Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Kingdom of Magma

Lu Zhe crept forward, crouching low as he approached the foot of the mountain. He lifted his gaze in the direction of Die Yu and saw her locked in fierce combat with the towering Crimson-Horned Crystal Dragon King. Agile as a swallow, she darted through the air, attacking with her sword whenever she saw an opening. Though the Crimson-Horned Crystal Dragon King was enormous, it lacked her nimbleness, and the battle left it visibly frustrated. After only a few exchanges, Die Yu managed to stab it several times, enraging the beast. It let out a thunderous roar, a sound like an exploding storm, making Lu Zhe’s ears ring incessantly, a din that took some time to fade.

The force of the Dragon King’s roar sent Die Yu stumbling back a few steps, but she quickly steadied herself. Seizing her moment, she charged forward with her sword, resuming the struggle.

Seeing that Die Yu could hold her own, Lu Zhe nodded with relief and swiftly made his way up the mountainside toward the cave entrance. Upon reaching the halfway point, he was astonished by the sheer size of the cave. From a distance, he hadn’t noticed, but standing before it now, he realized the opening was over five fathoms high and four wide. The interior was shrouded in darkness, its depths unknown, as if endless night waited to swallow him whole.

Drawing a deep breath, Lu Zhe glanced once more at Die Yu before plunging into the limitless blackness. Die Yu, too, glanced in his direction and beat her wings to fly closer to the cave’s edge, careful not to stray too far from Lu Zhe lest her spiritual energy be sealed. In this state, to lose her power would mean certain death.

Lu Zhe hurried deeper into the cave. At first, some sunlight still filtered in, but the further he went, the darker it grew. Thankfully, he’d come prepared. He fetched a fire striker from his belt, struck a spark, and held the tiny flame aloft as he proceeded with caution.

As he ventured farther, the heat grew more and more oppressive, as though something within the cave radiated intense warmth. Wiping sweat from his brow, Lu Zhe shrugged off his outer robe and stowed it in his storage ring. He studied the rough, uneven walls, scratched his head, and pressed onward.

He had barely gone thirty paces when a crimson glow appeared ahead. Lu Zhe rushed toward the light and discovered its source—a well. He peered inside, startled to see that it was filled with molten lava, as red as blood, sluggishly flowing. Bubbles rose to the surface, bursting with a hiss and sending waves of heat rolling out from the well’s mouth.

He quickly recoiled from the edge, wiping sweat from his face. “Good heavens,” he muttered, “no wonder it’s so hot—there’s nothing but lava under this mountain.”

Peering deeper into the cave by the fire’s glow, Lu Zhe saw that there must have been at least a hundred such wells scattered about, each emitting visible waves of heat. He skirted around them, pressing forward.

The deeper he went, the more it felt as if he’d stepped into a furnace. One layer of clothing after another came off, until he was left in nothing but his undergarments—thankfully, there was no one around to witness his embarrassment.

At this point, the cave was ablaze with crimson light, making any other source of illumination unnecessary. Covered in sweat, Lu Zhe trudged on until a brilliant red glow ahead caught his eye—it seemed to be the very heart of the light. Without hesitation, he broke into a run.

He finally reached the source and, squinting against the glare, entered the chamber. What he saw nearly made his jaw drop.

It was a vast cavern, the ceiling towering thirty feet above, its width and length lost in darkness. Before him was a ledge, and below it, a river of lava flowed like a mighty artery, bubbles churning, heat surging, red light flooding the space. With the enormity of the cave, the scene was breathtaking—a spectacle of nature’s power that made Lu Zhe feel utterly insignificant.

He inhaled the searing air, scanning the cavern. Suddenly, he noticed a pillar standing upon a patch of lava not far away, rising more than five fathoms high. A narrow path, seemingly fragile, connected the pillar to the shore.

Lu Zhe hurried to the path. Upon closer inspection, he found it was actually quite substantial—about five feet wide—bridging the gap from the shore to the pillar.

He glanced at the pillar and saw a faint red glow emanating from its top, though he couldn’t make out the details from afar.

Taking another deep breath, Lu Zhe set foot on the path.

As he walked, he looked down at the awe-inspiring scene, marveling at nature’s artistry. He tore his gaze away and quickened his pace toward the pillar and its mysterious red glow.

The path was short, only thirty feet or so, and soon he stood atop the pillar. It was round, about ten feet in radius, with a flat stone platform jutting out. Scattered across the platform were a dozen or so horn-like objects, all of them crimson.

In the center of the platform rested a triangular stone, atop which sat a red orb the size of a ping-pong ball, glowing faintly, radiating palpable heat.

Lu Zhe examined the horns closely. “These must be the so-called Crimson Dragon Horns,” he murmured.

Having found what he came for, he quickly swept all the horns into his storage ring, then looked up at the glowing red orb.

It was smooth and lustrous, suffused with a blood-red light, pulsing with intense heat.

“What on earth is this?” Lu Zhe wondered aloud, studying the orb. He reached out to touch it, but recoiled instantly—the heat it emitted was more searing than red-hot iron.

He withdrew his hand and eyed the orb warily. With a flick of his storage ring, a flash of white light produced a small shovel in his hand.

A sly grin spread across his face as he approached the orb with the shovel.

But things did not go as planned. The instant the shovel touched the orb, a shaft of red light flared, and the shovel’s blade began to melt from the tip downward.

“Uh…” Lu Zhe stared in speechless disbelief at the dissolving tool.

He tossed the remains of the shovel into the lava below, then scrutinized the orb again.

As he studied it, a tremendous roar suddenly echoed from behind, shaking the cavern ceiling and sending a rumble reverberating through the rock.

Lu Zhe spun around and stared back at the tunnel he’d entered, his voice tinged with alarm. “What’s going on?”