Opening a Passage

Wei Yang took a stroll around the area, but unfortunately, he did not find the passage described in the original story.

"There isn't a passage leading into the Underground Lava Lake?"

Wei Yang frowned slightly. "I remember there being more than a dozen winding passages in the original story, all leading directly to the Underground Lava Lake?"

Then realization dawned on him. "Right. When Xiao Yan found the underground lava lake in the original story, Medusa had already been there and taken away the Green Lotus Core Flame. Only a Green Lotus Seat remained beneath the magma."

"Those passages were probably forcibly carved from the ground downward by Medusa with her formidable cultivation."

Thinking of this, Wei Yang looked down at the sand beneath his feet and smiled helplessly. "Looks like we'll have to burrow through the sand."

From the ground beneath their feet to the lava lake below was more than two hundred meters deep!

And the passage would have to slope downward rather than go straight down, making the distance even longer.

For more than a hundred meters downward, it was all sand. This passage would not be easy to carve, and there was a risk of collapse.

"Brother Yang."

Ye Xian'er lightly tapped her toes against the sand, her figure fluttering over like a white butterfly. "Did you find it?"

"Yes, I found it. It's right beneath our feet." Wei Yang stomped lightly on the yellow sand beneath him and smiled.

"Congratulations, Brother Yang. After searching for so long, we finally found it!" Xian'er smiled happily upon hearing that.

Then she looked at the sand beneath their feet and asked, "Is it very deep below? How are we going to get down?"

"About two hundred meters deep. We'll carve out a passage to go down," Wei Yang replied.

Then he asked with a smile, "For nearly a month now, you've been tempering your Dou Qi in this environment. How has it been? What kind of gains do you feel you've made? I might need your help later."

Xian'er was delighted to hear this. Raising her little head and clenching her small fists, she said excitedly, "I feel like I've gained a lot. My Dou Qi has become much more condensed, and I can control it much more smoothly now. Although my realm hasn't improved, I feel that my overall strength is much, much greater than before."

"Brother Yang, you were right. My realm had risen too quickly, and I simply couldn't properly control my own strength. I didn't feel it too strongly before, but after this period of tempering, I realized just how superficial my control over my own power had been."

"This time, I'll definitely be able to help Brother Yang."

Wei Yang was happy for her as well. He affectionately rubbed Xian'er's little head and said with a smile, "Then I'll be looking forward to your performance this time."

"Mm." Ye Xian'er nodded seriously, her little fists still clenched.

"Next, let's carve out a passage first!" Wei Yang took Xian'er away from the spot, estimated the approximate distance, and stopped at a relatively concealed location beneath a nearby sand dune.

"The Mad Lion Blazing Flame Art combined with Mad Lion's Roar can unleash power comparable to an Earth Tier Dou Technique. Carving out a passage shouldn't be difficult!"

As he spoke, Wei Yang extended his right palm. Scorching crimson Dou Qi surged in his hand as he pushed it toward the sand dune ahead.

A crimson lion, roughly two meters tall and over five meters long, appeared before him.

As the lion appeared, the surrounding temperature instantly grew even more blistering, and the air around them began to distort faintly.

Powerful Soul Power poured from between Wei Yang's brows and flowed into the crimson lion.

As the Soul Power continued pouring in, the lion gradually began to shrink, yet its form became increasingly solid.

At the same time, the aura it emitted grew ever more powerful and terrifying.

The surrounding Fire Attribute energy was also faintly drawn toward it, swallowed and absorbed by the crimson lion.

A moment later, the crimson lion had visibly shrunk by a full circle, but its aura had increased severalfold!

Looking at the crimson lion standing there and radiating boundless might, Wei Yang let out a soft breath.

It had worked—the enhanced version of Mad Lion's Roar!

The crimson lion looked imposing and extraordinary, as though a layer of crimson flame coiled around its body. Every strand of fur was clearly visible, faintly gleaming with traces of pale gold.

The terrifying heat it gave off as it stood there caused the yellow sand beneath its feet to show signs of melting.

"It's up to you now. Go!" Wei Yang willed it forward.

The crimson lion raised its head and opened its mouth as if roaring toward the heavens, yet strangely, it made no sound. Then it transformed into a streak of crimson light and slammed fiercely into the ground.

Its terrifying heat and formidable power instantly melted any yellow sand it touched.

Like a hot knife through butter.

The melted sand turned into liquid magma, then gradually solidified into crystal-like rock.

As the crimson lion continued onward, slanting ever deeper toward its underground destination, it left behind a passage lined with crystal rock.

Wei Yang stood where he was, continuously releasing Soul Power to control the crimson lion and guide it downward at an incline, carving out a passage leading toward the underground Magma World filled with Fire Attribute energy that he sensed through Soul Perception.

At this speed, it would reach its destination in moments!

Underground Lava Lake.

This was a vast, fiery-red world of extreme heat.

It was silent and scorching, and it had always been so for countless years.

But at this moment.

Boom!

A streak of crimson fire shot straight through a patch of solidified lava above the lava lake, carrying terrifying power as it crashed headlong into the lake below.

At once—

BOOM!!!

The previously tranquil lava lake instantly churned violently, sending enormous waves of magma soaring up and slamming against the empty air.

Every splash was made of scorching magma capable of rapidly burning a Dou Shi expert into ash.

Only after quite some time did the place slowly settle down again.

Outside.

Sensing that the passage had been completely opened, Wei Yang secretly let out a breath of relief and withdrew the remaining Soul Power.

His face was somewhat pale, and his breathing was slightly hurried. Clearly, he had expended a great deal.

Fortunately, the passage had been opened.

"Brother Yang." Ye Xian'er walked over from the side, looking at Wei Yang with worry written all over her face.

Wei Yang smiled to indicate that he was fine, then sat cross-legged and began meditating to recover.

As his cultivation art circulated, the surrounding Fire Attribute energy rapidly flowed toward him, entered his body, and was refined and absorbed by the cultivation art.

In the scorching daytime desert, Wei Yang was like a fish in water.

Whether it was combat strength, endurance, recovery, or anything else, he was much stronger here.

Twenty minutes later, Wei Yang opened his eyes again, a sharp glint flashing through them.

By then, he had recovered all the Dou Qi he had previously expended.

He stood and looked toward the passage they had carved out.

By this time, the crystal rock layers along the walls of the passage had completely cooled and solidified, forming a stable and safe passage.

"Xian'er, let's go down." In high spirits, Wei Yang opened his arms.

"Mm." Xian'er nodded with a smile, walked over, and threw herself into Wei Yang's embrace, hanging from him like a sloth.

Holding Xian'er, Wei Yang lowered his head and teasingly smiled at the little beauty in his arms. "Xian'er seems to have gotten a little heavier. You've become a little chubby pig."

"Y-You're awful! I'm not a little chubby pig!" Xian'er immediately twisted in his arms and protested coquettishly, reaching out to pinch him.

After a pause, she looked up nervously and asked, "Did I really get fatter?"

"Hahaha!" Wei Yang could not help bursting into laughter at her expression.

He immediately held her close, circulated Dou Qi to form a protective layer over their bodies, and moved into the passage.

At the same time, Soul Power surged forth. The sand at the entrance outside was immediately swept over by an invisible force, burying the passage entrance so that no one passing by would discover anything unusual here.

Thanks for the support, brothers~