"Bang!"
Immediately after, Zhou Yan's sword tip flickered, and a surge of internal force erupted.
The Scarlet Flame Wolf, caught off guard, was sent flying, its limbs twitching and a mournful cry escaping its lips.
"Aowuu—"
The Scarlet Flame Wolf let out a pained howl, struggling to rise and escape.
"Chira—"
Zhou Yan's eyes turned cold. With a twist of his wrist, his long sword swept out, severing the Scarlet Flame Wolf's head.
He then swung his arm, tossing the beast's corpse into the lava lake.
"Hoo hoo hoo—"
Instantly, the boiling lava surged forth, engulfing the Scarlet Flame Wolf.
In the blink of an eye, the carcass was reduced to ashes.
"There are too many demon beasts in this world."
Zhou Yan shook his head, a hint of lament in his voice.
The sheer number of demon beasts was beyond imagination.
"No, I must quickly raise my cultivation if I hope to survive and leave this place."
Zhou Yan muttered to himself, his resolve firm. He continued to charge forward. Half an hour later, Zhou Yan arrived at a marshland.
It was a vast expanse of swamp, filled with muddy pits, steaming water vapor, and pervasive miasma.
In the center of this marshland stood an ancient and weathered palace.
The palace entrance was heavily guarded, with a sentry every few feet, vigilant and alert.
"This must be the Treasure Pavilion."
Zhou Yan's eyes gleamed with sharp light.
"Go!"
Taking a deep breath, Zhou Yan leaped into the marsh and swam rapidly across.
Soon, he broke through the obstacles and reached the palace entrance.
"Who goes there?"
A guard at the palace entrance shouted sternly.
"Buzz buzz buzz."
Zhou Yan, too lazy for pleasantries, directly summoned his flying boat.
"Whoosh!"
The flying boat sliced through the air and descended directly.
"Swish swish swish—"
Instantly, runes flashed across the surface of the flying boat, emitting a powerful aura.
A vast and oppressive force descended.
"Bang bang bang…"
All the guards were struck as if by lightning, spitting blood.
"Plop, plop…"
One by one, they fell to the ground, lapsing into unconsciousness.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Yan snorted coldly and recalled his flying boat.
He then stepped into the palace.
The interior was quite archaic, with ancient paintings adorning the walls, bearing the marks of time.
Everything appeared old.
The only notable feature was three rows of wooden shelves in a corner.
"What is this…"
Zhou Yan's gaze swept over them, and his heart skipped a beat. He hurried over.
On the wooden shelves were countless jade bottles and brocade boxes, densely packed and neatly stacked, numbering in the tens of thousands.
"Spirit herbs, elixirs, martial arts techniques and skills…"
Zhou Yan reached out to the rightmost shelf and instantly, a crystal-clear bead appeared in his palm.
The bead was shaped like a dragon's head, fiery red in color, emitting a faint glow.
"Skyfire Spirit Pearl!"
Zhou Yan's heart raced, his eyes blazing with a fervent light.
This was something every artifact refiner dreamed of, capable of helping cultivators condense their fire elemental true qi.
"This is a rare and precious treasure!"
Zhou Yan's heart surged, his breathing quickening. He couldn't wait to take this treasure.
"Hiss…"
Just then, a soft chirping sound arose.
Immediately, a small, silver-white snake poked its head out from the wooden shelf.
The snake was pure white and strangely shaped, possessing nine heads arranged in a triangular pattern. Each head bore a single horn.
"Nine Infants, Nine Infants…"
Zhou Yan's eyes widened in shock.
The little snake before him was identical to the depiction of the Nine Infants in his memory.
"Crack, crack."
The Nine Infants snake twisted its necks, slowly moving its massive body to the bottom of the wooden shelf and swallowing a spirit herb.
"Gulp."
It seemed to have eaten its fill, licking its lips clean.
"Roar!"
The Nine Infants roared to the sky, emitting an excited hiss. Its massive body writhed and instantly shot upwards, vanishing into the distance.
"Whoosh."
Witnessing this, Zhou Yan's expression darkened. His body transformed into a streak of light, and he immediately pursued.
…
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"
Half an incense stick's worth of time later, Zhou Yan finally caught up to the Nine Infants and blocked its path.
"Roar, roar, roar."
The Nine Infants hissed furiously, its crimson vertical pupils fixated on Zhou Yan.
It was a peak seventh-tier demon beast, comparable to a congenital grandmaster.
Thus, despite its apprehension towards Zhou Yan, it did not retreat.
"Get down!"
Zhou Yan roared, his body shaking as ferocious true qi erupted from within him.
Rumble.
A vast and savage aura swept in all directions.
Instantly, Zhou Yan's body began to swell rapidly, like an ancient, savage beast awakening.
With a "crack," it pinned the Nine Infants to the ground.
"Roar, roar, roar."
The Nine Infants struggled frantically, roaring with sharp, piercing cries that sounded like the wails of ghosts.
However, the more it struggled, the more it felt the overwhelming savage aura emanating from Zhou Yan.
This aura seemed to originate from the primordial wilderness, filled with a destructive killing intent that instilled a primal fear in it.
With a "bang," the Nine Infants went limp, trembling, its strength to resist gone. Its eyes were filled with terror.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Yan snorted coldly and placed his foot on the Nine Infants' spine.
"Roar…"
The intense pain caused the Nine Infants to let out a mournful cry.
"Do you submit or not?"
Zhou Yan looked down at the Nine Infants, questioning it coldly.
"Wuwuwu…"
The Nine Infants lowered its head, whimpering, its eyes filled with humiliation and grievance.
"If you do not submit, then do not blame me for being harsh."
Saying this, Zhou Yan raised his right fist and slammed it towards the Nine Infants' head.
This punch was enough to kill the Nine Infants.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, the Nine Infants cried out.
"En?"
Zhou Yan paused his action, looking at it indifferently.
"Wu…"
The Nine Infants let out a low growl, "I am willing to acknowledge you as my master."
It knew that the vast disparity in strength was something it could not overcome.
Moreover, it was severely injured and had no room to resist.
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Zhou Yan's eyes flashed with surprise.
He had expected to pay a price to subdue the Nine Infants.
After all, it was a legendary fierce beast, possessing an ancient and savage bloodline.
He had not expected it to be so smooth.
"Very well, since that is the case, then acknowledge me as your master now."
Zhou Yan said with a smile, "However, I'll be upfront. If you dare to go back on your word, I will kill you without mercy!"
"Roar…"
The Nine Infants nodded its head.
Then, a drop of blood appeared on its forehead and dripped into Zhou Yan's brow.
Instantly, the blood merged, forming a blood lotus.
"Aowuu…"
The Nine Infants let out a mournful cry, tears streaming down its face.
It was a fierce beast, immensely proud.
But today, to survive, it was willing to pledge allegiance and be forced into submission.
"Excellent!"
Zhou Yan was overjoyed and immediately sat cross-legged, cultivating the "Tai Xuan Shi Ling Jing."
"Chira…"
The next moment, a blazing crimson flame rose from his body, enveloping him.