Chapter 719: Between Two Women

The Earth Cave Fire Domain, where Situ Jingyu was located, lay on the western edge of the Southern Border, near the Sea of Death. The area had originally been a massive active volcano. Over three thousand years ago, just as it was about to erupt, several Divinity Transformation Cultivators sealed it with an Array, preventing it from wreaking havoc.

But the might of heaven and earth can only be channeled, not blocked by force. To prevent the volcano from accumulating power, breaking the seal, and causing an even greater disaster, those Divinity Transformation Cultivators created an opening on one side of the Array, giving the built-up lava a place to vent.

And after three thousand years of evolution, this venting region has become the Earth Cave Fire Domain of today.

The eighth level of the Fire Cave. The lava surging here originated from the depths of the earth’s core. According to Situ Jingyu, this place was over three thousand zhang below the surface.

At this moment, Fang Qingyuan was standing in a pool of lava. He was surrounded by a rolling, deep-red magma. Giant bubbles of fire swelled and burst, sending tongues of flame erupting upwards—powerful enough to devour any living being below the Foundation Establishment Stage.

The thick lava flowed slowly, moving from one rock crevice into another before pouring into what might be an even vaster space. It was like a great river navigating treacherous shoals, except this river’s current was scorching lava that incinerated everything.

Fang Qingyuan strolled through this river of lava, searching for a nexus of Fire Spiritual Power more suitable for his Immortal Mansion to absorb. The scorching lava flowed past him but caused no harm, deflected by the protective robe he wore and his own Spiritual Power Shield.

Nanli was currently enjoying a belated reunion with its mother, and Situ Jingyu was back at her sect handling its affairs. This was already Fang Qingyuan’s third day here, so he didn’t have much time left to wander.

Over the past few days of exploration, Fang Qingyuan had discovered many treasures in the lava river on the eighth level of the Fire Cave. Deep within the river, for instance, were a series of Tier Two and Tier Three Fire Attribute Spiritual Materials, such as Blazing Flame Melting Crystals, Earth Core Flame Jades, and Flame True Crystals.

These spiritual materials were all quite valuable. If they could be mined on a large scale, Situ Jingyu’s sect wouldn’t be in its current financial predicament.

However, the environment here was harsh. Even Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn’t stay for long, to say nothing of the Qi Cultivation Cultivators or Shrimp Turtle Beasts that would form the main mining force.

The primary reason was the difficulty of extraction. A typical, established mining operation relies on low-level cultivators, like those in Qi Cultivation, as its main workforce. Forcing Golden Core Cultivators to do the mining would be putting the cart before the horse.

Besides, even if Situ Jingyu were willing to do it herself, how much could she possibly mine alone?

For Fang Qingyuan, however, this was a different matter entirely. He suddenly stopped in the lava river, and the lava beneath him immediately formed a whirlpool, as if a giant hole below was ceaselessly devouring it.

And that was indeed the case. Inside the Immortal Mansion, upon a wide expanse of Black Land, countless streams of scorching lava suddenly rained down from the sky, SPLATTERING onto the ground and causing immense clouds of white steam to rise within a radius of several hundred zhang.

In less than an hour, a lava pool spanning several hundred zhang had formed within the Immortal Mansion. The Immortal Mansion itself, as if sensing a delicious meal, began to silently envelop, absorb, and digest the bottom layer of lava where it touched the ground.

Outside, more and more lava surged toward Fang Qingyuan’s position. He had effectively become a dam. Downstream, the lava river that had flowed for millennia showed signs of drying up for the very first time.

Inside the Immortal Mansion, the mineral deposits swept in with the lava were being processed by the digesting Black Land. Because these deposits contained a much richer concentration of Spiritual Qi, they were absorbed more slowly than the surrounding lava. This gave Fang Qingyuan an opportunity to sift through them.

A mid-grade Tier Two Flame True Crystal was hidden within the thick, viscous lava. Ordinarily, it would have been carried upward by the lava river, layer by layer, eventually settling in some corner of the three-thousand-li-wide uppermost level of the Fire Domain.

Now, however, this Flame True Crystal, caught within the mass of lava, had been unintentionally drawn into Fang Qingyuan’s Immortal Mansion. After the lava surrounding it was absorbed, just as its turn came to be digested, it was plucked out by a large, invisible hand and tossed aside.

A number of other Fire-Attribute Mineral Deposits of various kinds now lay here, quietly emitting a beautiful luster.

Fang Qingyuan’s divine soul was completely focused, periodically reaching out to snatch the various spiritual materials just as the Black Land was about to absorb them. In just one day, he had already retrieved several hundred mineral deposits of varying tiers.

Just then, the Bee Queen rushed over to see what all the commotion was about. Upon seeing the vast pile of Fire-Attribute Mineral Deposits, she asked curiously:

“Master, why are you separating these mineral deposits? Why not just let the Immortal Mansion absorb them?”

Fang Qingyuan shook his head and explained:

“The Spiritual Qi-infused lava is practically inexhaustible, so why should we waste these mineral deposits too? These are as good as Spirit Stones. Besides, I came here on an errand for Senior Sister Situ, so I ought to pay her for her troubles. You could say I’m working an odd job—I take the lava I need, and in return, I filter out the minerals for her. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement, so why wouldn’t I do it?”

After hearing Fang Qingyuan’s explanation, the Bee Queen’s enormous compound eyes shifted, and she spoke in a piteous tone:

“Nanli has its mother to rely on, but I’m all alone. Master, if you feel sorry for your Ruoxi, won’t you let her have a taste of these minerals?”

“Hm? Wait a few days. For now, go and play somewhere else.”