Deep in Hell, Pei Yan didn't have the luxury, like Lin Ruxue, to ponder the conspiracy behind this competition. After two months of delving into the Sealed Land, he gradually narrowed down the search area under the guidance of that map, finally locking onto the location of the ultimate target of his trip, the Divine Artifact, Heavenbreaker.
And during these two months, Pei Yan could hardly count how many battles he'd been through. As he delved deeper, the enemies he encountered grew stronger, and the battles became more intense. In the recent half-month's battles, he faced enemies even he couldn't fight against in numbers greater than two at a time. He could only choose to fight while retreating, seizing opportunities to eliminate pursuers during movement.
The grueling battles over the past two months, suppressing mechanical powers, left Pei Yan with many scars. As he anticipated, these battles allowed him to fully integrate his strength, enabling him to create a set of his own combat maneuvers. Although this set only comprised four moves due to time constraints, Pei Yan believed that with the right opportunities and enough time, he could fully develop this lethal set.
Hovering in mid-air, Pei Yan looked down at the glowing map in his hand. Observing its desperate attempt to break free and fly into the valley, he was almost certain that the Divine Artifact, Heavenbreaker, was within this valley.
Unexpectedly, as he drew closer to the valley, the Hell Beasts, which had been relentlessly pursuing him, stopped chasing, as if receiving a unified command. They blocked his retreat in a fan shape and maintained a certain distance, quietly observing his every move.
This change made Pei Yan suspicious, unsure of the beasts' intentions. Was there a more powerful presence in the valley deterring them, or was it a strategy to draw the tiger out to devour the wolf? It couldn't be! He detected no strong presence within this valley.
No matter! Having come this far, Pei Yan decided to press on, even if the leader Candle Dragon was here. For safety, he was prepared to unleash his full potential, eliminating any restraints and using mechanical power. After acquiring the Divine Artifact, he planned to summon the Demon God and exit the Sealed Land immediately.
However, before entering the valley, he had to resolve a lingering issue.
"Come out! If you keep hiding, don't blame me for being rude!" At the mouth of the valley, Pei Yan descended to the ground, shouting sternly into the void.
Despite his call, the surroundings remained silent. After a long while with no response, Pei Yan frowned, anger rising. His hand instinctively reached for the knife at his waist.
"Wait! I'll come out! Don't draw your knife, we can talk! Don't attack me! I won't harm you! Give me a chance, let's talk!"
Turning, Pei Yan noticed the monster emerging before him from the void. A subtle smile formed as his hand lazily rested on the sword hilt. This action clearly startled the creature, causing it to retreat a few steps. From its ugly insect face, Pei Yan could see that appearing alone in front of him, having separated from the Hell Beasts, took great courage. Despite his threatening demeanor, it was determined not to forgo the chance to speak with him.
"Talk? Are you sent as a representative of those Hell Beasts? Looking to get a piece of the pie?" Seeing its fear, Pei Yan decided not to toy with it further, raising his hands away from the sword and stepping back, smiling as he asked.
He was also curious about why this chubby, foul-smelling, pocked insect sought him out. From his influence, he knew this bug never attacked again after being injured initially. Yet it didn't leave, trailing him amid the Hell Beasts to this place.
"No, no, no! You misunderstand; I'm not here for them but for myself! I want to negotiate a deal?" The insect wiggled its large body, fearing Pei Yan's misunderstanding, and quickly explained.
"A deal?" Pei Yan widened his eyes in disbelief. Along the way, he'd conversed during battles with Hell Beasts. They've cursed him, taunted him, tried getting information from him about the outside world, but no one ever proposed a deal, which piqued Pei Yan's curiosity. Tilting his head in interest, he asked, "What is it you want to trade?"
"I want something from you!" The insect boldly stated, moving forward slightly.
"You're not going to say you want my life, are you? That poor joke isn't funny at all!" Pei Yan lightly patted his Storage Ring, taking out a cigarette, lighting it in his mouth, observing the insect's distorted expression. He noticed, when he opened the Storage Ring, the insect's eyes showed clear greed.
"No! I'm no match for you. Those Hell Beasts of lordly stature couldn't prevail against you; what chance do I have? I only seek something insignificant from your Storage Ring. If you hand it over, I'll accept any price!"
Listening to the sincere plea of the insect, Pei Yan touched his Storage Ring, puzzled, "What exactly do you want? Be straightforward! I have many items in my ring; how would I know what you want?"
"A flower! A fiery red flower!" The insect hastily described the item it desired.
"A flower? You're certain? Did I even collect flowers?" Pei Yan listened to this strange request, scratching his head in a bout of recollection.
"Yes! That's right! A flower! I can't be wrong! When you first used the Storage Ring in battle, I sensed the aura of it, calling to me from within your Storage Ring. It's a summoning of the essence of life for me, and I can't be mistaken! Each time you've opened the Storage Ring along the way confirmed my suspicion!"
Seeing the sincerity in the insect's words, Pei Yan, still dubious, placed his finger on the Storage Ring, searching meticulously. It didn't take long before he found the flower the insect described, and casually pinched it in his hand. Looking at the brilliantly red flower in his palm, he suddenly recalled its origin.
That was when he first entered the Hell Plane and encountered the enslaving army, trapped in a valley by force. In the fierce battle with the Disaster Legion army, he'd spotted this peculiar flower surviving in the blazing lava spewed by Magma Insects, standing firm in the crevices of the cliff. At that time, believing it to be some rare treasure, he risked returning to collect it.
