Chapter 303

Chapter 302

Upon hearing Su Xing's response, everyone gazed toward the depths of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land.

Amidst the towering bones deep within, the ground was dotted with flickering flames, which appeared in a deep blue, the color of subterranean fire. The flames emitted terrifying heat, distorting space as if it were being scorched, turning the giant bones into a deep red.

This flame is a type of subterranean fire, and its quality is quite excellent. Although it has not yet reached the level of heavenly and earthly strange fires, it is already considered a rare quality among spirit fires.

"This subterranean fire is good," Ning Yuzhou said frankly. "If used for refining pills or forging artifacts, it can enhance the quality of spirit pills and spirit artifacts."

Compared to Ning Yuzhou's interest in the quality of the subterranean fire, Wen Qiao, Pei Qiyu, and Su Molan were only concerned about one question: the immortal artifact is deep within the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land; how are they supposed to get there?

The subterranean fire looks dangerous, and with their current cultivation levels, they might be reduced to ashes by the sea of flames.

Apart from the subterranean fire, the bones standing on the ground were also quite extraordinary. Despite being scorched by the subterranean fire, they had not turned to bone dust but instead underwent a qualitative change.

This is why the skeletons specifically came to find the Flame Bones.

Bones have many uses for the skeletons. Besides using them to build bone mountains, houses, boats, and weapons, they can also strengthen the skeletons themselves. Although they are unfamiliar with the skeletons' cultivation methods, they know that the skeletons can extract power from some special bones to make it their own, which explains the differences in strength among the skeletons.

Just like human cultivators have their own cultivation methods, these are life forms existing in another way.

Then they observed the skeletons in the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land and finally understood what the Flame Bones the skeletons were looking for were.

These Flame Bones are layers of bone flakes that fall off the surface of the giant bones after being repeatedly scorched by the subterranean fire. These bone flakes are only palm-sized, deep red in color, and quite hard, which is what the skeletons call Flame Bones.

As for what the Flame Bones are used for, that is the skeletons' business.

At this moment, a burning skeleton ran out of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land and rushed back the way it came, looking from afar like a burning matchstick, quite amusing.

Wen Qiao and the others, with their keen eyesight, noticed that the skeleton emerged from the area where the bones were pinkish. This suggests that the skeletons' resistance to the flames is strongest at the point where the bones turn pink, and deeper in, they cannot withstand it.

At this moment, Su Molan drew his king-grade spirit sword, which burst into a bright spiritual light, and slashed at a giant bone.

With a clear metallic sound, the spirit sword grazed past the giant bone.

Everyone looked over and found the giant bone unscathed, without a single scratch. It should be noted that the Su family's explosive spirit sword technique is known for its violence, and Su Molan was using a king-grade spirit sword, which greatly increased the power of the strike. Yet, it left no mark on the giant bone, indicating its hardness.

No wonder the giant bone remains undamaged despite being scorched by the subterranean fire day after day.

"What kind of bone is this, so hard?" Pei Qiyu was somewhat surprised and tried attacking the giant bone himself.

Naturally, he also failed to leave any marks.

Ning Yuzhou mused, "Given the hardness of this giant bone, the fact that the subterranean fire can still scorch it like this shows that the subterranean fire's power is indeed formidable."

Hearing this, everyone became a bit worried. If the immortal bone is deep within the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, how will they retrieve the immortal artifact?

"Shall I and Su Xing go in and take a look?" Wen Qiao suggested.

Pei Qiyu, however, said, "I'll go. My cultivation level is higher than yours." He was the highest in cultivation here, and it would be unreasonable to let a girl, who was a major realm lower in cultivation, go in.

Unexpectedly, Wen Qiao glanced at him and suddenly punched him.

If not for the considerable time they had spent traveling together and the rapport they had developed, Pei Qiyu might have retaliated. He endured the punch, grunting in pain, and inwardly acknowledged that her punch was indeed powerful; those who had bled from her punches in the past did not deserve their fate.

After punching him, Wen Qiao retracted her fist and said, "See, your physical refinement isn't as strong as mine."

Pei Qiyu: "..."

Although it was true, for some reason, hearing her say it so bluntly made him feel very uncomfortable.

In the end, it was decided that Wen Qiao and Su Xing would go in.

Ning Yuzhou called her back, "Didn't you obtain a king-grade defensive bracelet earlier? Put it on."

Wen Qiao responded with an "Oh" and obediently put on the king-grade bracelet. She was used to acting roughly and relied on her divine card for protection, so she didn't value these defensive spirit artifacts much. But since he asked, she would wear it; it made no difference anyway.

After putting on the bracelet, Wen Qiao was about to set down Wen Guangun, who was perched on her shoulder, but he refused to go, insisting on going with her.

"The subterranean fire is quite powerful; it could roast you into a dried animal," Wen Qiao warned him.

"Uh uh uh!" Wen Guangun indicated he wasn't afraid, as he had the Five Rock Earth defense.

