When I woke up, I wanted to go home.

Led by the Imperial Tutor, Zhu Chongjiu and Xiao Hei walked out of the Flaming Mountain. At this time, they were basically in the center of the Flaming Mountain Forbidden Area. If they walked about 100,000 miles towards the city, they would reach the border city of the Flaming Empire, Fire City.

As they walked, the Imperial Tutor introduced Zhu Chongjiu to the geography and terrain of the Flaming Mountain Forbidden Zone, as well as some interesting anecdotes and stories. This included their current Flaming Empire Emperor, "Fire Flame"!

He also introduced Zhu Chongjiu to the demonic beasts they had encountered along the way, their habits, characteristics, and origins. Because the Imperial Tutor was leading the way, they did not encounter any Emperor-level demonic beasts. When they did encounter ordinary Royal-level demonic beasts, they were frightened away by the Imperial Tutor's release of Emperor-level aura.

During this time, Zhu Chongjiu subtly inquired of the Imperial Tutor about more detailed information regarding the Sacred Flame. However, disappointingly, the Imperial Tutor's answers offered no real help to Zhu Chongjiu. The origin of the Sacred Flame was impossible to trace; it seemed to have existed quietly in the world even before the earth-shattering war that occurred ten thousand years ago.

Over the long span of millions of years, many unscrupulous individuals have coveted the sacred flame. Unfortunately, due to the presence of the sacred firefly beasts that guard the sacred mountain and the sacred flame, all those who attempted to seize the flame suffered a crushing defeat, ultimately returning home in disarray and utterly defeated.

Then, the Imperial Tutor revealed another piece of information: the strength of the Firefly Sacred Beasts on the Holy Mountain has decreased by a whole level compared to when the Sacred Flame still existed a hundred years ago. If this trend continues, perhaps in a few years, even these powerful Firefly Sacred Beasts may disappear without a trace!

Along the way, Zhu Chongjiu traveled with the Imperial Tutor and Xiao Hei, a human and a beast. They didn't encounter many earth-shattering events, but occasionally some ignorant demonic beasts would try to block their path and provoke them. However, before these beasts could even get close to Zhu Chongjiu, they were instantly killed on the spot by the Imperial Tutor with overwhelming force.

And so, with the two of them and their beast traveling day and night without stopping, time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already the twelfth day.

Zhu Chongjiu sat on Xiao Hei's broad and sturdy back, gazing into the distance. On the horizon, a vast and magnificent city complex could be faintly seen. As they continued forward, the complex became increasingly clear.

The Imperial Tutor stopped, pointed ahead with a smile, turned to Zhu Chongjiu, and said excitedly, "My lord, in about half a day's journey, we will arrive at the second largest city on our Flaming Mountain Continent—Laihuo City!"

Zhu Chongjiu remained seated firmly on Xiao Hei's back throughout, and his spirits and complexion appeared quite good.

After all, Xiao Hei was originally a mythical beast that was passed down from its ancestors and was specifically responsible for pulling carts and carrying people, so it was naturally no problem for such a journey distance and endurance requirements.

In contrast, the Imperial Tutor appeared somewhat exhausted. Along the way, he not only had to constantly maintain his magic to stay in flight, but also frequently had to kill those reckless demonic beasts, resulting in a huge drain on his energy.

Zhu Chongjiu noticed the Imperial Tutor's slightly haggard face and said, "How many times have I told you, don't call me 'Lord' anymore, just call me Ninth Brother." Upon hearing this, the Imperial Tutor was slightly taken aback, then revealed a simple and honest smile, nodded and replied, "Lord Ninth Brother, when I think of you being on par with the King of a country, I subconsciously call you 'Lord'!"

Zhu Chongjiu finally sighed, waved his hand, and said, "It doesn't matter, call me whatever you want!"

As the Imperial Tutor saw that he was getting closer and closer to Fire City, his pace unconsciously quickened considerably, and his speed increased significantly compared to before.

Based on their previous leisurely pace, it would have taken them at least half a day to reach the legendary Fire City.

However, at this moment, under the eager guidance of the Imperial Tutor, in less than three hours, the towering and magnificent city gate of Laihuo City came into view.

Before their journey, through consulting various detailed materials and observing their surroundings, they had gained a certain understanding of the humans living on the Flaming Mountain Continent. The people here were not significantly different in height from ordinary people outside, but due to their long-term exposure to an environment with extremely high concentrations of fire element in the air, their skin had a unique reddish hue, and they were all strong and robust, full of vitality like burning flames.

Moreover, it is relatively easy to distinguish the strength of mages on the Flaming Mountain Continent.

Here, the power of mages is closely related to their skin color: the stronger a person is, the more fiery red and dazzling their skin becomes, like a raging fire, making it easy to discern their strength at a glance.

This wondrous phenomenon undoubtedly became a direct standard for measuring the strength of mages, while also adding a unique touch to this continent.

Because the air was extremely hot, as if it could ignite everything, the people on the Flaming Mountain Continent dressed in extremely cool and simple clothes to resist the heat.

The men typically wear only a pair of loose-fitting shorts made from local special plants, while the rest of their bodies are mostly exposed, allowing the scorching sun to kiss their bronze skin.

Compared to men, women wear one more garment—a light, thin strapless bra—but this only adds a touch of feminine grace and charm.

Just then, the Imperial Tutor led Zhu Chongjiu to the magnificent city gate of Fire City.

Although Zhu Chongjiu had already seen the general outline of the city from afar, the shock he felt when he actually approached the city gate and stepped inside to take a closer look was completely different!

