The moment the beastly roar echoed, Xiaoqiu, perched beside Lin Feng, twitched its ears. Its body instinctively arched, muscles tensing as it fixed its gaze intensely outward.
Lin Feng also halted his task, rising to his feet and cautiously scanning the surroundings. The source of the sound was far away; neither his divine sense nor his naked eyes detected anything specific. Frowning slightly towards the direction of the disturbance, he murmured to himself, "Could someone have encountered a powerful demonic beast?"
After a moment's consideration, Lin Feng decided to investigate. If it's just a normal fight between beasts, I'll leave it be. But if it's one of the fellow cultivators from this expedition in trouble, I should offer help.
He swiftly headed towards the source. Halfway there, another furious roar, laced with rage, pierced the air. Before long, after cresting a small hill, a wave of intense heat washed over him. Lin Feng finally saw his target: on a thousand-meter peak ahead, a massive demonic beast silhouette flashed briefly before vanishing from sight.
Lin Feng's brow furrowed slightly as he scrutinized the mountain. To his surprise, it appeared to be an active volcano! Black smoke billowed relentlessly from its summit, and the surrounding air was thick with falling ash and dust.
Though he'd glimpsed the beast, Lin Feng saw no other cultivators. A wave of confusion washed over him. There were also no signs of battle nearby. Could this not involve cultivators at all?
He advanced cautiously further, nearing the very foot of the volcano. Still, he sensed no further commotion. He stopped, pondered for a moment, then shook his head silently. Seems I was overly concerned. Turning around, he prepared to leave the area.
"Qiu qiu!!"
Just then, Xiaoqiu on his shoulder suddenly let out a series of excited chirps! One tiny claw tugged urgently at Lin Feng's hair, while the other pointed insistently towards the volcano ahead.
"Hmm? A discovery?" Lin Feng paused, a flicker of hope lighting his eyes. "Is there spirit treasure on that mountain?"
"Qiu!!" Xiaoqiu nodded vigorously with unmistakable certainty.
Lin Feng's interest was instantly reignited. Judging by Xiaoqiu's reaction, it had detected something valuable – definitely not something to miss. He immediately changed his mind, setting off towards the mountain path once more.
The ambient temperature had already risen to levels unbearable for ordinary people, but for a Golden Core cultivator like Lin Feng, it was manageable. However, he hadn't forgotten the beast lurking above. Activating his spirit light barrier to envelop himself, he channeled his true essence, ready to react instantly to any sudden threat.
"Huh?! This is…"
Only halfway up the mountainside, Lin Feng suddenly stiffened, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise and doubt. He felt the Magma Flame within him abruptly stir, becoming restless, as if strongly stimulated by something!
He had felt this sensation before… back in the Black Mist Herb Valley when he encountered the Yang Flame Essence Crystal!
Realization dawned, flooding him with exhilaration. "Could it be… could the treasure above be a spirit material capable of evolving a hetero-flame?!" he whispered aloud.
This was an active volcano, a place saturated with intense fire spirit energy – precisely the kind of environment likely to nurture precious fire-attribute treasures. The more Lin Feng thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Eagerness surged within him, and he quickened his pace towards the summit.
...
However, completely absorbed by the changes in his internal Magma Flame and wholly focused on the potential treasure above, Lin Feng failed to notice a pair of eyes watching him stealthily from another location on the same mountainside. Concealed behind a narrow fissure within a jumble of rocks, the observer remained unseen.
Only after Lin Feng's figure vanished over the rim of the summit did the person hiding within the rocks slowly emerge. This individual… was none other than Yu Youtian!!
Yu Youtian's face was deathly pale, his hair disheveled and wild, presenting a picture of utter wretchedness. He stared at the spot where Lin Feng had disappeared, his eyes filled with shock and utter disbelief. Stunned, he muttered, voice trembling, "How is this possible… How can it be him… How is he still alive?! Does that mean Master… no… impossible!!"
