The fifteenth floor of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
Above the churning, scalding lava sea, a layer of fire ash hung perpetually.
At the center of the lava sea, a massive volcanic island constantly spewed scorching thick smoke.
Within that dense, black smoke, lava balls of various sizes—some pitch-black, others glowing red—fell from time to time.
Purple Hammer rode his fire-resistant wyvern and landed with difficulty on the volcanic island.
Although having a wyvern meant he didn't have to sail through the scalding lava sea, the creature couldn't fly very high.
Even the purple-skinned blacksmith tribe, despite their powerful fire resistance, could not breathe in the thick volcanic smoke.
Thus, the wyvern could only fly at a low altitude, staying beneath the heavy clouds of smoke.
Returning to land from the wyvern's back, Purple Hammer felt the solid ground beneath him and let out a long sigh of relief.
“Land is good,” he muttered.
He looked toward the center of the island. Both the fourteenth and fifteenth floors were lava sea environments.
According to Lady Feiwan's guidance, the island at the end of the lava sea led to a subordinate floor of the Well of Eternal Imprisonment.
The lava seas of the fourteenth and fifteenth floors were dotted with islands of various sizes.
However, there was no doubt that the volcanic island before him was the largest, matching Lady Feiwan's description of the island at the end of the lava sea.
“Can I really reach the subordinate floor from here?”
“It should be right there...”
Purple Hammer's gaze fixed on the crater at the center of the volcanic island.
The terrain on the island was extremely rugged, covered in sharp, pitch-black rocks. One wrong step could lead to a fall into the jagged crevices.
Some of these cracks constantly leaked lava, while the hot winds and turbulent air made flying difficult even for a wyvern.
A wyvern flying alone might have been able to adapt to the chaotic thermal currents with its natural agility.
But carrying Purple Hammer made the creature far less flexible.
Therefore...
“I suppose I have to walk the rest of the way myself.”
Purple Hammer tightened the straps of the Purple Treasure Mallet on his back and began his trek toward the volcano.
His four arms worked in tandem as he scaled the sharp rocks.
The rocks on the volcanic island were riddled with fissures and protrusions; even on vertical walls, Purple Hammer could rely on these to climb.
The climb did not require too much effort. After all, Purple Hammer was a monster belonging to the Well of Eternal Imprisonment, and the creatures inhabiting the island did not actively attack or harass him.
However, the strong winds that occasionally whipped up, carrying thick smoke, were a bit of a nuisance.
Standing on the circular rim of the crater, Purple Hammer lay flat, his four arms gripping the rock crevices tightly as he peered inside.
Strong winds mixed with pillars of smoke that felt almost solid were constantly being ejected from the interior of the crater.
Relying on the fire resistance of his Seeker's Armor, Purple Hammer managed to stay relatively composed, shifting from a prone position to a squat.
“A purple-skinned blacksmith.”
“Is it that fire-seeking blacksmith, Purple Hammer?”
“To think he could find his way here. This is a forbidden land where no one is allowed to tread.”
“Go back now. The Forbidden Fire is not on this floor.”
Chattering voices drifted from within the volcanic smoke.
“Who's there?”
Startled by the voices, Purple Hammer reached back with one hand and gripped his Purple Treasure Mallet.
“We scared him!”
“That's because you were chattering away.”
“Weren't you the first one to speak?”
“Haven't you heard of my existence? This is preposterous!”
“Then let us show ourselves to you!”
A scaly dragon claw emerged from the smoke, slamming heavily onto the rock in front of Purple Hammer.
Then, as the smoke was dispersed by a strong wind, two pairs of wings beat the air, churning the gale until a dragon head finally poked out of the haze.
“My name is Aclaire!”
The dragon head spoke in human tongue, looking down at Purple Hammer from above.
“The guard of the Exiled Land!”
Another dragon head emerged from the side, pushing the first one away.
“So, fire-seeking blacksmith, there is no Forbidden Fire in the Exiled Land ahead, nor is there a path to the next floor!”
A third dragon head squeezed out from between the other two to speak.
“Go back now. We will not let you enter the Exiled Land!”
The first head, seemingly terrified of being overshadowed by the others, hurriedly added the final word, causing the other two to shut their mouths.
Now, Purple Hammer could see Aclaire's full form.
It was a three-headed wyvern, thirty meters long with a slender body, two pairs of wings, a pair of dragon claws, and a pair of dragon feet.
Aclaire, the Guard of the Exiled Land!
As a purple-skinned blacksmith living in the Well of Eternal Imprisonment, he had never heard of such a three-headed wyvern existing here.
There weren't even legends about it.
The Exiled Land.
That must be the subordinate floor of the Well, the place where Lady Tongmu's traces were guarded.
“I...”
Purple Hammer steadied himself, looking at Aclaire as he tried to muster his courage.
“I wish to enter the Exiled Land to seek an audience with Lady Tongmu!”
“Oh?”
Hearing this, Aclaire's three heads lowered simultaneously. One leaned in close to sniff Purple Hammer's armor.
The other two moved to either side of him, observing him carefully.
“You wish to see Lady Tongmu? While it is true she left her mark in the Exiled Land, that great being—the first, the one who has always stood by the side of the Supreme Master—is not someone you can see just because you want to!”
The middle head rose, filled with arrogance.
“You are overestimating yourself,” the left head added.
“Exactly, exactly,” said the right head.
“Furthermore, the arrangements for the monsters within the Exiled Land are of the utmost importance. Only the Supreme Master and the three Great Guardians by His side can arrange for monsters to migrate there. It is not a place you can just wander into.”
The middle head added again in its capacity as the guard.
“What wishful thinking,” the left head chimed in.
“Exactly, exactly,” the right head supplemented. Then, its nostrils flared as it sniffed.
Its pupils constricted. “Wait, why do you have a Great Aura on you?”
“What Great Aura?”
“It's the Master's aura!”
“Then what do we do? Do we let him pass?”
“We are guards. we cannot just let people in!”
“But, but...”
“Should we ask the Master or the Guardians?”
“How can we disturb them with such a trivial matter!”
“But, but...”
“How about this, what if we...”
“Good idea!”
“Great plan!”
The three heads finished their deliberation and looked at Purple Hammer at once.
“Fire-seeking purple-skinned blacksmith, if you wish to enter the Exiled Land, you must pass the test of Aclaire, the Guard of the Exiled Land!”
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