Chapter 952: Pursuer (2)

Liu Shaji’s eyes flashed with a hint of shock. He turned to Li Xiaofei and asked, "That bastard figured out who I really am?"

Li Xiaofei, too, had been momentarily shaken. So Wei Xiaotian had already realized that Liu Shaji was someone who had been reborn. If he had chosen to say that right before parting, was it truly just a reminder out of concern?

The two of them exchanged a few glances. Li Xiaofei had the distinct feeling that he had underestimated Wei Xiaotian. This man from Eden was far more dangerous than even his highest estimates had accounted for.

"Want me to chase him down and take him out?" Liu Shaji asked, already itching to act.

Li Xiaofei thought for a moment, then shook his head. "We still have bigger things to deal with. Besides... I have a feeling that keeping him alive might prove useful in our fight against the Reapers."

Wei Xiaotian had painstakingly infiltrated the Reaper faction, and it was clear he had some terrifying objective in mind. Perhaps he intended to throw the Reaper ranks into chaos. If so, it would be a tremendous boon for the human race.

So Liu Shaji restrained his impulse to act. The two of them turned and left. A short while later, they spotted Zhu Zhixun, Xiong Gang, and the others waiting for them on the other side of the Flame Mountains.

“Senior...” Zhu Zhixun was overjoyed at the sight of them, but his expression shifted slightly when he noticed Liu Shaji. “And this is...?”

Of course, he recognized Liu Shaji. He knew this man as one of the powerful subordinates under King Delta. During their journey so far, Liu Shaji had been loud, bold, and attention-grabbing. He was one of the more striking figures among the Reapers.

Li Xiaofei said, “No need to be alarmed. He’s one of us.”

He gave a quick introduction to both sides. Zhu Zhixun and the others were stunned. One of the King Delta’s most trusted lieutenants under the infamous Death God's Eye clan... was actually a human?

“I heard you’re planning to rescue Lin Beichen?” Liu Shaji said with a mischievous grin. “Interesting. I didn’t think that arrogant, lustful guy would end up locked inside the Holy Ruins and need a bunch of juniors to come save him. Hahaha! When we find him, I’m definitely going to mock him a bit.”

Zhu Zhixun and the others caught on to a number of subtle clues. Their expressions grew increasingly astonished.

Could it be that this man is the true heavyweight?

To dare mock the Sword Immortal Lin Beichen...

Li Xiaofei said, “Liu Shaji’s background is a long story. You’ll come to understand it in time. Don’t question him. Just remember, he’s an ally even more trustworthy than I am.”

Zhu Zhixun and the others respectfully bowed to Liu Shaji.

“Haha, no need for such formality,” Liu Shaji replied, clearly pleased with Li Xiaofei’s words. Putting on the airs of a seasoned master, he added, “If any trouble comes up, don’t hesitate to come to me. Trust me, there’s nothing in this world that your clever and resourceful Liu Shaji can’t handle.”

With their group now assembled, they confirmed their direction and set off on their journey.

The second suspected formation mentioned by Zhu Zhixun and the others was located within the Fire Domain, deep inside an extremely perilous forbidden zone known as the Endless Flame. The heat within the Fire Domain was already staggering.

Blasts of searing air, reaching up to 150,000 degrees, surged toward them at any given moment. Such temperatures could incinerate nearly all known lifeforms. In a normal universe, even solid rock would have long since melted into magma.

But nothing within the Holy Ruins could be understood through ordinary logic. The earth and stone beneath their feet remained unchanged, showing no signs of melting.

The volcano known as Endless Flame, however, was said to be far more extreme. Temperatures there reportedly reached a terrifying 15,000,000 degrees. It was enough to burn through anything. The danger level was classified at a full stage nine.

Only a place like this might be capable of imprisoning an immortal emperor. Before long, the group arrived at the entrance to the Endless Flame volcano. At that moment, the blistering heat twisted the very air around them. Even Li Xiaofei felt dread run through his heart as he stood before the volcanic mouth and felt the wave of intense heat radiating outward like a living threat.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Zhu Zhixun and the others were faring even worse. They were already wearing the best heat-resistant gear money could buy, but even that was rapidly losing durability under the scorching conditions. It wouldn’t last much longer.

One by one, they all turned toward Liu Shaji. This was the guy who had bragged earlier that they could count on him no matter what kind of trouble they encountered. Well, the trouble had arrived.

Inwardly, Liu Shaji cursed,

That wasn’t what I meant just now. What do I do now?

He could barely manage the extreme heat himself, but if he had to shield the entire group, there was no guarantee he could pull it off. For a moment, Liu Shaji’s bravado took a heavy blow.

Li Xiaofei, watching from the side, was thoroughly amused.

“Come on, Liu Shaji, aren’t you going to think of something?” he said deliberately.

Liu Shaji mumbled, “Ah, right, let me think...”

Damn it. You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? Trying to embarrass me?

“What’s there to think about?” Li Xiaofei continued. “Didn’t you already give me the treasures meant for Brother Zhu and the others? If you don’t speak up, how am I supposed to take them out?”

“Huh?” Liu Shaji blinked. But he recovered instantly.

“Yes, yes, you’re right! I nearly forgot if you hadn’t mentioned it,” Liu Shaji said with a dramatic wave of his hand. “Quick, bring out the treasures I prepared and distribute them to Brother Zhu and the others. We’ve got no time to waste.”

Li Xiaofei then retrieved the treasures gifted to him by the Grand Princess from the Secret Time Pavilion and handed them out to Zhu Zhixun and the others.

“This is great!”

“Thank you, Senior Ji!”

“Uh... wait, I mean Senior Ge...”

“Uh...”

