Chapter 3: Apocalyptic Scenery (Part 2)

Qi Wu Zhen smiled and said, “Yes, whether it’s a new path or an old one, as long as it leads to the destination, it’s a good path. If all else fails, we can use the boundary-breaking technique—after all, it only costs a little essence. There’s nothing to worry about.”
Li Ran said, “Try not to use it if possible. Shi Er and I still need to go to the Greater World. If something goes wrong with boundary-breaking, we’re done for.” He had to ensure that the technique could successfully tear open space so they could return to the Grand Universe. Whether it was tearing apart space or crossing it, boundary-breaking was crucial. The sacrificial treasures they carried weren’t enough to withstand the tearing of space, and even an altar couldn’t hold back the forces for long.
Qi Wu Zhen said, “I know how powerful the sacrificial treasures used for boundary-breaking are. How could I not be aware?”
The power of boundary-breaking was immense, and it relied on essence—powerful souls. Using it once consumed a significant amount of essence. In critical moments, it could also unleash the secret realms within the boundary-breaking space, using those realms’ space to counteract the external space and gain precious time to recover. On the Luotian Continent, there was no need to use the secret realms; just a little essence was sufficient.
But once they left the World of Talismans, essence became extremely rare. In the outside world, souls were very weak. Even if they were strong, they were different from those in the World of Talismans. If they wanted to use them, they would need to study them anew. But no one had time to do so carefully. Thus, the essence they brought with them became something extremely valuable. Using even a small amount caused pain, which was why Li Ran hesitated.
Li Ran said, “Let’s go first. If we really run out of options, then we’ll force our way through.”
Qi Wu Zhen nodded. “That’s good too.”
Guo Shi Er knew a bit about boundary-breaking. Since leaving the World of Talismans, they had been using it to clear paths, and he understood its power well. Only Sericeline understood nothing about it. All she knew was that they had a very powerful weapon that could be used to clear paths, but she had no idea how powerful it really was.
Beyond the massive fissure lay an underground stone forest. The so-called underground stone forest was originally flat ground, with the stone forest beneath it. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that these were sharp stone pillars of various shapes left behind after countless fissures crisscrossed the surface and eroded over time. It resembled a giant trap filled with sharp spikes, looking terrifying. Guo Shi Er said, “A natural trap…”
Li Ran cast several talismans. In an instant, countless purple chains flew out from his fingers, stretching forward rapidly.

Purple chains flashed past a few meters above the stone forest. Cereslin couldn’t help but feel curious. Little did she know, using such spells was one of the most basic skills for professionals, extremely versatile—whether for fighting enemies, binding objects, or even exploring dangerous areas, this skill was indispensable. After testing the area and finding no danger, Li Ran dissipated the purple chains and said, “Go ahead! Be careful not to fall; I haven’t explored below.” Guo Shier said, “I’ll go first, then you can follow.” Having one person go first meant there was a chance for rescue if something went wrong; if they all fell together, it would be troublesome. So in dangerous areas, Li Ran, Qi Wuzhen, and Guo Shier took turns going first, with the others following behind. Soon, Guo Shier flew over the stone forest and said with a smile, “Come on, everyone! There’s no problem.” The three of them flew over immediately. Along the way, they encountered countless strange terrains, with only a few being slightly dangerous. Most of the time, they could pass through smoothly, mainly because the four of them were skilled at flying. Although Cereslin was a bit behind, she had acquired two new weapons, which greatly improved her strength and made flying much easier. With Guo Shier occasionally helping her out, she was able to keep up smoothly. Of course, the path wasn’t easy to navigate; without their strong abilities, they wouldn’t have made it this far. But as the group reached this point, their good fortune finally ran out. After crossing a very high cliff, they saw a breathtaking sight—a shattered world. The land was on fire, magma flowed everywhere, there were countless spatial rifts in the sky, and various strange forces ravaged the land. Where the four of them stood was a rock cliff several kilometers long. They could feel tremors beneath their feet, with large rocks constantly falling off the cliff and rolling down with a howling sound. Guo Shier said, “This cliff… I guess it won’t last long. It will collapse soon.” The originally gloomy space was illuminated by the red-hot magma, casting a faint red glow in the sky. Black smoke rose everywhere, and the entire land seemed to be boiling. Qi Wuzhen glanced at it and couldn’t help but smile, saying, “I like it. This place is great.”

Cerislin felt a tingling in her scalp. Along the way, she had witnessed the abnormal strength of these three people, especially Qi Wu Zhen, whom she admired deeply. Such strength far exceeded her imagination—his occasional actions alone were enough to shock her. Hearing Qi Wu Zhen’s reflections, she couldn’t help asking, “Why do you like it? This place is very dangerous…”

Guo Shier didn’t hesitate to laugh and say, “Sister Zhen is a master at playing with fire. The first time I saw her, well, to be precise, even before I saw her figure, magma was already surging across the land.”

