96: Chapter 96 Obtaining the Life Stone, Breakthrough in Alchemy

On the edge of the magma lake, a dark red glow illuminated the exhausted group.

The corpse of the Earth Dragon Scorpion King lay by the magma lake, its dark golden shell gradually losing its luster. Green blood mixed with the dark red magma, emitting a sizzling sound and rising, pungent smoke. The silence that followed the battle enveloped the entire underground space, with only the gurgling sound of flowing magma and the heavy breathing of the group remaining.

Shi Potian lay unconscious on a temporarily spread felt rug. His injuries were shocking: his left arm was fractured, his sternum was sunken, and his entire body was covered in wounds deep enough to see the bone. Although he had taken nine bottles of Advanced Blood Recovery Pills, those pills were mainly for restoring Qi and blood, with limited effect on severe injuries to bones and internal organs. Holy Light knelt beside him, hands pressed against his chest, palms glowing with a faint white light—that was the basic healing Spell he could only perform after exhausting his Chaos Divine Power.

"Shi Potian's injuries are too severe," Holy Light said, his face pale and his voice weak. "The fractures and internal injuries require specialized 'Bone-Knitting Paste' and 'Organ-Nourishing Pills,' but the ones we brought were used up in the previous battle."

Lin Ye walked over to Shi Potian and crouched down to examine him.

Shi Potian's breathing was weak and rapid, each inhalation accompanied by a slight grinding sound from his sternum. After his Overlord Body state was completely dispelled, the backlash from overdrawing his strength began to manifest: the dark golden patterns under his skin were not only dimming but also beginning to erode in reverse, a sign of Bloodline Power running wild.

"We cannot delay any longer," Lin Ye said in a deep voice. "He must be treated immediately, otherwise, it will leave permanent damage and even affect his Foundation."

He took out the token obtained near the stone tablet from the 7th Mining Team from his Storage Pouch and injected a trace of Chaos Divine Power. The token glowed slightly, but otherwise, there was no reaction.

"Lu Ming, do you know medicine?" Lin Ye looked at the Formation Master who was organizing the damaged Formation Flags.

Lu Ming shook his head with a bitter smile. "I only understand Formations; I know nothing about the medical Dao. However... according to ancient records, the primordial life stone contains fragments of the Law of Life and has miraculous effects on treating internal injuries. If we can refine the pure essence of the primordial life stone, it might be able to save Shi Potian."

Lin Ye's eyes lit up.

Right, the primordial life stone!

He immediately turned to Zhao Wuji. "Old Zhao, take out the primordial life stone Ore."

Zhao Wuji hurriedly took a jade box from a special Storage Pouch. When the jade box was opened, seventy-nine pieces of primordial life stone Ore were stacked inside. A pale golden light flowed, and a rich aura of life permeated the area, making even the surrounding scorching air feel slightly cooler.

Lin Ye picked up a piece of the Ore and observed it carefully.

The Ore felt warm and smooth in his hand, with liquid-like golden light circulating inside. His Divine Sense probed into it, and he could feel the vast and pure life energy, as well as... a faint, elusive fluctuation of the Law.

"It is indeed good stuff," Lin Ye nodded. "But the raw Ore cannot be used directly; there are too many Impurities, and the energy is unstable. It needs to be refined."

He looked at the group. "I am going to perform Alchemy here to refine the primordial life stone essence. This process cannot be disturbed; you must act as my Protectors."

"Here?" Su Qingyue looked around worriedly. "The environment of the magma lake is too harsh; the temperature is high, and the fire-element Spiritual Qi is violent. It's not suitable for Alchemy, is it?"

"It is precisely because the fire-element Spiritual Qi is violent that it is suitable," Lin Ye explained. "Alchemy requires a stable source of fire. In an ordinary environment, I would need to provide the fire myself, which consumes a huge amount of energy. But here..." He pointed to the magma lake, "There is a natural source of earth fire, with stable temperature and abundant energy. As long as a fire-control Formation is set up, it is better than any artificial fire source."

Lu Ming understood. "Leader, you mean to use the magma lake as the fire source for the Pill Furnace, and the primordial life stone Ore as the main material to refine Medicinal Pills for healing?"

"Not just healing pills." A sharp light flashed in Lin Ye's eyes. "I am going to refine 'life spring divine fluid'."

"'life spring divine fluid'?" Qin Ruoxue recalled the records in ancient books. "That legendary Medicinal Pill that can significantly increase the cultivation speed of the Dao Palace Realm? It is said that the difficulty of refining it is extremely high, requiring Master-level Alchemy, and the success rate is less than thirty percent."

"I am confident," Lin Ye said in a calm tone, which nevertheless carried unquestionable confidence.

In his ten-year gaming career in his past life, his Alchemy had already reached the Grandmaster Rank. Although his skill Rank was reset after his Rebirth and needed to be re-cultivated, all those experiences, techniques, and insights remained. As long as there were suitable Materials and an environment, refining the life spring divine fluid would not be difficult.

