Chapter 003: Subterranean Lava (III)

Now that we have found a piece, you can enjoy this delicacy again. In the future, we will search for more; there should be similar essence in other places as well said Li Xiaoyang with a smile

"It is impossible; those cultivators will not let this matter rest. They have long since laid a net of heaven and earth at the place where I last disappeared. As soon as I leave here, I will be immediately discovered by them," Yan Yan said with a hint of anger.

Go away, I can sneeze you all the way to the solar system. No, no, no, I won't sneeze, it's actually a sneeze that I meant.

Only upon stepping outside did I realize that the sun had already begun its descent in the west, with half of its vibrant red sphere having dipped below the horizon. The remaining light cast a crimson hue across the clouds, creating a breathtaking spectacle that was almost blinding. Li Xiaoyang gasped for breath, feeling a slight fatigue wash over him. The ethereal tendrils of spiritual energy required a substantial amount of power to manifest, a capability he had yet to fully attain. Were it not for the boundless energy of the flames supporting him from behind, he would have been limited to unleashing only two tendrils. After toiling for so long below, coupled with the arduous climb of nearly two kilometers through the cave, although the energy from the flames had not diminished significantly, the rapid conversion still left Li Xiaoyang feeling somewhat drained.

I waved my hand at the * picture * book, and you vanished without a trace... A person and a beast laughed and scolded each other as they walked down the mountain.

After everything was settled, something happened. Li Xiaoyang then dove into the cave, and the fire dragon retracted to protect his body, swiftly lifting him upward.

The crystals exposed on the surface are merely a small fraction; the majority are solidified beneath the ground, encased in hardened lava. Unless the solidified lava is shattered, it is impossible to obtain the crystals below.

Seeing this, Li Xiaoyang continued, "In the future, you must teach me your skills well. Once I have learned, I will accompany you to your hometown, and then I also want to eat a lot of Fire Essence like you. You will have to treat me then." Li Xiaoyang tried to use a light-hearted tone to alleviate Yan Yan's subtle homesickness.

The Fire Essence is the essence of the Fire Crystal, and due to its rarity, it may take tens of millions of years to nurture even a single piece of Fire Essence. This extraordinary treasure is something that can be encountered but not sought after, and it is unexpected to find a piece in such a place. Upon seeing the Fire Essence, Yan Yan was evidently taken aback, falling unusually silent.

Oh," Li Xiaoyang paused upon hearing this, surveying his surroundings. He noticed a corner of a transparent crystal peeking out from beneath his feet and bent down to pick it up. It was a diamond the size of two fingers, completely clear and free of any impurities. If sold in the market, its value would be immeasurable. However, Li Xiaoyang did not even glance at it and casually stored the diamond in the spirit beast space. The spirit beast space was a sub-dimensional space opened up by Yan Yan, primarily used for storing various items. Since Li Xiaoyang and Yan Yan shared a symbiotic relationship, he could freely utilize this spirit beast space.

"Put everything away?" Li Xiaoyang glanced nervously at the vast space spanning several square kilometers, secretly contemplating the feasibility of Yan Yan's idea

The flames conveyed a faint sense of sorrow, and said: "It's nothing."

Oh, heavens! Yan Yan cried out in despair: "Can't you use the psychic tentacles I taught you? Do you really want to go pick them up one by one?"

"There is more below," said Yan Yan, urging as if in flames.

A triumphant, eerie laugh echoed from the flames as they lowered Li Xiaoyang onto the solidified surface. Without the assistance of the flames, Li Xiaoyang would have long since sunk beneath the lava.

