Originally.

This crack was merely a temporary hiding place for him, used to avoid the eyes and ears of the Slaughter Hall disciples.

So, Ye Qingchen didn't pay much attention to it.

But now, upon careful inspection, the crack was not just a palm-sized spot, but rather had another passage. Looking at the direction of that passage, it leads directly toward the volcano.

"Could it be?"

Ye Qingchen's heart flickered with thought, quickly stepping inside.

Currently, the Slaughter Hall is still outside, and this tunnel seems quite strange.

As he went deeper.

The light within the tunnel became increasingly dim, and the surroundings turned pitch black.

However, this did not affect Ye Qingchen in the slightest; he walked step by step toward the depths of the tunnel. The more he walked, the more he was shocked; this tunnel seemed to lead endlessly down to the underground.

The deeper he went, the higher the temperature became, almost as if it was burning away the surrounding air.

Judging by the direction, this clearly leads inside the volcano.

After walking for a while longer, a great heat wave came from the front, and he could even hear the sound of boiling water.

Ye Qingchen was invigorated in spirit, quickening his pace forward.

Soon after.

Ye Qingchen's vision suddenly expanded, revealing a huge space before him, approximately four to five meters high, and ten or so meters long and wide. At the end of the space was the surging, bubbling magma!

The dazzling firelight illuminated the inside of the cave, allowing Ye Qingchen to take in everything around him.

"This tunnel actually leads inside the volcano!"

Ye Qingchen excitedly surveyed the surroundings.

What delighted Ye Qingchen even more was that amid the bubbling magma, there grew a small tree, three feet tall. A bright red fruit hung on the tree!

This fruit was crystal clear, as if forged from blood jade. From time to time, fiery glows shimmered across its surface, and great spiritual energy formed rings of red glow around it.

"It's actually a Fire Spirit Fruit!"

Upon seeing this fruit, Ye Qingchen couldn't take his eyes off it anymore.

The Fire Spirit Fruit.

An Earth-grade Top-Grade Spirit Fruit, growing in extremely hot places, completely condensed from the essence of fire.

It can directly elevate a cultivator in the Profound Pill Realm by one minor realm, and it has no side effects at all!

"It's truly rare! It's actually a Fire Spirit Fruit... and it's already mature!"

Ye Qingchen's heart surged with excitement.

It's important to note.

This type of spirit fruit is extremely rare.

Firstly, it requires very stringent conditions for its growth environment.

Secondly, most are picked by others before they mature.

Therefore, it is very rare in the outside world.

Even Kong Shun had only seen an immature Fire Spirit Fruit.

"First come, first served! Since I made it inside the volcano first, there's no share for you, Slaughter Hall!"

Originally, Ye Qingchen planned to disrupt the Slaughter Hall's plans.

Now, through a twist of fate, he arrived inside the volcano ahead of time and naturally wouldn't leave the Fire Spirit Fruit for Zheng Yuanfeng. Thinking of this, he quickly went over, plucked the Fire Spirit Fruit, sat cross-legged, and swallowed it whole.

The people from Slaughter Hall temporarily couldn't get inside the volcano, so it's absolutely safe here.

Once the Fire Spirit Fruit was ingested, it instantly transformed into a torrent of fiery energy, rampaging wildly inside Ye Qingchen's body like a frenzied dragon dance. If he couldn't control this energy, it would explode his body!

"Such immense spiritual energy!"

Yet Ye Qingchen was not frightened but delighted.

Immediately, he activated the Star Technique, rapidly digesting the spiritual energy, converting it into his own star power, eventually concentrating it within the thirteen stars in his Dantian. Although the thirteen stars had already grown to their extremes, the channels among them continued expanding.

Soon after.

Ye Qingchen felt a sense of inflation within his Dantian, and a powerful aura ascended.

"Finally broke through... Profound Core Fourth Heaven!"

A hint of joy welled up in Ye Qingchen's eyes, and he nodded in satisfaction.

However.

What shocked him even more was that the spiritual energy from the Fire Spirit Fruit was not completely consumed; it still remained incredibly abundant!

"Why is there still so much spiritual energy left?"

Ye Qingchen was firstly stunned but then quickly thought.

This volcano is immensely large, and the essence of fire within it naturally exceeds the ordinary, so the Fire Spirit Fruit it produced is naturally extraordinary.

Given this.

He did not hold back in the slightest.

Previously, when breaking through to Profound Core Fourth Heaven, he had only consumed about thirty percent of the spiritual energy. Now, seventy percent remains, possibly allowing him to break through again, directly reaching the Profound Pill Fifth Heaven!

"It's truly a blessing from heaven!"

Ye Qingchen smiled gently, once again focusing himself and refining the remaining spiritual energy.

If he could reach Profound Pill Fifth Heaven.

Whether facing the Slaughter Hall, Ding Qitian, or the mastermind behind this small world, his chances would increase significantly.

...

Meanwhile.

Outside the volcano.

The people from Slaughter Hall gathered once more; they didn't know where they found dozens of cultivators to scout for them, and by stacking up human lives in such a way, they had stubbornly discovered a path leading to the bottom of the volcano.

"Finally arrived!"

Feeling the scorching temperature around, Zheng Yuanfeng's heart grew increasingly excited.

"What kind of Heavenly and Earthly Treasure could it be to release such surging spiritual energy?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it should be the Fire Spirit Fruit!"

Zheng Yuanfeng walked with his hands clasped behind him, observing the surroundings.

Suddenly!

His gaze shifted, noticing a huge cave at the bottom of the volcano.

"It should be there!"

Suppressing his excited emotions, Zheng Yuanfeng hastened over.

The other disciples of Slaughter Hall were also filled with excitement.

They had spent such a long time, finally reaching the bottom of the volcano. Naturally, they were eager to see what kind of treasure lay beneath the volcano, one that had made the Fourth Elder spend so much effort; it definitely wasn't ordinary!

"Boom!"

However.

At this moment.

A surging aura burst forth directly from the cave.

Feeling this aura, the people from Slaughter Hall couldn't help but change their expressions.

"Could someone have beaten us to it?"

Zheng Yuanfeng's gaze turned sharp; with a flourish of his long sleeve, he was already leading the charge, swiftly heading toward the cave.

The Slaughter Hall's crowd was momentarily at a loss.

It's worth noting.

They spent a full two or three days, not knowing how many lives were lost, just to find a safe path to the bottom of the volcano. Could someone have arrived even quicker?

Swish!

As fast as thought.

Zheng Yuanfeng had already stepped into the cave; he immediately saw the three-foot-tall small tree, but it was bare, instantly making his expression unpleasant.

Upon seeing the young man sitting cross-legged in the cave, his expression grew so dark it could drip water!

Evidently.

He had already guessed what had happened!

The Fire Spirit Fruit had already been taken by Ye Qingchen!

"Ye Qingchen!"

The fierce, murderous shout almost squeezed out from between Zheng Yuanfeng's teeth.

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