More importantly, he possessed the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body.

Chaos Power encompasses all things, can harmonize medicinal properties, and stabilize the Pill Furnace; this is precisely the Physique that every Alchemist dreams of.

"Lu Ming, help me set up a fire-control Formation and a Spirit-gathering Formation." Lin Ye began to assign tasks. "Su Qingyue, use your ice-element Spells to cool the periphery of the Alchemy area and keep the environment stable. Chen Hao, Flame Dance, keep watch on the surroundings. Qin Ruoxue, continue to study the map and find the best evacuation route. Zhao Wuji, take care of Shi Potian and Holy Light."

"Then what about you, Leader?" Zhao Wuji asked.

"I need to process these primordial life stone Ores first." Lin Ye looked at the Ore in the jade box. "Refining the life stone essence is the first step, and also the most crucial step."

The group immediately sprang into action.

Dragging his exhausted body, Lu Ming searched for a suitable location by the magma lake. He chose a flat piece of black basalt ground ten zhang away from the magma lake—the temperature here was moderate, neither too close to be affected by the high heat nor too far to be unable to draw upon the earth fire.

He selected the usable Formation Flags from the damaged Formation Materials, eighteen in total, and inserted them into the ground in specific positions. The Formation Flags were arranged in a Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams pattern, with fire-control runes and Spirit-gathering runes carved on each flag. Next was the Formation Plate—although it had cracks, its core functions were still intact. He placed the Formation Plate in the center of the Formation and embedded three High-Grade Spirit Stones as an energy source.

"Fire-control and Spirit-gathering Formation, activate!"

Lu Ming bit his fingertip, dripped blood onto the Formation Plate, and chanted the incantation.

The eighteen Formation Flags lit up with red light simultaneously, and complex Formation patterns emerged on the ground. The patterns extended from the Formation Plate, covering a radius of three zhang like a spider web. The temperature in the center of the Formation began to rise, but unlike the scorching heat surrounding them, this temperature was stable and controllable, as if an invisible Pill Furnace was taking shape in the air.

Meanwhile, a pale red light barrier formed at the edge of the Formation, isolating the temperature exchange between the inside and outside. The internal temperature stabilized at the "gentle fire" state required for Alchemy, while the outside was maintained at normal temperature by Su Qingyue's ice-element Spells.

"The Formation is complete." Lu Ming wiped the sweat from his forehead. "But it cannot be maintained for long, at most six hours. Also, the Formation's energy is limited, so you must hurry, Leader."

Lin Ye nodded. "Six hours is enough."

He walked to the center of the Formation and sat cross-legged.

In front of him, the seventy-nine pieces of primordial life stone Ore were lined up. The pale golden light shone off each other, illuminating his face as if it were plated in gold.

Lin Ye closed his eyes and focused, adjusting his state.

Three breaths later, he opened his eyes and formed hand seals.

"Chaos as the furnace, Heaven and Earth as the cauldron. Rise!"

As the incantation was chanted, the Chaos Divine Power within his body surged out, condensing in the center of the Formation into a three-foot-high gray shadow of a Pill Furnace. The Pill Furnace had three legs and two ears, with Chaos Qi flowing across its surface, and inside the furnace, there seemed to be scenes of stars being born and dying, and the Universe in its beginning.

[Self-Created Alchemy Technique: Chaos Creation Furnace (Proto-Form)]

[Type: Alchemy Secret Technique / Divine Ability Proto-Form]

[Rank: Legendary (Growable)]

[Consumption: Chaos Divine Power x 10,000 / hour, chaos origin source x 1 strand / time]

[Effect: Uses Chaos Power to simulate the creation of Heaven and Earth, Alchemy success rate +30%, quality +20%, can refine high-difficulty Medicinal Pills across Ranks.]

[Current Rank: Beginner (1 / 100)]

[Note: This technique requires Chaos-attribute Cultivation Technique or Physique to be cultivated.]

This was an Alchemy method Lin Ye had created by combining his Alchemy experience from his past life with the characteristics of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body in this life. Although it was only a Proto-Form, it had already transcended the scope of ordinary Alchemy techniques.

After the Pill Furnace shadow took shape, Lin Ye began to process the primordial life stone Ore.

He did not use tools but instead used his Chaos Divine Power to form invisible hands to lift the first piece of Ore. The Ore floated in mid-air, and Chaos Qi penetrated into it, beginning to separate the Impurities from the Ore.

This was a precise and slow process.

The primordial life stone Ore was not pure life stone; it was mixed with rock, metal, and other associated minerals. The true essence of the life stone accounted for less than thirty percent of the total mass of the Ore, and the rest were Impurities that needed to be removed.

Ordinary Alchemists need to first break the Ore through physical means and then purify it with Spells, a process that is cumbersome and easily leads to energy loss. But Lin Ye's Chaos Creation Furnace could separate it directly at the molecular level, with high efficiency and low loss.

