According to the Belizi family records, exotic creatures often breed here, and powerful beings lurk silently around the Frostflame Flower, but no intelligent species have ever emerged.
The scene before him cast a gloom over Sorcerer Solomon’s heart.
Without waiting for his reaction, the ferocity of the Fire Racoon tribe filled the sky as they charged across the sea of flames toward the other side of the lake with an overwhelming momentum.
“Boys, follow me!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
In the middle of the Magma Lake, more magma giants emerged from the surface, smaller in stature than the first batch, and as soon as they appeared, they followed the men up front with a murderous aura.
It was hard to believe that there weren’t sworn enemies on the other side of the lake.
“Sorcerer Solomon, should we take action?”
“Let’s wait and see. The Frostflame Flower is not so easily picked.”
Even as the surface of the lake transformed dramatically, Solomon remained unmoved. He knew there were many competitors this time, and only those who could keep their composure would have the last laugh.
However, it wasn’t long before there was a change deep in the Magma Lake.
They could clearly see a column of light shooting into the sky from a certain location, surrounded by brilliant colorful lights, very conspicuous. It was exactly where the Frostflame Flower was located.
“The Frostflame Flower is mature,” Solomon said gravely, meaning it was time to act.
He glanced at Ivan and Doug, and the two nodded resolutely back at him.
Then, a party of six stepped into the Magma Lake, and where they tread, the flames parted to create a path. The Swamp Ant followed closely behind Ivan, and the Silkworm Queen was perched on Locke’s shoulder.
As high-level creatures, being light as a feather and leaving no trace on water was nothing out of the ordinary.
Luckily, no other magma giants emerged from the lake, and the group silently followed the Fire Racoon tribe’s team, continually advancing toward the other side of the lake.
Ivan was cautious of his footing, always feeling as if there was more than just a group of magma giants hidden in the lake.
Frustratingly, their perception was severely suppressed. They could only sense less than ten meters below the surface of the lake, unable to fathom what truly lay at the depths of the lake.
“Be careful,” he whispered.
Following the Fire Racoon tribe to the back end of the lake, the thickness of the sea of flames beneath their feet was nearly a meter thick. The flames, in a peculiar gray-orange hue, whirled around, with the fire-type particles in the vicinity being especially active, even bordering on frenzied.
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It could ignite with just a spark.
The memory was still fresh; the Ice-Fire bird had started to struggle in this area, a cautionary tale for all.
As expected, they hadn’t walked thirty steps when columns of fire burst from the surface of the lake. Fortunately, they weren’t completely devoid of perception; they sensed the energy’s rapid shift and dodged the surging fire columns in time.
There were also spontaneously formed magma whirlpools, sudden gusts of poisonous smoke, and instantaneous fire lightning, among other things.
Thanks to Ivan and his companions’ cunning, they narrowly avoided danger and drew ever closer to the Frostflame Flower, now finally in sight.
“This is indeed a tough nut to crack.”
They all took a sharp intake of breath.
Here one could vividly see surrounding the Frostflame Flower; the area was filled with a ‘Heaven and Earth Net’, with a large amount of scorching sky fire floating in mid-air, boiling mist poised to strike, omnipresent lightning, and dark, dull wind floss—
These elements formed a strange and fragile balance.
It wasn’t hard to predict that once a creature broke in, the balance would be shattered, and it would be faced with an overwhelming force, a situation where survival would be slim.
“Can we go up?” Ivan couldn’t help asking.
When the Frostflame Flower matured, a column of light broke through the sky, opening a gap in the Heaven and Earth Net. Although the gap was slowly closing, it was presently there.
However, taking the gap above would require quick action, or else the gap would close completely.
“It’s quite risky above. It’s more appropriate to go by way of the lake bed beneath.” Solomon, having taken in all the elements at play before him, churned his thoughts frantically in his head and decided to implement the plan he had long prepared.
“Lead the way. Just command us if you need anything,” Ivan reminded him.
Truth be told, he and Doug were just there to assist, and how they should proceed would have to be determined by Solomon.
At this moment, the other side of the lake also came into their view. It was not the anticipated scene filled with icicles, but rather a Cold Water Lake emitting an unusual chill, with cold mists rising like smog, forming a layer over the surface of the lake.
Battling with the Fire Racoon tribe were a group of Cold Water Giants, their roars and punches unrestrained, creating a remarkably intense scene.
Neither group of giants noticed—or if they did, they didn’t care—that four unwelcome parties had joined their vicinity.
As the saying goes, ‘enemies often cross each other’s paths.’ Solomon and Kedaf were on the Magma Lake side, while Dira and You Lei were on the Cold Water Lake side. The four were searching for the right moment to act, while the others waited for their commands.
