"Yes, it''s been ten years, and I don''t even know if that zing Beast is still around," Huo Yuan said, his brows slightly furrowed in uncertainty.


    "Come, set out to sea with me, I''ll check it myself," Yang Ji suddenly spoke.


    "How will you check? Are you nning to go deep into that volcano crater?" Huo Yuan shook his head and quickly added, "Master, although the Dead Volcano crater isn''trge, it''s pitch-ck inside. It''s deep and terrifying, like the entrance to Hell. When I was chasing that zing Beast, I reached the edge of the crater but didn''t dare to descend."


    Fearing the unknown was only natural, and Yang Ji could understand his feelings, but he had his own methods to probe the dangers within.


    "Just take me to have a look, I have my ways," he vaguely replied.


    "Of course, Master!" Huo Yuan was shrewd and didn''t press further, immediately responding, "Then I will go find Manager Jin to arrange the big ship for setting out to sea right now."


    "Don''t reveal too much to him." Yang Ji suddenly added.


    "I understand, Master, you can rest assured," Huo Yuan chuckled with a hint of cunning in his eyes.


    Seeing that he was no fool, Yang Ji nodded.


    Indeed, having his own people around made things more convenient; it seemed that his decision to give out the Pill Recipe and grant him some benefits had been the right one.


    Yang Ji was quite satisfied in his heart.


    Huo Yuan was very efficient in getting things done, and with his status as the chief alchemist of Myriad Treasures Tower, it was smooth sailing all the way.


    Half an hourter, the two were aboard arge ship, slowly sailing out to sea.


    After a day of high-speed sailing, the ship halted before a sea region that looked somewhat peculiar.


    The waters stretched out before them, fiery red as far as the eye could see, shing starkly with the deep blue behind them and refusing to blend.


    "Master, this sea region is known as the Flowing Fire Sea Region. It is filled with numerous volcanoes both above the inds and beneath the sea, yielding many unique Spiritual Medicines and ores. However, it''s very dangerous," Huo Yuan exined from beside him.


    Without needing further exnation from Huo Yuan, Yang Ji had already noticed the densely scattered inds ahead,id out like pieces on a board.


    They showed no signs of life, only fiery redva erupting outwards and columns of ck smoke shooting into the sky.


    The smoke engulfed the heavens, and the raging mes surged hundreds of feet high—it was as if the ce was a battlefield from Hell, aze and choked with gunfire.


    Truly, whereva flowed fierce mes stretched for three hundred miles, and the angry billowing smoke stained the sky.


    This ce was no ce for humans.


    The temperature was frighteningly high; the air twisted severely enough to create visible heat ripples.


    The entire Flowing Fire Sea Region was like a massive furnace; the sea water was boiling hot, and even the faintest breeze carried a heat that ordinary people would find unbearable.


    Inhaling the acrid scent of sulfur, Yang Ji instinctively furrowed his brow.


    Then ncing to the side, he asked,


    "Where is that underwater Dead Volcano?"


    "It''s not far from here. Follow me, Master," Huo Yuan said as he retrieved a Water Boat and sat inside before plunging into the sea.


    Yang Ji also took out his Water Boat and followed him down.


    The two traveled for ten miles amid the flow of fiery water, then stopped.


    Directly beneath them, there was a Dead Volcano crater with a diameter of a hundred zhang, pitch-ck inside, and truly as deep and frightening as it was described.


    It was as if a giant beast of the deep sea had its maw wide open, silently waiting for prey to fall into its trap, an awe-inspiring sight.


    "Master, it''s right below us. I am not sure whether that zing Beast is still inside," Huo Yuan mentioned, equally uncertain.


    Yang Ji didn''t respond but merely stared down intently, and immediately information appeared[Slumbering volcano, magma umted inside, will erupt again in a hundred years.]


    Magma inside?


    Yang Ji''s eyebrows raised, and as he continued to gaze, his vision seemed to prate through theyers, with a tangle of information bursting forth like code, capturing another piece[Hot magma harbors me Snakes.]


    Then he caught yet another snippet of information[Deep within the magma, there lies a slumbering zing Beast, Level Ten.]


    The zing Beast!


    Seeing this piece of information,


    Yang Ji felt a surge of joy inside, but his expression quickly turned grave.


    Level Ten?


    The zing Beast itself was already stronger than the typical Demonic Beast, its breath ferociously unrivaled. At Level Ten, it wasparable to a human at the height of Foundation Establishment.


    This... seemed to be somewhat tricky.


    Yang Ji frowned and muttered to himself, "This zing Beast was only a Level Seven Demon Beast ten years ago, how did it advance so quickly?"


    ```


    He was somewhat puzzled because the cultivation of a Demonic Beast was much slower than that of a human Cultivator, and this zing Beast was not a member of the royal family among demons. Yet, it cultivated so quickly.


    However, now was not the time to think about these matters. Yang Ji exchanged a look with Huo Yuan and then drove the Water Boat out of the water''s surface.


    On the boat, Huo Yuan asked, "Master, did you see anything just now? Is that zing Beast still down there?"


    "It should still be down there, let''s go, we need to prepare," Yang Ji replied.


    Should? Huo Yuan''s eyebrows rose slightly, and his small eyes twirled as he gave Yang Ji a look, suddenly nodding his head in realization.


