"Not bad..."

Gu Yuan felt at ease instantly. According to the information provided by Ancestor Jinsha, the magma sea underneath might appear calm, but it actually hides many creatures.

Among them are various fire demons and fire spirits, as well as some malevolent creatures like the fire ghoul and the two-headed fire serpent.

Especially the latter two; the former typically has powers at the Yang Spirit level and the stronger ones are Primordial Spirit True Immortal level.

The latter is equally formidable.

Therefore, it was wise for him to be cautious.

Gu Yuan entered this magma sea not to hunt fire demons or fire spirits, but to obtain Five Elements Immortal Iron.

Next, Gu Yuan followed the map given by Ancestor Jinsha and began his search.

Though he had a map, changes often occurred on the land outside, let alone in this magma sea within the earth’s core?

Even though the magma sea contains some melt-resistant rocks "reefs" that help in positioning, the task remains challenging.

But Gu Yuan didn’t mind. He had plenty of time, so he continued his slow search.

Upon realizing that the Taiyi Golden Bell consumed too much energy, Gu Yuan simply summoned the Nine-dragon Furnace.

This is a purely fire attribute magical treasure of considerable quality, perfectly suitable for such an environment, saving a lot of effort.

After all, although Gu Yuan’s physique had undergone significant transformation, able to refine external fire attribute Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, the process remained somewhat slow.

Using the Nine-dragon Furnace for protection meant Gu Yuan didn’t have to worry about its consumption, as it could absorb surrounding fire element Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi to sustain itself. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Thus, it saved Gu Yuan a lot of energy.

Gu Yuan extended his Divine Thought, scanning for traces of Five Elements Immortal Iron while remaining alert to his surroundings, ready to respond swiftly to any danger.

Not long after, as Gu Yuan passed a massive reef resembling a mountain, a fist-sized fireball flew swiftly from the reef, landing directly on the defensive shield surrounding Gu Yuan.

Boom!

With the fireball’s explosion, the shield rippled like a pebble dropped into calm water, dispelling the power on its surface entirely.

"Hmm?"

Gu Yuan’s gaze shifted, following the direction of the fireball as he looked over.

And he found a creature resembling a gecko clinging to the stone wall.

This demon was entirely dark red, with a body surface full of uneven bumps, densely packed, looking rather unappealing.

Wisps of white smoke even rose from these bumps.

On its head was a single horn, dark red and bright.

The Fire-gecko Demon didn’t appear large, only about five feet long, yet the aura it emitted was unexpectedly strong!

Notably, the temperature on the stone wall was extremely high, causing the surrounding air to warp and distort, a piece of Profound Iron on it would likely only last a short half hour before melting into liquid iron, yet this creature clung tightly without moving, truly remarkable.

However, it might be the principle that one thing subdues another.

Being a local demon, it likely had long adapted to the harsh environment here.

The fireball just now was clearly launched by this creature, considering Gu Yuan as an intruder. Seeing Gu Yuan pause indifferently, the Fire-gecko Demon adjusted its stance.

Then it gathered demonic power, unleashing its Innate Divine Techniques.

Suddenly, the surrounding heat and firelight rushed forward, congregating eagerly on its horn into a brighter fireball.

Then, this dark red fireball with faint golden glimmers poised to strike at Gu Yuan.

Even Gu Yuan, with his current cultivation strength, felt a subtle sense of danger.

"Oh... this flame is indeed quite impressive... no wonder it’s a creature born in the magma sea."

Gu Yuan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, while an average Golden Core Great Cultivator would likely be panicking by now.

But for him, it was merely a minor issue.

With a flick of his finger, Gu Yuan gathered Water Spirit Light into a sharp needle, slicing through the air to fall accurately on the fireball.

Poof!!!

With a muffled sound, the fireball deflated like a punctured balloon, shrinking rapidly.

Before long, it exploded with a faint noise not much louder than a fart.

Then...

Gu Yuan flicked his finger again, sending another Sword Light to strike the Fire-gecko Demon on its head.

With a squelch, it pierced directly through its head, transforming into a strand of thread to coil it in.

With a beckon of his finger, Gu Yuan grabbed the Fire-gecko Demon’s corpse and casually stored it in his Storage Pouch.

This rather fierce fire demon met its end at Gu Yuan’s hands in this manner.

Gu Yuan was unfazed and about to continue roaming when his gaze suddenly settled on a hidden corner of the stone nearby.

Because at that moment, Gu Yuan caught a faint fragrance.

Even in this extremely harsh environment of the magma sea, despite having several layers of protection, the scent was apparent and drifted from there to Gu Yuan.

Being who he was, Gu Yuan immediately deduced the scent’s origin was a Spirit Medicine.

Of course, he wouldn’t miss it.

He reached the corner, and indeed discovered, hidden there, a reishi, palm-sized, entirely red with a striking color, edged with a golden rim.

"That’s... Geomagnetic Fire Ganoderma?"

Gu Yuan recognized it instantly. The Geomagnetic Fire Ganoderma is a rare fire attribute Spirit Medicine that typically grows in places rich in fire attribute Primordial Qi, with extremely restrictive growth conditions.

This is hugely beneficial for cultivators practicing fire attribute Divine Techniques, and even direct refining carries minimal side effects; when made into Spirit Pills, it aids in cultivation improvement and even breaking through barriers.

Of course, that’s if it’s over three thousand years old.

However, because of its unique growth characteristics, the Geomagnetic Fire Ganoderma is exceedingly rare.

When newly sprouted, it usually grows to the size of a grinding disc and emits a strong fragrance that attracts many demons to feed on it.

If fortunate enough to escape being consumed by demons, the Geomagnetic Fire Ganoderma begins to grow, yet it doesn’t get bigger but smaller over time.

Generally speaking, the Ganoderma grows slowly, shrinking a circle over hundreds or even thousands of years.

Then, every seven to eight hundred years, it continues to shrink.