Ye Manor Hall.
Ye Nantian looked anxious as he gazed at Ye Yang, feeling a mix of reluctance and helplessness.
“Dad, I’ll go prepare!”
Ye Yang set down the cup in his hand and said lightly.
He walked to the weapon room in the back yard of Ye Manor. In the corner, a row of 20 Refined Steel Spears stood side by side, faintly glowing with firelight. The blades of the spears seemed to shimmer like red-hot iron cones, flames leaping fiercely.
“Flame Spear, heh heh…”
Ye Yang smiled slightly and stored each spear into his Cosmic Bag. These Refined Steel Spears were crafted during his practice of the Refining Technique. Although they were not of high quality, they contained a certain amount of Fire God Power, making them much stronger than ordinary weapons. Moreover, these spears were all throwing type Weapons!
The longer the weapon, the stronger it is; when facing a formidable enemy, a longer attack range is more intimidating. Crafting these Flame Spears was merely one of Ye Yang's survival strategies in this world. He was a cautious person who never engaged in battles without confidence.
Afterward, Ye Yang went deeper into the weapon room and opened a dark iron box. Inside lay 10 pitch-black iron balls, each about the size of a fist.
“Clatter!”
He stored all the iron balls into his Cosmic Bag. At that moment, Qin Fang's voice came through: “Ye Yang, what are these black balls?”
Ye Yang replied with an “oh”: “Grandpa Qin, these are my specially made weapons!”
“Oh? Specially made weapons?” Qin Fang asked in slight astonishment. “What are they called?”
“Thunder Pearl!”
“……”
Qin Fang remained silent for a moment, unable to discern the mystery behind it, and asked, “What is its use?”
Ye Yang smiled and explained, “I had the servants collect a large amount of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, mixed in a specific ratio, and added sharp iron shards. The exterior is covered with Cold Iron. This way, as long as it is heated to a certain degree, this Thunder Pearl will explode with tremendous power!”
Qin Fang nodded in partial understanding but did not ask further questions; there always seemed to be things about this descendant that he could not comprehend.
Just as they were preparing, a presence approached from behind—it was Ye Nantian. He held a dark red chainmail and said, “Zi Yu, this armor is made from the hide of a Demon Tiger. If you wear it under your outer clothing, it will give you a better chance of survival…”
Ye Yang nodded and took the chainmail to put it on.
Ye Nantian looked remorseful and sighed towards the sky, saying, “Son, it’s my fault for being useless and not being able to protect you. You must come back alive from this Fire Dragon Cave’s Inheritance!”
“Don’t worry, Dad!”
Ye Yang patted the stout man’s shoulder and revealed a bright smile.
“Alright, let’s get ready to set off!”
“Okay!”
The carriage traveled swiftly to the Fire God Altar, the gathering place for the disciples of the Fire God Clan. Regardless of any significant family matters, they would always convene here.
Ye Nantian brought Ye Yang into the Fire God Altar venue. In the distance, on a high platform, battle flags fluttered, adorned with the emblem of Battle Axe Radiance, which was the symbol of the Fire God Clan.
Under the battle flag stood twelve formidable warriors clad in armor, lined up with long spears in hand, exuding an imposing presence.
It was remarkable that despite the Fire God Clan's decline over thousands of years, it still possessed undeniable authority and strength. Particularly noteworthy was Clan Leader Peng Feng, who had advanced to Earth Level Nine several years ago, granting the Fire God Clan the capability to stand toe-to-toe with other families. After all, a ninth-level expert was a figure to be revered in Liang City and within a thousand miles.
Atop the altar, on the long staircase, the heads of the Fire God Eight Clans had already taken their seats. They were all elderly men with graying hair. Peng Feng wore a gray robe, his gaze sharp and his demeanor stern. Though he merely sat there, an invisible aura enveloped the entire venue, showcasing the presence of a master-level expert.
Upon seeing Ye Nantian arrive, Peng Feng immediately stood up and smiled, saying, "Nan Tian, you finally made it!"
Ye Nantian's expression was cold as he stepped onto the high platform, suppressing his killing intent and sitting down beside Peng Feng.
Peng Feng nodded with a smile and announced, "Over three thousand years ago, beneath this Fire God Altar in the Fire Dragon Cave, our Fire God Clan produced a powerful Fire God Warrior. Today marks another annual trial ceremony for the Fire Dragon Cave. According to our calculations, this year's fortunate one is Ye Family's only son, Ye Yang. Prepare to enter the Fire Dragon Cave!"
His deep voice echoed throughout the venue and lingered for a long time. The prowess displayed by Peng Feng left the heads of the other seven clans astonished and feeling inferior.
