Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 3084: The Fall

"Let me start!!"

Soltz battlefield domain flared to life around them, golden-brown cosmic energy spreading outward and carrying the profound power of the Earth Law. The heavy pressure around them immediately eased as his domain pushed back against the force, allowing the two of them to continue their descent.

They passed the hundred-meter mark.

Then two hundred.

By the halfway point, the effect of Soltz’s domain had weakened considerably. The golden-brown energy around them flickered beneath the overwhelming pressure, struggling to maintain its shape as the force from below continued to increase.

The true weight of the abyss crashed down upon them.

It felt as though an entire mountain had suddenly dropped onto their chests. Emery’s muscles tightened instinctively, his body straining against the immense pressure as every movement became significantly harder.

His expression changed as realization struck him.

"This isn’t just natural Earth energy."

He looked deeper into the abyss, where the molten lava was still several hundred meters below.

"It’s gravity."

The realization explained everything. The deeper they went, the stronger the gravitational force became, turning the descent into a test of physical strength as much as cultivation.

No wonder Soltz had insisted on bringing him along.

Without hesitation, Emery unfolded his own battlefield domain.

Spatial energy surged outward, and the space around his body began to distort. Rather than trying to resist the crushing gravity directly, Emery used his Mastery of space to bend the surrounding spatial structure, subtly twisting the direction of the gravitational force and creating a narrow path through the pressure.

The effect was immediate.

Their descent resumed.

Three hundred meters down, Soltz suddenly let out a delighted laugh despite the enormous pressure weighing on his body.

"Wonderful! This is farther than I managed last time!"

They pushed on another few dozen meters, their combined domains gradually beginning to work in harmony as Emery’s spatial energy bent the crushing force around their bodies while Soltz’s Earth Law stabilized the surrounding pressure, allowing them to carve their way deeper into the abyss than either could have managed alone.

At last, the burning lava came into view, waves of scorching heat distorting the air above the surface. Beneath the shifting flames, the crystal’s golden glow flickered faintly, almost as if it were a tiny sun buried within the depths of the earth.

Yet several meters short of the four-hundred-and fifty meter mark, they suddenly stopped as though they had collided with an invisible wall.

"You can’t push further?" Soltz’s disappointment was immediate. "Come on, I thought you were better than this."

Emery frowned but didn’t respond. He drew a slow breath while maintaining his own domain against the crushing pressure, then activated his Mark of Divinity.

The abyss immediately changed before his eyes as thousands upon thousands of faint spirit threads emerged from the surroundings, weaving together into an intricate pattern that had been completely hidden beneath the overwhelming pressure. Emery’s gaze followed the countless strands, tracing their connections until he finally recognized the structure.

"There’s a formation array here," he said quietly.

"Really?" Soltz’s eyes brightened slightly. "Well, what are you waiting for? Break it."

Emery gave the old man a brief glance before ignoring him and focusing on the formation.

He carefully followed the flow of energy with his Mark of Divinity, examining one restriction after another while slowly piecing together the purpose of the entire structure. Minutes turned into half an hour, while Soltz shifted impatiently beside him and occasionally let out an exaggerated sigh.

"How much longer?"

Emery continued studying the formation without answering.

Then his expression immediately turned serious.

The array wasn’t there to keep intruders out.

It was there to keep the Earth flame contained.

The formation acted as an enormous seal, holding back the violatile pressure while simultaneously stabilizing the burning crystal. Without it, the immense energy accumulated beneath the hold could erupt violently and potentially engulfing the entire Kharzun Hold in flames.

Emery’s eyes narrowed as he considered the implications. If he simply destroyed the formation, the consequences would fatal.

"This is more troublesome than I expected," Emery finally said.

He steadied his breathing and forced his attention back toward the formation.

He couldn’t afford to make a mistake here.

With his Mark of Divinity still active, he continued tracing the countless restrictions and studying how the formation distributed the immense energy of the earth core throughout the surrounding mountain. Minutes passed as he carefully examined every possible weakness.

Eventually, a plan began to take shape.

He didn’t need to destroy the formation at all. In fact, doing so would be far too dangerous.

Instead, he could crack a small section of it, creating just enough of an opening to reach the crystal. Then, using his divine sense, he could extend his power through the gap, sever the spiritual vine rooted beneath the crystal, and snatch it away before the breach had enough time to widen.

It was risky, but it was also controlled. Even if something went wrong, the small crack should not be enough to completely destabilize the formation or release the full power of the Earth Core beneath the settlement.

Emery studied the formation one final time, carefully tracing the flow of energy through every restriction and making sure he had accounted for how the array would react when the seal was damaged. Only after he was certain of the plan did he slowly raise his hand toward the nearest restriction.

"All right, get ready!"

Soltz immediately looked over, his expression confused.

"What? Ready for what?"

Before the old man could get an answer,

Excalibur solidified on Emery’s grip, the divine blade appearing through a flash of energy. Emery adjusted his stance, focusing all his strength into a single point.

Then he struck.

The blade pierced directly into the restriction he had identified.

CRACK!

The sound echoed through the depths.

The instant the restriction gave way, the entire cavern trembled violently. The carefully balanced formation suddenly shuddered, and a terrifying pressure exploded outward from the damaged section. The molten lake below responded almost immediately, its surface collapsing inward before surging violently upward.