Chapter Eighteen: The Lair of the Demon Flame (Part Two)

After leaving the residence of the two elders, Kuang Chi began to search for Jing'er. He finally found her in a peculiar jewelry shop, where she was browsing items with the city lord, Si Qing.

Upon finding Jing'er, Kuang Chi pulled her aside and said, "Jing'er, I may have to go away for a while soon."

Jing'er was stunned for a moment before asking, "Go away? Where to? And for how long?"

Kuang Chi pondered for a moment before replying, "I'm not sure. It could be a long time, or it could be quick. You should be careful these days; I have already instructed the two elders to arrange twenty guards for you once the men from Tyrannosaurus Peak arrive. Before that, you must take extra care of yourself."

Jing'er watched Kuang Chi for a while and asked, "Where are you going? Is it dangerous?"

Kuang Chi hesitated, glancing at City Lord Si Qing, who was busy browsing at a nearby counter, before saying, "Do you know about the Demon Flame?"

Upon hearing this, Jing'er replied naturally, "Of course I do." She paused, then continued, "Have you found the Demon Flame?"

Kuang Chi nodded. "But I'm not entirely certain if it's the right one. Anna's grandfather told me about it, and I don't think he would lie to me."

Jing'er fell into deep thought for a moment before nodding. "If he told you, then it should be correct. You are practically going to be his granddaughter's husband; he wouldn't harm you, would he?"

Hearing this made Kuang Chi feel uneasy. After giving Jing'er some final instructions, he retreated to his bathhouse as if fleeing.

After some preparations and following Old Tuo's advice, Kuang Chi packed various strange tools and set off to find the Demon Flame Cave discovered by Old Tuo's ancestors.

Old Tuo and the three elders from Tyrannosaurus Valley accompanied Kuang Chi to an igneous river at the edge of Homesick City before stopping.

Old Tuo gazed at the lava river, deep in thought, before cautioning him once more: "Be careful along the way. Avoid provoking the creatures in the cave if you can. Although my ancestors often traveled this path, that was nearly two thousand years ago. We don't know what changes have occurred since then."

Kuang Chi smiled, exchanged a few words with Old Tuo, and after reminding the three elders to protect Jing'er, he plunged into the lava river.

The river was filled with flowing, fiery, molten lava, and Kuang Chi had to rely on his tools to cross it. Most of these tools were inherited from Old Tuo's ancestors, with a few modified based on their notes. With four long claws—each about half a meter long—strapped to his knees and hands, Kuang Chi crawled slowly along the side of the lava river like a spider.

After traveling about several hundred meters, he finally discovered a dried-up lava channel, which matched the markings on the map perfectly.

Following the map, Kuang Chi proceeded slowly through the labyrinthine underground passages toward the location of the Demon Flame. Although the map provided by Old Tuo was an antique from thousands of years ago, it didn't differ much from the reality, likely due to the relatively stable environment of the Forgotten Star. At most, there were a few new tunnels, some seemingly formed by volcanic eruptions and others by large creatures.

Guided by the markings made by Old Tuo's ancestors—though many were blurred—Kuang Chi was able to maintain the correct heading.

When he was halfway through his journey, just as he reached the edge of a lava lake, Xiao Hua suddenly poked her head out and urged anxiously, "Master, retreat quickly!"

Without a second thought, Kuang Chi retreated into a three-meter-high tunnel he had just exited. Once inside, he found a relatively hidden corner and asked, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Hua replied, "There is a powerful energy reaction in that lava lake."

Kuang Chi trusted Xiao Hua's senses. He walked back to the exit of the tunnel and peered at the churning lava, asking, "What do you think that energy reaction is? Could it be some kind of ore or energy crystal?"

Xiao Hua shook her head. "My 'black brother' says it's a life reaction, and it's the kind he really wants to eat."

Most of the things Xiao Hei wanted to consume were those from which it could absorb energy. For instance, the internal energy (Qi) cultivated by humans was exactly the kind of energy Xiao Hei and Xiao Hua could absorb. Xiao Hei often had the urge to emerge and consume people, and if not for Kuang Chi’s restraint and his ability to suppress it, Xiao Hei’s insatiable mouth would have caused much more trouble.

Kuang Chi looked at the entrance to the tunnel on the other side of the lava lake and checked his map. After confirming there were no alternative routes, he asked Xiao Hua, "Is there any way to pass through?"

Just as he spoke, the lava in the lake began to churn violently. Moments later, a four-legged beast, covered in fiery red scales and about three meters long, emerged from the lake. It had a pointed head, a pair of large fiery red eyes that took up half its face, and a gaping mouth filled with sharp, snow-white teeth. When Kuang Chi looked at its rear, he noticed it had a fiery red tail over ten meters long.