Cerislin’s mouth hung open in shock. She couldn’t understand how someone could control magma. What kind of power was that? Among the people here, not even Li Ran had Qi Wu Zhen’s ability. Perhaps he could use spells to control a portion of the magma, but definitely not to trigger massive eruptions like Qi Wu Zhen could. This was a talent for spells, one that was extremely rare even in the world of spells.

Qi Wu Zhen smiled and said, “I’ll explore this place first!”

Li Ran nodded and said, “Mm, this is a world you can control. Be careful, watch out for spatial cracks—I’ve noticed quite a few.”

Qi Wu Zhen’s expression appeared somewhat excited, quite different from her usual cold demeanor, and her face looked unusually alluring. She smiled sweetly and said, “Wait here. Once I find a good path, I’ll send you a signal spell.” With that, she leaped off the cliff.

The cliff was over a thousand meters high. In the blink of an eye, Qi Wu Zhen became a tiny black dot, plummeting toward the ground. Just as she was about to crash, her body suddenly flew horizontally, as if shot by an arrow.

The magma, which had been flowing slowly, suddenly accelerated and surged toward Qi Wu Zhen below. Because she was flying at high speed, the magma seemed to be pulled by an invisible rope, rushing frantically to chase after her. This created a spectacular sight: Qi Wu Zhen flew ahead, while the magma formed a huge wave, with her as the crest and the magma as the wave itself.

Cerislin exclaimed in horror, “Good heavens, how… how is this possible? The magma is following her…”

Qi Wu Zhen suddenly stopped in midair, and the surging magma instantly engulfed her. Li Ran and the other two watched clearly. Li Ran and Guo Shier remained calm, while Cerislin couldn’t help screaming in shock, “Wow… she’s… she’s been swallowed by the magma! She…”

Guo Shier said calmly, “Even if she’s in the magma, nothing will happen to her.”

Qi Wu Zhen could not only control magma but also draw strength from it. After advancing continuously upon arriving at the Star Sacrifice Site, she was in urgent need of replenishing her strength. So as soon as she saw the flowing magma here, she decided to draw strength from it. The magma in the earth contained all the kinds of strength she urgently needed, so upon coming to this place filled with geothermal magma, she was overjoyed.

The moment the magma submerged Qi Wu Zhen, she dived underground, following the channels where the magma surged, down to the deepest parts, where it was best to absorb strength.

Li Ran stood quietly on the cliffside, waiting. Guo Shier also understood why Qi Wu Zhen had entered the magma—he knew how formidable this woman was. They had first discovered Qi Wu Zhen in an underground magma river; they hadn’t met in person back then. If they had, Guo Shier’s bones would likely have melted in the magma. At that time, Qi Wu Zhen had no sense of reason, and her first reaction upon seeing someone was to kill.

Ceciline didn’t know Qi Wu Zhen’s true capabilities, so she was very worried. It wasn’t her life that concerned her, but rather the fact that losing Qi Wu Zhen would greatly weaken the team’s strength. She asked, “Will she… will she die? Um, aren’t you guys worried?” Although Guo Shier said there would be no problem, she still couldn’t believe it.

Guo Shier said, “I don’t know how long Sister Zhen will stay in there. I hope she won’t go crazy.”

Li Ran said, “Hmm. She’s probably gathering the power of fire. I hope it won’t take too long. This place gives me a sense of unease.”

“Go crazy?”

Ceciline was stunned. Playing around in such an environment? She couldn’t imagine or believe it. But seeing Li Ran and Guo Shier remain calm, she realized Qi Wu Zhen was likely just playing. She felt extremely envious—this woman was truly amazing. When could she reach such a level? That would be the pinnacle of mastery in this world. She clenched her fists, resolving in her heart that achieving Qi Wu Zhen’s strength would be her life’s goal.

Guo Shier said, “It should be soon.” His tone was hesitant. Who knew how long Qi Wu Zhen would stay? With her temperament, she always did as she pleased.

It wasn’t long before Qi Wu Zhen emerged from the other end. She hadn’t stayed in the magma for long because the fire energy here was different from that in the World of Talismans. With her absorption speed, she didn’t need much time. The magma here was too cold, and there was no Fire Fiend either. Disappointed, she emerged from afar and sent a message token to signal those behind her to follow.

Li Ran received the signal and was slightly stunned. He couldn’t help but laugh, “Hehe, she’s already gone. Let’s go too!” With that, he flew forward, followed by Guo Shier and Seraphine.
The magma flow on the ground, after being disturbed by Qi Wu Zhen, had gradually begun to solidify. A large amount of heat had been drawn out, causing the entire magma area to cool down and form strange black terrain. In particular, the massive magma flow created by Qi Wu Zhen in the center had formed a towering peak hundreds of meters high, looking quite spectacular.
The three of them quickly crossed through and soon arrived beside Qi Wu Zhen.
Guo Shier asked with a smile, “Sis Zhen, why not stay and play a bit longer?”
Qi Wu Zhen replied, “The magma here is different from what I imagined.”
Li Ran asked, “How is the magma here different?”