Under the envelopment of the Chaos Qi, the surface of the Ore began to peel off gray-black debris. Those debris fell into the magma and instantly vaporized. The volume of the Ore shrank at a speed visible to the naked eye, from palm-sized to egg-sized, then to walnut-sized...

Finally, from a fist-sized piece of Ore, a thumb-sized pale golden crystal was refined.

The crystal was transparent throughout, with golden liquid flowing inside, emitting a soft and vast aura of life. Compared to the roughness of the previous Ore, this crystal was as perfect as a work of art.

[Item: primordial life stone Essence (Excellent)]

[Type: Alchemy Material / Cultivation Resource]

[Description: A pure essence refined from primordial life stone Ore, containing pure life energy and a small amount of fragments of the Law of Life.]

[Attribute: Life Energy +500, Law Fragments +0.1]

[Effect: 1. Direct absorption can permanently increase the upper limit of Qi and blood (Upper Limit +5%); 2. Main material for refining Medicinal Pills; 3. A sacred item for healing, can repair most internal injuries and meridian damage.]

[Refining Purity: 91% (Excellent)]

The first one was successfully refined, with a purity of 91%.

Lin Ye did not pause and continued to refine the second, the third...

Time passed in silence.

One hour, two hours...

Outside the Formation, the group kept a nervous watch.

Su Qingyue maintained her ice-element Spells, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead. Although Lin Ye had set up the fire-control Formation, the residual heat emitted by the magma lake was still staggering; she needed to continuously release cold energy to keep the environment stable. Her Divine Power was slowly depleting, but she gritted her teeth and persisted.

Chen Hao and Flame Dance kept watch on the periphery of the Formation. Flame Dance's staff was destroyed, her combat power greatly reduced, and she could only rely on the most basic Fireball Spells. Chen Hao had few arrows left, but he still gripped his longbow tightly, his eyes scanning the dark corners sharply.

Qin Ruoxue studied the map and the miner's log, trying to find the best route to leave. Her Divine Sense was damaged, and every time she focused, it triggered a headache, but she still persisted.

Zhao Wuji took care of the wounded. He fed Holy Light a spirit recovery pill and wiped Shi Potian's wounds and changed his bandages. Looking at Shi Potian's pale face, this usually shrewd businessman's eyes were full of worry.

Lu Ming constantly monitored the status of the Formation, ready to adjust the Formation Flags at any time to maintain the stability of the Formation.

Everyone's hope was pinned on that figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the Formation.

Three hours later.

In front of Lin Ye, all seventy-nine pieces of primordial life stone Ore had been refined.

In their place were seventy-nine pale golden life stone essence crystals, neatly arranged on the ground like a star array. Each crystal emitted a soft golden light, and the rich aura of life converged, forming a golden mist visible to the naked eye.

The mist permeated the area, the air inside the Formation became fresh, and even the sulfur smell of the magma was dispelled. Taking a breath, one felt refreshed, and the fatigue was relieved a little.

"Average purity 89%, Excellent Rank." Lin Ye commented with satisfaction.

This purity was considered top-notch even in his past life. The effect of the Chaos Creation Furnace was indeed extraordinary.

Next was the real Alchemy.

Lin Ye did not start immediately but first adjusted his state. He took an Advanced spirit recovery pill and circulated the "Chaos Scripture" to restore his consumed Divine Power. Three hours of continuous refining, even with the support of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, had consumed nearly half of his Divine Power.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, his state was restored to eighty percent.

"It can begin."

Lin Ye took a deep breath, his eyes becoming focused.

Refining life spring divine fluid requires not just the essence of primordial life stone, but also various auxiliary Materials. Fortunately, before entering the Primal Ancient Mine, Zhao Wuji had made ample preparations, bringing a complete set of Alchemy Materials.

Lin Ye took out eighteen types of auxiliary Materials from his Storage Pouch:

[Material List]

[Main Material: primordial life stone Essence × 12 (one required for each bottle of divine fluid)]

[Auxiliary Materials: Earth Vein Lingzhi (Rank 3) × 3, Heart-Clearing Grass (Rank 2) × 12, Spirit-Condensing Flower (Rank 2) × 9, stardust sand (Rank 1) × 36...]

[Blending Agents: Rootless Water (Spirit Water) × 1 pot, Moon Essence Dew (Rare) × 3 drops]

[Catalyst: Earth Fire Essence (extracted from magma) × 1 wisp]

These Materials were laid out one by one before him.

Lin Ye formed seals with his hands, and the Chaos Creation Furnace condensed once more. This time, however, it was more solid, and the Chaos Qi flowing over the furnace body had almost materialized.

"First step, refine the auxiliary Materials."

He first tossed the Earth Vein Lingzhi into the furnace.

