Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Realm of Dark Fire

After departing from the Thunder Region, the Divine Lord of Liyang and the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer flew at full speed along the route to the Dark Fire Domain. With every passing moment, the Divine Lord's anxiety grew; the longer time elapsed, the more he feared that Lihao's injuries might take a turn for the worse. He wondered how many more places the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer would need to search to gather the missing spiritual medicines, and so he asked, “Brother Yishan, how many spiritual medicines are still lacking?”

The Hundred Herbs Divine Healer calculated briefly and replied, “We still need to find more than a hundred types.”

The Divine Lord of Liyang was struck as if by a thunderbolt in daylight. Their trip to the Thunder Region had been smooth, but even so, so much time had been spent just to find one medicine useful for Lihao’s injuries, and now they needed to collect over a hundred more. Who knew how many more places they would have to visit? His heart was filled with urgent anxiety.

The Hundred Herbs Divine Healer then added a sentence that made the Divine Lord feel as though even ten beatings would not relieve his frustration: “If we can collect a single Fire Essence Phoenix Grass from a fire domain, the rest of the medicines can be found within the Lujiashan Star Region.”

Upon hearing this, the Divine Lord’s chest heaved with relief, and his worries eased considerably. Sensing the Divine Lord’s uneasy state, the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer assumed it was due to concern for Lihao’s injuries and comforted him, “Brother Liyang, you needn’t worry too much. If all goes well, we should be able to return within twenty-some hours.”

The Divine Lord felt as if he had been scolded and then soothed, a discomfort that nearly made him ill. Yet he could not vent his frustration on the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer, blaming instead his own ambiguous question. Regaining his composure, he asked, “Brother Yishan, how much do you know about the fire domains?”

Intent on avoiding unnecessary trouble within the fire domain, the Divine Lord wished to learn more about its specifics, believing that understanding both oneself and the enemy was key to invincibility. Yet the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer’s reply left him helpless.

The Hundred Herbs Divine Healer answered earnestly, “I don’t know the specifics. Many years ago, while searching for spiritual medicines, I happened to pass within a thousand miles of the fire domain. Curious, I used my divine sense to probe it. I sensed that the star region was saturated with intense fire laws and extreme heat, and there were formidable life forces within. It was then that I discovered the Fire Essence Phoenix Grass, but since I didn’t need it at the time, I refrained from entering to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.”

As they traveled, the Divine Lord and the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer questioned and answered one another.

...

After their departure, Lihao, lying upon the Yin-Yang Cold Bed, began to experience an invasion of external forces. Strands of Primal Chaos Qi circled his body and slowly entered him, traversing his dantian and then his sea of consciousness. This force gradually repaired his injuries—it was the primordial power of chaos, the origin of all things.

...

Twelve hours quickly passed as the Divine Lord and the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer traversed one star region after another, each distinct. Ahead, the fire domain gradually came into view, and as time went on, its features became clearer and its expanse grew larger. When they arrived a thousand miles from the fire domain, the sight before them was peculiar.

The upper half of the domain was dark, the lower half fiery red. The Divine Lord released his powerful divine sense to investigate, and the scene that unfolded in his mind was this: the sky above the fire domain was filled with endless black clouds rolling overhead, while firelight pervaded every corner. Even the lowest temperatures were several hundred degrees, and the deeper one probed, the hotter it became. The fire domain was three times the size of the Lujiashan Star Region, and about a third the size of the Liyang Star Region.

Many weaker beings, and those who resisted the laws of flame, perished in the raging fires upon approaching, their souls returning to the heavens—a sight that inspired fear and awe. Yet the heat posed little harm to the Divine Lord and the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer.

This time, the Divine Lord did not recklessly tear open the fire domain’s protective barrier, but intended to proceed with courtesy before force. Infusing his cultivation into his voice, he transmitted a message deep into the fire domain: “I am Liyang of the Liyang Star Region, accompanied by the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer from Lujiashan Star Region. We seek an audience with the lord of the fire domain on urgent business. Please grant us a meeting.” Three times he spoke, his voice surging like a mighty river, echoing through every corner of the fire domain.

Every star region has its own civilization; it is impolite to enter another’s home without their permission, a sign of disrespect to its lord. Announcing oneself is both courteous and a gesture of respect.

As the Divine Lord’s voice entered the Dark Fire Domain, countless lesser beings trembled under the pressure contained within his words, their hearts filled with awe for such a masterful presence.

