126: Fire Demon's Lair

Wang Wu's expression turned serious as he took out a crude beast-hide map from his In arms and pointed to a marked location, saying, "My Lord, the entrance to that lava cave is very hidden, concealed behind an inconspicuous crack in the rock wall."

"We only discovered it by chance while tracking an injured Flame Pangolin."

"The cave's interior is quite spacious. The further in you go, the higher the temperature and the richer the fire element energy."

"The Fire Crystal Stone Vein is distributed on the rock walls in the middle section of the cave. Preliminary exploration indicates that the exposed Ore body is at least a hundred meters long and quite thick. It should be a medium-sized, or possibly even a large, Fire Crystal Stone Vein!"

Mo Yan was also delighted to hear this.

If it was truly a medium-sized or larger vein, the output would definitely be astonishing.

"Are there any dangers in the cave?"

Wang Wu's excitement didn't wane, but his expression grew a bit more serious: "We encountered some first-tier Fire Lizards near the entrance, as well as a few first-tier Pyro-rock Beetles, all of which we cleared out."

"Deeper inside... because the temperature was too high, and we were worried about more powerful exotic beasts, we didn't dare to explore too deeply."

"Later, we returned to the stronghold to tell Commander Bai about this discovery. She took Gun Gun there and found a group of Elite Fire Demons inside. We suspect it's a Flame Demon Leader's nest."

Wang Wu's expression suddenly became strange: "Also, Gun Gun was quite interested in those fire crystal stones at first. He gnawed on them a couple of times, then said they were too hot for his mouth and not as tasty as obsidian, so he ran off to grind his teeth on the nearby rock wall."

Mo Yan's mouth twitched.

This little guy is really picky.

The quality of fire crystal stone is a level lower than obsidian, so it's normal for it not to like it.

"You continue to explore other areas and draw a map. If you find anything, remember to come back and tell me."

"Yes, My Lord!" Wang Wu acknowledged the order, bowed, and retreated.

After Wang Wu left, Mo Yan paced a few steps in the council hall. The discovery of a new Fire Crystal Stone Vein in the Volcanic Region was undoubtedly a huge surprise.

However, exploiting a new vein also meant dispersing military strength, and risks coexisted.

"I need to re-plan today's situation. Before that, I'll go to the volcano to check on Gun Gun and Bai Lingyue's situation."

Mo Yan walked to the central square of the territory.

That dark blue teleportation altar still emitted mysterious spatial energy fluctuations, and the vortex slowly rotated.

He stepped into it.

A slight sensation of dizziness washed over him, but for his current Physique, it was almost negligible.

The scene before him rapidly changed, and when his vision cleared again, it was already a different world.

It was no longer the familiar buildings within the territory, but a vast expanse of scorched earth.

A simple camp had been built next to the altar and was already taking shape.

Dozens of territory Soldiers, armed with long spears, patrolled and stood guard around the camp.

Some temporarily erected tents and wooden shelters were scattered about.

He could also see some people dressed as territory residents, working diligently and sweating profusely.

Some were reinforcing the camp, while others were transporting various supplies.

The entire camp appeared orderly and full of vigor.

Mo Yan walked up the passage he had come down yesterday. The passage had been simply reinforced and widened a bit to facilitate passage.

Temporary tents were also set up in this cave.

On the other side, he found Gun Gun lie on the Ore vein, its small mouth wide open, munching away with great relish.

Its round belly had grown another circle, and it occasionally let out a satisfied burp, black stone chips clinging to the corners of its mouth.

Bai Lingyue, in a simple white dress, was particularly striking in the dim mine.

She stood on a protruding rock, calmly directing several Soldiers to transport the excavated Ore.

As if sensing something, her clear, cold gaze shifted and landed on Mo Yan, who was walking up from the passage.

"My Lord!"

A faint smile touched Bai Lingyue's lips, and she instantly appeared before Mo Yan.

"Hmm, how are things here?" Mo Yan's gaze swept over the busy and orderly mining area.

It was clear that Bai Lingyue managed everything here meticulously.

Bai Lingyue's voice was soft: "Everything is going smoothly."

"The outpost stronghold has been largely stabilized, and the excavation of the obsidian vein is on track. The first batch of Ore has already begun to be transported to the territory."

She pointed to Gun Gun, who was engrossed in eating.

"With Gun Gun here to keep things in order, no ignorant exotic beasts have dared to harass us so far."

"The remnants of those Molten Stone Men and Pyro-rock Beetles tried to approach last night, but Gun Gun took care of them with a few swings of his club."

Mo Yan looked at Gun Gun and indeed found that the little guy's aura was much more substantial than before.

The System's prompt sounded again in his mind at the opportune moment.

"This guy really treats this place like an all-you-can-eat buffet."

He shook his head with a chuckle.

Bai Lingyue covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sparkling with a hint of playfulness as she looked at Mo Yan.

She leaned forward, her silver-like long hair sliding from her shoulder, and her voice carried a hint of complaint: "My Lord, as soon as you arrive, you only care about Gun Gun. What about your subordinate?"

Mo Yan looked at her like this, accustomed to it.

"You've done very well, even better than I expected."

"If not for you overseeing, the development of this Volcanic Area would not have been so smooth."

Upon hearing this, the hint of complaint on Bai Lingyue's face instantly vanished, replaced by a charming smile.

She gently tossed her hair, straightened up, and her tone returned to its usual coolness: "That's natural."

"My Lord, rest assured, with your subordinate here, this place is the safest."

Mo Yan's expression became serious: "Wang Wu said that you discovered a group of Elite Fire Demons in the Fire Crystal Stone Vein. What are the specific details? Have you thoroughly investigated the strength of those Fire Demons and the defensive forces of the vein?"

Bai Lingyue's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she recalled:

"That lava cave is more complex than we imagined. Deep within the vein, there is a group of Elite Fire Demons, numbering between thirty and fifty."

"The leader is a first-tier Flame Demon Leader, and the rest are all Elite Fire Demons."

Mo Yan frowned upon hearing this: "A Flame Demon Leader, plus dozens of Elite Fire Demons..."

"This force will not be easy to deal with."

He looked at Bai Lingyue: "With your and Gun Gun's strength, are you confident in dealing with them?"

Bai Lingyue smiled confidently, licked her crimson lips, and her eyes sparkled with eagerness.

"My Lord, rest assured, if it's just dealing with those Fire Demons, with your subordinate and Gun Gun working together, plus the Soldiers' assistance, it shouldn't be a big problem."

"Gun Gun is thick-skinned and tough now, more than enough to directly contain the Flame Demon Leader."

"It's just..." She showed a troubled expression.

"The temperature inside that lava cave is extremely high, and ordinary Soldiers simply cannot stay there for long."

"Even I would be affected by prolonged combat."

"If we were to force an attack, I'm afraid there would be some casualties, and the mining work would become very difficult."

Mo Yan pondered for a moment.

What Bai Lingyue said was indeed a crucial issue.

A direct assault not only carried risks, but subsequent mining would also be a major problem.

"You mean, you don't recommend a direct assault?"