Wizard: Starting from Escape from the Thorn Garden

The dizziness from the teleportation was like being thrown into a high-speed spinning furnace. Before the aftershocks of the space being torn apart had completely subsided, an indescribable heat and suffocation crashed onto Chen Lin like a giant wave.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils instantly contracting.

Heart of Lava!

The world before me is a burning inferno.

The sky was a churning, dark red, like congealed blood, with thick, low-hanging sulfur clouds that were occasionally illuminated by the churning lava below, casting a menacing orange glow.

The air was thick with pungent sulfur fumes, enough to burn the lungs. Every breath was a searing pain, as if one were inhaling scalding sand instead of air.

Beneath our feet lies a layer of dark red volcanic rock covered with cracked textures. Thick, golden-red lava flows from the cracks, radiating a chillingly high temperature that distorts and deforms the air.

In the distance, a massive river of lava, like a roaring red dragon, meanders and surges across the rugged land, stirring up scorching air currents and splashing sparks of lava.

Further away, several active volcanoes stand, billowing black smoke. Their bodies are covered with huge, wound-like lava pipes from which new lava occasionally erupts with a dull roar.

The temperature is terrifyingly high!

Chen Lin felt his apprentice robe instantly become scalding hot, and his exposed skin felt as if it were being branded with a hot iron.

The sweat evaporates instantly as soon as it seeps out of the pores, leaving only salt stains and a burning sensation.

"Hiss..." Chen Lin gasped and immediately activated the passive protection of the Shadow Thorn Ring - a layer of extremely fine, dark gray energy thorn vines that distorted light and space instantly covered his entire body!

hum!

The burning sensation instantly decreased significantly. The energy absorption field of the Thorn Armor was passively activated, greedily absorbing the surrounding heat energy and converting it into a small amount of energy to nourish itself.

At the same time, he immediately took a bottle of "secondary fire resistance potion" and "lung cleansing potion" that he had prepared in advance. A cool sensation spread from his throat to his lungs, temporarily relieving the erosion caused by the poison gas.

"The Seed of Origin, Environmental Analysis!" Chen Lin murmured to himself.

A cold stream of data surged into my consciousness:

[Environment: Heart of Lava (Trial Tower Level 1)]

[Temperature: Average surface temperature 65-80 degrees Celsius, magma areas >1200 degrees Celsius]

[Air composition: high concentration of sulfides (highly toxic), carbon dioxide, trace amounts of volcanic ash, inert gases]

[Energy Attributes: Abundant Fire Element, Ley Line Energy (Raging), Weak Earth Element]

[Main threats: High-temperature burns, sulfur gas suffocation, lava eruptions/flows, fire elemental swarms]

[Recommendation: Maintain secondary protective spells/equipment, avoid prolonged exposure to lava areas, and be wary of energy node fluctuations.]

He immediately checked the all-encompassing recorder on his wrist; the white crystal at the center of the wristband emitted a steady faint light, proving that it was functioning normally.

At the same time, he sensed a faint but clear resonance from the communication talisman of the Green-Top Alliance on his chest—the jade talisman with swirling blue energy inside!

"Evan and the others are nearby too!" Chen Lin's heart leaped with excitement.

The resonance points are scattered in several directions, with the closest one being about five kilometers to the northwest and the furthest one being more than ten kilometers to the southeast.

Clearly, the teleportation had randomly scattered them across the edge of this lava hell.

"We must regroup first!" Chen Lin immediately made the decision.

Going solo in such an extreme environment is too risky, especially when facing potentially hordes of fire elementals.

He selected the nearest resonance point in the northwest as his target and activated the Thorn Sprint mode of the Shadow Thorn Ring!

hum!

A surge of icy energy instantly flowed from the ring, spreading down the arm to the legs!

The surface of his feet and calves was covered with an extremely fine, almost transparent layer of dark golden energy thorn vines!

In an instant, Chen Lin felt much lighter, and his leg muscles were filled with explosive power!

He exerted force with his feet!

Whoosh!

His body shot out like an arrow released from a bow!

The speed far exceeds the norm!

The hard volcanic rock beneath his feet was cracked with tiny fissures when he exerted force, but he landed with unusual lightness and almost no sound!

The movement left faint, distorted afterimages, effectively interfering with any potential locking.

"So fast!"

Chen Lin was secretly delighted; his mentor Liria's gift was indeed extraordinary!

However, danger lurks everywhere in the Heart of Lava.

After running for less than a kilometer, a faint "crackling" sound suddenly came from a relatively flat area ahead, but full of small lava cracks!

[WARNING! High-energy reaction! Analysis: Small Fire Spirit Cluster (Level 4, early stage) x8]

The Seed of Origin issues an instant warning!

On the ground ahead, eight fist-sized, irregularly shaped, crimson orbs of pure flame slowly floated out from the lava fissures!

