Chapter 98: Skyfore Zone-Flame Domain

Jiang Feng couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had spent over three full months in the dreamscape of the Titan Race. If it had been any longer, he would have missed all the opportunities inside the Obsidian Waterfall Realm. The thought of such a loss made his heart sink—he wouldn't have enough tears to cry over it.

After all, the Obsidian Waterfall Realm opened only once every thousand years. By the next cycle, he would have long surpassed the Essence Condensation Stage, making this opportunity forever out of reach. Taking a deep breath to steady his swirling thoughts, Jiang Feng popped a crimson vein fruit into his mouth, its sharp, tangy flavor grounding him in the present.

"If the top three rankers of Northern Moon have already broken through," he murmured to himself, "and considering the treasures scattered within this realm, it's safe to assume the others have also reached Golden Core before the age of 150. Truly, a glorious age." He scoffed, his smile tinged with mockery.

Ji Moran, standing nearby, shook her head. "This opening of the Obsidian Waterfall Realm has indeed offered us remarkable opportunities," she said, her tone somber. "But let's not forget—it's also a time when many cities mourn their dead."

Her words brought a heavy silence between them. After a moment, Ji Moran broke it. "Before finding this yellow fruit," she began hesitantly, "I stumbled upon an underground lake. The water was crystal clear, and in the center, I saw two flames—one a brilliant yellow flame seed, and the other... something I've never seen before, a cold flame seed that radiated an icy aura. I was thrilled by the discovery and wanted to retrieve them, either for my family or for the auction house. But there was a formation blocking the way and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get through."

She paused, gauging Jiang Feng's reaction before continuing. "I marked the area and used an illusionary formation to conceal the entrance. Do you think you can break through the formation? If so... we could share the spoils."

Jiang Feng studied her intently, his gaze piercing. The weight of her words hung in the air, and he knew the value of such a find. With his strength, he could easily eliminate her after she led him to the location, taking everything for himself.

"Do you trust me that much?" His voice turned icy, and the surrounding temperature seemed to rise in defiance. Above his head, a massive vortex of blue flames materialized, twisting the air with searing heat.

Ji Moran's heart trembled for a moment, but she quickly steadied herself. Her eyes grew resolute as she met his cold stare. "Stop pretending," she said firmly. "You won't hurt me."

Despite the oppressive heat and the intimidating sight of the burning vortex that had killed Xu Biao, she relaxed. Something in her gut told her that Jiang Feng wasn't the type of monster who would kill her over greed.

The flames above him dissipated, and the heat in the air faded. His stern expression softened into one of awkward discomfort. "Am I really not that scary?" he asked, rummaging through his spatial ring.

Ji Moran smiled faintly. "You are scary," she admitted, "but I know you won't kill me. It's a strange intuition of mine. You're not that kind of person."

Jiang Feng sighed, his lips twitching into a wry smile. "Alright, we'll head to your spot once I make some preparations. There must be demonic beasts lurking nearby—it's fortunate you left when you did. But don't underestimate others. Your little tricks might not hide the entrance for long."

He retrieved the vial of Emberheart Essence from his ring. As Ji Moran had explained when she sold it to him, it was a rare resource extracted from volcanic heartwood and tempered with spiritual fire for over a century. It was unparalleled in its ability to enhance flame seeds.

The essence did more than refine the purity and stability of flames. It unlocked hidden potential within them, enabling the cultivator to harness spiritual energy with greater efficiency. Moreover, it strengthened fire-based techniques, shortening the time needed for mastery while amplifying their destructive power. It also enhanced a flame's resistance to suppression, ensuring that even under adverse conditions, a cultivator's fire remained fierce and unyielding.

Ji Moran raised a brow. "The Emberheart Essence? Don't tell me you haven't used it yet. Your flames are already that strong without it?"

Jiang Feng ignored her surprise, pulling out another item: a scroll containing the Three Sun Fists technique. This martial art drew upon the essence of solar energy, combining power, precision, and fire affinity into a sequential attack. The Ji Clan possessed only ten copies of this technique, and acquiring one was no small feat. Jiang Feng wondered why she sold it to him if they only had ten copies, even the Emberheart Essence should cost way more than the price she sold him for.

Thinking about it now, he wondered why she did all that. "Her family should know of Lin Moyi's potential, could this be a favor from them?"

"Let's make good use of the time we have left," Jiang Feng said, his tone resolute. "Opportunities like these don't wait for anyone."

Ji Moran nodded, her eyes gleaming with determination. Together, they would face the trials of the Obsidian Waterfall Realm, their fates intertwined in this once-in-a-millennium event.

