In the blink of an eye, everyone had scattered completely. These powerhouses seemed terrified that someone else might get ahead, so they were all giving chase after the Mountain and River Bell with everything they had.
Yang Kai, however, turned around and flew back toward the dark red star.
Shortly, he returned to the spot where the Mountain and River Bell had been moments ago, his expression grave as he surveyed his surroundings.
The area was completely deserted now, but the unease that had been gnawing at his mind was originating precisely from this place.
It was for this very reason that he hadn't joined the others in pursuing the Mountain and River Bell, but instead returned here, determined to get to the bottom of things.
After a moment, as if he'd discovered something, his eyes suddenly lit up. He vanished and reappeared directly at the location where the Mountain and River Bell had originally stood.
This place had once been a small peak, but the Mountain and River Bell's tremors had shattered the rock face. Now that the bell had flown off on its own, the area was a complete ruin.
However, right at the spot where the Mountain and River Bell had been situated, a unique scorching force was slowly dissipating.
Earlier, everyone's attention had been captured by the Mountain and River Bell, and as a result, not a single person had noticed the anomaly here.
Yang Kai couldn't help but grow suspicious, wondering what tricks this place held. After thinking for a moment, he flew up into the air and threw a punch downward.
Several fist shadows struck, and the earth split open directly. Before his eyes, a shallow crater suddenly appeared.
An incomparably violent surge of heat erupted all at once, and at the same time, a rich and dense aura of Origin Power drifted outward, catching Yang Kai off guard.
Looking down, the crater was filled with searing molten lava. The scorching temperature was intense enough to make Yang Kai's expression shift — he didn't dare approach it carelessly.
"Fire-type Origin?" Yang Kai's eyes widened with surprise as he exclaimed softly, a bold guess surging through his mind.
There was an extremely high chance that the Fire-type Origin was hidden right here!
The reason he had come to this star in the first place was that Zhong Zhenyong had said someone had detected traces of the Fire-type Origin here. But after arriving, the appearance of the Mountain and River Bell had sent everyone into a frenzy, and no one had given a second thought to the matter of the Fire-type Origin.
But who could have guessed that the Fire-type Origin had been concealed right beneath the Mountain and River Bell? It looked as though the bell had been suppressing it!
No wonder dozens of Dao Source Realm cultivators wielding Star Imprints hadn't been able to pinpoint the exact location of the Fire-type Origin — this was why.
When Yang Kai had first arrived here, he had also tried using his Star Imprint to probe the location of the Fire-type Origin, but the signal had always been elusive and uncertain, preventing him from getting a clear read. Now that he thought about it, it had absolutely been because the Mountain and River Bell was there.
Now that the bell had departed on its own, the Fire-type Origin had been exposed in an instant.
The Source Power was hidden beneath this lava. And it was precisely because of this Fire-type Origin that the star had given birth to so many fire-type spirit herbs, and why this area was home to such scorching molten rock!
Thinking of this, Yang Kai couldn't contain his excitement.
He felt that returning here had truly been a wise decision. So many people were fighting over the Mountain and River Bell, and its owner certainly wouldn't be decided anytime soon. But the Fire-type Origin had been discovered by him alone — he could take his time and claim it at his leisure.
Of course, Yang Kai was still only guessing that the Fire-type Origin lay hidden beneath the lava. Whether this was actually the case remained to be seen. And even if it were true, he hadn't yet considered how he might go about collecting it.
A Fire-type Origin was no trivial thing to claim. One misstep, and he could easily end up engulfed in flames.
Just as Yang Kai was at a complete loss, the lava before him suddenly began to boil, constantly churning up enormous bubbles that burst apart. The already unbearable heat intensified several times over.
Yang Kai couldn't help but activate his Origin Power to shield himself, only then feeling marginally better.
Still, the sudden turn of events put him on high alert, and he took a few cautious steps backward.
Moments later, the entire pit of lava seemed to boil over completely. Then, a clear, resonant bird cry suddenly pierced through heaven and earth, echoing in Yang Kai's ears.
Yang Kai froze.
Because this sound was far too familiar.
Years ago, when he and Su Yan had cultivated together and the auspicious manifestation of the Dragon and Phoenix appeared, the Ice Phoenix's cry had been identical to this — heart-shaking, commanding all living things to submit!
Splash!
A graceful figure in brilliant crimson suddenly shot upward from the great pit. The instant it appeared, all of the surrounding heat was drawn toward it, and the lava in the crater solidified into stone in a single heartbeat.
The sky was suddenly blotted out by a massive silhouette, its piercing cry soaring to the very highest heavens.
Yang Kai stared upward, dumbfounded, gazing at that figure of breathtaking beauty. He swallowed hard and managed with difficulty: "A Fire Phoenix!"
Among the Sacred Spirits, the Dragon and Phoenix reign supreme.