"Brother Yuan, did you notice anything amiss?" Wulu frowned and asked when he saw this.

"Not really, I didn't detect any breath in the lake, but this makes it seem even more abnormal... In any case, let's all be careful later on," Yuan Ming pondered slightly and shook his head as he spoke.

He hadn't used his first soul to extend his Divine Sense for exploration, as the soul power of soul splitting was weak, and manipulating the Desire Power within the White Jade Lotus Platform was even more difficult than with his main body.

Having conducted consecutive explorations earlier, his first soul was now completely exhausted and was currently practicing Breathing Control.

"Alright." Long Chong rubbed his hands, already somewhat impatient.

After the discussion, the group immediately took to the air and headed toward the center of the Magma Lake. With Yuan Ming's warning, everyone was not moving too quickly.

However, they had only flown about seventy or eighty feet when the molten lava beneath them in the Magma Lake suddenly began to boil tumultuously, and the violently churning magma spat flames several zhang high, scattering Yuan Ming and the others.

Following that, an enormous bubble swelled up, and within it appeared a gaping maw lined with sharp teeth; as the bubble rose, it surged upward.

"Be careful!" Yuan Ming shouted a warning as he twisted his body to dodge.

"Bang"

The huge bubble burst, revealing a gigantic crocodile over 30 feet long, covered in fiery red Scale Armor, which opened its ghastly mouth and lunged at Yuan Ming.

A firelight ignited in its throat and suddenly spurted out a stream of scorching molten lava, thick as a man's arm, shooting straight toward Yuan Ming's chest like an arrow.

In his haste, Yuan Ming summoned a Silver Shield in front of him, its surface gleaming with rotating light.

This item had been recently acquired from Island Master Liu of Liulan Island, and Yuan Ming had casually refined it, finding it quite solid and durable.

The arrow-like molten lava struck the Silver Shield.

With a "sch" sound, the Silver Shield melted like a candle, being burnt through to create a large hole, though the burning magma continued toward Yuan Ming's chest, its force significantly diminished.

Yuan Ming's heart chilled, and he raised a Silver Banner to block the magma, shifting his body laterally to move aside.

The Red Fire Crocodile was huge but exceptionally agile; it slapped its tail fiercely in the magma, effortlessly changing direction and continuing its pursuit of Yuan Ming.

At that moment, Yuan Ming's figure suddenly flickered, turning into multiple indistinct afterimages, scattering across the Magma Lake, causing the Red Fire Crocodile to lose sight of its target and lunge at nothing.

Elsewhere, Long Chong and the others also faced gigantic fiery crocodiles; Long Chong gripped his spear tightly, moving through the air like a dragon, dodging a stream of molten arrows from one of the crocodiles and thrusting his spear.

If not for Yuan Ming's timely warning, he would almost certainly have been burnt by the molten lava by now.

This thought turned Long Chong's anger into strength, channeling it through the tip of his spear.

His figure spun in mid-air, seemingly merging with his spear, transforming into a conical water spout that rapidly pierced towards the top of the Fire Crocodile's head.

"Hiss hiss..."

The dense water vapor clashed with the fire energy emitted by the Fire Crocodile, creating a thick white steam that enveloped both of their figures, accompanied by a sharp metallic clashing sound.

"Clang clang clang"

As sparks flew continuously, Long Chong's figure receded backward, cursing as he shouted:

"Everyone be careful, these beasts' skin is just too thick; I struck with nearly full force, yet I couldn't even penetrate the crocodile armor!"

Having freed himself, Long Chong subconsciously glanced over at Qiong Yun.

She was currently maneuvering the Jade Ruyi to form a circular Protective Light Screen, fending off the pincer attack from two Fire Crocodiles.

The two Fire Crocodiles incessantly spewed molten lava that was even more terrifying than that in the Magma Lake, quickly causing her protective screen to waver as if it was about to collapse.

Seeing this, Long Chong hurriedly flew over, thrusting his spear at one of the Fire Crocodiles.

His Winter Flood Dragon Spirit Beast manifested, its body shrinking several times, resembling a small snake coiled around his spear, spitting at the Fire Crocodile.

A dazzling blue light burst from the tip of the spear, along with an extreme chill that overwhelmed the surrounding intense heat.

One side of the Fire Crocodile's body was immediately covered with white Frost, its movements becoming stiff, and it was knocked flying by the spear.

Long Chong's body was also blasted backward; he quickly pulled Qiong Yun and flew out of the Magma Lake.

After landing, both of them breathed lightly, the situation having been extremely critical just moments earlier. This brief battle had significantly drained both of them.

Not far away, Wulu had also escaped the magma area, his body charred black, with half his hair burnt off.

Wulu had just been attacked by two Fire Crocodiles; he had managed to fend off an attack of Magma from one of them with a Magic Treasure, escaping but also sustaining serious injuries.

"Where's Brother Yuan?" After catching his breath, Long Chong looked around and asked.

He had not paid attention to Yuan Ming's situation just now, but the area above the Magma Lake was now empty, Yuan Ming nowhere to be seen.

However, he was not overly worried in his heart as, in his view, Yuan Ming's strength and experience in dealing with emergencies were no less than his own, and he naturally had ways to protect himself.

"There's nowhere to hide here, could he be there?" Qiong Yun suddenly looked up at the center of the lake and said.

