Because Fire Crystal Stones were so precious, many of the warriors from the various major factions who entered the Flowing Flame Sand Field had come specifically to hunt Fire Spirit Beasts. Warriors from smaller families and lesser forces had the same idea—obtaining a Fire Crystal Stone and selling it outside would be a tremendous windfall. This kind of thing was completely unavailable in the outside world; it could only be found within the Flowing Flame Sand Field, and it was beloved by alchemists and artifact refiners alike.
"Brother Yang, if you encounter a corporeal Fire Spirit Beast, do not under any circumstances fight it head-on. A corporeal Fire Spirit Beast is roughly equivalent to a Tier Nine demon beast—extremely difficult to deal with." Wei Guchang's expression was grave as he gave this warning.
A Tier Nine demon beast was on the level of a Void Return powerhouse. A Holy King Realm cultivator facing one would naturally gain no advantage, and a single moment of carelessness would lead to certain death.
After saying this, he gave a self-deprecating laugh. "But such things are rare—you'll basically never run into one."
Yang Kai nodded slightly and asked, "I understand the situation with the Fire Spirit Beasts. But what exactly is Flowing Flame Flying Fire?"
Wei Guchang's expression immediately turned serious. His voice dropped low as he said, "Flowing Flame Flying Fire is even more dangerous to those who enter than Fire Spirit Beasts. Fortunately, it isn't as numerous. Flowing Flame Flying Fire is extremely rare—some people might never encounter it in their entire lives, and even if they did, they'd only come across one or two at most. But Brother Yang, whatever you do, don't underestimate it. This thing is incredibly fast—faster even than the spread of Divine Sense. It's nearly impossible to detect. It could fly right past you and you wouldn't even notice."
Yang Kai couldn't help but show surprise. Something faster than the spread of Divine Sense—just imagining that was enough to grasp how terrifying it was.
"Its danger lies not only in its speed, but also in its devastating lethality. If your defenses are insufficient or your strength lacking, a direct hit means your soul will be completely incinerated—in the blink of an eye, you'll be reduced to ash. Elder Qian told me that every time the Flowing Flame Sand Field opens, there are always a few unlucky souls who get killed by Flowing Flame Flying Fire."
"Isn't that just blind misfortune?" Yang Kai exclaimed in surprise.
Wei Guchang smiled. "Brother Yang is absolutely right—it is blind misfortune. But anyone who dares to enter the Flowing Flame Sand Field has surely prepared themselves mentally to bear a certain degree of risk. Getting killed by Flowing Flame Flying Fire? You can't blame anyone else for that."
At this moment, Dong Xuan'er covered her mouth and smiled from the side. "Senior Brother, you keep going on about how dangerous Flowing Flame Flying Fire is, but you haven't told Brother Yang about the good parts."
Yang Kai looked at her blankly, thinking, Flowing Flame Flying Fire has good points?
Wei Guchang let out a hearty laugh. "I was just getting to that! Flowing Flame Flying Fire is indeed terrifying, but it's also an incredibly precious treasure. Brother Yang, you should know that some people's Divine Sense is different from ordinary people's, right?"
"Mutated Divine Sense?" Yang Kai's expression shifted.
"Exactly—mutated Divine Sense. Some people's Divine Sense contains peculiar attributes, like Divine Sense Fire, Divine Sense Poison, or Divine Sense Ice. These mutated forms of Divine Sense may differ from what normal people possess, but without exception, they all carry extraordinary and remarkable power. Divine Sense Fire goes without saying—it's the mutated Divine Sense that alchemists and artifact refiners most desire. Divine Sense Poison and Divine Sense Ice are also unpredictably formidable when used against enemies. These mutated types of Divine Sense are exceedingly rare. Some are innate, others are obtained by cultivating certain techniques or martial skills—though those techniques and skills are equally rare and virtually unheard of among ordinary people. Even within my Shadow Moon Hall, there's nothing of the sort. And some are acquired through fortuitous encounters."
Yang Kai nodded in full agreement. His own Divine Sense Fire had been obtained through just such an accident. Back in Zhongdu, he had attempted to devour a fire-attributed jade stone's True Spirit to enhance his strength, but through a twist of fate, his Divine Sense had instead undergone a mutation.
He was more qualified than anyone to speak on the wondrous capabilities of Divine Sense Fire.
"And Flowing Flame Flying Fire is a treasure that has the potential to cause a person's Divine Sense to mutate—it can grant someone Divine Sense Fire." Wei Guchang's eyes gleamed. "Think about it, Brother Yang—which alchemist or artifact refiner wouldn't want Divine Sense Fire? So if someone were to obtain Flowing Flame Flying Fire, alchemists and artifact refiners would tear each other apart fighting over it." As he spoke, Wei Guchang cast a meaningful glance toward Yang Kai.
Influenced by Qian Tong's words, Wei Guchang had concluded that Yang Kai had a Void-grade artifact refiner as his master behind the scenes. Since his master was an artifact refiner, there was no way Yang Kai could be indifferent to Flowing Flame Flying Fire. As a disciple, he would naturally want to present it as a gift to his master.
But to Wei Guchang's disappointment, Yang Kai's expression didn't change at all—he remained perfectly composed, showing no interest whatsoever.
Wei Guchang quickly continued, "Of course, forcing a Divine Sense mutation comes with considerable risk. There's a high probability that the mutation will fail, and instead your soul will be completely incinerated by the Flowing Flame Flying Fire. Anyway, just be careful, Brother Yang. Almost nobody is able to obtain Flowing Flame Flying Fire—if you encounter it, just steer clear as quickly as you can."
Yang Kai nodded, maintaining a calm exterior while inwardly calculating whether he should give chase if he actually ran into one.
Flowing Flame Flying Fire could mutate a person's Divine Sense, with a chance of producing Divine Sense Fire—but he already had Divine Sense Fire, so presumably he wouldn't be vulnerable to its incineration.
"The situation in the Scorching Flame Zone is roughly as I've described. Besides resisting the scorching flames, you only need to watch out for Fire Spirit Beasts and Flowing Flame Flying Fire. The intensity of the flames in the outermost Scorching Flame Zone isn't uniform either—the deeper you go, the more powerful they become, and the harder they are to withstand. But if you can make it through the outermost Scorching Flame Zone and enter the second layer, that's paradise."
"Why do you say that?" Yang Kai's interest was immediately piqued.
"Because the second layer is the Heavenly Treasure Zone—there are no scorching flames there, only heavenly treasures and a handful of demon beasts. Once you enter the second layer, as long as you guard against sneak attacks from other people and avoid being targeted by high-level demon beasts, you're set. It's safe to say that once you make it into the second layer, your harvest will be substantial no matter what!"
Yang Kai's eyes lit up. "There's a zone like that too?"