Yu Ci could only observe through Xia Shuanghe's perspective, a vantage point and angle to which he was unaccustomed. However, the object atop the magma river was quite conspicuous; its pitch-black hue bobbed and weaved within the deep red lava, occasionally contorting as if it were a living creature.
Xia Shuanghe drew closer, nearly reaching the edge of the magma river. The dark object was exceedingly sensitive, its body twisting once more, revealing eyes that had been tightly shut. The sight of three eyes, glowing like molten gold, staring in unison was profoundly startling. Xia Shuanghe visibly caught his breath, exclaiming in surprise:
"A Magma Lizard?"
This being, capable of dwelling within the magma river, appeared to have a rather volatile temper. Its body suddenly swelled in size, and only then did Yu Ci realize that the creature had been crouching all this time. Now, as it propped itself up, it stood about five feet tall, its body covered in thin, iron-like scales. Dark red lava oozed from the gaps in its armor, still aflame, yet the creature seemed utterly indifferent.
Xia Shuanghe acted with caution, immediately adopting a defensive stance. This was a normal reaction, but given the flowing magma river, his pause widened the gap between him and the beast. With only a moment's hesitation, he exerted force to give chase. Upon the magma river, the Magma Lizard, provoked by his unfriendly actions, hissed furiously, its three massive eyes widening. Amidst the glowing red strata, suddenly, a blinding golden light was intermingled.
Yu Ci heard Xia Shuanghe curse softly as he shifted his position abruptly. A fraction of a second later, piercing beams of golden light penetrated his original spot, leaving three small holes rimmed with scorched, fiery marks.
The golden beams had emanated from the Magma Lizard’s pupils, and judging by their hue, they seemed even more intense than the temperature of the magma beneath its feet. Any Protective True Evil at the level of the Golden Elixir would be utterly useless against such a strike.
Xia Shuanghe remained composed. He had identified the creature's nature with a single utterance and thus had a certain understanding of it. He continued the pursuit, his mouth now reciting a Curse Sound, seemingly a method to agitate emotions. As the sound waves coalesced and pierced through the air, the Magma Lizard grew visibly restless. It circled in place upon the magma river, eager to pounce but wary of something, and in the end, it could only release another burst of golden light from its eyes, missing once again.
"Huh?"
Yu Ci was originally curious as to why Xia Shuanghe was so relentlessly provoking the Magma Lizard, but upon observing the manner of their attacks, a thought struck him.
The Magma Lizard was clearly not of a gentle disposition, yet under Xia Shuanghe's taunts, it stayed perched atop the magma river, preferring to fume and spin in place rather than leave that area. On closer inspection, there seemed to be something supporting it underneath—Yu Ci had initially thought the creature had the ability to float on the magma, but it now appeared he had drawn his conclusion too hastily.
With this realization, Yu Ci noticed that much of Xia Shuanghe's attention during the skirmish with the Magma Lizard was actually focused on what lay beneath the creature's feet.
The rock layers hissed incessantly, not only from the strange noises emanating from the Magma Lizard's maw but also from the three odd, doll-like objects Xia Shuanghe kept flinging out. These things, resembling children's toys with their rotund and endearing appearance, moved effortlessly across the magma river, splitting into three directions and wobbling toward the Magma Lizard. They weren't particularly fast, but the Aura emanating from them had already woven an intricate web, ensnaring the Magma Lizard within. Amidst the hissing sounds, a good portion was generated by the lively flow of Primordial Qi stirred by their active Auras.
Driven by its biological instincts, the Magma Lizard found these three little things extremely bothersome. It had been conserving the golden light in its pupils, using it sparingly, so when the three toys approached, it opened its gaping maw, and a crimson torrent of fire spewed forth, engulfing the toy in front of it.
As the fire stream erupted, the surrounding Aura shifted dramatically. The toy struck by the fiery blast disintegrated into ash in an instant. However, the three toys were connected by their Auras, forming an interdependent whole. The loss of one led to the sudden acceleration of the other two, which crashed toward their target. The abruptness caught the Magma Lizard off guard, its hefty tail striking empty air, and the two toys collided with—or rather, stuck to—its body!
A layer of ashen light suddenly spread over the Magma Lizard, and the colossal creature seemed to be in excruciating pain. It violently opened its maw, attempting to screech, but in that instant, its entire body appeared to be paralyzed, frozen in the posture of looking up with its mouth agape. Unable to maintain its balance atop the river of magma, it toppled over with a thunderous crash into the molten depths.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"It's a Voodoo Soul Doll..." The Shadow Ghost seemed somewhat wistful, "Back then, the Sword Competing Pavilion issued seven consecutive Thunder-Slaying Tribulation-Dispelling Ukases. They scoured the lands, determined to exterminate the Witch Sect. Who could have imagined any would remain?"