Kuang Chi studied the creature, and the creature studied him in return. However, it did not attack; it just watched him silently.

After the man and the beast stared at each other for a long time, the red monster let out a low growl and submerged back into the lava lake, leaving no further trace.

Only when Xiao Hua confirmed the beast had left did Kuang Chi resume his journey.

When he finally arrived at the Demon Flame Cave marked on the map, the pale blue light of the flame left him stunned. The cave was not large—only about twenty meters high and a few hundred meters in circumference—but in the center, a pale blue flame, six or seven meters high, erupted from a hole in the ground the size of a human head.

This flame was what the world called the "Demon Flame." A warm current flowed gently through the cave. The Demon Flame had a unique characteristic: its outer temperature was the most comfortable for humans, at around a few dozen degrees, but the temperature increased the deeper one went. The outer edges of the flame could reach tens of thousands of degrees. However, legend had it that the Demon Flame itself—its inner core—was icy cold. This was rumored to be the claim of the Tyrant Moon War God, though its veracity was unknown.

The Demon Flame was conducive to martial arts training because of its temperature fluctuations and the strange energy it radiated. What this energy actually was remained a mystery to humanity, though perhaps its light simply promoted the body's self-regulation of energy. Practitioners could move closer to the flame based on their tolerance, with closer proximity yielding better results.

As Kuang Chi observed the pale blue flame, he noticed a figure sitting cross-legged about ten meters away from the core of the flame. He couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Upon being discovered, the figure also seemed to sense Kuang Chi’s gaze. They stood up quickly, and their pale blue eyes locked onto Kuang Chi’s position.

The stranger was clearly surprised by Kuang Chi’s presence. After a long silence, the person spoke first: "Who are you? Why have you come here?"

Before the words had even faded, the stranger appeared ten meters in front of Kuang Chi as if teleporting, leaving a trail of afterimages behind.

Kuang Chi exclaimed, "What incredible speed!"

The stranger didn't respond, merely watching Kuang Chi intently with those pale blue eyes.

As they stared at each other again, Kuang Chi realized the stranger looked remarkably similar to the people of the Demon Valley. Their entire body resembled crystal, but it was a pale blue, making them look even more eerie than the people Kuang Chi had seen before. When Kuang Chi looked into those pale blue eyes, his mind began to drift.

Just as Kuang Chi was about to speak, the stranger suddenly lashed out with a kick toward Kuang Chi’s neck. Kuang Chi dodged just in time and, without another word, let out a roar as he merged with Xiao Hua. Dozens of long vines erupted from the ground in an instant.

The stranger was clearly taken aback by Kuang Chi’s action. After a startled cry, they retreated quickly, shouting, "Stop!"

The two came to a halt, and after another long stare, the pale blue crystal-like figure spoke again: "Are you the young master of the Kuang family?"

Kuang Chi was puzzled as to how the stranger knew his identity, and he began to ponder the stranger's own background.

Seeing that Kuang Chi did not reply, the stranger bowed and added, "Please forgive my rudeness, Young Master Kuang."

Kuang Chi returned the gesture with a puzzled expression and asked, "Who are you?"

The stranger replied, "I am the current Valley Master of the Demon Valley."

Kuang Chi was secretly shocked and quickly bowed again. "Senior, why are you here in the Demon Flame Cave?"

The stranger smiled, though the smile on that pale blue face sent a chill down Kuang Chi's spine. "This is the forbidden ground of my Demon Valley. I am the one who should be asking how you arrived here, Young Master Kuang."

Kuang Chi replied, "Since when did this become the forbidden ground of the Demon Valley?"

The stranger looked at Kuang Chi and asked, "How did you know about the location of this Demon Flame Cave?"

Kuang Chi answered without hesitation, "I found a map leading here."

The stranger seemed equally surprised. After a moment, he said, "This place was discovered by my Demon Valley, and it has been our forbidden ground for nearly two thousand years."

After they talked for a long time and the stranger had clarified everything, he smiled and said, "So that is how it is."

Seeing that the stranger had no intention of driving him away, Kuang Chi smiled and asked, "Senior, you seem to be practicing internal martial arts. Why are you training here in the Demon Flame?"

The Valley Master waved his hand and led Kuang Chi behind a large boulder, where Kuang Chi discovered a small, ancient stone pavilion equipped with stone tables and chairs.

After they sat down, Kuang Chi looked around and smiled. "Senior, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself. Training in such a beautiful place is truly one of life's great pleasures."

The stranger smiled and replied, "You are too kind, Young Master Kuang. If you enjoy it, you are always welcome here."

After Kuang Chi expressed his gratitude, the stranger added, "I only ask that you look after our Demon Valley in the future. I thank you in advance."