Moreover, this desert yellow flower grass actually possessed such potent corrosive power.
He dared not delay, quickly channeling the fire elemental energy within him to protect himself, while also observing his surroundings, wary of surprise attacks from the desert yellow flower grass.
However, he found no trace of the desert yellow flower grass.
"Whoosh!"
The fierce wind blew, raising swirling sand. Amidst the sand, Zhou Yan could vaguely discern the shapes of some sand dunes, and between the dunes, there seemed to be many black dots. From a distance, these black dots appeared as mere specks, difficult to spot without careful observation.
"This is strange, what exactly is going on? What is this desert yellow flower grass? Could it be mere sand particles? But why does it emit such a rich earthy aroma? This aroma feels so familiar!"
Zhou Yan murmured to himself, yet he couldn't decipher it.
"Could it be because of my fire elemental energy?"
Zhou Yan suddenly thought of something, a smile appearing on his face.
"Yes, it must be due to this reason. Only fire elemental energy can resist the toxicity emanating from the desert yellow flower grass."
With this thought, Zhou Yan felt much more relaxed.
He continued to walk forward, but as he walked, his expression suddenly changed: "Not good!"
For in his field of vision, at some unknown time, twelve third-tier demonic beasts had appeared. They were staring intently at Zhou Yan, emitting low growls from their mouths.
All twelve third-tier demonic beasts were warriors clad in armor, their bodies covered in sharp, formidable steel claws, as keen as blades.
Their skin had a dark, lustrous sheen, clearly indicating that the armor had been coated with potent poison.
The attack power of this armor was terrifying; even a Holy King-level expert would perish immediately if their skin were grazed, and their armor could obstruct the divine sense of a Holy Emperor.
"These are third-tier beetles. These beetles are highly venomous, capable of corroding everything and possessing some special effects."
"They possess a peculiar technique where they can manipulate the surrounding sand, stiffening everything and even turning it into solid rock."
Zhou Yan's expression was grave. He did not act rashly but thought carefully.
He had confirmed the identity of these twelve third-tier beetles; they were the crème de la crème among third-tier beetles, constantly roaming this area, preying on weaker demonic beasts.
Such beetles could control surrounding sand particles, transforming them into rock.
However, these third-tier beetles were not yet Holy Realm demonic beasts. If they were truly Holy Realm demonic beasts, Zhou Yan would be no match for them.
"Regardless of the reason, this time, I must take a risk and attempt to scale this Qilin Cliff!"
Zhou Yan's mind was made up, and he began to climb the cliff, stepping into Qilin Cliff.
As soon as he descended, the twelve third-tier beetles charged forward, opening their gaping maws to bite at Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan's figure flickered, evading the beetles' attacks.
Although the bodies of the third-tier beetles were tough, they couldn't harm Zhou Yan.
"Swish swish swish swish..."
Zhou Yan dodged the beetles and then rapidly ascended Qilin Cliff, reaching the summit in moments. His body swayed slightly as he jumped onto a protruding rock and sat down, closing his eyes to absorb the earth elemental energy of Qilin Cliff.
Zhou Yan circulated his fire elemental energy, furiously refining the surrounding earth elemental energy. Then, within the space of his dantian, a powerful vortex of fire elemental energy formed.
This process was not lengthy, but Zhou Yan spent a full two months on it.
Zhou Yan leaped from the cliff face and landed on a platform. In his hand, he held a bead, the Vermilion Sun Bead.
"Success at last!"
Zhou Yan tossed the bead into the air. It then exploded, and a fist-sized, crimson light sphere shot into the distance.
At this moment, a rumbling sound echoed throughout the entire mountain peak. The peak began to tremble violently, and within the peak, a ball of flame erupted, followed by a wave of intense heat that spread out in all directions.
"Finally broke through!"
Zhou Yan's face revealed excitement.
He had finally broken through to the cultivation of a ninth-stage Holy Emperor, and he felt his strength had increased significantly.
Although he was not yet a true Holy Emperor, he believed that when he encountered Holy Emperor-level enemies again, he would absolutely be able to win, and even killing a Holy Emperor-level enemy was not impossible.
However, his cultivation breakthrough did not mean he was safe.
The moment he broke through to the ninth-stage Holy Emperor, the surrounding space transformed, becoming pitch black. This place was like the dead of night, where one could not see their hand in front of their face, with only occasional faint lights piercing through the depths of the darkness.
Zhou Yan's expression darkened.
What was happening? This space actually had such peculiar rules!
His heart was filled with confusion.
He attempted to illuminate the surroundings with fire, but as soon as this thought surfaced in his mind, he suppressed it.
Although his flames were powerful, they could not function effectively in such a dark environment. He could only rely on external means to dispel the surrounding darkness.
Zhou Yan remained in this place for a few seconds before activating his fire-elemental divine ability.
Under Zhou Yan's control, his flames rapidly grew, illuminating the surroundings as brightly as daylight. Yet, this dark space remained pitch black, as if it were another world.
A look of horror appeared in Zhou Yan's eyes.
He knew he was trapped.
His body slowly floated in the darkness, constantly rotating, tirelessly.
However, Zhou Yan's body gradually lost sensation, and even his consciousness was about to dissipate.
Zhou Yan knew that this place must possess some kind of restraint that could affect his consciousness, causing it to be completely depleted.
"Where exactly is this place? Will I truly die here?"
Zhou Yan's heart was filled with questions, but they were of no avail.
In his line of sight, he saw a pair of blood-red eyes. At this instant, these red eyes flickered with a bloodthirsty glint. They stared at him intently, like a starving wolf fixated on its prey.
Zhou Yan knew that if these red eyes were fixed on him, his death was certain.
A powerful fire elemental energy surged from Zhou Yan's body, protecting him firmly. His eyes slowly regained clarity.
Zhou Yan's body slowly landed on the ground.