The molten trap and the glimmer of light at the center of the formation
The Fire Leech King spewed molten lava like a crimson serpent, scorching the air with a heat wave that scorched Su Xiao. Her pupils constricted, and as she rolled sideways, she flung the Red Sun Gu box into the air. The Red Sun Gu instantly transformed into a ten-foot-high wall of fire. The moment it collided with the lava, a blinding red light erupted from the cavern. The scorching air blast sent the four people's clothes flying, and the lava on the cave walls was shaken to the point of dripping.
"Sizzle—" White smoke, tinged with the smell of sulfur, filled the air where the magma and flames intertwined. The slime on the Fire Leech King's body was scorched black by the flames. It let out a sharp hiss, its massive body twisting violently in the magma pool, stirring up magma that splashed onto the stone platform, instantly leaving scorch marks on the edge. Su Xiao seized the opportunity to climb to his feet, gathering spiritual power in his palms. The flames of the Red Sun Gu transformed into several rockets, shooting towards the Fire Leech King's head—its weak spot, where the slime coating was thinnest.
"Zhao Yu! Help me contain the other fire leeches!" Su Xiao's voice was distorted by the heat. Zhao Yu immediately gripped the scorching machete and charged at the two smaller fire leeches nearby. He stepped on the rocks at the edge of the lava pool and slashed at the leeches' midsection, but heard only a crackle as the blade was deflected by the molten spiritual energy, leaving his knuckles numb. One of the fire leeches suddenly lashed out, splattering slime onto Zhao Yu's trouser leg, sending smoke billowing from the fabric. He hurriedly scraped the slime away with his scabbard, leaving a black hole burned in his trouser leg and sending a stinging pain through his skin.
"Be careful of the slime!" Zhao Yu's warning had barely escaped her lips when Meng Meng's Gu-repelling fabric suddenly glowed with a burst of blue light. She fanned it out in front of Lin Xi. A fire leech swooped down from the side and collided with the blue light barrier. Its molten spiritual energy colliding with the blue light made a crackling sound, instantly straightening the silver threads of the fabric and spreading several tiny cracks. "I can't hold on any longer! The Fire Leech King's molten spiritual energy is too strong, and the fabric's protection is weakening!" Cold sweat broke out on Meng Meng's forehead. Spiritual energy poured into the fabric like water, yet the blue light continued to dim.
Lin Xi's fingertips, gripping the copper bell, turned pale. She circled to the other side of the lava pool, attempting to disrupt the Fire Leech King from the side. The bell's humming sound waves pierced through the heat wave and landed on the Fire Leech King. Its movements were noticeably slowed, its head swaying slightly, as if resisting the attack of the sound waves. But in a split second, the Fire Leech King suddenly turned and spewed a ball of molten lava at Lin Xi—this time, the lava was thicker than before, glowing a dark red, clearly enraged.
"Lin Xi!" Su Xiao's heart tightened. The Red Sun Gu's flames instantly split in two, one continuing to restrain the Fire Leech King while the other flew towards Lin Xi. The flames collided with the molten lava, sending a blast of air knocking Lin Xi to the ground. Sparks caught her sleeve, instantly burning a small hole and leaving a red, swollen burn mark on her arm. Before she could even get up, a fire leech had already burst from the lava pool and was entwining itself around her ankle. The leech's body was thicker than her arm, and where its slime dripped, the rock on the ground began to smoke.
Seeing this, Meng Meng immediately swung a corner of the Gu-repelling fabric toward Lin Xi. A blue light wrapped around her wrist, pulling her toward him. The fire leech missed, its body clattering against the rock with a dull thud. It turned and lunged again. Meng Meng's spiritual power was nearly exhausted, and a noticeable gap appeared in the blue light barrier, and the fire leech's head threatened to break through. At this moment, Zhao Yu suddenly pounced from the side, stabbing the fire leech's head with his machete. The blade pierced through the slime and finally penetrated its body.
"Roar—" The fire leech screamed shrilly, its body twisting violently. Zhao Yu was thrown against the cave wall, spurting blood from his mouth. But he held the hilt of his knife tightly, preventing the fire leech from breaking free. The flames of the Red Sun Gu arrived and completely engulfed the fire leech. This time, the flames were even more intense than before, the red light almost dyeing the cave blood red. The fire leech gradually turned to ash in the flames, leaving only a wisp of black smoke.
Su Xiao seized the opportunity to pour all his spiritual energy into the Red Sun Gu. The flames transformed into a massive fiery serpent, wrapping around the Fire Leech King. The flames gradually dried the slime from the Fire Leech King's skin, revealing its dark red skin. Beneath this skin, molten spiritual energy could faintly be seen pulsing. It struggled frantically, its massive tail slamming into the lava pool, sending molten lava raining down like a torrential downpour. Meng Meng's Gu-repelling fabric had completely darkened, several silver threads snapping. Unable to hold on any longer, she collapsed to the ground, the fabric slipping from her hands.
