The Old Demon's Gift! Heading to the Seven Forbidden Lands!

"Senior Uncle, Fellow Daoist Zhou has arrived!"

The Seven Wonders Immortal stopped outside the towering Demon Mountain and respectfully called out to the front, his voice filled with piety and awe.

Although he himself was a powerful cultivator in the late Nascent Soul stage, holding a high position and great power within the Heavenly Demon Sect.

However, when facing that unfathomable Supreme Elder, they still dared not show any disrespect.

Not long after Master Qimiao finished speaking, the light black curtain of light that had enveloped the entire mountain peak rippled out like waves.

Immediately, the barrier light screen cracked open, creating a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through, clearly indicating that it had received permission from the person inside.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, please. Your senior master is waiting for you inside." True Master Qi Miao turned to the side and gestured for Zhou Yuan to enter.

He himself showed no intention of going in, clearly indicating that he had not been summoned by Hu Qinglei.

Zhou Yuan nodded, and without any hesitation, straightened his robes and stepped into the crevice alone.

After he entered, the crack in the light curtain behind him closed up again, as if it had never existed.

As Zhou Yuan passed through the barrier of light, the scene before him changed instantly.

Looking out, one can see magnificent palaces and pavilions on the mountaintop, with carved beams and painted rafters, and all kinds of exotic flowers and rare herbs blooming in competition, filling the air with the fragrance of flowers and herbs.

Some rare birds and animals were leisurely strolling around, creating an ethereal atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the icy and snowy landscape outside.

Just then, a hearty laugh came from the main hall in front.

Followed by.

A figure appeared at the entrance of the main hall.

The newcomer wore an ancient wooden crown and a loose gray Taoist robe, looking like an ordinary elderly Taoist priest. His face even had an unhealthy pallor, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness.

However, this seemingly ordinary old man, who appeared to be on his deathbed at any moment, was actually a being who stood at the pinnacle of the human realm.

The Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

Hu Qinglei, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator!

"Hahaha! Fellow Daoist Zhou! Long time no see! Your cultivation has become even more refined!"

Hu Laomo greeted him with a hearty laugh, showing none of the airs one would expect from a Nascent Soul stage cultivator.

Instead, they greeted Zhou Yuan as an old friend, affectionately calling him "fellow Daoist".

This is not because Hu Laomo is being hypocritical or polite, but because Zhou Yuan's strength has indeed reached a level comparable to that of Nascent Soul stage cultivators like them.

Whether it was his performance at Kunwu Mountain back then or the trump cards he revealed later, it proved that Zhou Yuan was far from being an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, and he should not be treated as an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

therefore.

Only then would Hu Laomo lower himself.

Treat them equally.

Inside this magnificent palace, apart from Hu Laomo himself, one could see young and beautiful maids moving about everywhere, and these maids were all quite powerful.

An ordinary maid.

They all possessed cultivation levels at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

They were placed in some smaller sects.

These maids can all become elders.

Besides the numerous maids, these halls also housed many concubines that Old Demon Hu had taken in over the years, each one exceptionally beautiful and charming.

These concubines had higher cultivation levels, most of them being at the Core Formation stage.

There are even those who have reached the Nascent Soul stage!

It should be noted that in the cultivation world, the number of female cultivators among high-level cultivators is significantly less than that of male cultivators. Female cultivators who are both beautiful and highly skilled are usually the pride of heaven, sought after by major sects, and are proud and arrogant.

She would never willingly become someone's concubine.

He was at the mercy of others.

However, for over a thousand years, Hu Laomo has been taking concubines without stopping, marrying whoever he fancys, and who dares to defy him?

If I don't agree to this old devil's demands, I'm afraid not only will my life be in danger, but my family and sect will also be implicated and suffer annihilation.

Therefore, those female cultivators who were chosen by the old demon Hu, whether they wanted to or not, could only obediently become his concubines in the end.

"Fellow Daoist Hu has so many concubines, and each one is a beauty of unparalleled grace and possesses remarkable cultivation. It's truly enviable," Zhou Yuan greeted with a smile, casually offering a compliment.

"Haha! Fellow Daoist Zhou, you flatter me!"

"I've lived for so many years, and I can give up almost anything else, but the two words 'womanizing' are something I simply can't give up!"

"Life is too short to enjoy it while we can; wouldn't that be a waste of this precious time?"

Hu Laomo laughed heartily and frankly said that he did not feel ashamed at all, but was proud of it.

Many cultivators emphasize purifying their minds and reducing their desires, cultivating their character and temperament. Few, however, possess the capricious and vengeful nature of Old Demon Hu.

