mountain!”
Ru Xin thought to herself, I’m back, the south!
……
The Fire Melt mountains spanned several hundred kilometers. It was a huge mountain range. The rock was scarlet like fire, without a single inch of grass. There were only crimson, thistle-like plants, clustered like embers.
Li Qingshan and Xiao An peered down from the cloud, only to see a fiery chain of mountains. Every single scarlet peak seemed to be burning as if it was a sea of fire that burned for several hundred kilometers.
In the centre of the sea of fire was a huge volcano that stood several thousand meters tall. The rock had already crystallised, allowing the glow of the magma to pour through. At first glance, it seemed like flowing fire.
The entire mountain is actually all fire spiritual stone. If I can cultivate there, I’ll definitely be able to make rapid progress with the Phoenix Transformation. It’s no wonder the phoenix treated this place as its cultivation dwelling in the past!
Li Qingshan had once cultivated in a chain of volcanoes to the north of the Mist province. He found it quite nice, but it was absolutely nothing compared to Fire Melt mountain.
Several hundred plumes of black smoke rose into the air. These were live volcanoes that erupted all year round, spewing with thick, black smoke. The smoke did not disperse, resonating with other plumes in the distance. It seemed to possess a spiritual nature, coiling about together like snakes.
Rivers of lava poured out from the craters of volcanoes or oozed out from the cracks, flowing along canals that were clearly man-made. They formed a complicated inscription that gathered energy.
“This is a colossal formation.” Xiao An was afraid that Li Qingshan did not understand what she meant, so she added, “Even if the King of Southern Yue tried to take this place by force, he would have to pay a corresponding price.”
She was implying that even if he exposed his other identity, it would be impossible for him to take Fire Melt mountain. Although his strength could rival third heavenly tribulation existences, the purpose of the formation around Fire Melt mountain was to stop opponents of this level.
Li Qingshan nodded. Across the entire Mist province, only the fire devourers feared neither the King of Southern Yue or paid any attention to the Great Banyan Tree King. There was definitely a reason for this.
Fire devourers were renowned for their violent tempers and belligerence among otherfolk. They were known as a fighting race, and they occupied a blessed land like this on top of that, having dwelled there for several thousand years. The strength they had built up was well beyond estimate.
Apart from the formation and the Fire Devouring King on the surface, no one could say for sure whether there were other kings on Fire Melt mountain.
The lifespans of otherfolk paled in comparison to daemons, but it was much longer than humans. They were born with the spiritual nature of the world too. When it came to their advantage in bloodlines, only descendants from human clans and a handful of exotic beasts could rival them.
They basically possessed the advantages of both races. They could be described as “blessed by the heavens”.
Ye Liusu and her siblings made a clear demonstration of this point. Among the friends Li Qingshan had acquainted himself with in the Clear River prefecture, basically all of them were known as geniuses, yet they were still stuck at Foundation Establishment. There was not a single one that had undergone the second heavenly tribulation. His father-in-law, Han Anjun, had taken several years before finally undergoing the second heavenly tribulation.
As for the three of them, they did receive Li Qingshan’s support and some guidance from the Great Banyan Tree King, but their cultivation speed was still startling. And apart from them, there were several other night roamers that came close to the second heavenly tribulation. They were all matriarchs and princesses of past night roamer clans.
Just the regular bloodlines of night roamers rivalled descendants of clans, possessing great talent. Of course, they paled in comparison to Chu Tian’s Five Elements constitution and Yu Zijian’s Pure Yang constitution.
On top of that, they happened to be the best of the best picked from the night roamers. They had just been oppressed by Lolth for several years, preventing them from spreading their wings. Their talent had basically begun to show now.
If Li Qingshan were generous with Origin Spirit pills, he could obtain a group of powerful night roamer assassins in just a few years. He also understood why the Great Xia empire permitted enslaving otherfolk. They used all that they could to oppress them.
Legend had it that during the ancient times, otherfolk had once ruled the nine provinces, and they were known as “godfolk”. They founded their own divine kingdoms and enslaved humans and daemons. Afterwards, while the otherfolk were locked in strife between one another, the two races banded together before overthrowing them.
“Looks like the fire devourers really are a tough bone to chew!” Li Qingshan waved his hand. “The Profound Light Illuminates All!”
The Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell assembled into a sphere in the surroundings before suddenly dispersing. Every single piece displayed a scene, revealing every single detail about Fire Melt mountain. He saw fire devourers fighting and playing in the magma and flames as well as crude structures built from red rock, sitting on the banks of a river of fire.
Li Qingshan waved his hand, and the Spirit Turtle’s Profound Shell stacked together, directed like a telescope towards the main peak of Fire Melt mountain, the crystalline volcano.
In the crater of the volcano sat a majestic city built into the rock face. Corridors winded about, leading right to the bottom of the volcano. Even the weakest of the fire devourers allowed to reside there had undergone the first heavenly tribulation. Their numbers were enough to make most major sects perspire.
A palace that seemed to be carved from red crystal sat at the bottom. Its foundation was also a thick layer of red crystal, covering the mouth of the volcano with magma. Flames surged underneath. It seemed like ice condensed from fire. It was the purest and highest quality fire spiritual crystal there was.
Firelight shimmered through every single fire spiritual crystal in a magnificent manner. That was where the royal clan of the fire devourers resided.
“Found it!”
Li Qingshan’s eyes lit up. Right in the centre of the crater, a huge, wutong tree was rooted deeply into the fire spiritual crystal, extending into the magma. Its pale-white bark and fire-red leaves gave off a sacred glow.
That was the legendary divine wutong tree, the place where the phoenix roosted.
Just by looking at it from afar, Li Qingshan felt a close feeling of attachment, like a returning traveller who had left home many years ago.
The wutong tree seemed to be calling for him. No, not him, but the phoenix. The phoenix left without ever coming back!
“Who’s so bold to spy on my Fire Melt mountain!?”
A furious voice exploded in Li Qingshan’s ears like a volcanic eruption. It was filled with violent wrath.
A streak of light rushed out of the crater like a rising meteor, shooting right towards Li Qingshan.
“The White Hawk commander, Li Qingshan!” Li Qingshan stood with his arms crossed and stated his name and identity. He asked, “Fellow, are you the Fire Devouring King, Zhu Yan?”
With a rumble, the meteor in the sky came to a sudden halt. A bare-chested man in his prime emerged from the flames. His face was handsome and crude as if it had been carved from the red rock there. His head full of fire blazed away as he held a spear in his hand. He stared at Li Qingshan with his fire-red eyes that produced sparks.
“The King of Savages?”