Invincible Soul Emperor

The Fire Dragon spat out another burst of hot flames, and Ye Qingchen agilely flipped to the side, dodging behind a large rock.

The flames hit the rock, instantly turning it red-hot, but Ye Qingchen used this brief moment of cover to swiftly move toward the Lava Lake.

He bent down, staying close to the rock, using its cover to slowly move forward.

The Fire Dragon’s attention remained focused on him, continuously roaring in anger, its wings stirring up powerful gusts of wind.

Ye Qingchen knew he had to be extremely cautious, ensuring the Dragon wouldn’t sense his intentions.

As he approached the Lava Lake, Ye Qingchen continuously shifted positions, using the terrain and rock cover to skillfully evade the Dragon’s sight.

He leapt over piece after piece of hot rock, each step perfectly precise, keeping himself concealed from the Dragon’s view.

The Fire Dragon let out another low growl and swooped downward; Ye Qingchen quickly rolled away, ducking behind another rock.

The Dragon’s sharp claws scraped through the spot he had just been, igniting a flame storm, but Ye Qingchen deftly avoided it.

Time was of the essence—he needed to find Xue Zhao quickly.

He increased his pace, using the rock cover to rapidly close in on the Lava Lake.

Every attack from the Dragon was cleverly dodged, his figure weaving like a phantom between rocks.

Finally, he reached the lake’s edge, seeing that the thermometer above the lake had already burst, the entire surface boiling with lava raging relentlessly.

Anxiety gripped his heart.

"What’s going on with Xue Zhao? Why has the Lava gotten this hot?"

The Fire Dragon seemed to sense Ye Qingchen’s intention, suddenly turning and opening its massive wings to rush at him.

Ye Qingchen gritted his teeth, quickly jumping onto another rock, using its cover to swiftly approach the Lava Lake.

"Xue Zhao!" he shouted loudly, hoping for a response.

Ye Qingchen called out loudly for Xue Zhao but received no reply.

Ye Qingchen’s heart sank a little as he looked at the Fire Dragon closing in from behind.

He couldn’t afford to hesitate; biting his teeth, he leaped into the scorching Lava Lake.

Instantly, the blistering magma engulfed him entirely. Ye Qingchen immediately felt an unbearable high temperature, as if his whole body was thrown into a blazing inferno.

Despite quickly mobilizing energy within to protect himself, he still felt intensely burned, his skin seemingly on the verge of melting.

The lake’s temperature was more terrifying than he imagined, the scalding lava suffocating, with the hot air suffusing the surroundings.

Each breath felt like swallowing flames, the air in his chest seeming to burn. Ye Qingchen gritted his teeth, enduring the intense pain, focusing on searching for Xue Zhao’s figure within the lake.

His gaze swept across the searing magma, vision disrupted by the red glow and rolling fire bubbles, Ye Qingchen grimacing as he surveyed around.

Every second spent in the lake subjected Ye Qingchen to immense suffering, but he knew Xue Zhao was still somewhere in the lake and had to be found quickly.

Ye Qingchen exerted every ounce of strength to swim in the magma, its high temperature relentlessly eroding his energy shield, the shield’s glow gradually dimming, yet he remained steadfastly moving forward.

His movements grew faster, each stroke accompanied by acute agony.

The agony felt like countless trucks crushing over him.

Struggling fiercely in the scorching magma, Ye Qingchen finally saw a familiar icy-blue glow at a spot on the lake’s bottom. However, as he got closer, he found Xue Zhao already unconscious on the lakebed.

Xue Zhao appeared exceptionally frail, with her ice element shield flickering with faint light but visibly dimmed.

Her eyes were closed, face pale, brows slightly furrowed, seemingly enduring tremendous pain. Her body floated weakly in the blazing magma, hands still tightly clutching several Fire Crystal Stones, displaying her resolve not to give up until the last moment.

Ye Qingchen was aghast, his heart tightening.

"This silly girl, even at this time, still thinking about grabbing Fire Crystal Stones!"

He quickly swam over and scooped Xue Zhao into his arms, feeling her highly heated body.

Ye Qingchen could sense her weak heartbeat and breath, which provided some relief yet heightened his concern for her condition.

"Xue Zhao, hold on!" Ye Qingchen said softly, a dark gaze flickering in his eyes.

He had to get Xue Zhao out of the scorching lake bottom as fast as possible, or she’d be in grave danger.

Ye Qingchen desperately shielded Xue Zhao, embracing her tightly, then struggled to swim towards the lake’s surface.

The scalding magma kept pounding onto his energy shield.

Despite each move coming with painful agony, Ye Qingchen’s expression remained unchanged.

He sensed Xue Zhao’s body temperature rising, knowing there wasn’t much time left.

With all his might, he rapidly swam upward.

The scorching magma roiled around them, emitting a low rumble, as if attempting to obstruct their escape.

Finally, they broke through the heated lava, emerging back to the lake’s edge. Ye Qingchen gently placed Xue Zhao on the ground, quickly examining her condition.

Her breathing remained weak, but her heartbeat continued, easing his worry slightly.

However, that breath hadn’t finished easing.

From the sky came the deafening roar of a Giant Dragon. The Fire Dragon attacked again, its massive figure blotting out the skies, spewing flames fiercely toward Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao.

Ye Qingchen’s heart tightened, hurriedly holding Xue Zhao as he dodged away.

Skilfully maneuvering among the rocks, he avoided the Dragon’s strikes, each flame volley swiftly sidestepping, rolling, using nimble movements to avoid being scorched.

Now they must quickly find a safe spot to settle Xue Zhao, or both would be in great peril.

Ye Qingchen constantly switched positions, leveraging the terrain and rock cover to rapidly move. His gaze quickly scanned the surroundings, seeking a place to temporarily evade the Dragon’s attacks.

Not far away, he spotted a natural cave behind a large rock, with a narrow entrance, but inside seemed spacious enough to accommodate Xue Zhao.

"There!" With a flicker of hope, Ye Qingchen swiftly moved toward the cave. Holding Xue Zhao, he deftly dodged under the Dragon’s barrage, feeling each step on the hot ground like walking on thin ice, yet his expression remained unchanged.

Finally, he arrived at the cave entrance, gently placing Xue Zhao inside.

The cave interior was relatively cool and safe, unlikely to be directly struck by the Dragon’s attacks. He cautiously laid Xue Zhao on a flat stone slab, ensuring she wouldn’t suffer further harm.

"Wait here for me, I’ll be back soon." Ye Qingchen softly told the unconscious Xue Zhao, his eyes tender.

He reached out to touch her cheek, feeling her still high temperature, and resolved firmly in his heart.