A mysterious creature let out a sharp, eerie screech as it burst through the magma, shooting straight towards Xiao Yan in the air. The haphazardly flying lava violently agitated the previously tranquil magma lake, causing magma fountains to erupt spectacularly into the sky. Above, Xiao Yan’s wings flapped at an intense speed. The sudden upheaval of the magma lake made his scalp tingle, and he clenched his teeth, desperately fleeing. Although the Purple Cloud Wings granted Xiao Yan incredible speed, the mysterious creature was by no means slower. In the instant its screech faded, its massive body moved with surprising agility, gradually catching up to Xiao Yan. Then, its ghastly maw opened, revealing a scarlet, three-pronged tongue that shot out like a sword.
“Young Master, be careful, it’s right behind you!” Qing Lin, watching from the distant passage, her face contorted with fear, shrieked as she saw the huge creature approach Xiao Yan.
Beside her, Xiao Ding’s face was filled with worry, wishing to help but unable to do so, and could only pace anxiously within the passageway.
Hearing Qing Lin’s scream, Xiao Yan felt his skin tighten, and at the same time, searing energy surged towards him from behind. He gulped, not even having time to turn his head. As his Purple Cloud Wings continued to flap, he forcefully stomped on a gigantic stone pillar, bellowing, “Exploding Step!”
With the words still echoing, Xiao Yan’s body suddenly coiled into a bow. A ripping sound tore through the air, and his clothes clung tightly to his skin, his body tensing like an arrow about to be released. With a sudden surge in speed, he narrowly dodged the fatal blow from the mysterious creature, putting a bit more distance between them.
The creature let out a furious hiss upon seeing its prey escape, swinging its colossal tail with immense force. The sturdy stone pillar, battered countless times by the searing magma, exploded into shards.
As the pillar shattered, fragments of rock rained down. The creature lashed its tail mercilessly, turning each fragment it struck into projectiles that hurled viciously towards the fleeing Xiao Yan.
The whistling sound of debris cutting through the air sent Xiao Yan’s already frayed nerves into overdrive. His soul perception extended around him, and his body began to contort in strange ways.
“Rip… Rip…” Shards of angular rock, whistling through the air, grazed Xiao Yan’s skin, leaving red trails in their wake. Despite barely evading each fragment, the piercing heat left burning marks on his flesh.
*Bang!* Some missed fragments, after traveling some distance, crashed onto the hard magma, creating deep fissures, revealing the terrifying power contained within. If Xiao Yan had been hit, he would have lost all ability to fight and plunged into the molten lake, reduced to ashes.
Staring at the cracks in the magma, beads of cold sweat formed on Xiao Yan’s forehead. Had it not been for the evasion training Elder Pharmacist arranged for him back in the Monster Mountain Range, he might have met his end here…
“This thing can use other objects as weapons. It’s definitely intelligent. Damn…” Xiao Yan thought rapidly, feeling increasingly frustrated. He stamped his foot on another pillar, his speed increasing once more.
Using the boost, he turned his head, catching sight of the pursuing beast, and couldn’t help but gasp… The mysterious creature, resembling a serpent, was at least forty to fifty feet long, with a fire-red body, much like a perfect sphere of fiery jade. Its surface was covered with hand-sized, crimson scales. Most terrifying was its two-headed form. At the fork of its elongated neck, two hideous heads glared with large, rhomboid eyes, brimming with ferocity and bloodlust.
“What an odd creature, what kind of monster is this?” Fear flashed through Xiao Yan’s mind. Suddenly, he noticed the dual-headed snake slowing, and its neck swelling as if preparing to unleash something.
This peculiar sight made Xiao Yan uneasy. His wings flapped, and he abruptly halted mid-flight, then rocketed upward.
Just as Xiao Yan ascended, the two-headed beast’s mouths gaped open, spewing massive columns of magma and flames, like a volcanic eruption. Two waves of scorching magma hurtled towards Xiao Yan.
*Bam!* A pillar of flame shot just below him, its searing heat singeing the hem of his pants, the painful sting drawing a sharp breath. While one pillar missed, the other, leaving a trail of bright red flames, rushed at him with destructive force.
From the entrance of the passageway, Xiao Ding and Qing Lin, both pale with terror, watched the impending doom.
The sudden burst of heat incinerated Xiao Yan’s shirt, and his slightly darkened skin turned red.
“Damn it…” The heat disoriented him, and as he flapped his wings, a quick glance backward revealed the encircling magma. In such a short span, escape seemed impossible.
“Teacher, if you don’t intervene now, I’m done for!” The imminent attack squeezed Xiao Yan’s pupils to pinpoints, and after exhausting all his strength, he screamed inwardly.
“Ha, can’t the little one handle it anymore?” An elderly, teasing voice chuckled in his mind.
As the old voice sounded, a strange energy surged into his Purple Cloud Wings. A soft thud, and faint purple cloud patterns appeared on the wings. With a snap, Xiao Yan’s body pierced the air, darting out of the flame’s reach like a fish through water…
The massive magma pillar, missing its target, crashed into the magma lake, causing the entire cavern to tremble.
The pillar ignited the lake, causing countless magma fountains to erupt continuously, like a series of volcanoes.
Xiao Ding and Qing Lin, standing in the passageway, stared at the suddenly frenzied magma world, swallowing hard. Before such natural calamity, human strength seemed insignificant…
“No wonder exotic flames are so rare. To obtain them from these deadly places is practically impossible…” Xiao Ding murmured.
*Bam!* As they stood dumbfounded, another magma pillar shot up from the lake, spraying lava in every direction.
Seeing the flying lava, Xiao Ding grabbed Qing Lin and retreated, narrowly avoiding the scorching droplets.
“How’s Little Flame? Where is he?” Standing in the passageway, Xiao Ding’s view blocked by the magma eruptions, asked anxiously.
Qing Lin, pale and distressed, stood beside him, trembling with fear.
Just as they grew frantic, a figure burst from the magma, smashing through the numerous magma columns.
Watching the figure, Xiao Ding felt both joy and disbelief. How could someone ignore the heat?
The figure, shrouded in purple energy, finally reached the passageway, collapsing against the wall, gasping, “Damn, that thing was terrifying…”
Xiao Yan, his clothes reduced to tatters, his skin reddened, and his hair charred, leaned back, breathing heavily.
“Are you okay?” Seeing Xiao Yan, Xiao Ding breathed a sigh of relief.
Forcing a nod, Xiao Yan sat down, his gaze fixed on the lake. The two-headed beast, having lost its target, swam aimlessly, its four large, rhombus-shaped eyes scanning the surroundings. Frustrated and enraged, it thrashed its tail, causing the magma to churn violently.
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