"Hiss hiss hiss!"
Under Su Xi's attack, the Flame Python let out a pained cry.
He had thought he was already powerful enough, but he never expected to have accomplished so much. Su Xi's items were too formidable; he couldn't withstand them.
Seeing his mother in danger, the young Flame Python no longer hid behind her. He rushed towards the Flame Python, wanting to help share the burden.
At the same time, with teary eyes, he looked at Su Xi, as if silently offering himself to accept whatever fate came his way.
Witnessing this, Su Xi stopped her actions and extended her hand towards the young Flame Python.
Since a decision had been made, it couldn't just be words; it had to be followed by action.
The young Flame Python understood Su Xi's intentions and dared not delay.
It slowly twisted its body and crawled towards Su Xi.
For him, the most important thing was to save his mother first.
Although the Flame Python was extremely displeased, its body was trapped by Su Xi, and it couldn't break free. It could only watch as the young Flame Python approached Su Xi.
Seeing this, Su Xi felt a sense of relief.
If she could gain the young Flame Python's allegiance now, she would possess two of the Ethereal Flames in the world. This would make her more confident in dealing with the Lord of the Universe.
Watching the scene unfold, Su Xi extended her hand and gently tapped the young Flame Python before her.
As her hand moved, a beam of red light shot out from her hand and landed on the young Flame Python.
The red light landed on the young Flame Python's forehead and instantly fused into it.
"Buzz~"
Accompanied by a rippling sound, the young Flame Python soon let out a heart-wrenching scream.
For soulbound connection, a price must naturally be paid.
This price was not something that could be paid lightly; it required all one's strength to fuse everything together.
After enduring the painful scream, the young Flame Python quickly returned to normal.
The young Flame Python's eyes now glowed red. Although its entire body exuded a killing aura, its gaze towards Su Xi held a newfound sense of closeness.
Its life was now intertwined with Su Xi's. If anything were to happen to Su Xi, it would also perish.
Therefore, for this very reason, it developed a special kind of affection for Su Xi.
"Hiss hiss hiss."
The Flame Python watched as its offspring was subdued, filled with unwillingness.
However, there was nothing it could do now.
If it truly harmed Su Xi, its own child would be doomed.
The Flame Python widened its red eyes at Su Xi, then charged towards the nearby flames.
The previous battle with Su Xi had inflicted severe internal injuries, and to recover its strength, it needed the nourishment of the Earth's Core Flame.
"Hiss hiss hiss."
The young Flame Python watched this, letting out a cry of unwillingness. But the Flame Python didn't look back, leaving only the flickering flames.
"Little one, don't worry. I will treat you well, and you will definitely become powerful," Su Xi said, comforting the young Flame Python.
Her current desire for the young Flame Python was solely to deal with the Lord of the Universe. Once the Lord of the Universe was defeated, she would allow the young Flame Python to return here.
The young Flame Python felt Su Xi's comfort and nodded, indicating it understood.
Seeing that the young Flame Python was appeased, Su Xi took out a potent elixir from her person and tossed it into its mouth. "Since you've decided to follow me, you can't be at a disadvantage. Eat something to replenish yourself first."
The young Flame Python's current strength was too weak. It was destined to be insufficient to deal with the Lord of the Universe.
Its strength had to be improved as soon as possible; otherwise, it would be unable to act.
The young Flame Python swallowed the elixir given by Su Xi in one gulp. Its body suddenly emitted a strong red glow, and in just a moment, it evolved several stages.
If Su Xi hadn't been concerned about it being unable to handle it, she would have directly advanced it to a higher stage.
The reason she chose the young Flame Python and not the adult Flame Python was because only young demonic beasts could form a better bond with their masters. Once they surpassed a certain point, the compatibility would significantly decrease.
After all, the Lord of the Universe was most skilled at manipulating people's hearts. If their compatibility decreased, they could easily be controlled by him, turning a potential ally into a formidable opponent.
Su Xi felt that she wouldn't be seeking revenge but actively seeking death.
"Let's go. Once the medicine's effects have settled, I'll give you more elixirs," Su Xi said, leading the young Flame Python deeper into the earth's core.
With the young Flame Python present, everyone no longer felt the intense heat.
Everything around them was instantly consumed by the young Flame Python, and they could even feel a refreshing breeze blowing, helping to lower their body temperatures.
