Chapter 419: Sea of Karmic Flame

A day later, a group of cultivators brought Xiao Nanfeng to a forested region overlooking a huge valley down below.

In the sky above the valley, a blood-colored cloud slowly revolved as it gave off an aura of frightening strength.

There were a few camps garrisoned along the periphery of the valley. All manner of cursed effigies were represented: horse-, ox-, rabbit-, and monkey-headed humanoids all glancing at each other warily as they peered into the valley from time to time.

The valley was molten and filled with flames. Flaming dragons seemed to swim across the valley, barely visible amidst the flaming backdrop.

"So this is the sea of karmic flame?"

"It is," one cultivator verified. "I once overheard the cursed effigies state that this is where the Dragon Yanluo's Yanluo Court used to be. The blood-colored cloud above it is a cloud of annihilation."

"Why is it called that?" Xiao Nanfeng asked curiously.

"I heard that the cloud of annihilation was a cloud of natural law that the heavens manifested above the Netherworld Palace, intending to kill all the cursed effigies within. The Yanluo Lords worked together to fend off that cloud and ensure that the cursed effigies could survive. There's such a cloud above each Yanluo Court."

"Oh?"

"Allegedly, about a century ago, when the Dragon Yanluo escaped from the Netherworld Palace with subordinates in tow, it brought its Yanluo Court with it—but not its cursed avatar."

"So the Dragon Yanluo's cursed spiritual avatar is in here?"

"I heard that it hid its cursed avatar within this sea of karmic flame. All the other Yanluo Lords want to seize it for themselves, but any cursed effigy who enters the sea of karmic flame will be killed by that cloud of annihilation. That's why they simply have guards stationed around the area without daring to step within themselves."

Xiao Nanfeng thought for a moment before shaking his head. "I suspect that the cloud of annihilation wouldn't be able to kill any of the Yanluo Lords, but it could wound them to a serious enough degree that the other Yanluo Lords would be able to scheme against the victim. All of them are wary of each other; none want to be taken advantage of. That's why this stalemate has continued for so long. They're guarding against each other as they await an opportunity to strike.

"That's very possible," the cultivator replied, nodding.

"Haven't the Yanluo Lords thought of any other strategies?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"They've caught some cultivators from our alliance and forced us to enter the valley in search of the Dragon Yanluo's cursed spiritual avatar, but even Heaven Immortals can't last against karmic flame for long. All the cultivators from our alliance who have entered died there," the cultivator replied bitterly.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled. "In that case, the cloud of annihilation only targets cursed effigies? That's excellent news."

"City Lord Xiao, are you intending to descend? It's likely far more dangerous in there than within the woks that you've absorbed..."

"It matters not. The rest of you should stay farther away when you observe, however."

"Got it." The cultivators nodded with some trepidation.

They retreated by slow increments until Xiao Nanfeng finally nodded, certain they would be safe. He bolted toward the sea of karmic flame.

With a whoosh, he shot forward like a beam of light straight into the valley.

"What's that?!" a cursed effigy cried out from afar.

The cursed effigies all looked over, but Xiao Nanfeng was simply too fast. He fell into the sea and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

"It looked like a human..."

"You must be going blind. Who would jump into the sea of karmic flame? There are far easier and less painful ways of committing suicide!"

"If it's not a person, then what could it be?"

"How should I know? Search around the vicinity!"

The cursed effigies immediately began their search, but all the cultivators had long since retreated. Frowning, they looked back at the sea of karmic flame and confirmed that there were no cries to be heard. Then, they looked up at the cloud of annihilation and saw that it hadn't reacted at all.

The cursed effigies frowned. The most likely explanation was that some huge boulder had somehow flown straight into the sea of karmic flame. They chalked it off as a minor incident and didn't investigate further.

Deep within the sea of karmic flame, Xiao Nanfeng found himself submerged in fire.

Although the surface of the sea only filled a valley, its interior was far larger. Xiao Nanfeng felt as though he was within a huge world of flame, with the horizon nowhere to be seen.

"How am I supposed to find the Dragon Yanluo's body within such a huge space? It'd be akin to searching for a needle in a haystack—and this sea of flames was formed from the remnant fragments of the eighteen layers of hell! Just how strong was the underworld in the past?" Xiao Nanfeng wondered to himself.

He quickly began to cultivate.

The Imposing Avatar of Rulai required an immense wealth of resources, which was the largest bottleneck in his cultivation by far—but this sea of karmic flame provided all the resources he would need. Within moments, he was forcibly extracting the flames from his surroundings and using them to forge an invincible Immortal body.

Ten golden crows emerged from his body, furiously absorbing the flames from the valley like ten black holes in miniature.

Back in the city of Wuliu, the members of the cultivators' alliance temporarily took control over the city and began to impart cultivation techniques to the people. The people of the city were overjoyed to be learning about these techniques that would confer longevity and had long been kept from them.

Just then, a white-robed man slowly flew into the city, one of the Heaven Immortals working under Yin Tianci.

"To think Xiao Nanfeng was able to cause such a huge disturbance in just a few days. He slaughtered a whole city's worth of cursed effigies? How brave he is," the white-robed man sneered.

"Who are you?" Sensing that something was amiss, one cultivator immediately flew over.

The white-robed man asked, "Where's Xiao Nanfeng?"

"You know City Lord Xiao?" the cultivator asked in surprise.

"City Lord Xiao? He must be obsessed with being a city lord if he's still calling himself that down here. He's an insolent fool!" the white-robed man replied disdainfully.

The cultivator frowned upon seeing that the white-robed man had misunderstood his words. It was clear from his response that he was no friend of Xiao Nanfeng.

"Might I ask how to address you, Senior?" the cultivator asked carefully.

"You have no right to question me. Have Xiao Nanfeng step forward," the white-robed man replied.

By then, many cultivators within the city had heard the commotion. They rushed forward to get a sense of what was going on. One cultivator stepped forward. "Senior, City Lord Xiao has left the city. We don't know where he is now."

"You dare lie to me? Die!" The white-robed man pointed at the cultivator who had just spoken.

A beam of white light shot out of his fingertips and pierced through the man's head.

"Senior Brother!" The other cultivators gasped, then drew their weapons.

"I've had to search through far too many cities before I found a hint as to Xiao Nanfeng's whereabouts. For lying to me and helping him hide himself, I'll kill you all!" the white-robed man exclaimed.

The cultivators glanced at each other. They could guess that the white-robed man was Xiao Nanfeng's enemy, and had to have at least comparable strength.

"Let's go!" one cultivator decided.

The cultivators began to flee.

"Have I given permission for all of you to leave?" the white-robed man demanded.

A fearsome storm arose around his body, forming a huge field of force that suppressed the cultivators and prevented them from moving.

"An Immortal! Could he be an Earth Immortal?"

"No—an Earth Immortal wouldn't have such a potent aura. Could he be..."

"A Heaven Immortal?!"

The cultivators glanced at each other in shock.

"Let's start a roll call, shall we? I'll kill any of you who profess ignorance as to Xiao Nanfeng's whereabouts!" The white-robed man laughed coldly.