Time passed bit by bit in the tense atmosphere.
“Gah gah gah!”
Three voices, sounding like a ghastly wail of ghosts and howls of wolves, abruptly captured the attention of the waiting crowd around.
They looked up to the sky above the magma lake to see a short-haired, three-headed bird flying in. Its wings stirred the twisted force field around it into a turmoil, yet the bird itself seemed completely unaffected, making the sorcerers below twitch in apprehension.
This creature was a born troublemaker.
The three-headed bird was fast, reaching the vicinity of the Frostflame Flower after only a few flaps of its wings, tearing at the protective barrier with its sharp beak and claws as if it were digging a hole.
“Let’s wait and see,”
Solomon, containing his restlessness, said to the two beside him.
Before the eyes of the onlookers, the three-headed bird indeed tore a gap in the “Heaven and Earth Net”, eagerly diving into it. Its body seemingly squeezed into a narrow passage, undergoing a corresponding deformation.
“How is there such pressure there without any barriers?”
“Who knows, the rules of the Nine-Colored Pit are different from the outside world. It’s not surprising whatever types of creatures may emerge.”
This behavior rendered Ivan and his companions speechless; the fierce energy around them was somewhat like air, and it seemed absurd and uncanny that the three-headed bird was deformed by the pressure of the air.
Regardless of how the others saw it, the three-headed bird had found the correct path to the Frostflame Flower. It writhed and struggled, inching closer to the flower without triggering a violent response from the “Heaven and Earth Net.”
Once the three-headed bird succeeded, the rest would have come in vain.
“Let’s watch a little longer.”
Seeing the others looking towards him, Solomon shook his head slightly, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on the scene.
As the three-headed bird got closer to the Frostflame Flower, Solomon could contain his emotions, but that didn’t mean other creatures could do the same.
“How insolent! What creature dares disturb my domain? I am the lord of the magma lake; leave at once!”
Following a resonant and thunderous rebuke, the magma lake began to undulate greatly, and with a bulge on the surface, a pair of immensely muscular arms broke through the magma, followed by an enormous head.
Ivan and his two companions, standing on the sidelines, were taken aback by the disturbance and hastily retreated to avoid the affected area.
Their expressions were grave.
Generally speaking, those referred to as ‘lords’ were often Level 4 or higher creatures, and Level 4 was not even on the same plane as Level 3. Enemies of such caliber were the very last adversaries they wished to encounter.
Soon enough, a magma giant over one hundred fifty meters tall emerged above the lake surface, with flames and magma cheering for its arrival.
Of greater interest was that the magma giant was enveloped by a Domain Aura, which greedily absorbed the fire essence surrounding it.
“It’s not a Level 4 lord,” Solomon stated decisively.
The group retreated further, and upon hearing his words, they breathed a sigh of relief.
“However, it’s likely embarking on its transformation stage and may have gained a sliver of a lord’s power. We need to treat this carefully,” Solomon pondered for a moment, then added.
Such a magma giant, although not at Level 4, could be considered a ‘pseudo-fourth level’ creature, clearly surpassing Level 3 by a large margin.
Without a doubt, this being also came for the Frostflame Flower, and it was probable that it had long been guarding the flower until its maturation, considering the flower its own property.
“Foolish creature!”
The lord of the magma lake began to act, stretching out its flame-covered hands, dripping with magma, and without regard for the dangers within the “Heaven and Earth Net,” it reached astoundingly fast towards the three-headed bird.
“Gah gah gah!”
The three-headed bird sensed the looming threat and struggled even more violently, rushing towards the Frostflame Flower.
As the fiery hand passed, the fragile stability of the “Heaven and Earth Net” was shattered, flames exploded wildly, thunder roared, and chaos ensued.
The magma lake lord, however, did not care and kept reaching for the three-headed bird.
“Fire savage, you’re seeking death!”
Upon witnessing this spectacle, another lurking creature could no longer contain itself.
With a gruff curse, Cold Water Lake also churned, and a ‘Cold Lake Lord’ emerged.
“You deceitful creature, do not think you can fool the Cold Lake Lord. I will not grant you any opportunity to steal the Holy Water; abandon such hopes,” it declared.
The Cold Lake Lord was similar in height to its adversary and was also surrounded by a visible Domain Aura.
With the Frostflame Flower between them, it too reached out quickly towards the arm of the magma lake lord, determined to thwart the underhanded giant.
The Frostflame Flower’s surrounding “Heaven and Earth Net” suffered a disaster after the interference of the two behemoths.
An uncanny three-headed bird and two terrifying pseudo-lords.
With these complex factors at play, the difficulty of claiming the Frostflame Flower for the others soared.
At that moment, the expressions of the four descendants of the Belizi family darkened as if ink could drip from their faces.