Then, Hu Laomo warmly invited Zhou Yuan to sit down in the front hall.

Inside the hall, a sumptuous feast of fine wines and delicacies had already been prepared, with various spiritual fruits, wines, and rare delicacies adorning the tables.

More than a dozen graceful dancers, dressed in light gauze, danced to the melodious music, their movements beautiful and captivating...

Zhou Yuan disliked beating around the bush. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Old Demon Hu and drinking a few cups of spirit wine, he got straight to the point, asking if Old Demon Hu possessed the materials he needed. If so, he was willing to pay a high price to buy them and would never let him suffer a loss.

Upon hearing this, Hu Laomo stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then nodded, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, you've come at just the right time. I actually have two or three of those items on your list in stock."

"Especially one of them, I'm afraid that in the entire Great Jin Dynasty, only I have it."

As he spoke, Hu Laomo reached out and patted the storage bag at his waist. A flash of light appeared, and a piece of jade that looked somewhat yellowed appeared in his hand.

This piece of jade appeared ordinary, but when Zhou Yuan scanned it with his divine sense, he keenly sensed that it was faintly emitting a very weak, yet real, fluctuation of void attribute!

Upon seeing this, Zhou Yuan was overjoyed! With this jade scroll imbued with the properties of void, he now had a perfect substitute for the main material he needed to refine the Taiyi Huaqing Talisman!

As for the ethereal spiritual materials needed to make talisman ink, if suitable ones cannot be found, then we can only make do with Little Purple and let it bleed a little bit to use its essence blood as a substitute.

As a spirit beast of heaven and earth, Xiao Zi's blood naturally contains some spatial power. Although the effect may not be as good as that of special virtual attribute spiritual materials, it is still barely enough.

"Fellow Daoist, how many spirit stones are you planning to sell this for? Or is there anything else you need?"

Zhou Yuan asked.

However, Old Demon Hu waved his hand and said very generously:

"Hey! Fellow Daoist Zhou, what are you saying? Why should we talk about such mundane things? Consider this jade and silk as a small gift from this old man to Fellow Daoist Zhou, I won't accept a single coin!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised.

He wasn't close to this old devil.

Sure enough, Old Demon Hu immediately changed the subject, asking seemingly casually:

"Fellow Daoist Zhou, I wonder, what is the current situation of the demon queen from the Spirit Realm whom you imprisoned?"

Zhou Yuan immediately understood.

For a Nascent Soul cultivator like Hu Laomo, who stands at the pinnacle of the human realm, what he cares about most is naturally how to break free from the shackles of this world, ascend to the spirit realm, and pursue a higher realm and a longer lifespan.

According to legend, the demon queen from the spirit world knows the location of the reverse spirit passage leading to the spirit world!

This is what Old Demon Hu truly cares about, and it's why he's willing to give such a precious gift.

The demon concubine is currently imprisoned by Zhou Yuan in the Void Heaven Cauldron, under his strict supervision.

"Fellow Daoist, rest assured, that demon concubine is doing well. I have imprisoned her in the treasure using a secret technique, so she can't cause any trouble."

Zhou Yuan didn't hide anything and frankly said, "I estimate that in another one or two hundred years, once I've made full preparations, I will try to fuse that demon concubine's soul with my artifact spirit. At that time, if I can find the whereabouts of the Reverse Spirit Passage, I will certainly not be stingy and will share this information with Fellow Daoist Hu!"

"Good! With Fellow Daoist Zhou's words, I can rest assured!"

Upon hearing this, Hu Laomo smiled with satisfaction and nodded repeatedly, clearly in high spirits.

Several hours later, Zhou Yuan got up to take his leave and departed from Mount Motuo. Now that he had obtained what he wanted most from the Heavenly Demon Sect, there was no need to make another trip to the Taiyi Sect, to avoid any trouble.

After leaving the Heavenly Demon Sect, Zhou Yuan did not immediately return to Tiannan, but instead turned his attention to another direction.

He thought of a place, a place he had long wanted to explore.

"It's time to go to that place," Zhou Yuan muttered to himself.

What came to his mind was an important clue about the Sun Essence Fire that he had obtained from Hanli Shangren's memories when he used the Soul Searching Technique on him after killing him.

According to the memories of Master Hanli, the legendary Sun Essence Fire is hidden in the Fire Hell, one of the seven forbidden areas of the Great Jin Dynasty!

The exact location is deep beneath the fiery inferno, deep within the lava.

In his early years, Master Hanli had personally investigated the Fire Hell and confirmed that the Sun Essence Fire was located there. However, he was well aware of the dangers of the Fire Hell and was always wary of it, so he was unable to subdue it, which ultimately benefited Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan decided to immediately go to the Fire Hell to investigate and see if he could find and subdue the legendary Sun Essence Fire.

