I Pick Up Talents on the Interstellar Battlefield

Chapter 396: Chapter 348: Magma Sea, Dushi Fragment 2

At the very center of this sea of lava lies a gigantic lava lake, stretching nearly a hundred miles across. The surface resembles molten gold, with massive waves crashing against the black stone walls, sending lava splashing dozens of feet high, raining down a fiery storm.

Occasionally, giant shadows glide across the lake bed, followed by hideous demons emerging from the lava—some with crocodile-like jaws, some with spiraling bone spikes on their backs, and others like massive worms engulfed in flames, stirring enormous waves on the lake surface.

These are high-tier demons of Tier Five and Tier Six, yet they seem so insignificant here.

And in the deepest part of that lava lake, there is a presence comparable to, if not even more domineering than the Black Flame Lord’s, resembling an ancient giant beast in slumber, silently commanding the entire sea of lava to submit.

"The aura of the Tier Seven Magma Demon King..." Qin Tian held his breath, his spiritual sense slowly unfolding, "Is the fire elemental treasure at the bottom of this lake?"

"Yes." Blaze’s voice carried a tinge of barely detectable excitement, "Right below."

Qin Tian gazed at the roiling lava lake, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath, and the scales on his body suddenly surged, the crimson color rapidly fading into an inky black texture. The black flames within the seams became more condensed than before, and even the ghostly fire in his eye sockets turned a dark gold.

In just a moment, he transformed into a demon indistinguishable from the Black Flame Lord, only slightly slender in build—this was his most convincing disguise.

As he leaped into the lava lake, the scorching waves immediately swallowed him.

Unlike the crimson fire of Flame Mountain, the lava here was as thick as molten metal, laced with sulfur and fierce energy, seeping into the gaps of his scales. Fortunately, with the Soul Devouring Flame protecting him, he held no fear, simulating the Black Flame Lord’s aura as he slowly sank towards the lake bed.

Just under a hundred meters deep, a Tier Five Magma Beast with crocodile jaws swam past from the rear side, its toothy mouth opening and closing, releasing bubbles.

Catching sight of Qin Tian’s figure, its golden pupils abruptly contracted, and it fled like a startled school of fish, without the courage to approach.

As he continued downward, the lava’s color deepened, changing from golden red to dark brown.

A Tier Six Flame Demon with spiral bone spikes on its back lay sleeping on a piece of obsidian. When Qin Tian swam by, it suddenly awoke, growing alert at the sight of the black flames surrounding him, baring its teeth and growling lowly.

Qin Tian ignored it, continuing to sink downward.

The lava at the deepest point had almost solidified, as viscous as black syrup.

Qin Tian could sense something enormous slumbering further below; the domineering presence denser than the Black Flame Lord’s, sending minuscule ripples through the lava with each breath—surely the Tier Seven Magma Demon King.

Holding his breath, he edged along the stone wall, patiently diving deeper. Just as he was about to reach the lake bed, the lava beneath suddenly thinned, as if he had fallen into an invisible passageway.

The sensation of weightlessness lasted only a moment before the scene before him opened up dramatically.

An underground lava cave lay revealed.

Without the lake’s fury, the heat underground was even more startling. The lava streams coursing through the rocky walls pulsed like golden veins.

Countless lava stalactites hung from the cave ceiling; what dripped from their tips wasn’t water, but scalding oil that, upon hitting the ground, ignited into ghostly blue flames, illuminating the cave as if it were daylight.

More alarming was the demonic aura here—denser than at the center of Flame Mountain, almost liquid in its thickness, flowing down the rock face cracks, collecting in pools of black on the ground. Evidently, this was another Demon Source location.

Qin Tian released his spiritual sense; the lake’s heat somewhat impaired his heat source perception, but fortunately, he could still use the magnetic field to determine the demons’ number and location.

The demons within the underground cave were far more numerous than in the upper lava lake, yet surprisingly, the Tier Seven Magma Demon King was not in the Demon Source center.

