Crimson Flame Lizards
The last commotion in the mine gradually subsided.
The digging arm of the Many-Treasure Mouse continued to rise and fall among the rubble, making a soft grinding sound. Each time the metal arm collided with the rocks, it kicked up a small cloud of grayish-white rock dust, which floated in the air like fine snow and lingered for a long time. Lu Heng and Su Meng did not lean against each other, but each found a relatively intact rock face to rest on, with a distance of more than ten meters between them.
The sky was overcast, and the smell of dust mixed with the stench of the alien race filled the air. The wind whistled through the cracks in the valley, stirring up fine rock dust that rustled against the rock walls. It was impossible to sleep soundly in this environment. Su Meng leaned against the rock wall, her hand clutching her weapon, her eyes half-closed, her breathing light, ready to get up at any moment. The Many-Treasure Mouse behind her had stopped digging and was squatting on the pile of rubble, its scanning probe rotating back and forth, occasionally emitting a low buzzing sound.
Lu Heng does not need sleep.
He sat cross-legged on the rubble, closed his eyes, and used meditation instead of rest. His mental energy slowly spread out, sweeping over the ground, the rock walls, and the edge of the mine inch by inch. The lingering smell of blood in the mine, the dust of rock powder, and the faint heat emitted by the Many-Treasure Mouse as it operated all surfaced within his perception range. He could feel Su Meng's breathing rate, sense the direction of the tiny cracks inside the rock walls, and even feel several cavities deep within the rubble layer beneath his feet, unsure whether they were naturally formed or dug out by something before.
In a meditative state, his senses are sharper than usual.
Suddenly, he noticed movement coming from several small cracks in the rock wall near the volcano.
It wasn't the clumsy footsteps of the Green Demon, but a lighter, closer-to-the-ground crawling sound. The sound was faint, like fingernails scraping against a stone slab, intermittent but continuous. Lu Heng opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the rock wall in the direction of the volcano. Under the hazy light of the sky, the rock wall looked no different from the rest of the place, but what he sensed with his spiritual power was different—something was moving in the cracks, and there was more than one.
He did not immediately alert Su Meng.
Lu Heng raised his hand, and a few wisps of dark red Blood Taisui spores seeped from his fingertips. The spores drifted silently toward the rock wall, seeped into the cracks, and spread along the inner wall of the cracks, forming a thin film. The film was very thin, almost invisible to the naked eye, but it would immediately transmit a signal if anything crawled out from within it. This was his warning system, and also his means of containment. If there weren't many things in the cracks, the film could temporarily hold them back; if there were too many, it would at least let him know in advance.
After finishing, he stood up, walked over, and whispered to Su Meng, "Don't leave this rock face tonight; something is climbing over the volcano."
Su Meng suddenly looked up, her face tightening. "What is that?"
"I'm not sure, I'll go check first."
Su Meng glanced at the Many-Treasure Mouse instinctively. The Many-Treasure Mouse was still squatting quietly, its scanning probes swirling back and forth, completely unaware of the commotion outside. She gripped her weapon tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white, and nodded without asking any further questions. She knew Lu Heng wouldn't say such things without reason; if he said something was crawling, it must be something serious.
Lu Hengxing held the sword horizontally in front of him and moved closer to the crack.
His footsteps were light, making no sound as he stepped on the gravel. He kept his mental energy low, only probing close to the ground and rock crevices to avoid disturbing anything inside. The closer he got to the volcano, the higher the temperature of the air, and the surface of the rock walls felt slightly warm to the touch, as if something was burning deep within the rock layers.
He saw it very soon.
Several slender shadows emerged one after another from the cracks in the rocks, their scales moving along the gravel, their eyes glowing dark red in the dim light. They were much smaller than the Green Demon, but more agile, their limbs pressed tightly to the ground, making almost no sound as they crawled.
The Wristband popped up a notification:
Crimson Flame Lizard: Bronze Tier, social, can breathe high-temperature flames.
Lu Heng's gaze darkened.
They weren't alone. Seven or eight more crawled out of the crack, spreading out to form a semi-encirclement. The leader was noticeably larger, with scales bulging on its throat like a small air sac inflating. The next second, a tongue of fire shot out of its mouth, landing on the rubble on the ground. The rubble instantly turned red-hot, sending up a small plume of white smoke, and a burnt smell filled the air.
Lu Heng was genuinely a little surprised when he saw the flames.
He had seen many Bronze Tier alien races in the Frost Forest. Most of them were just thick-skinned and strong, with crude abilities and limited threat. Even the largest ones were only strong in terms of charging power, lacking such ranged attack methods. The Crimson-Eyed Lizard in front of him were different—they lived in groups, could breathe fire, and knew how to ambush from rock crevices. Their way of life was more like that of native creatures truly adapted to this volcanic environment. They did not appear here by chance, but lived here all along. The rock crevices were their nests, and the heat source in the direction of the volcano was their habitat.
