Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Boom! The surroundings of the spiritual herb garden exploded with frightening lava, as though a volcano had just erupted. Some lava even shot up, rising several hundred feet high.

Di Jiu’s heart sank when he saw the flowing lava. The lava was as terrifying as the ear he had obtained from underneath the Abstruse Fire Sect. The lava surged into the herb garden and coagulated towards its center. He was now unable to move even a single inch. Di Jiu believed that his death was imminent when he saw the lava surround him completely.

“Di Jiu, I’m sorry. I brought you down this time.” Zhuo Wenshu turned pale. Her Spiritual Force was only at level eight. Although she was stronger than Di Jiu, her sense of her surroundings was significantly weaker than his. She would definitely die if this terrifying lava surrounded her.

Di Jiu ignored Zhuo Wenshu. Meanwhile, his level-ten Spiritual Force spread frantically. He refused to believe that this place could restrict his level-ten Spiritual Force completely.

Just as he had predicted, when his Spiritual Force spread to its limit, he felt a vague vibration in his surroundings. The space around him was like a balloon that had burst open, while its restriction on his body had faded away.

The terrifying lava had already surged up to his feet. Di Jiu had no time to think. He took a step forward, reaching Zhuo Wenshu. Before he could cast the Spiritual Force escape technique, he felt his Spiritual Force stop functioning.

He hastily pushed Zhuo Wenshu away, as he was unable to cast the Spiritual Force escape technique. Then, before he could break free from the Spiritual Force restriction and execute the Spiritual Force escape technique again, the terrifying lava engulfed him.

Di Jiu was scared out of his wits. He dared not even enter the Small World anymore. It would be suicide if he did so while facing a lava with an astronomically high temperature.

Whenever the lava came into contact with his clothes, Di Jiu felt like he was about to evaporate. He frantically circulated the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art while using the Luminous Starry Sky to form an oval-shaped barrier around himself. If it had not been for his Hollow Realm Tempered Body, he was certain that everything would have already been over for him.

After devouring the Earth Fire Vein, the Luminous Starry Sky barely entered the ranks of level-nine flames. Before it could completely stabilize itself, Di Jiu took it out and used it as a barrier.

He was pleased that his Dao fire could shield him against the terrifying lava. It was also quickly stabilized. Di Jiu sensed that the aura of his Dao fire was soaring. It seemed like it would become a level-nine flame soon.

His body had been strengthened once again by the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art. Although he attempted to push his Spiritual Force out, it was disappointingly blocked thoroughly by the lava.

At the moment, Di Jiu could only use some of his Dao fire to maintain his barrier so that he could temper his body.

….

Zhuo Wenshu landed outside the crystal Dharma Array and stared in a daze at the spiritual herb garden, which was engulfed by the surging lava. None of the spiritual plants within had survived. The crystal Dharma Array fortunately prevented the lava from flowing out. Otherwise, she would need to quickly escape, even though Di Jiu had thrown her out of the garden.

A long moment passed before Zhuo Wenshu bowed towards the lava three times. “I’m sorry I brought you down. I owe you a life.”

She was fully aware that Di Jiu would have escaped if he had not chosen to save her. However, she possessed no technique that could allow her to escape. Even if she had, she would not have been able to activate her Spiritual Force. The only thing she could do under the circumstances was wait for her death.

Furthermore, although Di Jiu had cautioned her a few times, she had ignored all his warnings. In the end, she had brought him down.

After completing her bows, Zhuo Wenshu took out a black jade and used it to carve out a tombstone that she erected outside the crystal Dharma Array. After doing all that, she activated the round disk she was holding and disappeared from the lava-filled herb garden.

Zhuo Wenshu was certain that Di Jiu would not be able to survive the terrifying lava. Besides, the lava was flowing out. Considering where she was currently, she would soon be flooded by lava as well. She had obtained many spiritual herbs that she needed, as well as an extremely rare supreme-grade spirit meridian.

She should be happy about her loot, for her cultivation level would definitely advance before the True Dominion Genius Tournament began. However, she did not feel happy about it. Perhaps she should never have come to the Small Central World in the first place.

…

Di Jiu continued to circulate the Colossal Kun Body-Tempering Art. At first, he could only let the Dao fire allow in some heat from the lava. Later on, he started to let in some lava as well.

The strength of Di Jiu’s body soared rapidly in this abominable environment. An unknown amount of time passed before he felt his bones reassemble once again. His bones emitted a radiant flare, while his entire body seemed to advance by one level.

Had his body been tempered up to the Spirit Realm?

Di Jiu immediately removed the Dao fire barrier delightedly. Although boundless lava surged over, he remained unharmed.

Di Jiu strolled within the lava, not affected in the slightest.

