"It is indeed Earth Core Viscera,"
Only seeing it with his own eyes did Zhang Fan dare to confirm it completely in his heart.
Earth Core Viscera was a treasure for cultivators at the Golden Core stage. It could help a Golden Core cultivator rapidly advance from the early to the peak of the Golden Core stage without any bottlenecks.
Unlike ordinary spiritual elixirs, Earth Core Viscera contained energy that had been tempered by the Earth Core Fire countless times, making it more refined. It could perfectly fuse with the cultivator's internal magical power. Upon absorption, it didn't even require refinement; the Earth Core Viscera would actively transform into pure magical power, continuously increasing the practitioner's magical power reserves.
...
"Everyone, only by driving away the demonic beasts will we have a chance to obtain the Earth Core Viscera. Otherwise, even if we obtain it, I believe none of us will be able to rest easy."
"Exactly, with our strength, driving away this pack of Silver Moon Wolves should be a piece of cake..."
With someone taking the lead, others naturally responded. With a back-and-forth of voices, many had ideas, but ultimately, no one acted.
At this moment, although hundreds of cultivators had gathered in this vast open space, and even some cultivators were trying to lead everyone to drive away the Silver Moon Wolves by Star Lake, and even Ouyang Ye had spoken, despite some responses, no one ultimately made a move.
For no other reason than the extremely scarce amount of Earth Core Viscera currently emerging from the bottom of Star Lake. Even if they drove away the Silver Moon Wolves, they would have little to gain.
"How about I go and take care of these Silver Moon Wolves?"
Seeing these people shouting loudly but no one daring to act, Liu Mu felt a little impatient.
"No hurry."
Zhang Fan shook his head. The reason the crowd hadn't acted wasn't fear of the Silver Moon Wolves, but wariness of each other.
When the external threat is not present, human cultivators are their own greatest competitors.
Moreover, although Earth Core Viscera was continuously emerging from Star Lake, the quantity was too scarce. It was incredibly difficult to even gather enough for one portion. Without seeing the true treasure emerge, no one would foolishly rush forward to become the target of everyone's attention.
Fu Feng had also been observing silently. He had a premonition that the calm lava beneath contained terrifying energy, and once it brewed to a certain extent, it would erupt again.
"Junior Zhang Fan, be careful of that old fellow Ouyang Ye when collecting the Earth Core Viscera later. The Ouyang family and my Fu family have always been enemies. If you accompany me, you might be targeted by that old fellow," Fu Feng reminded him with some apology.
"Don't worry, I'll protect him."
Before Zhang Fan could speak, Liu Mu waved his hand indifferently. A Nascent Soul cultivator who hadn't even passed the first Nascent Soul tribulation was not someone he took seriously.
Zhang Fan also nodded gently and remained silent.
...
Time slowly passed, and everyone waited quietly.
"Boom!"
At this very moment, the Star Lake, which had been incredibly calm, suddenly erupted with a stream of lava from its center. The fiery, scorching lava spewed out from the bottom of the lake, like a fire dragon, soaring straight into the sky.
"The Earth Core Viscera has appeared!"
"Charge!"
Within the fiery lava, a emerald green light was enveloped, which was the Earth Core Viscera everyone had been waiting for.
The lava scattered from the sky, falling into various parts of Star Lake, and even onto the ancient trees outside the lake, igniting a large fire.
But at this moment, no one cared about these things. They all rushed towards Star Lake as if driven mad. The Silver Moon Wolf pack had already fled in panic at the eruption of lava. Human cultivators scrambled to the edge of the lake, collecting the Earth Core Viscera scattered everywhere.
"Act!"
Fu Feng glanced at Ouyang Ye and the Nascent Soul stage expert from the Li family, then led Fu Sisi to charge out.
The Earth Core Viscera was scattered across the lava-covered Star Lake, making it very conspicuous. However, it was clear that the closer one got to the center of Star Lake, the more Earth Core Viscera was scattered.
Cultivators with weaker strengths dared to collect Earth Core Viscera only at the edges of Star Lake, because they knew very well that if they weren't strong enough to venture into the middle of Star Lake, even if they collected a large amount of Earth Core Viscera, they might not be able to get out.
"Aren't you going to collect it?"
Liu Mu had expected Zhang Fan to rush to collect the Earth Core Viscera like other cultivators. However, now that the Earth Core Viscera had been scattered everywhere, Zhang Fan was slowly walking towards the center of Star Lake, not even glancing at the Earth Core Viscera on the ground.
"You haven't gone either, have you?" Zhang Fan chuckled.
"I have already cultivated a Nascent Soul, so this Earth Core Viscera isn't of much use to me. Besides, I promised to help you collect a full portion. You yourself aren't even acting," Liu Mu said with some annoyance.
"No hurry."
With a few steps, Zhang Fan arrived beside the lava eruption point at the center of Star Lake.
"Kid, get out of here. This isn't a place for you."
Just as Zhang Fan was about to peer into the hole below, he heard a scolding voice.
Zhang Fan turned his head and saw a young man in a black brocade robe looking at him with a subtle sneer.
"It's Ouyang Lin."
"That kid is truly foolish. Is that a place he can go? Didn't you see that those who dare to go to the center of Star Lake are at least strong cultivators with the combat power of peak Second-rate Golden Core?"
Although everyone was busy collecting Earth Core Viscera at the moment, a small portion of them were observing the situation. Seeing Zhang Fan, a cultivator with weak magical power fluctuations, daring to go to the center of Star Lake, they all sneered in their hearts.
"Second Uncle."
Fu Sisi also noticed the situation from not far away. Seeing that it was Ouyang Lin who was confronting Zhang Fan, she quickly called out.
"With Fellow Daoist Liu Mu here, Ouyang Lin is just asking for trouble."
Fu Feng glanced at the situation and then continued to collect the Earth Core Viscera.
Most of the Earth Core Viscera were scattered in the lava. Only by splitting open the solidified rocks could the Earth Core Viscera within be obtained.
Although Liu Mu followed closely behind Zhang Fan, he did not step forward. This was because he had witnessed Zhang Fan's cultivation process and believed that as long as Ouyang Ye didn't come to trouble Zhang Fan, he could handle it.
"You're telling me to get out?"
Zhang Fan turned his head to look at the young face, a light smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"Do you want me to invite you out?" Ouyang Lin's face darkened. Everyone was collecting Earth Core Viscera at the moment, and he didn't want to waste time fighting. He had intended to drive Zhang Fan away with a single sentence, but he hadn't expected this kid to be so stubborn.
"Let me invite you, then."
Zhang Fan casually waved his hand and slapped out. Although there were no magical power fluctuations, the immense force caused Ouyang Lin's face to change drastically.
He had barely managed to raise his hand to block when the palm descended. With a crisp slapping sound, Ouyang Lin was sent flying backward as if struck by a heavy blow.
After slapping Ouyang Lin away with one palm, Zhang Fan paid him no heed. After saying something to Liu Mu, who was not far behind him, he directly leaped into the lava cave.
"You stay up here and behave. I'm going down to take a look."