    Exactly!


    Who cares if it''s there or not, just act as if it is! After all, the zing Beast is a rare fire attribute Demonic Beast. It would be a pity to miss it; they had to go down and investigate.


    Yang Ji gave him a nce and said nothing more.


    "Master, that zing Beast was close to breaking through to the eighth level ten years ago. So many years have passed, it''s likely now a Level Nine Demon Beast. With our strength, it would be very difficult to kill it," Huo Yuan analyzed.


    "Yes, very difficult." That could be a Level Ten Demon Beast, which would certainly be challenging. They were but a Seventh Layer of Qi Refining and a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining cultivator; neither were a match for it. Yang Ji then said, "Ten years have passed, so let''s treat it as a Level Ten Demon Beast."


    "A Level Ten Demon Beast?" Huo Yuan hesitated for a moment, then asked, "In that case, wouldn''t it require a Foundation Establishment expert to deal with it?"


    "Yes, that''s why I need Master Huo Yuan to do me a favor. In your capacity as a Peak Alchemy Master, could you convene experts to go down and hunt? I will cover the reward. Would Master Huo Yuan be willing to help me with this?" Yang Ji said with a sidelong smile.


    "Master, you jest. Not to mention doing a favor, I''d be willing even to jump down there," Huo Yuan replied with a chuckling grin, eyeing the Dead Volcano below the distant sea surface. However, his expression soon took on a subtle tinge of embarrassment.


    His small eyes shifting, he felt a chill in his heart, [If I really have to jump down there, I''d indeed be a bit scared. I''m close to reaching the Tenth Layer of Qi Refining and might join a Sect for a chance. If I establish my foundation, there will be hundreds of years of great opportunities to enjoy.]


    Huo Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, straightened his robe, and puffed out his chest a bit before saying with a smile:


    "Master, we are Alchemists, with dignified status. Let those loose cultivators handle the hunting. When the timees, you can rest easy on the boat and wait for them to bring up the Beast me."


    "You''re right, we should leverage our status as Alchemists," Yang Ji replied with a mysterious smile.


    The two then returned to Myriad Treasures Tower.


    On the second floor, in a luxuriously furnished room, seven people were seated around a table.


    Huo Yuan took the seat of honor, with Yang Ji on his left and Chen De on his right.


    The other five were also acquaintances of Yang Ji: Xu Xiangsong, Liu Yongqing, Tan Guanghong, Fang Sheng, and his partner Liu Furong.


    They were all people Yang Ji had met during his sea voyages.


    Over the past two years, apart from cultivating, Yang Ji also asionally took to sea. Over time, they had all be familiar with one another.


    They had been called to this meeting to hunt the zing Beast.


    The task, however, fell to Huo Yuan, as they were not aware of Yang Ji''s identity as an Alchemist.


    Neither Manager Jin nor Huo Yuan had revealed this to anyone.


    "Master Huo Yuan, since you''ve even invited Elder Chen here, could it be that we''re hunting a Demon General-level beast?" Xu Xiangsong asked with a flicker of curiosity.


    Huo Yuan sat upright at the head of the table,posed and serious, exuding an air of dignity. He leisurely straightened his robe before speaking slowly:


    "This time, thanks to Manager Jin''s efforts in gathering you all here, we aim to hunt a Level Ten Demon Beast. The beast''s inner core is essential for me, as I n to use it to concoct a batch of special Medicine Pills. Upon sessfulpletion, you will be handsomely rewarded."


    "Oh? What kind of Level Ten Demon Beast warrants Elder Chen joining forces with the five of us at Tenth Layer of Qi Refining?" Liu Yongqing asked, his doubts lingering.


    "You will know once we get there," Huo Yuan evaded giving a direct answer, then continued, "The beast''s strength isn''t formidable; it''s just well-hidden. Hence the need for more hands."


    "Where does this beast reside?" Liu Furong inquired.


    "The Flowing Fire Sea Region, inside a Dead Volcano," Huo Yuan replied.


    The Flowing Fire Sea Region? Hearing this, Chen De''s expression paused. A glint shed in his eyes as if he had realized something, and he then said warmly:


    "Since Master Huo Yuan has graciously invited me, I will make sure to be there."


    "I thank you in advance, Elder Chen. Once sessful, the Medicine Pills will be presented to you," Huo Yuan said with a bow, thanking him. With his status as a Peak Alchemy Master, he was certainly on equal footing with Chen De.


    Seeing Chen De, a Foundation Establishment expert, had agreed, the others exchanged nces and then nodded their heads to Huo Yuan.


    With a Foundation Establishment expert involved, plus the five of them, even the strongest Level Ten Demon Beast couldn''t cause much trouble. The risk was minimal, and they were not afraid.


    They were seasoned loose cultivators who were ustomed to seizing opportunities and would know when to escape should danger arise.


    "Then I thank you all."


    Seeing everyone agreeing, Huo Yuan immediately bowed with a smile, then added, "Although the volcano is dead, there may still be magma inside. It''s best for everyone to prepare. We shall set out in three days."


    "Good, I have some matters to attend to in theing days, so setting out in three days is perfect. I will make sure to be at the Flowing Fire Sea Region to meet you all," Chen De said with a cordial smile.


    ```