The entire Magma World was incredibly vast—even several centuries might not suffice to cross it.
According to information obtained from Jike, the continent where Leilin currently stood was the largest landmass in the Magma World, known as the Crown of Flames.
Surrounding the Crown of Flames continent was the Magma Sea, formed by vast quantities of molten lava. Within it lived all manner of terrifying high-energy creatures, far more dangerous than the oceans of the
As a result, contact between the Crown of Flames and other continents was exceedingly rare. Even the most powerful extraordinary beings rarely ventured beyond this landmass.
In Jike's understanding, the Crown of Flames was the center of the entire Magma World. The other continents were nothing more than slightly larger islands.
"A fascinating world—an ocean made entirely of magma? I suspect those fire-attribute Wizards, if they learned of such a place, would spend every last coin they owned for a chance to emigrate here."
Leilin stroked his chin and continued browsing through the intelligence data obtained from Jike.
Though the information was incredibly complex, the Chip—which had recorded everything—could rapidly sift through enormous quantities of valuable data, automatically filtering out erroneous intelligence and merging the most relevant files.
Before long, the true face of the Magma World gradually unfolded before Leilin's eyes.
This was a world of fire. Fire elemental beings and magma creatures occupied over eighty percent of the territory. Races like the Horned Clan and ant peoples such as the Walkers could only cling to survival at the very edges of the continent.
On the continental map refined by the Chip, there was no trace of the Horned City, and Gold City was merely a tiny black dot on the periphery—a thoroughly remote backwater.
On the Crown of Flames continent, there were only three major powers.
The Pyre Empire, composed entirely of fire elemental beings; the Atlanta Federation, formed by a humanoid species called the Fire Feather Clan; and the United Kingdoms, a coalition of various other species—these were the largest organizational forces.
Among them, the Pyre Empire was the most formidable. The Atlanta Federation and the United Kingdoms sometimes had to join forces just to repel the Empire's aggression.
To compete with the magma and fire elemental beings for habitable land, wars erupted ceaselessly, and mutual enmity deepened with each passing year. Major battles occurred every few years.
As for the classification of the powerful, it was the same as what Leilin already knew. From lowest to highest: Extraordinary, Earth, Sky, and Star.
As for anything above the Star level—the strength of a fifth-level Grand Wizard in the Wizard World—Leilin had never heard of it. He didn't know whether this was because Jike's influence simply couldn't reach that level of intelligence, or whether such beings truly didn't exist.
Even so, with his current strength, Leilin was more than capable of going wherever he pleased in the Magma World—as long as he didn't draw the attention of Star-level powerhouses from other species or the Thunder of Jupiter.
"If I were
A gleam flashed through Leilin's eyes, and the Chip immediately began searching again.
Soon, a peculiar headline caught Leilin's attention: "Disturbances Erupt in Eastern Atlanta Towns—Rebel Organization Three Serpents Cult Claims Responsibility—Suspected Retaliation for Previous Federal Forces' Large-Scale Crackdown..."
"Three Serpents Cult?" This richly evocative name immediately sparked Leilin's imagination.
"Filter out all information related to the Three Serpents Cult," Leilin commanded. With a keyword to work with, the Chip's search became even more rapid, projecting all relevant materials before Leilin almost instantly.
Through reading these documents, Leilin's understanding of the organization grew ever deeper.
The Three Serpents Cult, also known as the Three Serpents Rebellion, was a rising power that had emerged only in recent years but was developing at an astonishing pace. Its ultimate goal was to overthrow the rule of the Atlanta Federation. Their movements were unpredictable, and they had garnered considerable support from the lower classes.
The Cult was rumored to be led by three leaders—each a terrifying powerhouse of immense strength. Their power had thwarted numerous attempts at suppression by the Atlanta Federation.
However, just days ago, the Atlanta Federation had suddenly announced an unprecedented victory in its campaign against the Three Serpents Cult—not only destroying many of their branch offices but also directly killing their leaders.
The riot news Leilin had encountered earlier was a retaliatory strike launched by the Three Serpents Cult.
"The Three Serpents Cult, is it? Interesting—are they truly three Grand Dukes, or merely decoys?" Leilin stroked his chin. But one thing was clear: within the Atlanta Federation, there were clues to the whereabouts of two Dawn Star Grand Dukes.
Regardless, he had to pay a visit.
"I have a feeling this Atlanta Federation is very suspicious," Leilin murmured thoughtfully.
