Chapter 515: Dare Not Think Further!

Inside the crimson Shi Lin, heat waves rose and twisted, blurring the scenery into indistinct shapes.

More fire-poison scorpions and other small fire-elemental beasts lay scattered on the ground, mostly torn apart by sharp sword qi or claw force—clearly, others had passed this way before them and fought here.

"The blood is still fresh; the battle ended not long ago."

Ning Zhixi crouched to examine the corpse of a beast resembling a fire lizard, split cleanly in two; its wound edges were charred black, lingering with a peculiar true qi that mixed yin-cold and searing heat, "Not from the Blood Refining Sect's methods, but the true qi is dark, cruel, and poisonous, carrying fire-sha energy—more like…"

"The Black Lotus Sect, the Heavenly Calamity Sect, or a cultivator who practices a similar 'Fire-Sha' or 'Poisonous Flame' technique."

Chen Mu interjected, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic footprints and battle traces, "Five to seven people, at least one Earth Altar cultivator leading them, the rest all Peak Primordial. Their direction…"

Chen Mu looked into the depths of the Shi Lin, where the heat intensified and a faint smell of sulfur drifted, "Matches the direction sensed by the token."

Ning Zhixi's heart tightened.

The Black Lotus Sect and the Heavenly Calamity Sect were both powerful forces of the demonic path.

Especially the former—their cultivation methods leaned toward the extreme, their actions cunning and ruthless.

If their people had also set their sights here, matters would grow far more complicated.

"Hurry." Chen Mu no longer delayed; his form flickered slightly, already darting forward like a wisp of blue smoke, far faster than before, yet utterly silent.

Ning Zhixi quickly gathered her qi and followed, the warmth of her "Summer" token growing clearer, even beginning to pulse rhythmically, like a heartbeat, with unmistakable direction.

After weaving through the winding, labyrinthine Shi Lin, the path ahead suddenly opened—but the sight was even more horrifying.

A vast crimson cliff loomed before them, its drop plunging into a churning lake of dark red magma; searing heat waves struck their faces, the air thick with the pungent stench of sulfur and wild fire-elemental spiritual energy.

Across the cliff, roughly a hundred zhang away, rose another sheer mountain wall, its surface bearing a massive, clearly man-made cave entrance—dark and hollow, like the mouth of a monstrous beast.

Connecting the cliff to the opposite cave were three enormous iron chains, each as thick as a bowl's rim, rusted and pitted, spanning the magma lake and trembling faintly in the heat.

Above the chains, steam rose thickly, making one dizzy to look upon.

At this moment, several figures moved swiftly along one of the chains, racing toward the opposite cave.

From their attire, they were precisely the group Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi had deduced—six in total, led by a red-robed elder whose aura was dark and menacing, unmistakably Earth Altar "Five Qi in Harmony" cultivation.

The other five were all Peak Primordial.

They seemed to have noticed Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi's arrival; they glanced back, then accelerated further.

Near the edge of Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi's side of the cliff, two corpses lay sprawled, dressed similarly to the group, but utterly lifeless, their bodies covered in burns and gashes—as if, while crossing the chains, they'd been suddenly attacked by something emerging from the magma lake.

"Something's in the magma." Chen Mu's gaze swept over the dark red flow below.

His spiritual sense clearly perceived several hot, aggressive life signatures lurking beneath the surface—serpentine yet not quite serpents, lizard-like yet not quite lizards—likely a kind of beast long adapted to live within the earthfire magma.

As if sensing new arrivals, the magma's surface rippled slightly; several heads, covered in dark red scales and grotesque in shape, slowly rose, their cold, vertical pupils locking onto Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi at the cliff's edge, spitting out blazing embers.

Ning Zhixi gripped her sword hilt tightly; facing this magma chasm and its beasts, even an Earth Altar cultivator must tread carefully.

But Chen Mu did not look at the beasts. His gaze fell upon the three iron chains.

The chains appeared ordinary, yet in his perception, each contained extremely subtle yet distinctly different spiritual energy fluctuations—leaning toward "searing heat," "gentle warmth," and "grim slaughter."

And the "Summer" token in Ning Zhixi's hand now warmed slightly, pointing precisely to the chain with the most "searing heat" energy fluctuation.

"Three paths, only one is correct. Choose wrong, and the danger won't be limited to the chains."

Chen Mu said calmly, pointing to the "searing heat" chain, "The token points to this one."

No sooner had he spoken than the red-robed elder and his group reached the opposite cave entrance, standing at its mouth to peer inside—then turned back, their eyes cold as they studied Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi, especially when they saw Ning Zhixi's token faintly glowing, pointing toward one chain; the red-robed elder's eyes flickered with greed and murderous intent.

"Go."

Chen Mu made no further hesitation; he stepped forward, landing lightly beside the middle "gentle warmth" chain, then casually tapped the starting point of the adjacent "searing heat" chain with one finger.

Hum!

A clear, resonant chime rang out; the "searing heat" chain shuddered violently, its rust flaking off to reveal the crimson, fire-like metal beneath, while a steady, scorching aura spread outward.

Simultaneously, the spiritual energy fluctuations of the other two chains instantly became chaotic and violent.

"Follow me. Step exactly where I step."

Before Chen Mu finished speaking, he floated upward like a feather onto the activated crimson chain.

Each step he took landed precisely on a specific node where spiritual energy flowed; the chain swayed only slightly, unnervingly stable.

Ning Zhixi dared not delay, closely following, stepping exactly where Chen Mu had stepped.

Their actions clearly provoked the magma beasts below—and the red-robed elder across the way.

"Ssssshhhh—"

Several beasts, entirely encased in dark red scales, shaped like giant serpents with single horns, erupted from the magma, showering the air with fire rain, jaws gaping wide with razor teeth, lunging from multiple directions to bite the two on the chain—two even slammed directly into the chains themselves, aiming to snap them!

"Wretched beasts." Chen Mu did not pause his steps; he merely flicked his left hand backward casually.

No earth-shattering display—only an invisible, weightless force, heavy as a mountain, crashed down.

The grotesque magma fire serpents struck an invisible wall of bronze and iron, roaring with muffled impacts; their hardened scales shattered into fragments, their massive bodies hurled back into the magma lake by irresistible force, splashing up towering waves of crimson, shrieking in agony, too wounded to surface again.

Across the cave entrance, the red-robed elder and his men turned pale.

To suppress several magma fire serpents, each comparable to Peak Primordial or even early Earth Altar cultivators, with a mere wave of the hand?

What level of cultivation was this?

At least Earth Altar peak—perhaps even…

They dared not think further.

The red-robed elder's greed dimmed, replaced by deep wariness.

He whispered quickly to those beside him, then cast one long, wary look at Chen Mu, turned, and led his men swiftly into the dark cave—daring not to linger or block them.

Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi crossed the chains safely, stepping onto the platform on the opposite cliff wall.

The cave mouth was deep; a cool wind blew out from within, carrying the scent of dust, antiquity, and faint sulfur.

Ning Zhixi's "Summer" token was no longer merely warm—it now emitted a soft, steady golden-red glow, faintly illuminating the cave entrance.

The light rippled like water, pointing deep into the cavern.

"They went in." Ning Zhixi stared into the dark cave mouth, then down at the fresh footprints on the ground.

"It doesn't matter."

Chen Mu said calmly, "Let them scout ahead—it suits us."

Saying this, he stepped forward into the cave entrance.

Ning Zhixi held her sword, following closely behind, guided by the faint glow of the token.