“This name... it really sounds kind of wrong when we say it like that.”

The five of them sounded like they were performing a group skit with all their back-and-forth.

Liu Shaji, unfazed by formality, waved his hand and said, “Just call me Liu Shaji. That’s fine.”

Zhu Zhixun hesitated and asked, “But you’re of the same seniority as Senior Li. If we call you Liu Shaji, wouldn’t that mess up the hierarchy?”

Liu Shaji replied, “It’s fine. Everyone goes by their own terms. If we’re being strict, I’m not actually that old in this life.”

That was true. Liu Shaji had only been reborn for a few years. His actual age in this life wasn’t high at all.

As they chatted, the group finished donning their gear and stepped into the mouth of the Endless Flame volcano. Zhu Zhixun wore the Fire-Repelling Pearl atop his head while Xiong Gang was cloaked in the Fire-Separating Robe.

The others were also equipped with various forms of high-temperature resistant gear. To ensure maximum safety, Li Xiaofei held the Darkblade while secretly channeling energy into the Blood-Drinking Sword, concealing it within the void. The moment anything unexpected occurred, he would be able to react instantly.

The group descended swiftly amid the searing, terrifying heat, reaching a depth of ten thousand meters. When they arrived at the heart of the volcano, they discovered that the volcanic chamber was hollow. Below them stretched a vast, orange sea of fire. The bubbling magma resembled boiling water.

Massive magma bubbles covered the surface, resembling fleshy tumors clinging to some monstrous creature. The densely packed clusters were deeply unsettling, especially for anyone with trypophobia.

“Stay behind me,” Liu Shaji instructed, once again adopting the manner of a seasoned expert as he took the lead.

Zhu Zhixun and the others looked on with admiration. The group began their search, but they found no trace or clue.

Liu Shaji frowned and said, “Could we have gotten it wrong? This doesn’t feel like a prison fit to hold someone like Sword Immortal Lin Beichen. Sure, the temperature’s high, but for someone like him, a reinforced Immortal Emperor, this would feel like a warm bath at best.”

Zhu Zhixun’s expression grew serious. After a moment of thought, he said, “It shouldn’t be wrong. These five suspected formations weren’t discovered on a whim. They’re the result of centuries of investigation and research. The resistance paid a tremendous price to uncover them. Even if Senior Lin isn’t trapped here, there should at least be some trace or clue.”

“Let’s search more thoroughly,” Li Xiaofei said.

The interior of the Endless Flame volcano was vast, stretching across several hundred kilometers. The crimson light that filled the space gave everything around them an illusory, dreamlike quality.

The group conducted another careful sweep of the area. Still, they found nothing. Li Xiaofei’s gaze settled on the churning, boiling orange magma below.

“You’re not thinking of jumping into that magma to check, are you?” Liu Shaji asked in alarm, quickly stepping forward to stop him. “Don’t be reckless. This magma isn’t like what you’d find in the real universe. Out there, even temperatures of tens of millions of degrees can’t melt stone, but here it’s bubbling like water. Just imagine how hot it must be underneath.”

Li Xiaofei replied, “We’ve come this far. We have to try.”

Even as he spoke, his expression suddenly shifted. An instant later, a terrifying blast of energy descended from above like a world-ending catastrophe. It surged down in a single strike, instantly enveloping the entire group.

“Watch out!” Liu Shaji shouted, reacting immediately.

A flash of sword light in the shape of a lotus burst from his hand, shooting skyward. In that moment, sword qi roared out within the Endless Flame volcano, slashing through the air in every direction.

Li Xiaofei stepped forward to shield Zhu Zhixun and the others.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out. The monstrous energy crashed into the chamber like a violent storm tide, sweeping across every corner of the volcanic interior.

“Huh?” a surprised voice rang out.

The attacker’s figure gradually became clear. It was someone they knew. It was Yao, the Windwalker commander stationed at Eighth Safe Fortress.

He hovered there in crimson robes, his towering frame exuding the full might and pressure of a level eight Reaper. His presence radiated overwhelming force without restraint.

"Never thought a few rats like you would have such a formidable expert among you... tsk tsk," said Yao as his gaze landed on Liu Shaji, the strange pupils in his eyes flickering with both surprise and a biting chill.

“A human?” he remarked in astonishment. “Only a human could perform such a battle technique. King Delta really is useless; he let a human spy get this close without realizing it.”

A gleam of excitement lit up in Liu Shaji’s eyes as he thought,

A level eight Reaper! Now this is a worthy opponent.

Yao was far more challenging than any stage eight Void Beast. Liu Shaji’s battle spirit surged. Snow-white phantom lotus petals began to bloom across his body, fluttering around him like falling snow that was pure, ethereal, and beautiful.

“We can’t waste time,” Li Xiaofei shouted. “Leave him to me. Liu Shaji, sweep the perimeter. See if anyone else is closing in.”

Liu Shaji hesitated for only a brief moment, then turned into a flash of sword light and shot skyward.

“Trying to escape?” Yao sneered calmly. “Stay where you are.”

He rubbed his hands together. The terrifying magma below surged upward and twisted into two massive fire dragons, each stretching thousands of feet long. They unleashed deafening roars as they coiled and lunged toward Liu Shaji, trying to ensnare him midair.

This was a natural divine ability of the Windwalkers clan. Born with the power to control wind, they could manipulate other elemental forces through it. Using that wind to whip the magma into twin fire dragons was just one application of their innate gift.

But how could Li Xiaofei let him interfere with Liu Shaji? He had already taken the broken sword from Zhu Zhixun earlier. He infused it with Immortal Force—

Whoosh!

Sword light flashed and both magma dragons were severed and disintegrated in the blink of an eye.