Then, he opened his palm. The blue line inside the black Dao fire had become more apparent. The Dao fire had wholly joined the level-nine ranks and become extremely stable.

Unfortunately, none of the spiritual plants had survived. Even the spirit meridian had been burned to ashes by the lava.

Di Jiu extended his Spiritual Force out for the second time ever since the lava had erupted. He could now walk amid the lava freely, as he had attained a Spirit Realm Tempered Body. His Spiritual Force was finally free from restrictions, and the entire stretch of lava was within his Spiritual Force range. However, he could not see any treasures.

Di Jiu knew that this place had been built by the Principal Spirit female cultivator. Thus, he suspected that the Quintessential World that female cultivator had mentioned was here. Unfortunately, he did not know if the Quintessential World would still exist after that terrifying lava had erupted.

Just as Di Jiu was about to leave, another rift opened below the lava.

Before Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force could enter the rift, a lake located underneath the rift was submerged by the lava. Di Jiu was shocked. Was that a supreme-grade Spirit Quintessence Lake?

How many quality items did that woman possess? He had only obtained a Spirit Baptism Pith Lake from her when he had been underneath the snowy mountain. However, he had discovered a supreme-grade Spirit Quintessence Lake here. This was obviously the reason the spiritual plants flourished in this area.

Di Jiu could not extract the Spirit Quintessence Lake in time before the lake was engulfed by the boundless lava. Upon sensing the increasing density of the Spirit Qi and the clarity of the cultivation Dao Laws in the surrounding atmosphere, he felt uneasy and worried that he was in big trouble.

He would never have believed that such a woman, who possessed so many top-notch treasures, would have no powerful background. He had destroyed two places that had belonged to her. The Floating Flame Flag was now in his possession, and he had also taken the Spirit Baptism Pith Lake. This lava had been evidently prepared for the Corral Spirit Flame, yet both the lava and the Corral Spirit Flame had served as fertilizer for his Dao fire.

Di Jiu had killed that woman and seized all her belongings. The powers backing up this woman would not let him off once they discovered that he was the culprit.

Di Jiu let out a breath and stopped fretting about this. His priority right now was to quickly make use of the Spirit Quintessence Lake that was being devoured by the lava.

He would worry about this when the time came. Di Jiu could only stay underneath the lava and start cultivating.

The Galaxy Art was circulated to its full capability. The Spirit Qi from the Spirit Quintessence Lake, which had just merged with the lava, was extracted and continuously absorbed by Di Jiu.

Di Jiu’s galaxy meridian was like a bottomless pit that absorbed all the Spirit Qi regardless of the amount that came. Di Jiu extracted a lot of Spirit Qi after completing the Qi Circulations. His cultivation experience soared rapidly as well.

It reached the fifth-stage Pioneer Sea Realm, the sixth-stage Pioneer Sea Realm…

…

On the Five Continent Dao Pagoda Square, Xian Ze was staring at the Five Continent Dao Pillar in a daze. He had actually seen Di Jiu’s name on the pillar. Di Jiu had ascended to the 90th level of the Five Continent Dao Pagoda and now ranked in the top 10. This was unbelievable! Jing Moshuang and the rest were not aware of the full implications of being in the top 10 of the Five Continent Dao Pillar, but he was very aware. This meant that he had placed his hopes on the right person. Di Jiu could help him fulfill his dream.

Behind Xian Ze stood Jing Moshuang, Geng Ji, He Tai, Yu Jie, Ceng Beizi and Wei Shanshan. Geng Ji had the highest cultivation level among them.

The ninth-stage Essence Soul Realm was considered nothing in the Small Central World.

“Ah! I can see Senior Brother Di Jiu’s name!” shouted Wei Shanshan as though she had discovered a new horizon.

Actually, everyone had seen Di Jiu’s name. They knew that he had ascended to the 90th level of the pagoda and reached the 10th position. How could anyone not see it, when it was so eye-catching?

“Di Jiu is your Senior Brother?” A cultivator of average height in a robe with blue engravings suddenly appeared in front of Wei Shanshan. His tone was commanding as he asked this question and stared at her.

Wei Shanshan, who sensed his unfriendly attitude, unconsciously took two steps back.

“You know my Brother Jiu?” Geng Ji, who did not care about things like this, asked as he took a step forward.

Xian Ze huffed before turning around and looking at the cultivator in the blue engraved robe silently.

The cultivator could evidently sense that Xian Ze was stronger than him. Hence, he cupped his fists and said, “I am Ju Qi, an outer sect elder of the Genesis Sect. The Young Master Red Embellishment is under suspicion of being related to the disappearance of the Genesis Sect Master. The entire sect is currently searching for him.”