Chapter 1563 - The Truth (2/2)

Lily pondered for a bit before going, “Laying at the core of the planet sleeping, waking up from time to time taking in a glug of lava, is probably the best thing ever for the First Born.”

Hao Ren shrugged dismissively as Y’zaks who was behind him did some warm-up movements followed by a deep breath, a twist of the waist and a loud ‘HAH!’ before he dispelled his transformation magic and a fiery explosion later, a five-meter-tall demon king walked out of the inferno.

He seemed to be in his element here, as he stood in a place where the temperature was around a couple of thousands of degrees without the need of the life hoop. He even went ahead to take a deep breath. “Haaaaaaaa—ptuiii… sure tastes like home….”

Hao Ren mumbled towards Vivian as he blocked the embers coming out of Y’zaks mouth. “Old Y’zaks seems to be rather in the mood.”

“Well, we cannot give him a 24-hour lava bath at our place anyway… If you were to rent a place without any hot water bath for four years, would you enjoy it?”

“…You’re making me feel somewhat guilty you know.”

Y’zaks did not seem to have heard what Vivian and Hao Ren was on about,and after a few deep breaths for the “taste of home” (in actuality molten rock steam), he scooped up a piece of molten rock and step forward as he chewed on it like a melon. “I can see the crack ahead, let’s check it out.”

The old demon’s way of life sure is something.

The crack in the fault was just about two hundred meters away from where they landed and there was an upwards inclining cliff wall. On it were many cracks and crystal fragments of many sizes, from some of the bigger cracks red light glow from it, and had clear access into the deepest recess.

For the hundred-odd-meter-long Petrachelys, even the biggest of the cracks would not fit it, but for Hao Ren and the rest—even if Y’zaks was standing at five meters tall, those cracks were wide enough for them to pass through comfortably.

Massive nerve lines snaked out from the cracks, some were soaking in lava, some extended far above and disappeared into the rock dome on top. Hao Ren chose the widest available passageway as he led his team around the nerve clusters carefully.

“This place has indeed been torn open before and the First Born resculpted the place with its strength.” Vivian pointed at the uneven structure above the passageway. “But it probably had already lost its ability to control its appendages and that’ why the cavity to store its brain core could not reseal and left such a tunnel.”

“Watch where you step. Some of the cracks are wide enough for you to slip through into the lava below.” Hao Ren reminded. “Lily! I’m talking about you! Stop knocking on the rocks! You can have them on the way back!”

Not long after, they came before a view that was even more vivid.

A crimson chasm appeared before Hao Ren.

The grotto was wide, but the shape was not uniform just like the nest of the First Borns on other planets. The center of the grotto was slightly concave and was filled with blood-like gooey substances. A large number of tentacles were snaking out from all directions as they converged upon an organ soaking within the liquid.

The massive organ lay dormant in the middle of the blood lake. Its surface was glowing slightly, and Hao Ren could tell just by looking, this organ, containing the brain core was gravely injured, and did not show any signs of recovery.

Its upper half was almost totally torn apart as a terrifying wound penetrated at least two-thirds of the entire organ, and in that torn wound, crimson lifeblood flowed almost lifelessly while another had already shriveled. The already blackened brain core was soaking in the lifeblood, close to losing its vitality, and the cause of all these damages was stabbed right beside the brain core, a long bluish-white crystal sliver.

A crystal that looked like the shattered ones on top of the rocks.

“So this was the culprit.” Hao Ren mumbled as he approached the blood lake carefully. Vivian immediately went ahead to warn him. “Be careful. That thing is not totally dead.”

“The nerve system is almost gone, it’ll probably only be able to nag at me if it manages to recover.” Hao Ren waved her off. “I feel that… this crystal is oddly familiar.”

Just as he finished, something appeared in his mind.

“It is just like the crystals I saw in the illusion!” Hao Ren yelped before turning towards Vivian. “The same crystals at the bottom of the sea in your Crimson Moon!”