The members of the Ability Administration had initially believed the treants to be difficult to defeat. After all, their previous battle had ended in failure, and during the subsequent rescue operation, their primary objective was to keep the treants occupied. Especially the sixty-meter-tall giant treant, which only the fastest ability user, Shen Feng, could barely contend with. For anyone else, let alone holding it back, even dodging its attacks would be a challenge.
However, seeing Xiao Sheng's flames finally taking effect, they felt a sense of disbelief, quickly followed by elation. As long as they could win, that was all that mattered. Yet, the treants' ferocity was unimaginable. Even with their entire bodies engulfed in flames, they continued their relentless assault.
Xiao Sheng clutched the century plant fruit given to him by Shen Feng in his pocket, ready to consume it at any moment to gain immense combat power. But now, it seemed victory could be achieved without using the seed, as the treants had no means to extinguish the flames.
Within the underground waterways, despite the terrain having been shaped by millennia of erosion, the space was still limited. While the treants could enter the waterways, it wasn't easy for them to form formations. Consequently, the front five or six treants were already ablaze, but it was nearly impossible for the treants behind them to approach.
After catching fire, the treants began emitting a scorched smell, and the air temperature gradually increased. Finally, the first two treants in the front collapsed. Their nervous systems had been completely destroyed, rendering them incapable of movement.
At this moment, a high-pitched scream echoed from the depths of the cave. The instant this sound occurred, the treants ceased their attacks on the ability users and began retreating into the cave. Only the burning treants continued to attack Xiao Sheng.
Seeing this situation, Xiao Sheng immediately assumed the treants were attempting to escape and was about to pursue them. However, the five burning treants covering their retreat frantically blocked Xiao Sheng, unconcerned about the intense flames on his body, and continued their attacks.
At this point, Zhang Zi suddenly felt something was amiss. He then said to Jin Zijue beside him, "Do you feel the air temperature rising?"
Zhang Zi, being an ability user who controlled ice, had a naturally keen sense of temperature. At this moment, he noticed the air seemed to have become much hotter and felt a sense of unease. He immediately began to inquire, wanting to understand if something was happening.
Jin Zijue replied matter-of-factly, "Isn't it normal for the temperature to rise? Six or seven treants have been set alight. Each treant is like thousands of pounds of firewood. In a confined cave, when ignited, wouldn't the temperature naturally increase?"
In the waterways, the bodies of the two treants that had just fallen were still burning, their interiors turning into charcoal and crackling as they burned.
The treants blocking their path were also still burning. While their interiors hadn't yet been consumed by the flames, the treants had no way to extinguish themselves, so it was evident they would eventually burn to death.
Zhang Zi closed his eyes and carefully sensed the air temperature. He felt waves of heat. This was Siberia, and it was the dead of winter, yet the temperature inside the cave had become as hot as midsummer. This was highly abnormal.
"Something's wrong, it's really wrong. If only seven or eight treants were burning, there wouldn't be such a noticeable temperature increase. In my opinion, something must be burning in the depths of the cave. Look, there's still firelight over there," Zhang Zi said urgently.
Jin Zijue looked towards the depths of the cave and indeed saw a faint red glow, immediately becoming astonished. The cave was the stronghold of the mutated plants; how could it catch fire? Was someone deliberately setting it ablaze? But who could achieve such a feat?
"Xiao Sheng, look, the cave is also on fire. We should get out first. Your ability counters these treants, so let's wait until dawn before coming back down," Jin Zijue said, growing anxious upon seeing the fire in the cave's depths. They were already short on oxygen underground, and if the cave caught fire, it would be dangerous for so many of them to remain. Therefore, it was best to leave the underground area.
However, upon seeing the firelight in the depths of the cave, Xiao Sheng almost spat out a mouthful of blood. The situation was too strange. They were on the verge of victory, and then the depths of the cave caught fire. This was too much of a coincidence.
"No, I have to go in and see. If it's not on fire, I'll come back. But if it really is on fire, I need to find out who set it ablaze. I will never forgive them," Xiao Sheng said angrily.
Jin Zijue quickly tried to stop Xiao Sheng, saying earnestly, "Listen to me. In this situation, if you go in, you'll definitely be burned to death. Don't think that just because you control flames, you can withstand such a large fire."
Jin Zijue knew Xiao Sheng was furious, but he couldn't stand by and watch his good friend perish. He began to persuade him earnestly, hoping Xiao Sheng would understand the consequences.
However, Xiao Sheng could no longer tolerate it. He had spent days meticulously planning to capture the mutated plants, to return to his country with honor, to be a hero in the eyes of others, and to have a brighter future. But now, with the possibility of the cave being on fire, how could Xiao Sheng not be agitated?
