In the end times, many children bring more blessings. I pick up a goddess every day.

Atop the Tongtian Pagoda, clouds surged like golden waves. The gate to the hundredth floor burned like a red-hot iron, radiating a lava-like glow. The words "Fen Tian" (burning heaven) on the lintel were distorted by the flames. The scorching heat in the air was enough to instantly melt the spiritual shields of ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators.

Su Qingyao stood on a suspended platform outside the tower, her moon-white silk dress unmoved by the scorching heat. With a flick of her jade finger, nine crimson flags formed a fiery array around her. Her almond-shaped eyes, frosty, gazed at the slowly opening tower door and sneered, "Liu Yang, this hundred-layer purgatory is made from the millennia-old molten fire essence of the 'Nanming Lihuo'. Even an elder in the Spiritual Transformation Stage would be bruised to death if he entered. I want to see how a random cultivator like you, a random cultivator, can break through my net."

Beyond the tower gate lay not the palace one had imagined, but a boundless wasteland of flame. The dark red ground was covered in cracks, from which boiling magma gushed, forming winding rivers of fire. The sky was ablaze with crimson clouds, and from time to time, basin-sized meteorites with trails of flame crashed down, blasting the ground into lava pits. In the distance, dozens of erupting volcanoes soared into the sky, their black ash and crimson flames intertwining to create a scene reminiscent of apocalypse.

Liu Yang slowly stepped into the tower, his dark robes rustling in the heat, yet showing no signs of burns. His face was handsome, his eyes as calm as a thousand-year-old ice. A faint smile played at the infernal scene before him. Within his dantian, the power of eternal freezing lay like a dormant glacier, ready to sweep across the heavens and earth with a single thought.

"Om-"

A sharp, air-piercing sound suddenly rang out as three fire crows, each with a wingspan of several feet, swooped down from the crater. Their sharp beaks and claws gleamed with the sheen of lava, and their flapping wings rained down a hail of fire. Fire crows are spiritual forms condensed from the Southern Ming Lihuo. Each feather holds a heat high enough to incinerate magical weapons. An ordinary cultivator would flee for their lives upon encountering one.

Liu Yang remained motionless, his right index finger pointing upward. Instantly, the air temperature plummeted, a visible white chill spreading from him. The rain of fire from the sky condensed into ice crystals before it even touched the ground, clattering to the ground. The three fire crows froze in their swooping flight, their wings rapidly coated in a layer of white frost. Their shrill cries were filled with terror.

"Thunder comes."

With those two casual words, Liu Yang raised his left hand, and a purple-gold ball of lightning condensed in his palm. The force of lightning swirled in his palm, emitting a dull thunderclap. With a flick of his finger, the ball transformed into three lightning snakes, which shot towards the Fire Crow like sharp swords.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Three loud explosions echoed in quick succession as a lightning snake pierced the Fire Crow's spirit, blasting it into a cloud of sparks. Before the sparks could dissipate, they were frozen into glittering fire crystals by the power of eternal frost, falling to the ground with a crisp sound. Liu Yang glanced at the fire crystals on the ground, then with a flicker of his body, he teleported, instantly appearing at the foot of a volcano several miles away.

He didn't rush deeper. Instead, he closed his eyes, his power of future prediction quietly unfolding. Countless future trajectories intertwined in his mind. Every trap within the tower, the location of every demonic beast, even the patterns of the flames' flow, all emerged clearly. After a moment, he opened his eyes, a look of increased understanding.

"So that's how it is. The core of this world of fire is in the Yanyu Palace in the northwest. Not only is there the strongest guarding monster there, but also the core magic circle set up by Su Qingyao." Liu Yang muttered to himself, and his figure teleported again, rushing towards the northwest.

Along the way, more and more fire monsters were startled. Flame-armored beasts, the size of bulls, emerged from the lava, their thick shells ablaze with flames, and they trudged towards Liu Yang. Dozens of fire lizards swam in the river of fire, spitting scorching fireballs. There were even rock demons, covered in volcanic ash, waving their massive stone fists and smashing at Liu Yang.

Facing the swarm of demonic beasts, Liu Yang remained calm and composed. He alternated between the power of eternal freezing and the power of thunder and lightning. Sometimes, he froze a thousand miles, transforming the entire area into a tundra, freezing the demonic beasts. Other times, he danced wildly, sending purple-gold lightning raining down like a torrential rain, shredding the demonic beasts' defenses. His teleportation was even more elusive, each time landing precisely where the demonic beasts were vulnerable. With a single gesture, he sent swarms of demonic beasts plummeting.

In a narrow valley, Liu Yang was stopped by three massive fire dragons. These were the kings of fire-attributed monsters, measuring tens of feet long, their scales gleaming like rubies, and spewing dragon flames powerful enough to melt metal. The three fire dragons formed a triangle, surrounding Liu Yang, their flames weaving into a vast web of fire that enveloped the entire valley.

"Interesting." A hint of interest flashed in Liu Yang's eyes. He did not rush to launch an attack, but instead activated the power of future deduction and instantly found the flaw in the coordination of the three fire dragons.

