26: Chapter 26 The Wrath of the Earth's Veins, the Fire Spirit Submits

The humming sound did not come from the air, but from beneath their feet, from the surrounding rock walls, from the strange liquid in the pool, and even from the earth core fire marrow crystal in the center, its light flickering uncertainly. It was deep and resonant, carrying an indescribable sense of antiquity and majesty, as if the mountains and earth, having slept for ten thousand years, were slowly opening their eyes.

The violent, scorching air inside the Secret Grotto suddenly stalled the moment this humming began. The oppressive ferocity and terrifying pressure of the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon were as if gripped and compressed by an invisible hand, appearing somewhat stagnant and... cowering?

It stopped its advance, the rage and killing intent in its three crimson-gold vertical pupils replaced by shock and a trace of deeply hidden fear. Its massive body crouched slightly; the flames erupting from its spine, covered in magma armor, retracted significantly. It emitted uneasy low growls from its throat, staring fixedly at the fire marrow crystal in the center of the pool, and at the earth that was humming as if it had come alive.

"This... this is..." In the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon's chaotic mental fluctuations, an unbelievable horror was revealed, "The will of the earth vein?! How is it possible... The will of this place has been silent for ten thousand years..."

Before its voice had even faded, a sudden change occurred!

The earth core fire marrow crystal in the center of the pool suddenly erupted with unprecedented, brilliant light! It was no longer a single crimson-gold or the color of any specific Heavenly Flame, but swirling with seven colors, as if it had simultaneously activated all the Heavenly Flame Dao mark phantoms sealed within! The light, like a tangible tide, washed over the entire Secret Grotto. Wherever it passed, whether it was the restless flames on the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon, the dispersed energy auras of Lin Yan and Xiao Yi Xian, or the violent particles wandering in the air, all were instantly smoothed, purified, and gathered!

A vast, gentle, yet supreme will permeated the space along with this seven-colored light. It had no concrete form, no words, yet it seemed to be everywhere; it was the master of this Secret Grotto, the earth vein beneath their feet, and the earth fire and cold springs that had flowed for unknown ages.

This will first "looked" toward the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon.

"Boom—!"

An invisible pressure descended from thin air! The Magma Earth-Walking Dragon was as if struck by a ten-thousand-foot mountain, its massive five-zhang-long body sinking violently. Its four giant magma claws sank deep into the hard ground, causing the surrounding rocks to crack! The fiercely burning flames on its body dimmed and extinguished at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the three pairs of magma light wings on its back lost all their radiance, drooping powerlessly as if all its strength had been drained. It let out a painful and humiliated muffled roar, its three vertical pupils filled with fear and submission, no longer daring to show any trace of ferocity.

In front of this true will of the earth vein, this fourth-order peak Magical Beast, which dominated the region and was comparable to the peak of the Dou Ling realm, was as insignificant as an ant!

Next, that vast will slowly turned toward Lin Yan, who had collapsed on the ground.

Lin Yan's consciousness was blurry at this moment, his whole body in excruciating pain, but deep in his soul, he could clearly "feel" the "gaze" of that will. That gaze seemed capable of piercing through his flesh and bones, reaching directly to the origin of his soul, seeing the existence of the ten Seed Flame of Void Devouring Flame within him, especially that wisp of Void Swallowing Flame that had just grown stronger, pitch-black and profound.

There was no malice, no greed, only a kind of pure curiosity, scrutiny, and a trace of... an extremely faint, gentle fluctuation, as if it were seeing the cub of its own kind?

A wisp of the seven-colored light separated, like the softest tentacle, brushing over Lin Yan's charred and broken body. Wherever the light passed, the terrifying burns, fractured bones, and damaged meridians began to repair and heal at a speed visible to the naked eye! Furthermore, a pure, gentle, vast, and upright energy surged into his dried-up Dantian and meridians, not only rapidly replenishing his exhausted Dou Qi, but also quietly nourishing his severely overdrawn soul. This repair was not merely simple healing; it was more like a high-level energy baptism and gift.

Lin Yan's consciousness quickly cleared, the pain in his body fading away rapidly, replaced by a warm sense of comfort and the pleasure of strength filling him once again. He even felt that his control over the several Seed Flame of Void Devouring Flame in his body (especially the Void Swallowing Flame that had just absorbed the Dao marks) seemed to have become more effortless, and his connection with them tighter.

Finally, the gaze of the vast will fell upon Xiao Yi Xian, who was standing by the pool, pale-faced but forcing herself to remain upright, her eyes filled with shock and vigilance.

When the "gaze" fell upon her, it seemed to pause slightly, conveying a more complex emotional fluctuation—there was surprise, pity, and a trace of... an exclamation, as if seeing some strange treasure of heaven and earth's creation?

