Only after hearing the words did Ye Liuyun finally nod.

Still uneasy, he asked Qiong Qi: “If this True-Dragon Essence Flame keeps growing and the dragon soul is really inside, what is it waiting for?”

Qiong Qi pondered for a moment, then looked at the Dragon Girl.

Ye Liuyun suddenly realized: with the essence flame intact and the divine soul still present, all that was missing was a true-dragon body for resurrection to be possible.

The instant the thought struck him he whisked the Dragon Girl into his spatial world, afraid the dragon soul might burst out and snatch her away—so abruptly he didn’t even have time to greet her.

The Dragon Girl was startled at first; only afterward did she understand why Ye Liuyun had tucked her away.

“Haha, look how twitchy you are, kid! It’s only a possibility!” Qiong Qi burst out laughing at his nervousness.

“Safety first,” Ye Liuyun said with a sheepish grin.

With the Dragon Girl secure, his mind was finally at ease.

He then sent the other cultivators and the alien race back into his spatial world and, together with Qiong Qi, walked to the edge of the magma vent to look down.

They had barely glanced inside when two fire-spirit beasts charged out, rushing straight at them.

Ye Liuyun struck with full force, sending the sea-beast-shaped fire spirit tumbling. Qiong Qi simply raised his furnace and dropped it over the other.

Next, Ye Liuyun unleashed spatial power and the might of heaven and earth with everything he had, struggling for quite a while before finally extinguishing the fire spirit.

“You had it easy—one move and yours was gone,” he said, still absorbing the leftover flame energy.

Qiong Qi gave a wry smile. “If I really had that kind of strength, would I still be waiting for you? You’re still judging me by the old days.

My current realm and knowledge are already beneath yours; even my flame power can’t match yours. Without my treasures I’d never handle these things.”

Ye Liuyun looked at Qiong Qi and realized that the being who had always out-strength-ed him could now be seen through at a glance.

Qiong Qi was also at the Unity Second-Layer, but the quality of his true essence was far lower. Though a flame spirit dwelt in his core, its power was nothing beside the Golden Crow’s.

Only now did Ye Liuyen understand: the once-illustrious Qiong Qi who had always helped him now needed his protection.

Fortunately he realized it early; in a real crisis he might have forgotten to look after Qiong Qi—or even expected rescue.

Noticing his gaze, Qiong Qi shrugged and laughed. “But I’m not so useless I need to be stuffed into your spatial world. Going down with you shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I’m sorry—I’ve taken too little care of you, and I keep piling smithing work on you, delaying your cultivation,” Ye Liuyun apologized.

Qiong Qi waved a paw airily, as casual as ever. “All right, quit the drama. I’m genuinely interested in forging and formations; if I weren’t, I’d ignore your tasks no matter what.

You’ve given me more resources than I could ever gather alone—I’ve already freeloaded plenty. It’s just that your talent and luck are obscene; even if I worked myself to death, you’d leave me behind sooner or later. It was inevitable.”

Ye Liuyun felt a little better, but resolved to remember to watch out for Qiong Qi from now on.

“So—coming down with me?” he asked, unsure whether Qiong Qi could handle the danger below.

Qiong Qi grinned. “Relax. I’m only a bit weaker, not an idiot. If I can’t fight, I can still run. Don’t forget—my dungeon experience is no less than yours!”

“Fine. If it gets rough, retreat to the spatial world,” Ye Liuyun said, letting him try.

“Hold up—don’t treat me like one of your women! I’m not that fragile. You’ve spoiled those girls rotten!”

Qiong Qi was secretly touched by Ye Liuyun’s concern, but instead of admitting it he gave him a lecture.Ye Liuyun knew how much face meant to him, so she changed the subject.

“You’re right... but every time I see them hurt, my heart aches.”

Qiong Qi could only shake his head helplessly, then tossed out the furnace and sat straight inside it.

He didn’t dare clash head-on with the fire spirit now; only by hiding inside the treasure could he accompany Ye Liuyun deeper.

Ye Liuyun thought for a moment, released the Vermilion Bird as well, and let it absorb the flame energy while helping in battle.

The bird was already at the third level of Unity, its strength greatly improved; fighting side-by-side should be no problem.

As soon as it appeared, the Vermilion Bird reveled in the surrounding fire energy.

Together with Ye Liuyun, it plunged into the magma and began a slow descent.

Every stretch they covered brought more fire spirit, but the three of them combined met no real danger. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Ye Liuyun took the vanguard; Qiong Qi and the Vermilion Bird supported from the flanks.

His own flame power now far exceeded that of the spirits, so most of their attacks fizzled against him.

The ones blocking their path weren’t especially strong and knew no spatial arts; he simply crushed or sliced them with space force.

He also noticed that, inside the magma, he could draw little worldly energy, yet the abundant fire element answered his call, letting him strike almost as hard.

“So every elemental power resembles worldly energy—each a natural part of heaven and earth. Fire’s no different. With it so dense here, borrowing it costs almost nothing,” he mused.

Even Qiong Qi saw Ye Liuyun channel the fire element and envied his ability to infer so much from a single clue.

“Know why you’ve never kept a master long? Your talent’s too monstrous—no one can guide you for more than a moment! Your best teacher is a stronger foe in live combat.”

He answered his own question with a grin.

Ye Liuyun reflected and had to agree; his previous masters had indeed moved on quickly, and most of his growth had come from fighting stronger opponents.

“Still, your experience is a bit thin,” Qiong Qi added, unable to resist showing off.

“Oh?” Ye Liuyun sensed there was more behind the words.

“Haven’t you noticed? The fire spirit attacking us stay at the same level—no stronger ones appear. The deeper we go, the tougher they should be. Judging by their numbers, stronger spirits must be lurking.”

This time Qiong Qi spoke directly into Ye Liuyun’s mind, clearly worried about being overheard.