The further Wang Lin delved, the greater the fiery power he absorbed, like a gentle stream flowing into his body, encircling and nourishing his nascent soul, which had already adapted to the raw essence of fire.

A profound sense of comfort washed over Wang Lin’s mind. The multitude of elixirs he had consumed in the sixth level’s grand hall had only partially healed his injuries, never truly restoring him to his former self. But now, with the absorption of this fiery essence, his wounds began to mend once more.

Though slow, the progress granted Wang Lin a sliver of hope.

Alas, most had already ventured deep within the volcano’s heart. Wang Lin sighed inwardly, recalling that during his month of recuperation in the sixth level, he had inquired of Wang Wei regarding the antidote to the ‘Ecstasy of Life, Agony of Death’ poison.

However, in their time in the Immortal Realm, Wang Zhu and Hu Juan had scant dealings with poisons. They had heard whispers of the ‘Ecstasy of Life, Agony of Death,’ possessing a vague understanding, yet knowing nothing of its specific nature. Thus, the hope of curing Situ Nan rested upon the shoulders of the Immortal Emperor Qing Lin, or perhaps Qing Shuang.

Knowing he could not linger too long on this seventh level, Wang Lin inhaled deeply. The vortex formed by his swirling nascent soul expanded, radiating a more potent suction. He swiftly drew a portion of the fiery essence from the lava with his right hand, then withdrew it, rising in a single bound towards the volcano’s peak and its entrance.

In the instant of Wang Lin’s ascent, the black-clad figure in the distance also leapt, heading for the summit from another direction.

Wang Lin had noticed this shadowy figure long ago, for he possessed the same ability to absorb the fiery essence. The mark upon his brow stirred Wang Lin’s unease.

Wang Lin’s ascent was unhurried, like a gentle breeze rising from the volcano’s depths, gradually reaching the summit. Here, a vast caldera gaped, emitting dense plumes of black smoke that spread across the sky.

The heat was intense, so much so that the rocks surrounding the caldera were perpetually eroded, still resisting collapse, but glowing with a terrifying, baleful red.

Standing at the caldera’s edge, poised upon the crimson stones, Wang Lin remained impassive. The heat held no discomfort for him. He gazed down into the fiery abyss, shrouded in swirling shadows that occasionally surged forth, rising with the smoke.

Without hesitation, Wang Lin stepped forth, plunging into the caldera like a falling star. As he descended, his divine sense blanketed his surroundings. The swirling black smoke dissipated at his approach.

A wave of heat washed over him, quickly absorbed through his skin, transforming into strands of power that flowed into his nascent soul.

Wang Lin’s eyes gleamed with a strange light, and his descent accelerated. Behind him, the black-clad figure followed, maintaining a distance so as not to provoke Wang Lin’s wrath.

Through brief encounters, the black-clad man knew Wang Lin to be no ordinary cultivator. He was decisive, ruthless, and possessed a cunning mind. Even the Void Wanderer had repeatedly suffered setbacks at his hands, his cultivation now drastically diminished.

Had anyone else been in Wang Lin’s position, they would have struggled to navigate such treacherous waters, outmaneuvering powerful adversaries and using their strength against them, leaving the Void Wanderer in an impossible position.

The black-clad man’s heart grew heavy with trepidation as he recalled Wang Lin’s piercing gaze and audacious words in the first level. The aura that had forced back the Void Wanderer remained vivid in his memory.

Moreover, while he could absorb the fiery essence of this place, it was nothing compared to the power held by the Vermillion Bird, master of all fires.

“To devour this man… Impossible! Utterly impossible!” he lamented inwardly.

Wang Lin was oblivious to the black-clad man’s inner turmoil. His own speed increased as he continued to absorb the surging heat. As he descended, the heat intensified, and countless fissures appeared in the volcano’s walls, the rock shifting from crimson to a dark, ominous hue, laden with fiery poison.