Peng Feng then called over Peng Yue'er and said, "Yue'er, take Ye Yang into the Fire Dragon Cave. Once inside, you must come out immediately. Do you understand?"
Holding her Brightfire Sword and carrying a silver cone, Peng Yue'er approached Ye Yang with a cold smile and said, "Ye Yang, let's go."
Ye Yang remained calm as he nodded and followed this beautiful young woman.
As they walked up the long staircase under the gaze of hundreds of people, Peng Yue'er radiated beauty while Ye Yang appeared composed and steady. They were supposed to be an enviable pair; however, due to Ye Yang's previous incarnation as an unlearned wastrel, Peng Yue'er harbored significant hostility towards him.
At the end of the long staircase was the bottom of the Fire God Altar, where a dark red door shimmered with a faint flame glow, sealed with a jade-colored seal.
"Swish!"
Peng Yue'er raised her hand, and the seal flew off, revealing a dark hole where a keyhole was located.
"Click!"
A silver spike pierced the keyhole, and with a soft hum, Fire God Power surged in. In the next moment, the entire altar trembled as the door to the Fire Dragon Cave opened, and a wave of fierce flames rushed out!
"Hmm?"
Peng Yue'er did not flinch; instead, she gathered her protective energy around her body and easily dispersed the flames. This action immediately drew cheers from the crowd, with countless young talents shouting at the top of their lungs: "Peng Yue'er, I love you! You will always be mine!"
Ye Yang couldn't help but smile slightly. Peng Yue'er was proud and carried herself like a young lady; she was merely blessed with a beautiful appearance yet was so popular.
"What are you laughing at?"
Peng Yue'er coldly glanced at Ye Yang, then suddenly curled her lips into a meaningful smile: "Ye Yang, I hope you can survive and not become an appetizer for the Sacred Beast!"
Ye Yang met Peng Yue'er's gaze without backing down, his aura matching hers as he replied calmly: "Thank you for your blessing. I will have a good talk with that so-called Sacred Beast!"
"Hmph!"
Peng Yue'er scoffed and said nothing more, only gesturing for Ye Yang to enter the Fire Dragon Cave.
"Swish!"
Ye Yang executed his movement technique, gracefully slipping into Fire Dragon Cave. Behind him, he heard a "crack" as Peng Yue'er, that ruthless woman, had already closed the exit. However, the Fire Dragon Cave was filled with Fire Element, making it quite bright.
……
A strong scent of flames wafted in, and Ye Yang instinctively activated Fire God Power for protection. With a "clang," he drew out the Breaking Flame Sword from behind him. The sound of this Seventh-Rank Weapon was exceptionally clear, and flames danced along the blade, making it evident that this sword was extraordinary.
Qin Fang's voice came through: "Ye Yang, be careful! I sense a powerful beast aura; this Fire Serpent is likely stronger than I anticipated!"
"Mm!"
Ye Yang nodded, gripping his sword and cautiously advancing step by step while secretly enhancing his Fire God Power to its peak state in preparation for what was to come.
Fire Dragon Cave was a deep and wide underground passage, with ancient totemic stone pillars standing like sentinels within the corridor.
The ground was somewhat damp, emanating a foul odor.
"Crack!"
A light sound echoed as Ye Yang stepped on something. Looking down, he discovered it was an arm bone, seemingly from a human skeleton, surrounded by some shattered bones—likely remnants of previous sacrifices.
His gaze sharpened, and Ye Yang raised his brow, shouting: "Fire Serpent, come out! You dare impersonate the Sacred Beast of the Fire God Clan? Show yourself!"
"Roar!"
In the Fire Dragon Cave, flames suddenly surged, and only someone like Ye Yang, who had practiced the Fire God Technique, could withstand such heat.
Ye Yang remained silent, already sensing a powerful force rapidly approaching, accompanied by a terrifying hissing sound in his ears.
When he looked up again, even though he was mentally prepared, Ye Yang was still startled. A massive snake, as thick as a water barrel, coiled between the stone pillars. Its body was covered in blood-red scales, flames flickering across it, and it had four legs. This was not an ordinary python; it was a Fire Serpent!
This creature was something only found in legends. A serpent transforms into a dragon after five hundred years, and the Fire Serpent before him had already shed its serpent form to become a fierce beast engulfed in flames!
"Hiss..."
The Fire Serpent's deep brown eyes fixed hungrily and greedily on its prey. A fiery red tongue flicked out, producing a chilling sound.
Ye Yang gripped the Breaking Flame Sword tightly, gritting his teeth as blood-red light enveloped him, a symbol of a fifth-level powerhouse!
