Chapter 43: The Second Level of the Fragrant Flower Cave Residence

Boiling magma surged and churned, continuously gushing from the gap at the summit of the mountain, yet not a single drop splashed onto the two celestial beasts. Surrounded by brilliant radiances, the gray rock lava turned into blue smoke and dissipated a few feet away from their bodies. My arrival did not attract the attention of the two fully concentrated and confronting celestial beasts, or perhaps they simply disdained a minor character of my meager strength. Although dense and violent spiritual energy filled the platform, creating an overwhelming momentum that nearly congealed the air, I no longer felt any heavy pressure. Holding my breath, I hid aside to watch this world-shaking, legendary battle between celestial beasts.

The two peerless celestial beasts had clearly clashed before. The Qilin, with a dragon's head and a lion's body, had a striking scorched patch of blood-red scales on its left flank, with dried blood covering the burned flesh around it. Nursing its wounds, its spirit appeared slightly weary. The Phoenix, adorned with gorgeous plumage and dragging luxurious tail feathers, was in no better condition; a large number of long feathers had fallen from its right wing, exposing bright red skin, and its suspended body was struggling to maintain balance. The two celestial beasts were evenly matched, daring not to make any rash moves as they both accumulated power for a fatal strike.

I felt extremely puzzled. Bosses in this region should logically only possess high-tier strength, so why were there celestial beasts forcibly occupying territory, and two of them at that? They must have come here for a reason, and anything that could cause celestial beasts to fight to the death must be exceptionally precious.

I carefully examined their surroundings and noticed something unusual right in the center of the square platform built from fiery rock. Unlike the fiery red stone, that palm-wide area was made of crimson crystal, emitting a soft red glow and a faint splendor. Atop this crystal was a plant shaped like a spring orchid, though dwarf in size, measuring only three inches long. Its stem was as white as snow, and it possessed three tiers of leaves that were so鮮红 they looked ready to drip.

The orchid-like plant stood right in the middle of the two beasts' confrontation field, seemingly unaffected by the fierce aura. Its red leaves swayed gently as they gradually absorbed the surrounding fiery red currents, adding to its exquisite charm. I wondered what profound mystery this plant held to attract two celestial beasts to fight over it. If I could claim it for myself, perhaps I could refine it into an immortal pill, and upon consuming it, soar through the heavens and earth on the wind! How wonderful that would be!

Just as my imagination ran wild, changes occurred between the two beasts on the platform. A torrent of raging fire poured down from the Phoenix's sharp beak, covering the sky and blotting out the sun, completely engulfing the Qilin and the entire platform. The roaring flames instantly turned the wide platform into a sea of fire. The surging air vortex whipped up the fury of the magma, which roared upward like a tidal wave, sweeping across the entire platform and finally venting out through the gap at the summit.

When the Phoenix unleashed the sky-filling sea of fire, I had already retreated swiftly, hiding far away inside the cave. Fortunately, the cave sloped downward from the entrance, and the magma receded just as it reached my initial standing spot. However, the scorching heat current still rushed in through the gaps, quickly shattering my mana protective shield, forcing me to swallow a health potion. The Qilin in the raging fire, for some reason, did not launch an attack; it simply continued to gaze at the Phoenix above, completely unaffected by the surrounding flames and magma.

Just as I was feeling perplexed that the Qilin's moves had caused no damage to the Phoenix whatsoever, her figure began to change, gradually showing a tendency to shrink. Damn! She was indeed shrinking. Slowly ascending to a higher position, the Phoenix left behind an identically sized fire-elemental Phoenix in her original place. The phantom Phoenix let out a clear, piercing cry and swooped down toward the solemn-faced Qilin like a summer storm crossing the sky.

As it approached the Qilin's head, it suddenly absorbed all the flames on the ground. Its body abruptly compressed by a circle, and its color shifted from fiery red to ghastly white—the exact color of the Samadhi True Fire condensed from the essence of fire elements, as recorded in legends. The Qilin seemed quite wary of this Phoenix formed from Samadhi True Fire, daring not let it approach for close-range combat. Amidst its dodging, its azure-green dragon horns emitted several beams of green light to counter the Phoenix.

