Chapter 50: Seed Spark of the Evil God (Part 3)

"ROAR!!!!!!"

Amidst the vast cavern, a thunderous roar erupted, shaking the very heavens and earth. Even at a great distance, Yun Che's ears fell silent from the shock.

Amidst the roar, a flash of fire suddenly appeared within the cavern. Then, a column of fire—tall as dozens of meters—blasted forth from the cavern, sending a wave of scorching heat flooding the surrounding miles. Yun Che's face instantly burned with searing pain, his heart beating rapidly with surprise... So the legends of the Flame Dragon were true after all!! Even if it wasn't a true dragon, it must surely be a fearsome fire elemental beast!

The Red Dragon Mountain, named for the few low-level elemental beasts lurking at its periphery, had concealed such a terrifying creature within its depths.

"Step aside!!"

The sudden burst of flame sent the five cultivators scattering in panic, their bodies flying in different directions. The flame soared hundreds of meters into the sky before finally dissipating. Meanwhile, before the cavern, a massive dragon shadow emerged.

Towering over a hundred feet tall, its entire form crimson as if burned by fire, its enormous wings and dragon tail blazing with intense flames. The dragon lifted its head, its crimson, enormous eyes gleaming with not anger but authority, speaking in a deep, commanding voice: "Bold humans, you dare trespass upon my domain!"

Its voice boomed with weight and roughness, radiating an incomparable, invisible majesty. The elder of the Burning Heaven Sect stepped forward, proud and unyielding: "Never thought this nameless land would harbor a dragon... even a Flame Dragon! Yet with your noble form and mighty strength dwelling in such a place must be most oppressive. When we take your celestial elixir, your power shall be displayed atop the peak of the Azure Wind Empire. How do you find that?"

Burning Mo Li's words carried arrogance and disdain, his tone even more imperious, as if the celestial elixir of this Flame Dragon were already in his grasp. For from the dragon's released spiritual energy, it should be a ninth-level celestial beast, matching the reports without error. Burning Mo Li had cultivated to the peak of the Tenth Level of the Celestial Void Realm for seven years, mere half a step away from the King Spirit Realm—he alone could subdue this Flame Dragon. How much more so with four fellow cultivators at the same realm beside him!

Simultaneously, their sect's spiritual technique, the Burning Heaven Method, granted them considerable advantage over fire elemental beasts.

Burning Mo Li's words instantly ignited the Flame Dragon's fury. Its wings and tail flames blazed more fiercely than ever, the surrounding temperature soaring with its rage: "Greedy humans, you shall pay the heaviest price for your arrogance and greed! I shall burn you all to ashes!"

The enraged Flame Dragon's wings beat furiously, its massive, blazing body soaring skyward, charging directly at the five cultivators—resembling a colossal fireball ascending into the heavens.

"Fight!!"

The elder let out a low growl, and the five cultivators instantly scattered, forming a pentagon around the Flame Dragon. The dragon let out a mighty roar, and five crimson flames burst forth from its body, transforming into five grotesque fire dragons, each lashing out to tear at the five cultivators. The intense heat, even at a distance of thousands of miles, caused Yun Che to gasp for breath, drenched in sweat.

The five fire dragons struck the cultivators' protective spiritual barriers, sending the other four cultivators—other than Burning Mo Li—flying backward. Burning Mo Li used his spiritual power to forcibly disperse the fire dragons. With a fierce roar, his body transformed into a shadow, instantly closing the distance to the Flame Dragon's massive form. His sword swept out countless blade reflections like wind and rain, striking the dragon with a sharp clashing sound.

The Flame Dragon roared in fury, its body thrashing violently. Its enormous tail, driven by wild force, crashed down upon Burning Mo Li. Burning Mo Li's body lurched backward, his protective spiritual barrier instantly rising before him. A heavy thud echoed as the massive tail struck his barrier, which shattered like glass in an instant. Burning Mo Li was knocked back, his face turning pale. He bellowed urgently: "Its body is too powerful! Do not engage in close combat!!"

The other four cultivators, hearing his voice, halted their movements. Each now wielded a long sword, their blades blazing with fire.

"Burning Sword—Dragon Subduing the Sea!!"

"Burning Sword—Scorching Sun's Ten Suns!!"

"Burning Sword—Scorching the Fields!!"

"Burning Sword—Searing the Clouds!!"

The four, all from the Burning Heaven Sect and born brothers who had grown up together, cultivated in unison, their familiarity and synchronicity unparalleled. They almost simultaneously raised their long swords, cleaving toward the Flame Dragon from dozens of miles away. Terrifying sword energy carved clear ripples in the air, striking the Flame Dragon. One sword on the left, one on the right, one above, one below—sealing all avenues of approach and retreat for the Flame Dragon.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Flame Dragon's massive body limited its agility. All four sword strikes sliced across its form, leaving shallow marks upon its surface, causing slight imbalance. Burning Mo Li's counterattack surged in that moment, appearing suddenly above the Flame Dragon. With a stroke of unprecedented weight, he struck the dragon's head—

"ROAR!!!!!!"

