The Ji Family’s pursuit of Ye Fan had started because of the Great Void Art, yet the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang and Hua Yunfei had also given chase — this was far from a good omen.

Very soon, he also spotted Li Youyou, the most outstanding disciple of the Carefree Sect, drifting after him like wisps of ethereal smoke.

At the same moment, he caught sight of more than a dozen familiar silhouettes — all young heroes he had encountered at the Grand Profound Sect the last time. Beyond those, even more unfamiliar figures appeared, people he had never laid eyes on before, converging on him from distant directions.

The trouble had grown enormous. The Ji Family wanted to reclaim the Great Void Art, while other forces harbored hidden schemes of their own, each eager to seize a share of the spoils.

Ye Fan felt the road ahead was unknown, his survival uncertain, and shaking off all these pursuers would be no easy feat.

“Little Brother Ye, come with me. In this region, only my Yao Guang Sacred Ground can keep you safe.” The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang transmitted her voice once more, her tone honey-smooth, carrying a faint trace of enchanting allure.

Ye Fan was sorely tempted to make a reckless gamble — to throw himself into Yao Guang’s hands and reveal the Great Void Art openly, thus igniting conflict between the two great powers. But doing so would be no different from a moth flinging itself into a flame.

At this moment, he was in a precarious position; everyone regarded him as a piece of succulent meat.

Just as his attention drifted, light bloomed beneath the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang’s feet. Golden lotuses appeared with each step she took; like a slender willow swaying in a gentle breeze, she undulated her celestial form and, in an instant, caught up with him.

Ye Fan opened his eyes wide and pushed every ounce of his strength into increasing his speed. This Holy Maiden, whose beauty was enough to make fish sink and geese fall, was truly extraordinary — she nearly overtook him.

Laughter as clear as celestial music floated over. The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang extended her jade arm; her slender fingers, as delicate as scallion shoots, seemed to hold some strange magical power as she reached toward Ye Fan’s back from hundreds of meters away.

Though the distance between them spanned several hundred meters, Ye Fan felt a fragrant wind wash over him, as if that hand were about to press against his spine — he could almost sense its softness.

He broke out in a cold sweat and shouted, “Holy Maiden of Yao Guang, how old are you, exactly?”

Everyone was momentarily stunned, unable to make sense of the question. The Holy Maiden’s expression flickered with brief surprise before she broke into a light laugh. “You slippery little rogue.”

Ye Fan had only one purpose in saying that — to break her concentration, to evade the danger of a moment ago. The soft jade hand was shaken off, and he poured on even more speed.

Blue robes billowing, Hua Yunfei caught up as well and transmitted his voice: “Junior Brother Ye, you are a disciple of the Craggy Peak — we both come from the Grand Profound Sect. Return to the Sect with me.”

Mist and clouds swirled as Carefree Sect’s Li Youyou also kept pace, never falling behind.

“Little thief Ye, let’s see who can save you today!” Ji Hui’s face was iron-dark as she steadily closed the gap, pressing in with speed.

Of all the hands he could fall into, he absolutely could not fall into this old woman’s. If he did, even dying would not come easily — not until he had endured every torment the world had to offer would she let him close his eyes for good.

“Hehehe… Little Ye, stop running. Your sister won’t hurt you.” Ji Biyue laughed sweetly, five-colored lightning crackling beneath her jade feet, and in a single flash she had closed a great distance.

Ye Fan’s heart turned cold. Every young powerhouse who had given chase had cultivated to the Third Secret Realm — none of them inferior to seasoned veterans.

Glancing back, apart from the several Ji Family elders, all of them were young heroes: Hua Yunfei, Li Youyou, Ji Biyue, the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang…

By now, nearly twenty cultivators in total had given chase, impossible to shake off. Half of them he had seen before; the rest were entirely unfamiliar.

“Little Ye, your sister is coming to dote on you…” Ji Biyue’s eyes rippled like water; her figure was alluring, her curves captivating. The jade moon hovering above her head suddenly flew out and came swooping down toward Ye Fan like a descending net.