The fire Phoenix in the air seemed to have all its concentration focused on the phantom, controlling its every move. The two celestial beasts exhausted their magical arts within the mountain belly, chasing and fleeing in a life-and-death struggle. The dazzling skills left me dizzy, and the roaring sounds were endless. The rocks on the inner wall of the crater fell in showers, and the magma surged madly upward. The Phoenix phantom was struck by the azure light several times during the fight; each time it was hit, its form shrank by a circle, and the fire Phoenix's body in the air had already begun to tremble, looking precarious. The Qilin was not having an easy time either; its back and flanks were covered in wounds, its scales were scorched black in many places, and dark red blood continuously seeped from its injuries, noticeably slowing its movements. Although they fought closely beside the orchid-like plant, neither dared to risk gathering it, fearing a careless strike from their formidable opponent to a fatal spot.

Gradually losing its support, the fire Phoenix's body descended. The Samadhi True Fire it had summoned flew back into its body in an instant, barely halting its downward momentum, yet its body could not stabilize for a moment, swaying incessantly. With an infinite yearning glance at the peculiar plant, its expression turned incomparably solemn. A heavy aura brewed and accumulated in the air, and a massive red cloud inexplicably appeared above its head. Unlike the fire clouds I had seen outside the cave, this cloud was as vividly red as fresh blood. The surrounding fire elements were visibly and frantically gathering toward the red cloud, continuously expanding its volume while being constantly compressed, maintaining the exact size it had when it first appeared. Only its color was gradually changing: first shifting from bright red to deep red, then from deep red to dark red, then slowly turning to pale red, and finally transforming from pale red to ghastly white, exactly like the color of the summoned Samadhi True Fire. The rolling clouds—what a massive cotton candy it looked like! It seemed the Phoenix was about to employ its ultimate finishing move to decide life and death.

Indeed, the Qilin stared nervously at the sky-blocking clouds. The color of its five-pronged dragon horns also began to change, shifting from azure green to water green. The exact moment they turned ghastly white, a massive elliptical halo instantly enveloped its body. Opening its wide mouth, it spat out a fist-sized water-green light pearl that orbited above its head.

Right at that moment, the Phoenix's long-brewed spell finally erupted, and countless face-sized balls of Samadhi True Fire poured down in clusters. The primary target was the mountain summit, which had already lost a corner; the peerless power of the fireballs blasted away the entire mountaintop this time, instantly causing the mountains to crumble and the earth to split. Soaring earth, stones, and magma flew across the entire summit, eclipsing the sun and moon. The cave where I was hiding could not escape either; the indiscriminate attacks of the fireballs caused the entire cave to collapse. With no way to retreat in my desperation, I immediately activated the Dragon Shield. Whether I could survive now depended entirely on fate!

Unlike the Phoenix's earth-shattering and terrifying skill, the Qilin's light pearl was as swift as a shooting star, intercepting back and forth. Fireballs struck by it immediately shattered into countless sparks and scattered, falling onto its protective halo without causing any further damage. However, the fireballs were too dense for the light pearl to block all of them, while the clouds above acted like a bottomless black hole, pouring forth fireballs endlessly. The Qilin was inevitably hit by several fireballs, and its water-green halo was already close to shattering.

Realizing that enduring such passive blows would sooner or later cost it its life, the Qilin swiftly recalled the light pearl. The green glow on its dual horns flashed and then instantly dimmed as the light pearl shot straight toward the Phoenix like a shooting star chasing the moon. Making a desperate gamble, the Qilin exhausted all its energy, and its protective skill could no longer be sustained. Struck consecutively by the Samadhi True Fire, it emitted a tragic roar—a dead dragon's chant intertwined with a lion's roar, evoking an ineffable sorrow of a hero at the end of his road.

