Chapter 107: Living Magma

"Mystic Ice Stone," Xuan Xin said, frowning from the side.

"A spirit stone produced in extremely frigid regions. The only difference between it and our ordinary spirit stones is that this stone has absorbed the cold energy of those regions and undergone a mutation. The spiritual energy within it can no longer be absorbed. Thus, while rare, these stones are of little use except in special circumstances. After all, if one requires something extremely cold, there are better choices. These Mystic Ice Stones are expensive simply because they are convenient to carry and look somewhat pleasing."

Upon seeing the stone, Yu Daoyi recalled the descriptions from the book, combined them with his own understanding, and spoke indifferently, showing no particular interest in the Mystic Ice Stone.

Beside him, Yan Yan looked at the stone with an expression of disgust. For him, something born of such inherent coldness was something he instinctively rejected, likely due to the nature of his cultivation technique.

"But even so, this single Mystic Ice Stone won't be of any help in a subterranean magma field like this."

"What if there were a pile of them?" Lin Yang made no effort to hide his arrogance, taking out one Mystic Ice Stone after another from the storage bag at his side to show off.

"A storage bag," Yu Daoyi murmured, his eyes filled with undisguised envy.

It's so good to be rich. I really want to be a rich person, a big spender who can just throw money at problems! If I were rich, would I have to struggle through these trials? I wouldn't even want to be the protagonist of this lousy novel! No one pays attention to it anyway; whoever wants to be the protagonist can have it. Wouldn't it be much better to just have some fun with the ladies? He had truly thought this more than once.

A storage bag is a spatial magical artifact crafted with special techniques; its internal space is far larger than it appears from the outside. It is used solely for storage, yet even the most basic storage bag fetches an exorbitant price on the market. At the very least, a child from a poor family like Yu Daoyi shouldn't even dream of one. It was already a struggle to keep his father from secretly 'borrowing' money from him.

P.S.: The kind of 'borrowing' where it is never returned. A grown man constantly 'borrowing' money from his own son—he shouldn't be ashamed to say it out loud!

"Bai Yiyue, what do you think? Consider joining me. I can help you pass this trial," Lin Yang said arrogantly, looking in Bai Yiyue's direction, his eyes filled with intense desire.

"While Young Master Lin's offer is kind, I still believe it is best to be cautious," Bai Yiyue replied with a soft laugh, her voice sweet and gentle. The implication was clear: she did not believe Lin Yang could pass this trial simply by relying on Mystic Ice Stones.

Every movement Bai Yiyue made was seductive in the eyes of the onlookers; her every smile and gesture was charming and alluring, elegant rather than vulgar. Even though she wore a veil, her posture remained breathtakingly beautiful.

"Hmph! Ungrateful!" After a brief moment of distraction, Lin Yang did not bother to hide his feelings from the crowd, waving his sleeve and cursing. The covetous look in his eyes became even more pronounced, though it was not the right time to act on it.

"Lin He, follow closely behind me. I can ensure you pass the first trial, and I can ensure you pass the second!" Lin Yang said arrogantly to Lin He, as if deliberately performing for Bai Yiyue's benefit, before walking forward.

"Yes, Young Master Yang." Lin He did not mind Lin Yang's attitude, following him closely like a loyal lackey.

"Tch! He's just relying on the influence of the Lin family from the Linfeng Realm! If you take away his family background, he's nothing!" Yan Yan said with dissatisfaction beside Yu Daoyi, and Xuan Xin frowned as well.

It seemed the main Lin clan of the Linfeng Realm was even more powerful than he had imagined. Even with Lin Yang acting so arrogantly, Yan Yan, a pride of the Yan Sect from the Huashan Realm, and Xuan Xin, from the Xuanjing Sect of the Tianxuan Realm, dared not openly stand up and call him out.

However, this Lin He was likely playing the pig to eat the tiger again. Given his strength, he should have been able to pass the first trial even without the help Lin Yang spoke of. Still, this was fine; at the very least, Lin He and he were currently on the same side, Yu Daoyi calculated silently.

After his grumbling, Yan Yan said nothing more, watching as Lin Yang led Lin He toward the cliff, laughing as if he enjoyed the spectacle.

