"Don't touch her," Ji Buwang said coldly, releasing his grip and flicking the sword scabbard back into the man's embrace.
The cultivator who attacked Xu Yi was a bearded, rough-looking man whose face was obscured. His cultivation was comparable to Ji Buwang's, which was why he hadn't fled under Ji Buwang's threat. Although his attack on Xu Yi lacked killing intent and seemed more like a deterrent, Ji Buwang wouldn't hold back.
After Ji Buwang spoke, the opposing cultivator did not respond and attacked Xu Yi again. Ji Buwang's anger flared, and he stepped forward to meet him. In the blink of an eye, the two exchanged blows more than a dozen times, the air gradually filling with a grim aura.
However, even while fighting the cultivator, Ji Buwang did not forget to ensure Xu Yi's safety. Their battle did not affect Xu Yi.
Meanwhile, Xu Yi, ignoring everything around her, was entering the final stage of her task. The fire poison within Long Haotian and the other two had been largely purged, but a small portion remained, seemingly ingrained in their bones and difficult to remove.
Xu Yi's gaze darkened. After glancing at the three, she poured out the spiritual energy she had accumulated within her. In the next moment, a torrent of fire spiritual energy, unbearable for Long Haotian and the others, surged into their bodies like an overwhelming tide.
The three's eyes bulged outwards, their limbs struggling frantically. All they could emit were meaningless roars. Strands of gray-brown blood seeped from their wounds, transforming them into bloodied figures in an instant.
Xu Yi's fine hair was matted with sweat, her expression grave. Expelling the fire poison required Xu Yi to have precise control over fire spiritual energy, minimizing harm while completely eradicating the poison. In other words, purging fire poison from a person was akin to refining an artifact, demanding intricate manipulation. For Xu Yi to simultaneously purge the fire poison from three people was equivalent to refining three different magical artifacts at once, presenting a significant challenge. Fortunately, Xu Yi withstood the pressure of three lives without faltering.
"Pfft!"
Suddenly, Long Haotian and the other two spat out large mouthfuls of blood, their coughs tearing through the air. Seeing this, a faint smile touched Xu Yi's lips. She had succeeded; the last remnants of the fire poison had been forced out of the three.
However, just as Xu Yi prepared to withdraw her fire spiritual energy to treat their external injuries, the bearded cultivator, using some unknown method to evade Ji Buwang's attack, appeared before Xu Yi, his sword scabbard pointed directly at her throat.
The moment his scabbard swung towards her, Xu Yi felt as if she were being targeted by an ancient ferocious beast, every strand of her hair screaming danger. In a flash, unable to dodge, Xu Yi instinctively redirected the remaining fire spiritual energy within her towards the bearded cultivator. Her Earth Heart Cyan Flame, unsuppressed by Xu Yi and fueled by the fire spiritual energy, erupted along with it.
The cyan flames instantly merged into a sea of fire, the billowing heatwaves distorting space. The bearded cultivator bore the brunt of it. The Earth Heart Cyan Flame, capable of igniting all things, was still subject to cultivation levels. The bearded cultivator rotated his sword scabbard and slashed downwards into the sea of fire.
"Boom!"
A sharp sword aura split the sea of fire in two. The flames were forced to surge outwards, crashing against the black rocks.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Shards of rock flew, the mountain trembled, and the ore buried beneath the black rock vibrated, showing signs of breaking free.
However, the situation worsened due to the magma flowing beneath the Fiery Mountain, which became unusually active due to Xu Yi and the bearded cultivator's fight. Just as Xu Yi and the bearded cultivator separated and warily eyed each other, a belt of magma winding around the mountainside erupted.
Scorching magma, mixed with peculiar black rock, flowed like a winding river into the mountainside. Xu Yi and the bearded cultivator's expressions changed simultaneously; they knew something was amiss. Numerous cultivators trained in the Fiery Mountain, and the sudden eruption of magma posed a fatal threat to those nearby.
Xu Yi raised her hand and, using the Earth Heart Cyan Flame, set up a special defensive formation around the unconscious Long Haotian and the other two. She then flashed out of the stone platform, allowing herself to fall down the mountainside.
As she moved, a dark silhouette left even faster. It was the bearded cultivator. As he flashed past, Xu Yi saw the anxiety hidden in his eyes.
"Xu Yi."
Xu Yi turned to see Ji Buwang beside her, a flicker of subtle worry on his face.
"I'm fine," Xu Yi replied, guessing what Ji Buwang wanted to say. She shook her head at him, her mind pondering the identity of the bearded cultivator. He was a contradictory person; although he attacked her without reason, his blows were measured, and he didn't intend to kill her. Furthermore, when their battle caused disaster, he ceased fighting and went to address the consequences. Xu Yi found it difficult to consider him a malicious person. But why did he repeatedly try to attack her? Xu Yi couldn't understand. However, the most important thing now was to save people.
On the mountainside.
Wang Tiechui listlessly swung his beloved hammer, his mind replaying the scene he had just witnessed. Those two seniors must be incredibly powerful cultivators, with at least one of them being a legendary Mahayana Ancestor. Good heavens, in his two hundred years of life, Wang Tiechui had never personally seen a Mahayana Ancestor. He wondered about that Ancestor's honorific title; otherwise, when he returned to his sect and spoke of his encounters today, his fellow disciples would surely accuse him of bragging.
Why would a Mahayana Ancestor come to the Fiery Mountain? Was it to refine artifacts here, or perhaps to search for rare ores? Wang Tiechui's mind was filled with countless conjectures, making him feel as if a cat's claws were scratching at his heart, leaving him restless.
Thus, when the mountain trembled, he was momentarily unfocused. By the time the magma erupted and enveloped his location, he realized the seriousness of the situation. "My life is forfeit!" the thought flashed through Wang Tiechui's mind.
But he quickly calmed himself, pocketed the artifact refining platform with a flick, and then activated his usually treasured defensive magical treasure, concealing his body as much as possible beneath an protruding rock, all while searching for an escape route.
The surging magma cascaded over the rock where Wang Tiechui was hiding, forming a waterfall of lava that sealed all escape routes. If Wang Tiechui wished to escape, he had to break through the lavafall. However, the magma of the Fiery Mountain possessed extremely high temperatures; even cultivators dared not touch it directly with their bodies. Although Wang Tiechui had his defensive magical treasure protecting him, he wasn't confident of emerging unscathed.
Therefore, he hesitated, a rare occurrence for him. In the few seconds of his hesitation, a faint sound echoed from above him. He looked up and saw a thin crack appearing beneath the rock, and this crack was gradually widening. This rock wouldn't hold much longer.
Gritting his teeth, Wang Tiechui closed his eyes, let out a strange cry, and plunged into the lavafall.