A Significant Breakthrough

They sat there, recovering their strength, but none could truly focus. They merely forced themselves to remain still, their inner turmoil long since unbearable.

"Why isn't it done? They threw themselves into danger—why did no one stop them?" Fan Cang was the first to stand, but seeing the others sitting solemnly, he sighed. All they could do now was wait. "Yan, only three incense sticks remain. Once they burn out, we must begin the refinement no matter what. The wine we drank—if we didn't get drunk, it means Heaven and Earth consented. But there's a time limit. Exceeding it without acting will be seen as deceiving Heaven, and calamity will surely befall us!"

Having said that, Fan Cang sat back down, and that heavy silence returned.

They closed their eyes, sensing the surging energy within their bodies beginning to wane, on the verge of dissipation.

"Yan! Now!" The three incense sticks had burned out. Fan Cang stood up, slapping the ground as he urged.

"What if Yun Feng and the others have already begun their plan? If we act so suddenly, we might disrupt it. Can we wait a little longer?" Yan activated his bloodline, slowing the flow of time around them slightly, forcibly buying a few more moments.

Fan Cang sensed it but said nothing.

Time trickled by. That energy grew weaker and weaker, an ominous premonition enveloping the group. Even Yan was almost unable to hold back.

Just as they prepared to act, a faint voice reached them—perhaps from that piece of rapidly decaying wood, perhaps from leaves about to wither. "You... must survive!"

They all shot to their feet instantly, their auras exploding. Fan Cang and Dun withdrew their barrier. The outside was now clear of hidden weapons; Yun Feng and the others' frontal plan had succeeded. Then, Yan released his divine sense. Fan Cang and Dun placed their hands on his shoulders, altering the surrounding magnetic field and gravity. As soon as Yan's divine sense was released, it expanded outward at a speed surpassing any previous moment.

Simultaneously, the energy within them, about to fade, reignited. It expanded at an unexpected speed, supporting the massive consumption.

Yan's divine sense quickly filled this small realm. It was gradually squeezed out bit by bit from every nook and cranny, like toothpaste from a tube. Once outside, it reassembled, soon establishing a substantial foundation in the external world, enough to bear the casting of spells.

Immediately after, Fan Cang and Dun withdrew to recover. Chi's entire body burst into flames, his long hair flowing over his shoulders as if melting downward. His blood transformed into a pale, blazing fire, or perhaps it was colorless now.

Placing a hand on Yan, Chi's intense flames instantly ignited Yan's entire body. Soon, even within his divine sense, Yan felt a searing heat and excruciating pain throughout, though there were no signs of burns. This was the instinctive reaction of the divine sense upon contact with an external source of magic or aura.

Soon, the flames burned their way outside. Yan's divine sense took a humanoid form—or rather, only two giant hands materialized, placed on either side of the floating artifact. As the flames progressively accumulated, they began condensing in the palms before erupting in a torrent, smelting the artifact trapping them.

Chi quickly showed signs of overexertion and hurriedly took out pills, stuffing them into his mouth. Fan Cang and Dun, meanwhile, took the other two and began digging down into the earth.

Yan roared. The temperature of the flames surged again. The light emanating from this place was like that of a scorching sun, overwhelming the midday brightness.

The surface of the spherical artifact still showed little change, but the ground inside had begun to melt. Even deep underground, Yan and the others found no respite.

"Old Sha! Bore more holes here!" Chi shouted to Shaheluo. "Maybe if we melt this entire place, we can get out!" He then threw Shaheluo and the other one two Fire Ward Pills.

Seeing no other choice, Shaheluo and Dun decided to go all out. Swallowing the pills, they immediately resumed digging.

The earth became riddled with holes. High temperatures swept through this pocket world—the land melted rapidly, water sources evaporated entirely. As Yan added another surge of flames, the place transformed completely into a molten hellscape of lava. Then, with Yan refusing to give in and mustering his strength once more, cracks began to appear in the space itself.

"Brother Yan, how is it?" Chi, his body wreathed in flames, now looked pale. His power was already waning, the fire around him noticeably diminished.

"Almost there! The cracks are visible now! Chi, hold on!" Yan gritted out the words. Chi promptly swallowed all his remaining pills in one go. His strength recovered—even surpassing its previous intensity—and Yan poured on more power.

The spatial fissures gradually widened; the flames showed no sign of abating. By now, Shaheluo and Dun had drilled countless holes through the earth, melting it both inside and out. However, the Fire Ward Pills' efficacy began to fade. Both now suffered varying degrees of burns, with nothing left to shield them.

"Brother Yan, hurry!"

Spurred by the weak urgings of Shaheluo and Chi, Yan burned his divine sense to add a final push. The spatial cracks grew larger and larger, finally shattering just before the group collapsed completely, freeing them at last.

Yan half-crouched, gritting his teeth against the searing heat and numbing pain. Chi lay collapsed on the ground, utterly spent and motionless. Shaheluo and Dun, though covered in burns, managed to remain standing. Taking stock of the situation and their comrades' dire state, they quickly recovered their wits and fell into a defensive stance, eyes scanning their surroundings.