“My beauty, we can always communicate in private — doing this in broad daylight before everyone is hardly proper.” At that very moment, Ye Fan gave a shiver, and his footwork grew even stranger. With each step, the rhythm of the Dao flowed through him, and after several paces he finally slipped free of that descending jade moon.

The Jin Kingdom held a certain reputation in the Southern Region, and the reason cultivators knew of it at all was entirely due to a Fire Domain located within its borders.

No one knew why the Fire Domain never extinguished. From the most ancient of ages to the present day, no one could say how many eras it had burned — the number of years it had existed was impossible to calculate clearly.

Above the ground grew no plants; below the earth flowed no magma — there was nothing at all to sustain combustion. There was only flame, and no one knew why it had burned without cease for so long, utterly impossible to smother.

The Fire Domain was somewhere ordinary cultivators dared not approach, yet for the most supreme practitioners forging artifacts, it was undoubtedly their first choice. The flames here possessed a mysterious power that could assist a weapon in taking form and etch the markings of Dao and principle upon it.

Of course, the Fire Domain was no peaceful place. It was fine enough on ordinary calm days, but when the fierce flames surged and swept across the high heavens, it became extraordinarily dangerous — even great powerhouses had to retreat.

Many records had been written about this place. In the most ancient historical texts, references could even be found to “Immortals,” and to a Desolate Pagoda. However, these amounted to no more than a few sparse, indistinct lines — vague and difficult to make sense of.

Ye Fan had already traveled three thousand li from the Qixia Mountain Range, moving from the central region of the Jin Kingdom all the way to its westernmost edge. He could see a vast expanse of fiery red ahead, and only when he drew closer did he realize: a Fire Domain spanning roughly a hundred li in circumference blocked the way before him.

“Little thief Ye — nowhere to run, nowhere to hide! Where can you possibly escape to now?!” Ji Hui’s face was as dark as still water, killing intent laid bare in her eyes. She held her position behind him, no longer rushing forward.

The others also stopped, sealing off three directions and encircling him before the Fire Domain, halting their advance.

Ye Fan had thought to fly over at high altitude and pass straight through, but seeing how everyone had reacted, something stirred in his heart and he held back from acting rashly.

“You miserable old woman — what can you do to me? It’s just a stretch of flames. Do you really think that can stop me?” Ye Fan stood his ground and studied the reactions of those across from him.

“The ignorant have no fear. You’re not even afraid of the Fire Domain — should I call you hopelessly arrogant, or simply say you’ve seen far too little of the world?”

Watching her attitude, Ye Fan instantly understood: this place was no trifle, and he could not barge in recklessly.

“Little Brother Ye, don’t hesitate — come with me. Yao Guang will make your cultivation a priority…” The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang transmitted her voice in secret, painting a promising future, guiding him along with patient persuasion.

Ji Hui personally stepped forward and slowly advanced. Several other elders followed behind her. By this point, there was no chance whatsoever that they would give Ye Fan any opening.

Ahead, tongues of flame danced and leaped, their heat scorching the earth; along the outer fringe of the domain, the ground was parched and split with wide, dry cracks.

Ye Fan gritted his teeth and resolved to take a desperate gamble. He began retreating slowly into the Fire Domain — because right now, there was simply no other path to survival.

“Little Ye, why must you be so unyielding…” Ji Biyue smiled faintly. Barefoot, she stood atop five-colored lightning and drifted lightly after him.

Swoosh!

Ye Fan charged into the Fire Domain. Scorching heat struck him full in the face; flames burned all around. Shielding himself with divine light, he sprinted forward, aiming to break out from a different direction.

“A futile effort. If you don’t die today, how can any of us rest easy?” Ji Hui advanced, plunging into the sea of fire, chasing after him like a phantom.

By now more than a dozen people had given chase. The others hesitated briefly, then followed the elders and plunged in as well.

