Initially, Jiang Lin only had a high affinity for the light element, which allowed him to use light-based skills in combat.
As for the seven common attributes—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning—his affinity was roughly at the level of an ordinary person. He could barely use them, but doing so in battle was hardly efficient.
Later, during the second semester of his fourth year, he learned skills of other elements and broke their limits one by one, which slightly improved his affinity for these common elements.
He raised their affinity to a level where using them in combat was no longer a disadvantage.
This was why he could use skills like 【Eight-colored Sword Qi】.
As for attributes like ice, darkness, and space, his innate affinity was very low. Even with Little Black's guidance, getting started was extremely difficult.
His darkness affinity, in particular, was a pathetic zero, making it essentially impossible for him to ever learn it.
But now, this crystal had actually increased his ice affinity.
Not only that, but besides the ice attribute, there seemed to be another special attribute within the crystal.
Thinking about how the crystal was related to the frost ghost, Jiang Lin speculated that it likely had something to do with the soul.
However, he had only hunted one frost ghost so far, so the improvement to the crystal was minor.
He would need to hunt many more frost ghosts...
...
Jiang Lin withdrew his hand, and the ice-blue chill in his palm slowly dissipated.
Only then did Frostblade and the others snap out of their shock.
From the moment the frost ghost appeared to the moment Jiang Lin cut it down and absorbed its essence, the entire battle had lasted only a few minutes, yet it left everyone feeling as if a lifetime had passed.
All eyes were focused on Jiang Lin.
That golden figure stood silently by the riverbank, surrounded by the fading glow of the white-gold sword light from the 【Eight Extremities Holy Sword】. He looked like a god descended to the world.
Frostblade was the first to recover. He took a deep breath to suppress his shock and stepped forward, solemnly cupping his fists.
"Brother Matthew... no, Lord Matthew. Thank you for saving our lives."
His voice was still raspy, but it carried an unprecedented level of awe.
This youth was nothing short of a monster.
Red Flame's expression shifted several times before finally settling into a complex silence.
She sheathed her scimitar and walked over to Shield Warrior Two, helping the archer check his injuries without looking back at Jiang Lin.
The Old Scholar adjusted his crystal lenses, a faint, indiscernible glint flashing deep within his cloudy eyes.
He hurried to Jiang Lin's side and lowered his voice.
"Did you just absorb... the frost ghost's ice soul essence?"
Jiang Lin was puzzled. "ice soul essence?"
The Old Scholar explained, "From what I know, the ice soul essence of a frost ghost is extremely cold and carries strong soul pollution. Ordinary people would die instantly upon touching it, let alone absorbing it."
"For you to be able to turn it into your own power is truly..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear.
Jiang Lin didn't explain, simply saying indifferently, "Do I look like an ordinary adventurer to you?"
The Old Scholar choked on his words and nodded sheepishly. "It is indeed inappropriate for me to view you through the lens of a common adventurer."
Frostblade walked over, interrupting their conversation.
"Now is not the time to dwell on this. The frost ghost is gone, so we can cross the river. But no one can guarantee this underground river only has one of them."
He looked at the group, his voice regaining its usual steadiness. "How is Shield Warrior Two's condition?"
The archer looked up, his face grim. "The chill has invaded his organs. Although the fire-resistance potion has suppressed it for now, he needs a warm environment to rest as soon as possible, or he'll suffer permanent frostbite."
Frostblade frowned. "Old Scholar, where does the tunnel on the other side lead? Is there a chance it leads directly to the surface?"
The Old Scholar took out his compass, infused it with magic to sense the surroundings, and shook his head after a moment.
"No. The tunnel on the opposite bank still trends downward, and the magic flow is chaotic. It might connect to a deeper part of the underground labyrinth. To return to the surface, we'll likely have to keep going and find an upward path."
"Cross the river. Shield Warrior Two, can you hold on?"
Shield Warrior Two struggled to his feet. Though his face was still blue and purple, his eyes were determined. "I can."
"Good."
Frostblade was the first to step into the river.
The milky white water was warm and only waist-deep, but the current was swift, and the volcanic rocks beneath were slippery. They had to be extremely careful.
The team crossed the river one by one, with Jiang Lin bringing up the rear.
The moment his foot touched the water, the ice-blue crystal in his dantian throbbed slightly, as if reacting to some energy within the river.
Jiang Lin's heart stirred. He slowed his pace and sensed carefully as he crossed.
