Stranger Danger

"The Sea Burning Demonic Fire may appear without warning, but surely it leaves behind a trace when it disappears?" Ye Qing asked.

"Alas, it does not." Jin Wanliang shook his head helplessly. "The Sea Burning Demonic Fire comes and goes without a trace. When it is time for it to disappear, it will return to the bottom of the sea and disappear in an extremely short time."

"Several times, the elites of the Profound Alliance tried to track down the Sea Burning Demonic Fire when it began to recede. However, the Sea Burning Demonic Fire stirred up the seawater and created all kinds of deadly vortices and currents each time it slinked back to the bottom of the sea. In addition, all sorts of demonic monsters were blocking the way. As a result, no one had ever managed to catch up to the Sea Burning Demonic Fire. They always lost track of it halfway through the case, wasting time and effort."

"That is why all we know is that the Sea Burning Demonic Fire originates from the deep sea."

"Then..."

Ye Qing was about to ask something else when suddenly, his expression changed. He took one step forward—causing the surrounding space to ripple a little—and disappeared just like that.

"Where's senior Ye?" Jin Wanliang was waiting for Ye Qing to ask his question. When he did not hear his voice though, he looked up in puzzlement and discovered that the man was nowhere to be found.

Where did he go? How could a man go missing just like that?

"He went away to save lives," Feng Qingyou said in an indifferent voice.

"Save lives?" Jin Wanliang looked confused. The Sea Burning Demonic Fire was still a ways away from Gold Island, wasn't it? Was there really a need for Ye Qing to intervene?

Puzzled as Jin Wanliang was, he did not dare to voice his question. He wasn't sure why, but he was more reserved and careful around Feng Qingyou than he was around Ye Qing.

Why? He didn't understand either. Feng Qingyou looked kind and gentle. He had never seen her losing her temper or attacking another. And yet, he always felt timid and fearful whenever he was in her presence. It was like he was a subject having an audience with his emperor; or an ant looking up to a god.

Naturally, he did not dare to speak or act carelessly around her.

"Senior..."

The pressure was bearing down on Jin Wanliang's shoulders and making him uncomfortable all over, so he was going to make an excuse and take his leave. However, he had just opened his mouth when he realized that Feng Qingyou was gone as well.

"Again?"

Jin Wanliang was speechless. Did they share the same trait as the Sea Burning Demonic Fire? Was that why they kept disappearing without a trace right in front of him? Show-offs!

Not that they didn't deserve to be show-offs, of course.

For a time, all was quiet within the Arts Tower. The only sounds that could be heard were the cries of the residents and the endless rumbles happening outside the island.

......

Meanwhile, Ye Qing was several thousand kilometers away from Gold Island.

He had made a lot of progress in "Flowing In The Six Places" in recent times. He could now travel thousands of kilometers in just a short time.

Dark, demonic flames were currently churning in front of him.

He had already witnessed the fire from the comfort of the Arts Tower, but it wasn't until he was right in front of it that he felt just how vast and deadly it was.

Wherever his eyes looked, demonic fire mixed with seawater was kicking up tidal waves spanning hundreds of meters tall, violent and seemingly unstoppable.

Wherever his ears turned, the sea was rumbling, and the sky was shaking without end. It looked stupendous and terrifying.

Wherever his mind perceived, the energies were thrown into disarray, and tyrannical heat was scorching everything. Darkness and foulness corrupted anything and everything.

Even Ye Qing could not help but feel a sense of pressure and trepidation before the Sea Burning Demonic Fire.

Of course, he wasn't here to admire the Sea Burning Demonic Fire. He was here to save lives.

At the distant sea, four passenger ships were speeding away from the Sea Burning Demonic Fire as fast as they could, but despite the elite warriors' best efforts to propel the ship and stay away from the encroaching flames, they just weren't fast enough. The closer the demonic flames got, the deeper they plunged into despair.

Right as a passenger ship was about to be consumed by demonic fire, Ye Qing unleashed a palm strike and shattered the burning sea waves that were hovering right on top of it.

Before the people on the ship could understand what was going on, Ye Qing waved his sleeve and sent the entire ship soaring into the sky. It shot through the sky following an arc and crossed hundreds of kilometers in the blink of an eye.

Strangely, when the ship finally landed back on the sea surface, it did not cause a single splash or even a ripple. It was as if the ship was as light as a feather.

Before the passengers could cheer or express their surprise, another three ships descended from the sky and landed next to them. Just like before, they elicited no reaction as if they were weightless.

"We're saved..."

"We're saved!"

"A senior must have helped us! Thank you, senior!" "Thank you for saving our lives!"

......

A moment later, cheers finally broke out from the passenger ships. Some of them were even sobbing uncontrollably.

The warriors on the ship immediately understood what had happened and clasped their fists in gratitude.

"Everyone, be quiet! We are not out of danger yet. It looks like the Sea Burning Demonic Fire is breaking out on a large scale this time, so it's very possible that it will spread to our location in just a short time. We need to leave, now!"

"We're very close to Gold Island. Let's head to Gold Island!"

"Agreed. Let's go!"

Very soon, the four passenger ships took off toward Gold Island.

Meanwhile, Ye Qing had appeared at a different location after saving the four passenger ships.

It was a small island. There were no big islands in the vicinity of Gold Island. They were generally not suitable for human inhabitation either.

This island was an exception. Shaped like a golden snake, the people called it the Golden Snake Island. It was the resting spot for many ships and boats because it happened to be located on a shipping route. That was why some people lived on Golden Snake Island and did business on it. It was quite prosperous.

Right now though, over half of the island had succumbed to the fire. There was absolute pandemonium on the remaining half of the island, and the cries seemed like it would never end.

This was the first time Ye Qing saw how harmful the demonic fire was to humans. If someone so much as caught a spark, the dark red flames would instantly immolate them. They would then lose their minds and begin attacking those around them.

Anyone who was injured by such a person would rapidly follow in their attacker's footsteps. They would succumb to the demonic fire and go crazy in just a matter of breaths.

The demonic fire spread like a plague, but far worse. In just dozens of breaths, over forty people had succumbed to the demonic fire and turned into a demonic monster. There was even a Half-Step Trueman among them.

Even worse, those corrupted by the demonic fire became several times stronger than they were before. Their strength was immense, their speed was wind-like, and their fearlessness knew no bounds. Despite losing their minds, they could still use their martial arts. It was unfair to an extreme.

No wonder Jin Wanliang looked so bitter when he spoke of the demonic fire. No wonder just listening to the name "Sea Burning Demonic Fire" was enough to cause a panic attack among the residents of Gold Island. Assuming that there was no way to stop the demonic fire, this horrifying corruption alone was enough to drive humanity into extinction.

The situation was already out of control, so he had to act quickly. Ye Qing swung his hand and pulled everyone who wasn't yet corrupted by the demonic fire into his sleeve. Then, looking at the demonic monsters rampaging across the island, Ye Qing tapped his finger and triggered a soft chime. Profound light began rippling out like waves.