WHOOSH!

The raging flames enveloping him only dissipated slightly as Pang Chicheng dashed out to stop about a hundred meters away from Lou Hongyan.

Disdain was written all over his face.

“H-he’s Pang Chicheng? He’s actually quite handsome...” Lin Yaoyao from the water element sect thought to herself after taking a close look at the man.

Pang Chicheng was a man of tall stature and impressive appearance. He seemed to only be in his thirties. His long hair cascaded to his shoulders, giving him a wild look.

“Senior Martial Brother Pang,” Pu Yangbai exclaimed.

“Your father was the former sectmaster of the fire element sect, but you’re not him,” Lou Hongyan said coldly.

“Hahaha!” Pang Chicheng laughed wildly. “If it weren’t for my father, how could the fire element sect have come this far? How would Shao Tianyang be who he is today?”

His laugh faded as he cast a cold glance at Peng Yan and the others. “You... All of you are ingrates! If my father hadn’t discovered your cultivation talent and brought you to the Realm of Fire Spirit, who knows what forgotten corner of the world you’d have been in now?”

With all seriousness, Peng Yan said, “We don’t dare to forget that it was the former sectmaster who unearthed and taught us. But he’s him, and you’re you! You made countless mistakes when you were in the fire element sect, and brought shame to the whole sect! If you were anything like the former sectmaster, and had his kind heart, you wouldn’t have been expelled from our sect and ended up in such a sorry state!”

“A sorry state?” Pang Chicheng laughed so hard that tears almost came out. “I was never in a sorry state! In fact, I’ve been doing quite well. But you lot, on the other hand...”

“Go inform the other four sects! Now!” Peng Yan shouted.

Without hesitation, Li Yu and the other fire element sect elders behind him morphed into streaks of colorful light that shot off in different directions.

Peng Yan then turned to face the five Divine Sons and Daughters. “You’ve got to leave too! This isn’t the time to bicker with him!”

He gave Lou Hongyan a stern look as he said these words. “Go inform the other four sects and tell them to send their powerful experts to the Realm of Fire Spirit as quickly as possible!”

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The fire element sect elders flew off, giving rise to loud whooshes.

With a cunning smile, Pang Chicheng turned his head slightly, and said to the sectmasters of the Death Curse Sect and the Nether Spirit Society and Yuan Jiuchuan, “Would you please?” 

The three of them instantly went into action.

All three of them flew after the fire element sect elders. Not one of them stayed behind with Pang Chicheng.

Peng Yan was taken aback. “You...!”

Pang Chicheng was at the late Saint domain, which was the same as him.

However, Pang Chicheng must have only entered the late Saint domain recently. His time as a late Saint domain expert wasn’t nearly comparable to his.

As for the old Fu Huan, his battle prowess had always been among the poorest. He wouldn’t be able to provide him with much help.

Pang Chicheng saw through his thoughts. “You think you can beat me, right? But let me remind you: this volcano is where my father and I used to practice cultivation. Besides, since Elder Fu agreed to let us through and help us, do you think we’d come unprepared?”

“What do you want to do?” Peng Yan asked.

Pang Chicheng let out a cold snort. “Take the Realm of Fire Spirit, of course.” 

With these words, he suddenly dove towards the volcano.

His sudden action took everyone present by surprise. None of them had expected this.

Everyone other than Nie Tian had been attacked by its fiery spell formations when they had approached the crater.

This had put Peng Yan under the impression that no one would dare to enter it.

However, he had forgotten that Pang Chicheng had practiced cultivation in the lava lake of this very volcano before.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The fiery spell formations that had been carved on the crimson inside of the crater activated once again, blazing lines lighting up and interconnecting like human meridians, through which flowed raging flame power.

However, unlike what had happened to Nie Tian, the fiery spell formations didn’t attack Pang Chicheng as he fell into the crater. Instead, they seemed to cheer for his return.

At this moment, it occurred to Peng Yan and everyone present that Pang Chicheng had returned to his den.