The remaining people, including Yu Daoyi, were in no rush. At this stage, more information was needed. Furthermore, after Yan Yan had gone down earlier, he must have discovered something he was hiding. Rushing down without sufficient certainty would only lead to a disadvantage.

Holding several Mystic Ice Stones, Lin Yang looked at the magma surging beneath the cliff and felt a sense of unease. After hesitating, he wrapped one of the stones in spiritual energy, held it in his mouth, hardened his heart, and leaped off, grabbing onto the rock face as he descended. Behind him, Lin He smiled without hesitation and followed him down.

Everyone stood at the edge of the cliff, focused intently on the performance of Lin Yang and Lin He.

"Honestly, though, going down now... with these two as bait, our chances of passing might be higher," Xuan Xin said indifferently after witnessing the scene, as if weighing something in his mind.

"That's only because you don't know what's down there. I can tell you that these two will either come running back or end up dead," Yan Yan said, ignoring Xuan Xin's calculations and mocking him directly.

"What's down there?" Yu Daoyi asked, unwilling to give up.

"What's down there? You'll see soon enough. It's a hundred zhang from one side of the cliff to the other. That distance is not something people of our Qi Refining realm can leap across," Yan Yan glanced at him unkindly, then carefully watched the two descending figures.

"To cross a distance of a hundred zhang, one must use several landing points to leap across in stages," Bai Yiyue added softly, her gaze fixed ahead. It was clear that these 'landing points' could only be the Flame-Burning Beasts poking their heads out of the magma.

"Miss Bai is quite right, though it is easier said than done." Yan Yan had completely forgotten the embarrassment of being mocked by the group earlier and, seeing Bai Yiyue engage in conversation, responded with great eagerness.

"There seems to be something down there?" Yu Daoyi looked forward, catching something with his spiritual sense, and whispered to himself.

As they spoke, Lin He and Lin Yang were forced to stop their descent. Surrounded by protective spiritual energy, they were barely holding on; any further down, and they would likely be roasted.

Lin Yang looked back at Lin He, who was following closely, and couldn't help but feel surprised. Lin He's strength was far greater than he had anticipated, but the current situation allowed for no further reflection.

Below the cliff, the roaring Flame-Burning Beasts discovered the approach of the two and leaped toward them, bobbing in the magma and opening their gaping maws at Lin Yang and Lin He.

Seeing this, Lin Yang wrapped the Mystic Ice Stones in spiritual energy and threw them at the beasts. As the magma swallowed the stones, it instantly solidified into a rocky surface, forming a temporary landing point. Lin Yang smiled, seemingly unsurprised by the result.

However, the rocky surface lasted less than a single breath before being swallowed again by the churning magma. Lin Yang's eyes narrowed; he had underestimated the temperature of the magma.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Yang made a decision. He pulled a large quantity of Mystic Ice Stones from his storage bag, feeling fortunate that these trinkets he had collected on a whim had proven so useful.

He hurled the stones into the magma in heaps, creating a path of solidified rock, and ordered Lin He to attack the beasts while he focused on evading their strikes. Thus, Lin Yang began his advance toward the opposite bank.

Behind him, Lin He smiled, following closely. Whatever the case, completing this trial without revealing his true strength was the best-case scenario.

While the Flame-Burning Beasts were formidable, they seemed to fear the extreme cold of the Mystic Ice Stones. Though they were numerous, the two of them did not need to fight them to the death; they only needed to avoid their attacks and reach the shore. Even if it meant sustaining some injuries, it was worth it.

As for why Lin Yang had brought him along, Lin He knew clearly: it was merely to use him as bait during the trial. Lin Yang might be arrogant and conceited, but he was no fool. Yet, faced with the temptation of a legacy, most people, even knowing they were being used as bait, would likely be willing to take the gamble.

At the edge of the cliff:

"Beneath our Yan Sect lies a volcano. The magma within it has never ceased its activity for generations, and we, the people of the Yan Sect, have tempered our bodies in that crater for ages. That is how the name 'Yan Sect' came to be."

"When I first saw this subterranean magma, I was ecstatic, thinking this trial was tailor-made for me. It wasn't until I went down that I realized how wrong I was."

"This subterranean magma is far more terrifying than the volcanic lava beneath our sect, because it is alive—truly, literally alive," Yan Yan said, staring at the churning magma below with lingering fear.