The Calamity Poison Body power within Xiao Yi Xian involuntarily began to circulate slowly under this gaze, emitting a grayish-purple shimmer. She felt that her newly born, just-organized, and controlled poison body origin had produced an extremely faint, yet real resonance with this vast will of the earth vein. It was as if her body, which was regarded as a "curse," was, in the eyes of this ancient earth vein that had nurtured countless wonders of heaven and earth, also a unique "treasure" generated by heaven and earth, only it was unpolished and contained immense risks.

A wisp of fine light, intertwined with pale blue (essence of extreme cold earth vein) and crimson (essence of earth fire), separated from the pool water and gently lingered around Xiao Yi Xian. It did not invade her body, but emitted a peaceful and upright aura, further soothing and stabilizing her poison power, which had just experienced a riot and rebirth, making her feel entirely comfortable, as if even her soul had been washed clean.

The entire process seemed long, but in reality, it only took a few breaths.

Inside the Secret Grotto, the seven-colored light gradually retracted back into the fire marrow crystal, and the vast, boundless will of the earth vein retreated like a tide, the humming sound gradually subsiding. However, the atmosphere inside the Secret Grotto, which had originally been violent, scorching, and filled with killing intent, had completely changed. The air was mild, the energy peaceful, leaving only the heavy panting of the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon and the heartbeats of Lin Yan and Xiao Yi Xian, who had survived a disaster.

The Magma Earth-Walking Dragon remained prostrate on the ground, not daring to rise. The fear in its three vertical pupils had not yet faded, and its gaze toward Lin Yan and Xiao Yi Xian had completely changed. It was no longer the look of seeing "thieves" or "prey," but was filled with wariness, complexity, and even... a trace of indescribable awe? Because it clearly felt that the attitude of the will of the earth vein toward these two humans was completely different from its attitude toward it!

Lin Yan slowly stood up from the ground, stretched his almost completely recovered body, his eyes filled with shock and contemplation. He looked at the fire marrow crystal in the center, whose light was tending toward calm, then looked at the prostrate Magma Earth-Walking Dragon, and finally, his gaze met with Xiao Yi Xian's. Both of them saw the same disbelief and deep lingering fear in each other's eyes.

"The will of the earth vein... it actually exists, and it has awakened." Lin Yan whispered to himself, his heart churning. This was completely beyond his expectations. It seemed that this "Lava Cave" was far more than just a treasure land of fire attributes; its depths connected to a more ancient and mysterious earth vein core, and might even be related to some origin of this Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Xiao Yi Xian also walked to Lin Yan's side. Her aura had stabilized a lot, her poison power restrained, her eyes still shaken, but more filled with a kind of awe for the great power of heaven and earth. "It... seems to have helped us?" She asked uncertainly.

"At least it has no malice for now." Lin Yan nodded, his gaze once again cast toward the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon, his eyes slightly cold. Although the will of the earth vein had suppressed it, the threat of this beast had not been lifted.

Seeming to sense Lin Yan's gaze, the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon's massive body trembled slightly. It struggled to lift its head, looking at Lin Yan, and its mental fluctuations came again, but this time they were filled with humility and compromise: "Res... respected envoy... the previous offense was truly due to ignorance... I implore the envoy... for forgiveness..."

Envoy? Lin Yan raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the "gift" from the will of the earth vein just now and its special attitude toward them had caused this stupid dragon to have a serious misunderstanding, thinking that they had some connection with the will of the earth vein, or were even its "envoys."

This was... a situation that could be utilized.

Lin Yan's thoughts raced, but his face remained calm. He even deliberately revealed a trace of an aura that fused the breaths of the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame, carrying a faint pressure (having just been baptized by the earth vein energy, his control and simulation of the Heavenly Flame aura were more effortless). He looked coldly at the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon, not responding directly, but instead asking in return: "You guard the fire lotus and fire marrow crystal here, yet you allow the fire poison to run rampant, disturbing the peace of the earth vein, and furthermore, you dared to harbor killing intent toward those favored by the earth vein. Do you know your crime?"

His words were half-true and half-false, and combined with the wrath of the will of the earth vein just now, it sounded quite a bit like "acting on behalf of heaven to punish."

The fear in the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon's eyes deepened, and it hurriedly lowered its huge head: "This small dragon knows its crime! This small dragon knows its crime! I am willing to accept the envoy's punishment! I only beg... I only beg the envoy to spare this small dragon's life; I am willing... willing to offer the guarded fire lotus and a portion of the fire marrow crystal essence, and... and serve the envoy as master, guarding by the envoy's side, to atone for my sins!"