The water-green light ball trailed a brilliant radiance as it pierced straight through the power-evading Phoenix, who let out a mournful shriek as her body plummeted rapidly. The light pearl continued to ascend, accurately striking the white cloud that was still "raining." A poignant mushroom cloud rose into the air, bearing a striking resemblance to the explosion of a nuclear bomb, followed instantly by blinding white light and firestorms filling the entire space amid a deafening roar. I knew I was in trouble; the Dragon Shield had only two seconds left. An irresistible shockwave surged forward, my body felt weightless, and my head slammed violently against a rock before I lost consciousness.

At that moment, Crimson Glow Mountain was swarming with players who had come to hunt bosses and treasure. Though the high temperature was unbearable and the magma churned, no one could resist the allure of top-tier equipment and rare treasures, madly searching for bosses and treasures on Crimson Glow Mountain while gulping down health potions. The moment the mushroom cloud rose into the sky, all players were stunned by the magnificent and terrifying sight. The entire mountain began to shake violently, rocks split apart, and fiery red magma gushed forth.

The ensuing deafening roar filled them with heartfelt dread, and the overwhelming torrent of giant boulders accompanied by rolling, surging magma completely turned their legs to jelly. Many regretted never having the chance to witness the natural spectacles of debris flows and volcanic eruptions in reality; well, today they finally got to experience it in a game. Yet, facing this terrifying torrent, they profoundly realized how insignificant and helpless human beings were in front of a wrathful nature. Countless players were terrified out of their wits by this irresistible, surging wave, standing dumbfounded and paralyzed, unable even to utter a scream before being swallowed up, turning into white light that added a touch of bizarre beauty to this disaster that eclipsed heaven and earth.

"It's thundering, quickly bring in the laundry..." The shout was drowned out by the flowing magma.

"Damn it, who spread the rumor that there was a super boss here, making us all come here to die..." A boulder rolled over, and the cursing stopped abruptly.

"Cuihua, I love you! I've kept these words hidden in my heart for a long time, today..." Death could sometimes lend one courage.

"Oh heavens! I actually forgot to buy insurance, poor family of mine..." What on earth was he talking about?

"A-Ming, pull me up! I fell into the magma! Damn it, when there's danger you run faster than a rabbit..."

Faced with the threat of death, people's minds only focused on what they cared about most, forgetting whether it was a game or reality. The myriad states of human life were thoroughly exposed before death.

...

"Young master, quickly use the town portal scroll!" Facing the countless boulders surging toward him, Dong Ping barely managed to remember the duty a subordinate ought to fulfill; if he fled first in the face of danger, he wouldn't be able to hang out with him anymore.

Thirteen Young Master had long since lost the "calmness" he always emphasized his subordinates should maintain. His trembling hands failed to grope for a town portal scroll, and he suddenly remembered he forgot to buy one upon arrival. He barked harshly, "Damn it, do you think I don't know I have one? Give me yours and use it!"

Dong Ping cried out in agony, "Young master, I only have one town portal scroll! If I give it to you, how am I supposed to get back?"

"Damn it, you take the most money when payouts happen, are you kept just to eat shit? When it counts, you aren't stepping up—do you expect me to take the hit? Hand it over, and go find another one yourself!" Without further ado, he snatched the scroll Dong Ping was about to crush right out of his hand, flashed in a white light, and vanished.

"Fuck your ancestors, I work like an ox and a horse for you, and you really don't treat me like a human. You think I usually called you young master out of respect? I was calling 'Money' my master." Dong Ping cursed bitterly in his heart, just as he reached to grab a subordinate's scroll, a flying rock struck his head, and he collapsed limply to the ground, swallowed by the surging magma.

That day, the forum detailed the ins and outs of the incident. According to investigations, a total of over 2,350 players died as a result: over 500 players perished without any reaction; over 200 died by running down the mountain and falling into the magma; over 340 failed to use their town portal scrolls in time; over 100 were trampled to death by crowds or fell off the mountain; and the rest were swept away by the flood before they could escape. Fewer than 300 players survived.

People collectively referred to this sudden disaster and the Huhe chaotic battle as the "Crimson Glow Tragedy." Afterward, Crimson Glow Mountain became a "forbidden death zone" that players spoke of with lingering fear, and those with no outlet for their burning anger pointed their spears directly at the ones who first spread the news. Let us pour one out for them!

Fantasy MMORPG