Cleverness Backfires

"Fellow Daoist Chu, why don't you search for the Yin Spring Stone in the magma?" Song Wen asked.

Chu Lingyun said, "The evil power contained in the magma consumes my Law Power too quickly, so I came up to recover. Fellow Law Power, you surprised me somewhat. You are only at the Golden Core Early Stage realm, yet you were able to endure in the Lava for so long."

"I was only forced into that situation by the Yin Camel Tortoise," Song Wen replied casually.

Song Wen did not believe what Chu Lingyun said.

They entered the magma in just over two quarters of an hour. With Chu Lingyun's cultivation at the Late Golden Core Stage, it was impossible for him to run out of Law Power so quickly.

This further convinced Song Wen that Chu Lingyun was spying on him.

As the two were talking, Cui Yan's figure broke through the magma and emerged.

He flew to Song Wen's side, his eyes burning with intensity.

"You discovered the World-Fallen Lotus?"

Song Wen nodded slightly and repeated what he had said to Chu Lingyun earlier.

Upon hearing this, Cui Yan's face showed undisguised joy.

"Take me to that Cave!" Cui Yan said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Song Wen looked troubled as he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Senior, I am seriously injured and I am afraid I cannot go any deeper into the lava. The Cave is in that location, about a hundred feet below the surface, it's easy to find." As he spoke, Song Wen pointed to a spot in the lava.

However, Cui Yan had no interest in Song Wen's injuries.

His voice suddenly turned icy cold, "I said, take me to that Cave!"

Song Wen's expression faltered slightly. "Yes!"

After saying that, Song Wen jumped off the rock and fell into the lava.

Cui Yan followed closely behind, but he stopped abruptly as soon as he touched the lava.

"Chu Lingyun, you come too."

A hint of helplessness flashed in Chu Lingyun's eyes, and he followed.

Guided by Song Wen, the three of them soon arrived at the Cave.

"This is the Cave," Song Wen said.

Cui Yan released his Divine Sense and probed into the Cave.

The Lava suppressed his Divine Sense power too much, making it impossible for him to explore the deepest part of the Cave.

"Extreme Yin, you lead the way," Cui Yan said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Song Wen felt a surge of anger and murderous intent.

Previously, he only wanted to find a way to escape.

At that moment, he had the idea of killing Cui Yan.

With a thought, Song Wen's Law Power shield ignited with a green flame.

"I didn't expect you to be so secretive, actually refining a Yin-attribute spiritual fire," Cui Yan said in a deep voice.

"It's just a small trick, how could it possibly meet the standards of a senior like you?"

After saying that, Song Wen strode into the Cave.

Watching Song Wen's retreating figure, Cui Yan's lips curled into a cold smile. With a slight twitch of his fingers, a dark soul banner suddenly appeared in his hand.

The soul banner fluttered, and a ghostly creature at the early stage of the fourth rank suddenly appeared.

Cui Yan led the ghost towards the Cave.

"Chu Lingyun, you guard the cave entrance. If there's any movement, notify me immediately."

"Yes, Senior Cui," Chu Lingyun replied.

Song Wen and Cui Yan walked about twenty feet apart, one in front of the other, into the depths of the Cave.

Before long, the two had traversed the several-mile-long Cave passage and arrived at the cave where the 'World-Fallen Lotus' grew.

Upon arriving at this place, Song Wen once again sensed a faint aura locking onto him.

The same applies to Cui Yan.

He frowned slightly and scanned his surroundings with his Divine Sense. However, like Song Wen, he was also unable to detect the source of this aura.

Cui Yan walked to Song Wen's side, looked at the cave in front of him that was not filled with lava, and at the dark blue lotus flower in the cave. After thinking for a moment, he said to Song Wen.

"Extreme Yin, go and pick the World-Fallen Lotus."

"Senior, I sense an aura locking onto me. The World-Fallen Lotus must be protected by Demon Beast," Song Wen said fearfully.

Cui Yan said, "With me here, you can go and pick them without worry. If Demon Beast appear, I will protect you."

"All right."

Song Wen seemed to know he couldn't defy Cui Yan's decision, and stepped forward.

At the same time, he raised his right hand and carefully touched the edge of the Lava.

Song Wen felt no resistance and his hand easily passed through, entering the area without Lava.

He stepped inside as well.

That invisible force seemed only able to block the Lava, but not anything else.

Song Wen looked around warily, but no danger appeared.

He raised his hand and waved, sending a surge of Law Power towards World-Fallen Lotus, intending to World-Fallen Lotus it.

Just as the Law Power was about to land on the lotus stem, a strange change occurred.

Sudden.

The rocks in front of World-Fallen Lotus cracked open, and a fleshy tongue covered with barbs suddenly shot out from the rocks.

The fleshy tongue rapidly extended, first shredding the Law Power. Then, with lightning speed, it aimed straight for Song Wen's face.

Song Wen appeared somewhat flustered and hurriedly summoned the 'Ten Directions Diagram', condensing a defensive barrier around himself.

"Bang!"

The long tongue struck the defensive barrier.

The barrier swayed incessantly, yet it did not break.

The immense force from the long tongue sent Song Wen flying backward, crashing back into the Lava.

This greatly surprised Song Wen!

When the long tongue attacked, he had already prepared to use the <Darkness-Breaking Technique> and the 'Life-Substitution Technique'. He originally planned to take the opportunity to escape and let Cui Yan and World-Fallen Lotus's guardian Demon Beast fight each other.

However, to his utter surprise, the mysterious and unpredictable guardian Demon Beast hidden in the shadows was actually just a third-tier Demon Beast.

If he had known this would happen, he should have removed World-Fallen Lotus the first time he entered the Cave.

Song Wen was deeply disappointed, but Cui Yan was overjoyed.

The fourth-tier Ghost King beside him suddenly rushed out and pounced on the long tongue.

Suddenly, the Ghost King's hands grew longer, like iron clamps, and tightly gripped the long tongue.

The Ghost King, exuding a chilling aura, unleashed a powerful force and pulled backward with all his might.

The cave floor crumbled, and a giant lizard over ten feet long was dragged out.

The giant lizard tried to struggle, but the Ghost King's right hand stretched out again, following the lizard's tongue, and entered the lizard's body.

A powerful surge of ghostly energy erupted within the giant lizard, instantly extinguishing its life force.

In an instant, the monitor lizard's body stiffened, and it stopped breathing.

As the Ghost King slayed the giant lizard, Cui Yan had already arrived beside World-Fallen Lotus and uprooted it.

It is worth mentioning that the roots of the World-Fallen Lotus do not have lotus roots, but rather some rootlets.

The moment World-Fallen Lotus was pulled out, the invisible force that had pushed aside the Lava suddenly vanished.

The lava surged and instantly engulfed the cave.

"Congratulations, Senior Cui, on acquiring this treasure!" Song Wen exclaimed loudly.

From the moment the Ghost Emperor emerged to the moment Cui Yan successfully retrieved the World-Fallen Lotus, only a breath or two had passed.

Everything happened so fast that Song Wen didn't even have a chance to escape.

At this moment, Song Wen finally understood why the Demon Beast only targeted his aura and didn't attack him when he first ventured deep into this place.

The opponent isn't strong enough!

The only way to scare Song Wen away was through this bluffing tactic.

Moreover, Song Wen guessed that the monitor lizard had dug a long, narrow passage underground along the Cave entrance. Only in this way could it keep its sights on Song Wen until Song Wen completely emerged from the Cave.