The volcano’s walls were uneven, with occasional outcroppings. Wang Lin landed on one such protrusion, riddled with cracks and dark crimson in color, with wisps of black smoke drifting away.

The moment Wang Lin stepped upon this rock, a shower of pebbles broke away from beneath him, cascading into the crimson depths.

As he landed, Wang Lin inhaled deeply, drawing the surging heat from below into his body.

It was as if Wang Lin devoured the very heart of a firestorm. The heat solidified, forming flames that were pulled into Wang Lin’s body. He stepped back, his face flushed, but his eyes shone with brilliance.

The essence within him churned wildly, consuming the fiery power. After a brief respite, Wang Lin glanced upwards, snorted coldly, and continued his descent into the volcano’s heart.

Not long after Wang Lin’s departure, the black-clad man landed on the same outcropping, a flicker of horror in his eyes.

“To devour the power of flames in such a way… This man is mad!” The fiery essence was fiercely volatile, and the black-clad man dared not absorb it so directly, choosing to guide it cautiously.

Wang Lin continued his descent, growing ever faster, until he reached the bottom of the volcano. Through a veil of heat and smoke, he beheld what lay below.

At the volcano’s base lay a sea of dark crimson magma. Bubbles constantly rose to the surface, each bursting with a surge of heat and black smoke.

Perched between the volcano’s walls, half-submerged in the sea of magma, was a palace, identical to the entrances in the previous six levels.

Its doors were closed, adorned with a complex character scrawled in black blood. It resembled a rune, yet was something more.

It conveyed a sense of madness, a power that could distort the heavens and invert creation.

Wang Lin’s pupils constricted as he recognized the character. It was a word from the ancient God race, also used by ancient demons and ancient devils.

“Demon!” The word was ‘Demon’!

Before the palace stood Wang Zhu, Hu Juan, Bei Luo, and the others, including the Heaven Defier and the Void Wanderer, divided into two factions, watching the palace doors.

Ling Tianhou, the gourd elder, and the village woman were casting their own spells, ceaselessly attacking the palace doors. The sounds of their efforts echoed, but were fractured by the surging heat, unable to travel far or form any proper echo.

Wang Lin’s arrival caused the Void Wanderer to look up, his eyes filled with hatred, which he quickly suppressed.

With a flicker of movement, Wang Lin drifted to Wang Wei and Hu Juan’s side, eyeing the palace doors with a frown. Ling Tianhou roared, summoning five elemental swords behind him, which crashed against the doors. The ‘Demon’ character shimmered violently, but remained intact.

“I cannot break the seal to the eighth level!” Ling Tianhou declared, stepping back. The village woman and the gourd elder also shook their heads in defeat.

Wang Wei and Hu Juan frowned, having already attempted to breach the seal, but to no avail. With the seal in place, they could not enter the palace.

Wang Lin gazed at the ‘Demon’ character. Knowing that his own cultivation was insufficient compared to these ancient figures, he retreated to a nearby rock, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, while remaining alert.

Nearby, on a slightly lower rock, the pink-robed woman stood, surrounded by swirling snowflakes that resisted the heat. The rock beneath her feet seemed on the verge of freezing over.

Time passed slowly, and the black-clad man arrived, cautiously drifting to the side, gazing at the palace.

The ‘Demon’ character on the palace doors possessed immense sealing power. Wang Wei, Hu Juan, the Heaven Defier, Bei Luo, and the others, attacked the doors with relentless spells. A cacophony of sounds reverberated through the volcano, even breaking through the waves of heat, causing stones to crumble from above.

The sounds grew louder with each attack, until even from outside the volcano, a muffled roar could be heard.

Finally, with one mighty blow from Bei Luo, combining the power of all those present, a storm of energy swept towards the palace. The volcano trembled, and the magma surged like a raging sea, threatening to bring the entire structure crashing down.

The ‘Demon’ character shattered, and the doors swung open! But in that moment, a terrible transformation occurred!