59: The dead end of the cave, the fire burns itself

In the deepest part of the Earth-Fire Fissure, there was no destruction, only new life.

A strange, warm sensation enveloped Lin Gou's slowly coalescing consciousness.

He could "see" that the Earth-Fire, which had once incinerated him to ash, now flowed like docile streams through his newly formed Meridians, joyful and unrestrained.

They were no longer a force of destruction, but the building blocks of his body.

Every inch of his skin, every bone, was branded with profound and ancient crimson Dao lines under the tempering of this flame.

【Ding! You were ambushed by Ye Family Disciples in the Hidden Dragon Secret Realm, accidentally fell into the Earth-Fire Fissure, and were burned to ashes by the 'Earth-Fire'!】

【Death Method Assessment: Died an unnatural death, no corpse left, made an outstanding contribution to the villain's show-off career!】

【Reward settlement in progress...】

【Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Heaven Rank special Physique — 'Fire Spirit Holy Body' (Proto-form)!】

【Congratulations to the host for a significant increase in cultivation! Current Realm: Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!】

Boom!

An unprecedented surge of majestic spiritual power gushed forth from the void, madly pouring into his newly reshaped Qi Sea Dantian.

The Bottleneck of Foundation Establishment Early Stage was as fragile as a thin piece of paper, instantly pierced through.

Spiritual power surged incessantly, frantically filling and solidifying his new Realm.

Foundation Establishment Middle Stage!

Lin Gou slowly opened his eyes.

His figure completely solidified above a flowing golden lava.

He lowered his head, examining his palms.

Beneath his skin, a faint red glow circulated, as if what now coursed through his veins was no longer blood, but scorching magma.

He reached out, tentatively dipping his hand into the slowly flowing river of lava beside him.

Scorching hot.

But it was no longer the Soul-tearing pain; instead, it was a warm intimacy stemming from his Bloodline.

He could even clearly feel the joy and exhilaration contained within every wisp of flame.

"Fire Spirit Holy Body..."

Lin Gou's lips curved into an uncontrollable, wild grin.

His last death rewarded him with a "Body of Invulnerability to All Poisons," turning the poisonous swamp into his backyard.

This time, a proto-form "Fire Spirit Holy Body" directly transformed this deadly Earth-Fire Grotto into his absolute home ground.

He raised his head, his gaze seemingly penetrating the thick rock layers.

He could clearly "see" Ye Jun and his group, full of arrogance and high spirits, walking towards the depths from the entrance of the Grotto.

"Truly... a group of high-quality experience babies."

Lin Gou let out a sigh of deep satisfaction.

Instead of leaving, he followed the flow of the lava, strolling leisurely towards the deepest part where the Earth-Fire energy was most concentrated.

The temperature here was enough to vaporize Magic Treasure Flying Sword in an instant.

Yet, Lin Gou walked through it as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard, feeling utterly at ease.

The lava beneath his feet even actively avoided his footsteps, as if welcoming the arrival of their monarch.

Passing through a narrow passage, his vision suddenly opened up.

An incredibly vast underground cavern appeared before him.

In the center of the cavern was a huge lava lake, its liquid viscous and a magnificent dark gold color.

At the heart of the lake, a peculiar lotus flower was quietly blooming.

The lotus was entirely crimson, crystal clear, as if carved from the purest fiery glass. Its nine lotus leaves exhaled pure fire-elemental spiritual power, causing a slight distortion in the surrounding space.

crimson flame demon lotus.

It was just a tiny bit away from reaching full maturity.

Lin Gou's gaze, however, only lingered on the Yao Lotus for an instant.

His sight was fixed on a protruding, charcoal-like giant "rock" next to the Yao Lotus.

That "rock" was very slightly, rhythmically, rising and falling.

With each rise and fall, a scorching, air-distorting aura spewed from the cracks in the "rock."

Lava Megalizard.

A powerful Yao Beast of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage, it lay there in slumber, perfectly integrated with its environment, guarding the precious treasure that was about to mature.

Should he just go up and snatch it, then get slapped to death by this big guy?

Lin Gou shook his head.

No.

That kind of death was too lacking in skill, too perfunctory.

The reward rating would definitely not be high.

His gaze swept from the Yao Lotus to the Megalizard, then slowly across the entire massive underground cavern.

A plan far bolder, more interesting, and most importantly... yielding richer rewards than simply seeking death, rapidly formed in his mind.

This crimson flame demon lotus was a treasure.

But its true value now was as the perfect bait.

Lin Gou did not disturb the sleeping Megalizard; he turned and silently merged into the shadows at the edge of the cavern.

Like the most meticulous and ruthless engineer, he began to survey the structure of the entire cavern.

His spiritual sense spread out, combined with the Fire Spirit Holy Body's keen perception of Earth-Fire energy, and soon, he had grasped all the "lifelines" of this natural Grotto.

"The stalagmite on the left is one of the main load-bearing structures; it looks massive, but its interior has been eroded by Earth-Fire for years, making it incredibly fragile."

"Below the lava lake, there are three main volcanic energy channels that maintain the energy balance of this place."

"And those tiny cracks on the walls are all potential eruption points..."

Lin Gou's eyes gleamed with calculation.

At this moment, he was not a Cultivator.

He was a director preparing to stage a grand "fireworks display."

He came to the base of the massive stalagmite. His Foundation Establishment Middle Stage spiritual power condensed at his fingertips, transforming into the sharpest carving knife. He silently carved several extremely deep cracks at the stalagmite's core and most fragile points.

From the outside, the stalagmite appeared intact.

But its internal structure had been completely destroyed; only the slightest tremor would cause it to instantly collapse.

After completing all this, he submerged into several passages near the lava lake, using his perception of Earth-Fire flow to subtly alter the direction of several lava flows with a few ordinary rocks.

It was like setting several invisible dams in a surging river.

When energy cannot flow smoothly, it will accumulate increasingly terrifying pressure behind the dams.

An hour later.

Lin Gou quietly returned to the place where he first entered the cavern.

He looked up at an inconspicuous stone platform located at the edge of the cavern's dome.

It was situated at a very high elevation, offering an excellent view that encompassed the entire lava lake.

Most importantly, it was sufficiently concealed.

He leaped, like a falling leaf, silently landing on the stone platform. He sat cross-legged, completely suppressing all his aura, merging with the surrounding rock walls.

Now, the stage was set.

All that remained was for the actors to walk in themselves.