The instant the magma curtain burst through, both their defenses shattered, yet they barely managed to withstand that near-fatal strike. Black energy and red mist seemed to intertwine, churning as they fled into the distance, deliberately avoiding a straight line, darting up and down like a small skiff in a furious sea. The colossal Flame Giant, seeing its two intended prey escape, roared its rage repeatedly, a deafening sound. Jets of magma erupted from the holes dotting its massive body, shooting toward them.

It was only thanks to their erratic flight path that the Flame Giant couldn't lock onto the two nimble "flies." After several dozen breaths, they finally shook off the incredibly strong but not particularly fast giant, at least moving beyond its immediate striking range.

Lei Dong dared not relax and continued his explosive escape forward. Qi Feifei, her face pale, grit her teeth and followed desperately. They traveled at top speed for the time it takes an incense stick to burn before they were utterly exhausted and their pace slowed.

Covered in sweat, Lei Dong forced himself to rally, unleashing his vast divine sense to sweep the area below. The oppressive heat of the magma zone significantly hampered his spiritual probing. After a long while, Lei Dong cautiously confirmed that a natural cavern near a lava pool seemed safe. Only then did he gently guide the nearly collapsing Qi Feifei downward.

Slipping into the cavern, an intensely scorching aura hit them head-on. But at this point, they couldn't afford to care about comfort. He released all his Ghost Guards, Soldiers, and the Soul-Devouring Shadow Tiger, setting them to guard the perimeter. He then retrieved two Gui Yuan Pills, intending to use one each to forcibly restore their strength. However, Qi Feifei weakly stopped him: "Senior Brother Lei, try Feifei's pills." With that, she took out a crystal-clear jade vial from her storage bracelet.

At that moment, Lei Dong didn't stand on ceremony. He summoned the vial and, upon opening it, inhaled a fragrant aroma that instantly invigorated his languid spirit. Inside the vial were two pills, the size of a dragon's eye, translucent and crystalline, radiating ethereal spiritual energy.

"Huan Ling Elixir of the Mists? How extravagant?" Lei Dong's expression froze. The top disciples of premier sects were indeed quite profligate.

"It's the Lesser Huan Ling Elixir," Qi Feifei chuckled softly upon seeing Lei Dong's complex look. Her weakness, surprisingly, stripped away some of her allure, replacing it with a fragile charm. "If Senior Brother likes it, Feifei has a few more."

"Still quite extravagant. Enough talk; we need to recover our strength immediately." Lei Dong felt utterly depleted, a feeling different from the exhaustion after utilizing the Tian Wei Transformation during his usual cultivation. This was the exhaustion mixed with the lingering, boundless fatigue following a brush with death, permeating his spirit, soul, and very being.

In this incredibly perilous and shattered landscape, Lei Dong dared not let his guard down. He gave one pill to Qi Feifei and immediately ingested his own Lesser Huan Ling Elixir. Instantly, he felt abundant spiritual energy surging from his lower abdomen, spreading throughout all his meridians and limbs. Lei Dong hastily sat down cross-legged, gripping a high-grade spirit stone, focusing entirely on circulating his Qi.

In barely half the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the true Qi within him was fully restored, with residual medicinal power leaving Lei Dong vibrant and spirited.

Just as he was about to rise and express his admiration for how truly superior the Lesser Huan Ling Elixir was for recovery, a sudden, faint tremor seized his heart—a wondrous sensation arose. An impulse suddenly sparked within him: the urge to meditate, circulate Qi, and attempt a breakthrough to the next level.

Lei Dong was ecstatic. He knew this was the legendary harbinger of advancement, usually occurring after surviving a genuine trial or skirting the edge of death. Yet, Lei Dong felt he had never experienced such a marvelous sensation before. But he also knew such feelings were fleeting. If he didn't seize it properly, waiting for the next chance would be a remote, faint hope.

He made his decision instantly. After exhaling a heavy breath of stale air, he calmed his mind and spirit, guiding the true Qi within his body to slowly perform a grand circulation through his meridians. Once, twice. And with each cycle, the true Qi within him miraculously grew purer and more concentrated.

At that moment, Lei Dong seemed to enter a state of transcendent emptiness, his breathing frequency aligning perfectly with the pulse of heaven and earth. He was heaven and earth; heaven and earth were him.

He didn't know how long passed before Lei Dong slowly opened his eyes. Before him remained the dim, hot scene of the cavern, but the texture and detail of everything he saw seemed clearer than before, discernible down to the finest thread. However, the high-grade spirit stone in his hand had been completely drained of its spiritual energy; with a squeeze, it crumbled into dull crystal dust.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Lei, congratulations!" Immediately, Qi Feifei's soft, charming voice reached him, filled with undisguised joy.