To the Shadow Ghost's lament, Yu Ci had no words. He had long known that before the Five Tribulations, there was an era dominated by sword cultivation, yet he never imagined it to be such a "domination."
It seemed that Xia Shuanghe was a renegade of the Thousand Mountain Sect, which in turn possessed the Ancient Witch Sect Heritage. It was not surprising, then, that he knew of such things as the Voodoo Soul Doll.
But the focus now was elsewhere. After the Magma Lizard was paralyzed by the Voodoo Soul Doll, its fate unknown, the spot where it once lay was now vacant. Yu Ci and Xia Shuanghe both cast their gazes there but found nothing, which they found rather odd.
After a moment of contemplation, Xia Shuanghe softly intoned a spell chant. Suddenly, a small whirlpool formed in the center of the magma river, as if an invisible hand stirred within. Then, with a swift upward motion, the deep crimson magma surged, taking shape into a vague form of a towering man, half-submerged, his lower half yet unformed, but even just the upper body stood eight feet tall.
Another Puppetry Technique—it bore some resemblance to the black-robed Molten Core Puppet, though the level of sophistication was worlds apart. Still, it was sufficiently adept for the dirty and tedious tasks at hand.
Dozens of miles away, Yu Ci remained intently observant. Judging from Xia Shuanghe's psychological state, he seemed to be driven by a certain curiosity, making guesses about what lay within the magma river, yet without any clear concept. He manipulated his puppet, which quickly reached the target and exerted force to lift it. Suddenly, the magma river erupted with a roar, its scorching lava flowing wildly as flames splashed out layer by layer. Despite the distance, both Xia Shuanghe and Yu Ci widened their eyes, eager to discern the nature of the mysterious object.
As the item surfaced, it was a fiery red and still ablaze, making it difficult to discern its details at first glance. However, the fact that it maintained its shape in the searing magma suggested it was no ordinary thing.
Xia Shuanghe leaned forward, watching as the object completely emerged from the river of magma. Even then, he could not make out its appearance clearly. The object was large but mostly oval-shaped with few edges, lacking any distinguishing marks. It seemed to have a slightly transparent material...
"Kaso!"
The abrupt sound at Xia Shuanghe's ear startled him, and he was momentarily confused about the direction from which the sound had come. At that moment, the magma puppet clutching the object suddenly stiffened, unresponsive to his commands. Xia Shuanghe was a cautious man; after a couple of attempts, he sensed trouble and without considering the cause, he swiftly retreated.
In that instant, a red glow burst forth above the magma river, swiftly enveloping both the magma puppet and the oval object in its arms. The latter was of little concern, but the puppet immediately dissolved, losing all form. The expanding glow continued unabated, quickly filling every corner of the subterranean space.
Xia Shuanghe was fortunate to have retreated early. Before the red light saturated the space, he plunged into the rock formation behind him, vanishing without a trace. Yu Ci, watching from afar, was both astonished and puzzled. Just as he intended to observe further, an intense discomfort suddenly overcame him. With a muffled groan, he immediately severed the connection with the distant divine consciousness starlight. Even so, as the information from afar reached his Brain Palace, his body reacted; the front half of his body felt as though it had been doused in oil, leaving him in utter discomfort.
He sharply inhaled a breath of cold air, channeling the True Sha throughout his entire body before he started to feel a bit better. The red light was incredibly fierce; even after passing through a thick rock wall and being transferred from Xia Shuanghe, it was still so painfully intense. How much life force must Xia Shuanghe have lost in the process?
At that moment, Shadow Ghost also expressed his astonishment, "I've underestimated this power. This is the Molten Core Great Extinction Magnetic Light!"
"Which one?"
Shadow Ghost repeated, "The Molten Core Great Extinction Magnetic Light. It's the demonic art perfected at the culmination of the Core-Melting Fiery Prison Technique. When it reaches its peak, the magnetic light shines forth, and within a thousand miles instantly becomes a scorching prison, eradicating all living beings..."
"No, I mean, who unleashed it?"
"Naturally, it was that figure in the black robe..."
Shadow Ghost's words were abruptly cut off. Acting even quicker, Yu Ci didn't say another word, turning on his heel to leave. High above in the distant strata, an overwhelming force descended like a meteor falling from the sky, crashing down with a thunderous roar.
"Downwards, keep going down!"
Shadow Ghost's shrill call served as a kind of motivation. Yu Ci felt every drop of blood and bone in his body boiling, stirring up all the power within him to cleave through the soil and rapidly descend into the depths. His reaction could not have been swifter, but just as he had descended two miles, a wave of incomparable force, centered around the distant river of magma, spread rapidly, moving at a speed beyond human resistance.
"Damn the misfortune of being an innocent bystander..."
No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than the shockwave penetrated the earth and stone, pulverizing the original structure. Yu Ci let out a low growl, and with the Seven Dipper Star Sword in hand, he expanded a dense, flawless Sword Qi Circle around him for protection.
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e