He flashed, teleporting behind the Flame Dragon on his left. His Eternal Freezing Force erupted with full force. A tsunami of cold air swept out, instantly freezing the back half of the Flame Dragon into an ice sculpture. The Flame Dragon, in pain, let out a deafening roar and attempted to turn and attack, but was held firmly in place by the freezing force.

Seeing this, the Flame Dragon on the right suddenly pounced forward, its massive claws grabbing Liu Yang with devastating force. Liu Yang didn't dodge, instead gathering a thick pillar of lightning in his right hand and smashing it down fiercely towards the dragon's claws.

"Crack!"

The lightning column collided with the dragon's claw, making a sharp cracking sound. The Flame Dragon's claw was instantly pierced by the lightning, and blood mixed with magma-like fluids gushed out. The Flame Dragon screamed in pain and retreated.

At this moment, the Flame Dragon in the center finally launched its strongest attack, spewing a stream of dragon flames containing the essence of the Southern Ming Fire towards Liu Yang. This dragon flame was extremely hot, burning and distorting the space wherever it passed.

Liu Yang's eyes focused, and he formed a seal with his left hand. The power of eternal freezing transformed into a massive ice shield, blocking him. Simultaneously, he teleported, appearing above the center Flame Dragon. He clenched his right hand into a fist, and the power of lightning and freezing intertwined within it, forming a black and white energy fist mark.

"break!"

His fist smashed fiercely into the Flame Dragon's skull, unleashing the power of ice and thunder. The Flame Dragon's skull shattered, and its massive body crashed to the ground, sending up a cloud of lava and volcanic ash. The two injured Flame Dragons, terrified at the sight of their fallen companion, turned and fled.

How could Liu Yang give them a chance? He teleported and caught up with them. Several lightning snakes shot out, killing the two fire dragons one by one. After dealing with the fire dragons, he did not stop and continued to rush towards the Flame Prison Palace.

The closer they got to the Flame Hell Palace, the harsher the environment became. The magma river on the ground grew wider and more turbulent, the firefalls became more frequent, and the flaming power in the air almost solidified, burning the lungs with every breath. However, the eternal freezing power surrounding Liu Yang formed an invisible barrier, isolating all the scorching aura, allowing him to walk on flat ground.

The Flame Hell Palace sits atop a massive volcano. Constructed entirely of crimson rock, its roof inlaid with countless flaming fire crystals, it resembles a dormant fire beast from afar. The palace's gates are tightly closed, carved with intricate flame patterns. Each line flows slowly, emitting a terrifying aura of oppression.

Liu Yang stood before the palace, looking up at the tightly closed gate. His power of future predictions reactivated. He discovered that not only was the gate protected by a powerful barrier, but behind it lay a gate-guarding demonic beast, the Flame Prison Qilin, whose power rivaled that of a peak Spiritualization Stage cultivator.

"The Flame Prison Qilin feeds on the core of the volcano and contains the original power of the Nanming Fire in its body. It is a good opponent." Liu Yang raised the corner of his mouth slightly, raised his hand and slapped the palace gate.

In his palm, the power of eternal frost merged with the power of thunder and lightning, forming a black and white palm print. The palm print roared towards the door and collided with the flame pattern on the door.

"boom!"

The roar was deafening, and the palace gate shook violently, dimming the flame pattern on the door. However, the restriction was not broken. Instead, an even stronger flame force erupted, and a huge wall of fire rose from behind the door, blocking Liu Yang's view.

"Roar--"

A roar that shook the heavens and earth rang out from within the palace. The wall of fire instantly exploded, and a massive Hellfire Qilin burst forth. It was shaped like a horse, yet several times larger than an ordinary steed. Its body was covered in burning scales, and its single horn gleamed with a crimson-gold light. Its four hooves stamped the ground, leaving behind a trail of burning hoofprints.

As soon as the Flame Prison Qilin appeared, it spewed a stream of Southern Ming Lihuo at Liu Yang. This flame, completely different from the fire spitted by the Fire Crow and the Flame Dragon, was a reddish-gold color. Upon landing, it instantly burned a bottomless hole in the ground. The walls of the hole were as smooth as a mirror, clearly formed by the instantaneous high temperature.

Liu Yang's eyes flashed, and he teleported to avoid the flaming attack. Simultaneously, with a wave of his right hand, several icy spikes appeared from thin air, shooting towards the Flame Prison Qilin like sharp swords. The icy spikes contained an extreme freezing force, and wherever they passed, the air froze into frost.

The Hellfire Kirin didn't seem to be afraid of the freezing force. It shook its head, and a pillar of fire erupted from its horn, melting all the ice. Then, it suddenly stepped forward, stamping its massive hoof towards Liu Yang. A terrifying fiery force gathered beneath its hoof, as if it was about to crush the entire space.

Liu Yang flashed, teleporting to the side of the Infernal Qilin. In his left hand, he gathered a ball of purple-gold lightning and fiercely smashed it into its flank. The force of lightning instantly erupted, and the Infernal Qilin roared in pain. The scales on its flank were pierced by the lightning, and puffs of black smoke billowed out.

