Chapter 217: Forever in a Woman's Heart

The terrifying battle had ended.

The figure of the Phoenix, one of the ten great ferocious beasts, had vanished, and the suffocating pressure that had shrouded the Flame Hell had dissipated.

Several rainbows streaked across the void, and a group of figures descended gracefully.

These people were from the Mystic Sword Pavilion.

They had witnessed the scene just now; it was impossible not to be shocked. The Phoenix alone had already left them in disbelief, and the sudden vortex in the void had stunned them even more.

That aura did not belong to the Eastern Spirit Continent, nor to any known faction, for its might was too overwhelming—so powerful that they felt no will to resist.

Xuan Yun frowned, staring at the now-calm Flame Hell, but her heart could not settle for a long time.

She was an elder of the Mystic Sword Pavilion, a high-level Great Heaven realm cultivator. Though not the top in the Eastern Spirit Continent, she was not to be underestimated. Yet the pressure that had just appeared made her feel the breath of death.

It seemed that if the will within that mysterious vortex wished to kill her, it would take but a moment.

She had to report this to the sect. This was the first time such an event had occurred in the history of the Eastern Spirit Continent.

A mysterious power that should not belong to the Eastern Spirit Continent had appeared, and it had appeared in the Flame Hell, perhaps targeting this ancient ferocious beast.

Just then, a sudden sound came from the calm Flame Hell.

Xuan Yun's expression changed, and she became alert. But when she saw the figure ahead, her face lit up with joy.

"Yunxian, you're safe?" Xuan Yun hurried forward.

The surrounding disciples also showed smiles. They had truly thought that Yunxian might have died here.

Xuan Yunxian's expression was somewhat dazed, as if she had suffered a great blow. Her slightly confused eyes scanned the surroundings, as if searching for something.

But gradually... a look of disappointment appeared on Xuan Yunxian's face.

"I'm fine." Xuan Yunxian shook her head.

In Xuan Yunxian's mind, only the last scene remained.

The face of that man, and the final words he had spoken.

When the river of flames poured over that man, Xuan Yunxian's heart tightened. And when she saw him use his last strength to block the cave with a boulder, her heart felt as if it were suffocating.

She had never thought she would feel this way.

"Yunxian, it's good that you're safe. This place is too eerie; we must leave immediately." Xuan Yun noticed that Yunxian's expression was off and assumed she was still shaken by what had happened.

At this moment, not to mention Yunxian, even she herself was still trembling with fear.

Xuan Yunxian glanced around, a flicker of emotion in her eyes. Finally, she nodded, and a trace of sorrow appeared on her beautiful face.

At the mountainside.

The Fourteen Bandits of the Desert had been captured by Lei Hengfeng and his group. When the incident occurred in the Flame Hell, Lei Hengfeng and the others had followed along and happened upon the fourteen bandits. Lei Hengfeng bore a grudge against them and, with absolute strength, had subdued them on the spot.

Now, the Fourteen Bandits of the Desert hung their heads, kneeling on the ground with bitter expressions.

Their leader was missing, and they had been captured. Judging by the looks of their captors, they might not be given a way out.

"What are you doing?" Xuan Yun asked as she passed by.

"Senior Xuan, these are the people who ambushed us. Their leader is the one who harmed Brother Liu." Lei Hengfeng said.

Xuan Yun looked at the Fourteen Bandits of the Desert, frowning slightly. "They are too vicious. Kill them, lest they bring harm to the world."

"Yes." Lei Hengfeng nodded. But just as he was about to act, Xuan Yunxian spoke.

"Let them go." Xuan Yunxian said calmly.

Lei Hengfeng was taken aback. "This..."

Xuan Yunxian gave a light snort, her expression displeased.

Lei Hengfeng was startled and quickly said, "Yes."

But Lei Hengfeng did not understand why Senior Yunxian wanted to release these people.

"Your leader is dead. All of you, leave." Xuan Yunxian said. She could see that these bandits were extremely vicious and had likely killed many, but their leader had sacrificed himself to save her. This was all she could do now.

"What...?" Sha Dulong looked incredulous, but he could tell she was not lying. Finally, he sighed, nodded to his brothers, and left.

"Yunxian, why?" Xuan Yun asked in confusion.

"Sister, if not for their leader in the Flame Hell, I would have died." Xuan Yunxian said quietly, but a strange light flickered in her eyes.

Xuan Yun looked at Yunxian and did not ask further.

...

Now, within the river of flames, Lin Fan ignored the flames and dove deeper. He hadn't expected the Indestructible Demon Body to be so powerful—was it truly impervious to water and fire?

The river of flames washed over him, turning into wisps of experience. Though the experience gain was not great, it seemed like a good place to level up.

Lin Fan had considered the Heavenly Furnace, but it was unbearable. Leveling up in the Heavenly Furnace was like the pain of castration—a pain he really didn't want to experience unless at a life-or-death moment.

But here in the river of flames, it was as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring.

Lin Fan's physical body was already very strong. For an ordinary Great Heaven realm martial artist, diving into this river of flames was possible, but it required vast amounts of true essence to sustain.

After all, a physique as monstrous as Lin Fan's was extremely rare.

Just then, Lin Fan saw a red light flickering below, as if something was lying quietly there.

Lin Fan felt a surge of excitement and mustered all his strength to swim downward.

His purpose in coming to the Flame Hell was to find the treasure marked on the Seven Sacred Maps. The Flame Hell was vast, and the map had no coordinates.

It seemed he would have to spend some time here in the Flame Hell.

The giant hand that had appeared earlier was clearly reaching for this river, and though the Phoenix had stopped it, there must be a treasure below.

As Lin Fan continued to descend, he suddenly noticed that the river of flames seemed to be cut off by something. Caught off guard, he fell heavily to the ground below.

Looking up, Lin Fan saw a light barrier blocking the river of flames. The torrential river flowed over the barrier without a single drop falling through.

Amazing, truly amazing.

Lin Fan carefully examined his surroundings. It felt like being on solid ground, with no sense of oppression.

Realizing he was naked, Lin Fan took a set of clothes from his backpack and put them on. Then he continued forward to explore this mysterious place.