Chapter 471 - 446 News of Yinuo

Skull Fire Mountain, with its unique terrain, lay amidst a cluster of volcanoes, comprising hundreds of dormant and active peaks.

And at the center of the volcano cluster stood a colossal peak, shaped like a skull head, perpetually enveloped by flames. The scorching heat was oppressive, and of course, the Rule of Fire was exceptionally active.

This was the core of Skull Fire Mountain.

Lu Yan followed the crowd towards an outer volcano.

This was where Skull Fire Mountain recruited disciples.

"Cultivation level, race, which Void of the Rule of Fire, fill it out. I’ll say it again, if you haven’t reached the Second Void of the Rule of Fire, don’t bother. If you don’t meet the requirements, don’t come here to crowd the place. Be careful, or I’ll throw you out," a Skull Fire Mountain expert bellowed. This person was from the Human Clan, tall and strongly built with sinewy muscles and long, fiery red hair.

"Transcendance Tribulation Stage cultivation."

Lu Yan silently made his assessment.

Soon, it was Lu Yan’s turn.

"Zhang Wei, Spiritual God of the Seventh Transformation, Third Void of the Rule of Fire, Human Clan."

Lu Yan filled in his information and handed it to the muscular man.

After looking at it, the man frowned and said, "Spiritual God of the Seventh Transformation with only the Third Void of the Rule of Fire? How did you cultivate?"

"The junior once had a stroke of fortune and consumed a heavenly treasure, which forcefully elevated my soul power to the Spiritual God of the Seventh Transformation. However, my Rule of Fire has yet to break through."

Lu Yan had no other choice. He had intended to claim he was a Spiritual God of the Sixth Transformation, but those immortals from Skull Fire Mountain could easily see through his true cultivation level. Rather than hide it, he chose to be upfront.

"That truly is a strange tale," the muscular man shook his head and continued, "But you meet the requirements, take this token and wait over there."

The muscular man handed a fiery red token to Lu Yan and pointed to a platform.

"Passed so easily? They don’t investigate one’s background?"

Lu Yan was inwardly surprised but showed no reaction on his face.

"Thank you, senior."

Lu Yan accepted the token and walked over to the platform.

On the platform, there were already more than a dozen figures waiting.

Most of them were from the Human Clan, and a few from other races.

Of course, there were none from the Immortals and Devils Clans.

Skull Fire Mountain did not accept members of the Immortals and Devils Clans.

Lu Yan stood aside, waiting quietly.

After a while, there were about thirty people on the platform.

"Follow me," the muscular man came over and led everyone towards the depths of Skull Fire Mountain. In a short while, they arrived atop an enormous volcano.

This volcano was clearly active, its crater continuously emitting thick smoke.

But atop the volcano, a mysterious formation was laid out to absorb the smoke, leaving only dense fire energy to permeate the area.

Atop the volcano, grand and luxurious palaces had been erected.

The muscular man had them wait outside the palace.

After an incense stick’s time, a man who appeared to be in his thirties, handsome and dignified, came out.

Boom!

A powerful aura burst forth from the man, encompassing everyone present.

This was an Immortal Realm powerhouse.

"Greetings to Elder Miao Yan," the muscular man said respectfully, then introduced him to the crowd: "This is Elder Miao Yan of our Skull Fire Mountain, a cultivator of the Immortal Realm. For the next period, you’ll be following Elder Miao Yan. He will assign tasks to you and, of course, impart Skull Fire Mountain’s divine-level Martial Arts."

"Disciples greet the Elder," the crowd bowed deeply in salutation.

Elder Miao Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone as if he could see through them.

"Good, from now on, you will follow me. But let me make this clear, if I later find anyone harboring ill intentions, or spies from other forces, I will make them beg for death in vain," Elder Miao Yan’s voice was cold, his killing intent chilling.

No one dared to make a sound.

"Somebody, show them around, find them quarters. After that’s done, have them assemble at the martial training ground."

Having said this, Elder Miao Yan walked back into the palace.

Several disciples then showed Lu Yan and the others around and arranged separate courtyards for each of them.

After settling in, Lu Yan walked out of his courtyard to the martial training ground.

Once everyone had arrived, Elder Miao Yan reappeared with a flash.

"Now, I will pass on to you Skull Fire Mountain’s divine-level Martial Arts, the Skull Flame Formula."

After Elder Miao Yan spoke, with a wave of his hand, scrolls flew towards the crowd, landing in everyone’s hands.

Lu Yan caught one, which bore the title ’Skull Flame Formula’ in bold letters.

Upon flipping through the pages, Lu Yan’s heart trembled.

The Skull Flame Formula consisted of thirteen levels.

To his astonishment, the Martial Art was not inferior to the Nine Extremes of the World, on par with the Eight Phases Divine Fire Tactics.

Lu Yan inwardly marveled at the fact that one of the top forces of the Desolate Land could offer a Martial Art of the Nine Extremes level just like that.

Then, with another wave of his hand, Elder Miao Yan caused an image to float in mid-air, the Divine Intent Diagram of the Skull Flame Formula.

"In the coming days, you have no other tasks. Your one job is to comprehend the Skull Flame Formula. Concentrate on your cultivation. After you master it, I will assign you other tasks," Elder Miao Yan instructed, "Every half-month, I will come to give guidance on your Skull Flame Formula cultivation. Now, commence your comprehension."

After speaking, Elder Miao Yan turned and departed.

Lu Yan sat cross-legged, opening the secret manuscript to read it. In a short time, he had memorized the entire content of the Skull Flame Formula and then carefully examined the Divine Intent Diagram.