But the Flame Prison Qilin's resilience was immense, and the wound was quickly covered in flames, healing at a visible speed. It turned around, staring angrily at Liu Yang, its flame power surging. Countless flaming blades condensed from its body, shooting towards Liu Yang like a torrential rain.

"Eternally frozen!"

Liu Yang roared, unleashing the full force of his eternal freezing power. With him as the center, a white chill rapidly spread, instantly enveloping the entire volcano's summit. Flame blades condensed into ice crystals in the cold air, clattering to the ground. The Flame Prison Qilin's form was also frozen in the cold, its movements becoming sluggish.

"Now!"

Liu Yang seized the opportunity and teleported to the top of the Flame Prison Qilin. He clenched his right hand into a fist, concentrating the power of ice and thunder to its utmost. He slammed his fist into the Flame Prison Qilin's horn, breaking it with a sharp sound. The Flame Prison Qilin let out a shrill scream, its massive body collapsing to the ground, the flames surrounding it quickly extinguished.

After defeating the Flame Prison Qilin, Liu Yang landed in front of the palace gate. At this point, the barrier on the gate had weakened due to the fall of the Flame Prison Qilin. He slapped his palm once more, and the palm print landed on the gate, which finally slowly opened.

The hall wasn't as empty as one might imagine, but instead was filled with intricate magical formations. On the ground, lines of flames intertwined into a web. At its center stood a massive flame altar, ablaze with a crimson-gold flame, the very source of the Southern Ming Lihuo. Around the altar stood eight flame statues, each holding a different weapon. Their eyes were hollow, yet they exuded a majestic aura.

Liu Yang slowly walked into the hall, his gaze fixed on the flame altar. He could sense the terrifying power contained within the Southern Ming Lihuo's source. Refining it would greatly enhance his strength. However, he held off from imminent action, as he had discovered through his power of future prediction that a secret lay hidden beneath the altar.

At this moment, eight flaming statues suddenly moved, weapons in hand, and gathered around Liu Yang. These statues were not ordinary dead objects, but rather contained the residual power of the Flame Prison Qilin. Each one possessed the strength of a peak Nascent Soul cultivator, and when all eight joined forces, their power was comparable to that of a Spiritualization cultivator.

Liu Yang's expression remained unchanged. With a flicker of his body, he teleported behind a statue. He gathered a lightning blade in his right hand and fiercely struck the statue's neck. The lightning blade contained the ultimate force of thunder and lightning, breaking the statue's neck with a snap. The head rolled to the ground, and the flames around it quickly extinguished.

After one statue was taken down, the other seven attacked simultaneously. Some swung their swords, unleashing flaming blades, others thrust their spears into pillars of fire, and still others swung their hammers at Liu Yang. The attacks were overwhelming, blocking all of Liu Yang's escape routes.

"Future prediction."

Liu Yang closed his eyes, his mind instantly conjuring up the trajectory and flaws of every attack. The next second, he opened them again, his figure moving like a ghost between the statues, his teleportation power at its peak. Each time he teleported, he would appear at a flaw in a statue, alternating between lightning blades and icy spikes, destroying each statue repeatedly.

In a short moment, Liu Yang had eliminated all eight statues. He walked to the flame altar and gazed at the burning Southern Ming Fire Source atop it, a smile playing on his lips. He raised his hand and slapped the altar, the eternal freezing power within his palm freezing the altar's surface. Then, channeling his spiritual energy, he slowly lifted the altar.

Beneath the altar, instead of the hollow space one might imagine, lay a small jade box. The jade box was milky white, carved with ice patterns, a stark contrast to the surrounding flames. The jade box exuded a faint chill, evidently crafted from warm jade from an extremely cold land, capable of insulating against all heat.

Liu Yang picked up the jade box and gently opened it. Inside, not some rare treasure, was a palm-sized token. The token was black and white, with a carving of frozen mountains on one side and violent lightning on the other. There was a small groove in the center, seemingly intended for embedding something.

"Is this... the Ice and Thunder Token?" Liu Yang frowned slightly. He had never heard of this token before. But when his fingers touched it, the eternal freezing power and lightning power in his dantian suddenly became agitated, resonating strongly with the token.

At this moment, Su Qingyao's voice came from outside the hall, with a hint of disbelief: "Impossible! How could you possibly destroy my Flame Prison Hall? This Ice Thunder Order is an ancient relic, how could you recognize it?"

Liu Yang turned and looked outside the hall. Su Qingyao was standing at the door, her eyes wide open, her face filled with shock. Obviously, she had seen the scene inside the hall through some means.

"An ancient relic?" Liu Yang played with the Ice Thunder Token in his hand, a playful smile on his face. "It seems that you set up these Hundred Layers of Purgatory not only to stop me, but also to protect this token, right?"

Su Qingyao's expression changed, but she quickly regained her composure and said in a cold voice, "Since you've found the Ice Thunder Order, we can't keep you here. There's one last checkpoint in this Hundred Layers of Purgatory. Whether you can leave alive depends on your ability."

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Qingyao raised her hand and waved it. The magic circle in the hall suddenly burst into a powerful light. The ground began to shake violently, and terrifying energy fluctuations came from under the flame altar, as if something terrible was about to emerge from the ground.