Everything was ready

"Commander, we've broken through on our side!"

The faint voice carried through the sand wall, sending a surge of delight through the Sand Mercenary Group members in the other tunnels.

Although the commission paid generously, the deeper they dug, the more torturous the scorching conditions became. After three days, their initial enthusiasm had long since faded.

Fortunately, it was finally about to end.

"Aah!"

The sudden scream instantly put everyone who had just relaxed back on edge.

Sha Luo, their commander, reacted fastest. He immediately organized his men's withdrawal from the tunnels, then selected several of the strongest mercenaries to accompany him to the scene.

By the time they arrived, Chen Cang was already there.

Not far from the man and horse lay half a blood-drenched corpse, a gruesome sight.

"Young master, what happened?" Sha Luo asked, his face taut.

Losing so many elite subordinates at once was a blow that cut deep into the Sand Mercenary Group's bones.

Still, he did not suspect Chen Cang. For one thing, there was no bad blood between them, and they had gotten along well over the past few days. One paid promptly, the others worked hard for their money, and there had not been the slightest conflict.

For another, the corpse clearly bore no signs of human handiwork. The tooth marks were enormous, and slime coated it all over.

"There's a big fellow in this magma, no weaker than I am. Take your men out. The commission ends here."

Chen Cang tossed over a bag of gold coins to settle today's payment without ever turning around, his gaze fixed on the magma below.

Strange places nurtured extraordinary creatures. Though the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake was only fourth-tier, it was far from unintelligent. The instant it saw Chen Cang and the Void Pegasus Beast, it sensed the threat and dove back into the magma without the slightest hesitation.

Sha Luo hefted the bag of gold coins and confirmed that the payment was more than sufficient. Without another word, he cupped his hands briefly and hurried away with his men.

As for the big fellow Chen Cang had mentioned, he dared not entertain any ambitions toward it, much less thoughts of revenge.

"Horse, go wait for me at the tunnel entrance too. With you here, it won't dare show its head at all. I'll play with it for a while."

Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snakes generally lived in places of extreme heat, feeding on magma. Their potential for evolution was immense. They were only first-tier at birth, but with enough fortunate encounters, they could climb as high as sixth-tier.

This one was only fourth-tier.

However, thanks to its uniquely blessed innate gifts, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake could move freely through magma. Once it burrowed inside, an ordinary Fifth-Tier Magical Beast or Dou Wang expert could do nothing to it.

After all, anyone who ventured deep into the magma would have to divide their attention to resist its corrosive heat, leaving them unable to unleash their full strength. Pitting one's weakness against the enemy's strength, failure was only natural.

Chen Cang had little interest in the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake itself, but he needed the memories in its mind. They would make his later actions much easier.

At Chen Cang's instruction, the Void Pegasus Beast gave a snort and vanished on the spot.

In an instant, Chen Cang was the only one left in the vast underground cavern.

Whoosh-

A pair of purple wings unfurled behind him. With a thought, Chen Cang flew out over the magma.

The crimson magma flowed slowly, its surface obscured by scattered ash that severely limited visibility.

Yet Chen Cang could clearly sense the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake lurking directly beneath him, waiting for the best moment to strike.

Chen Cang was in no hurry either. He only needed the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake to show itself, not capture it alive as a pet. There was no pressure at all.

Time slipped by, second after second.

After an unknown stretch of time, Chen Cang finally seemed to exhaust his patience. He sighed deeply, let his taut aura subside, and turned to fly toward the tunnel.

At that very instant, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake moved!

Like an enormous two-pronged trident, it shot straight up from below, dragging streams of scorching magma behind it that sealed off every avenue of retreat.

I've been waiting for you!

"Guardian Trigram Palm!"

With a low cry in his heart, Chen Cang sent both palms flying. Supported by his immense Dou Qi, he unleashed dazzling layers of palm shadows that guarded his entire body without leaving a single opening. The splashing magma was blasted apart before it could come anywhere near him.

Having eliminated the first threat, Chen Cang stepped against the empty air and spread his wings. His astonishing speed carried him easily past the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's snapping jaws. Before it could react, he was already behind it, meeting the huge, diamond-shaped eyes of its other head.

Memory, read!

Whoosh!

The howl of something cutting through the air forced Chen Cang to interrupt the process. He drew his spear and lashed out hard.

Then he once again exploited his advantage in speed.

Memory, second read!

Seemingly realizing that Chen Cang posed little threat beyond his speed and formidable defense, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake lost its fear. With a hiss, its attacks grew even fiercer.

Chen Cang, in contrast, adhered to his hit-and-run strategy throughout, launching so few attacks of his own that they could be counted on one hand.

Chen Cang had no idea how long he played with it before he finally finished copying all the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's memories into his mind, piece by interrupted piece.

Whoosh!

A breath thick with a bloody stench struck his face. He looked up to see a gaping maw.

No longer bothering to evade, Chen Cang swung his fist upward. As his Dou Qi circulated, a blazing sun seemed to solidify over his fist.

Crack!

A crisp snapping sound rang out, accompanied by the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's anguished cry.

The next instant, its enormous body, some forty or fifty feet long, abruptly shrank to roughly a foot. It became a streak of fiery red light and shot dozens of meters away, plunging half its body into the magma. Only its two miniature heads remained exposed, its eyes filled with bewilderment, helplessness, and shock as it stared at Chen Cang...

It seemed to be saying, You weren't like this just now.

Clearly, it was indeed quite intelligent.

At that moment, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake could only think that humans truly were sinister and cunning!

He was plainly no weaker than it was, yet he had insisted on putting on an act, passively taking its attacks, only to strike like that when it was most relaxed.

How despicable!

The Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's savage killing intent vanished completely, leaving all four eyes utterly clear.

Actually, looking at it now, it was much more pleasing to the eye.

Holding half a fang in his hand, Chen Cang had no intention of pursuing it.

Since he had achieved his goal, every extra second spent here was a waste of his life.

"Little thing, you'd better learn to behave. The next person who comes in won't be as good-tempered as I am."

Discarding the fang, Chen Cang simply turned and left.

He now knew where the green lotus core flame was, but there was no need to rack his brains trying to retrieve it himself. Not only would it be troublesome, it would also be extremely dangerous.

By Chen Cang's estimate, if that thing erupted, its power would definitely rival that of a Dou Emperor!

After all, in the original course of events, even Queen Medusa had suffered considerable injuries retrieving it.

"My stage is ready. Next comes your part."

With an inexplicable sense of anticipation, Chen Cang carefully camouflaged the tunnel entrance. Only then did he return to Stone Desert City, draped in the glow of the setting sun and looking back three times with every step.

The moment he entered his room at the inn, a letter on the table caught his attention.

Although it bore no signature, Chen Cang knew perfectly well who had sent it.

"Mm, everything is ready."