132: The underwater temple, coveted by three parties.

After an unknown period of flight, the Heavenly Thunder Light Falcon’s wings stirred up air currents, and guided by the urgent “chirping” of the Flame Sprite, it plunged into a mysterious fog bank ahead.

This fog seemed to have the effect of isolating perception; even the Heavenly Thunder Light Falcon’s proud lightning perception was greatly restricted.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

The Flame Sprite seemed unusually excited, its small claws continuously pointing to a certain spot below.

Lu Yuan patted the Light Falcon’s neck, signaling it to proceed cautiously.

Passing through the thick layer of fog, the scene before them suddenly opened up.

Below was a massive, ring-shaped volcanic crater, silently submerged at the bottom of the sea!

The crater’s diameter was probably several kilometers, its dark, steep volcanic rock walls conveying a sense of desolation and deathly stillness.

And in the deepest, bottomless central area of the crater, a heart-palpitating energy fluctuation faintly emanated.

“Chirp! Chirp!!” The Flame Sprite hopped in his palm, pointing at the crystal below.

Lu Yuan did not rush down but instead had the Heavenly Thunder Light Falcon circle high in the sky, using the cover of clouds and mist to carefully observe the situation below.

His gaze quickly locked onto a relatively flat, large rock platform on the inner side of the volcanic crater.

On the platform, ten figures were busily working with tense expressions.

The leader was Duan Kong.

At this moment, the group was throwing cards into the card formation as if they were worthless. Being too far away, Lu Yuan couldn’t see clearly, only feeling that their actions were incredibly lavish.

Then he looked further up.

At the very center of the card formation, an irregular crystal, roughly the size of a human head, was suspended in mid-air.

The crystal was entirely a deep dark red, its surface appearing to have countless intricate veins slowly flowing, and with every pulsation, it emitted a heart-stopping fluctuation!

“This is…” Lu Yuan’s pupils slightly contracted, and a stormy wave surged in his heart.

“Such powerful rule fluctuations! It’s more than ten times greater than the commotion when the ancient sea shark war halberd appeared before!”

He was almost certain that this dark red crystal was absolutely an extraordinary supreme object!

It was very likely the supreme object mentioned by Zhang Yue!

Or even the red card Sun Libang spoke of?!

Just as Lu Yuan’s mind was shaken, his perception keenly caught threats from other directions.

In the dark shadows around the volcanic crater, several terrifying demonic beasts, monstrously large, were lurking!

One of them, shaped like a giant octopus, had dozens of thick tentacles covered with ferocious suckers, and the tip of each tentacle flashed with electricity, emitting a suffocating Sixth Rank aura!

Brother Octopus!

Another was a Deep Sea Giant Python over a hundred meters long, its scales appearing a strange translucent state, vaguely revealing the dark gold blood flowing within its body, also a terrifying Sixth-Tier Demonic Beast!

And another resembled a swordfish magnified countless times, its bone-like long sword at the snout looked incredibly Sharpness at a glance!

These several Sixth-Tier Demonic Beasts, more or less, bore traces of “rule-based” transformation.

Some had metallic luster on the edges of their scales, some had claws shimmering with rune-like patterns; this rule-based transformation was about twenty percent complete.

However, this rule-based transformation seemed incomplete, or rather, it was forcibly suppressed by their own violent andmiscellaneous energy, making it difficult to advance and appearing extremely unstable.

At this moment, their crimson beast eyes were fixed on the dark red heart of rules above the platform, not concealing their instinctive desire.

“Sixth-Tier Demonic Beasts! Three of them!” Lu Yuan’s heart sank, feeling that things were getting tricky.

This was his first time seeing a Sixth-Tier Demonic Beast; textbooks had mentioned that Sixth Rank Grandmasters could destroy heaven and earth in battle, forming special domains with their physical bodies, unrivaled in the world!

Although somewhat exaggerated, it still showed the power of the Sixth Rank from another perspective.

At the very least, it was difficult for his current Third Rank strength to contend with… probably.

However, what made Lu Yuan even more vigilant was not these ferocious demonic beasts.

His gaze turned to the other side of the volcanic crater, upon a protruding volcanic rock wall.

There, a figure stood silently.

It was an Old Elf, less than half a person’s height, yet giving off a sense of being as majestic as a mountain.

He held a massive hammerhead burning with raging flames; the flames on the hammerhead were not illusory but solidified, emitting high temperatures.

The Old Elf’s skin was reddish-grey, covered with wrinkles carved by time.

What startled Lu Yuan even more was that this Old Elf had no traces of “rule-based” transformation on his body!

He was not like those demonic beasts, nor like other secret realm creatures Lu Yuan had seen.

What emanated from him was a terrifying energy completely different from Source Power, yet refined to the extreme!

Exactly like the Little Fellow!

His strength was unfathomable, definitely reaching the Sixth Rank! Perhaps even higher!

“This is… the Flame Sprite’s elder?” Lu Yuan’s heart was filled with doubt and surprise.

“Is he a native of this secret realm?”

Just as Lu Yuan was secretly speculating, in the distant sky, several streaks of light cut through the air, speeding towards the volcanic crater.

