"Hiss..."
The moment the object touched his palm, Lin Feng felt a searing pain and almost instinctively flung it away. He hastily channeled his true essence, creating an invisible force that lifted the object, levitating it above his palm.
Looking down, he saw that the palm area of his right-hand glove was already scorched through with a charred hole. His heart lurched. That was a top-grade treasure artifact glove! It had been ruined instantly. If he hadn't reacted quickly, his own flesh would have been burned. His gaze shifted upwards, finally discerning the object suspended above his palm: a red pearl about the size of a longan. Strangely, it didn't seem solid; it resembled a small globule of gelatin.
Lin Feng's knowledge wasn't sufficient to identify this item. Yet, he distinctly felt an unusual stir within the Molten Rock Fire residing inside him. It seemed to resonate with something, pulsing with an 'excitement'.
This reaction confirmed Lin Feng's suspicion – this had to be the special material capable of upgrading the Molten Rock Fire!
The sheer luck of finding it sent another wave of elation through him. He felt a profound relief that he had taken that final glance back; otherwise, he would have missed it entirely. It also explained why the surrounding cavern walls were studded with high-grade ore veins, yet the ceiling above the pool was barren. This object must have absorbed all the 'resources', preventing the formation of other high-grade mineral materials around it.
What was it called? How was it used? Lin Feng had no answers. He would have to search for more detailed texts on strange fires once back in the city and figure it out himself through experimentation. The prize was in his possession; there was no need to rush now.
Convinced there were no more treasures left to find, Lin Feng steadied his mind and turned towards the location of the collapsed passage.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
With flying swords leading the way, Lin Feng encountered little difficulty. He swiftly excavated a new tunnel through the collapsed section. Once through, he entered the original passageway and strode quickly inward...
Meanwhile, halfway up Chiyan Mountain, a group waited anxiously outside a cave entrance – Zheng Kai and the others.
Forced to retreat after the collapse blocked the passage deeper, they were all deeply worried about Lin Feng and Changgong Xiaojing. Staying put deep within the mountain was reckless, given the constant threat of the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King's return. Their only option had been to withdraw to the cave entrance to wait – hoping Lin Feng and Changgong Xiaojing would emerge, and also anticipating the arrival of reinforcements.
The first hope felt slim, yet a thread of expectation persisted in their hearts. The second hope was more tangible; Wei Lie and Qin Xu had already raced back to Qingyun City for help.
Lu Yang had stayed behind to protect Zheng Kai and Kou Tingting, hence hadn't returned. However, Wei Lie and Qin Xu were tasked with notifying the Zheng family as well. It was certain that experts from all three families would soon arrive; after all, the heir of the Changgong family was involved – neither the Zheng nor the Lu families could stand idly by.
Lu Yang had actually suggested Zheng Kai and Kou Tingting return to the city to wait safely at home, but both adamantly refused. Unable to force them, he had relented.
Over an hour had passed since they emerged, yet it felt agonizingly long. Anxiety etched itself deeper onto every face.
"Why aren't they here yet... why aren't they here?"
Kou Tingting kept glancing towards the distant path, murmuring impatiently.
"Tingting, calm down. Help will be here soon. Xiaojing and the others will be fine," Zheng Kai reassured her, though his own heart churned with worry. Only an hour had passed. Even at full speed, Wei Lie and Qin Xu likely hadn't even cleared the Seven Peaks Forest yet. Bringing back reinforcements would take the better part of a day, regardless of their haste. Panicking now served no purpose.
"BOOM!!!"
Suddenly, the mountain beneath their feet rumbled violently. The tremor originated from deep within the earth!
"What was that?!"
Everyone's expression changed instantly. Surprisingly, Zhang Fangzhou reacted fastest, his voice a mix of joy and alarm. "It's Big Brother!! It must be Big Brother fighting that Tier 3 Fire-Tailed Scorpion again!!"
He was elated that Lin Feng had clearly survived the earlier collapse, but frantic because it meant Lin Feng was locked in combat with the deadly beast once more!
"Lin Feng? It's Lin Feng?!" Zheng Kai's heart clenched, realizing the likelihood. His face paled. "Disaster! He's encountered the Tier 3 scorpion again?! What do we do... what do we do?!"
"Xiaojing must be with Lin Feng! No! We have to go help them right now!!"
Kou Tingting was even more distraught. Impulsively, she made to dash back into the cave.
"Tingting! Danger! Stop!" Zheng Kai cried out in alarm, grabbing her arm firmly. He turned desperately to Lu Yang. "Uncle Lu... what should we do?"
"..." Lu Yang's expression shifted rapidly, caught in a dilemma. The rational course was clear: stay put and wait, not charge in recklessly. But knowing people inside were fighting the demon beast, facing mortal peril... could they truly just stand by?
"Damn it!! Forget this!! Let's go! We're going to back Big Brother up!!"
Lu Yang, thoughtful and cautious, weighed the options. Zhang Fangzhou, however, could bear it no longer. Call him impulsive, call him irrational – after a fierce internal struggle, he resolutely decided to return and help!
