Chapter 137: At the End of the Road [Continue to Protect Yourself]

Ye Jiuyao delivered a thunderous punch, and the massive boulder shattered upon impact. As the dust settled, the two were stunned by what lay before them.

A passage stretched out ahead, disappearing into an endless, mysterious depth. It was an unsettling sight, yet it stirred a sense of anticipation in both of them.

"I’ll go down first. You stay up here—if anything happens, run," Ye Jiuyao instructed simply. Before Cao Sisi could react, he leaped into the abyss.

Stunned, Cao Sisi hesitated for a moment, torn by indecision, before finally jumping in after him.

Feeling a presence descending above him, Ye Jiuyao glanced up, his expression instantly darkening.

"Thud!"

With no time for hesitation, Ye Jiuyao reached the ground, landing steadily with a heavy impact.

"Ouch..."

Following closely behind, Cao Sisi let out a cry of surprise as she landed, caught completely off guard.

"Foolish girl," Ye Jiuyao muttered, turning to head deeper into the tunnel.

Cao Sisi hurriedly scrambled to her feet and followed, her face full of resentment. Their footsteps echoed rhythmically against the stone walls.

The passage was narrow at first, barely wide enough for one person, but after walking a few dozen paces, it suddenly opened up into a vast chamber. A brilliant light emanated from the center, leaving the two in utter astonishment.

"Is... is that a source of fire?"

"No, it’s not just a source of fire; it’s an otherworldly celestial flame. And not an ordinary one—it’s incredibly powerful. Don't believe me? Look!"

Ye Jiuyao pointed toward the center of the chamber, where a crimson-white flame rose slowly, dancing with manic intensity.

"What? That... that’s a flame?"

Cao Sisi stared at the wildly flickering fire, yet she felt no heat radiating from it. This left her deeply suspicious, as she had always known fire to be inherently scorching, not cold and icy like this.

"Why don't you go closer and see if it burns you to death?" Ye Jiuyao rolled his eyes at her, then cautiously circled the Heavenly Demon Flame, finding nothing unusual.

"Maybe... maybe we just need to communicate with it?"

"..."

Ye Jiuyao was left speechless. He couldn't fathom how her mind worked.

However, what happened next left him dumbfounded. Cao Sisi actually walked toward the flame. The fire began to dance even more violently, detaching itself from the center and leaping toward her.

"Little Fire, won't you come with me?"

Under Ye Jiuyao’s gaze, the flame surged toward Cao Sisi, forming a vortex of crimson-red frost. Ye Jiuyao’s face changed instantly, and Cao Sisi, now realizing the danger, stood frozen in shock.

"Get out of the way!"

Ye Jiuyao roared, channeling a burst of terrifying power into his legs as he lunged forward.

"Star-Plucking Hand!"

In an instant, he unleashed the power of the stars, striking toward the Heavenly Demon Flame just as it was about to touch Cao Sisi.

"Boom!"

The two forces collided with a deafening crash.

"Ah!"

Cao Sisi squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the end. Yet, before the impact could reach her, Ye Jiuyao’s Star-Plucking Hand had intercepted the flame, saving her from certain death.

"Still not moving?!"

Ye Jiuyao roared again. Snapping back to reality, Cao Sisi rolled away, narrowly escaping the shockwave.

"I knew it wouldn't be simple. How could the Heavenly Demon Flame ever acknowledge you so easily?" Ye Jiuyao watched the flame with a grave expression as it transformed into a force of destruction, surging toward him.

"Hey! Hey! I didn't mean it! Attack her, go attack her!" Ye Jiuyao shouted at the flame, while Cao Sisi looked on, pale with terror.

"Ye Jiuyao, are you even a man?"

"Can you have a shred of shame?"

"Little Fire, hit him! Hit him!"

Cao Sisi shrieked at the flame, while Ye Jiuyao glared at her, his face black with fury.

"I just saved your life..."

Ye Jiuyao growled internally, but he quickly gathered his strength. Mid-sentence, he unleashed the Nine Nether Desolate Palm. A massive palm print descended from the air!

"Get down on your knees!"

Ye Jiuyao bellowed, his overwhelming power creating a seal. The Heavenly Demon Flame’s nature shifted instantly. The intense cold was replaced by a terrifying, burning heat.

"Hiss!!!"

The Heavenly Demon Flame let out a shrill hiss, erupting with a torrent of fire that coalesced into a giant, blazing hand. It lashed out at Ye Jiuyao, the collision of their powers creating ripples that tore through the air. The force of the blast was like a thunderclap, spreading in all directions. Seizing the moment, Ye Jiuyao grabbed Cao Sisi and retreated.

"Run! Go back and tell the elders that the fire down here can suppress the beast. If we succeed, it could become our sect’s guardian deity!" Ye Jiuyao said, his expression grim.

Before Cao Sisi could recover, Ye Jiuyao grabbed her by her clothes, flung her toward the exit, and used his immense strength to seal the tunnel entrance with boulders.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

The sound of the falling rocks echoed through the chamber.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

The Heavenly Demon Flame roared once more, its power piercing the heavens, locking the area in a cycle of scorching heat and biting cold.

"Am I going to die young? No... perhaps the Demon-Sealing Decree can work."

Facing death, Ye Jiuyao’s mind raced. He recalled the Demon-Sealing Decree taught by Sun Qigang—the technique used to seal the very first Heavenly Demon Flame. His hands blurred, weaving through the air like a fluttering butterfly, rapidly forming the complex seals.

Threads of energy emerged, weaving together like a spiderweb, forming beautiful, glowing loops of power.

"Seal!"

Ye Jiuyao funneled all his internal energy into the technique, pressing it down upon the Heavenly Demon Flame. Sensing the threat, the flame drained the surrounding fire, erupting into a massive conflagration that slammed into the glowing web.

"Boom!"

The collision of the flame and the Demon-Sealing Decree unleashed a cataclysmic force that swept across the entire cavern.

...

"Ye Jiuyao, you bastard!"

Outside, Cao Sisi screamed, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't move the boulders. She finally turned and ran—she had to find help.