Chapter 309: A Mysterious Space, First Encounter with the Flame Master!
Just as the demon corpse was about to seize the Earthcore Spirit Pulp, the red lines around the stone pool lit up once more, and the massive formation rapidly activated again.
Whoosh!
A crimson beam of light shot out, tearing through space and blasting toward the demon corpse.
Lin Fan's thoughts stirred—he instantly manipulated the demon corpse to leap into the magma pool with a plop!
Chi chi!
The moment the corpse entered the magma, the approaching crimson beam suddenly froze mid-air… and then vanished without a trace.
"…Brother Lin Fan, can you still sense the demon corpse?" Lin Dong asked, momentarily stunned by what he had just seen.
Lin Fan nodded, then feigned surprise. "Interesting. Looks like there's something hidden beneath the magma pool."
"Before, we passed through magma to reach this underground plaza. Now, this corpse has passed through the pool's magma and entered yet another space."
"There's a space under the magma in the pool?" Lin Dong's eyes widened. "Who could have set up such an astonishing structure?"
Lin Fan pondered aloud, "The formation is incredibly lethal, but I noticed that it needs a moment to gather energy. That moment is very brief, but it's enough to exploit."
Lin Dong's eyes lit up. "You mean… we can use that moment of energy gathering to grab the Earthcore Spirit Pulp and retreat immediately?"
"Exactly," Lin Fan nodded. "But from what I sensed through the demon corpse, the space beneath the pool is rather unusual. I plan to check it out. Want to come?"
"Of course," Lin Dong agreed immediately.
Lin Fan instructed, "I'll pull the demon corpse back to trigger the formation again. Be ready to move the instant the crimson light dissipates."
"Got it," Lin Dong replied. He surged his Yuan Power, and the Azure Dragon Wings appeared on his back with a flash.
Seeing he was prepared, Lin Fan manipulated the demon corpse to leap up from the magma and reach toward the Earthcore Spirit Pulp again.
The array reactivated, and crimson light once again shot forth to destroy the corpse.
"Now!" Lin Fan called out while sending the demon corpse plunging back into the magma.
As before, the red light froze in mid-air… then vanished.
Whoosh!
The instant the light dissipated, Lin Dong's wings flared as he shot into the magma in a streak of green light, diving deep into the pool and disappearing.
Moments later, Lin Fan followed the same method and entered the hidden space beneath the magma.
What met their eyes was an endless, dark void—like an eternal night sky. It was so profoundly black it seemed to seep into one's bones, instilling an instinctive fear.
Within that darkness flowed countless colossal rivers of magma, winding and intersecting through the void like veins in a living being, forming a vast and incomparably complex network.
"Incredible… Who could possibly construct something so monumental?" Lin Dong muttered, utterly stunned by the sight.
Lin Fan said, "Let's see if there's anything of value in here. I've observed that these magma rivers form the layout of a massive formation. Let's find its core."
Lin Dong paused to sense the surroundings. As he focused, he realized Lin Fan was right—the rivers were indeed arranged as part of an unimaginably vast array!
Nodding, Lin Dong followed Lin Fan deeper into the mysterious space.
All of the magma rivers ultimately converged at a single location.
There, they found a massive magma lake, thousands of zhang across. It bubbled furiously, its heat so intense it could incinerate a Life Xuan Stage cultivator in an instant.
Floating in the center of the lake was a crimson stone coffin, forged entirely from a glowing red crystal, open and lidless.
Inside it lay a man.
His figure was tall and slender. Even with his eyes closed, his face was dignified and commanding.
Long crimson hair flowed like flames, flickering faintly.
"Who is that…? He's terrifying," Lin Dong said, backing away in shock. "Just one glance made me feel like I was about to burn up."
Lin Fan acted thoughtful. "In ancient times, there existed eight Ancestral Symbols. Each one had a master. Those eight were called the Ancient Eight Masters."
"If I'm right… this man is likely the Flame Master, one of the Ancient Eight."
"The Flame Master… of the Ancient Eight?" Lin Dong's heart trembled at the revelation.
He had long heard of the Eight Ancestral Symbols—but this was his first time learning of the masters who once wielded them.
Lin Fan shook his head slightly. "This place doesn't seem to hold any treasures. It looks more like a resting place for the Flame Master… and perhaps a seal for the Yimo. It's similar to the situation with the Great Desolate Tablet."
"More of those cursed Yimo…" Lin Dong muttered, frowning with concern.
"Unfortunately, we're still too weak to help purge them," Lin Fan said. "Let's go. Time to head back."
He turned and began flying back toward the magma pool.
Lin Dong glanced once more at the stone coffin, then prepared to follow.
But then—his expression changed dramatically.
A gentle white glow suddenly emerged from his body—it was the mysterious stone talisman!
"Brother Lin Fan…" Lin Dong called out, startled.
Lin Fan also noticed. He turned to see the talisman flying straight toward the red-haired man in the coffin.
Sweat beaded on Lin Dong's brow as he urgently tried to call the talisman back with his mind—but it was no use.
"It's out of control!" he cried in panic.
"Wait and observe," Lin Fan said calmly, his expression composed.
Under their watchful eyes, the stone talisman began to glow with a radiant white light, enveloping the man in the coffin.
Then, a streak of red light rose from the man's body and hovered beside the talisman.
Whoosh!
As the red light appeared, the talisman retracted its glow and shot back, flashing once before returning into Lin Dong's body.
The red light, however, floated gently before him.
"What…" Lin Dong stared, dumbfounded.
Lin Fan's gaze flickered. "That's no ordinary item. Take it."
Nodding, Lin Dong reached out and took the red light—it transformed into a palm-sized, flame-red token.
On its front was a single ancient character: 炎 (Flame). It pulsed with a magma-like glow, as if molten fire flowed through it.
"Let's go," Lin Fan said after glancing at the token in Lin Dong's hand.
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