Defeated by Lei Yan earlier, Yu Youtian had fled with severe injuries. He'd hidden desperately, hoping for Wu Pang to find and rescue him. Wu Pang never came. Instead, a demonic beast discovered his refuge. Barely escaping by sheer instinct, he had been relentlessly pursued. In his panic, he stumbled upon this volcano. Just as the beast was about to overtake him, it inexplicably halted, seemingly distracted by something far more intriguing on the summit. It abandoned the chase, lumbering upwards instead. Overwhelmed with relief, Yu Youtian was about to make his escape when he sensed another presence approaching. He hastily hid again. The sheer impossibility of recognizing Lin Feng as the newcomer shattered his comprehension.
In his mind, Yu Ping and Lin Feng should have been eliminated by his master and Wu Luosen. Yet, here was Lin Feng, appearing completely unharmed. It was unacceptable. The implications for Wu Pang and Wu Luosen's fate plunged him into deeper despair.
Though riddled with questions, Yu Youtian knew he couldn't linger. Casting one last glance filled with a potent mix of fear and hatred towards the summit, he turned and swiftly vanished into the dense jungle below the mountain...
...
Unaware that the enemy he sought had just slipped right past him, Lin Feng now stood on the rim of a massive volcanic crater, his expression grave as he peered downwards.
The crater stretched roughly a hundred meters wide and plunged terrifyingly deep, easily three to four hundred meters. Through the billowing smoke and ash, the ominous glow of magma far below was faintly visible.
Both Xiaoqiu's insistent pointing and the intense pull from his hetero-flame indicated that the treasure lay within this crater, deep down. This presented a significant challenge. Even with protective artifacts and true essence, Lin Feng wasn't confident he could withstand the extreme temperatures near the volcanic depths. This environment was exponentially more dangerous than the underground magma pool where he had acquired the Magma Flame.
The ambient spiritual energy here was wildly unstable. Fire spirit energy was overwhelmingly dense, yet also chaotic and turbulent to the point of disrupting divine sense. Lin Feng's probing senses swept downwards but couldn't pinpoint the exact location of the object he sought.
With divine sense proving unreliable and his vision obscured by thick smoke, Lin Feng observed for a while longer. Growing impatient, he simply conjured a wind-based spell. A fierce gale instantly swept through the crater, scattering the choking clouds of ash and smoke.
"ROAR!!!"
The instant the obscuring haze was blown aside, just as Lin Feng leaned forward to get a clearer view, a thunderous bellow erupted from his lower right! A massive form launched itself upwards like a cannonball, hurtling towards him with savage ferocity!
"BOOM!!!"
The impact was colossal. Rocks exploded outwards. The spot where Lin Feng had been standing was obliterated, replaced by a jagged gap. A demonic beast the size of a small car landed heavily amidst the debris. However, its crushing weight found only empty rock beneath its flaming claws.
The creature resembled a lizard in body but possessed a head disturbingly akin to a leopard's – grotesque and terrifying. Its entire form shimmered with heat, and actual flames licked around its four powerful claws. The rock beneath its feet began to visibly soften and melt. The beast glanced down, a flicker of confusion in its eyes, before sensing movement and snapping its gaze forward. About ten meters away, Lin Feng stood calmly, observing it with detached interest.
"Peak Tier 3, fire-attribute beast," Lin Feng noted aloud, a hint of relief in his voice. "Drawn here by the spirit treasure as well, I suppose?"
He had never forgotten about this beast. He'd sensed its attack a split second before it launched, allowing him to evade effortlessly. Though unfamiliar with its specific species, a mere peak Tier 3 beast posed no significant threat to him now.
"ROAR!!" Clearly uninterested in conversation, the beast roared again, coiling its muscles for another lunge.
"Whoosh!! Thwack!!"
But the moment it left the ground, a thin streak of violet light shot through the air with impossible speed. Unavoidable, it pierced cleanly through the beast's skull. By the time the creature's body crashed limply at Lin Feng's feet, its life force had completely evaporated.
The Demon Light Ring. Instant kill.
Casually storing the beast's carcass, Lin Feng turned his attention back to the now-cleared crater. After another moment of scrutiny, he summoned his Crimson Soul Flying Sword. Stepping onto it, he began to cautiously descend into the fiery abyss...