Those who had given chase sealed off three directions, leaving him only one path — deeper into the Fire Domain.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Fan had pressed seven or eight li inward. The color of the flames shifted: from crimson red to a pale blue. The temperature climbed even higher, and even with divine power protecting his body, he could feel wave after wave of searing heat.

“I’ll say this to everyone behind me — do you all want to turn into dried meat? If this pursuit goes on much longer, even if you get to watch me burn to ashes, none of you will make it out either.” Ye Fan called back over his shoulder.

“Little Ye, your sister truly cannot bear to see you roasted alive. Come back quickly — I’ll quietly open a path for you. I’m nothing like Grand-Aunt Ji Hui; I won’t kill you.” Ji Biyue transmitted her voice in secret, her gaze hypnotic and soul-stealing.

He ran on for several more li. The color of the flames shifted again — from pale blue to a milky white, flowing like liquid, hazy and indistinct. Ye Fan felt his mouth go dry; a few more steps at this rate and he really would be cooked through.

By now the terrain was no longer flat. Great boulders had appeared, stone forests spread in all directions — this gave his escape a measure of relief, allowing him to conceal himself from time to time.

“Stop going any further. This Fire Domain is where great powerhouses forge their weapons. The deeper you go, the more dangerous it becomes — you could very well be incinerated to ash.” Hua Yunfei transmitted his voice.

Ye Fan paid him no heed and continued pressing forward. After running several more li, a fourth color of flame appeared — dark and flickering with black radiance, like netherworldly fire, terrifying in its blackness, burning without sound or sign.

Likewise, the stone forest ahead had grown far denser. Strangely, these temperatures were enough to melt solid mountain stone, yet the stone forest had not been incinerated.

The moment Ye Fan stepped into the black flames, he felt as though his skin was splitting apart. This netherworldly fire was exceptionally fearsome, filling him with a deep, visceral dread.

Had his physical body not been extraordinarily robust, he would have been in genuine peril by now — even as things stood, his entire body burned with searing pain.

Behind him, Ji Hui and the others had grown hesitant as well. Li Youyou and those with less powerful physical bodies were sustaining themselves purely through the depth of their divine power.

Swoosh!

The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang charged into the netherworldly fire. Her body was lustrous and crystalline, dotted with glimmering light, golden lotuses blooming beneath each step in a movement technique of incomparable grace. The lotuses unfolded under her feet, and her entire being swayed with breathtaking, transcendent beauty.

“Little Brother Ye, stop being stubborn. You have no way out now — come with me. Yao Guang is your only choice.”

The Holy Maiden’s body was like flawless jade, her white robes striking against the black fire. A luminous, flowing radiance moved across her crystalline form as she smiled lightly. “You cannot escape at all. Even senior powerhouses would furrow their brows at this place.”

“Is the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang allowed to marry?” Ye Fan teased. “If I could become Yao Guang’s son-in-law, I might actually go with you.”

“If you can defeat our Sacred Master, it’s not entirely out of the question.” The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang smiled lightly, without the slightest trace of irritation. Her celestial form was pure and untainted; an enchanting smile spread across her jade face. “With your constitution, are you afraid you won’t rise to greatness? Come with me quickly.”

Ye Fan sprinted through the stone forest while the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang followed swiftly atop her golden lotuses — like a spring breeze stirring through willows, soft and graceful to the utmost, like a fairy from the Jade Pool dancing through the air.

Behind them, the others hesitated briefly before charging into the black netherworldly fire, pursuing Ye Fan.

According to the records, this place held nine tiers of flame. The fourth tier was already very dangerous. They had no wish to keep risking themselves further, yet they had no choice but to give chase — they feared Ye Fan would successfully escape.

Just ahead, golden flames glittered and danced. Ye Fan felt his heart clench. The black netherworldly fire already felt nearly unbearable; if he entered the fifth tier of flames, he feared he would be burned to a complete crisp.

Even the Desolate Holy Body of ancient times likely could not have endured it — and indeed, even the Holy Maiden of Yao Guang made no attempt to touch the golden flames, carefully skirting their edges as she pursued him along the periphery.

