Wang Zhan quickly accepted those precious tomes, then bowed to the old man and said, "Thank you, Senior."

"I wonder if Senior has any unfulfilled wishes that I can help you accomplish?"

Now with the Fire Deity Armor on him, Wang Zhan no longer felt any heat and had returned to a calm state. The sensation was just like the Heavenly Dragon Armor becoming a part of him.

Smiling, the old man shook his head and replied, "Over the years, I have pondered much. What else is there for me to do? They are all mere obsessions. Of course, my only request is that if you can enable the Fire Deity Armor to stand at the pinnacle of the Star War Battlefield, that would naturally be best."

But the old man knew very well that with Wang Zhan's current cultivation, he was merely a Martial Saint, not even a tenth of his own peak strength. Even he himself was an extremely insignificant presence on the Star War Battlefield, let alone Wang Zhan.

Wang Zhan clenched his fists and said solemnly, "Rest assured, Senior, I will do my utmost."

"Your words are enough. Kid, I see potential in you; your perseverance indeed surpasses that of others. Alright, with the assistance of Fire Deity Kai, your cultivation should improve to some extent. Even if you're no match for a level 7 Beast, the Fire Deity Armor can ensure your life is not in danger. So, do not worry."

The old man spoke slowly, and then Wang Zhan saw his figure gradually fading.

Wang Zhan's expression changed. By the time he reached out to grasp the old man, he found that the old man had already become an ethereal shadow.

"What is happening?"

Smiling, the old man shook his head and said, "The reason I could survive in this Sea of Fire for so long is due to the protection of the Fire Deity Armor. I imagine that after putting it on, you've understood its effects? It can resist the temperatures here. But now that the Fire Deity Armor is on you, I naturally cannot withstand such intense heat any longer. But you need not worry. After all, this day was bound to come sooner or later. I myself have long seen through life and death."

The old man waved his hand and continued, "Alright, the path ahead is yours to walk. Remember what I told you: you must let the Fire Deity Armor appear before the eyes of the world. Of course, before completing this mission, you also need to protect yourself. Never do such a foolish thing again. If you hadn't met me, you would have already perished in this Sea of Fire by now."

Wang Zhan nodded gravely. Then, he knelt on one knee in the direction where the old man had been and bowed deeply.

By the time he raised his head again, the old man had vanished completely.

Wang Zhan sighed, then glanced at the Fire Dragon Bead in his hand. The next second, he shot directly upwards.

A blaze of Fire Light soared to the sky, and Wang Zhan landed on a hilltop.

Not far away, Luo Tianhong, who had been meditating with her eyes closed, slowly opened them as Wang Zhan approached. Startled, she quickly walked over to him and exclaimed in surprise, "I can't believe you actually made it out alive!"

Wang Zhan asked indifferently, "Did you hope I would remain in the Earth Core forever?"

Luo Tianhong's eyes brightened. Ignoring his words, she asked, "Where is the Fire Dragon Bead? Don't forget what I tasked you with. Without the Fire Dragon Bead, you can forget about seeing Han Xue for the rest of your life!"

As he spoke, Wang Zhan revealed the Fire Dragon Bead. "Don't worry, I have the Fire Dragon Bead, but I must see Han Xue first."

In truth, the Fire Dragon Bead was of no use to him anymore. He didn't care about it; he was only worried Luo Tianhong would play tricks here. After all, Luo Tianhong was always like this.

Luo Tianhong's eyes filled with greed. She clenched her fist and laughed, "Alright, since you want to see her, I'll take you to meet her. But don't forget what you said. If you dare play any tricks, even if our skills are equal, if I wanted to kill her, you wouldn't be able to stop me."

Wang Zhan nodded solemnly. His only concern now was ensuring Han Xue was safe. After all, he didn't care about this one Fire Dragon Bead.

Soon, they both reached the abandoned village. After searching through the ruins for some time, Luo Tianhong slowly emerged with Han Xue.

The moment Han Xue saw Wang Zhan, she started, but because her mouth was gagged, she couldn't make any sound at all. Wang Zhan could see that she seemed unharmed.

Luo Tianhong said sternly, "Alright, since you've seen her, hand over the Fire Dragon Bead. After all, I have no interest in this little girl; my target is the Fire Dragon Bead. So, item for person."

Wang Zhan nodded and then tossed the Fire Dragon Bead from his hand.

The next second, Luo Tianhong swiftly rose and caught the Fire Dragon Bead in an instant.

