"The training grounds on the surface are too tame; they don’t test real reactions in extreme environments."
"Since you’re all participating in the Elemental Night competition, you must adapt to the life-and-death combat atmosphere."
As they delved deeper, the passage began to tilt downwards, and the temperature gradually rose.
Ron could feel they were approaching a key organ within Ramses, where the Giant Beast’s most essential life energy was concentrated.
After walking for about twenty minutes, a massive chamber suddenly appeared ahead.
The scale of this space made everyone gasp involuntarily—
An oval space as large as several football fields, with a ceiling reaching dozens of meters high; the walls around were semi-transparent with a bloody red hue.
Numerous hair-thin blood vessels faintly emerged within, resembling a vast web of life.
The most stunning sight lay at the center of the chamber:
A gigantic heart was beating slowly, and each contraction caused the entire space to slightly vibrate.
On the heart’s surface, a liquid like magma flowed, emanating warmth and powerful life energy.
"This is Ramses’s third ventricle."
Salamanda finally came to a stop, his tone carrying a sense of reverence:
"The entire Sand Sea School’s magic power supply comes from the energy conversion of this heart."
"Conducting battle tests here not only measures your strength but also challenges your adaptability in high magic power radiation environments."
With that, he headed to the center of the chamber, beginning some complex magic preparations.
Salamanda’s body started to glow with intense heat, magma-like patterns emerged on his skin.
He spread his arms, as if embracing the whole world, then began to chant a spell:
"Ignis Vitae Formator...Tellus Liquens Architectura..."
As the spell resonated, the entire heart chamber underwent dramatic transformation.
The floor began to soften and melt, like a candle baked by high heat.
But this melting was not chaotic; under Salamanda’s precise control, it was reshaped into a standard arena form.
The molten ground flowed like mercury, gradually forming a circular combat area with a diameter of five hundred meters.
The edge of the area elevated, creating a ring-shaped barrier.
The whole process lasted nearly ten minutes, and once the spell was complete, an underground arena composed of semi-molten rock appeared before everyone.
"My gosh..."
Laku couldn’t help but marvel, his eyes full of awe for such large-scale terrain alteration magic:
"You actually can perform such precise element reconstruction inside a living being..."
As a wizard also skilled in terrain alteration, he felt as if he and Salamanda were like clumsy masons compared to a sculpting master.
"This is merely a basic application."
Salamanda casually waved his hand, then moved to a special position at the arena’s highest level.
There stood a throne carved from pure obsidian, its surface engraved with complex fire element runes.
As he sat down, the entire throne began to emit a deep red light, creating a marvelous resonance with the arena’s lava-covered ground.
"Now, let me introduce the test rules."
Salamanda’s voice resonated through some spiritual echo, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present:
"This will be a four-person melee, with no restrictions except no lethal attacks allowed."
"Edwin, as my direct disciple, will face the challenge of you three simultaneously."
Upon hearing this arrangement, Ron couldn’t help but reassess the seemingly homely and honest lava bloodline wizard.
Being arranged by Salamanda for a one vs. three situation indicated that Edwin’s strength was far beyond what it appeared.
"Additionally..."
Salamanda’s mouth revealed a dangerous smile:
"During the battle, I will unpredictably introduce some ’small surprises’ to test your adaptability in extreme environments."
"Remember, Elemental Night competition won’t provide you a comfortable combat environment."
He gently stroked the armrest of the throne, and the obsidian surface immediately displayed complex magic arrays:
"Now, take your positions."
Four young wizards walked to the center of the arena, dispersing as instructed by Salamanda.
Edwin stood right at the center, the honest expression on his face completely vanished, replaced by a rock-like unwavering focus.
Ron, Laku, and Patty arranged themselves in a triangular formation around him, each maintaining a distance of about thirty meters from Edwin.
"Begin the test!"
With Salamanda’s command, the battle erupted instantly.
Edwin didn’t hesitate, immediately entering a semi-magma transformation state.
But unlike the earlier demonstration, this time his transformation was more complete, more terrifying.
His height surged to five meters, his whole body covered in dense magma armor, with each breath spewing scorching flames.
Behind him extended two pairs of wings made of pure fire, like a legendary flame demon.
— First Ring・Lava Rain!
With a flap of Edwin’s wings, dozens of car-sized lava balls rained down like meteor showers in three different directions.
Each lava ball contained enough terrifying energy to level a small mountain, dragging long flame trails through the air.
Laku reacted fastest, immediately activating his bloodline ability.
The entire arena’s ground began flowing violently, converging towards him like liquid.
— First Ring・Sand Sea Shield!
Several layers of thick sand barriers rose before him, each layer several meters thick.