What came through the Mental Link was searing trust and fearless madness, as if that blaze of light capable of instantly melting rock into liquid was not a grave, but a furnace of transformation!
Lin Xia's struggling movements suddenly froze.
Lou Gao's tugging, the faint beast roars drifting in from outside the cave—all of it seemed cut off in that instant.
All of Lin Xia's focus converged on Larvitar's crystal-clear will transmitted through the Mental Link—danger? Perhaps. But death was not the end!
It was in there. It needed him to go in!
"Teacher!"
Lin Xia suddenly turned back. Sweat instantly evaporated in the high temperature, his face twisted by the heat waves, his voice hoarse yet filled with resolve.
"Let... let go of me! Larvitar is calling me! It says... it's fine!"
"Bullshit!"
Lou Gao's eyes were split wide with fury, the spit he sprayed onto Lin Xia's face instantly drying up.
"Look at it, damn it! Does that look fine to you?! That's Sun Essence! It's burning through little guy's shell!"
In that moment of deadlock—
"Roar!!!"
"Graaah—!!!"
Deafening beast roars, brimming with destructive desire, violently surged in from the direction of the cave entrance like a tsunami!
The layered roars carried the tremors of the earth and a sulfurous stench, instantly drowning out even the hum of the Sun Essence deep within the Ore Cave!
Master and disciple whipped around in horror.
The faint sliver of natural light at the entrance was now completely blocked by countless pairs of crimson eyes burning with madness!
Lava Lizards, Lava Earth Dragons, even that Volcanic Stone Giant soaking in boiling water... all the Volcanic Soul Beasts that had been lazily lounging about were now like creatures lashed awake by an invisible whip, utterly berserk!
Their bodies piled up and crushed