"Alright, then be careful."

Wen Qiao agreed and was about to enter with Wen Guangun and Su Xing.

Da Maoqiu immediately objected, wanting to go with Xiao Miaomiao. In the end, Wen Qiao firmly left him behind and gave him a task: "Protect Brother Ning well. Your wish for an entire valley of Immortal Spirit Grass depends on Brother Ning."

Without Brother Ning's spatial ability, where would he get an entire valley of Immortal Spirit Grass?

Wen Qiuqiu had no choice but to stay behind.

Wen Qiao, Su Xing, and Wen Guangun headed toward the depths of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land.

The giant bones were very tall, the shortest being about ten feet, and the tallest reaching several dozen feet, as if a huge ferocious beast was buried beneath the ground, with parts of its bones exposed on the surface.

Though called the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, the number of bones here far exceeded ten thousand.

After crossing the outer perimeter, the temperature gradually increased, and flames could be seen rising from the ground.

The flames were not yet numerous, scattered here and there, unevenly distributed. The giant bones that were directly scorched by the subterranean fire were red at the base, with faint cracks appearing.

Wen Qiao took a closer look and became even more cautious, avoiding direct contact with the subterranean fire.

As Ning Yuzhou had said, if such hard giant bones could be scorched into Flame Bones, it showed the power of the subterranean fire. Although they hadn't reached the level of heavenly and earthly strange fires, their sheer quantity made up for it.

There were a few skeletons here, carefully navigating around the subterranean fire, circling the giant bones in search. Whenever they saw a crimson Flame Bone about to detach from a giant bone, they carefully peeled it off, all the while being mindful of the surrounding flames.

Wen Qiao ignored the skeletons and continued on her way.

As she delved deeper into the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, the temperature grew increasingly hot. Wen Qiao continuously channeled her spiritual energy to resist the surrounding heat.

Her pace did not slow, and it didn't take long before she reached the depths of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land.

The giant bones around her had turned a deep crimson.

Amidst these bones was a dense sea of flames.

Just as she was about to cross the boundary of the crimson bones, a sudden surge of flames erupted from the ground with a roar, nearly singeing her. Fortunately, Wen Guangun's speed was fast, and the Five Rock Earth spread over, forming a shield of earth beneath her feet that blocked the rising flames.

The flames seemed unwilling to give up, trying to bypass the earth shield to drag the person on top into the fiery sea below.

Wen Qiao finally understood how the skeletons caught fire; it turned out that the flames had a will of their own, attempting to burn anyone who intruded into the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land.

With Wen Guangun's earth shield, Wen Qiao no longer worried about the flames beneath her feet and continued deeper.

Until the giant bones had turned a deep red, the flames became even more fierce, and the temperature was so high that it seemed to tear apart the space within the fiery sea.

Looking around, all she could see was an endless sea of flames.

The flames clung to the ground, burning fiercely, as if they were consuming everything in the world. Only the deep red giant bones standing in the depths of the fiery sea resembled monstrous creatures, never yielding.

Wen Qiao felt that this subterranean fire seemed to have its own consciousness, not only wanting to burn those who intruded but also burning the surrounding giant bones.

There were many fiery bones here.

Wen Qiao continuously channeled her spiritual energy, forming a protective barrier around her body, but the extreme heat still made her sweat profusely. If she ran directly down, she would likely be burned to ashes.

Even Wen Guangun looked somewhat listless, clinging tightly to Wen Qiao. Without the protection of her spiritual energy barrier, his fur would probably turn into scorched black hair.

Wen Qiao felt both heartache and regret; if she had known, she wouldn't have brought him in.

She popped a spirit-replenishing pill into her mouth and gave one to Wen Guangun. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for the whereabouts of the immortal artifact.

Suddenly, Su Xing's excited voice rang out, "Sister Wen, the immortal artifact is there."

Wen Qiao looked in the direction he indicated and saw something in the intensely burning azure flames, which quickly disappeared back into the flames.

This was already the deepest part of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, where the subterranean fire was most powerful. The immortal artifact was surrounded by the subterranean fire, which burned fiercely, as if cutting through space. It not only blocked the aura of the immortal artifact but also made it difficult to see clearly. If it weren't for Su Xing's strong sensitivity to the immortal artifact, everyone might have overlooked it.

However, to obtain the immortal artifact, they would need to cross the layers of encircling flames.

Su Xing was also anxious; the power of the flames here was immense, making it impossible to retrieve the immortal artifact from within them.

At this moment, he also regretted that his original form was severely injured, leaving him with little strength. He couldn't retrieve the immortal artifact himself and had to rely on others, which was truly disheartening for a divine artifact.

Feeling helpless and at a loss, he heard Wen Qiao say, "Su Xing, if I send you there, can you devour the immortal artifact?"

"Yes!" Su Xing quickly replied, "Sister Wen, do you have a plan?"

Wen Qiao did not answer.

