Chapter 241 Fire Dragon

Yang Podi flew swiftly toward the northwest of the Heaven Dou Empire. Within half a day, he arrived in a vast desert—the largest on the Douluo Continent, the Tarim Desert. At the very center of the desert lay the Flowing Fire Mountain Range.

Once inside the Flowing Fire Mountain Range, Yang Podi ceased flying and opted to walk instead. Flying in this kind of desert could cause one to miss vital details due to the vast expanses.

As he stepped into the mountain range, the temperature rose noticeably. Even at the outer edge, it was already over fifty degrees.

The ground throughout the Flowing Fire Mountain Range was black, with virtually no vegetation. Only a few fire-resistant plants, such as Crimson Flame Brambles, managed to survive.

The deeper Yang Podi ventured, the higher the temperature climbed. When he approached a volcano, the air temperature had soared to two hundred degrees. The fire elements here were exceedingly volatile, unsuitable for spirit masters to absorb. Forcing absorption of such fire elements would destabilize one's spirit power.

It was no wonder no one lived here—not even spirit masters.

Around the volcano, red fissures lined the ground. These were clearly the result of past volcanic eruptions, with the accompanying earthquakes causing the earth to split.

Despite the harsh conditions, numerous fire-attribute spirit beasts inhabited the area. These included Fire Lizards, Fire Spiders, Fire Bats, Fire Cloud Leopards, Firebirds, and Fire Lions—all exceptional for fire-attribute spirit masters.

Among them, Yang Podi even encountered a Flame Azure Wolf with a cultivation of around forty thousand years. This beast was the same as Qin Ming's martial soul from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, making it a top-tier fire-attribute spirit beast.

However, these beasts were far too weak for Yang Podi. His target was at least a hundred thousand years old.

Suddenly, the entire Flowing Fire Mountain Range trembled with rumbling sounds. Multiple volcanoes erupted simultaneously, unleashing terrifying explosions. Lava spewed from their craters, and volcanic ash filled the sky, creating a scene akin to the end of the world.

Yang Podi observed the display of nature's power and shook his head. He casually found a small ravine to sit in, which offered some protection from the eruption. However, even this ravine had streams of molten lava flowing through it, giving the impression of being surrounded by fire.

Surprisingly, the ravine was filled with spirit beasts, all trembling in fear. Even natural enemies refrained from attacking each other.

Yang Podi paid no attention to these weaker beasts. Once the eruption subsided, he resumed his journey deeper into the Flowing Fire Mountain Range.

The deeper he went, the hotter it became. By the time he neared the core, the temperature had reached five hundred degrees, making it nearly impossible for even high-level spirit masters to enter.

This level of heat exceeded most flame temperatures. The air seemed ready to combust at any moment due to the intense fire elements. Occasional sparks flickered, eliminating the need for lighting.

Ordinary people would be instantly incinerated upon entering. Even spirit masters required spirit power to resist the heat, with at least Spirit Emperor-level strength needed to survive.

Here, Yang Podi discovered many extraordinary spirit beasts, including a sixty-thousand-year-old One-Horned Fire Violent Dragon. This was a top-tier beast in both strength and fire attributes.

After spending an entire day, Yang Podi finally reached the deepest part of the Flowing Fire Mountain Range.

The environment here was astounding. The air temperature reached eight hundred degrees, a level even Titled Douluos couldn't endure for long. At the center was a vast pool of boiling lava, its temperature exceeding fifteen hundred degrees.

At such depths, even a spirit master's perception was severely limited. Ordinary spirit masters could only sense the fiery energy around them. Prolonged exposure at this temperature would cause blindness.

For Yang Podi, however, this posed no great challenge. His body martial soul had undergone the Golden Awakening, rendering his physique as tough as forged metal. Coupled with the Ice and Fire tempering, his resistance to extreme heat was unmatched.

Yang Podi searched the lava's surroundings for a long time but failed to locate the hundred-thousand-year spirit beast he sought.

"This doesn't make sense," Yang Podi muttered. "I clearly sensed a faint aura of a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast earlier. It can't have vanished. Where is it hiding?"

After thoroughly searching, Yang Podi found several nests belonging to ten-thousand-year spirit beasts. However, he saw no trace of the hundred-thousand-year beast, nor any tunnels leading out. By all logic, the beast should still be within the Flowing Fire Mountain Range.

Suddenly, Yang Podi stared at the lava in disbelief. "Could the hundred-thousand-year spirit beast be hiding in the lava? But the temperature here exceeds fifteen hundred degrees. Even for spirit beasts, this would be extremely dangerous."

Yang Podi spent several days observing the lava. Though he still couldn't locate the spirit beast, he was certain the faint aura emanated from beneath the lava. This beast must be extraordinary to survive in such an extreme environment. Its fire attributes were likely unparalleled.

After careful consideration, Yang Podi decided to explore the lava. While its temperature was high, it was still less intense than the Firewell in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

Yang Podi prepared himself, his body turning golden, before diving into the lava.

Though the lava was scorching, it posed no significant threat to Yang Podi. However, as he dove deeper, the temperature continued to rise, and the spirit beast's aura grew stronger.

