As more competitors joined the fishing contest, Li Pu's harvest diminished considerably in the later stages.

More importantly, the number of Fire Element Slime Fish also significantly decreased due to hunting, now reaching a point where he might not find even one fish in an hour.

His efficiency was so slow, let alone others.

Fortunately, he anticipated this, so before the crowd arrived, Li Pu had managed to hunt quite a bit.

Now, he had accumulated 10 Fire Element Crystals that he could sell.

But to say the number he had or those in the Volcanic Pool could satisfy all the shore teams was impossible.

Luckily, within the first few hours of arriving at the Volcanic Pool, Li Pu made a new discovery.

At the bottom of the Volcanic Pool, there was a passage leading to an unknown place.

The passage was narrow and straight downhill, and he couldn't hold his breath long enough to pass through.

Therefore, he sent the breathless Caocao to explore, which found a considerable number of serpent fish.

Under Li Pu's command, Caocao didn't take any aggressive actions.

It just quietly scouted and then returned.

It also found some large stones that wouldn't dissolve in magma to conceal the entrance.

Because there were too many serpent fish inside, if they were released hastily, he felt he couldn't handle it.

But now the situation was different, with many surrounding teams, and his team was nearly completing its collection task, so there was no need to be so cautious.

So after selling the 10 Fire Element Crystals he could sell, Li Pu instructed Caocao to start action at the entrance.

If delayed further, the entrance might be discovered, and he would lose his advantage.

[Caocao!]

Caocao splashed in the magma water, indicating receipt of the order.

When it came to swimming, it could now be considered an expert.

Practiced hard since the Moonlight Lake days.

Under Li Pu's guidance, Caocao began to swim towards the entrance.

Pushing aside the obstructing stones, it quickly squeezed into the passage.

Throughout the process, Li Pu maintained telepathic contact with Caocao.

Li Pu: Report any situation immediately.

Caocao: Acknowledged, caocao!

Caocao: This passage is so long, Summoner.

Bubu: Sweet-sweet~

Li Pu: Inform me once you pass through the passage.

Aside from Bubu's occasional interruptions, communication remained smooth.

After submerging for about two to three minutes, Caocao finally emerged through the entire passage.

On the other end of the passage lay yet another magma-filled space.

The volcano's internal structure actually resembled an hourglass.

The passage Caocao went through was the narrow connecting point in the middle.

Caocao: Summoner, those long fish seem to be gone today!

Swimming around half a circle, Caocao relayed the information.

This situation left Li Pu slightly disappointed.

Originally intending to lure and eliminate the serpent fish, it turned out to be a futile attempt?

What he didn't know was that the bottom of this large volcano was connected with other Magma Lakes.

Most of the time, the serpent fish would disperse through these connecting passages across various Magma Lakes.

Discovering their traces last time was simply a stroke of luck.

Li Pu: If that's the case, just scout briefly and return if there's nothing significant.

Caocao: Acknowledged, caocao!

Bubu: Sweet-sweet~

Following the instructions, Caocao continued swimming across the bottom lake.

The telepathy channel remained silent for about 10 minutes.

When Li Pu thought Caocao would return empty-handed, it transmitted information again.

Caocao: Cao! Summoner!

Caocao: There are two very large crystals here!

Li Pu: Um, how big?

Caocao: This big!

Bubu: Sweet-sweet~

Li Pu: ..., how big exactly is 'this big'?

Caocao's gestures could not be portrayed through telepathy.

After a series of guided communication, Li Pu finally got the answer.

Unexpectedly, the two Fire Element Crystals that Caocao found had diameters exceeding 3 meters.

This delightful news almost made him ecstatic.

Such a huge Fire Element Crystal was a tremendous find, whether sold within the instance or outside, it was highly valuable.

A fist-sized Fire Element Crystal was priced at 4000, and with a diameter exceeding 3 meters and having two of them, how much would they sell for?

Suddenly, the tournament championship, the cube badge championship prize seemed trite!

This thought took him several minutes to calm down.

Then, he thought about a practical issue.

That was, such a large Fire Element Crystal couldn't fit through the narrow passage above.

Luckily, the Five Element Crystals have a unique trait.

That is the fusion-splitting property.

Especially the already fused spherical Five Element Crystals, they have shape memory ability, capable of refusion after being shattered unless new fragments are added.

Therefore, the two Fire Element Crystals could be shattered first, transported as fragments, and then fused again.

Li Pu: Then shatter them and bring them up.

Having thought it through, he thus instructed Caocao.

Caocao: No problem, cao!

Caocao: Kssssss~~~~~~~~

Caocao, upon receiving the order, immediately swam to one of the large crystals and prepared to strike.

Originally, after upgrading, the attack speed of [Slug Grass] had slightly improved.

However, the surrounding liquid environment now made the grass fist even slower.

Caocao: Kssssssssss!

At the moment the fist touched the large crystal, Caocao felt a powerful recoil force.

Bam!!!

Simultaneously, it heard something exploding.

Under the effect of the recoil force, Caocao was propelled upwards.

It even followed that magma thermal current, passed through the narrow passage it came from, and was directly returned to the Volcanic Pool.

"What's going on?"

Seconds later, Li Pu saw Caocao resurfacing.

[Caocao!]

[Caocao-cao-cao!]

Caocao: Summoner, that thing isn't a crystal!

Facing Li Pu, Caocao flailed its limbs.

When the fist was struck, it immediately felt something off.

It did not have the hard crystalline texture, rather it was soft.

"Not a crystal? Then what could it be?"

Li Pu wondered.

Rumble rumble rumble!

But just as he spoke, he suddenly felt the earth shaking.

Such an experience was not unique to him.

Players by the Volcanic Pool also felt it.

Not to mention those on the mountain, probably every creature within the entire Fire Domain's level 1 area could sense the upcoming earthquake.

In an instant, many serpent fish from the Magma Lakes jumped out of the surface, uttering strange cries.

Compared to fear, the emotion encompassed in the cries seemed more like excitement.

"Bad! Could it be the volcano is about to erupt?!"

Those on the shore changed color at this realization.

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