They have no fixed shape, and their cores shimmer with a faint orange-yellow light, radiating a scorching aura and chaotic fire elemental fluctuations.

They seemed to be startled by Chen Lin's movement, like enraged fireflies, instantly locking onto him and rushing towards him with scorching waves of air!

"Trouble!" Chen Lin's eyes narrowed.

These small things are not a big threat individually, but when they attack in groups, the combined temperature and impact of the flames should not be underestimated, and they are also quite fast!

He cannot afford to linger; he must resolve this quickly!

"Bloodthirsty Poison Ivy - Pierce!"

With a wave of his right arm, Chen Lin unleashed several vines, solid as solid, interwoven with dark gold and jade patterns, their tips wreathed in pale purple poisonous light, shooting out like venomous snakes emerging from their holes!

It accurately pierced the four fire spirit cores that were charging at the front!

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!

The vines struck the Fire Spirit's core with pinpoint accuracy! The nerve-paralyzing toxins they contained were instantly injected!

"Hiss hiss hiss—!"

The fire spirit that was hit made a piercing sound like cold water being poured into hot oil!

The flames flickered violently, burning unpredictably!

The toxins have limited effect on pure elemental beings, but their intense mental interference and energy erosion instantly disrupt their fragile energy structures!

The four fire spirits froze abruptly, their flames dimming and dissipating!

Chen Lin kept walking, and his speed increased instead of decreasing!

With the help of Thorns' Swiftness, he passed through the four stiff fire spirits like a ghost!

At the same time, a thought flashed through his mind!

"The Seed of the Spiritual Pivot - Disturbance!"

A seven-colored seed silently shot out from the flower's stamen, not to attack the remaining fire spirits, but to explode suddenly behind them!

hum!

An invisible mental shockwave spread out!

The remaining four fire spirits were struck as if by an invisible hammer. Their flames flickered violently, their pursuit was momentarily halted, and they even became briefly chaotic, colliding with each other!

Seizing this brief opening, Chen Lin's figure swept across the area like a gust of wind, leaving the chaotic fire spirits behind!

The whole process happened in the blink of an eye!

From encounter, attack, interference to escape, it all happened in one smooth motion.

Not a single bit of extra time or energy was wasted.

The recorder notifies you: [Successfully killed 4 small Fire Spirits, gaining 4 points.]

Chen Lin did not stop and continued speeding northwest.

The Thorn Speed ​​Mode doesn't consume much energy, but maintaining it for a long time still requires mental support.

As he moved, he used the Seed of Origin to scan the environment, avoiding obvious high-temperature areas and abnormal energy fluctuations.

The terrain of the Lava Heart is extremely complex.

In addition to the vast lava plains, there are huge black basalt columns, bottomless lava fissures, and sulfur vents that spew out scorching steam from time to time.

The poisonous gas in the air grew increasingly concentrated. Even with the passive protection of the medicine and the Thorn Armor, Chen Lin felt a burning pain in his lungs, and his mental energy was being consumed at an accelerated rate.

After running for about three kilometers, a stone forest composed of huge black basalt rocks appeared ahead.

The jagged stone pillars resemble the fangs of a giant beast, with more lava trickles flowing between them, making the terrain even more complex.

The resonance of the Emerald Peak Communication Talisman became stronger here, but it also became somewhat disordered, seemingly affected by the terrain of the Stone Forest or the energy of the earth veins.

"Kyle?" Chen Lin's heart skipped a beat. This style of concealment and utilization of terrain was very similar to Kyle's.

He cautiously reduced his speed, deactivated his thorny speed mode, and switched to stealthy movement.

The Shadow Thorns Ring's stealth effect was not activated, but the slight spatial refraction and aura concealment brought by its passive made him seem to blend into the shadows of the stone forest.

The Seed of Origin was operating at full capacity, sensing the energy fluctuations and traces of spiritual power around it.

Suddenly, he caught a faint but familiar, chilling scent—from Kyle!

At the same time, a violent and scorching energy wave erupted from behind the stone pillar in front!

"There's a battle!" Chen Lin's eyes sharpened, and he immediately accelerated towards the source of the disturbance.

After rounding a massive stone pillar, the sight before him caused Chen Lin's pupils to shrink slightly.

Kyle's figure flashed and leaped rapidly between the shadows of several stone pillars, like a ghost blending into the darkness.

But his current situation is not good!

His opponent was not the Fire Spirit, but a monster over three meters long that resembled a giant lizard.

Its entire body was covered with thick, dark red scales with flowing magma patterns, its thick limbs were covered with sharp bone spikes, and its long tail swept like a steel whip, lashing against the stone pillars and sending sparks flying!

The most terrifying thing is its head, which has no eyes, only a huge mouth full of fangs, from which molten saliva drips continuously.

[Target Analysis: Lava Lurker (Level 4, Mid-Game)]

[Characteristics: Extremely high physical defense (Lava Scales), immune to fire, and senses rely on heat and vibration.]

