According to the knowledge Teng Qingshan had from his previous life, this magma layer was generally found tens of thousands of meters underground, although in some special areas, magma could surface at shallower depths. However, this was the Land of Kyushu; applying common sense from his former life on Earth was questionable. These thoughts flashed through Teng Qingshan’s mind in an instant.
“Lead the way ahead.” Teng Qingshan commanded.
“Yes, yes.” The lean man advanced along the edge of the fiery magma channel, maintaining a distance of at least several zhang from the magma’s edge, as the rising heat grew more terrifying the closer one got.
“Qingshan, this place is unbearably hot,” Teng Qinghu said, his forehead beaded with sweat.
Teng Qingshan continued to walk calmly, even positioning himself only one or two zhang from the magma, clearly feeling the blasts of heat rolling off the molten rock assaulting his body: “The temperature of this heat must be around one hundred degrees! Ordinary martial artists would indeed find it difficult to withstand such heat.”
One hundred degrees of hot air was negligible to Teng Qingshan’s formidable physique.
It was likely that only the temperature within the magma itself posed a slight threat to him. It was known that the tenacity of Teng Qingshan’s body surpassed that of alloys and steel; even the swords of first-rate martial artists could not harm him. Such a terrifying body possessed an extremely high limit for tolerable temperature.
“Esteemed sirs, the area around this underground fire magma is intensely hot and makes one desperately thirsty,” the lean man kept saying. “We are about two li ahead to where the Black Fire Spirit Fruit is located, but it is even hotter there.”
“Two li?” Teng Qingshan instructed, “Let’s move faster.”
“Yes.” The lean man immediately accelerated into a run.
As they ran, Teng Qingshan observed his surroundings. The solid rock near the magma flow was a dark black, while the surrounding mountain walls had a faintly whitish surface layer. When Teng Qingshan reached out to touch it, fragments of stone crumbled and fell like powder. Of course, beneath this surface layer, the interior remained extremely hard.
Moreover—
Beside the magma flow, there wasn't just one path; there were numerous tunnels crisscrossing the underground. However, the deeper one ventured into these tunnels, the darker it became, offering no clue as to what lay within.
“Where do these tunnels lead?” Teng Qingshan asked.
“I don’t know; I dare not wander into those damned places. When I came down, I just followed the line of the fire magma. I knew that following it would make it easier to find my way back out, hard to get lost,” the lean man explained. “The further we go, the hotter it gets. The spot where the Black Fire Spirit Fruit is located is the hottest place of all!”
They proceeded along the winding river course of the magma.
Gradually, Teng Qingshan noticed: “Hmm? The color of this magma flow has changed? When I first came down, I saw red magma. I hadn't paid attention along the way, but now it’s already orange.” Teng Qingshan distinctly felt the heat intensifying.
“The Black Fire Spirit Fruit is just ahead,” the lean man announced.
“Black Fire Spirit Fruit!” Du Hong and Teng Qinghu’s eyes also lit up, and they quickened their pace.
The further they advanced, the higher the temperature rose.
After rounding another bend, Teng Qingshan and the others arrived at a vast, open area. The former magma river had transformed into a ‘magma lake,’ nearly circular and spanning a dozen zhang across. The magma at the edges of this lake glowed orange, and as they neared the center, the color slowly shifted toward golden yellow. In the very core area, it was actually a blinding white!
In the center of the lake rested a black stone, upon which grew a translucent spiritual root. It bore black leaves and black fruit.
The spiritual root was mostly embedded within the stone, with only a short section protruding from the surface. It was mainly the leaves and the fruit that were visible.
At first glance, this black fruit appeared quite ordinary, unremarkable.
“Gurgle~~~”
Around the stone situated in the middle of the lake, magma surged upward ceaselessly, much like a spring, and this upwelling magma was white—blindingly white! It was like looking directly up at the sun, searing to the eyes!
“That white magma is magma at its extreme high-temperature state! As it flows outward, the temperature drops, and the color slowly changes,” Teng Qingshan stared at the dazzling white magma surging up. “Beneath that black rock, there must be a magma channel leading deep into the earth; the magma is gushing up from below! This white magma’s temperature is astonishing!”
Regarding the red magma, Teng Qingshan had even entertained the thought of immersing his body in it.
Of course, it was only a fleeting thought.
However…
Upon seeing the blinding white magma, even that notion vanished from Teng Qingshan’s mind: “Even with my physique, if I went into this white magma, I definitely wouldn’t survive.” He didn’t need to test it; just by looking at the magma, as white and blinding as the sun, Teng Qingshan understood.
“Beneath the white magma, the black stone in the lake center is not melting or deforming, nor has its color changed! It is absolutely not an ordinary stone,” Teng Qingshan realized that the black stone must also be a treasure.
But…
The black stone was in the middle of the lake, and it was enormous. No one knew how much volume of the black stone was hidden beneath the magma flow.
It was simply impossible to move!
“For the spiritual root to grow on such a stone, the root must be extraordinary.”
...
Just as the three of them were gazing at the magma lake in awe, the lean man suddenly gritted his teeth and bolted into the dark tunnel beside them.
“Commander! That brat is running away!” Du Hong shouted and immediately gave chase.