Li Xiaoyang suddenly realized, patting his forehead and laughing, "Hehe, right, I completely forgot." As soon as the words left his mouth, a more vibrant flame, reminiscent of a *picture*, erupted from within Li Xiaoyang. After swirling for a moment, it transformed into dozens of fire dragons that spread out, wrapping around the scattered diamonds and fire elemental crystals before bringing them to Li Xiaoyang's side. In the blink of an eye, all the exposed crystals on the ground were swept away, and Li Xiaoyang had piled up a mound of diamonds and fire elemental crystals that reached half his height. After swirling for a moment, it transformed into dozens of fire dragons that spread out, wrapping around the scattered diamonds and fire elemental crystals before bringing them to Li Xiaoyang's side. In the blink of an eye, all the exposed crystals on the ground were swept away, and Li Xiaoyang had piled up a mound of diamonds and fire elemental crystals that reached half his height

"Of course, this is not enough for me for a month." Yan Yan consumes crystal stones as if they were food. The pile before it is truly insufficient for a month's consumption, especially since most of it consists of worthless diamonds.

"Do not dawdle; this time we need to collect a lot, preferably all of them. How long will it take to gather them all!" Yan Yan shouted in frustration.

As soon as Li Xiaoyang landed on the ground, he headed straight for the cave entrance. Having stayed here for such a long time, it was likely that night had already fallen. If he returned late, his parents would surely be worried.

"Do not worry, you still have me, right? By then, I will definitely be even more formidable than you. Together, we will make those cultivators flee in panic. What do you think!" Li Xiaoyang said with a proud smile.

Sensing the unique sensation of the fire essence, Li Xiaoyang held the essence in his hand. Although enveloped by the flames, he could still feel the scorching heat emanating from the essence, indicating how terrifying its temperature was, comparable to boiling lava. After examining it for a while, Li Xiaoyang finally stored the essence in the flame space, along with all the other diamond fire essence crystals. It is evident how fearsome the temperature of this essence is, comparable to boiling lava. After examining it for a while, Li Xiaoyang finally stored the essence in the flame space, along with all the other diamond fire essence crystals. Although the diamond has little practical use, it holds significant value in human society. He plans to go to City G for his studies, and bringing some along to exchange for money would be quite beneficial.

"Good," Yan Yan said softly, a hint of melancholy in his tone

"Cut it out, do you really think you can outdo me? Dream on!" Yan Yan said disdainfully

The flames conveyed a message: "Wait a moment, there will be few opportunities to come here in the future, so let's collect some Fire Element Crystals first; they will be useful for cultivation later."

Li Xiaoran smiled wryly and shook his head. The fire dragon pierced through the surface and drilled into the ground, swiftly shredding the top layer into fragments, revealing countless crystals buried beneath. It scoured the entire large space within a radius of several miles, leaving no part of the ceiling untouched. Dozens of illusory fire dragons moved like nimble hands, quickly gathering the scattered crystals. In no time, dozens of piles of various crystals, each half a meter tall, had formed around him. In addition to the Fire Element Crystals and Diamond Crystals, there was also a fist-sized Fire Element Essence.

Missing home? Li Xiaoyang quickly grasped the meaning represented by the faint sadness in Yan Yan's expression

The flame, whose inner thoughts had been seen through, no longer concealed them and said softly: "Well, there are plenty of these fire essence crystals everywhere in my place. I consume many of them during my daily cultivation, and they taste much better than fire essence crystals."

In the midst of a quarrel between a person and a beast, the lava river slowly receded, revealing the gradually solidified, charred dark red lava along its edges, with a few sparkling crystals occasionally exposed. The person and the beast grew somewhat weary from their argument. Li Xiaoyang swallowed hard and was the first to concede, saying, "Alright, alright, you are the hero, I yield to you." The flame, lacking any physiological structure, did not experience thirst, but Li Xiaoyang did.

Sitting on the ground, panting and resting, Li Xiaoyang thought to himself: "Old Yan, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you speaking?" Upon seeing that Fire Element Crystal, Yan Yan suddenly fell silent, which was unusual for him. Having coexisted with Yan Yan for so long, Li Xiaoyang keenly sensed the change in him and couldn’t help but ask.

"I will definitely be stronger than you; by then, I will be able to lift you upside down with one hand," Li Xiaoyang said confidently