Underground Fire

There were four eggs in total, each almost as tall as Long Chen's shoulders. Some were stained with blood—these were the largest eggs Long Chen had ever seen.

Looking at the blood on the eggs, Long Chen reached out and touched it. It still carried a faint, fishy scent and had not yet dried.

Long Chen's heart pounded violently. Clearly, the Fire Lizard Beast had just finished laying its eggs and was in its weakest state. Its combat power was likely less than half of its usual strength. At this thought, cold sweat broke out on Long Chen's forehead.

He had underestimated the terror of a third-rank Demonic Beast. It was said that once Demonic Beasts reached the third rank, they underwent earth-shattering transformations, gaining their own inherited skills and terrifying combat prowess.

Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine. If the Fire Lizard Beast hadn't been in a weakened state, he likely wouldn't have escaped that place alive today.

"Woo woo…"

While Long Chen was lost in thought, Little Snow had already started desperately gnawing at the giant egg. But the egg was too large. No matter how wide Little Snow opened its mouth, it couldn't get a good grip, leaving it helpless and anxious.

"Heh heh, since you didn't get to eat the meat, consider this egg as compensation,"

Long Chen smiled faintly and punched the eggshell. The giant egg trembled, and cracks appeared on its surface.

Although the eggshell was as hard as iron, it was also very brittle. Long Chen opened a gap in the egg, and liquid immediately began to flow out.

Seeing this, Little Snow hurriedly opened its large mouth and began sucking frantically at the eggshell. In no time at all, it had drained every last drop of the liquid inside.

To Long Chen's surprise, as Little Snow sucked, its aura grew increasingly powerful, showing signs of beginning to advance.

Seeing one egg emptied, Long Chen smashed the second egg for Little Snow without a hint of reluctance.

One must know that these were the eggs of a third-rank Demonic Beast, capable of hatching Fire Lizard Beast cubs—an extremely precious existence.

Their most valuable aspect lay in their ability to produce beast fire, a treasure that would drive countless alchemists into a frenzy.

However, Long Chen already had the inner core, so he wasn't too concerned. What he hoped for most was Little Snow's rapid improvement. For Little Snow, he was willing to give up anything.

Watching Little Snow gulp down the contents, Long Chen simply smashed the remaining two eggs as well. Little Snow didn't disappoint, devouring all four giant eggs down to the last drop.

After draining the four eggs, Little Snow immediately lay on the ground, closed its eyes, and began to tremble as energy surged wildly around it, becoming extremely unstable.

"Is it about to advance?"

Long Chen couldn't help but feel overjoyed. What he didn't know was that Little Snow, as a third-rank Demonic Beast, possessed an exceptionally pure Bloodline. Later, after being enlightened by a mysterious Spirit Realm expert, its cultivation speed had become even more terrifying.

Now, having absorbed the energy of four Fire Lizard Beast eggs—energy of immense power—Little Snow had swallowed it all in one go, and it now surged violently within its body.

Driven by instinct, Little Snow entered a cultivation state, frantically absorbing this terrifying energy. Its aura grew immensely powerful, and the surrounding space began to warp slightly.

Long Chen nodded. If Little Snow advanced to the third rank, its combat power would undoubtedly surpass that of the Fire Lizard Beast at its peak.

At that time, Long Chen would have a third-rank Demonic Beast as a mount, and not just any third-rank Demonic Beast—the top-tier Crimson Flame Snow Wolf. Heh heh, just thinking about it was exciting.

Long Chen knew that a Demonic Beast's advancement required time. All he could do was act as its Protector. Fortunately, this was the Fire Lizard Beast's territory, so no other Demonic Beasts would come to cause trouble.

It was only now that Long Chen had the chance to carefully examine the cave. It was a massive cavern, with an interior that resembled a domed roof.

Estimating the distance, this dome was precisely the unremarkable hill seen from the outside, like an overturned iron pot.

The surroundings were spacious, and ahead lay a massive lava pool. Long Chen approached it and saw the boiling magma inside, a truly terrifying sight.

"Incredible. Such a place exists within the desert,"

Who would have thought that this unremarkable desert concealed such a horrifying lava pool?

But upon reflection, it made sense. With Desert Giant Scorpions roaming outside and Fire Lizard Beasts guarding this place, ordinary cultivators couldn't survive to bring the news out.

Moreover, the desert had always been regarded by cultivators as barren land, with no one willing to venture into it. That was why this place had remained undiscovered until now.

Otherwise, if word got out about the Fire Lizard Beast here, this place would have been turned upside down long ago, leaving no chance for Long Chen to reap the benefits.

The lava pool was dozens of meters in diameter, churning like boiling water. Waves of heat assaulted him, making his entire body feel as if it were about to burn.

Long Chen activated his Dan Flame protection but still found it difficult to breathe. He also realized that the Fire Lizard Beast relied on absorbing the fire energy here for its cultivation.

Fortunately, Fire Lizard Beasts were not pack creatures and were hermaphroditic, so he didn't have to worry about other Fire Lizard Beasts attacking him.