The Bronze Tier Bronze Tier here are not even in the same league as those in the Frost Forest. The difference is too great.
He didn't take the flames head-on, but instead took a half step back, using the rock wall to block the flames from his front. The flames swept past the edge of the rock wall, scorching its surface and sending up a pungent cloud of smoke. The Star Blade cleaved through the approaching Crimson-Eyed Lizard; the blade was sharper than before, and the resistance was noticeably less when cutting through its scales— the Crimson Rock he had previously swallowed had taken effect, making the blade feel heavier and the cutting sensation more pronounced.
He did not kill out of greed.
The lead, fire-breathing Crimson-Eyed Lizard was the primary target. Lu Heng sidestepped the second tongue of fire, his Star Blade slashing down diagonally, the blade precisely cutting into the air sac bulging in its throat. The air sac ruptured, and flames erupted from the wound, but their direction was erratic, burning its own companion beside it. The Crimson-Eyed Lizard let out a sharp hiss, its body twisting violently before quickly becoming still.
The remaining Crimson-Eyed Lizard lost their leader, and their formation instantly fell apart.
Lu Heng gave them no chance to regroup. He swung the Star Blade repeatedly, each strike hitting a vital spot. Although the scales of the Crimson-Eyed Lizard were tough, they couldn't withstand a single blow from the Star Blade. In less than half a minute, all seven or eight Crimson-Eyed Lizard collapsed to the ground, their bodies twitching a few times before going still.
The fight was clean and efficient, with no unnecessary movements.
After finishing the attack, Lu Heng didn't continue chasing into the crevice. He crouched down and examined its interior. He probed with his spiritual energy and found movement deep inside, but it was temporarily blocked by the fungal membrane. He allowed the Blood Taisui spores to seep further into the rock crevices, forming an even thicker fungal membrane. This would serve as both an early warning system and a temporary barrier to prevent more Crimson-Eyed Lizard from emerging. If there were more spores deeper in the crevice, the membrane would be broken, sending a signal immediately, giving him ample time to react.
The ground was littered with scorch marks and lizard carcasses, and the air was filled with a burnt, fishy smell mixed with the dust of rock powder, which smelled rather pungent.
Lu Heng returned to his resting position.
Su Meng's eyes widened slightly when she saw the scorch marks and lizard carcasses on the ground. She asked softly, "What were those just now?"
Lu Heng didn't answer immediately, but looked down at the Star Blade. The blade still retained a trace of heat from the flames, but the blade itself was undamaged. In fact, because it had absorbed the Crimson Rock, its sharpness had increased slightly. He tried to grip the hilt; it felt heavier than before, and the sound of the wind it generated when swung was sharper.
Su Meng asked again, "Is it dangerous?"
"It's been temporarily dealt with, but there might still be more deep in the cracks." Lu Heng looked up towards the volcano. The sky was still overcast, showing no sign of brightening. A low rumbling sound could be faintly heard from the direction of the volcano, as if something was moving deep underground. It was indistinct, but it was there nonetheless.
Su Meng didn't speak again, her grip on her weapon tightening even more. She glanced at the Multi- Many-Treasure Mouse Many-Treasure Mouse; its scanning probe was still spinning, but its speed had noticeably slowed, as if conserving energy.
Lu Heng didn't sit back down. He stood there, his mental energy spreading out, scanning the area around the mine. The Crimson-Eyed Lizard were just a small group on the outer perimeter, but there might be many more deep within the rift. If he stayed here tonight, he had to thoroughly clear the area around him, otherwise being surrounded in the middle of the night would be very troublesome.
The scanning probe of the Many-Treasure Mouse suddenly paused for a moment.
The indicator lights on the machine flashed, emitting a rapid buzzing sound. Su Meng quickly leaned over to look at the screen, where a message appeared. "New ore vein detected, depth approximately 15 meters, ore quality relatively high."
Su Meng's eyes lit up, but she quickly glanced at Lu Heng again, as if waiting for his decision.
Lu Heng remained silent, gripping his Returning Star Blade. The new ore vein meant more resources, but it also meant staying here longer. The Crimson-Eyed Lizard deep within the rift hadn't been cleared, and the activity from the volcano's direction hadn't ceased; the risks of remaining here were increasing.
He glanced at Su Meng, then at the Many-Treasure Mouse.
They'd already mined a good amount of ore, enough for Su Meng. Digging deeper would increase the risks exponentially, and she might not be able to handle it. Lu Heng began to consider whether he should find a suitable time to tell her about their separation.
The sky grew even darker.
The dim light of dawn had almost completely disappeared, leaving only the faint glow of the Many-Treasure Mouse indicator lights and the occasional flashes of dark red fire from the direction of the distant volcano. The wind was still blowing, whipping up rock dust that rustled against the rock walls.
Lu Heng closed his eyes and continued meditating. He scanned the fungal membrane with his mental energy; the activity deep within the crack was still there, but there were no signs of a breakthrough. He was temporarily relieved, but his vigilance remained.
This night will not be peaceful.