“Brother up ahead, could you lend a hand?” Brian Sutton called out anxiously. The monstrous bird behind him was drawing ever closer, its presence overwhelming, with mud and rocks scattering beneath its wings and the constant sound of crashing echoing in his ears. Relying on his superb evasion skills, Brian Sutton was barely able to keep this obviously superior beast at bay, which was no small feat. The true energy he had accumulated over three years was being pushed to its absolute limit. But after several hours of such rapid depletion, he was finally starting to falter. Spotting a human ahead, Brian Sutton wasted no time in calling out. Any one of these ancient human race members was far stronger than him, and he figured they should be able to handle such a beast.

The distant shadow seemed to pause, clearly surprised to encounter a fellow cultivator here. After a moment’s realization, it transformed into a streak of twisting light and sped over.

“Hahaha! There’s a road to heaven you refuse to take, but you barge into hell instead. Boy, I’ve finally found you!” A wild, arrogant voice suddenly burst forth between heaven and earth. As the dark figure drew near, Brian Sutton took a closer look and couldn’t help but curse inwardly. This was no savior—this was none other than the Han Chi Demon Lord, Jason, who had been captured and imprisoned by the elders of Hidden Valley.

Jason’s eyes gleamed with ferocity, his purple robe billowing in the wind. With a mere wave of his hand, a wave of cold energy invaded the exhausted Brian Sutton, sealing his acupoints. With a flick of his left hand, he tucked him under his arm.

Screech! The monstrous bird had just circled around a towering black peak and was closing in. Seeing its prey snatched away before its eyes, it let out a strange cry, folded its wings slightly, and shot forward like an arrow at even greater speed.

“Huh, what’s this…” Jason was momentarily stunned, holding Brian Sutton as he stared blankly at the approaching beast.

Though surprised by the sudden appearance of the monster, Jason paid it little mind. As the demon bird drew near, he snorted coldly, flashed forward, and struck at its golden beak with his palm. Whatever mysterious technique the Han Chi Demon Lord used, his palm unleashed a surge of cold that chilled to the bone.

“No wonder you got yourself caught… Ah! Fire Phoenix Luan… Damn it, how did you provoke such a creature!” Just as Jason’s right palm was about to land on the beast, the demon bird suddenly flared its wings, erupting with blazing flames from within. Twelve beautiful, magnificent tail feathers unfurled and extended behind it. In an instant, the bird’s body swelled, growing even larger than before, its surface now ablaze with flames hot enough to melt metal and stone.

Jason struck the beast, sending it flying back a hundred feet, but he himself was blasted hundreds of miles away.

Ah! Jason let out a miserable scream. Brian Sutton saw his right hand trembling uncontrollably, wisps of smoke curling up, and the faint smell of scorched flesh in the air. His palm was charred black, and in the center, a faint, flickering flame could be seen.

Hiss—even Brian Sutton couldn’t help but gasp. The demon bird’s sudden transformation was terrifying, its power astonishing. Within a hundred miles, the temperature soared, and even the mountains and rocks showed signs of melting—no living thing could survive here.

“You actually managed to provoke such a monster. Your martial skills may be shallow, but your troublemaking skills are impressive.” Jason shot Brian Sutton a resentful glare, closed his eyes, and began to channel his energy to heal. A series of crackling sounds followed as a layer of frost rapidly formed on Jason’s arm, quickly thickening into an icy armor that encased his entire arm, extending from elbow to fingertips. However, when it reached his palm, it stopped—the flame that had seemed like an illusion now revealed its true power, halting the advance of the ice.

Jason opened his eyes and glanced at the flame in his palm, his face turning pale. He looked up at the demon bird blazing in the sky like a burning sun, grabbed Brian Sutton, and fled at top speed, as desperate as a stray dog. Brian Sutton noticed that the tiny flame from the demon bird was gradually fading beneath Jason’s palm.

The wind howled past their ears. With their powerful cultivation, the two quickly outpaced the demon bird. Once it was no longer in sight, Jason landed atop a towering peak, flicked his fingers to seal the acupoints on Brian Sutton’s chest, tossed him aside, and snorted coldly, “Don’t move.”

He then sat cross-legged, releasing a surge of cold from within. The ground beneath him instantly froze over, but in contrast, the flame he hadn’t managed to suppress now erupted into a massive blaze, engulfing Jason. The newly formed ice melted in an instant. Jason’s body trembled, and an even stronger wave of cold burst forth, finally weakening the raging flames, which gradually shrank and were eventually absorbed back into his body. It wasn’t until nightfall that Jason awoke from his meditation.

Jason opened his eyes, which now glowed red like two lanterns. He glanced coldly at Brian Sutton lying on the ground and said icily, “Boy, you’re something else. The first time we met, you pretended to be from the Blade Domain and made me lose face. Now, the second time, you’ve brought a Fire Phoenix Luan, an innate demon bird, down on me and let it plant an undying true flame in my body. Tell me, what should I do with you?”