The leader was none other than Zhang Yue!

Behind him followed Li Qian and the remaining few members of the Provincial Government’s first team, all looking exhausted and disheveled.

Evidently, after clearing the battlefield, they accelerated their rush towards the temple.

When Zhang Yue saw Duan Kong on the volcanic platform and the dark red heart of rules suspended in the center of the card formation, his previously gloomy expression suddenly changed!

Envy… unwillingness, was immediately replaced by a strong greed!

“The heart of rules!” Zhang Yue exclaimed in a low voice.

Li Qian and the others behind him also had looks of fanaticism.

“Captain Duan, your second team’s luck is truly enviable,” Zhang Yue suppressed the excitement in his heart and spoke loudly with a complex tone.

His voice echoed in the empty volcanic crater.

On the platform, Duan Kong heard Zhang Yue’s voice and subtly frowned.

He hadn’t expected Zhang Yue to find them so quickly.

However, he did not stop the operation of the card formation, merely turned around and looked at Zhang Yue’s group, who were hovering not far away, his voice cold.

“Captain Zhang, you’ve come at a good time.”

“This place is dangerous, and an extra person means extra strength.”

Duan Kong glanced at the Sixth-Tier Demonic Beasts lurking in the shadows, ready to move, and the mysterious Old Flame Spirit on the other side. He cursed inwardly, knowing that monopolizing this heart of rules would likely be difficult.

“This heart of rules is of great importance. How about our two teams join forces to protect it?”

Zhang Yue’s eyes flashed upon hearing this, and he sneered inwardly.

Protect? He probably wanted to wait until the heart of rules was fully formed, then have an internal struggle!

However, the current situation was complex, with powerful enemies surrounding them, so joining forces was indeed the only option.

“Brother Duan is absolutely right.” Zhang Yue showed a smile on his face, “Our two teams both belong to the Provincial Government, so we should naturally work together.”

With that, he led Li Qian and the others, slowly descending to the other side of the platform, forming a pincer formation with Duan Kong’s team to jointly face the external threats.

Just then, the Flame Sprite in Lu Yuan’s arms suddenly let out a soft “gurgle.”

The sound carried a touch of adoration, a hint of intimacy, yet also a trace of fear.

Its small head peeked out from Lu Yuan’s collar, looking at the Old Elf holding the flaming great hammer. Its tiny body shivered and burrowed further into Lu Yuan’s embrace.

Lu Yuan gently patted him, thoughtfully glancing at the Old Flame Spirit.

There was indeed a story between this Little Fellow and that Old Elf.

With the addition of Zhang Yue’s team, the atmosphere within the volcanic crater grew even more tense.

The Provincial Government allied forces, represented by Duan Kong and Zhang Yue, occupied the center of the platform, “guarding” the heart of rules.

The three Sixth-Tier Demonic Beasts in the surrounding shadows watched menacingly, occasionally letting out low roars that stirred the seawater.

On the other side, the mysterious Old Flame Spirit remained still, like a silent volcano, capable of erupting with world-destroying power at any moment.

Three factions, centered around the tempting heart of rules, formed a delicate standoff.

A great battle seemed imminent!

And Lu Yuan, hidden behind the higher, more distant clouds and mist, calmly observed everything.

He was not in a hurry to show himself.

The current situation was too complex and too dangerous.

“These two groups from the Provincial Government are united in appearance but divided in spirit. Zhang Yue clearly wants a share, while Duan Kong probably wishes to monopolize it. They might not cooperate wholeheartedly at a critical moment.”

Lu Yuan analyzed silently in his mind.

“Those few Sixth-Tier Demonic Beasts are terrifyingly strong, but demonic beasts have low intelligence and act purely on instinct, making them easy to exploit and easy to become cannon fodder.”

“The most troublesome is still that Old Flame Spirit… his strength is unfathomable, his purpose unclear, and he seems to have a connection with this Little Fellow in my arms.”

Lu Yuan stroked the Flame Sprite’s head.

“This heart of rules appears to be far more precious than the ancient sea shark war halberd, perhaps even the core origin of this secret realm.”

“To snatch food from the tiger’s mouth amidst so many powerful enemies is as difficult as ascending to heaven.”

“However…” Lu Yuan felt the surging Source Power within him, a calculating glint flashing in his eyes, “the more chaotic it is, the greater the opportunity!”

He decided to continue lurking, observe the changes, and wait for the best moment to act.

Just as this delicate balance was about to be broken—

Buzz!!!

In the center of the card formation, the dark red heart of rules suddenly erupted with an unprecedented brilliant red light!

A rule fluctuation, more than ten times stronger than before, swept across the entire area like a tsunami!

Its rule-based transformation process, under the full activation of the card formation, seemed to have reached a critical tipping point!

This sudden drastic change instantly stimulated the nerves of all coveters!

“Roar—!”

Brother Octopus was the first to lose patience, its dozens of tentacles suddenly elongated, carrying immense thunderous power, and violently lashed out at the card formation on the platform!

The battle instantly erupted!

...