Qin Tian immediately reined in his presence, a subtle glow enveloping him, merging his form seamlessly into the shadows, entering a state of invisibility and breath suppression.

His toes lightly touched the scorching rock wall, making virtually no sound as he quietly approached the Magma Demon King’s location.

The heat grew ever more oppressive, the lava seeping from the rock face flowed through grooves, weaving a golden fire net on the ground.

Many demons were encountered along the way, but none sensed his presence.

Rounding a bend, the space suddenly broadened before him.

A creature the size of a small mountain came into view—it was the Tier Seven Magma Demon King.

It lay crouched at the very deepest point of the cave floor, its body clad in layers of ash-gray armor plates, each segment like solidified lava, etched with grooves and flowing with a dark red sheen, occasionally sputtering sparks from its crevices, lighting small patches of ghostly fire on the ground.

Its head was nestled between its forelimbs, breathing long and heavy, each inhalation stirring the flames and air currents within the cave, and as it exhaled, billowing out blistering white mist laced with sulfur, the very air around it warped slightly.

Beside the Magma Demon King stood an abrupt, towering black platform. Scalding lava washed over the grooves along the platform walls, hissing persistently yet never flooding the surface.

At the center of the platform stood a lone black-red stone, steadfast under the relentless lava flow.

Qin Tian’s gaze was instantly drawn to this stone.

He keenly felt the continuous convergence of the cave’s fire and earth energies towards the stone—the lava currents from the rock walls, the heat surging up from the depths, even the sulfur scent in the air, all channeled as invisible threads into it.

Simultaneously, the stone’s top released threads of orange vapors, light as molten gold, exuding a blend of warmth and weight, drifting towards the slumbering Magma Demon King.

The demon king’s nostrils twitched slightly, inhaling those orange vapors, further deepening the intensity of its aura.

That aura fused the fierce heat of fire with the solid steadiness of earth, two disparate forces perfecting a chilling harmony within its body.

"It’s it." Qin Tian felt a stir within, his gaze locking tight on the black-red stone.

The energy fluctuations it emitted far exceeded expectations; no wonder the Tier Seven Magma Demon King remained to guard it outside the Demon Source’s core—this was no ordinary fire element treasure but more akin to a core, fusing fire and earth essence, with each energy cycle stirring the cave’s entire aura.

"Eh, I think I’ve seen this kind of stone before."

Blaze’s voice, slightly surprised, suddenly echoed in Qin Tian’s mind.

"You’ve seen it?" Qin Tian’s heart tightened; he asked softly.

"But it can’t be... How did it end up here in this form?" Blaze’s voice was full of bewilderment, as if faced with something incomprehensible.

"Stop beating around the bush, what exactly is it?"

Blaze was silent for a moment, then finally spoke: "It’s called the Singular Stone. Six hundred years ago, during the Void invasion of the Central Star Realm, the Human Empire used a city-sized Singular Stone to block the Void Passage. It should have been only one piece this whole time, so it’s unexpected to see it here; this appears to be a fragment."

Singular Stone! Void invasion!

Qin Tian’s gaze tightened. He had read historical accounts of that battle in military archives—its severity was among the Empire’s top five wars, with dozens of Tier Eight and Nine powerhouses falling.

And given that the Singular Stone could seal the Void Passage by itself, its contained primal energy was imaginable.

Thus, it’s understandable why such a fragment would be deemed a treasure by the Tier Seven Magma Demon King.

The orange vapors it emitted after absorbing fire and earth energies were undoubtedly a supreme treasure for refining primal essence, enough to drive high-tier demons to madness.

"Be careful, the Singular Stone seems to have awakened a consciousness; taking it won’t be simple," Blaze reminded.

"Yes, I sensed it too."

Qin Tian’s gaze was profound; regardless, he must take this Singular Stone, and he intended to use it as a catalyst—

Drive the wolves to devour the tiger!

To best destroy both Demon Source sites completely.