Su Xi's face broke into a smile at this sight.
This outcome was truly excellent.
Just as Su Xi was about to savor the moment, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew towards them.
Such a violent wind was clearly not natural.
"What's going on?"
Sensing the sudden wind, Lin Qing realized something was amiss.
They were feeling cool entirely because the Flame Python had consumed the surrounding heat.
But now, even though the Flame Python was still by their side, they could feel coolness, which could only mean this chilling air was not ordinary.
The closer they got to the earth's core, the hotter it should become. Yet, they were feeling coolness, which indicated that something strange was happening.
What could it be?
Su Xi also sensed that something was wrong and decisively activated her radar, wanting to know what lay ahead.
The radar she possessed was no ordinary device; it could isolate all interference and directly explore life forms.
However, the moment she activated it, before she could even direct it to scan the surroundings, it detected an anomaly.
Everything along the path had vanished.
What?
All signals were lost; there wasn't a trace. It was as if her radar had malfunctioned, unable to detect any life.
As Su Xi pondered the situation, the young Flame Python on the ground suddenly straightened its body, its small head vigilantly looking forward, its forked tongue flickering in and out, emitting a sharp hissing sound.
Clearly, it had sensed something highly abnormal.
What was happening?
Su Xi, observing the young Flame Python's strong reaction, became even more curious.
After all, demonic beasts had a more acute sense of danger. If they could detect something amiss, it certainly meant significant peril.
Just as Su Xi became fully alert, a series of fluctuations suddenly resonated.
Following the appearance of these fluctuations, a chilling cold instantly swept over them.
The entire passage of the earth's core began to freeze.
"Not good, dodge quickly!" Su Xi exclaimed, immediately preparing for defense.
She took out her Judge's Brush and quickly slid forward.
As she moved, the area before her also began to freeze.
The two opposing forces of frost collided.
She had witnessed the great fires on the grasslands and knew that merely evading would be futile. Only by confronting the flames head-on would there be a chance to escape.
It was precisely for this reason that Su Xi acted so decisively.
Indeed, Su Xi's method proved effective.
In front of her, a large pile of ice blocks quickly formed, but these ice blocks did not continue to spread. Instead, they transformed into ice sculptures, standing majestically before them.
"What is this?" The onlookers, seeing the ice sculptures, were filled with confusion.
If this were discovered by others, wouldn't they be frozen into mere statues?
Su Xi had never encountered such potent freezing abilities, and she gazed ahead with a heavy expression.
What could it be that not only survived in the earth's core but also possessed such formidable freezing power?
Based on this alone, she knew it couldn't be simple.
However, although everyone knew there was something ahead, if they were to proceed further, they truly couldn't.
After all, many unknown dangers still lay ahead.
Rashly moving forward might lead to their utter destruction.
For this reason, they had to be even more cautious and vigilant.
"You go."
Su Xi suddenly waved her hand, and a bird conjured from the True Sun Flame flapped its wings and flew towards the depths of the earth's core passage.
After all, the True Sun Flame was merely a wisp of spiritual consciousness. If anything were to happen to it, it would be inconsequential, and moreover, it would be easier to form a bond. However, if any of the others went, they would not revive.
As the True Sun Flame flew forward, it gradually melted the surrounding ice.
As it melted everything, the sound of countless water droplets emerged.
In just a moment, these water droplets transformed the entire passage into a vast expanse of water.
With the appearance of the ocean, everyone soon heard the dripping sounds of water.
It sounded as if someone was playing in the water, enjoying the pleasure it brought.
"Ah ha ha ha."
A bell-like laughter soon reached everyone's ears, sounding like a knife, exceedingly piercing.
"I never expected so many people to come. Will I get a good meal today?" At this moment, a pleasant voice rang out.
The voice was soft and melodious.
But to everyone's ears, it sounded like a demonic melody, instantly giving them goosebumps.
What on earth were these creatures?
Just as everyone was contemplating who was making the sound, a beautiful mermaid suddenly appeared before them.
This mermaid had a slender figure. Her entire body was covered in white scales, highlighting her nobility.
Her form danced gracefully in the water, exuding a powerful sense of beauty.
However, although the mermaid was stunningly beautiful, the onlookers had no inclination to dwell on this matter. In their minds...