Sure enough, within the perception enhanced by 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】, he could "hear" an extremely faint but continuous splashing sound from deep within the water.
It wasn't the sound of water hitting rocks, but a lighter, crisper collision, like ice crystals rubbing against each other.
There was something at the bottom of the river.
But Frostblade and the others were already reaching the opposite bank, so it wasn't convenient to stop and investigate now.
Jiang Lin kept this discovery in mind and sped up to catch up with the group.
The tunnel on the other side was just as the Old Scholar had said, leading all the way down.
The walls here were no longer the neat ice bricks left by the frost giants, but rough, natural volcanic rock covered in a layer of slippery sulfur deposits.
The temperature rose significantly, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of sulfur and minerals, even causing a stinging pain in the nostrils when breathing.
The tunnel wound and twisted with many forks. Had it not been for the faint magic flow guided by the Old Scholar's compass, they would have long been lost in this underground maze.
After walking for about half an hour, a vast cavern appeared ahead.
Countless stalactites hung from the ceiling, reflecting a multicolored glow under the light of the team's fluorescent stones.
The ground was dotted with lava pools of various sizes, filled with thick, dark red liquid that emitted waves of intense heat.
"Careful! This is a Lava Lake area!" the Old Scholar shouted.
"Do not get within three meters of the lava pools! The ground near the edges might be soft and could collapse at any time!"
The team moved cautiously along the edge of the cavern, avoiding the pools that radiated the aura of death.
However, just then, another change occurred.
"Hiss—"
A piercing sound came from ahead, sounding like countless venomous snakes hissing at once.
Everyone stopped immediately, weapons drawn, and stared warily at the source of the sound.
At the edge of the largest lava pool ahead, several dark red shadows slowly "oozed" out from the rock wall.
The shadows initially looked like flowing lava, but they quickly took shape. They had the silhouettes of lizards and were composed entirely of semi-solidified lava. Golden-red patterns flowed across their bodies, and they had short, thick limbs and flat heads that spat out thick smoke smelling of sulfur.
"It's molten lizards!" The Old Scholar's face turned pale.
"They're 3rd to 4th-rank transcendent creatures. They're immune to fire, have extremely high physical defense, and they hunt in packs!"
Before his voice could fade, a dozen more shadows oozed from the wall.
In just a few breaths, over twenty molten lizards had blocked the path ahead.
Their glowing red eyes stared fixedly at the group, and they let out low, threatening growls as their sharp lava claws scraped against the rock, kicking up sparks.
"Out of the frying pan and into the fire..." Frostblade gripped his short sword and gave a bitter smile. "It seems we have no choice but to fight for our lives today."
Red Flame bit her lip. "Captain, you take Shield Warrior Two and the Old Scholar and retreat first. The assassins and I will cover the rear!"
"No," Frostblade shook his head. "The molten lizards aren't slow, and this is their nest. They know the terrain better than we do. Splitting up will only get us picked off one by one."
He took a deep breath and looked at Jiang Lin. "Lord Matthew, how much strength do you have left?"
Jiang Lin assessed his internal state. "I can still fight," he answered calmly, his right hand tightening as the eight-colored longsword manifested again.
Frostblade nodded. "Good. We'll coordinate with you and try to buy as much time as possible to create an opening for your attack."
Just then, the Old Scholar cried out in terror, "It's the Molten Lizard King!! We're doomed!!"
He pointed toward the back of the pack.
There, a molten lizard significantly larger than its kin was slowly crawling out of the lava pool.
This massive molten lizard had clearly reached the 5th-rank elite level. Although it wasn't yet a commander-tier, its combat power in this environment far exceeded that of a typical 4th-rank peak.
It was over four meters long, with three rows of sharp lava bone spikes rising from its back. A fist-sized dark red crystal was embedded in the center of its head, radiating intense heat waves.
With every step it took, the rock beneath its feet let out a faint sizzling sound, leaving behind charred claw marks.
Previously, when facing 4th-rank monsters, Jiang Lin's combat power was just enough, but against a 5th-rank, the gap of an entire rank was not something he could easily bridge.
The atmosphere in the team plummeted to freezing point.
Ahead, over twenty molten lizards slowly closed in, the scorching sulfur breath blowing against their faces. Behind them was the wolf pack they had just escaped and the unknown threat of more frost ghosts.
But the most despair-inducing thing was that 5th-rank Molten Lizard King. The mere pressure it radiated made it difficult for everyone to breathe.