Excitement flashed in Luo Tianhong's eyes. "Great! I didn't expect you to actually get the Fire Dragon Bead!"

However, Wang Zhan paid her no attention and was by Han Xue's side in an instant. He grabbed her arm, quickly untied her, and removed the gag from her mouth.

Han Xue directly embraced Wang Zhan, looking as if she was about to cry. "Brother Wang, I'm so glad to see you again!"

Wang Zhan simply patted her shoulder, smiling as he spoke, "Don't worry. I've always said that with me by your side, I absolutely won't let anything happen to you. So, you don't need to worry about anything. Alright now, everyone in Tianxiong City is waiting for you. Since you're okay, let's head back."

Then, Wang Zhan started to leave with Han Xue.

However, they had barely taken a few steps when Luo Tianhong, who was not far away, suddenly spoke, "It seems you have something on you that can resist fire, don't you?"

Wang Zhan retorted coldly, "And what does that have to do with you?"

Luo Tianhong shrugged, smiled, and said, "Of course, it has nothing to do with me. But I was wondering if we could discuss you lending me that flame-resistant item of yours for a couple of days to play with?"

Truthfully, Luo Tianhong's skills were on par with Wang Zhan's. She could have entered the Earth Core herself if not for the extreme heat below; she would have needed to find a way to withstand it. To her utter shock, Wang Zhan had somehow managed to do just that. After all, she knew clearly that she herself had shattered Wang Zhan's Heavenly Dragon Armor. Without the aid of the Heavenly Dragon Armor, how could Wang Zhan possibly withstand such temperatures?

Wang Zhan sneered, "Lend it to you? On what grounds?"

"It seems I'll have to use the same method to make you submit."

As she spoke, Luo Tianhong's eyes narrowed slightly. An instant later, a faint light appeared in her hand as she quickly charged towards Han Xue. Clearly, she was preparing to target Han Xue.

Wang Zhan's expression changed instantly. He swiftly raised the Deep Fire Blade in his hand. Instantly, a Fire Dragon materialized and slammed violently onto that faint light.

Luo Tianhong hadn't expected Wang Zhan's movements to be so agile. Quickly retreating two steps, she readied herself to attack again and charged at Wang Zhan.

However, she had barely neared Wang Zhan when a cold sneer instantly appeared on his lips. At the same time, a burst of Fire Light erupted around him, and a massive fire curtain materialized before them.

Before Luo Tianhong could react, her entire body slammed into the fire curtain, and she was instantly sent flying backward.

Luo Tianhong said grimly, "Damn it, what is this thing?"

Wang Zhan completely ignored her. Then, he grabbed Han Xue's arm and headed towards Tianxiong City.

Damn it, to think his skills have improved again?

Luo Tianhong stood her ground, clenching her fists tightly, and said word for word, "During this time, I've been constantly searching for ruins to enhance my cultivation. But who could have guessed? This guy's cultivation is improving even faster than mine!"

Did he stumble upon some great opportunity again? But that's impossible! He's been in Tianxiong City all this time, involved in those trivial matters; how could he have encountered anything powerful? After all, Ju Tian'en is no simple character. If there truly was something valuable in Tianxiong City, Ju Tian'en wouldn't just let someone else have it, would he?

For a moment, Luo Tianhong couldn't understand how Wang Zhan's cultivation had improved so rapidly. But it had to be said, things were indeed getting more and more interesting.

Moreover, she seemed to be bound to Wang Zhan, encountering him wherever she went, as if it was destined in the unseen.

Could this be what you humans call 'fate'?

Luo Tianhong chuckled. If that's the case, we certainly have a strong 'fate' between us. Then, I wonder if there's any room for development between us in the future?

The next second, the corners of her lips curled up slightly. Then, transforming into a streak of light, she shot rapidly towards Tianxiong City.

「Meanwhile, Wang Zhan and Han Xue had arrived at Tianxiong City.」

Upon seeing Han Xue, Xiang Tian and Luo Xue rushed over to her side immediately. Xiang Tian asked anxiously, "Han Xue, where have you been all this time? Do you know Luo Xue and I were worried sick?"

Luo Xue chimed in hurriedly, "Yeah! You have no idea, Brother Wang nearly killed us!"

Wang Zhan shot them a disgruntled glare. "Wasn't that because you two were incompetent in your duties? This is the first and the last time. If this situation happens again, both of you can get the hell back to the Fifth War Zone."