The Fire Serpent completely ignored the insignificant human before it and lunged forward, opening its massive jaws to devour him. A wave of scorching and foul odor rushed toward him!
Ye Yang clenched his teeth and charged forward, swinging his sword Ling Kong. Three sharp waves of sword energy flew toward the Fire Serpent!
"Thud thud thud!"
The Scale Armor flew off as Ye Yang's Fire God Power proved formidable. It was True Qi derived from the Fire God Fragment, vastly different from ordinary Fire God Power. In an instant, it cleaved through the Fire Serpent's Scale Armor!
However, this small wound was of little consequence to the Fire Serpent; it only caused pain without serious injury. The serpent suddenly swung its head, delivering a tremendous force that struck Ye Yang in the waist!
"Bang!"
It felt as if his entire being was about to be torn apart. Ye Yang's throat was sweet with injury; the power of the Seven-Tiered Beast was indeed beyond his comparison, and the gap was not small.
His wrist trembled, and in an instant, three sword energies infused with Fire God Power were unleashed!
"Clap, clap, clap..."
He could only cleave through the Scale Armor but could not harm the flesh of the Fire Serpent. The defense of this Seven-Tiered Beast was simply too strong!
In desperation, Ye Yang gritted his teeth and shouted, "Void Cleaving Strike!"
At the same time, he derived two streams of True Qi. One formed a Barrier Wall behind the Fire Serpent's head, while the other transformed into sword energy and shot forward rapidly!
"Bang!"
The Fire Serpent, underestimating its opponent, failed to dodge and was struck directly. The force generated by the collision of the two energies was more than doubled. In that instant, flesh tore open beneath the Fire Serpent's jaw, and streams of scorching blood flowed down!
"Roar!"
The injured Fire Serpent was completely enraged, twisting its massive body as a tail like a steel whip swept toward him!
The speed was so fast that it far surpassed Ye Yang's!
"Thud!"
With a muffled sound, Ye Yang's body was sent flying like a ball. Fortunately, he wore chainmail made from Demon Tiger fur on his chest; otherwise, this blow would have at least broken several of his ribs!
After crashing into two stone pillars, Ye Yang fell to the ground, spitting out blood.
"Ye Yang!"
Qin Fang's voice came through, very urgent: "Get up quickly, the Fire Serpent is coming!"
Ye Yang looked up, his handsome face smeared with some dust, but it only made him appear more stern. As he watched the Fire Serpent rapidly crawling towards him, Ye Yang suddenly smiled and conjured a Flame Spear in his hand without knowing when.
Indeed, it was the Flame Spear!
"Whoosh!"
The Flame Spear shot across the sky like a meteor and with a loud bang, struck the Fire Serpent on its forehead. Unfortunately, the force was insufficient and failed to pierce the Fire Serpent's skin.
Ye Yang was not discouraged. With a flick of his fingers, two black iron balls appeared in his palm. The Fire God Power infused with gentle strength wrapped around the iron balls, and in the next moment, the Thunder Pearl flew out!
Two seconds later, the Fire God Power surrounding the Thunder Pearl erupted and detonated suddenly!
"Boom! Boom!"
The ground shook violently with astonishing power, causing the Fire Serpent to raise its head repeatedly, letting out a series of pained roars.
Qin Fang was equally astonished but did not speak to distract Ye Yang. At this moment, Ye Yang not only possessed strength beyond his years but also had a calm and intelligent mind, which was what Qin Fang found most reassuring.
Taking advantage of the moment when the Fire Serpent raised its head, Ye Yang's figure flickered as he made a series of throwing motions. Suddenly, seven or eight Flame Spears shot out in quick succession and instantly pierced into the underside of the Fire Serpent's jaw—a spot that lacked Scale Armor and could be considered its weak point!
Originally, Ye Yang planned to target the Fire Serpent's chrysanthemum, but the Fire Serpent's body was too long, making it impossible to find a suitable spot, so he had to settle for a secondary option.
Amidst the continuous explosions and the attacks from Flame Spear, the Fire Serpent could not advance even an inch.
Ye Yang pressed on, launching successive attacks. In the blink of an eye, the Thunder Pearl was depleted, and twenty Flame Spears flew out, piercing the Fire Serpent's lower jaw and head like a porcupine!
But the critical issue was that the Fire Serpent did not die; instead, it went into a frenzy. This Seven-Tiered Beast was simply too powerful!
...
On the ground, the Fire God Altar trembled repeatedly, as if experiencing an earthquake.
Peng Feng looked sternly at the Fire God Altar, his gaze filled with suspicion.