The Chaos Fire ignited within the furnace. It was a flame existing between reality and illusion, possessing both the scorching heat of fire and the inclusiveness of Chaos. The Earth Vein Lingzhi melted rapidly within the flames, its Impurities burned away into green smoke, leaving behind only the purest earth-yellow medicinal liquid.

Next were the Heart-Clearing Grass, Spirit-Condensing Flower, stardust sand...

Each material required different heat levels and timing. Lin Ye was fully focused, his Divine Sense completely merged with the Pill Furnace, precisely controlling every degree of temperature and every second of time.

This was the level of control only a Great Master Alchemist could possess.

The experience accumulated over ten years in his past life was fully displayed at this moment.

Outside the Formation, everyone held their breath and focused.

They could see the various medicinal liquids swirling and merging within the Pill Furnace, smell the medicinal fragrance shifting from faint to rich, and feel the energy fluctuations transitioning from chaotic to orderly.

As a Formation Master, Lu Ming was the most sensitive to energy flow. He was shocked to discover that the precision of Lin Ye's energy control while refining pills was even more terrifying than many old monsters who specialized in Formations. The movement trajectories of the medicinal liquids within the furnace secretly aligned with certain Laws of the Heavenly Dao, as if it were not a person refining pills, but nature itself gestating them.

"What level... exactly is the Leader's Alchemy?" Lu Ming muttered to himself.

Qin Ruoxue also put down the map, watching intently. As an intelligence operative, she had come into contact with the dossiers of many Alchemists, but she had never seen such a fluid and natural Alchemy process. The handling of the Materials, the grasp of timing, and the control of the heat were all impossibly perfect.

"I'm afraid... it's more than Great Master level," she whispered.

Su Qingyue watched Lin Ye's profile quietly. When focused, he shed his usual composure and majesty, replaced by a nearly devout concentration. Sweat slid down his temples, gathering into drops at his jawline, but he remained completely unaware, his entire mind immersed within the Pill Furnace.

She suddenly remembered that in her past life, this man had been the same, refining pills for three days and three nights without sleep or rest to save a severely injured teammate. At that time, she, too, had been standing guard quietly by his side, just as she was now.

A familiar and warm feeling welled up in her heart.

Time continued to pass.

Four hours, five hours...

The Formation had begun to destabilize, the red light on the Formation Flags flickering on and off. Lu Ming hurriedly made adjustments, but the Formation Materials had reached their limit; it could only hold for another half hour at most.

Inside the Pill Furnace, the medicinal liquids had completely merged, forming a fist-sized mass of pale golden liquid. The liquid rolled within the Chaos Fire, with golden specks flashing inside, resembling stars.

"Final step, fuse the primordial life stone essence."

Lin Ye took out a crystal of primordial life stone essence and tossed it into the furnace.

The crystal melted upon contact with the fire, turning into a pure stream of golden light that merged into the mass of medicinal liquid. The color of the liquid deepened instantly, turning from pale gold to pure gold, radiating brilliant light as its life aura surged violently.

The first one was successfully fused.

Lin Ye did not pause; the second, the third...

When the twelfth primordial life stone essence was fused, the medicinal liquid inside the Pill Furnace had turned into a viscous, golden paste, with countless golden specks swirling within, resembling a galaxy. A rich medicinal fragrance permeated the air; just one whiff made one feel their blood energy surging and their Divine Power becoming active.

"Solidify!"

Lin Ye changed his hand seals, and the Chaos Fire abruptly retracted, the temperature shifting from scorching to gentle.

The golden paste inside the Pill Furnace began to divide and solidify, eventually forming twelve golden droplets the size of dragon eyes. Each drop was like the purest amber, with halos of light swirling within, emitting an alluring luster.

[System Prompt: Alchemy Successful!]

[Obtained: life spring divine fluid (Fine) × 12]

[Medicinal Pill Attributes: Each bottle increases Dao Palace Realm cultivation speed by 100%, lasting for 30 days. Upon first consumption, it additionally grants the 'life spring Baptism' effect: Dao Palace Divine Treasury opening progress + 10%, all attributes + 5%.]

[Refining Quality: Excellent (Medicinal Efficacy + 15%)]

[Alchemy Experience Points + 8,500]

[Alchemy Rank Upgraded: Advanced → Great Master!]

[Unlocked New Recipes: primordial life stone Series Medicinal Pills (7 types in total)]

[Unlocked New Ability: Divine Sense Alchemy (Can use Divine Sense to replace certain techniques, improving Alchemy precision)]

Success!

Lin Ye let out a long breath, feeling completely drained.

Six consecutive hours of high-intensity Alchemy consumed even more of his mental energy than a battle. His Divine Power was nearly bottomed out, and he had also consumed two wisps of chaos origin source.

But a smile appeared on his face.

Twelve bottles of life spring divine fluid, all successfully refined, with Excellent quality.

More importantly, his Alchemy had broken through to the Great Master level. This meant that from now on, he could refine higher-level Medicinal Pills and even attempt to refine the legendary "Spirit Pill".