"Hum"

Suddenly, space trembled, and the magma began to churn violently, rising higher and higher. Long Chen hastily retreated.

When the lava pool rose about three feet, a transparent blue flame slowly emerged. As this flame, only about a foot long, appeared, the heavens and earth rumbled. Blistering heat surged forth, and Long Chen immediately felt as if he were about to combust.

Long Chen channeled the Fengfu Star at full power while retreating rapidly. Even so, he was horrified to discover that his clothes had turned to ash the moment the flame appeared, and his fire energy had been completely drained.

The flame appeared and vanished in less than half a breath, but Long Chen's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Earthfire. That was definitely Earthfire.

It was a flame born of the earth, with power capable of scorching the heavens, boiling the seas, and refining mountains. With the memories of a Pill Emperor, Long Chen recognized this terrifying flame.

Long Chen clenched his fists, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. That was Earthfire! In its presence, beast fire was nothing.

Most importantly, this Earthfire had clearly just been born. It wasn't violent yet, making this the perfect time to subdue it.

But Long Chen could only watch helplessly. According to the Pill Emperor's memories, even the weakest Earthfire was not something someone like him could hope to subdue.

Not just him—even a powerhouse like Tu Fang would be reduced to ashes instantly if they provoked this Earthfire.

"Isn't this just cruel?"

Long Chen felt like crying but had no tears. To see a peerless treasure yet be unable to claim it was the most torturous punishment.

Looking at the now-calm lava pool, Long Chen took a deep breath. For him to dream of obtaining Earthfire now was nothing short of madness—a sure way to get himself killed.

Turning back to Little Snow, Long Chen stared blankly ahead. The birth of Earthfire here was undoubtedly world-shaking news.

No, he absolutely couldn't let this news spread. What he discovered had to remain his.

Long Chen carefully examined the terrain and the cave entrance, which was over two meters high. He began sketching, meticulously drawing the shape of the entrance.

After repeatedly confirming the measurements, Long Chen searched outside for a massive rock. Near the bald hill, many rocks were scattered, their color and texture matching the hill's surface.

Long Chen found a rock of suitable size and began carving and polishing it. The sword in his hand was extremely sharp, though it couldn't cut through rock like tofu.

But as long as he was careful, he wouldn't break the sword. Slowly, he outlined a pattern—he was making a stone door.

He had to create a perfectly fitting stone door to seal this place completely when he left, adding an extra layer of security. He hoped no one would discover it.

The rock was extremely hard, and Long Chen didn't dare use brute force for fear of breaking the sword, so the process was very slow.

Three days later, Long Chen finally carved out the rough shape of the stone door. Summoning the Fengfu Battle Form, he carried the door, which weighed over a hundred thousand jin, to the cave entrance. After checking the fit, he began the Late Stage polishing.

By the fifth day, wiping sweat from his brow, Long Chen finally managed to fit the stone door perfectly over the cave entrance.

"Boom"

An explosive sound echoed from within the cave, shaking the space. At the same time, an overwhelmingly powerful aura surged forth, making one's heart tremble.

"Little Snow has advanced!"

Overjoyed, Long Chen entered the cave and was startled by what he saw. Little Snow now stood nearly three meters tall, its fur as white as snow. The patch of red fur on its forehead was particularly vivid and dazzling.

"Awoo"

Little Snow suddenly howled at the sky, shaking the entire cave. Terrifying sound waves reverberated within, and even though Long Chen was prepared, his eardrums throbbed, and his head felt like mush.

"Goodness, have you grown up and decided not to recognize me as your boss?" Long Chen rubbed his aching ears and grumbled.

"Woo woo…"

Little Snow nudged its large head against Long Chen, acting coquettishly as it always had. But now, its massive frame meant its head was as tall as Long Chen, and the nudge sent him stumbling backward.

"Alright, alright, I was just joking. It's time for us to leave now," Long Chen said, gently patting Little Snow's large head with a smile.

Exiting the cave with Little Snow, Long Chen closed the stone door. He found some fine sand to fill the gaps, then channeled his Dan Flame to harden it. Finally, he covered it with rock dust, making it impossible to detect the door from the outside.

After finishing all this, Long Chen finally patted his hands in satisfaction. He took out his map, carefully checked his direction, and marked the location to ensure he could find it again in the future.

After all, in the vast desert, such a small hill was quite inconspicuous. If Long Chen hadn't been drawn by the light, he would have easily overlooked it.

With everything done, Long Chen leaped onto Little Snow's back. Little Snow let out a roar, kicked off the ground, and shot forward like a whirlwind, racing across the land.

Half a month later, following the map's guidance, Long Chen finally neared the territory of the Profound Heaven Branch Academy and began to slow his pace.

Calculating the time, there was still some leeway before the assessment. With only a few tens of thousands of li left, there was no need to rush.

Sitting leisurely on Little Snow's back, Long Chen continued forward. Just as they passed through a dense forest, someone suddenly blocked their path.