Without another word, Zhang Fangzhou plunged headlong back into the cave. Yao Wangtian and Xu Rong exchanged a glance, resolve hardening in their eyes, and immediately followed.
"Tch!! Let's go see!! If we encounter danger, you two prioritize protecting yourselves!"
Inspired by the courage shown by these wandering cultivators, Lu Yang gritted his teeth. He nodded sharply at Zheng Kai, then spun around and charged into the cave entrance, his speed surpassing Zhang Fangzhou and the others by several times.
"Tingting, stay close to me!!"
Zheng Kai spoke with urgent seriousness to Kou Tingting, then grabbed her hand and hurried after Lu Yang.
Kou Tingting, frantic with worry for Changgong Xiaojing, felt disoriented. She nodded numbly, letting Zheng Kai pull her back into the dark mountain tunnel.
Shortly after re-entering the cave, the tremors beneath their feet ceased. They sprinted all the way back to the end of the cavern, stopping at the site of the earlier collapse.
Frustration quickly replaced urgency – they knew the fight was happening deep below, but how could they get down there?
Lu Yang, the calmest, thought swiftly. "Since the battle is underground, it must be happening in a relatively open space – meaning a cavern or passage! There's likely another way down! Everyone, search carefully!!"
"Right!! Those Fire-Tailed Scorpions are expert diggers! There must be other tunnels! Let's find them!"
Zhang Fangzhou exclaimed fervently. With a wave to Yao Wangtian and Xu Rong, the trio began scouring the cavern walls meticulously.
Along the cavern walls, numerous holes pockmarked the rock – remnants of the earlier mass scorpion attack, where the creatures had burrowed out. However, these openings were mostly small, some too narrow to enter. Zhang Fangzhou and his brothers squeezed into a few, but found nothing substantial.
They searched for nearly an hour, but their efforts yielded nothing. A heavy sense of dread settled over them all.
"CRASH!!"
Just as they were combing the area, a muffled boom echoed from a spot not far behind them. Everyone jumped in surprise.
Reacting instantly, they all rushed towards the source of the sound. A section of the cavern wall had been blasted inward, creating a gaping hole. A silver figure burst through it.
"Xiaojing!!!"
Kou Tingting couldn't believe her eyes. After a stunned second, overwhelming joy surged through her, and she sprinted towards the figure.
The silver figure was Changgong Xiaojing, clutching Xiaoqiu tightly. Her face was etched with anxiety. Hearing Kou Tingting's cry, she blinked in surprise, instinctively turning her head. Her eyes widened as she saw Kou Tingting rushing towards her, followed closely by Zheng Kai and the others.
"Tingting!!" Relief and happiness washed over Changgong Xiaojing's features. She ran forward, meeting Kou Tingting halfway, and the two young women embraced tightly.
"Xiaojing, you're okay... thank goodness!" Kou Tingting sobbed, tears of joy streaming down her face, her voice thick with emotion.
"Yes, yes, I'm fine..." Changgong Xiaojing was equally overwhelmed, nodding vigorously. Seeing Lu Yang and the others approaching, her expression snapped back to urgency. "But... Lin Feng! Lin Feng is still down there!! He's trapped in a lava cavern... with that Tier 3 Fire-Tailed Scorpion!!"
Changgong Xiaojing swiftly recounted the events below. She focused on the critical moments: encountering the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King, and Lin Feng sacrificing himself to hold it back so she could escape. She omitted other details, including the matter of the strange fire entirely.
After escaping the collapsed area below, she had followed the passage upwards, only to encounter a bewildering maze of forks and tunnels – likely dug by the Scorpion King over time. Distraught and in a hurry, she wasted considerable time navigating the labyrinth. She had finally reached a dead end just moments ago. However, she realized the adjacent passage was separated only by a thin wall with cracks allowing fresh air to seep through. Thrilled, she immediately blasted through the barrier, emerging right before Kou Tingting and the others...
Hearing Changgong Xiaojing's account, Zheng Kai and the others were shocked and alarmed anew. They now knew for certain the earlier massive tremor had been caused by Lin Feng's battle with the Tier 3 demon beast. But what kind of clash could produce enough force to shake the entire Chiyan Mountain?
Naturally, they couldn't guess it was the Scorpion King's catastrophic self-destruction after its failed attempt to devour the strange fire.
"Big Brother, let's go down and find Boss Lin right now!!"
Yao Wangtian was the first to speak after Changgong Xiaojing finished. His expression was intense as he looked at Zhang Fangzhou, determination etched on his face.
Zhang Fangzhou, equally fired up, nodded emphatically. "Of course! Let's move!!"
The three brothers understood Lin Feng's capabilities better than the others. They knew about his flying swords and his White Tiger Soul Rending Talisman. This knowledge fueled their confidence; they even harbored the belief that Lin Feng might have already defeated the beast.
"No need... I've already come up."
Just as Zhang Fangzhou and the others prepared to charge into the tunnel Changgong Xiaojing had emerged from, a calm voice reached their ears. From the newly blasted opening in the wall, a figure stepped out unhurriedly...
It was Lin Feng!!