"What is happening? What occurred in the Fire Dragon Cave?" asked Cao De, the head of the Cao Family.
Peng Feng shook his head and replied, "I'm not sure, but the aura of the Sacred Beast has emerged and is reacting very violently. It should be... undergoing Inheritance."
As he spoke, Peng Feng glanced at Ye Nantian.
Poor Ye Nantian was holding a cup, feeling extremely anxious. The cup had already cracked under his grip, spilling tea all over without him noticing.
...
Fire Dragon Cave.
With his hands empty, Ye Yang felt an icy chill in his heart. This was not good; he had given it his all, yet the Fire Serpent remained alive and unscathed. The situation was extremely unfavorable for him!
"Hiss..."
The Fire Serpent roared, its eyes turning blood red. Its lower jaw suddenly swelled, as if gathering something!
Qin Fang's voice came through urgently: "Ye Yang, be careful! This is its breath attack! This Fire Serpent is about to evolve into a Dragon-type and has the ability to unleash breath!"
Ye Yang was taken aback as the Fire Serpent opened its massive mouth, a blazing fireball hurtling toward him!
In that instant, he felt a premonition of death; if he were hit directly by this dragon's breath, he would surely be reduced to ashes!
In a flash, Ye Yang turned and ran!
"Boom!"
The Fire Serpent's breath struck the stone wall, instantly melting the rock and creating a bottomless pit!
"Oh my God..."
Ye Yang was terrified. Fortunately, he hadn't foolishly tried to block it with a Barrier Wall; otherwise, there would have been nothing left of him after the Fire Serpent's attack!
"Quick, Ye Yang!" Qin Fang urged urgently. "After the Fire Serpent uses its breath attack, it will enter a state of temporary fatigue. You must kill it during that brief window; otherwise, you will be the one who dies!"
Ye Yang felt despair creeping in. The difference in strength between him and the Fire Serpent was like heaven and earth; he couldn't even break through its scales. How could he possibly kill it?
However, there was no time to wait for Ye Yang to devise a strategy; the Fire Serpent came charging in a furious twist, moving at an incredible speed and leaving Ye Yang no chance to escape!
In an instant, a shadow flashed before him, and a tearing pain shot through him as Ye Yang collided against the stone wall. His left arm hung limply below his shoulder, the bone having been broken.
The pain was excruciating, and as the Fire God Power began to dissipate, his mind started to go blank. Qin Fang's voice became indistinct; Ye Yang knew this was a sign of impending death!
With his eyes wide open, he watched as the Fire Serpent closed in, its terrifying head reaching out to hook Ye Yang's arm. Then, with a twist of its neck, it wrapped Ye Yang tightly in its body.
The immense strength of the Seven-Tiered Beast was unimaginable. In an instant, Ye Yang heard the cracking sounds of his bones breaking, causing him unbearable agony!
His consciousness began to fade, but Ye Yang refused to die just like that. After living for over twenty years, he had yet to fulfill his great dreams and had not even married; how could he die in the jaws of a beast?!
The Fire Serpent opened its massive jaws, preparing to devour its prey. Its terrifying tongue quivered violently, instilling fear.
At the brink of life and death, Ye Yang gritted his teeth. His bright eyes shone with determination as he raised the Flamebreaker Sword with all his might, striking with lightning speed!
"Thud!"
With an upward thrust, the Breaking Flame Sword pierced through the Fire Serpent's lower jaw, penetrating its brain and emerging from the top of its head. A surge of scorching blood erupted forth, splattering all over Ye Yang.
"Hiss..."
The Fire Serpent let out a wretched scream as its body convulsed violently before collapsing in agony!
Finally, this terrifying Seven-Tiered Beast was brought to an end. Thanks to all those Thunder Pearls and Flame Spears that had shattered the Fire Serpent's jaw earlier, otherwise Ye Yang would never have been able to deliver a fatal blow.
A joyful voice came through: "Ye Yang, you killed the Fire Serpent! Haha, Ye Yang, you killed the Fire Serpent! That's great, that's great!"
Ye Yang forced a smile, his bones feeling as if they were nearly all broken. He weakly collapsed beside the corpse of the Fire Serpent, his entire body soaked in its blood.
Suddenly, a warmth spread from his chest, and light scattered as the Fire God Fragment began to dissolve in the blood of the Fire Serpent, transforming into countless specks of starlight that seeped into Ye Yang's body.
Instantly, a refreshing sensation washed over him. Ye Yang let out a long sigh of relief as he heard faint cracking sounds from his bones. Surprisingly, the broken bones were actually being repaired!
Comment 0 Comment Count