"Lu Ming, dismantle the Formation." Lin Ye's voice was hoarse.

Lu Ming hurriedly dismantled the Formation, and Su Qingyue also retracted her ice-type Spells.

Everyone gathered around, looking at the twelve golden droplets floating in the air, their eyes filled with shock.

Each bottle of life spring divine fluid was contained in a specially made jade bottle. The bottle was transparent, allowing one to clearly see the golden liquid inside. The liquid flowed slowly within the bottle, as if it were alive.

"This is... life spring divine fluid?" Zhao Wuji swallowed hard. "I once saw one bottle at an auction. It was of ordinary quality, yet it sold for the sky-high price of 300,000 Spirit Stones. These twelve bottles..."

"Priceless," Qin Ruoxue added. "It's something that has a price but no market. You simply can't buy it on the market."

Lin Ye reached out, and the twelve bottles of divine fluid flew into his hand.

He did not put them away, but instead opened the first bottle directly and walked over to Shi Potian.

"Help him up."

Holy Light hurriedly helped Shi Potian up, letting him lean against him.

Lin Ye brought the jade bottle to Shi Potian's lips and carefully poured it.

The golden liquid flowed out; it was not like a stream of water, but rather like liquid light. It flowed automatically into Shi Potian's mouth and then turned into countless golden specks, merging into his entire body.

A miracle occurred.

The wounds on Shi Potian's body healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. A slight clicking sound came from the fractures, and the broken bones automatically reconnected. His sunken sternum slowly bulged back to its original state. The dark golden patterns beneath his skin lit up again, but they were no longer in a rampaging, chaotic state, instead flowing stably and in an orderly manner.

Even more astonishingly, his aura began to climb.

The level that had dropped due to his severe injuries and overexertion actually began to recover!

[System Prompt: Shi Potian consumed 'life spring divine fluid', triggering the 'life spring Baptism' effect.]

[Effect: Injuries recovered by 80%, Dao Palace Divine Treasury opening progress + 10%, all attributes + 5%, level recovered to Level 48 (originally Level 47).]

[Additional Effect: Tyrant Body Bloodline purity increased to 45%, unlocked new ability 'Tyrant Body Regeneration' (automatically triggers when severely injured, rapidly recovering injuries).]

Shi Potian slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was first dazed, then quickly became clear. He looked down at his intact body and felt the surging power within his body, a look of disbelief appearing on his face.

"I... am I healed?" He moved his arms. "Not only am I healed, but I seem to have gotten stronger?"

Lin Ye smiled: "The effect of the life spring divine fluid is better than expected. How do you feel now?"

Shi Potian stood up and clenched his fist, creating a crackling sonic boom in the air.

"Good! Better than ever before!" He grinned and laughed. "Boss, this Medicinal Pill of yours is divine!"

Lin Ye nodded, opened the second bottle, and handed it to Holy Light.

"Your staff was destroyed and your level dropped; this bottle of divine fluid should be able to help you recover."

Holy Light gratefully accepted it and drank it in one gulp.

Golden light swirled, and his aura also began to climb. His originally pale complexion became rosy, and his level recovered from Level 46 to Level 47. Although the Holy Light Scepter could not be repaired, at least his level had recovered.

"Thank you, Leader!" Holy Light bowed solemnly.

Lin Ye waved his hand and looked at the others.

"One bottle each, consume it now." He distributed the remaining ten bottles of divine fluid. "Our condition is too poor; we must recover as soon as possible. We still need to find a way out, and we don't know what dangers we might encounter next."

Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, Flame Dance, Lu Ming, Qin Ruoxue, and Zhao Wuji each received one bottle.

Everyone did not decline, knowing that now was not the time to be polite.

Six bottles of divine fluid were consumed simultaneously.

Golden light shone on everyone.

Su Qingyue's Vast Cold Spirit Body resonated with the divine fluid, and moonlight burst forth brilliantly. Her level rose from Level 47 to Level 48, the second stage of her Vast Cold Spirit Body was completely stabilized, and she unlocked the new ability "Moonlight Protection" — can condense a moonlight shield to defend against mental attacks.

Chen Hao's Archer profession was strengthened; his vision, arm strength, and reaction speed were comprehensively improved. His level rose from Level 46 to Level 47, and he unlocked the new skill "Eagle Eye Lock" — can lock onto a target's weakness, ensuring the next attack hits and deals double damage.

Although Flame Dance's staff was destroyed, her fire-type affinity was greatly improved. Her level rose from Level 46 to Level 47, and she unlocked the passive ability "Flame Affinity" — fire-type Spell consumption reduced by 20%, power increased by 15%.

Lu Ming's formation mastery Advanced further. His level rose from Level 46 to Level 47, and he unlocked the new Formation knowledge "Composite Formation Basics" — can set up two different types of Formations simultaneously without them interfering with each other.

