Pathway

Once they arrived at the Springflame, the golden core dual cultivator leading their cavalry raised his hand to draw their attention. His voice sounded in their minds through the mindvoice.

"We are here. Everything we are, comes to the fore here. The future of our village and of us will depend on whatever happened here. As we can see, this an extremely large area. To cover more area quickly, we will be divided into groups of six. Two Jindan cultivators, one dual cultivator and three zhuji cultivators. Each of you will be given a presence stone. If you are seperated from your group, it will lead you back to them and to us. But try not to seperate from your group. Remember, once inside, it's every kingdom for itself. This place is full of dangers and you could be attacked by anything and anyone at any time. You must be alert and ready, at all times."

After they were grouped accordingly, the golden core dual cultivator's voice, sounded in their mind, again.

"Be cautious. No glory in death in this place. There's only remembrance and samsara, when you are dead. Hence, if any group finds a springster, inform the others. And together, we'll engage the circle of spingflame. Do we understand?"

He brought a seal and with a swift movement, made a simple hand movement. The seal turned to runic symbols which flew to all the cultivators and attached to their robes.

"Fire seals. It will protect you and your robes. Or what's left of it..."

The golden core cultivator said while looking at the tattered clothed boy before turning towards the rest of the groups.

"...to some extent. But, make sure to fortify yourselves with your own elemental powers."

Ju Feng had been hoping to be in the same group with the tattered clothed boy, but he wasn't. He gave a gentle shrug as he prepared himself for what lay ahead. In the end, it didn't matter which group they were in, all the groups were strong enough to face the dangers within. Moreover, getting the Irrium coins and other treasures, was what really mattered to them. He took his mind of his thoughts and focused on the task at hand.

To step on the lands of the Springflame, they all had to manifest their elemental energies and spiritual aura. That would indicate they were all elemental affiliated and within the entrance cultivation levels. If not, they would be forcefully rejected immediately. After their confirmation, they cautiously entered the dominion before splitting up into groups.

Once inside, Ju Feng could see the reason why they called it Springflame. It was a place of fiery nightmare. It was like a desolate ruin of a dying world of fire. 

His group would have to find a springster. After finding the springster, they would be able to open a circle of springflame which was still being guarded by a fire beast. Not a true living beast but a fire guardian. Those guardians were the creation of the universe, but their powers were reduced to that of Jindan cultivators. Once a guardian was defeated, it would simply vanish. Although, their strength would be at the level of a peak-stage nascent soul and their fiery bodies were on the level of a top-grade worldly treasure.

They would be extremely hard to defeat.

Yet, they had to be defeated in order to get the treasures in the circle of the springflame, beneath the ground of the guardians. While they were looking for a springster, they would have to be wary of the springing vortexes of flames and the roaming fiery beasts. But the most dangerous of all, were the contingents from the scaven and argonian kingdoms. They could attack at any time. All were allowed under the rules of the dominion.

Two times it was, that they encountered the vortex of flames. The second time, they almost lost two members of their group. Fortunately, the Jindan cultivator leading their group, brought a seal that dispensed the vortex. The group had been so fortunate not to have lost any member of their group. 

Until they had been surprised by two packs of giant dire fire-wolves. Fire wolves on the Jindan level of elemental but nascent level of strength. They could have ran, but knew there was no way they could outrun those fire wolves. The surprise and sudden attack, had caught the group off-guard. One of the cultivators had given Ju Feng an iron sword after seeing he had none. They had lost a zhuji cultivator before they could rally themselves together. It was the might of the body cultivators that limited the casuality to one cultivator. Ju Feng saw the mighty power of the body cultivators, both their undying bodies and martial arts. It was a true display of power. Only if he could be able to develop his body too.

He let out a soft breath as he looked at the iron sword he was holding. It truly saved him a lot. He knew he couldn't take anything out of spatial sac, especially not the tunic sword the demigod gave him. He would have to be explaining to all of them how he got a spatial sac and a runic longsword when he was only a wretched young boy from a poor village. He continued attacking the wolves the best way he could.

The intense battle had also seen all of the flaming wolves displayed their true powers. They were not like guardians who had their powers reduced. The wolves with their normal powers couldn't be dispersed so easily.

Jufeng, heard the strong words of the golden core cultivator which renewed their strength in battling the wolves. 

"Keep cutting at them. They're loosing their strength."

The battle against the fire wolves, had taken bigger effort on their part. The body cultivators did most of the fighting and were supported by the soul cultivators. Ju Feng's knowledge of some basic forms of martial arts received commendation. Even his slightly fortified body as a soul cultivator, raised a few eye brows. He knew they would be asking if he was a body cultivator too. Only if they knew about his use of Chi to fortify his body. That he had a massive amount of it. Only if they knew he had trained in the basics and stances of martial arts and swordsmanship as a beginner. Only if they knew all that, they wouldn't be surprised about him at all.

Ju Feng's group continued searching the dominion for some time before coming to a place of molten fire. There were many charred bodies of scavens on the floor which indicated a great battle had been fought there. On the molten fire, they could see a springster. Which meant that a circle of Springflame was still there. And with the circle, would come a guardian.

Was that as a result of a peak guardian?

The Jindan cultivator, quickly used the communication stone to contact the other groups. But, it was at this time that another group also communicated to have seen another springster. The golden core dual cultivator had quickly made a decision for each group to face a circle. If they could successfully get the treasures of the two circles, they and their village would have a great future.

Ju Feng's group slowly approached the large circle of molten fire. When they got near the lake of liquid fire, it came alive. Tens of massive fire snakes came out of the shallow lake and a battle ensued with the cultivators. The lake kept on producing more fire snakes. There was no way they could stop them without getting the springster first.

Heavens tears! How could a shallow lake produced such monsters.

Seeing ripples of fire already forming around the springster which meant it was about to sink, the golden core leader of the group quickly sent out a mindvoice to all of them.

"Keep them back. We'll get the springster."

He wheeled around and pointed at Jufeng and one other cultivator.

"You, and you, with me."

After affirmation, the three of them sped like lightning towards the springster. The other cultivators provided cover for them as they battled the fire snakes out of their way. The springster was the key to the fire snakes. Once the springster had been acquired, the fire snakes would cease to exist and the guardian beast would emerge. That was when the true test would surface.

Ju Feng hoped his dragon hide robe and talisman would still hold up against the incoming attacks as much as possible. He would have to fight, just as it was intended. Though, the body cultivators would engage the fire guardians and they would be supported by the soul cultivators.

It was a situation where water and ice cultivators would prove more useful. For him, he would have to make do with what he got. Nowhere to hide inside the Springflame, especially, not there in the open plain of molten fire. He continued pushing as much Chi as possible into his body, fortifying it more as they continued speeding in the direction of the springster.

"We'll only have a period of a second. Once I jumped to freeze the lake, you must grab the springster before it sink into the fire."

The leader of the group said pointing at Ju Feng. Then, he turned to the other cultivator. 

"You, cut off the one retreating fire snake before it touches the springster. The frozen seal can only hold for a second before I run out of energy. The two of you must make it count. Okay? Now, on me."

The golden core cultivator made a hand seal before leaping into the air, high above the flaming lake of fire.