At the center of the lake at that moment, the magma surged violently, forming soaring magma waves several meters high from all directions, targeting the Earth Core Fire Lotus at the center of the lake and enveloping it layer by layer, obscuring the view.

Just as Long Chong and Wulu turned their heads in response, strands of white light crisscrossed like blades, chopping nearly half of the magma waves into fragments.

Accompanied by a rumble of thunder, a thick bolt of silver lightning shot out from the center of the lake. It crossed dozens of meters in an instant and landed near the three of them, revealing Yuan Ming and Lei Yu.

Lei Yu's body was scorched in many places, and many feathers were burned off. Yuan Ming's sleeves were half burned, slightly disheveled, but his right hand was flickering with red light, clearly holding an Earth Core Fire Lotus.

"Haha, as expected, Brother Yuan is highly skilled and managed to get a Fire Lotus," Long Chong laughed heartily.

"It was a lucky catch," Yuan Ming laughed.

He had just cast a wide-range Illusion Technique on the fire crocodiles in the lake, used the Void Transformation Technique to conceal his traces, and amidst the chaos, he moved to the black rock area at the center of the lake, intending to steal a few Fire Lotuses. Unexpectedly, seven or eight even larger fire crocodiles suddenly leapt out from the center of the lake, able to sense his presence and control the lava to smash towards him.

Under urgent circumstances, Yuan Ming used the Cold Moon Ring to forcibly break through the magma wave and caught an Earth Core Fire Lotus, then summoned Lei Yu and escaped.

However, there were too many fire crocodiles in the center of the lake and they were also strong, so Yuan Ming didn't completely avoid them and suffered some minor injuries.

About a dozen fire crocodiles with blazing eyes chased after them, and Yuan Ming and his group quickly retreated again.

The fire crocodiles only pursued them to the edge of the lake and did not come ashore. They roared a few times at the group and then began to sink back into the Magma Lake.

"It seems these fire crocodiles will not leave the Magma Lake," Wulu said.

Yuan Ming and the others deeply agreed, watching the fire crocodile figures slowly sinking into the magma, completely disappearing without a trace.

All four of them looked astonished. Their Divine Sense had been tracking these fire crocodiles; as soon as they dived into the lake, they suddenly disappeared, and everyone's Divine Sense completely lost them.

"How is that possible? Could these fire crocodiles' bodies be composed of magma? Do they melt into it as they enter the lake?" Qiong Yun widened his eyes, incredulous.

"As I see it, those fire crocodiles have flesh and blood bodies, and might be proficient in some advanced Concealment Technique," Long Chong guessed, stroking his chin.

Yuan Ming didn't pay attention to the fire crocodiles, instead, he applied a Recovery Spell to his right hand while examining the Fire Lotus in his hand.

"So this is the Earth Core Fire Lotus? Hurry up and try it, see if its effects are really as good as the rumors suggest?" Qiong Yun urged, his face full of curiosity.

Wulu swallowed two Healing Pills, his burns had already mostly healed, and he was now intently watching the flickering red light of the Fire Lotus in Yuan Ming's hands.

Yuan Ming nodded, settled down on a nearby large rock, with Lei Yu and Hua Zhi squatting on either side, and Wulu with the other two stood further away, serving as protectors for Yuan Ming.

According to Long Chong, Yuan Ming didn't need to do anything special; he immediately broke off a petal of the Earth Core Fire Lotus.

This petal was thin, like thin Ice Crystals, warm to the touch, with a jade-like texture.

After examining it briefly, Yuan Ming put the petal into his mouth.

A faint scent of incense wafted in his mouth, the thin petal dissolved instantly, mingling with the saliva emerging in his mouth and slipping into his stomach.

After waiting a moment, Yuan Ming felt no discomfort, but likewise, he felt no change, and couldn't help but turn to Long Chong.

"Don't look at me, I haven't eaten this thing either... Maybe you ate too little of it?" Long Chong spread his hands and suggested.

After a brief contemplation, Yuan Ming broke off petal after petal and put them into his mouth.

When he had swallowed all the petals, and the remaining pistil and stem as well, a faint heat appeared. It wasn't intense.

Yuan Ming channeled Mana, trying to refine this hint of heat, when suddenly within his lower abdomen, there was a "bang" sound as if a flaming fire had risen. A scorchingly hot current surged, instantly reddening his entire face.

He immediately felt a rich Spiritual Power uncontrollably roaming his body, straining his Eight Extraordinary Meridians immensely, causing unbearable burning sensations, almost ready to burst if not dealt with.

In excruciating pain, Yuan Ming gritted his teeth and smiled inwardly, immediately Cultivating in meditation, refining and absorbing the Spiritual Power.

The surrounding nature's spiritual energy was also drawn, flowing into his body like a tide, subtly forming a Spiritual Energy Vortex.

Seeing this, Long Chong and the others relaxed at first, their faces showing envy.

In just a brief moment, that current of Spiritual Power was completely refined by Yuan Ming into Mana, which entered into his Dantian.

In his Dantian a boiling scene of Mana ensued, Yuan Ming's Cultivation achieved great progress in just this brief moment, reaching the peak of early-stage Core Formation, barely a step away from mid-stage.

Yuan Ming could feel that just one more Earth Core Fire Lotus would allow him to break through directly to the mid-stage of Core Formation.

Furthermore, his body was tempered, pores exuding many black impurities, and both his muscles and bones were significantly strengthened.

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