Qin Ruoxue's Divine Sense damage was completely recovered under the nourishment of the divine fluid, and even somewhat strengthened. Her level rose from Level 45 to Level 46, and she unlocked the new ability "Intelligence Perception" — can passively perceive the flow of information in the surroundings and automatically filter out valuable intelligence.

Zhao Wuji's change was the most unique — his business talent seemed to have been strengthened as well. His level rose from Level 41 to Level 42, and he unlocked the new ability "Value Assessment" — can intuitively see the market value and potential value of items, with an error margin of no more than 5%.

In just a quarter of an hour, the strength of the entire team had undergone a earth-shaking change.

Not only had their levels generally increased and their injuries completely recovered, but each had also unlocked new abilities.

This was the terrifying aspect of the life spring divine fluid — it was not just a cultivation accelerator, but an all-around enhancer.

"Alright, now it's my turn."

Lin Ye picked up the last bottle of divine fluid, but did not consume it immediately.

He sat down cross-legged again and circulated the Chaos Scripture.

His Dao Palace Fourth Layer cultivation was fully unleashed, and the three Divine Treasuries of the heart, spleen, and lungs resonated simultaneously. The Chaos Divine Power surged within his body like a roaring river.

Only then did he consume the divine fluid.

The golden liquid entered his mouth, turning into a torrent that surged into his limbs and bones.

Lin Ye could feel that this power was gentle yet majestic. It was neither rushed nor impatient, like spring rain nourishing everything, permeating every cell and every meridian.

The first to be nourished were the three Divine Treasuries.

In the Heart Divine Palace (Fire), the mass of Chaos Fire was nourished by the life spring; the flame turned from crimson to golden-red, its temperature higher and its power stronger. The Divine Palace space expanded by thirty percent, capable of storing more Chaos Divine Power.

In the Spleen Divine Palace (Earth), the Chaos Earth became thicker and more solid, as if it were about to evolve into real mountains and land. His earth-type affinity was greatly improved, and his sensing of the earth veins became clearer.

In the Lung Divine Palace (Gold), the Chaos Gold was sharp and piercing, with an imposing sharpness. Lin Ye even felt that his breathing took on a metallic texture; with every breath, there was Sword Qi circulating within his lungs and bowels.

The three Divine Treasuries were strengthened, and the power of the life spring divine fluid began to impact the fourth Divine Treasury — the Liver Divine Palace (Wood).

The liver belongs to Wood and governs vitality, making it the most compatible with the attributes of the life spring divine fluid.

Golden energy gathered at the liver, beginning to open up the Divine Palace space.

This process was supposed to be long and arduous, requiring vast Wood-element resources and long periods of bitter cultivation. However, driven by the life spring divine fluid, the progress was shockingly fast.

30%... 50%... 70%...

Lin Ye could clearly feel a brand new Divine Palace forming.

It was a space full of vitality, with green Chaos Qi flowing inside, nurturing infinite life force. Once the Liver Divine Palace was opened, his recovery ability would increase several times over, and his resistance to negative states like toxins and curses would also be greatly enhanced.

More importantly, he had already obtained four of the Five Elements Divine Treasuries (Heart Fire, Spleen Earth, Lung Metal, Liver Wood), with only Kidney Water remaining. Once the Five Elements were complete, the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body would welcome its first Minor Achievement, unlocking even more powerful abilities.

80%!

The opening progress of the Liver Divine Palace ultimately stopped at 80%.

It wasn't that he couldn't continue, but that Lin Ye had voluntarily stopped.

Cultivation in the Dao Palace Realm emphasizes gradual progress and a solid Foundation. Opening too much at once could easily lead to an unstable Divine Palace, affecting future potential. 80% progress was sufficient; for the remaining 20%, he needed to slowly polish it over time to make the Divine Palace more perfect.

[System Prompt: Consumed 'life spring divine fluid', Dao Palace Second Layer (Liver Divine Palace) opening progress: 30% → 80%.]

[All Attributes +15%, Life Recovery Speed +200%, Toxin Resistance +100%.]

[Level: 48 → 49 (Dao Palace Fourth Layer Peak).]

[Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body Development: 12% → 15%.]

Lin Ye opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance passing through them.

He felt the surging power within his body, at least 30% stronger than before. Furthermore, it wasn't just an increase in quantity, but a leap in quality. With three Divine Treasuries strengthened and the fourth Divine Palace initially opened, another part of the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body's potential had been released.

"Congratulations on your Breakthrough, Leader!" the group congratulated him in unison.

They could all feel the change in Lin Ye's aura; that unfathomable feeling had become even more obvious.

Lin Ye stood up and stretched his body, his joints popping with a crackling sound.

"Now, we should consider how to leave." He looked at Qin Ruoxue, "Pavilion Master Qin, have you found the route?"

Qin Ruoxue nodded and unfolded the map: "According to the miner's log records and my calculations, we are currently located in the southern part of the second layer of the Ancient Mine. There are two ways to leave."