She took out the divine token from her chest, gripping it tightly in her hand. Then she stuffed some honey fat into her own mouth and Wen Guangun's mouth, took a deep breath, and said, "Wen Guangun, retract the earth shield."

Although puzzled, Wen Guangun obeyed without hesitation. With a thought, the earth shield disappeared beneath their feet.

Without the earth shield blocking, the flames from the fiery sea below surged up, about to engulf them when suddenly a soft white light enveloped Wen Qiao, separating her from the flames.

Seizing this moment, Wen Qiao darted toward the fiery sea.

***

At the edge of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, three people stood atop a giant bone, gazing into the depths.

When they saw Wen Qiao jump into the fiery sea, their hearts tightened, and they couldn't help but fly toward the depths of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land.

Fortunately, just as they were halfway in, they saw Wen Qiao's figure reappear. Although she looked somewhat disheveled, the earth shield promptly appeared, blocking the flames surging from the ground.

The three people breathed a sigh of relief.

They didn't leave but remained there, channeling their spiritual energy to resist the power of the subterranean fire while waiting for Wen Qiao to emerge.

Only after coming here did they realize how powerful the subterranean fire was and how difficult it was for Wen Qiao to reach the depths of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land. This showed that her physical strength was indeed stronger than Pei Qiyu's, who was at the middle stage of the Yuanzong realm.

Pei Qiyu mused to himself that he excelled in illusions and didn't rely solely on brute force like her. How could he compare?

However, this incident also made him resolve to include physical training in his future cultivation, so he wouldn't be ridiculed by someone of lower cultivation next time.

Finally, Wen Qiao emerged from the depths of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land and rejoined them.

Seeing Ning Yuzhou had come, she was deeply concerned and quickly pulled him away, saying, "Husband, let's get out of here quickly to avoid being burned by the subterranean fire."

"You're worried about others when you should be worrying about yourself," Pei Qiyu said irritably. He had never seen such a woman who braved wind and rain without a care but then worried about a man who was safe and protected.

Was this what good feelings were supposed to be like?

If he didn't know Ning Yuzhou's abilities, he would have thought Wen Qiao was raising a pretty boy who relied on his fiancée for everything.

At this moment, Su Molan noticed that Su Xing was missing and became anxious, asking, "Miss Wen, where is Su Xing?"

"He devoured the immortal artifact and is digesting it now. He'll come out later," Wen Qiao replied casually, pulling Ning Yuzhou along.

Upon hearing this, Su Molan naturally became worried. She glanced back at the depths of the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, where the fiercely burning subterranean fire had turned the giant bones a deep red, showing its immense power.

Finally, they left the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land and stopped.

"Chirp chirp chirp!"

Wen Qiuqiu pounced forward, nearly pressing down on Wen Qiao, her chirping filled with concern.

She found that the flames had not only curled her hair but also burned several patches of skin on her originally fair and beautiful face, which made Wen Qiuqiu very distressed.

Ning Yuzhou reached out, grabbing a strand of Wen Qiao's slightly curled hair, sighing involuntarily.

Wen Qiao smiled, "It's nothing, just some damage to my hair; cutting it off will do." She handed him her divine token, "If it weren't for the divine token earlier, I wouldn't have been able to get in. But now there's a mark on the token."

At this point, she felt somewhat guilty.

Ning Yuzhou glanced at it, indeed seeing a mark on the surface of the token, a result of using its defensive function once.

He then said, "No problem, it can still be used three more times."

The divine token could provide absolute defense four times; after the fourth use, its absolute defense would be broken and become ineffective. When retrieving the immortal artifact, Wen Qiao activated the divine token, and thanks to its absolute defense, the ground fire did not harm them, allowing them to safely reach the location of the immortal artifact.

So the marks on Wen Qiao's body were actually caused when the divine token was activated, making her look disheveled, but taking a spirit pill would fix everything.

Wen Qiao obediently opened her mouth and swallowed the spirit pill Ning Yuzhou fed her. Soon, the burned skin on her face peeled off, revealing smooth and translucent skin again, and the curled, scorched hair was quickly replaced by lustrous black strands, restoring her to a beautiful fairy.

Not only did Wen Qiao receive a spirit pill from Brother Ning, but Wen Guangun also got one.

It stared wide-eyed at Brother Ning who fed it the spirit pill, feeling that Brother Ning was still very good to it, and couldn't help but cling to his hand, making sounds of approval.

Ning Yuzhou withdrew his hand, took out a handkerchief to wipe Wen Qiao's face, and then wiped his own hand before saying, "I don't understand what you're saying."

Wen Guangun: "..."

Then, Su Molan and Pei Qiyu saw Wen Qiao sitting on a bone outside the Ten Thousand Bone Flame Land, with Ning Yuzhou standing behind her, taking out a wooden comb to brush and style her hair into an elegant bun, and then pinning it with a jade hairpin, which was also a spirit artifact.

The two watched in speechless admiration, glancing at each other and quickly averting their eyes when they met gazes.

As for what they were thinking, only they knew.