At the entrance of the stone chamber stood a stone beast, entirely crimson, lifelike, and vibrant, exuding wildness and a potent aura.
"This is the Vermilion Bird Beast!"
Zhou Yan's heart leaped with joy as he recognized the origin of the stone beast, identifying it as a ferocious beast skilled in fire-elemental sorcery.
Legend had it that in the distant past, a Vermilion Bird once resided in the Southern Ridge, swallowing the sun's brilliance and incinerating all things. However, it had perished for reasons unknown.
"Haha, truly heaven aids me!"
Seeing this, Zhou Yan couldn't help but let out a long, joyous roar, immensely pleased.
This Vermilion Bird Beast was a high-grade demonic beast, with a pure bloodline, comparable to a sixth-tier demonic beast, or even more formidable.
"Vermilion Bird Beast, come forth."
With that, Zhou Yan laughed heartily and reached out to grasp the stone beast.
"Roar!"
Startled, the Vermilion Bird Beast leaped up, its body engulfed in flames, and lunged towards Zhou Yan.
Boom...
The next moment, the flames erupted, surging and powerful, engulfing Zhou Yan, burning his body, intending to reduce him to ashes.
Pfft!
However, in the following instant, Zhou Yan opened his mouth, unleashing a suction force that absorbed the flames.
"Such pure flame power!"
With just one mouthful, Zhou Yan noticed that the circulation of true energy within his body had instantly doubled.
"Heh heh... kid, hurry inside, I'll teach you the Fire Control Art."
The Golden Lion's excited shouts echoed.
"Alright!"
Without hesitation, Zhou Yan strode swiftly into the stone chamber.
The interior of the stone chamber was vast and empty. The floor was paved with special stone, strong and durable, spanning a hundred meters in area, exceptionally spacious.
In the center of the chamber stood a table, adorned with numerous jade tablets, scrolls, and a crystal-clear crystal ball.
"Kid, take them quickly."
At this moment, the Golden Lion urged him.
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan's eyes lit up. He stepped forward and picked up the crystal ball.
The crystal ball was pure white throughout, emitting a faint blue halo. It looked exquisite, as if cast from crystal, remarkably beautiful.
"Kid, this is the Ice Soul Profound Water, priceless!"
The Golden Lion was immensely excited and quickly urged, "Refine it quickly, this is a grand opportunity!"
"Alright!"
Hearing this, Zhou Yan dared not delay. He immediately sat down cross-legged and absorbed the Ice Soul Profound Water into his abdomen.
Buzz!
As the Ice Soul Profound Water entered his body, Zhou Yan immediately felt his entire body go numb with cold, an icy chill that pierced to the bone, causing him to tremble uncontrollably.
"Such terrifying ice-cold energy!"
Instantly, Zhou Yan's eyes widened in shock. He sensed an extremely dangerous aura emanating from the Ice Soul Profound Water.
Crackling...
In a flash, a frost-white layer quickly appeared on Zhou Yan's skin. His entire body seemed to be assailed by a cold current, instantly freezing him.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The next moment, the true energy within Zhou Yan's body began to surge violently, spinning wildly and condensing in his dantian, protecting his physical body and resisting the cold current.
"Hiss..."
Zhou Yan gasped, feeling as if all the blood in his body had frozen, his movements sluggish.
Fortunately, he had the protection of his true energy. If it were an ordinary person, they would likely have frozen into an ice stick long ago.
"The cold energy contained within this Ice Soul Profound Water is truly astonishing!"
Zhou Yan's eyelids twitched wildly, his heart pounding.
The Ice Soul Profound Water contained immense ice-cold properties, which would be of great benefit to cultivating the "Nine Yang Divine Skill."
Moreover, the deeper the ice-cold energy, the better the effect, and the easier it would be to temper the body.
"If this continues, I'll be completely frozen in less than half an hour, and then I'll surely die."
Zhou Yan's brows furrowed, his face pale. He had a premonition that if he were to freeze, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Gurgle...
Just then, a crack appeared in the stone chamber wall, and a wave of scorching heat emanated from it.
"Hmm?"
Zhou Yan's gaze flickered, and he immediately saw a blazing firelight on the other side of the crack, as dazzling as the sun.
"Flame Fruit!"
Zhou Yan's eyes twitched a few times. He cursed inwardly, not expecting to encounter a Flame Fruit here.
The Flame Fruit was a rare treasure, greatly beneficial for a martial artist's cultivation, and also possessed potent fire attributes.
Within the Zhou family, there were only two Flame Fruit trees. Every time they were opened, the high-ranking members and elders of the Zhou family would fight fiercely for them, and whoever obtained one would gain a significant advantage.
"Damn it!"
Zhou Yan was enraged. He hadn't expected to encounter it.
According to the Golden Lion, this Flame Fruit should have been at the very bottom of the Flame Cave, so why was it here?
Furthermore, the quality of this Flame Fruit was clearly several times higher than the previous one.
Rumble!
Without delay, Zhou Yan lunged forward, reaching out to snatch the Flame Fruit.
"Huh?"
However, in the next second, something astonishing happened to Zhou Yan: the Flame Fruit vanished into thin air.
"The Flame Cave has restrictions; these items cannot be taken out!"
The Golden Lion pondered, his voice low.
"What, there are restrictions!"
Zhou Yan's heart tightened, his expression grim.
"Heh heh... kid, although this Flame Fruit is of extremely high quality, it's not suitable for you."
The Golden Lion smiled and said, "Why not let this emperor handle it? Perhaps it can enhance my cultivation realm."
"In this way, you only need to bring back those scrolls. Not only will you complete the mission, but you'll also gain some extra wealth."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Zhou Yan's eyes. After careful consideration, he nodded slightly, "Alright, you break the restriction first."
"Hmph! You're quite clever, kid."
Upon hearing Zhou Yan's reply, a smug smile appeared on the Golden Lion's face. Then, its form became ethereal and gradually blurred.
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, the Golden Lion completely dissipated.
"Alas, in the end, it's just a remnant soul!"
After a long while, Zhou Yan shook his head, lamenting slightly.
"Never mind, I've already obtained a Flame Fruit, which is enough. I should find a place to refine it as soon as possible."
After a brief moment of thought, Zhou Yan stood up and surveyed the stone chamber.
He saw that the stone walls of the chamber were covered with inscriptions, emitting a faint fluorescence. An ancient and weathered scene appeared in his mind.
"Eh?"
Zhou Yan was startled. He clearly remembered that this scene seemed to come from his mother.
On this scene, several words were written:
Heaven and Earth first opened, primordial chaos, Yin and Yang intertwined...
"Could it be... a supreme martial art secret manual!?"
Zhou Yan's eyes flickered, his mind racing. He vaguely guessed.
After all, he had consulted some ancient texts in the Scripture Pavilion regarding martial arts information, and he knew some things about martial techniques.
These pieces of information did indeed record the ultimate moves and deadly strikes of martial powerhouses, which were immensely powerful, extraordinary, and superior to ordinary moves, hence they were called supreme techniques.
It was said that these supreme technique manuals were only held by the leaders of various sects and factions, and only they could comprehend them.
"Could it be..."
Suddenly, Zhou Yan's gaze fell upon the center of the stone chamber, his eyes filled with ardent desire.