"The core of the formation! Activating it might suppress it!" Lin Xi endured the sharp pain in her arm and pointed at the stone platform in the center of the cave. Su Xiao's mind flashed—the core of the evil-suppressing formation was designed to seal away evil energy. The Fire Leech King relied on molten spiritual energy to survive, so perhaps the power of the core could restrain it! She immediately rushed toward the stone platform. The Fire Leech King, sensing her intention, abruptly broke free from the fire snakes, its massive body blocking the stone platform. Molten magma once again formed in its mouth. This time, it was thicker than ever, emitting a blinding red light that threatened to incinerate the entire cave.
"Stop it!" Su Xiao shouted at Zhao Yu and Lin Xi. The Red Sun Gu's flames surged again, and the fire snakes wrapped around the Fire Leech King's tail, attempting to stop it from spewing molten lava. Zhao Yu scrambled to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth, and once again charged at the Fire Leech King's side with his machete. Lin Xi, enduring the burning pain, rang the copper bell—this time the humming sound waves were even more rapid than before, like countless sharp blades piercing the Fire Leech King's consciousness. The Fire Leech King's movements were clearly chaotic, and the molten lava in his mouth was still spurting out. His body gradually lost its balance under the pressure of the flames, the sound waves, and the machete.
Su Xiao seized the opportunity to circle around the stone platform. As soon as her palm touched the dark red crystal on the platform, it was repelled by a scorching force—the crystal's surface was coated in a layer of molten spiritual energy, as if resisting her touch. "I must use the evil core!" Su Xiao immediately pulled out the last evil core from her bosom. This one was brighter than the previous two, and the red glow of the Red Sun Gu echoed with the evil core's. She took a deep breath and pressed the evil core into the groove in the center of the crystal.
"Crack!" The instant the evil core engaged the groove, the crystal suddenly erupted with a dazzling red light. This light spread along the stone platform, forming a crimson web that enveloped the Fire Leech King. Feeling the power of the web, the Fire Leech King roared in despair. He tried to escape, but the web entangled him tightly. The molten spiritual energy on his body was sucked away like a tide, and his body gradually shrivelled. The Red Sun Gu's flames seized the opportunity to strike again. The fire snake burrowed into the Fire Leech King's body, but this time it encountered no resistance—its molten spiritual energy had been absorbed by the web, leaving it unable to resist the flames.
"Roar—" The Fire Leech King roared one last time, his body gradually transforming into tiny specks of light amidst the crimson light and flames, merging into the web of light. As it dissipated, the magma within the cave gradually subsided, and the heat wave subsided. Seeing the king's death, the remaining fire leeches retreated back into the magma pool, never daring to emerge again.
Su Xiao slumped before the stone platform, his palms pressed against the scorching surface, feeling the power emanating from the array's core. Three evil cores were embedded in each of the three cores, and the light of the evil-suppressing array echoed with each other. He could faintly hear the wind from outside the cave, no longer burning, but instead a hint of coolness. Zhao Yu, Lin Xi, and Meng Meng also slowly approached. The four of them smiled at each other, their faces filled with the exhaustion of surviving a disaster, but also with relief. The third core had finally been held.
"The triple array's core has been activated. The Evil Witch God's power should be completely sealed," Meng Meng said softly, looking at the crystal on the stone platform. Her Gu-repelling fabric was badly damaged, but it still glowed with a faint blue light, as if echoing the light of the array's core. Lin Xi rubbed the burn marks on her arm. The humming of the copper bell had become softer, no longer as agitated as before. Zhao Yu leaned against the cave wall, examining the blade of his machete. The notch was clearly visible, yet it still shone with a cold gleam.
Su Xiao stood up and looked outside the cave. The black smoke from the volcano had gradually dissipated, and the sky was dotted with stars. Moonlight filtered through the cracks, falling on the four of them with a long-lost coolness. "We should go back," she said softly. "The people in Qingwu Town are still waiting for news from us."
The four of them packed their backpacks and headed out along the crevice. The ground's temperature had returned to normal, and even tiny sprouts were beginning to emerge from the scorched earth, as if foreshadowing a new life. By the time they reached the foot of the volcano, the sky in the east was already turning pale. The sun rose above the horizon, casting a golden glow across the landscape and painting the volcano's outline a warm orange.
"Look!" Lin Xi suddenly pointed in the direction of Qingwu Town in the distance. Smoke from cooking fires rose from there, as if welcoming their return. The four of them quickened their pace, heading towards the smoke—they knew that this long-lasting adventure had finally ended, and the peace of Qingwu Town had finally been preserved.
But Su Xiao still harbored a lingering doubt. She touched the Chiyang Gu box in her arms. It was a little colder than usual, as if reminding her of something. She looked up at the distant sky. A faint, dark shadow seemed to flash through the clouds, so fast it might have been an illusion. "Perhaps this isn't the end yet," she whispered, her voice carried away by the wind, unheard.
But at this moment, the sun was rising, smoke from cooking curled up, and the figures of the four people gradually disappeared in the morning light, leaving behind fatigue and relief along the way - at least at this moment, peace had returned to this land, and they could finally lay down their weapons temporarily and enjoy this long-lost tranquility.
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