Chapter 28: Southern Volcano

The team headed south.

On the third day after leaving the Didu, the surrounding scenery began to change. The once endless plains gradually became undulating, green vegetation was replaced by reddish-brown soil, and a hint of dry heat filled the air.

Aikesi rode in the middle of the team, his gaze sweeping over the terrain around him. This was his first time venturing so far from the core area of the Yulan Empire, and everything he saw carried a sense of novelty.

"We're almost there," Lao Chen said beside him, raising a hand to point ahead, "See that mountain range?"

Aikesi looked in the direction he pointed. Faintly on the horizon lay a black-red silhouette, shimmering with a faint heat haze under the sunlight.

"That is the Southern Volcano," Lao Chen said. "We are heading for the main peak; the locals call it Yanfeng."

Aikesi nodded without asking further. Over the past few days, he had figured out the general situation of the team. Lao Chen's full name was Chen Guang, a Level 9 Water-type Mage from a wandering cultivation background. In his youth, he had traveled north and south, entered several ruins, and was rich in experience. This time, he had been hired by Kalun at a high price to provide Water-type support for the team—after all, the use of Water-type Mages in the Southern Volcano ruins was limited, but they could save lives in critical moments.

"Little Aikesi, is this your first time entering a ruin? Are you nervous?" Chen Guang asked with a smile.

Aikesi thought for a moment: "A little."

"Normal," Chen Chen stroked his beard. "The first time I entered a ruin, my legs were trembling. Just enter a few more times and it will be fine—of course, provided you can survive to come out."

These words did not sound like comfort, but Aikesi actually felt reassured. Such an old hand spoke plainly, far more reliable than those who were full of "it's fine, it's fine."

At the very front of the team, Kalun rode side by side with two Array Breakers, occasionally exchanging a few low words. The warrior siblings followed closely behind; the male was named Badun, the female Bali. Both were Level 9 Warriors, reportedly from a certain Mercenary group, temporarily hired by Kalun.

Aikesi observed for a few days and found that the two spoke little, but their coordination was tacit, obviously veterans who had fought together for years.

Another hour passed, and the volcano group drew closer. A faint smell of sulfur began to mix in the air, and occasionally heat could be seen rising from the ground. The surrounding vegetation had completely disappeared, leaving only bare rocks and gravel.

"Dismount, proceed on foot," Kalun's voice came from ahead.

Everyone dismounted. Several Mercenaries, prepared in advance, stepped forward to gather the horses and tie them beside a large rock. Aikesi noticed that several other horses were already tied there, probably left by people who had come to scout the path before.

"From now on, advance on foot and stay close to the team," Kalun scanned everyone. "Magical Beasts are active around the outer perimeter of the ruin. Most are below Level 9, but the possibility of a Saint Domain appearing cannot be ruled out. Stay alert and do not leave the team on your own."

Everyone nodded.

The team began to advance on foot. The speed was much slower than riding, but safer. The two Array Breakers walked behind Kalun, holding some strange instruments, probing as they went.

Aikesi followed beside Lao Chen, his gaze sweeping over the terrain. The rocks here displayed strange textures, as if repeatedly scorched by high temperatures; in some places, traces of crystallization could even be seen.

"Caused by volcanic eruptions," Chen Guang noticed his gaze and explained in a low voice. "Underground activity here is frequent; it erupts once every few decades. But strangely, the ruin has never been destroyed."

Aikesi's heart stirred: "Protected by a Magic Array?"

"Probably," Chen Guang nodded. "Otherwise, it would have been washed away by lava long ago."

Just as they spoke, a low shout suddenly came from ahead. It was Badun's voice.

The team stopped immediately, and everyone entered a state of alert.

Aikesi looked forward and saw that Badun and Bali had already drawn their greatswords, blocking the front of the team. Directly opposite them, a huge red Magical Beast was poking its head out from behind the rocks.

An Eighth-rank Magical Beast, the Fire Lizard.

Aikesi had seen this creature in books. It was Fire-type, with thick skin and flesh, capable of spewing high-temperature flames, and was a common Magical Beast in volcanic areas. An Eighth-rank Fire Lizard possessed strength equivalent to a human at Level 8 Peak, but its defense was even stronger.

"Don't panic," Kalun's voice was very calm. "Badun, Bali, you two handle it."

The siblings said nothing more and charged straight ahead.

Badun met it head-on, his greatsword whistling through the wind as he slashed at the Fire Lizard's head. The Fire Lizard opened its mouth and spewed a stream of flame. Badun flashed his body aside, barely dodging; the flame landed on the rock behind him, instantly burning the stone red-hot.

Bali took the opportunity to circle to the side and thrust her sword at the Fire Lizard's abdomen. That was the weak point of such a Magical Beast, where the scales were thinner. The Fire Lizard, in pain, let out a roar and its tail swept across fiercely.

Bali withdrew her sword and retreated; the tail grazed the hem of her clothes, the force of the wind causing her figure to sway slightly.

Badun charged again. The two coordinated perfectly, attacking from front and back. The Fire Lizard was left struggling on all sides, and soon several wounds appeared on its body.

Aikesi watched from behind, silently calculating in his heart. If he faced this Magical Beast, what were his chances of victory?

The Fallen Heart Flame could break the defense, but it required time. The Fire Lizard's flame spray had a large range; he would need to rely on Teleportation or an Ice Barrier to dodge. True Essence protecting the body should be able to withstand a few attacks, but he couldn't rely on it entirely.

