As the Nascent Soul was scalded once again, Zhou Qing couldn’t help but scream and then quickly sped off in the direction he sensed.
"Ah—it seems to be on the left."
"Ah—we are getting closer."
At the bottom of the bluish-green lava, Zhou Qing proceeded with repeated shocks, moving forward by following the faint sense.
Soon, he reached a heap of rubble and, without hesitation, brushed the stones away. A fan with only five feathers came into view.
The fan in front of him appeared ordinary, with a dull hue that exuded a sense of decay and ruin.
If it weren’t for the guidance from the Golden Crow Essence Blood, Zhou Qing would hardly believe that an item of such appearance could be an extraordinary magical weapon forged from the legendary Golden Crow Wings.
However, upon closer inspection, he noticed that the fan faintly emitted a unique, rustic, and profound aura.
Just as he bent down to pick it up and examined it with great curiosity, the lava behind him suddenly began to churn violently.
Zhou Qing turned around warily, only to see countless Flame Fire Crocodiles charging at him like a burning storm cloud, jaws snapping fiercely.
Their eyes burned like two balls of Karmic Fire, and their mouths were filled with sharp teeth.
Seeing this, his face changed slightly. He quickly stuffed the fan into his Storage Bag, and a surge of Spiritual Power flowed through his body, releasing the full force of his early Nascent Soul cultivation.
A powerful aura swept out from within him, his gaze cold as stars, and his hands swiftly transformed the Sword Technique.
"Third Move of the Thunder Sword Skills—Divine Thunder Destruction Skills, Annihilate!"
In an instant, divine thunder as thick as water barrels meandered through the bottom of the lava like a spirit snake, producing deafening roars, with sword qi imbued with divine charm swirling around.
At this moment, Zhou Qing seemed to half-transform into the Thunder God and half into the Sword God.
The two entities merged in a miraculous manner to achieve the perfect fusion, followed by rampant sword qi and thunderbolts, fiercely striking the Flame Fire Crocodiles rushing towards him.
The terrifying sword thunder exploded among the Flame Fire Crocodiles, splattering a rain of blood and flames, causing numerous Flame Fire Crocodiles to howl in pain.
But their numbers were vast, and they continued to surge forward fearlessly, breaking through the divine thunder’s blockade and lunging at Zhou Qing.
Zhou Qing’s expression remained unchanged. He tapped his feet lightly, constantly shifting the first and second moves of the Sword Technique in his hands.
With the replenishment of blood qi and spiritual power stored in the fourth petal in advance, Zhou Qing returned to peak condition.
The next moment, a massive Silver Dragon roared out, emanating a chilling aura that sharply contrasted with the surrounding scorching lava.
The Silver Dragon, claws bared, charged directly towards the Flame Fire Crocodiles, each sweep of its claws sending several Flame Fire Crocodiles flying, simultaneously clearing a temporary escape route for Zhou Qing.
With silver light flashing under his feet, Zhou Qing seized the opportunity to swiftly head upwards, attacking the less intelligent Flame Fire Crocodiles with precision using the Tetanus in his hands.
For a time, a lot of red blood flowed in the lava, giving off a pungent, fishy smell.
The countless Flame Fire Crocodiles, agitated by the scent of blood, lost their minds and began scrambling, tearing, and devouring each other.
Taking advantage of this, Zhou Qing accelerated further, leveraging his Talent Skill of Lowering Presence, quickly swimming towards the surface of the lava.
Before long, he broke through the surface of the lava with a sudden lunge, breathing heavily the relatively fresh air above.
"Go!" Zhou Qing shouted to the air.
The Second Uncle, who had been bitterly fighting the Flame Fire Crocodile King, showed a trace of delight in his eyes upon seeing Zhou Qing successfully escape the lava.
He forcefully pushed back the Flame Fire Crocodile King by several feet, then turned and dashed towards Zhou Qing.
Grabbing Zhou Qing, he hurriedly flew upwards at the fastest speed.
Upon seeing Zhou Qing emerge from the lava like a rat, the Flame Fire Crocodile King let out an enraged roar towards the sky, spreading its massive wings and chasing after them like a meteor of fire.
Its speed was incredibly fast, closing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
Feeling the immense pressure from behind, Zhou Qing’s face changed, but the twisted exit in the high air seemed both near and yet out of reach.
"This won’t work. Give me the fan!" Amid the overwhelming stench entering their noses, the Second Uncle quickly said.
Zhou Qing immediately pulled out the feather fan and handed it to the Second Uncle.
The Second Uncle was momentarily stunned, seemingly unable to believe that this was the Golden Crow Fan he had been seeking.
But he couldn’t spare more thought at the moment. He instantly began to pour his own spiritual power into the fan.
In an instant, the originally dull fan visibly turned black, and the first and second feathers began to gradually turn golden.
The Second Uncle’s rare pale face showed up.
"How thirsty is this thing? Forget it, any more, and I’ll become a dried-up corpse!"
The Second Uncle immediately stopped pouring spiritual power, then abruptly turned around, shouted, and waved the fan vigorously. An intense golden light erupted, so dazzling that it almost forced people to avert their eyes.
In the golden light, the phantom of a Three-legged Golden Crow appeared, its body burning with golden flames, hot enough to warp the void.
Its three claws, like they were cast from fine gold, glowed with a chilling radiance. Spreading its wings as wide as several feet, it gently flapped, releasing a scorching gust of wind mixed with golden sparks that streaked across the sky like meteorites.