……

The "Fire Prison," one of the seven forbidden areas of the Great Jin Dynasty, is located in the southeast of the Great Jin Dynasty and has existed since ancient times.

The distance between it and the northwest of the Great Jin Dynasty, where Mo Tuo Mountain is located, spans the entire cultivation world of the Great Jin Dynasty, making the journey extremely long.

Even for a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like Zhou Yuan, it took a considerable amount of time to finally reach the outer area of ​​the Fire Prison, despite his all-out effort.

Looking around, in this vast land of fire, which is equivalent to half a state, there are almost no other colors besides black and red.

The sky was dark red, the earth was scorched black, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of sulfur and sweltering heat.

Moreover, this region, stretching for countless miles, is dotted with countless volcanoes of all sizes.

Some of these volcanoes are as high as ten thousand feet, piercing the clouds with their majestic presence; others are only a hundred feet high, resembling inconspicuous mounds. The volcanoes also vary in their state; some have craters that are incredibly red, flashing with astonishing flames and billowing thick smoke.

Some are lifeless, their craters blocked by thick volcanic ash, clearly extinct volcanoes; others are roaring incessantly, frantically spewing out steaming, red-hot lava, as if the earth itself is trembling.

A thick layer of dark red fire clouds filled the sky above this land, obscuring the sun and creating an extremely oppressive atmosphere. The ground near the various volcanoes was a dark, murky expanse, covered with an unknown amount of volcanic ash, soft and yielding underfoot, as if one might sink into it at any moment.

The temperature here is far beyond what you'd find outside. If an ordinary person came here, they'd probably be roasted to a crisp in an instant.

But in this desolate place where ordinary people cannot survive, some cultivators often appear on magical artifacts, flying around in the sky.

Some of them would occasionally land and pick up some ores or materials that had been washed out by the lava from the ground;

Some, however, are highly skilled and daring, plunging headlong into a volcano and disappearing without a trace.

Those cultivators who dare to enter these volcanoes are naturally high-level cultivators with considerable cultivation, at least at the Core Formation stage.

They entered the volcano to search for rare fire-attribute materials, such as fire crystals and earth fire lotuses, which they could sell for a large sum of spirit stones.

Of course, the areas where these cultivators were active were only the outer and central areas of the Fire Hell.

The true forbidden area is the deepest part of the Fire Hell. That is the only place that truly deserves the name, filled with unimaginable dangers. Even Nascent Soul cultivators dare not set foot there lightly.

Today, however, a figure silently arrived deep within this forbidden area.

The person who arrived was Zhou Yuan.

He stood on a scorched hillside, his gaze fixed solemnly on the central area of ​​the forbidden zone.

There, the sky was shrouded in a thick, dark red mist, so dense that one could not see their own hand in front of their face, exuding a chilling aura.

Within the area shrouded in red mist, there were no other cultivators to be seen, as if it were a forbidden zone for life.

The next moment, Zhou Yuan took a deep breath, moved, and stepped into the dark red mist without hesitation.

The moment he entered the red mist's range, the eerie red mist seemed to be stimulated, and immediately reacted violently with his protective aura, emitting crackling sounds, as if countless tiny arcs of electricity were jumping and flashing.

These red mists seemed to possess an extremely terrifying corrosive power, attempting to forcibly melt away his protective aura!

Zhou Yuan frowned slightly. With his abundant magical power, he could forcefully maintain the protective aura to permanently resist the burning of the red mist without consuming too much magical power.

However, doing so would create too much of a commotion, stirring up intense spiritual energy fluctuations. It would be like lighting a bright lamp in the dark, easily alerting any unknown entities in the area.

His mission was to infiltrate the core of this region in search of the legendary Sun Essence Fire, and he had to remain discreet and avoid alerting the enemy.

Thinking of this, Zhou Yuan had an idea. He reached out and patted his storage bag, took out a fire-resistant garment that he had obtained by chance during his travels in his early years, and put it on.

The moment the fire-resistant garment was put on, it automatically emitted a fiery red light shield, enveloping Zhou Yuan from head to toe.

Strangely enough, once this fiery red light shield appeared, the surrounding red mist, which had been restless, seemed to have lost its target and finally stopped reacting.

The unsettling explosions abruptly ceased, and an eerie silence descended upon the surroundings.

"Hopefully, this attempt to capture the essence of the sun will go smoothly, and nothing goes wrong..."

Zhou Yuan muttered to himself, then continued to walk through the air, step by step, deeper into this area, his figure disappearing into the red mist.