Driven by sheer will, Yan forced himself to focus. With trembling hands, he retrieved the leaf given by Yun Feng. A voice whispered in his ear: "West, to the Imperial City!" Instantly, the leaf blazed with light, enveloping all four and whisking them a thousand miles westward.

Still dizzy and disoriented from the teleportation, they vaguely sensed a group encircling them. Their leader looked familiar. Dun shook his head to clear it and immediately recognized the man—it was the City Lord of Danfeng!

"Trouble. We've been found." Dun instantly dropped into a combat stance. The other three followed suit. Despite their recent exhaustion, they faced this formidable foe with grim determination, and a tense stalemate ensued.

"Stop, stop, stop!" The City Lord immediately waved his hands, signaling his men to lower their weapons. With false courtesy, he said, "This old man has secluded himself here, wishing no part in worldly disputes. I only seek friendship with such heroes, not enmity! And your companions... their condition does not look good..."

"Damn it!" Chi cursed, forcing his blood to boil once more. But having pushed his art to its limit, now in its cooldown, this final effort only turned his hair crimson and his blood scalding—a far cry from his earlier peak.

Thankfully, they were in the desert, and Shaheluo could still tap into his origin power, making resistance not entirely futile. The other three, however, couldn't afford to act recklessly.

Meanwhile, the City Lord of Danfeng was uncertain of Shaheluo's true capabilities in the desert. Seeing the man show little sign of exhaustion, the City Lord feared pushing him too far might invite disaster. Thus, he too hesitated. Both sides stared tensely, neither daring to strike first nor willing to lower their guard.

But having just endured severe exhaustion, and now locked in this stalemate, Yan's group had to remain ready to strike at any moment. They couldn't relax to recover, and the mental strain drained precious energy they could ill afford.

Finally, Chi was the first to falter, reverting to his original state and dropping to one knee. Yan had tried sending a distress message, but the area was already blanketed by a jamming array.

Seizing the moment the three were distracted by Chi's collapse, a soldier shouted and charged. His comrades immediately followed, plunging everyone into a chaotic melee.

Yan was busy supporting the exhausted Chi, while Shaheluo and Dun resisted with all their might. With the aid of Yan's "Pseudo-consciousness" granting them shared vision, they held their own against the tide of ordinary soldier-cultivators. However, several Demigods joined the fray, and soon Dun and Shaheluo were overpowered, captured, and had their cultivation sealed. Yan and Chi, with little fight left in them, were easily subdued.

The four were dragged before the City Lord of Danfeng.

"Have you no etiquette? Is this any way to treat guests?" The City Lord of Danfeng immediately stepped forward, removing the group's shackles and undoing their cultivation seals. With an insincere smile, he offered apologies.

"What do you want?" Shaheluo glared at the City Lord of Danfeng and demanded.

"This old man harbors no grand ambitions, merely wishing to live out his remaining years in peace. I only ask you young heroes to tell me the news of our destruction!" The City Lord wasn't angry; instead, he lowered his posture, his tone almost pleading. "But rest assured, I will take good care of your comrades. That person's condition has been stabilized. If needed, I can provide all the medicinal pills required for treatment! Of course, should you refuse..."

Hearing the City Lord of Danfeng's terms, the group fell into grim contemplation. They had no strength left to resist, and their comrades were in enemy hands.

"If I hadn't been there myself, I might have believed your lies!" A low voice sounded from afar. It belonged to a green-haired man in green robes, cradling Yun Feng in his arms as he approached. Where his feet fell, lush greenery sprang forth, a stark contrast to the barren desert. Behind him was a blue-robed scholar supporting the heavily wounded Fan Cang and Qian Dan, whose bodies showed signs of darkening. Following them was Mo Wenxi, propping up Lan Jinxi, who clung to her last breath.

"So what? Dare you gamble on whether these few can withstand this old man's strike, or whether you can act faster?" As the City Lord of Danfeng spoke, intending to use Yan and the others as hostages, a swift gust of wind flashed by. The City Lord was kicked aside, and the surrounding men fell dead, blood gushing from their necks.

"You... you are...! Impossible, weren't you...?" The City Lord of Danfeng was initially shocked, but his expression swiftly twisted into rage. "So what if it's you?" he roared, about to unleash a technique, only to feel a crushing weight press down on his shoulder.

"City Lord of Danfeng, it's been a long time!" A robust man over nine feet tall, clad in plain black robes, pressed down on his shoulder with one hand and glared at him.

"You... how did you all...?!" The City Lord of Danfeng was now thoroughly panicked. Staring at the four rescuers, he stumbled backward.

"Old Fifth, leave none alive!" The man grabbed the City Lord of Danfeng by the head, lifting him up. With a forceful squeeze, no amount of struggle could save him; his breath ceased, and he died.

Meanwhile, the green-haired man who had spoken first reached the main force. The surrounding cultivators fled in terror or fought desperately, but regardless, within moments, they all had their vitality and nutrients drained completely, turning to dust.