Attack methods: Lava spew, tail strike, bite.

Weaknesses: Relatively slow movement, slightly sluggish neural responses.

At this moment, the lava lure was furiously spewing out viscous, extremely hot lava projectiles!

Lava bombs pounded the stone pillar where Kyle was hiding like cannonballs, blasting the hard basalt into flying fragments!

Although Kyle kept dodging with his ghostly movements, the lava bombs had a wide coverage area, and the lava splashes and shockwaves from the explosions kept him in danger, making it impossible for him to get close effectively.

His shadow-cutting strikes the thick scales, leaving only faint white marks, with minimal effect.

To make matters worse, Kyle appeared to have burned his left leg with a splash of lava, causing him to freeze slightly as he moved!

"roar!"

The Lava Lurker seized the opportunity, its massive tail lashing out with a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, aiming fiercely at the spot where Kyle had dodged!

If this attack lands, Kyle will be seriously injured, if not killed!

At this critical moment!

"Seed of the Spiritual Pivot - Mental Impact!"

A fierce glint flashed in Chen Lin's eyes, and he attacked without hesitation!

A silver seed, shrouded in pale blue moonlight, shot out silently, tracing an eerie arc, and accurately struck the side of the lurking creature's ugly head!

boom!

With the explosion of the Spiritual Pivot Seed, a highly concentrated mental shock erupted at the relatively vulnerable mental core of the infiltrator!

"Awooo—!"

The infiltrator let out a painful, chaotic roar!

Its simple mind was instantly filled with a violent mental turbulence. The trajectory of its sweeping giant tail suddenly veered off course and slammed hard into the stone pillar next to Kyle. With a loud bang, the stone pillar shattered!

Seizing the moment, Kyle, enduring his leg injury, retreated rapidly as if blending into the shadows, narrowly avoiding the collapsing boulders and lava!

His cold eyes swept over the direction where Chen Lin was hiding, a hint of surprise flashing across his face before turning into a chilling killing intent that locked onto the lurking figure.

"Bloodthirsty Poison Ivy - Strangulation!"

Chen Lin's figure burst out of the shadows, and several vines burst out of the ground like giant pythons, instantly wrapping around the limbs and neck of the infiltrator who was in a brief state of confusion due to the mental shock!

The pale purple poisonous light on the vines intensified, and nerve-paralyzing toxins were injected frantically!

"Roar!" The Lurker struggled violently, its lava scales rubbing against the tough vines with a piercing sound, sparks flying everywhere!

However, the vines were exceptionally tough, and with the added damage from the toxins, its movements became noticeably stiff and sluggish!

"Shadow Thread Cutting & Spatial Attachment!"

Kyle's cold voice rang out.

Several dim beams of light, almost blending into the environment, flashed by in an instant, precisely cutting into the relatively vulnerable joint gaps and the connection points of the scales on the neck of the lurker!

Chi Chi Chi!

This time, the shadow threads, which possess a slight spatial sharpness, came into play.

The tough scales were forcibly cut open, revealing the dark red flesh inside.

"hiss!"

The lurking creature let out a painful scream!

"End this! Molten Core Fist!"

A furious roar came from the side and behind!

Rhodes' figure rushed towards him like a burning meteor!

His entire body was enveloped in crimson flames of fighting spirit, and his right fist, radiating blinding white light and carrying a destructive aura, slammed into the wound on the infiltrator's neck exposed by the Shadow Silk Slash!

Boom!!!

A terrifying explosion rang out!

The Lava Lurker's massive head was blasted to pieces by the violent fire energy!

The headless, enormous body swayed a few times before crashing to the ground, its dark red blood gushing out like lava and quickly evaporating under the intense heat!

Wanxiang dashcam reminder:

[Successfully killed the Lava Lurker (mid-level 4), gaining 10 points.]

Teamwork is key to kills, and points are awarded based on contribution.

You have earned 4 points.

Rhodes flicked the sparks off his fist, looked at Chen Lin and Kyle, and grinned:

"Hey! Thorns, Shadow, you came pretty fast! This lizard's skin is really thick!"

Kyle gave him a cold glance, said nothing, and quickly treated the burns on his leg, sprinkling some gray powder on them.

Chen Lin retracted the vines, slightly panting; the burst of energy just now had taken a toll.

"Where are Senior Ai and the others?"

"Sophia and Elena's resonance is in the southeast, which is a bit far away."

Evan should be in the middle.

Rhodes pointed in the direction.

"The energy interference in this godforsaken place is too strong. The communication talisman can only sense the general direction, and the transmission is very blurry."

Shadow and I had only just met when this big guy spotted us.

"Let's get out of here first. The smell of blood and the sounds of fighting might attract more attention." Kyle finished treating his wounds, his voice still cold.

The three quickly left the battlefield and found a relatively secluded recess near the rock wall to rest.

Rhodes took the initiative to be on guard; his scorching aura was a deterrent in itself.