Roughly a seventy percent chance of winning, but he would definitely be injured.

Just as he thought this, the battle ahead had already ended. Bali thrust her sword through the Fire Lizard's throat, and the Magical Beast's huge body crashed to the ground with a boom.

Badun stepped forward, skillfully dug out the Magic Core, wiped it casually, and tucked it into his chest. This was a trophy; by the rules, it belonged to the siblings.

"Continue forward," Kalun nodded, very satisfied with the two's performance.

The team set off again, passing over the Fire Lizard's corpse. As Aikesi passed, he glanced at it; the Magical Beast's scales shimmered with a dark red luster under the sunlight, indeed thick enough.

The journey ahead was not peaceful.

The closer they got to the ruin entrance, the more Magical Beasts they encountered. Fire Lizards, Magma Spiders, Flame Scorpions—various Fire-type Magical Beasts emerged one after another. Kalun never intervened, letting the others in the team take turns engaging, which could both maintain combat power and hone their coordination.

Aikesi also fought a few times.

The first time was against three Magma Spiders. These Magical Beasts were incredibly fast and could spit extremely sticky spider silk. Badun and his sister were entangled, and others could not intervene for a moment. Aikesi seized the right moment and shot a flame arrow formed from the Fallen Heart Flame, piercing straight through the head of one spider.

The speed and temperature of the flame arrow stunned everyone present.

The shell of that spider was burned into a blackened hole; it didn't even struggle before falling down.

"Good fire!" Badun praised, his hands not stopping as his greatsword cleaved another spider.

The remaining one was dealt with by Bali. The three coordinated, and the whole thing took no more than a dozen breaths.

Kalun glanced at Aikesi, his gaze lingering for an instant on the flame of the Fallen Heart Flame, but he asked no further questions.

The second time was in a narrow valley. The team encountered a group of Flame Scorpions, numbering no less than twenty. Although their rank was not high, their sheer numbers made a rush quite troublesome.

This time, Aikesi held nothing back.

He raised his hands slightly, and the Fallen Heart Flame condensed into a cloud of fire before him, then suddenly expanded. The Flame Scorpions were extremely sensitive to such high temperatures and instinctively wanted to retreat, but the fire cloud expanded faster, instantly engulfing the dozen or so that had charged to the front.

The scorpions' shells were as brittle as paper before the Strange Fire; in the blink of an eye, they were burned to charcoal.

The remaining scorpions turned and ran, disappearing into the rock crevices.

The valley fell silent.

The looks in everyone's eyes toward Aikesi changed slightly. Previously, they had thought of him as just an ordinary Level 9 Fire Mage, young and inexperienced, tagging along with the team to gain experience. But after these two displays, no one thought that anymore.

The temperature of that flame was absolutely beyond what ordinary Fire-type Magic could achieve.

"Great skill," Lao Chen patted Aikesi's shoulder and said with a smile, "No wonder Huerman that kid recommended him so strongly; turns out he was hiding a master move."

Aikesi shook his head: "Luck."

"Don't be modest." Lao Chen lowered his voice. "But I'll remind you: with so many people around, if you can hide it, hide it. What happened just now was unavoidable; everyone was watching. If it's not necessary later, don't reveal all your trump cards."

Aikesi nodded, keeping this kindness in mind.

Over the next two days, the team continued advancing toward the ruin's entrance. They encountered more and more magical beasts, occasionally running into Level 9 behemoths. Once, they met a Nine-level Peak Chiyan Shiwan, and Kalun finally acted.

Just one sword strike.

With a single slash from a Saint Domain expert, the Chiyan Shiwan's head was severed.

Aikesi watched from the side, experiencing for the first time the gap between Saint Domain and Level 9. If that lion king had faced them, at least half would have had to die to take it down. But before Kalun, it couldn't even withstand a single move.

This is Saint Domain.

He withdrew his gaze and continued following the team forward.

On the fifth day at dusk, the team finally reached their destination.

It was a massive rock wall, dark red throughout, its surface covered in strange patterns. In the very center of the rock wall, a stone door was embedded, its frame carved with dense Magic Runes.

"We've arrived." Kalun stood before the stone door, his gaze sweeping over the runes. "This is it."

Two Array Breakers immediately stepped forward, producing various instruments to begin their inspection. The rest scattered to keep watch, preventing any sudden beast attacks.

Aikesi stood a short distance away, examining the stone door.

The runes were ancient; some parts were already blurred and indistinct, but the whole was well-preserved. He could sense the Fire Element fluctuations contained within, extremely dense, stronger than any Magic Array he had ever seen.

"A Saint Domain-level handiwork." Lao Chen leaned over and whispered, "At least a Saint Domain Magus set up this array."

Aikesi nodded, now having a clear idea.

The two Array Breakers busied themselves for half an hour, then returned to Kalun's side, their expressions not looking good.

"My lord, this array is hard to break," said the gray-robed Array Breaker. "It will take at least three days, and will consume a vast amount of Magic."

Kalun nodded: "Then set up camp; we'll break the array in three days."

The team began to bustle about. Some pitched tents, others built fires to cook, and some took turns standing guard. Aikesi voluntarily requested the second half of the night shift; this was a habit cultivated over years of cultivation, as his spirit was sharper at night than during the day.

Night deepened, and the camp gradually fell silent.