Chapter 59

Wen Li and Chen Jiashu had the same thought, but their mindsets were worlds apart.

“Have the Fiery Rock Xuanwu treat us like these little stones and bam—spit us out?” Wen Li gestured excitedly, clearly intrigued by this wild idea.

Chen Jiashu stared blankly at Wen Li, then glanced at the other three silent classmates, nearly doubting his sanity.

No way. Was he the only one who thought this was utterly insane?!

Being swallowed by the Fiery Rock Xuanwu was already unbelievable enough, but now they were actually brainstorming ways to make this space… to make the Fiery Rock Xuanwu sneeze them out like a spray?!

“Classmate Mu Huiyue’s idea is bold… but it has potential,” Xu Chenglu said, his voice trembling slightly. He knew it was a crazy plan, but his knowledge of the Crimson Shell Turtle lineage told him it was a feasible option at this stage.

After evolving into the Flame Rock Tortoise, many traits of the Crimson Shell Turtle were completely retained, so it’s highly likely that the Fiery Rock Xuanwu also retains similar habits.

More importantly, they were now in a state of total disconnection—no one knew what was happening outside, let alone when rescue might arrive.

Before that, the chances of being consumed by the Fiery Rock Xuanwu’s high-temperature immune system were much higher.

Even if the Fiery Rock Xuanwu bore no hostility toward them, its immune mechanism would instinctively operate. Those fiery red crystals and fire-spewing creatures would only appear more frequently until every stubborn impurity was eliminated.

And pooling the combined strength of all five of them wouldn’t even come close to shaking the ultimate form, the Fiery Rock Xuanwu, in the slightest.

“Chen Jiashu, I recall that the Chaos Thundercloud has a defensive skill that can neutralize most elemental attacks?” Lin Fei suddenly asked.

Chen Jiashu gave him a horrified look. “No way… Lin Shen, even you’re thinking about this…”

“When we’re expelled from its body, we’ll definitely be engulfed by the flames inside the Fiery Rock Xuanwu. As long as that skill can neutralize fire attacks, it will greatly improve our chances of survival,” Lin Fei continued.

“There is… a B-rank defensive skill called [Elemental Shield]. Before the Chaos Thundercloud’s energy is depleted, it can completely neutralize energy attacks of wind, lightning, fire, earth, water, and ice attributes…”

Chen Jiashu answered in a low voice, still finding it hard to believe. “Are we really going to do this…?”

After all, even the existence of the ultimate-form Fiery Rock Xuanwu was just an initial hypothesis proposed by Mu Huiyue.

“Or do you have a better theory or plan for our current situation?” Lin Fei countered. “If not, then between sitting here waiting to die and giving it our all, which would you choose?”

Chen Jiashu fell silent. Of course, he would choose to give it his all.

“So, we’ve reached a consensus, right?” Wen Li’s eyes sparkled as she looked around at everyone.

Her curiosity for the unknown was boundless. To be expelled by the massive, ultimate-form Fiery Rock Xuanwu… It was likely an experience one could only have once in a lifetime. How could she not feel thrilled about it?

“What should we do next, Huiyue?”

Mu Huiyue thought for a moment, then nodded. “First, we need to locate the volcano on the Fiery Rock Xuanwu’s back.”

“If we can find an active volcano similar to the Crimson Shell Turtle’s, it would indirectly confirm that we are indeed inside the Fiery Rock Xuanwu,” Xu Chenglu added.

“Exactly. After that, we need to identify the area that could trigger the Fiery Rock Xuanwu to sneeze.” Mu Huiyue looked at Xu Chenglu. “This will require your expertise, Xu Chenglu.”

“I’ll do my best…” Xu Chenglu replied nervously. There was no one else present who could better deduce these critical locations.

“Then, just like with the Crimson Shell Turtle earlier, we wait near the volcanic vent, prepare our defensive measures, and let ourselves be ejected like small stones.”

Mu Huiyue continued, “That’s the general plan. As for the task of stimulating the sneezing area, I’ll leave it to my beast companion.”

As long as they could pinpoint the effective spot, Mu Huiyue could handle it like she did in the Necromancer’s Realm. She would have Ellen help stimulate the Fiery Rock Xuanwu to sneeze, then retrieve him into her beast space remotely just before being expelled herself.

She wasn’t sure exactly how far this distance might need to be, but during Ellen’s exploration of the deserted island in the secret realm a few days ago, they hadn’t even come close to reaching the summoning range’s limit.

Even for the ultimate-form Fiery Rock Xuanwu, its size shouldn’t exceed the radius of the deserted island.

“In that case, splitting up would be more efficient.” Lin Fei summoned the Yunmeng Mo, which was resting on a fluffy cloud, and looked at everyone. “We can search for the volcanic vent and the throat simultaneously while using Yunmeng Mo’s skill [Telepathic Link] to stay in contact.”

The D-rank psychic skill [Telepathic Link] allows everyone within a certain range to communicate mentally. While it’s nearly useless in direct combat with beasts, it proves highly effective in environments where communication is difficult.

The Yunmeng Mo floated mid-air, emitting a faint cloud of mist. Everyone placed their hands on it, quickly experiencing the extraordinary power of the psychic-type beast.

Without moving his lips, Lin Fei’s voice appeared directly in everyone’s minds.

[The connection range for Telepathic Link is approximately 200 meters. I will send regular reminders to check in. If you move out of range, adjust your position to maintain smooth communication.]

[Whoa… we can talk directly in our heads! Can we use it to talk to the beast too?]