Xiao Sheng took out the century plant seed and said directly, "I still have the century plant seed. I still have a chance. If I eat this, I will gain immense power, and I will definitely be able to survive in the sea of fire."
With that, Xiao Sheng immediately put the century plant seed into his mouth. His body quickly filled with power, a warm current surging through him and affecting his entire being. Without another word, Xiao Sheng rushed forward. The five burning treants attempted to block him, but Xiao Sheng casually conjured two fire dragons. The two blue dragons coiled around the treants and exerted their force, instantly burning them to charcoal from the inside.
The interior of the treants was their absolute weakness. Others only knew that treants were impervious to blades and spears, but they didn't know that their weakness lay within, including their nervous systems. Now, with their interiors instantly catalyzed, the treants collapsed, scattering charcoal everywhere.
Zhang Zi looked at Jin Zijue. The burning treants in front had already been effortlessly killed by Xiao Sheng, whose power had been amplified. Xiao Sheng was truly terrifying now, capable of surviving even in a sea of fire. But what about the rest of them?
"Should we go and help?" Zhang Zi couldn't help but say to Jin Zijue.
Jin Zijue immediately dismissed the idea. "Don't be foolish. Help? You just said yourself that the depths of the cave are completely engulfed in flames. We could see the firelight from three to four hundred meters away. The fire is clearly not small. To help at a time like this would be suicide."
Zhang Zi hesitated, "But if Xiao Sheng faces over a dozen treants alone, won't he be in danger?"
Jin Zijue quickly replied, "Please, don't underestimate Xiao Sheng. He just effortlessly killed several treants. These treants are merely suppressed in his presence, so don't worry unnecessarily. Brothers, let's get out."
The others nodded in agreement. They also felt that Xiao Sheng didn't need their concern. Instead, it was more important for them to leave quickly.
Thus, they could only leave the underground, leaving the situation in the cave to Xiao Sheng. As for whether Xiao Sheng could successfully emerge, that was beyond their prediction.
Xiao Sheng charged towards the depths of the cave, wanting to understand what had happened. His strength had now surged considerably, making him unmatched within the Ability Administration. However, he couldn't help but worry. He wasn't concerned about ambushes, but rather about the mutated plants in the cave potentially being in danger.
On his way, Xiao Sheng saw many treants rushing about. These treants paid no attention to Xiao Sheng, who was pursuing them from behind, as if they hadn't seen him at all. In other words, these treants were likely preoccupied with more important matters, and therefore had no inclination to deal with Xiao Sheng.
Finally, when Xiao Sheng reached the former waterfall entrance, he was stunned. The previously dim cave was now illuminated. The entire cave floor was engulfed in flames. The sixty-meter-tall treant was also covered in flames, moving within the cave but unable to withstand the fire's attack.
And within the canopy of the treant, Xiao Sheng saw something shaped like a heart, pulsating continuously. Above this heart was a vertical eye. Upon seeing this bizarre object, Xiao Sheng's eyes lit up. He had heard from Xiao Sheng about the appearance of plant hearts. This thing possessed intelligence and was the core of the mutated plants. Obtaining the plant heart would be equivalent to controlling the entire mutated plant.
Xiao Sheng looked at the sea of fire below, hesitating. Meanwhile, some treants had already jumped down. The treants that jumped were immediately engulfed by the flames. Even knowing that jumping down was a sure path to death, these treants still chose to jump without hesitation. To rescue the plant heart, the treants were willing to risk everything.
Witnessing this scene, Xiao Sheng was filled with courage. He gritted his teeth and said, "Fortune favors the bold. At this point, we have to take a gamble!"
Xiao Sheng then leaped directly into the sea of fire below. As he descended, the flames automatically parted, creating a path as if deliberately making way for him. This was because Xiao Sheng's control over his abilities had reached an extraordinary level. Upon landing, the surrounding flames, under Xiao Sheng's control, immediately separated.
However, upon landing, Xiao Sheng found himself stepping into a pool of dark liquid. There was also a lot of black smoke around him. At the same time, Xiao Sheng suddenly smelled a pungent odor, which immediately gave him a bad premonition.
When he first saw the black smoke, Xiao Sheng had assumed it was a normal phenomenon from burning plants. But after the flames parted upon his descent, Xiao Sheng realized there was a reason for the sea of fire in the cave's depths. There was a thick layer of liquid on the ground, and with the burning and black smoke, it was obvious. This must be crude oil, as Qiu Ming's underground was an oil field, and naturally, petroleum would be found.
Upon discovering this, Xiao Sheng's premonition intensified. He thought to himself, "The flames in the cave were indeed man-made. But who did this?"