By now, Lu Yan had cultivated over twenty divine-level martial arts, all of which he had elevated to their highest levels. His broadened perspective gave him an understanding of divine-level martial arts that was far beyond the reach of many in the Immortal Realm, making his comprehension exceptionally rapid.

"I wonder if Yinuo has reached Skull Fire Mountain; if she has, I don’t know where she could be,"

"Having just joined Skull Fire Mountain, I am not yet free to act as I wish. I must slowly integrate myself into the mountain’s community, earn their trust, and then gradually conduct my investigation,"

Lu Yan thought silently.

Though he was worried about Shen Yinuo’s safety, he also knew that haste would not bring success.

Impatience gets you nowhere.

Acting rashly could reveal flaws, potentially backfiring.

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

Lu Yan successfully comprehended the Skull Flame Formula, creating a Martial Arts Avatar as a result.

Indeed, Lu Yan could now initiate the comprehension of a divine-level martial art of the Nine Extremes of the World in just half a month, a startlingly rapid pace that left onlookers in awe.

The others who had joined Skull Fire Mountain with him were still struggling to make sense of it.

After forming the Martial Arts Avatar, Lu Yan controlled the Dao Book to devour the Immortal Corpse, quickly raising the Skull Flame Formula to the thirteenth level.

Once he had elevated the Skull Flame Formula to the thirteenth level, Lu Yan gained new insights into the Rule of Fire, advancing into the Fourth Void in one fell swoop.

"Still unable to integrate?"

Lu Yan looked inward at the Martial Arts Avatars surrounding his Dao Book, his eyebrows lightly furrowing.

Considering the number of divine-level martial arts he had successfully cultivated, one would expect signs of synthesis into higher forms of martial arts, yet there were none.

"It’s said that beings in the Immortal Second Layer can cultivate the Immortal Skill. Could it be that divine-level martial arts cannot be integrated into Immortal Skills?"

Lu Yan pondered privately.

Immortal Skill, also known as Rule Power, is a method evolved from one’s own foundational rule power.

With potent and unfathomable might.

Below Immortality, those who have mastered rules may only know how to wield them crudely.

Just like a strongman who lacks competition techniques and only knows brute force attacks. Although powerful, he can’t fully exert the strength’s potential.

The same is true for rules.

Immortal Skill, then, is the method that can perfectly unleash the power of rules.

But in Immortal First Layer, the power of the rules is still superficial and not profound enough to cultivate Immortal Skill.

It becomes possible upon reaching the Immortal Second Layer.

I wonder if it’s because divine-level martial arts cannot be integrated into Immortal Skill, or if some special conditions are necessary.

For instance, the divine-level martial arts I practiced vary in levels, with some at seven, nine, eleven, twelve, thirteen, and even fourteen levels.

Perhaps it requires nine divine-level martial arts of the same level to integrate.

Or maybe nine martial arts of the same type are needed for integration, like nine palm techniques, nine knife techniques, or nine types of body-refining martial arts.

Or even a combination of several conditions?

Unsure, Lu Yan could only continue to explore.

Having raised the Skull Flame Formula to its highest level, Lu Yan did not continue to waste time on it. Instead, he spent any available moments comprehending the Rule of Fire.

It must be said, studying the Rule of Fire on Skull Fire Mountain seemed easier and more effective than in any other part of the Desolate Land, not to mention in Da Wu.

His understanding of the Rule of Fire improved every day.

Unfortunately, the Gold of Fire Magic he carried had to be reserved for Lin Yan; otherwise, he could have used it to craft a fire-attribute Spiritual Treasure.

In the blink of an eye, three months had lapsed since Lu Yan joined Skull Fire Mountain.

One day, while Lu Yan was pretending to study the Skull Fire Formula in the training grounds, he saw Elder Miao Yan, with a respectful attitude, leading a middle-aged beautiful woman into the inner halls of the palace.

The woman was dressed in a red skirt, adorned with lovely feathers.

"Wait, that image greatly resembles Chi Luan who abducted Yinuo. Could she be Chi Luan?"

A thought struck Lu Yan.

"Fellow disciple, who is that beautiful woman? Elder Miao Yan seems to be very respectful towards her,"

Lu Yan asked a disciple who had been following Elder Miao Yan for quite some time.

In the past three months, Lu Yan had become quite familiar with some of the disciples under Elder Miao Yan.

"That is Elder Chi Luan. Not only is she beautiful, but her family background is significant. Her mother is the leader of our Skull Fire Mountain,"

the disciple said.

"Really, Chi Luan?"

Lu Yan’s eyes lit up.

If Chi Luan had returned to Skull Fire Mountain, then surely Yinuo must have come too. The question was where she could be.

"I heard that not too long ago, Elder Chi Luan made a trip overseas and found a remote continent. There she discovered a disciple with exceptional talent. When she brought her back, she was taken in as a personal disciple by the mountain leader,"

"To be a direct disciple of the mountain leader... The mountain leader hasn’t taken a personal disciple in tens of thousands of years. I wonder what kind of talent would move the heart of the mountain leader,"

the disciple continued with a look of admiration.

"Could it be Yinuo?"

Lu Yan’s thoughts raced, and he felt almost certain it was Shen Yinuo.

Shen Yinuo was taken as a personal disciple by the mountain leader of Skull Fire Mountain?

Given Shen Yinuo’s talent, it indeed seemed plausible. If the mountain leader of Skull Fire Mountain genuinely wished to take a disciple, that would be good news. The fear was there could be other motives.

Without seeing Shen Yinuo, Lu Yan could not be at ease.

"As a personal disciple of the mountain leader, she should be living on Skull Mountain. I don’t have the qualifications to go there yet. I need to find a way to raise my standing within Skull Fire Mountain first,"

Lu Yan thought to himself.