When the sound reached a grand palace surrounded by firelight within the domain, a broad-shouldered, muscular middle-aged man sat within. Standing a hundred feet tall, his fiery red hair draped over his shoulders, two long red sword-like eyebrows framed his round, flame-filled eyes. Below a prominent nose, a beautiful mouth was lightly upturned, and his powerful chest was adorned with diamond-shaped muscles bulging with strength. His thick arms rested on his legs, making him appear both handsome and formidable—the ideal man in the hearts of women. Yet at this moment, a slight frown creased his brow, as if troubled. Beside him sat a graceful, mature woman in a red gown embroidered with fierce flames, her head crowned with a red phoenix tiara. Her exquisite brows framed eyes that burned with fire, bright and lively. Her face was adorned with a straight nose and two shallow dimples, her full chest straining against the rich red fabric. Her delicate hands were folded atop her abdomen, sitting beside the lord of the fire domain, her every movement exuding irresistible charm. Behind them stood two beautiful maidens in fire-red skirts, slender legs straight, heads bowed. Beneath their willow brows burned peach blossom eyes, their noses high, lips small and cherry-like, their chests pushing their clothing outward, hands clasped upon their flat bellies as they stood behind the handsome man and refined woman. Such perfect girls were regarded as treasures by any normal man, yet they were merely handmaids to the domain lord and his wife. On either side of the man sat twenty or so men and women of varying appearance and age, each with exalted status within the fire domain, the lord’s most trusted aides.

The middle-aged man was the domain lord, Fire Ao, and the beautiful woman beside him was his wife.

Upon hearing the voice, Fire Ao sensed its master’s formidable strength. Uncertain whether the visitors were friend or foe, he spoke, “Main clan heads, follow me to meet our guests; everyone else, withdraw and attend to your duties.”

With that, Fire Ao rose, flying out of the domain at lightning speed, followed by twelve main clan heads. Where Fire Ao and his entourage passed, their overwhelming presence compelled countless beings to prostrate themselves, some trembling in fear. All wondered, “Who is this august visitor, that even our exalted Fire King and twelve clan heads come to greet him in person?”

Arriving outside the domain after flying at blinding speed, Fire Ao and the twelve clan heads met two elderly men, each with a distinct demeanor. Fire Ao first sensed the Divine Lord’s powerful aura and was secretly alarmed—this old man’s cultivation was unfathomable. The Hundred Herbs Divine Healer, though also profound, did not carry the same oppressive presence. Fire Ao thought, “Even at his peak, my father might have been inferior to such a master.”

Fire Ao addressed them first, “I am Fire Ao, lord of the fire domain. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?”

The Divine Lord and the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer, noting Fire Ao’s polite and humble manner, raised their opinion of him. To be so young and already a domain lord was indeed extraordinary.

The Divine Lord placed his left hand atop his right fist and replied courteously, “I am Liyang of the Liyang Star Region, and my companion is the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer of Lujiashan Star Region. We mean no disturbance, but my child is gravely ill, and we have come to seek spiritual medicines aged over one hundred thousand years for his salvation. If we have caused offense, please forgive us.”

Fire Ao was deeply impressed by such humility from someone of such profound cultivation. Sensing that their visit was unusual, he listened thoughtfully. When the title "Hundred Herbs Divine Healer" was mentioned, a flash of wonder crossed Fire Ao’s fiery eyes, unnoticed by others. He responded warmly, “The presence of two esteemed guests in my Dark Fire Domain brings us great honor. Please, let me welcome you inside.”

The adage goes, "No kindness without ulterior motive." With millennia of experience, both the Divine Lord and the Hundred Herbs Divine Healer sensed Fire Ao’s unusual attitude. Though they had come seeking help and should be the ones politely requesting assistance, it felt as if Fire Ao had designs upon them. Nevertheless, given their formidable strength, they had no fear of Fire Ao. Exchanging a glance, they agreed to his invitation.

Fire Ao summoned the surrounding fire laws to tear open the domain’s protective barrier, made a courteous gesture, and invited them in. He led the way into the fire domain, with the Divine Lord and Hundred Herbs Divine Healer following, and the twelve clan heads silently trailing behind. From this, the Divine Lord and Hundred Herbs Divine Healer could discern Fire Ao’s commanding leadership, and their opinion of him rose again; to manage such a vast domain so efficiently at his young age was truly the mark of a pillar of society.

Entering the fire domain, they hovered tens of thousands of feet above, gazing down upon a sea of flames stretching to the horizon. Descending to the ground and looking up, they saw only endless black clouds rolling overhead.

Eighty percent of the domain was ablaze, the remaining twenty percent, though free of flames, was still hundreds of degrees hot. In these cooler regions lived many creatures, but compared to those dwelling amid the flames, the difference was stark—the stronger the being, the deeper it resided within the fire.

Within the domain were towering mountains thousands of feet tall, burning with fierce fire, and vast plains divided by rivers of molten rock, forming islands floating in the magma. Strange creatures lived both on land and in the lava—some enormous, others barely visible.

The fire domain, at some unknown era, began adopting human civilization, with buildings resembling those of humanity, though many times larger. Those beings whose cultivation reached the stage of transformation assumed human form and spoke the human tongue, influenced by human ways for a variety of reasons: some found human form beautiful, others sought convenience due to their massive true bodies, but above all, humans are the spirit of all things...

The lord of the fire domain, Fire Ao, was himself a supreme Fire Qilin. The twelve clan heads at his side included: Fire Qilin, Fire Phoenix, Fire Black Turtle, Fire Serpent, Fire Wolf, Fire Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Fire Tiger...