She pointed to the map: "The first is to return the way we came. But the mining tunnel we used to arrive has collapsed, and we might encounter other dangers."

"The second way is to continue forward." Her finger moved on the map, "That hole beneath the Scorpion King's lair might lead to deeper areas, or it might have an exit. But that is an unknown area with extreme risks."

"The third way," Qin Ruoxue pointed to the exit on the other side of the lava lake, "That exit, judging by the energy flow, should lead to somewhere in the first layer of the Ancient Mine. It is closer to the surface and relatively safer."

"But the problem is," she paused, "that exit is on the other side of the lava lake. We need to cross the lava lake."

The group looked at the lava lake, which was fifty zhang in diameter.

Dark red lava flowed slowly, and the temperature was so high that even the air was distorting. Occasionally, bubbles would burst, spewing out scorching hot air currents. The temperature in the center of the lake was even higher, enough to melt refined iron instantly.

"Cross it?" Zhao Wuji's face turned pale, "How are we supposed to cross this? Swim across? We'd turn to ash in an instant!"

"Of course we can't swim." Lin Ye observed the lake surface, "But we can create a path."

He looked at Su Qingyue: "Qingyue, what is the current level of your Ice-type Spells?"

Su Qingyue estimated: "After consuming the life spring divine fluid, the second stage of my Vast Cold Spirit Body is stable, and the power of my Ice-type Spells has increased by 30%. If I use my full power... I should be able to freeze the surface of the lava for ten breaths of time."

"Ten breaths, that's enough." Lin Ye calculated, "For a distance of fifty zhang, if we sprint at full speed, we can cross in ten breaths."

"But after ten breaths, the ice layer will melt. What about the people behind?" Chen Hao asked.

"Not everyone needs to wait for the ice to melt." Lin Ye already had a plan, "Qingyue and I will go first, and she will continue to cast Spells on the other side to maintain the ice layer. The others will pass in batches, with no more than three people per batch, at intervals of three breaths."

He looked at the group: "This is the safest method. Does anyone have a better suggestion?"

After a moment of silence, no one objected.

"Then it's settled." Lin Ye made the final decision, "Rest for half an hour, recover to our best state, and then cross the lake."

Half an hour passed quickly.

The team lined up by the edge of the lava lake.

Lin Ye and Su Qingyue stood at the very front, while the others were divided into three batches according to the plan: the first batch was Chen Hao and Shi Potian; the second batch was Flame Dance and Holy Light; the third batch was Lu Ming, Qin Ruoxue, and Zhao Wuji.

"Are you ready?" Lin Ye asked Su Qingyue.

Su Qingyue nodded, holding her ice jade staff in her hand, with moon radiance flowing at the top of the staff.

"Start!"

Su Qingyue raised her staff high, and cold energy erupted with full force.

"Thousand Mile Ice Seal!"

An ice-blue beam of light shot toward the lake surface. Wherever it passed, the scorching lava rapidly cooled and solidified, with a thick layer of black hard shell forming on the surface. The hard shell started from the shore and extended to the opposite bank, forming an ice path three zhang wide.

As the ice path formed, Lin Ye and Su Qingyue had already charged onto it.

A cracking sound came from beneath their feet—the ice layer was constantly melting under the high temperature of the lava, but it was also being constantly replenished by Su Qingyue's cold energy. The two were extremely fast, reaching the center of the lake in three breaths.

The opposite bank was getting closer and closer.

Seven breaths, eight breaths...

Just as they were about to reach the opposite bank, a sudden change occurred.

A huge wave suddenly rose in the center of the lava lake!

It wasn't a natural flow, but something rushing out from the bottom of the lake.

One, two, three... a full nine Lava Worms broke through the surface of the lake! Each of those worms was as thick as a water bucket and three zhang long, their bodies entirely made of solidified lava, with nothing but a giant mouth filled with sharp teeth at their heads.

[Name: Lava Worm (Elite)] [Level: 52-55] [Type: Elemental Creature/Fire-type] [Traits: 1. Lava Body (Immune to most physical attacks, Fire-type Spell resistance +90%); 2. High-Temperature Corrosion (Attacks carry a corrosive effect, continuously reducing target's defense); 3. Split Regeneration (Can split into two small Lava Worms after receiving fatal damage)]

The nine Lava Worms blocked the front of the ice path, opening their mouthparts and spewing out scorching streams of molten lava!

"Watch out!" Lin Ye shouted urgently, and his Chaos Domain expanded instantly.

Gray mist shrouded the area ahead, suppressing the speed and temperature of the molten lava streams. But there were too many Lava Worms, and the nine streams of molten lava converged into a torrent, blasting onto the ice path.

Crack! The ice layer shattered, creating a large hole.

"Qingyue, reinforce the ice layer! I'll deal with them!"