This was Wen Li’s voice; she quickly adapted to the use of telepathic communication.

[Only my beast can do that because the connection is centered on my beastmaster talent, not just the telepathic skill,] Lin Fei explained.

With a real-time communication method in place, it became much easier to search for their target. Mu Huiyue also tried communicating through telepathy.

[Xu Chenglu, do you have a range estimate for our current location and the positions of the two targets?]

[Of course.]

Xu Chenglu gestured toward his Crimson Shell Turtle.

[Based on my Crimson Shell Turtle’s physiology, it’s highly likely we are currently in the intestinal region beneath the plastron…]

[The targets are the active volcano above the lungs, located under the carapace, and the throat near the cervical scutes at the base of the neck.]

[At the moment, we can’t confirm whether the Fiery Rock Xuanwu’s head is extended beyond its shell, so we’ll need to determine its exact location once we get closer.]

[Then, Wen Li and Chen Jiashu, you’ll search upward for the active volcano. Xu Chenglu and I will head forward to locate the throat. Lin Fei, you’ll stay in the central position and ensure seamless communication.]

Mu Huiyue spoke in their minds.

Since the situation at the throat was more complex, it made sense for her, who could maneuver within shadow spaces, to team up with Xu Chenglu, who had a better understanding of the situation.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Mu Huiyue’s plan was clear and logical. The only remaining challenge was figuring out how to avoid the fiery crimson fluids while searching for their targets.

Fortunately, all five of them were top-tier beastmasters, ranked among the best in the national competition. With a clear objective, they were more than capable of ensuring their own safety.

The brief telepathic strategy meeting ended as Lin Fei and Chen Jiashu removed the deep crimson membranous covering from the edge of the depression.

At some point, bright crimson crystals had grown on what was once a flat platform, illuminating the surroundings.

[Prioritize your safety. Let’s move out!] Mu Huiyue said through telepathy, standing up.

According to the plan, Wen Li and Chen Jiashu headed toward the upper structures of the platform, while Mu Huiyue and Xu Chenglu moved in different directions across the platform, one leading and one following.

Inside the Fiery Rock Xuanwu, all navigation tools had lost their functionality, making it impossible to determine the direction of the cervical scutes. As a result, they had to split up to search.

This was where [Telepathic Link] proved invaluable. Without it, losing contact would make it nearly impossible for anyone to locate the others again.

As Mu Huiyue advanced, she called upon her most trusted partner.

“Ellen.“

The Shadowfang Soldier emerged from the shadows. Having overheard the group’s discussions, he understood exactly how to leverage his shadow stealth abilities to their advantage.

“Clack, clack-clack.”

(I’ll handle long-distance scouting. When I’m out of the shadows, let Whitefang ensure your safety.)

Mu Huiyue nodded and summoned the small Cloudhound from her beastmaster space.

“Woof!“

Whitefang emerged from the summoning sigil, pawing at the ground with determination. It would never lose to those fire-breathing creatures!

Ellen slipped into the shadows, his presence vanishing swiftly into the distance.

Mu Huiyue continued forward, keeping a close eye on the crimson crystals around her and listening to any updates through the telepathic link.

When there were no tremors, the crimson crystals posed no immediate risk of shattering. Besides the cave tunnel they had passed through, the platform was surrounded by expansive walls of varying shades of red.

These weren’t actual rock walls but rather the biological tissues of the Fiery Rock Xuanwu, functioning seamlessly even under extreme temperatures.

Before long, Lin Fei’s scheduled check-in came through the telepathic link.

With him as the central point, the maximum exploration range for everyone was 400 meters.

Although the exact size of the Fiery Rock Xuanwu was still unknown, with Ellen’s extended shadow stealth ability, Mu Huiyue felt confident in finding their target.

Carefully, she and her companion avoided the crimson crystals along the path.

When not disturbed, the crystals remained inert, standing silently and radiating a glowing red light.

As long as they kept moving cautiously, the crystals showed no signs of exploding or releasing high-temperature fluid.

After another scheduled check-in, Mu Huiyue guessed she was nearing the maximum range from Lin Fei’s central position. Just then, Wen Li’s voice sounded through the telepathic link.

[We seem to have found the volcano!]

The girl’s voice was full of energy, her tone so vivid it was easy to imagine her stunned expression.

[It’s so massive… no, so peculiar! From here, I can only see the flowing magma. I’m going in for a closer look—]

[Hey, Wen Li!] This was Chen Jiashu’s panicked voice.

Mu Huiyue stopped in her tracks, waiting as the telepathic link came alive again shortly after.

[I believe it now… we really are inside the Fiery Rock Xuanwu.] Chen Jiashu’s voice carried a mix of disbelief and awe.

[The temperature here is way too high. Even after activating my Burning Blood enhancement, I couldn’t endure it, but Chaos Thundercloud’s shield can hold up.]

[The Elemental Shield can only last about ten minutes, though, so we retreated outside.]

[This should be… the lungs.]

The lungs of the Scarlet-scaled Tortoise were located just below the dorsal shell. That Wen Li and Chen Jiashu had successfully reached this area confirmed Xu Chenglu’s deductions about the Fiery Rock Xuanwu’s internal structure.

Suddenly, the shadows on the ground blurred, and the Bladefang Soldier emerged from them. Its right eye burned with an eerie blue flame, starkly different from the crimson glow of its surroundings.

“Click, click.”

(I think I’ve found the suspected location of the neck shell.)