Frostblade's face was grim, his knuckles white from gripping his blade. Red Flame's lips were pressed into a thin line, and the Old Scholar was pale as a ghost, his hand holding the compass trembling uncontrollably.
Jiang Lin stared at the Molten Lizard King with a heavy gaze.
"I'll test it," Jiang Lin shouted in a low voice, his words reaching everyone clearly.
In the next moment, a concentrated beam of sword qi shot through the air, aimed directly at the Molten Lizard King's head.
"Ssh!"
The sword qi was incredibly fast, arriving in the blink of an eye.
However, the Molten Lizard King simply tilted its head slightly, letting the sword qi strike the lava shell on the side of its neck.
"Clang!"
With a crisp sound like metal striking metal, the sword qi exploded into an eight-colored glow, but it only left a shallow white mark on the shell. Not even a single crack appeared.
The Molten Lizard King's glowing red eyes turned toward Jiang Lin, seemingly provoked by the challenge.
It opened its massive maw, and a dark red fire breath erupted, sweeping toward them like a waterfall of lava!
"Watch out!!" Frostblade shouted a warning, but he didn't hear a response from Jiang Lin.
He turned his head and saw that after saying "I'll test it," Jiang Lin had immediately begun to retreat.
He had already been at the back of the team, and as he flew backward, he swung a single beam of sword qi toward the Molten Lizard King.
Since everyone's attention had been on the Molten Lizard King, no one had noticed his retreat.
Now, using his limit-broken super-tier movement technique, 【Phantom Step · Shadow Wind】, he had already put a significant distance between himself and the group.
Seeing the incoming attack, Jiang Lin acted decisively, turning and swinging his sword. A white-gold sword light spanned across his front, colliding with the fire breath.
"Boom!"
The violent explosion shook the cavern, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. Both the fire and the sword light dissipated, and Jiang Lin used the recoil to fly back even further, his sword arm only feeling slightly numb.
"Go!"
Seeing this, Frostblade no longer hesitated and ordered a retreat, beginning to chase after Jiang Lin, who had already left them far behind.
The group turned and fled, sprinting toward the underground river they had come from.
Now, whoever ran the slowest was the frontline!
The Molten Lizard King roared and led the twenty-odd molten lizards in hot pursuit.
Though their limbs were short and thick, they moved incredibly fast in the volcanic environment, like molten lava flowing along the walls.
"Damn it! Why are there suddenly so many high-rank monsters!" Shield Warrior Two couldn't help but curse.
"I've run this route for years and never seen anything like this! Usually, we just run into a few snow nightmare wolves, but now it's wolf packs, frost ghosts, and a Molten Lizard King—all of them in groups!"
Red Flame slashed through a hanging stalactite to clear the path, gritting her teeth. "There's definitely something wrong! Has anything big happened lately?"
The Old Scholar gasped as he spoke, "The earth vein's magic essence is chaotic, which might be related to the increase in frost ghosts. But the appearance of so many high-rank monsters in such density is definitely not natural!"
"Stop talking and run! We might be able to use the terrain to block them at the river!!"
Frostblade glanced back. The molten lizards were within a hundred meters, and the ones in front were already starting to spit fireballs.
The fireballs slammed into the rock walls, exploding into splashes of searing lava. The resulting fragments rained down like shrapnel.
"Ah!"
One of the assassins couldn't dodge in time and was hit in the back by a lava fragment. His leather armor was instantly scorched, and his flesh made a sizzling sound as it burned.
He groaned and stumbled, his speed noticeably dropping.
"Assassin Two!"
Soon, he fell to the very back of the group and was finally caught by the leading molten lizards.
"Damn it, my life is cheap anyway. I'll take you all with me!"
With a shout, he turned around, his short blades glowing with a toxic green light as he lunged at the foremost molten lizard.
"Ssh!"
The short blade pierced the molten lizard's eye socket, injecting venom.
The molten lizard let out a pained shriek and thrashed its head wildly, throwing Assassin Two into the air and slamming him against the rock wall.
"Puff—"
Assassin Two spat out a mouthful of blood. Before he even hit the ground, he was struck by another molten lizard's claw, sending him flying like a rag doll for several meters until he rolled to the edge of a lava pool.
"Assassin Two!!!"
Frostblade's eyes nearly split from grief, but he could only keep running.
With one member down, the team's morale hit rock bottom.
But the instinct to survive drove them to keep sprinting.
Finally, the familiar sound of flowing water echoed from ahead—they had reached the underground river!
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