The enraged Flame Dragon erupted in a burst of searing flames from its body, scorching heat instantly pushing the five cultivators far away. Their Burning Heaven Technique granted them some resistance to flames, but not one without fear. They didn't give the Flame Dragon a moment to breathe, and before they realized it, they were already rapidly advancing again, their swords tearing through space with unrelenting fury, striking the Flame Dragon repeatedly.

When! Boom! Thud! Huuuuuunnnnnnn~

Sword energy cleaved the void, flames exploded, sharp impacts rang out—almost echoing throughout the Red Dragon Mountain. All the low-level elemental beasts in the surrounding areas fled in panic. Countless small hills were sliced apart, and even the ground bore countless cracks.

Yun Che, far away on a hilltop, held his breath, watching the battle between the celestial realm cultivators and the celestial beast. On one side stood a celestial beast; on the other, five cultivators at the same realm. Such a lineup, such a battle—rare even in the history of the Azure Wind Empire—was being witnessed firsthand by him, a mere Fourth-Level Initial Spirit Realm cultivator.

He dared not approach, for whether it were the Flame Dragon's flames or the Burning Sect's sword energy, even their aftereffects would mean certain death.

The battle grew more intense, the surrounding air temperature continuing to rise. The Flame Dragon's strength was undeniable, yet facing five opponents of comparable level, it was almost immediately at a disadvantage. Still, it possessed a physical might beyond human comprehension. The five Burning Sect cultivators, though holding the advantage, could not subdue it in the short term.

"Looks like this Flame Dragon will inevitably be claimed by them." Yun Che whispered softly.

"Then you truly underestimate dragons." Julia coldly replied: "Though this is but a lesser dragon, it is a true dragon—not a crocodile dragon or toad dragon, those mere imitations. A true dragon possesses extremely high intelligence and conceals its actual strength to add another layer of protection. These people believe it to be a celestial beast, bringing a half-step King Spirit Realm cultivator—but unfortunately, it is in truth... a genuine King Spirit Realm beast!"

Yun Che stared in surprise.

"It is currently merely toying with its opponents, showing weakness to lure them into a fatal trap. When it truly reveals its fangs, those five people—including that half-step King Spirit Realm cultivator—will not expect to leave alive."

Yun Che's heart shuddered at these words. This dragon was so cunning and treacherous!

As the battle intensified, their position gradually shifted southward, moving farther from the cavern. This was clearly deliberate on the Flame Dragon's part, to prevent collateral damage to its dwelling.

Hmm? The cavern?

Yun Che's gaze suddenly fixed upon that enormous cavern.

That was the dwelling of this true dragon—and the true King Spirit Realm dragon!

The name Red Dragon Mountain had existed for at least a hundred years, meaning this Flame Dragon had dwelled in that cavern for no less than a century. Given a dragon's lifespan, perhaps even longer—thousands, or tens of thousands of years were not impossible. Dragons, those noble spiritual beasts, would never choose to dwell in ordinary places. Within that cavern, perhaps lay some treasure it would not wish to part with!

Even if none, after dwelling here for so long, it must have shed some dragon scales, dragon hide, dragon horns. Whatever lay upon its body—even shed—would all be treasures!

He, now at Fourth-Level Initial Spirit Realm, had taken four months to reach this point. Though his progress was remarkably swift, his strength still remained at the bottom end of the Azure Wind Continent. If there were true treasures within that cavern, they would yield immeasurable benefit to his spiritual cultivation.

Glancing at his current hidden state, he suddenly clenched his teeth: Let's go all out! Great gains always come with great risks. To be cowardly and cautious only lets opportunities slip away. The timid shall never reach the summit!

Moreover, he had an inexplicable feeling... the thing that had summoned him before also seemed to be within that cavern!

"What do you intend to do?" Julia noticed Yun Che suddenly standing, her eyes blazing with concern: "Are you going to infiltrate that cavern? Since it's a dragon's nest, perhaps there are good things inside."

"Hmph, so you're still not satisfied with being greedy! Your battles have left aftereffects everywhere. Even a slight touch from you would mean instant death. You don't care about your own life?"

"Rest assured, the concealment of the Starry Night Grass would let even a King Spirit Realm cultivator fail to detect me! Their battlefield is far from the cavern, just a short detour around would keep me safe from any fallout."

"My princess and I just spoke, true dragons possess extremely high intelligence. Even if their cavern holds some treasure, it certainly isn't something you can easily claim."

But Yun Che paid no heed to Julia's warnings, quietly concealing his form and aura, descending from the left side of the mountain, winding his way toward the cavern's entrance.