Chapter 410: Breaking Through the Flaming Mountain

"So strong!"

Everyone gasped.

Just then, a series of booming thunders rolled from the mountain top, like exploding thunder above their heads. Everyone's spirit was violently shaken. In the view, a huge fireball over ten zhang in diameter burst out of the clouds and rolled down the cliff. Its momentum was unstoppable; the rocks that blocked its path were reduced to ash and smoke.

The moment was swift. In the blink of an eye, the fireball had already reached the mid‑mountain. As it hurtled toward the two on the path, everyone's hearts leapt to their throats.

"They're doomed!" a discordant voice sounded among the crowd.

At some point, Wei Xiang had already awakened. He changed into a clean robe and applied a swelling‑relief ointment all over his body. Though the elixir was good, it couldn't restore him instantly. At this moment his face was swollen to the size of a freshly stewed pig's head.

The fireball arrived over Zhang Xingyu and the other, then turned into a spark that fell downward.

The path below had vanished, and a huge cavern glowed with fierce flames, like a gaping maw.

The fireball slammed into the maw.

Boom!

A massive roar echoed from the mountain's belly.

At the same time, jets of scorching lava erupted from the mountain, resembling a gigantic red rose in bloom.

Normally, everyone would shout in unison, "So beautiful!"

But now their hearts were already in their throats. As the rose blossomed, their hearts sank to the abyss.

With a fireball that big and so much lava, Zhang Xingyu and the other feared they could not evade.

"Hope they're all okay!" Feng Qingyu whispered, her lips trembling as she prayed softly.

"With this much lava, it's probably impossible!" another junior brother sighed.

"Better dead!" that was Wei Xiang's voice.

His voice just fell, and a junior brother shouted, "Look!"

Everyone fixed their gaze and saw, amid the lava, an oval golden mushroom rising slowly.

Within the mushroom, Zhang Xingyu cradled his legs with one hand and hugged his back with the other, holding Tang Yunxi tightly against his chest. Tang Yunxi pressed her body into Zhang Xingyu's bosom. She raised a white umbrella, its surface etched with runes that flashed, emitting brilliant golden light that shielded the two beneath.

"Fortunately, they're still fine!" Feng Qingyu clapped her hands and laughed.

"See? That's the benefit of being a soft‑rice eater!" the older junior brother said to the others with a smile.

"A pair of dogs and humans!" Wei Xiang muttered angrily.

When everyone looked up again, Zhang Xingyu, still holding Tang Yunxi, climbed another few hundred meters upward.

Bang!

A massive cliff suddenly broke away from the mountain and slammed down onto the two.

The umbrella quivered lightly. Zhang Xingyu, clutching Tang Yunxi, drifted like a dandelion in the wind, gliding over the cliff to its summit.

Rumble!

The cliff crashed onto the mountain body.

Rocks scattered, flames burst everywhere, and the whole mountain trembled.

Die!

From within the mountain came a deep, muffled roar.

At the same time, fiery cliffs peeled off the mountain in pieces.

These cliffs, like huge glowing coals, fell toward the soaring two.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The crowd at the foot covered their ears, opened their mouths wide, eyes bulging, their gazes following the drifting golden light.

The golden light was very light, constantly skimming the cliff walls between flashes of electric‑blue fire.

The crowd tried to shout, but found their cries could not keep up with the speed of the golden light.

When the golden light vanished into the clouds, everyone finally came to their senses.

Feng Qingyu rubbed her slightly stiff neck.

Her eyes turned again toward the clouds atop the peak.

Within the clouds, golden light glittered, and the rumbling continued.

May they have a smooth journey. If they can reach the summit and strike down the mountain god there, perhaps we can go to that legendary divine sea. Feng Qingyu thought to herself.

"They'll definitely be fine. Didn't you see the feathered umbrella in Tang's hand? I'm sure that's a high‑grade artifact, maybe even a spirit treasure. With a spirit treasure, they can probably reach the summit and kill that mountain god." a junior brother's voice sounded in her ear.

"Tsk tsk, being a soft‑rice eater is great. I want to be a soft‑rice eater forever." that was another junior brother's voice.

Beside them, Wei Xiang's face darkened, bitterness in his heart. If that soft‑rice eater truly eliminated the mountain god, he would never be able to hold his head up before that guy.

Amid the stone‑light rain, the golden umbrella drifted to a flat spot.

It was not far from the summit. Shrouded in smoke, the mountain‑god temple of blue tiles and green bricks could be faintly seen.

The golden umbrella slowly descended.

Zhang Xingyu let go of Tang Yunxi. Though the warm feeling on his chest made him reluctant to part, he had to.

He needed to free his hands to face the enemy.

About ten zhang ahead, a lava giant stood towering.

The lava giant was ten zhang tall, breathing fire, spewing black mist from its nose, its body coursing with deep‑red lava.

It wore a crimson armor and wielded a massive axe engulfed in flames.

"Senior sister, you attack the left, I'll attack the right."

"Okay."

Tang Yunxi nodded and summoned her celestial sword Ah Zi.

"Up!"

Both leapt into the air, firing at the lava giant ahead.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The two of them hacked wildly. With each swing, a piece of fiery red stone was taken from the lava giant's body.

Zhang Xingyu was a veteran gamer in his previous life, so he was no stranger to power‑type monsters like the lava giant. Their flying swords kept striking the lava giant's knees. After ten blows, the lava giant unwillingly fell to its knees. The rest was easy. A quarter hour later, the lava giant turned into a pile of fiery red rocks.

Zhang Xingyu skillfully selected a red skull from the pile of fiery red rock fragments. The bone's surface bore mysterious divine patterns, linked together to form a golden‑red three‑legged golden crow. The crow had three golden fire feathers atop its head, wings wrapped in golden flames, a sharp beak raised to the sky, spewing streams of golden sun.

Seeing the golden crow, Zhang Xingyu's brow twitched.

Immediately, a pink sun burst forth.

Chun Ge moved.

Zhang Xingyu was startled. Boom—, Chun Ge was about to cause mischief again.

As expected, after Chun Ge flew out, he circled the red‑golden bone endlessly.

Above the bone, an invisible blade seemed to peel the golden divine patterns off the bone.

The patterns detached from the bone and slowly merged into Chun Ge.

A quarter hour later, a golden three‑legged golden crow appeared inside Chun Ge. The crow stretched its neck, spewing pink flames upward like brilliant roses.

Zhang Xingyu's nose twitched. When he turned his head, he saw Tang Yunxi's cheeks flushed, lips slightly parting, eyes like autumn water, warm as spring.