“Little Brother Ye, you have no more chances. If you don’t come with me, you’ll truly be reduced to ash.” The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang smiled sweetly, extending her slender jade hand and reaching out toward him.

“Holy Maiden of Yao Guang, I will come to propose marriage in the future. Please go back now.” Ye Fan gritted his teeth and plunged into the golden flames.

In that instant, he felt that even his Holy Body could no longer endure it. His skin was on the verge of cracking apart — as though it were about to ignite. He felt that he was about to be reduced to ash.

Not even divine power could hold it back; not even his precious body could hold on!

Ye Fan was terror-struck. He quickly retrieved the Jade Cleansing Bottle and poured its contents into his mouth. As the divine spring water entered his body, that terrifying sensation of impending incineration finally faded somewhat.

Yet his situation remained dire. The divine spring water was finite; it could not sustain him for long. His physical body was struggling to hold on, and sooner or later it would ignite and be completely reduced to flying ash.

Outside, everyone wore expressions of disbelief — none of them had expected Ye Fan to not melt, to actually hold on.

They could all see that Ye Fan was enduring on sheer physical toughness, and it left them genuinely astonished.

Ji Hui and several other elders huddled together and made a decision. Cold smiles spreading across their faces, they advanced and jointly unleashed a jade leaf — a forbidden weapon — slicing it toward Ye Fan inside the golden flames.

At that moment Ye Fan was overwhelmed by the scorching heat and felt as though he were about to shatter to pieces; his movements had slowed greatly. Though he dodged, the jade leaf still tore through the space right beside him.

With a flash, Ye Fan vanished, swallowed by the void.

The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang’s expression shifted with shock. “A weapon engraved with the Great Void Art!”

“Indeed.” Ji Hui gave a slow nod. “A pity — it can only project in one direction, otherwise we could have captured him.”

Another Ji Family elder stroked his beard. “It will carry him no more than a few li at most, dropping him into the sixth tier of the Fire Domain. Even we would be incinerated there. His death is assured.”

“The sixth tier of the Fire Domain is known as the Purple Qi Comes from the East. Great powerhouses forge their weapons there — he has no hope of surviving.” Ji Biyue said as much.

“Let us go. Even here in the fourth tier’s black netherworldly fire, none of us can hold on for much longer.” Ji Hui turned and led the way out.

“What a pity. What a shame.” The others shook their heads and quickly retreated as well.

“I don’t think he should die so easily…” The Holy Maiden of Yao Guang, that face of incomparable beauty, wore a strange expression. She lingered for a long while at the boundary of the golden flames, and only when no sound came from within did she finally withdraw, murmuring to herself, “What a pity.”

Hua Yunfei also waited quietly for a moment, listening intently. The Fire Domain was completely silent. Only then did he turn and leave.

In the blink of an eye, the fourth tier of the netherworldly fire domain fell utterly still.

The moment Ji Hui stepped outside the Fire Domain, she immediately gave orders: prepare to station Ji Family cultivators here to keep watch. She wanted no unexpected developments whatsoever. She was even considering summoning a great figure from within the clan to venture into the sixth tier of the Fire Domain and investigate.

The sixth tier of the Fire Domain was named Purple Qi Comes from the East. Here, the flames did not resemble fire at all — instead, violet mist drifted and circulated in a hazy, dreamlike flow.

The jade leaf was a forbidden weapon. It had torn through the void, fully manifesting the power of the Great Void Art, traversing several li of space and crossing over the region of golden flames, just about to breach its way directly into the violet flames.

At the very instant Ye Fan passed through the void, he knew things had gone gravely wrong.

He summoned the Grand Gauze Heavenly Net to shield his body, then gripped the Jade Cleansing Bottle, ready to pour its contents over himself at any moment.

This was where great powerhouses forged their weapons — absolutely no place in which he could survive.

The void tore open. In that first instant, only a wisp of violet qi rushed in — yet even so, Ye Fan felt as though his entire body was on the verge of shattering, and at the same time he sensed the Primordial Qi of All Creation stirring to life within him.