Teng Qingshan reacted the moment the lean man plunged into the tunnel and quickly followed. However, by the time Teng Qingshan and Du Hong reached the tunnel entrance, they saw the lean man had rounded a corner and vanished into an unknown passage.
“You stay here; I’ll pursue him,” Teng Qingshan commanded.
“Yes.” Du Hong obeyed.
They all understood that since the lean man knew the location of the Black Fire Spirit Fruit, he absolutely could not be allowed to escape. Otherwise, the Guiyuan Sect would not so easily obtain the fruit and its root.
...
Deep within the winding tunnels, every time the lean man saw another diverging path, he plunged straight ahead: “Running along the magma flow, back and forth, they will eventually catch up to me! I had no chance to escape in the white mist area, now I can only flee into these tunnels. It’s pitch black inside; perhaps I have a chance to get away!”
He closed his eyes and ran randomly.
Teng Qingshan alternated between sprinting and pausing, simultaneously mapping the path in his mind: “Left, left, right, left…” While he was faster than the runner, the tunnels were utterly dark. He couldn't see the man making turns. Teng Qingshan had to rely on his hearing.
So, he slowed down.
“Hmm…” Teng Qingshan stood at an intersection, listening intently. The sound of running was coming from ahead, but there was a sheer cliff face in front of him.
“Which way should I go?” Having undergone assassin training, simple route memorization was not an issue for Teng Qingshan.
Suddenly—
Teng Qingshan’s right foot shot out like an afterimage and slammed heavily against the rock face ahead. “Boom!” The rock exploded outwards. The stone, over a zhang thick, was kicked away. A large amount of rubble rained down from above, but Teng Qingshan’s long spear, with a single move of ‘Primordial Unity,’ easily dispersed all the debris.
A passage more than a zhang thick, just large enough for a person to pass through, had been blasted open by a single kick.
He passed through and listened again.
...
“Run, run! This cursed place is utterly dark; it’s impossible for the Guiyuan Sect people to find me. ” A faint smile touched the lean man’s lips. “Later, I’ll search slowly and find the way out.” Just as he felt a sense of relief, suddenly—
Whoosh!
A foul stench washed over him. Before the lean man could react, he felt agonizing pain engulf his entire body, followed by a loss of consciousness.
Red pupils scanned the surroundings. A colossal black shape slowly emerged from its original lair—a behemoth easily two zhang tall and four or five zhang long, terrifying to behold. It was the Scarlet Scaled Beast! However, the beast now was far more powerful than it had been a little over a month ago.
Presently, post-celestial realm experts posed almost no threat to this Scarlet Scaled Beast.
It advanced step by step, yet it made the slightest sound.
The beast’s four hooves moved with the delicacy of a kitten, utterly silent.
After a moment, the Scarlet Scaled Beast rounded a corner and spotted a figure in the distance—that familiar figure, and the long spear that had once injured it. The beast’s cold, red pupils contracted instantly, and it retreated.
Teng Qingshan whipped his head around!
“Hm?”
Teng Qingshan instantly shot forward with lightning speed, darting to the corner in a flash, and looked both ways.
“No one?” Teng Qingshan frowned. “My intuition shouldn’t be wrong!”
In his past life, even highly trained agents couldn't get close to him. In this life, since the age of ten, horse bandits lying in ambush had never escaped his notice. Although the Scarlet Scaled Beast had only glanced back before shrinking away, Teng Qingshan had sensed it in an instant.
“Hm?” Teng Qingshan held the Wheel of Reincarnation Spear, examining the intersecting paths on both sides. “Not the slightest movement…”
After a long wait, Teng Qingshan could only choose to retreat.
Little did he know that the lean man had already become a meal for the Scarlet Scaled Beast.
...
After a long interval, the Scarlet Scaled Beast resumed its journey through the dim maze. The creature was naturally adapted to dark and scorching environments. In these tunnels, almost devoid of light, Teng Qingshan could see perhaps ten meters, but the Scarlet Scaled Beast could see as clearly as in daylight—a unique ability of its pupils.
Its sense of smell was also keen; tracking by scent, the beast easily followed the path Teng Qingshan had taken.
Moments later, the beast stopped at a particular spot.
This was the location where Teng Qingshan had kicked open the thick rock wall. That rock, over a zhang thick, was something any post-celestial martial artist on earth would struggle to break, yet Teng Qingshan had breached it with a single kick. It was known that the force of a human leg was generally greater than that of the arm.
Teng Qingshan possessed a giant strength of 180,000 jin in his arms, and his legs were even more terrifying!
While he could use weapons with his hands, condensing power into a ‘spear point’ concentrated such tremendous impact that the destructive power was immense. The legs couldn't compare to the hands when wielding a weapon. But in terms of raw power, the legs were naturally far superior to the arms.
Teng Qingshan had used a similar kick to escape when facing the Azure Cold Pool Flood Dragon.
The force of that single kick must have been at least two to three hundred thousand jin.
This kick force had naturally shattered the rock!
The Scarlet Scaled Beast was intimately familiar with its lair; before today, this section had never been damaged.
The beast raised its massive head, staring down the path in the direction Teng Qingshan had left. Its red pupils had narrowed. Its intelligence was no less than that of a normal human. From this terrifying opening, it concluded… that its human adversary possessed a terrifying strength capable of threatening it!