The three Grand Dukes had had no prior grudge against the Atlanta Federation—so why would they suddenly act? It defied all logic, unless they had made some astonishing discovery within the Federation.
"Come to think of it, it was the Thunder of Jupiter that discovered this world first. It would be stranger if they hadn't been cultivating their influence here all along. So if the puppet master behind the Atlanta Federation turns out to be the Thunder of Jupiter, everything would make perfect sense..."
Leilin let his thoughts wander.
Compared to the Pyre Empire—which was composed entirely of fire elementals and fiercely xenophobic—the Atlanta Federation, formed by the humanoid Fire Feather Clan, seemed relatively easier to manipulate.
Moreover, its strength was second only to the Pyre Empire within the Crown of Flames, which suited the needs of those Dawn Star Wizards of the Thunder of Jupiter rather well.
Though it all made logical sense, Leilin felt that things probably wouldn't be so simple. This was a premonition deep in his gut—one that had brought him astonishing rewards on several critical occasions.
"Well, regardless, the Atlanta Federation is a must-visit. As for the Three Serpents Cult... I'll see about that later..."
Leilin silently exhaled a long breath.
...
Scorching magma and fiery red light composed the only colors of the Magma World. But beneath that dazzling crimson, the power of life was tenaciously taking root and growing.
This was a grassland covered in vegetation similar to the iron-thread trees Leilin had seen before—serrated plants that blanketed the earth completely. Occasional slender channels of lava flowed gently across the plain like small streams, yet they couldn't bring the slightest harm to this grassland.
These plants, resembling dried hay, had driven their roots deep into the surface—some even into the magma itself—drawing energy for their growth.
This tenacity made even Leilin take notice.
"Lei, why do you always like looking at this iron-thread grass?"
A porcelain-doll-like girl, wearing a fire-red jacket with several crimson feathers hanging over her forehead, came bounding over.
This girl was hardly different from an ordinary human child—if one ignored the feathers on her forehead and the backs of her hands.
She was of the Fire Feather Clan—the largest racial group in the entire Magma World besides the fire elemental beings, and the primary constituent of the Atlanta Federation.
"I just admire their resilience," Leilin said with a smile, handing her a large piece of meat. "Here, take it. I'm afraid we'll be parting ways here."
"Uncle Lei, you're leaving?" The little girl sucked on her finger, her face full of reluctance.
Though they were merely traveling companions encountered along the way, the powerful aura that this clansman radiated made even her own father pale in comparison. According to her father's private speculation, this Mr. Lei must be at least an Earth-level ascetic, honing his strength in hopes of ascending to higher realms.
"Brother Lei, leaving so soon?" Shortly afterward, another burly Fire Feather Clan man hurried over upon hearing the news, his face lined with obvious anxiety.
Leilin now had several fine red feathers on his forehead, clearly presenting a Fire Feather Clan appearance.
Within the Atlanta Federation, maintaining a Winged Clan appearance would have been far too conspicuous.
"Yes. Worldly asceticism no longer pushes me forward, so I've decided to join the army. Perhaps only through confrontation with those wicked fire elementals of the Pyre Empire can I ascend to higher realms."
Leilin's expression was utterly cold. "Besides, I've had a dream since childhood—to punish those flame vermin with my iron fists. The next major
"Hiss... the Grand Death Canyon?" The burly man's eyes bulged. That was the front line where the Atlanta Federation and the Pyre Empire clashed—the place with the highest military casualties.
"You—" The man only quivered his lips. Looking at Leilin's resolute expression, he ultimately couldn't bring himself to say anything.
"Good brother—help me kill a few more fire elementals." In the end, the man could only offer a parting blessing, clapping Leilin on the shoulder as he watched his figure vanish into the horizon...
"Hah... finally made it..."
Leilin gazed at the silhouette of a Fire Feather Clan city emerging in the distance and finally let out a long breath.
Ever since obtaining intelligence on the Three Serpents Cult, he had set out immediately, making his way here in secret.
But because the Magma World was far too vast and Gold City had been extremely remote, it had taken him considerable time and effort to finally arrive.
As for the Fire Feather Clan man and his family from before—they were simply companions he had gotten to know during his lonely travels.
"Different from the Wizard World, many of the extraordinary beings in the Magma World had directly joined the military and occupied high positions. If I wanted to obtain intelligence and information, there was no doubt that would be the most convenient place."