Chapter 582 - 591: Magma

He swung the Heavy Sword with great force.

BANG!

The Fire Fox statue was instantly smashed to smithereens by the Heavy Sword in Wen Qingye’s hand. He then darted forward, his sword moving with incredible speed, giving the statue no chance to spit out the Samadhi True Flame again.

HUFF... HUFF...

Wen Qingye let out several heavy breaths. As his Heart Spirit relaxed, a searing pain shot from his skin and coursed through his body. He was as red as a boiled shrimp; if he hadn’t practiced the Five Elements Body Refining Technique, he would have been unable to endure it.

Qingg Ruo’ai remarked from the side, "That was close. If you’d reacted half a second slower, you would have been turned to ash. That flame is incredibly potent; who knows how many people have died to it."

"That applies to other people. I won’t die."

Wen Qingye just smiled and shook his head, sweat dripping from his hair onto the ground. He then walked toward the pool in the center of the altar.

Qingg Ruo’ai couldn’t help but shake her head. "I really don’t know where you get your confidence from."

Wen Qingye reached the center of the altar and gazed at the red pool before him, its crimson glow reflected in his eyes.

Qingg Ruo’ai stared at the red liquid in the pool. "Huh? What is this? To think there’s something here that even I don’t recognize."

Wen Qingye explained, "This is Magma Heart. Active volcanoes usually have this. Once it’s removed, the volcano dies. It’s exceptionally precious, especially to masters who cultivate the Fire Dao. To them, it’s an unparalleled treasure."

Qingg Ruo’ai exclaimed, "Magma Heart? I’ve heard of it, but isn’t it supposed to be impossible to extract?"

Wen Qingye smiled and shook his head. "Let me tell you, nothing is impossible in this world. Anyone capable of extracting a Magma Heart would be considered a peerless master in this realm."

"So, are you going to take this Magma Heart?" Qingg Ruo’ai asked.

Wen Qingye replied, "No, I can’t. The Magma Heart is too hot. You’d need a specially-made Magical Artifact and materials to transport it. Besides, if I get the Qilin Fire, I won’t care about this Magma Heart anyway."

After speaking, Wen Qingye’s gaze shifted to the side of the altar, and he began to observe his surroundings carefully.

After a moment, he had found nothing out of the ordinary. He then looked at the surrounding stone walls. They were built from gemstones. When magma erupts, it often leaves behind treasures as a sort of ’gift’, and these gemstones were one such boon.

The Qinghuo Clan must have found these gemstones and used them all to build this altar. The old woodcutter was so reverent toward it; the altar must be extremely important to the Qinghuo Clan.

’But why is it so important? Is it just because of the Magma Heart? This much Magma Heart isn’t worth all this trouble.’

Wen Qingye scanned his surroundings once more but found nothing.

Qingg Ruo’ai asked curiously, "What are you looking for?"

Wen Qingye returned to the altar’s platform. "The secret of this place," he said. "The Qinghuo Clan wouldn’t have built such an important altar without a reason. It must all be to hide something."

Qingg Ruo’ai said smugly, "But I’ve been watching you look for ages, and you haven’t found a thing."

Wen Qingye didn’t answer Qingg Ruo’ai, continuing his search.

"Wait!"

Wen Qingye’s eyes suddenly lit up. He looked at the pool of Magma Heart, where specks of purple swirled in the center. It was identical to the trace of purple flame inside Qiuu Ming’s body. ’If that’s the case,’ he thought, ’then this must be where Qiuu Ming was injured.’

’The Qilin Fire must be here.’

With this thought, he strode forward. Primordial Qi surged, vast and mighty, as he threw a punch.

SPLASH!

The red Magma Heart splashed everywhere from the force of Wen Qingye’s punch. Droplets of the crimson liquid landed on the platform with a sizzling sound, instantly burning several pits into its surface.

"What are you doing?" Qingg Ruo’ai asked in confusion.

Wen Qingye didn’t speak, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the pool before him.

With a large amount of the Magma Heart splashed out, a loose stone block was revealed within the pool.

Qingg Ruo’ai said in pleasant surprise, "There’s a mechanism! You’re brilliant!"

Wen Qingye smiled faintly, took a deep breath, and reached out a finger, preparing to press it.

Qingg Ruo’ai asked, "Are you really going to press it? Do you have any idea what might happen?"

"What’s the worst that could happen?" Wen Qingye said with a nonchalant smile.

Without another word, he pressed it without hesitation.

The Qilin Fire was a Supreme Origin Fire Seed. Not only was it useful for Alchemy, but if one could fuse it with their own body, the benefits were self-evident.

RUMBLE!

The next moment, the entire cavern began to shake violently.

Wen Qingye hastily retreated, spinning around and leaping off the platform.

As the loud rumbling echoed, the stone slabs of the platform began to retract, starting from the center and pulling back toward the edges.

In just a few moments, all the slabs had retracted, leaving a gaping void where the platform had been. The scene below was laid bare.

Intense beams of red light shot upward, as if trying to pierce the sky. A devouring heatwave rolled out with it, so violent it seemed to be alive.

Floating at a distance, Qingg Ruo’ai looked down and was startled by the sight.

Below was a surging sea of fire, its blazing flames like a raging behemoth.

This was a pool of magma that had lain dormant for countless years.

BLUB... BLUB...

Wen Qingye looked down at the magma. The searing waves of heat that washed over him were enough to make him feel a sense of danger, to say nothing of actually entering it.

He took a few deep, gulping breaths and slowly drifted down into the opening where the platform had been.

WHOOSH!

The red magma below constantly churned, spitting out bubbles that made a thick, gurgling sound. Droplets of molten rock burst from the surface.

Scorching.

The heat was so intense it felt like it could steam a man dry.

The violent heatwaves were like great dragons, trying to devour Wen Qingye whole.

Although the temperature wasn’t as high as what the four statues had spewed, it wasn’t far off. When Wen Qingye had descended to about thirty feet above the magma, his body came to a sudden halt.

He gasped for air. ’I can’t go any lower,’ he thought, panting. ’My body is at its limit.’

At this height, the bursting bubbles of magma felt so close they could splatter him at any moment.

ROAR!

Suddenly.

A deep roar erupted from the magma below Wen Qingye’s feet.

The roar was tyrannical and majestic, a sound that shook one to the soul. It was as if the sky, the earth, the magma—everything—had suddenly fallen silent.