Chapter 1030: The Terrifying Lava (Part 2)

A renowned master couldn't help stepping forward, intending to pass through directly as before, only to find it like hitting an iron plate, a vast force repelling him.

"This..." His pupils contracted, and the master's face showed disbelief: "In that case, how can we leave?"

Not only he, but many other masters also stepped forward to try, their faces turning pale one by one.

The previous red light membrane had felt like touching water when passing through, easy and effortless, with no obstruction. But this white, hazy one now was like a city wall, impossible for them to break through given their strength.

In other words, once the entrance closed, it was like entering a dead city! If they couldn't find a way forward, they would be trapped and die here, with no chance of escape.

"No wonder it's called a one-in-a-thousand chance; truly terrifying..."

A master muttered with a bitter smile.

Before coming, Master Wu and others had repeatedly warned that this place was extremely dangerous with a slim chance of survival. Initially, they didn't take it seriously, but now they understood it was indeed so.

They hadn't even entered the ruins yet, only at the entrance, and were already flustered and disoriented. If they actually went inside, wouldn't it be even more terrifying?

"As I said before, the seal closes after fifteen minutes. Once closed... it cannot be opened unless a solution is found!"

President Han shook his head and said, "Alright, dwelling on this is pointless. Since we've come in, we've already resolved to face death. For now, the best course is to find the entrance to the ruins!"

"Yes!" Everyone nodded.

They had understood the danger before coming, and most had settled their affairs. Since retreat was impossible, they might as well move forward.

Zhang Xuan also understood this. He looked down at the lava again while silently communicating with the Queen Ant.

"Master, there is no folded space here! Even if there were, it might be beneath the lava, and I cannot observe it..."

After a while, the Queen Ant's voice came through.

"None?" Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

Could it be that the passage to the ruins really was beneath the lava?

Even Master Wu couldn't go down, let alone them!

Surely it wouldn't be designed to be so difficult before even entering the ruins!

If so, how did the former dean and those outstanding individuals get in?

"Too bad we didn't get the map from the Poison Hall; otherwise, we wouldn't be so passive..."

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan looked helpless.

If he could find that map, he should be able to find the way out easily, unlike now, where he was completely in the dark.

"Stop thinking about it. Let me try the Library and see if I can find anything."

Pushing aside these negative thoughts, Zhang Xuan's body flickered, and he flew straight toward the lava.

Lava was inanimate; it couldn't use martial techniques or move. Only by touching it could he activate the Library.

"Master Zhang, what are you doing?" Seeing him fly down, Master Mu couldn't help asking.

"I'm studying it, taking a closer look..." Knowing he couldn't explain the Library in detail, Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

In the blink of an eye, he was above the lava. Sure enough, he felt waves of heat assailing him, penetrating his skin and deep into his bones, as if it would scorch him at any moment.

"So hot!" His pupils contracted, and Zhang Xuan was horrified.

No wonder Master Wu could only go forty meters deep and no further. The temperature here was more terrifying than he had imagined. Even if he went all out, thirty meters would be a major hurdle.

Circulating the Heaven's Path True Energy to expel the surrounding heat, Zhang Xuan then reached out a finger and touched the lava.

"Flaw!" he called out in his mind.

Whoosh! A book appeared.

"Volcanic lava, formed by earthly fire smelting rocks, extremely high temperature, contains black-green stone, granite, lapis lazuli, and other rocks; when solidified, can be used to build houses..."

Seeing the content, Zhang Xuan staggered and nearly fell.

Build houses? Build your sister!

That's not what I want to know, alright?

Frustrated, he knew this was expected. The Library of Heaven's Path could only analyze what he touched, and only a part of it; it couldn't expand its scope.

It was like when he touched a bookshelf before, trying to absorb the books into his mind; he had tried many times and knew it was impossible.

Touching the lava below revealed the characteristics of magma, not whether there were flaws in the area.

In other words, the ever-victorious Library was useless here...

What should he do?

Rubbing his forehead, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to fly back up.

"If all else fails, let's each take a section and explore downward one by one... Since the seal could open, the ruins can't be too deep! If we work together, we're sure to find some clues."

Seeing that even the all-capable Dean Zhang had returned empty-handed, President Han looked disappointed and said.

"Explore one by one?"

Everyone looked solemn and nodded.

For now, this was the only option.

There were no formations or anything special outside the lava, suggesting the ruins were likely hidden within. With no retreat, the only way was to conduct a large-scale search, inch by inch.