Following the trail of the spirit beast's aura, Yang Podi swam thousands of meters until he began to ascend. Emerging from the lava, he found himself in a small rocky cavern reminiscent of the cold pool from the Ancient Tomb Sect in The Return of the Condor Heroes.

Inside, Yang Podi was surprised to find a small enclosed space spanning several square kilometers. The spiritual energy here was dense and vibrant, unlike the fiery explosiveness outside. It exuded a strong life force instead.

The area resembled a sanctuary, impervious to the surrounding lava's destruction, making it even more extraordinary.

At the center of the cavern lay a forty-meter-long Fire Dragon, seemingly either guarding the space or treating it as its home.

In the middle of the cavern stood a towering tree over a hundred meters tall. Its canopy covered most of the space, exuding an extraordinary aura.

"A three-hundred-thousand-year Fire Dragon," Yang Podi murmured, astonished by what he saw.

His eyes sparkled. A spirit beast of this caliber was the pinnacle of perfection, possibly rivaling Bear Lord of the Star Dou Forest and surpassing the Hellhound King.

Without hesitation, Yang Podi summoned his Breaking Soul Spear and attacked the Fire Dragon. A beast of this level couldn't be allowed to escape.

The Fire Dragon opened its massive eyes in response to the attack. Its claws moved to block the spear.

However, the Breaking Soul Spear pierced through its claw, drawing blood. Judging by its strength, the Fire Dragon was likely at the peak of rank ninety-eight but not yet rank ninety-nine.

Enraged, the Fire Dragon roared, "Human! How dare you ambush me! I will kill you!"

As it roared, the entire cavern seemed to transform. Fiery energy filled the space, creating what appeared to be a domain of flames. In the volcanic environment, the Fire Dragon's power seemed even more formidable.

This was the Fire Dragon's Flame Domain. The surrounding energy grew violently unstable, turning the area into a sea of fire.

The Fire Dragon spat out a crimson flame directly from its mouth, a flame that seemed capable of incinerating everything in the world.

Yet Yang Podi showed no fear. His entire body turned golden, and even the Breaking Soul Spear transformed into a golden hue. He unleashed his fifth spirit skill: Tyrannosaurus Annihilation Strike. The Breaking Soul Spear, like a horned Tyrannosaurus, directly split the crimson flame apart.

The Fire Dragon, upon seeing Yang Podi's spirit skill, became instantly enraged. "Human, how dare you slaughter my dragon clan? You are courting death!"

Yang Podi responded coldly, "You're nothing but a mutated sub-dragon with a trace of dragon blood. How dare you call yourself a dragon? Even if the Black Dragon King were here, I would not fear him."

After speaking, Yang Podi's figure flickered. With both hands gripping the Breaking Soul Spear, he appeared right in front of the Fire Dragon and thrust the spear toward its head.

The Fire Dragon hastily used its massive claws to block Yang Podi's attack. However, Yang Podi's strike was immensely powerful, and the Breaking Soul Spear, possessing an extreme metallic attribute, pierced right through one of the Fire Dragon's claws in a single blow.

Nonetheless, the Fire Dragon's defense was clearly formidable. Even though its claw was injured, it managed to clutch tightly onto Yang Podi's Breaking Soul Spear. A massive burst of fiery light shot out from its mouth, putting enormous pressure on Yang Podi. It seemed the Fire Dragon had reached the realm of Ultimate Fire.

But Yang Podi showed no fear. His right arm glowed with spirit power as he activated the first skill of his right arm spirit bone: Divine Bull Power. His strength instantly multiplied several times. With both hands gripping the Breaking Soul Spear, he delivered a powerful cleaving strike, severing one of the Fire Dragon's claws.

Immediately after, his right arm spirit bone glowed again. This time, he used its second skill: Divine Bull Charge. His right fist struck directly at the incoming flames, dispersing them instantly.

This clash was like a collision between Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Strength. However, it was evident that Yang Podi had the upper hand, as the Ultimate Fire was forced back.

The Fire Dragon let out a tremendous cry of pain as one of its claws was severed. It then swung its massive tail toward Yang Podi with a move resembling a divine dragon's tail sweep. The tail, imbued with Ultimate Fire, carried tremendous strength, as if it could split the entire space.

Yet Yang Podi paid no heed. His eighth spirit ring lit up, and the Breaking Soul Spear released a golden light, as if tearing through the heavens. This was Yang Podi's eighth spirit skill: Golden Behemoth Slash. The colossal golden slash severed part of the Fire Dragon's tail, prompting another agonized roar.

At this point, the Fire Dragon clearly realized that the opponent before it was far stronger. Now, with one claw severed and part of its tail gone, continuing the fight would only lead to certain death. It thought that diving into the magma might be its only chance at survival, as the magma was its domain.

With the remnants of its spirit power, the Fire Dragon rushed toward the magma. However, how could Yang Podi let it have its way? His spirit rings glowed once again as he unleashed his ninth spirit skill: Piercing Sun.

The massive Breaking Soul Spear turned golden, radiating a dazzling brilliance. It shot toward the Fire Dragon with incredible speed, piercing directly through its head and pinning it to the wall.

The Fire Dragon was instantly killed, leaving it no chance to self-destruct.

A massive blood-red spirit ring emerged from the Fire Dragon's body, with three golden patterns adorning it. Clearly, this was a ferocious beast over 300,000 years old.