Chapter 758: Magma Core, Joint Battle (2)

There was a whole batch of talented individuals like Ke Xiaoran at the Artifact Refining Conference; he was by no means unique.

It was only because he had been afflicted with a so-called “madness” and then suddenly recovered that he had drawn the attention of Sect Leader Situ.

Shen Bai nodded and replied, “Rest assured, Sect Leader. I will definitely achieve a good result.”

‘He had to play the part.’

After watching Sect Leader Situ walk away, Shen Bai went to a designated spot, sat down, and waited patiently.

Many unfamiliar faces had already appeared within the Artifact Refining Sect. After sweeping the area with his Void-breaking Red Eye, Shen Bai found nothing unusual.

‘They have methods to conceal their Qi and celestial signs, designed specifically to guard against me. But now that I’ve used the Bone Shifting Technique to change my appearance, I might be able to catch them off guard. All I need to do now is wait.’

Shen Bai didn’t dwell on it and continued to blanket the Artifact Refining Sect with his Void-breaking Red Eye.

About the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Sect Leader Situ led a large group of Elders to a high platform in the courtyard.

The once-noisy crowd fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Sect Leader Situ cleared his throat and announced, “Everyone, welcome to the Artifact Refining Sect’s grand annual ceremony. The Artifact Refining Conference now begins, and the Magma Domain is about to open. However, we must still observe the formalities. First, allow me to introduce you all to the Magma Domain.”

It was all a bit absurd. Even though everyone knew what was what, the ceremony still had to be carried out.

Next, Sect Leader Situ began to explain the Magma Domain ritual.

“As you all know, the Magma Domain has always been a unique feature of our Molten Rock City. This so-called Magma Domain is a world of lava deep beneath the earth.”

“It contains a great deal of magma essence, which can be used not only for Artifact Refining, but also to strengthen one’s body.”

“Few powers have the opportunity to access the Magma Domain, and our Artifact Refining Sect is one of them.”

As he spoke, Sect Leader Situ looked quite smug, as if obtaining this qualification was a matter of extreme honor.

“Everyone, there are dangers within the Magma Domain, so please be extremely careful.”

“And now, let the entry into the Magma Domain commence.”

After his final words, Sect Leader Situ took a fiery red piece of jade from within his robes.

The other Elders did the same, reaching into their robes and producing identical pieces of jade.

They opened their mouths and began to chant strange syllables.

Each syllable was unintelligible on its own, but when they converged, they instantly produced a strange ripple of energy.

A hexagonal formation symbol appeared on the ground. As it materialized, the ground began to glow fiery red.

A moment later, the fiery red ground began to melt, revealing a bottomless pit before everyone’s eyes.

“Everyone, please enter in an orderly fashion.”

Sect Leader Situ waved his sleeve.

Following this, disciples from the Artifact Refining Sect came forward, handing a numbered token to each person.

The number on each token determined their entry order.

Once all the tokens were distributed, the Artifact Refining Sect disciples retreated one by one.

Then, starting with number one, people began to walk up to the pit, leap in, and quickly disappear from view.

Shen Bai’s token was number twelve. Seeing their method of entry, his lip couldn’t help but twitch. ‘Such a wild way to get in?’

He was near the front, so there was no time to overthink it.

Soon enough, it was Shen Bai’s turn.

Shen Bai walked to the edge of the pit and, following the example of those before him, leaped into the abyss.

…

At that moment, the members of the Three Great Demonic Forces were exchanging glances.

Xu Sheng Taoist watched the endless stream of people jumping into the pit, his gaze sweeping discreetly over the surroundings. The confusion in his eyes deepened.

‘Why haven’t I seen Shen Bai yet?’

As the thought surfaced, Xu Sheng Taoist grew increasingly uneasy.

It wasn’t just him; Monk Mingxin and Dean Hou felt the same way.

The stranger things were, the more unsettling it became.

But the three of them knew they were past the point of no return. Even if it meant jumping into a mountain of knives and a sea of fire, they had to grit their teeth and go through with it.

‘We just need to find the Magma Core. Once we have it, Shen Bai’s death is certain!’

Their resolve hardened at the thought.

Then, following their designated order, the members of the Demonic Forces also began to leap into the pit one by one.

…

As Shen Bai leaped into the pit, his first sensation was a blast of scorching heat.

The temperature inside was far higher than outside; even Shen Bai found it a little hard to bear.

Fortunately, the fall was not long. In just a moment, Shen Bai had reached the bottom.

Below was a world of lava, with nowhere to set foot.

Shen Bai scanned his surroundings and saw that everyone was hovering in mid-air, not daring to touch the lava below.

Many people had formed small groups of two or three, all warily eying those around them.

More people continued to arrive in a steady stream. Once everyone was down, the large opening above remained, and from it came the voice of Sect Leader Situ.

“Everyone, you may begin.”

The moment he spoke, a strange phenomenon occurred.

A wisp of fiery red essence rose from the lava. Emitting a terrifying, scorching heat, it shot off in a certain direction.

‘So this is the magma essence?’ Shen Bai narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t make a move.

Many others had the same idea. After all, there wasn’t just one wisp of magma essence in the Magma Domain. The most important thing was to gain the greatest benefit for the smallest price.

Of course, some people figured that every little bit helped and immediately gave chase to the wisp of magma essence.

In just a short while, more than a dozen people had taken off.

Just then, more wisps of magma essence emerged, and the number of people leaving grew larger and larger.