Chapter 129 - 102: Holy Fire Day and Samadhi True Flame Upgrade

Chapter 129: Chapter 102: Holy Fire Day and Samadhi True Flame Upgrade

He took a deep breath. The air was dry, tinged with the scent of sulfur and metal.

Beneath his feet was grayish-black volcanic rock. Thin streams of dark red magma flowed through the fissures, pulsating slowly like the bloodlines of the earth. In the distance, a High Tower stood on a flat lava plain. The Crystal Stone at its peak gleamed with a dim red light beneath the sulfur-colored sky.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t borrow the High Tower’s attack privileges for a private operation. Launching an overwhelming, multidimensional strike like they did against Marcus was out of the question. The most they could enjoy was the basic protection of the Plane Will, which simply prevented the world from rejecting them as outsiders. That was it.

Surtr squeezed out of the Space Book. It was now as tall as three adults, and its waist was a full circle wider than the door to Chen Shang’s laboratory. Tangerine flames spewed from the cracks in its dark red skin. It took a deep breath and let out a low, satisfied sigh. "Boss, this place... is comfortable. The air is warm. Unlike the lab, where it feels so stuffy."

The Golden Crow poked its head over Surtr’s shoulder, gripping it with its three claws. Its feathers puffed up. "Oh my god, it’s so hot, so hot, so hot! Boss, do you have any spare Magic Robes? Give me one too!"

Chen Shang ignored it. This guy had mastered the Samadhi True Fire Rune and wouldn’t feel hot at all; it was purely just being chatty.

Evelyn took a deep breath and recorded some data on the Crystal Plate. "The Fire Element concentration is very high, even higher than the training grounds in Elemental City. If I weren’t teaming up with you guys, I wouldn’t have dared to come here alone."

Ella frowned slightly. The little bear shifted restlessly in her arms, but it quickly settled down. Twilight’s Black Fog rippled slightly under the high temperature, but she herself showed no reaction.

"Let’s head to the Molten Lava Lake first." Chen Shang opened the map and marked a route. "There are a few Iliet tribes nearby. We’ll first see if we can reach an agreement to enter the Molten Lava Lake. The Fire Elemental Eye might be in there."

The group had no objections. Surtr took the lead to clear the path, while the Golden Crow squatted on its shoulder, muttering something under its breath. Chen Shang walked in the middle of the formation. His Eye of True Sight remained active, scanning the surrounding terrain and Energy fluctuations.

Evelyn was on his right, a compressed mass of Flame constantly gathered in her palm. Ella walked on his left, holding the little bear. She appeared relaxed, but her Spiritual Force Field had already silently spread out. Twilight brought up the rear. The Black Fog spread from her body, covering the entire team’s retreat path.

The lava plain stretched as far as the eye could see. The grayish-black surface was covered in a network of cracks, with dark red magma flowing through the fissures. The air distorted under the intense heat, making the distant mountain ridges appear to undulate like waves.

Occasionally, Fire Elemental Spirits would pop out from the crevices in the ground. However, they were all Low Tier. Most were Fireballs the size of fists. Some were unstable, spinning erratically in the air for a few loops before exploding with a POP, dissipating into a few sparks.

After walking for about an Hourglass of time, black silhouettes appeared on the horizon.

Chen Shang looked over and saw rows of buildings. Constructed from black volcanic rock, they had domed roofs and looked like giant steamed buns resting on the ground. Figures moved between the structures. They were the Flame Sub-humans, the Iliet. Each was over two meters tall, their bodies covered in dark red scales.

They were bustling with activity right now. Some were transporting Ore, some were polishing metal, and others were squatting in front of Melting Furnaces, hammering away at something. CLINK, CLANK noises mixed with the bubbling sounds of magma, creating a chaotic din.

The Molten Lava Lake sat just behind the tribe. It was an endless expanse of dark red, its surface churning with tangerine bubbles that spewed bursts of sulfur-scented steam when they popped. The lake was massive; the opposite shore was entirely out of sight. Waves of heat rose from the surface, baking the air dry and hot. The silvery-white light patterns on Chen Shang’s Frost Mage Robe brightened by a degree.

The tribe was in a messy state. Chen Shang stopped an Iliet carrying Ore. The creature was a good deal taller than him, and it glanced down at him, a trace of impatience flashing in its slitted pupils.

"Outsiders? What is it?"

Chen Shang took out the Elemental Storm’s visitor badge. "We are from the Wizard World and would like to visit the Molten Lava Lake."

The Iliet’s slitted pupils contracted. His gaze paused on the badge for a moment, and his tone softened slightly. "Not right now. It is Holy Fire Day, the forging convention. We have no time to entertain you."

He carried his Ore away. Chen Shang did not chase after him; instead, he activated his Eye of True Sight and swept his gaze across the entire tribe.

The interface began to jump.

[Extractable attribute detected: Heart of Molten Fire (Green) — Source: Iliet Craftsman. Completeness: 58%. Extract?]

Extract!

Chen Shang didn’t stop, continuing to walk forward. As he passed another Iliet who was building a shed, the interface jumped again.

[Extractable attribute detected: Power of the Forge Hammer (Green) — Source: Iliet Craftsman. Completeness: 63%. Extract?]

Extract!

Many attributes entered his inventory. All of them were related to forging and Flames. Their Quality was quite decent, and there were plenty of them. Chen Shang closed the interface and headed toward the center of the structures. Over there stood an even more imposing Iliet, who seemed to be their patriarch.

As they walked over, this Iliet was standing in front of the largest Melting Furnace, directing his tribesmen to position something. He was much taller than an Ordinary Iliet, approaching three meters in height. The flaming mane on his head resembled a burning crown. Furthermore, the color of his scales was much darker, leaning toward a blackish-gray.

[Extractable attribute detected: Flame Shaping (Blue) — Source: Iliet Patriarch. Completeness: 41%. Extract?]