"What if... the so-called ruins are hidden below forty meters?"

Shen Pingchao, the dean of Luoqing Academy, frowned.

At his words, others nodded in agreement.

Even Master Wu could only go forty meters; they certainly couldn't dive deeper. A large-scale search was fine, but if the ruins were below forty meters, even if everyone died here, it would be useless.

"Searching one by one is indeed a good method, but not feasible..."

Luo Ruoxin spoke from the side.

"Oh? Does Master Luo have a better idea?" President Han looked over.

"As they said, if the ruins are hidden below forty meters, it's impossible for us to find them. Besides, with such a vast expanse of lava and only thirty of us, if we try to conduct a carpet search, have you calculated how long it would take?" Luo Ruoxin furrowed her delicate brows.

"This..." President Han was speechless.

Although most of those present had divine sense and could probe into the depths, the deeper the lava, the greater the resistance and the smaller the detection range. Given their strength and the recovery rate of their true energy, searching the entire volcanic crater, which was over ten li in radius, would probably take at least a month!

By that time, without even fighting, they would be exhausted and die here.

"Then what should we do?" a master asked.

"I don't know either. I just think that since the other party left a way out, there must be a path. We just haven't thought of it yet. Sharpening the axe won't delay the cutting of wood. Rather than searching everywhere and relying on luck, it's better to think clearly and set a goal before acting; the success rate might be higher..."

Luo Ruoxin said.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

She was right. Casting a wide net and relying on luck was indeed not advisable for them now.

The environment here was too harsh. They could endure for one hour, two hours, or even ten hours, but after a day, they would likely be poisoned by fire; after two days, they would probably be scorched and exhausted, turning into dried husks.

"Right, we need to keep searching..."

Zhang Xuan also nodded and looked down again.

The entire volcanic crater was circular, but not perfectly regular. Occasionally, power emanated from it, contacting the seal above and producing deafening sounds.

Previously, if this power couldn't escape, it would have exploded inside. But now, because he had poked a hole outside, it gushed out, posing no danger.

"Could it be... related to this gushing power?"

A thought suddenly struck him.

When the former dean, You Xu, and others came in smoothly, they probably didn't expend so much effort. According to the latter, as soon as they entered the membrane, they encountered a power storm that swept them to an unknown place, where they met the Heterodox Spirit race...

In other words, when they came, the membrane was filled with power, making it irresistible...

Could these storms be the power that was released?

If so, without these things, although the place had become much safer and less dangerous, finding the entrance to the ruins had also become impossible.

"Power gushing... Could it be that the place where the power erupted is where the ruins are buried?"

Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration struck him.

If what You Xu said was true, then the place where the power erupted must be closely related to the ruins.

With this in mind, Zhang Xuan couldn't help looking down.

Just then, another surge of power emerged from the lava below, rolling straight upward. Upon contacting the spot where he had inserted the flag, it vanished without a trace.

The node he had found was the weak point of the entire seal. Once the flag was inserted, the power could no longer accumulate. That was why, after being here so long, he had forgotten about this matter.

"Let me try!"

Zhang Xuan nodded to himself.

Whether this spot was correct or not, only personal experimentation would tell. Apart from here, he couldn't think of anything else special.

"The lava can't be probed, and the Library of Heaven's Path is useless. The only way is to go in and explore... Master Wu has exhausted his strength and hasn't recovered yet, so I have to do it myself!"

Zhang Xuan pointed forward, and a huge cauldron appeared before him.

The Jinyuan Cauldron!

This fellow had already advanced to a mid-grade saint artifact, with strength comparable to a Saint Realm Fourth Layer peak. In a one-on-one fight, it might not be a match for Master Wu, but in terms of heat resistance and enduring lava, the latter was far inferior.

"The Jinyuan Cauldron... has advanced to a mid-grade saint artifact?"

Seeing his sudden action, everyone looked over. After a glance, they were stunned.

Everyone had heard of this treasured artifact of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy; it was only a low-grade saint artifact. When did it become mid-grade?

Although low-grade and mid-grade were only one minor level apart, there was an essential difference, like heaven and earth.

"It's because the master took on an alchemy apprentice last night and casually refined this cauldron, and then... it reached this level. How envious, right!"

Seeing everyone's astonished looks, the Jinyuan Cauldron burst into laughter, exuding indescribable pride: "But envy is useless. This cauldron is exceptionally talented; such casual breakthroughs are something you can't learn..."