Lin Ye did not retreat but Advanced instead, charging toward the group of Lava Worms. Chaos Divine Power condensed in his hand into a gray longsword, with Chaos Qi flowing along the blade. He slashed at the Lava Worm in the front, and where the Sword Qi passed, the Lava Worm was split down the middle. But the split Lava Worm did not die; instead, it transformed into two smaller Lava Worms and continued to attack.

"Troublesome." Lin Ye frowned. Physical attacks were ineffective, and they had 90% fire resistance; he could only use Spells of other attributes.

"Chaos Soul Suppressing Seal!"

He formed a seal with his left hand, and the Chaos Power transformed into a Soul-suppressing halo that expanded. The halo swept over the Lava Worms; although those elemental creatures had no Souls, the elemental will that constituted their bodies was forcibly erased by the Chaos Power.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Three Lava Worms collapsed instantly, turning into lava and falling back into the lake. The other six were also heavily damaged, their movements sluggish.

"Go!" Lin Ye pulled Su Qingyue and rushed toward the opposite bank.

The ten breaths of time were up, and the ice layer began to melt on a large scale. But the two had already reached the edge of the opposite bank.

Su Qingyue stood firm on the opposite bank and immediately turned around to cast Spells, outputting her Ice-type Divine Power at full force to maintain the ice path so it wouldn't completely collapse.

"First batch, go!" Lin Ye shouted.

Chen Hao and Shi Potian rushed onto the ice path. The two were extremely fast, reaching the center of the lake in three breaths. The remaining Lava Worms tried to block them but were defeated one by one by Lin Ye's Chaos Sword Qi. In six breaths, Chen Hao and Shi Potian arrived at the opposite bank.

"Second batch!"

Flame Dance and Holy Light rushed onto the ice path. This time it was smoother; the Lava Worms had already been mostly cleared, and the two passed in seven breaths.

"Third batch!"

Lu Ming, Qin Ruoxue, and Zhao Wuji were the last to set off.

But just at this moment, a strange movement came from the bottom of the lake again.

This time, it wasn't the Lava Worms. Instead, it was a pair of huge, dark golden eyes slowly opening at the bottom of the lake.

Those eyes were cold and majestic, carrying the pressure of the Dragon Clan.

Earth Dragon Scorpion King... no, it was another, even more massive existence!

[Warning: High-order Dragon Blood creature detected waking up!] [Name: Earth Dragon Mother Scorpion (Leader)] [Level: ??? (Estimated: 65+)] [Type: Yao Beast/Dragon Blood creature (Pure)] [Status: Waking up...]

"Hurry!" Lin Ye's expression changed drastically.

Lu Ming and the other two also felt that terrifying pressure and sprinted with all their might.

Nine breaths, ten breaths...

Just at the instant before the ice layer completely collapsed, the three of them finally rushed to the opposite bank.

Boom! The ice path completely melted, and the lava lake returned to its original state. In the center of the lake, a massive shadow was slowly rising, its volume twice as large as the previous Earth Dragon Scorpion King.

"Go! Leave this place!" Lin Ye did not hesitate, turned around, and rushed toward the exit.

The team ran wildly along the mining tunnel, not daring to look back.

Behind them, the roar of the Earth Dragon Mother Scorpion came, shaking the entire mining tunnel. But that sound was getting further and further away—it seemed not to be chasing them, or... it was restricted to the lava lake by something.

After sprinting for half an hour, until they could no longer hear any movement behind them, the team finally dared to stop.

Their location was an upward-sloping mining tunnel, quite steep, but they could see light at the end—not the red light of lava, nor the soft light of crystals, but... daylight?

"Is that... the exit?" Zhao Wuji asked while panting.

Lin Ye expanded his Divine Sense to investigate. At the end of the mining tunnel, it was indeed an exit. Outside was... a forest? And he could see the sky; although it was dark, it was indeed the sky of the outside world.

"We made it out." Lin Ye let out a sigh of relief, "This should be a hidden exit on the outskirts of the Ancient Mine."

Smiles finally appeared on the weary faces of the group. Having experienced life and death, they had finally left that hellish place.

But in Lin Ye's heart, there was a trace of unease.

He looked back in the direction they had come from; in the darkness, he could seemingly still feel that terrifying Dragon pressure.

Earth Dragon Mother Scorpion... a pure Dragon Blood creature... what on earth was it guarding? And that hole, the stone tablet, the fragments of the Primordial Alliance...

They had only uncovered the tip of the iceberg of the Primal Ancient Mine's secrets.

And deeper inside, there were more unknowns waiting.

Lin Ye clenched his fists.

Next time, when they were stronger, they must return. But for now, they should leave with their harvest.

The team moved up along the mining tunnel, walking toward the bright exit.

Behind them, the darkness of the Ancient Mine gradually faded away.

But those secrets, those unsolved mysteries, were buried like seeds in everyone's hearts. Someday, they would take root and sprout, leading them toward a more magnificent future.