Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 3086: Devour

This was the combined power of Khaos and the Elysian Tree, controlled through the Dao of Heaven and Earth.

"Devour!"

The response was immediate.

The Elysian Vines began absorbing everything around them.

Flames that touched their surfaces were drawn inward, while the immense pressure surrounding them was gradually consumed and converted into energy. For the first few moments, it seemed as though the vines had finally found a way to withstand the environment.

Then their leaves began to burn.

Flickering tongues of flame appeared across the vines as their surfaces blistered and blackened beneath the unbearable heat. Several strands shriveled and broke apart entirely, unable to withstand the temperature of the molten lake.

But before they could disappear, something changed within Emery’s Elysian Tree.

A refreshing energy suddenly flowed through the connection, carrying the vitality of spring itself. The damaged vines began regenerating almost immediately, new green shoots growing from the burned sections as quickly as the old ones were destroyed.

One wave of heat burned them.

Another surge of natural energy brought them back.

Again and again, the cycle repeated.

The vines continued their devouring.

Emery remained completely focused, pouring his energy through the connection while the overwhelming power being absorbed by the Elysian Vines flowed back into his domain.

Immense amounts of heat, gravity, and natural energy were constantly passing through him, forcing his body and soul to process a torrent of power while he maintained control over the vines.

Seeing this, Soltz could only grit his teeth as another violent surge of pressure slammed into his stone barriers.

"What are you doing?! I can’t hold much longer!"

Emery didn’t even look back.

"Don’t stop! Hold on!"

Unlike Emery, whose body had been repeatedly tempered, Soltz had no such advantage. The immense pressure was already reaching his bones, making every breath painful and every movement feel as though his entire body was being crushed from within.

"Just hold a little longer!" Emery shouted.

"How long is a little?!"

"Not long!"

Soltz’s teeth clenched.

"You damn #$&#!"

Several more minutes passed.

Soltz was already reaching the limit of what he could endure, and he was preparing to abandon the barrier entirely when something suddenly changed.

The pressure eased.

Only slightly.

But after enduring the crushing force for so long, even the smallest reduction was immediately noticeable.

Soltz’s eyes widened.

"How is this possible?"

He looked toward the molten lake and finally understood what Emery had been doing.

Rather than trying to directly snatch the crystal from the depths, Emery was slowly weakening it through the Elysian Vines’ devouring ability. The vines were consuming the energy surrounding the crystal and, more importantly, gradually draining the immense power flowing through its spiritual roots.

It was a much slower method, but it avoided the impossible task of reaching the crystal through the full force of the earth core.

And the entire plan was only possible because of the Elysian Tree.

Every time the extreme heat destroyed the vines, the Tree regenerated them with its potent natural energy, allowing them to continue devouring without being completely destroyed. At the same time, the energy being absorbed flowed back through the connection and continuously refreshed Emery’s own body.

His exhausted muscles began recovering, while warm and potent natural energy spread through his flesh and soul, gradually easing the strain caused by the crushing pressure.

Then a familiar series of notifications appeared before his eyes.

[Your comprehension in Law of Nature has increased]

[Your comprehension in Law of Gravity has increased]

[Your soul has grown stronger]

Time passed slowly, with one hour becoming another as Emery continued the exhausting process. The Elysian Vines remained wrapped around the crystal’s surroundings, constantly devouring.

Outside the forge, Bragnir and the three dwarven masters had begun to grow increasingly anxious.

"What happened?" one of the masters asked, glancing toward the sealed entrance. "Why has it taken them so long?"

Another dwarf frowned. "Could they have died down there?"

Bragnir’s expression turned solemn as he focused his senses toward the depths of the mountain. He paused, his brows furrowing as he sensed the changing energy beneath them.

No... The Earth Core Flame is slowly weakening."

The process took far longer than Emery had initially expected.

Twenty hours passed before he finally decided that the crystal had been weakened enough to make his move.

By then, the crushing pressure surrounding him had fallen to roughly half of what it had been when he first cracked the formation. The difference was enormous. What had once been strong enough to threaten even his refined physique was now barely manageable, and for the first time, Emery could feel that his Elysian Vines might actually be capable of reaching the crystal.

He gathered his remaining concentration and sent them forward.

The vines pushed through the molten lake, enduring the intense heat as their tendrils stretched toward the golden crystal. This time, they weren’t forced backward.

Slowly, they closed the remaining distance.

Soon, dark-green tendrils had wrapped around it, carefully holding the precious object in place while Emery maintained his connection through the Elysian Tree.

Then Emery began severing its connection.

One ancient spiritual root snapped.

Then another.

With every connection that broke, the crystal became slightly more unstable, until finally, the last root gave way.

The crystal came loose.

It drifted freely through the churning lava, surrounded by the Elysian Vines.

Then the entire cavern changed.

The crushing weight that had filled the abyss began to disappear, slowly at first and then all at once. The immense gravitational pressure collapsed inward as the crystal’s connection to the mountain was severed, leaving behind only the intense heat of the molten lake.

Emery carefully retracted the vines, drawing them back through the lava while keeping the crystal safely cradled between their blackened tendrils.

And there it was.

The Earth Core Flame rested at his palm, still glowing with that deep, earthen-gold light.

It didn’t feel like fire at all.

It felt like he was holding a piece of the mountain itself—dense, ancient, and impossibly heavy despite its small size.

Emery stared at it for another moment before a tired smile appeared on his face.

"...Got it,"