Offer the fire lotus and a portion of the fire marrow crystal essence? And even serve as master? Lin Yan's heart stirred. This was an unexpected gain. A fourth-order peak fighter, possessing a faint dragon bloodline, and familiar with the environment of this place, as a thug and mount? Although it was heavily injured by the suppression of the earth vein, its potential was huge. Moreover, with it here, perhaps he could better explore and utilize this Lava Cave area, and even... learn more about the will of the earth vein and the secrets of this place.

However, this beast was cunning and ferocious; he had to be on guard.

Lin Yan looked at Xiao Yi Xian, using his eyes to ask for her opinion. Xiao Yi Xian frowned slightly, obviously having no good feelings toward this giant beast that had almost killed them, but she also understood the benefits of subduing it, especially since they now urgently needed to increase their strength and find a safe place to stay. She nodded gently.

"Hmph," Lin Yan snorted coldly, his gaze like lightning, "It is not impossible to spare your life. But you must be bound by a Soul Contract, using a wisp of your origin soul fire as a pledge, never to betray for the rest of your life, otherwise the soul fire will backfire, and your body and soul will be destroyed! Are you willing?"

The Soul Contract was a relatively harsh master-servant contract in the Fighting Qi Continent, requiring the servant to voluntarily offer a wisp of their origin object bound to their soul (such as a Magical Beast's origin soul fire, a demon spirit's life essence, etc.), which would then be controlled by the master. Once the servant betrayed, the master could directly severely injure or even destroy their soul through this wisp of origin object.

The Magma Earth-Walking Dragon's body trembled violently, a struggle flashing in its eyes. Offering its origin soul fire was equivalent to completely handing over its life and death into the hands of another. But it looked at the Heavenly Flame aura on Lin Yan that made its heart palpitate, thought about the terror of the will of the earth vein just now, and then looked at its own state of being heavily injured and suppressed... there was simply no room for choice.

"This small dragon... is willing!" It finally lowered its head, and from between its brows, a faint yet pure, dark-gold flame slowly drifted out, flying toward Lin Yan. This was precisely a wisp of its origin soul fire.

Lin Yan reached out to catch it, carefully probing with his soul power. After confirming it was correct, he took it into his body, wrapping and nourishing it with a trace of Void Swallowing Flame aura (it was both protection and monitoring). Immediately, a clear master-servant connection was established between him and the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon, and he could vaguely perceive the other party's emotions and state.

"Since you have acknowledged me as master, from now on I shall call you 'Chi Rong'." Lin Yan said in a deep voice, "Get up, and heal your injuries first."

"Thank you, Master, for bestowing the name!" Chi Rong (the Magma Earth-Walking Dragon) breathed a sigh of relief, struggled to crawl up, and lay down on the side, beginning to absorb the residual fire-attribute energy in the air to heal, its attitude incomparably submissive.

The crisis seemed to be temporarily resolved, and they had unexpectedly subdued a powerful Magical Beast.

Lin Yan and Xiao Yi Xian looked at each other, both feeling a sense of exhaustion and absurdity after the fatigue. But both of them were clear that the awakening of the will of the earth vein and the submission of Chi Rong had only pulled them back from the edge of immediate death and dragged them into a deeper, more unpredictable vortex.

Lin Yan walked to the edge of the pool, looking at the fire marrow crystal with its restrained brilliance, then looked at the strange pool water beside it, and finally cast his gaze toward the darkness deeper in the Secret Grotto.

"Why would the will of the earth vein awaken at this moment? What is its attitude... toward us exactly? And what is hidden in the depths of this Secret Grotto?" Lin Yan asked in a low voice, more as if asking himself.

Xiao Yi Xian also gazed at that deep place, her emerald eyes shimmering under the dim light reflected from the pool water: "I feel... my poison body seems to have... an indescribable resonance with that place. It's very faint, but it definitely exists."

Lin Yan's heart stirred slightly. The Calamity Poison Body also had a resonance with this Secret Grotto of the earth vein?

Just at this moment, the will of the earth vein, which had just fallen silent, seemed to transmit an extremely faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation again, like a murmur in a dream, pointing toward the deeper, darker end of the Secret Grotto. At the same time, the Seed Flame of Void Devouring Flame within Lin Yan once again transmitted a clear longing, even more urgent than before!

That place seemed to be what truly attracted it, or rather, where the thing that attracted this wisp of Heavenly Flame origin, which represented "devouring" and "void," was located. And when Chi Rong sensed the direction of that fluctuation, its huge body also trembled imperceptibly, deep fear flashing in its eyes once again, as if something even more terrifying than the awakening of the will of the earth vein was hidden there.