The numerous fiery spell formations operated, as if to gather flame power at an increased speed.

The lava lake also boiled more fiercely than ever, as if it was cheering as well.

With a joyful expression, Pang Chicheng said, “This is the feeling. This is the blessed land where I’ll make my breakthrough into the God domain. My father knew that I’d be able to enter the God domain one day. Everything here, including this volcano, the Realm of Fire Spirit, and the fire element sect, must be his gifts to me.

“As for Shao Tianyang, he was only a transitional sectmaster, and my Dao Protector!

“However, as my Dao Protector, he actually dared to set himself against me and expel me from my own sect!”

With these words, his face suddenly grew twisted with anger. He jerked his head towards Lou Hongyan, who hadn’t left yet, and bellowed, “You shall die too!”

A fiery spell formation on the rocky inside of the crater was activated by his soul will.

SHEW!

A lifelike flame phoenix rose from the spell formation, dancing elegantly. With a sharp screech, it spread its glorious flaming wings and swooped towards Lou Hongyan.

The flame aura it exuded felt similar to that of a Saint domain human expert who practiced fire incantations.

“Don’t you dare!”

With a furious roar, Peng Yan spread his crimson flame domain and cast a spell to attack the flame phoenix with a blazing pearl.

All of a sudden, more fiery spell formations were activated by Pang Chicheng with his soul will.

More than half of the flame power that was flowing within that blazing pearl was instantly neutralized.

Peng Yan stood aghast.

Pang Chicheng smiled coldly and said, “My father forged that pearl for you. However, the fiery spell formations he carved on the rocky inside of this crater were vested with the profound understanding of flame power he derived in his later years. Naturally, it’s easy to suppress his early creations with his late creations.”

Pu Yangbai stepped forward to stand next to Lou Hongyan. “Senior Martial Brother Pang! Please don’t do this!” 

RUMBLE!

The earth of the entire Realm of Fire Spirit trembled as he did, a gray sandy aura condensing into a solid ward that stood between Pang Chicheng and them.

The dancing flame phoenix slammed into the ward. Surprisingly, it exploded into countless sparks that filled the air and slowly dissipated.

Pang Chicheng’s expression grew cold. “You simple-minded fool! You shadowed me wherever I went before I was expelled from the fire element sect. Back then, you’d do whatever I said and never disobeyed me. Pu Yangbai, great changes are going to happen to our sect. All of the so-called rules will be overthrown. Don’t foolishly think that things will remain the same. Back off now, and I won’t hurt you for the sake of the old days.”

Pu Yangbai shook his head. “No!” 

Pang Chicheng frowned. “If you refuse to see sense, I’ll have to imprison you for now.” 

He seemed to know that, given Pu Yangbai’s character, he wouldn’t be able to persuade him with just a few words. Therefore, he decided to confine him with the spell formations’ power first.

Of all that were here, Pu Yangbai was the only one for whom he still had some positive feelings.

However, just as he was about to draw power from the fiery spell formations, he suddenly noticed something.

“Is someone down there?”

He shrewdly sensed a wisp of unfamiliar aura from the palace below the lava lake, where he hadn’t even set foot himself.

Someone had actually beaten him to the palace that belonged to him!

“Who is it?!” Pang Chicheng screamed fiercely, no longer in the mood to deal with the others. Instead, he stared unblinkingly into the lava lake.

It was as if his gaze could go through the boiling lava to see what lay underneath it.

“Pang Chicheng. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Nie Tian’s voice echoed from the depths of the earth beyond the lava lake.

Upon hearing Nie Tian’s voice, the five Divine Sons and Daughters exclaimed in shock.

“Nie Tian!”

“Nie Tian’s still alive!”

“If he’s fine and can talk, then he must have gotten the Flame Dragon Armor, right?”

Peng Yan was taken aback. Expression strange, he asked, “How is that? Don’t tell me that he was allowed to enter the former sectmaster’s private cultivation location underneath the lava lake. But why could he, but not others?”