Jiang Feng summoned the Skyforge vortex above his head, an awe-inspiring spiral of blazing heat and twisting air. The sky darkened, and a thunderous roar reverberated as the vortex grew, its fiery core blazing brighter with each passing moment. Jiang Feng's hand trembled slightly as he held a vial of Emberheart Essence, a volatile liquid known for its destructive and transformative properties but amazing effects on cultivators and their flames seeds. With a sharp twist, he uncorked the vial.

The moment the Emberheart Essence met the open air, chaos erupted. A blinding surge of crimson light burst forth, accompanied by a searing wave of heat that cracked the ground beneath Jiang Feng's feet. The essence seemed alive, writhing and twisting like a serpent unleashed, emitting a haunting symphony of hisses and shrieks. The vortex above reacted instantly, as if ravenous. It howled with ferocity, sucking the Essence upward into its swirling core.

Jiang Feng steadied himself, exhaling deeply as his Infernal Breathing technique activated. His chest heaved, drawing energy from the fiery storm as the vortex accelerated. Flames roared with unrelenting intensity, grinding the Emberheart Essence into submission. Sparks of golden and crimson light scattered like fireflies, painting the air with dazzling patterns.

Within Jiang Feng's body, the flame seed began to respond, pulsating with a rhythmic glow deep in his core. It expanded rapidly, radiating unbearable heat that threatened to incinerate everything nearby. Yet, Jiang Feng remained unfazed, his expression unyielding. The seed grew larger and larger until it reached the size of an adult. Despite its imposing appearance, the flame seed's true nature was impossibly dense, a core of unparalleled fiery potential.

As the flame seed reached its full maturity for its current growth phase, the colossal vortex above Jiang Feng began to shrink, condensing with startling speed. The spinning flames merged into a glowing blue orb, compact yet brimming with unrestrained energy. The orb descended gently into Jiang Feng's outstretched palm, its surface pulsating like a heartbeat.

Jiang Feng stared at the orb, his brows furrowed. "What's this about?" he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Beside him, Ji Moran swallowed hard, her face pale from the relentless shocks she had endured since traveling with Jiang Feng. Her voice trembled as she spoke. "It's... something new, isn't it? Another ability from the flame seed?."

The orb glowed brighter as Jiang Feng tightened his grip around it. He could feel its immense power resonating with his very soul. The Skyforge Vortex was already a devastating weapon, but this, but now it seems like it could unlock other abilities. This second ability was yet to reveal its true nature, but its potential was undeniable. 'Skyforge Zone...Domain Type'

A faint, weak thought echoed in Jiang Feng's mind. He recognized its source immediately—the Skyforge Flame. With a glint of curiosity, he turned his gaze to the shimmering orb floating in his grasp before shifting his attention to Ji Moran.

"Hey, give me some space—about 50 meters should do," he said, his tone calm but filled with expectations.

Ji Moran nodded silently, leaping gracefully from the tree. Her movements were fluid, and within moments, she had landed some distance away. Stopping at the 60-meter mark, she turned back, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. She was just as eager as Jiang Feng to witness the orb's true potential.

Satisfied with her position, Jiang Feng followed, dropping from the tree with a solid thud. Dust rose slightly around him, but his focus remained unbroken. He opened his hand, and the orb floated upward with a slow, deliberate motion, glimmering with a fiery intensity.

"Skyforge Zone!" Jiang Feng roared, pressing his palms together in a commanding gesture.

In an instant, the orb erupted into an explosion of roaring blue flames. The fiery energy expanded outward, consuming a 50-meter radius and forming a blazing dome that radiated a near-unbearable heat. Within this newly formed domain, the flames danced chaotically, their brilliance mesmerizing yet fearsome. The ground beneath his feet began to melt, turning molten under the oppressive heat.

Jiang Feng could feel the immense power of the infernal energy draining from him, a rapid and overwhelming siphoning that made his knees wobble. But at the same time, he noticed his flame control had surged dramatically. He could manipulate the raging fire with an almost instinctive precision. A smile tugged at his lips.

"Amazing," he muttered under his breath.

With a sharp upward motion of his hand, Jiang Feng called out, "Vortex!"

The air around him twisted and spiraled violently as a massive vortex of flame tore into existence. The sheer force of it sent waves of heat rippling outward, its form pulsating with raw, destructive power. For a moment, it felt as though the very sky might ignite.

But just as quickly as it had formed, the Skyforge Zone and the vortex shattered and disintegrated into nothingness. The dome of flames collapsed inward, and the once-molten ground hardened as silence returned to the clearing. Jiang Feng stumbled forward, gasping for breath, his infernal energy utterly depleted. "So this is the power of the Skyforge Flame!"