Lei Dong slowly rose, his bones cracking like bursting beans with a crisp sound. An indescribable feeling of comfort and lightness surged through his body. Both his strength and divine sense had made a significant leap. Unable to contain his joy, he chuckled lightly, "It's just advancing to the third layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage, not reaching the Golden Core Dao. What's there to congratulate?" Yet, inwardly, he mused that coming to this Heart Cleansing Palace was the right choice; even without obtaining the Heart Cleansing Fruit, the opportunity to break through to the third layer of Foundation Establishment made the trip worthwhile.

Seeing Qi Feifei standing a few feet away, clutching her damaged crimson silk sash, looking vigilant and somewhat fatigued, Lei Dong's favorable impression of her increased considerably. Though she was guarding him for her own safety, at least this woman wasn't foolish and knew how to adapt.

"How long has it been?" Lei Dong knew that breaking through this stage wasn't a matter of mere moments.

"Not long, only two days," Qi Feifei covered her mouth, smiling brightly. "Senior Brother is speaking grandly. If breaking through the bottleneck were that easy, why did you stay stuck at the peak of the second layer of Foundation Establishment for so long?"

Two days already...

Lei Dong sighed and shook his head. "It seems those two unknown people have already cleared this Black Tower, and it's not our turn. Let's find the next tower and move on quickly." Lei Dong felt that his strength had never been as powerful and abundant as it was now; he had an urge to vent it.

"Quite the opposite. Those two are still gathered there, not having started yet," Qi Feifei's mood brightened slightly, giggling continuously. "They've probably hit a snag."

"Come, let's go take a look." Now having advanced to the third layer of Foundation Establishment, Lei Dong felt significantly more confident than before.

Just as he prepared to recall his Ghost Guards and slip away, the small lava pool near where Lei Dong had been meditating suddenly began to tremble slightly. From the depths of the cavern, a roar that sounded like a mix between a tiger and a lion erupted, carrying extraordinary might. Lei Dong's expression shifted slightly; remembering the previous savagery of the Flame Giant, he intended to retreat for stability, but Qi Feifei quickly called out: "Senior Brother Lei, wait! Its roar sounds a bit strange."

Lei Dong focused his mind and recalled the sound. Indeed, it was unusual—it sounded like the furious and sorrowful roar of a ferocious beast that had been wounded.

Boom... Another tremor shook the area.

From the depths of the cavern came another roar. This time, Lei Dong heard it even more clearly. He could almost confirm that the beast below was currently fighting something and appeared to be badly injured.

"I'll send a Ghost Guard infused with my divine sense to investigate." As he spoke, Lei Dong merged his consciousness with one of his natal Ghost Servants, the Phantasmal Ghost Guard. This guard had reached the peak of the third level, quite formidable. Moreover, it specialized in stealth and speed, making escape easier if danger arose.

Lei Dong held his breath and focused his spirit, attaching the majority of his divine sense to the Phantasmal Ghost Guard. Its form drifted ethereally, like a faint shadow, slipping into the winding depths of the cavern. Following a sweep of (yin mist), the Ghost Guard vanished from sight, undetectable by ordinary means. Only those with superior cultivation and profound divine sense could faintly perceive the ripples in the air.

The stealthy Ghost Guard did not move quickly, but even so, in less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, it had silently advanced hundreds of feet. At this distance, Lei Dong's divine sense could no longer keep up. He had no choice but to call Qi Feifei, and they proceeded cautiously toward the guard.

At this point, the Phantasmal Ghost Guard looked like a patch of transparent, light mist, gradually reaching a vast, natural cavern at the very deepest end of the tunnel system. The surrounding rock walls of this cavern were dark red, and in the very center sat a lava pool, churning and bubbling relentlessly. The magma in this pool seemed intensely hot, glowing with a white radiance.

Most remarkably, in the middle of that modest lava pool, a lotus flower grew. This lotus was crystal red, and the unopened flower buds on its stem were a vivid red and pink, resembling a blooming flower of fire. This flower was on the verge of wilting. Hanging from the stem was a bowl-shaped seed pod, its surface radiating a fiery red hue, with individual seeds appearing swollen and ready to burst.

As Lei Dong and his expectations suggested, two exotic beasts were locked in a desperate life-or-death struggle within the cavern. One resembled a lion mixed with a tiger, completely dark red, possessing a long tail. Though only about ten feet in size, it was extraordinarily agile and fierce. Strangely, a thin, almost imperceptible layer of flame enveloped its body.

Although this Purgatorial Lion-Tiger was ferocious and not weak, its opponent was equally formidable.

It was a massive python, also wreathed in flames, stretching fully seventy to eighty feet long. This python differed from the common snakes found in deep mountains and vast waters; its body was entirely fiery red, and a small, menacing horn protruded from its forehead, marking it as exceptionally violent.

At the moment, it was coiled in a serpentine formation, cautiously confronting the Purgatorial Lion-Tiger, emitting hissing sounds. Although both creatures were extraordinary, they were keenly guarding against each other, seemingly unaware of the Ghost Guard's silent infiltration.

Through the Ghost Guard's senses, Lei Dong roughly identified these two creatures, in addition to the strange fire lotus within the churning white lava pool.