“Seems like Malevolent Path Hall has sunk its roots far deeper into level eleven than we imagined.” Jared’s voice stayed flat, yet the edge beneath it could have sliced iron.
Vermilion Demon Lord flipped through the ledger, his brows knitting tighter with each page. “According to this, five strongholds circle the Blaze Region alone. The one inside Crimson Flame City is the largest; a Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Eight elder supposedly guards the area.”
Jared nodded. “Crimson Flame City is the biggest city in the Blaze Region, and Earthfire Pavilion is headquartered inside its walls. With so much heat to draw on, the Hall’s claws will be thick. We tread lightly once we arrive.”
“There’s still a little over two months until the Earthfire Trial… We have plenty of time,” Vermilion Demon Lord said as he tapped the ledger. “Each nest we torch buys us another dusk. Their chain of command will scramble, buying us a cleaner road south.”
“That’s right,” Jared replied, cold light flashing behind his eyes. “By now, Malevolent Path Hall’s higher-ups should already know that Darkwind Gorge has fallen. I bet they’re weaving a net across Crimson Flame City, waiting for us. The racket we stir along the way might be able to throw them into a frenzy.”
From then on, the duo kept drifting south, erasing two smaller dens along the way and feeding fresh panic into Malevolent Path Hall’s rumor mill. The farther they flew, the more the land itself began to change. Heat bled into every breath; fire-type spiritual energy thickened in the air like invisible ash. Beneath them, the gray badlands rippled into rust-red hills and knife-edged gorges. Steam vents hissed from scattered springs, and lone volcanoes sputtered sparks against a cloudless sky. Plants thinned to stubborn clusters of thorn and flame-touched succulents, each one clinging to life the way a drunk clings to his last coin.
“We’re close to the Blaze Region,” Jared murmured, the heat stroking his cheeks like open furnace doors. “This environment is ideal for fire cultivators, but everyone else will be suppressed by the aura. Those from the Malevolent Path Hall mostly dabble in Demonic Cultivation, so their powers will be more or less affected here.”
“It’s not entirely great for us either,” Vermilion grunted. “I am a Demonic Cultivator, and the fire spiritual energy here is too intense; staying for long will be uncomfortable. Your chaotic celestial energy is more tolerant, so it shouldn’t be much affected. As for the small fire unicorn, I’m sure it feels right at home.”
As if on cue, the small fire unicorn burst from Jared’s storage ring, prancing through the air and gulping down flames nobody else could see. Its golden mane glowed several shades brighter.
The trio flew for another few days. At last, the horizon blushed crimson, and a colossal city rose from the scorched earth like a burning crown. Walls one hundred yards high, forged from blazing-red stone, caught the noonday light and hurled it back in molten waves. A faint scarlet shield shimmered over the battlements, and that, without a doubt, was the city defense formation. Inside, towers thrust hundreds of yards into the sky, tiled roofs overlapping like dragon scales all the way to the clouds. Even from afar, Jared felt the crush of countless auras. A few hid so deep and wide they could belong only to true immortals.
They had finally arrived at Crimson Flame City, the biggest city in the Blaze Region.
Moments before dawn, Jared and Vermilion Demon Lord drifted from the early-morning sky, touching down several kilometers outside Crimson Flame City. They shuttered every ripple of their cultivation, then mingled with the thick stream of travelers trudging toward the city gates.
Crimson Flame City dwarfed Sandrock City by a hundredfold. At the gates, traffic boiled; Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Six and Seven cultivators jostled everywhere, while Level Nine elites ignored the flight prohibition and sailed straight over the ramparts. Additionally, the entrance fee into the city was a staggering ten thousand high-grade spiritual stones per person. Without blinking, Jared produced twenty thousand.
Fee settled, he and Vermilion Demon Lord strode beneath the crimson portcullis. Inside, boulevards fanned out like rivers of molten stone, paved with polished flame-red slabs that reflected the furnace glow. Storefronts crowded both sides, hawking fire ores, pills, and magical items. Sulfur and magma thickened the air, raising the heat so high that ordinary True Immortal Realm cultivators had to unleash their celestial energy just to shield themselves.
“Let’s secure a room before anything else, then we go to the Earthfire Pavilion,” Jared said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
After a brief search, they chose a mid-sized inn tucked along a quieter lane. Named Flameheart Lodge, the place lay outside the bustling core, yet its rooms were clean and, more importantly, the proprietor’s candid eyes suggested he was no spy for Malevolent Path Hall. Once unpacked, Jared beckoned a young attendant to inquire about the Earthfire Pavilion’s whereabouts.
Thankfully, the latter was clever and sharp-witted. Despite being only a Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Five cultivator, he knew Crimson Flame City very well.
“Earthfire Pavilion? Ah, you must be here for the Earthfire Trial. Head straight to the city center, and you’ll spot a big crimson tower. That’s Earthfire Pavilion. You can’t miss it. Be warned, though, entry requires either a personal referral or an official invitation to the trial,” the attendant explained.
Jared furrowed his brows. “A referral? We have come from afar and have none. How can we qualify to participate in the trial? Is there any other way?”
“Well…” the attendant said as he scratched his head. “The selection for the Earthfire Trial ended three months ago. At this point, you’d need special permission from an Inner elder, or, before the trial begins, complete one of the Pavilion’s special missions and trade the contribution points for a slot.”
Upon hearing about the special missions, Jared perked up. “Where does Earthfire Pavilion post these missions?” he asked.
“In the Mission Hall in the southern part of the city… All the major factions release their assignments, and the Earthfire Pavilion is no exception,” the attendant said before dropping his voice to a hush. “However, just so you know, the missions issued by the Earthfire Pavilion are usually very dangerous… They either require venturing into the perilous depths of the Blaze Region to gather rare materials or hunting powerful fire-type beasts. Many cultivators who tried to take shortcuts by accepting these missions never returned.”
“Understood. Thank you,” Jared replied before slipping him several spiritual stones.
The attendant beamed. “Thank you, sir! If you wish to visit Mission Hall, I’d be delighted to show you the way. One more thing! Crimson Flame City has been restless of late. Word is that a cultivator named Jared Chance had offended Malevolent Path Hall. They’ve placed a bounty of one million high-grade spiritual stones on his head and are scouring every street for him. Should either of you cross paths with anyone the least bit suspicious, I’d advise keeping a very wide berth.”
Upon hearing that, Jared and Vermilion Demon Lord traded a glance. A silent, heavy understanding flared in both pairs of eyes; trouble had arrived faster than either of them expected. Malevolent Path Hall moved with frightening speed; the bounty notice had already reached Crimson Flame City. Judging by the attendant’s tone, the reward was causing quite a stir. Countless strangers were no doubt searching the alleys for Jared’s shadow even now.