At this moment, Zhu Chongjiu couldn't help but marvel inwardly, "This place is truly full of exotic charm!" You must know that compared with the icy continent where he once lived, the architectural styles of the two are worlds apart.

Most of the houses on the icy continent are single-story buildings made of thick, solid bluestone, and these houses often have only one door, with windows being hard to find.

However, in the Flaming Mountains region, what comes into view are unique buildings with bright red stones as their foundation and glossy black tiles covering their roofs. Moreover, the doors are incredibly wide, and the windows are large and bright, as if warmly welcoming every breeze and ray of sunshine.

Although the air inside the city was extremely hot, people were still rushing in and out of the city gates!

Judging from the appearance and aura of the people entering and leaving the city gate, Zhu Chongjiu guessed that they were probably like Tongli and the others, people who made a living and cultivated by hunting monsters in the forbidden area!

Just then, the Imperial Tutor calmly took out a magical artifact that appeared to be a sound transmission device from his robes.

The Imperial Tutor held it in his hand, brought it close to his lips, and whispered something, as if he were conveying an important message to it.

As soon as the Imperial Tutor finished speaking, the city gate, which had been only slightly ajar for people to pass through, slowly opened. Accompanied by a series of heavy footsteps and the clanging of armor, two massive and imposing armies filed out. Each of these armies numbered nearly ten thousand men, and they stood in perfect unison at the city gate, like two impregnable walls of bronze and iron.

Zhu Chongjiu, observing from a distance, carefully examined the suddenly appearing army. He noticed that the soldiers were all clad in heavy armor, which gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Even more striking was that each soldier rode not an ordinary horse, but a crimson demonic beast that resembled a fine steed.

This crimson beast is tall and imposing, with smooth and powerful muscle lines, thick and sturdy limbs, and its hooves make a crisp sound when they step on the ground.

Their fur was as vibrant and dazzling as burning flames, creating a strong visual impact. Zhu Chongjiu recalled that he had also seen this strange beast on his journey back with the Imperial Tutor. At that time, the Imperial Tutor had given him a detailed explanation.

According to the Imperial Tutor, these demonic beasts are called "Flying Fire Dragon Steeds." They are docile by nature and easily tamed, but once in battle, they can unleash astonishing speed and power. Moreover, these Flying Fire Dragon Steeds are not only incredibly fast, but their endurance is also unimaginable, allowing them to maintain high speeds for extended periods without fatigue. Even more remarkably, when they evolve to the Royal level, a pair of enormous wings will grow from their backs, granting them the ability to fly. Thousands of years ago, the powerful empire successfully domesticated these Flying Fire Dragon Steeds and widely used them in military warfare and transportation. Today, they have become an indispensable part of the imperial army.

Zhu Chongjiu secretly sensed the individual combat strength of this army and was surprised to find that most of the soldiers were at the King level, with several hundred at the Emperor level and more than forty at the Emperor level.

Just as Zhu Chongjiu was intently observing this mysterious group, he suddenly felt an exceptionally powerful and intensely hot aura rushing towards him like a surging tidal wave. Startled, Zhu Chongjiu quickly focused his gaze.

Accompanied by this awe-inspiring aura, a majestic and imposing beast slowly emerged from the city gate. This beast was a Fiery Dragon Steed, several times larger than the horses ridden by ordinary soldiers, radiating a dazzling light. Even more astonishingly, it possessed a pair of broad and powerful wings, as if it could take flight at any moment and soar into the clouds.

Zhu Chongjiu thought to himself, "This is a top-tier Emperor-level beast!" You must know, this level of beast is extremely rare and precious. Wild ones are a rare sight these days, even in the Flaming Mountain Forbidden Land!

Looking at the person riding on the back of the fiery dragon steed, he was even more imposing and powerful, like an unshakeable mountain. He wore a crimson cloak of armor, a unique design that only protected a few vital parts of his body. The rest of his exposed skin was clearly visible—a deep, almost blackish red, as if scorched by a raging fire—and muscles that looked as if they had been forged through countless trials and tribulations. Every muscle was sharply defined, brimming with power, inspiring awe and fear.

Just outside the city gate, upon seeing Zhu Chongjiu, he rode his Flying Fire Dragon Steed and approached Zhu Chongjiu with a hearty laugh, saying, "This must be the Ninth Prince of the Ruixue Kingdom that my subordinates have mentioned. I am so sorry for not greeting you sooner!"

Then, with some doubt, he said to Zhu Chongjiu, "However, judging from your appearance, the Prince of the same rank is a bit younger than me, so it's not quite appropriate to call you Ninth Brother!"

Zhu Chongjiu looked at the Flame Emperor in front of him, who had a smiling face but was secretly trying to intimidate him, and his heart was also chilled!

Zhu Chongjiu moved his internal energy and gently shook it, repelling the violent fire elemental aura released by the Fire Emperor. At the same time, he smiled and replied, "There's nothing I can do about it. My name was given to me by my parents and I can't change it. King Lai Xun also calls me that, and I haven't seen him seem unhappy about it!"

Upon seeing Zhu Chongjiu's move, the Flame Emperor showed no displeasure whatsoever; instead, his laughter grew even louder. He exclaimed, "As expected, you live up to your reputation! To possess such strength at such a young age is truly remarkable. You are indeed a powerful figure who could easily defeat seven Emperor-level demonic beasts at once. It seems my subordinate has not been bluffing!"

"Then Ninth Brother, since you are of equal status with King Nalai Xun, then you are also of equal status with me. Come, follow me into the city for a detailed discussion. Otherwise, if you, the Ruixue Kingdom, find out that we, the Flame Empire, are not hospitable, we will be left standing here outside!"