Zhou Lin instantly realized a problem: this evil spirit was more difficult than any he had encountered before. Its speed and agility were also superior.
"You think you can escape? In here, all the magma is my eyes and ears. If I wish, you cannot hide anywhere."
The evil spirit looked at Zhou Lin with contempt and confidence, as if considering Zhou Lin's previous actions a futile attempt.
"I never thought of escaping. It's you who cannot escape."
Zhou Lin relished the evil spirit's confidence, knowing it wouldn't be smiling for long.
*Whoosh—*
Scorching flames surged directly towards Zhou Lin's face.
Seeing this, Zhou Lin's figure vanished from his spot. The next moment he reappeared, he was already behind the evil spirit.
However, before he could even extend his hand, the evil spirit had already turned its head to face Zhou Lin behind it.
At this moment—
The onlookers standing above, watching the magma, grew increasingly anxious. The fluctuations within the magma were significant, like waves rising and falling in the sea. It was clear that the battle between Zhou Lin and the entity was intense.
"This... could it be that Zhou Lin is fighting with something inside?"
The Professor of Metaphysics, observing the constant undulation of the magma, couldn't help but worry.
"What do you think? They must be fighting. I'm more concerned about who will win."
Guo Liang wasn't worried about anything else, only Zhou Lin. Coupled with the ongoing rain, the sizzling sounds above were incessant.
In the live stream:
"Oh dear, why didn't the boss bring the equipment down? Wouldn't we be able to see then?"
"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. It's such a shame we can't see anything. I'm so anxious."
"Haha, we're just anxious watching. Maybe the boss is just toying with the opponent right now. That would be quite amusing."
"Let's not dwell on it. We'll know what's happening when the boss comes up later."
...
Zhou Lin dodged several attacks, managing to catch one of the flames. He then took out the jade pendant in his hand. The jade pendant easily dissolved the fiery assault.
The evil spirit's gaze darkened inexplicably as it looked at the object in Zhou Lin's hand. This jade pendant.
"You're not omnipotent. I'm done playing with you."
Zhou Lin sneered, then bent his knees slightly and leaped upwards, propelling himself towards the surface. The evil spirit let out a scoff and followed closely.
The people waiting outside watched in astonishment as Zhou Lin emerged from the magma, encased in a giant bubble. Right behind him, a fiery red evil spirit followed, spewing flames from its mouth as it lunged towards Zhou Lin.
The onlookers were utterly bewildered. The heat was immense. Fortunately, Zhou Lin had brought out the protective shield, otherwise... they would have been incinerated.
"Zhou Lin..."
"Professor..."
The mercenaries and students grew worried as they saw Zhou Lin engulfed in flames.
Just then—
The jade pendant in Zhou Lin's hand emitted a chilling aura. In the intensely high-temperature environment, the coldness was even more pronounced than before. Zhou Lin could even feel a chilling sensation spreading from his palm, creeping up his arm. He then hurled the object forward.
The next second, the scorching flames began to form frost, surging towards the evil spirit. The evil spirit found it too late to retreat.
Zhou Lin sneered, pulled out his whip, and swung it forcefully. It wrapped around the evil spirit, rendering it immobile.
"No..."
The evil spirit, sensing fear, could only desperately spew flames. The rain that had been falling earlier now transformed into snow, greatly amplifying Zhou Lin's attack.
*Bang!*
The evil spirit was frozen into a block of ice and fell heavily onto the magma. However, the moment the frozen evil spirit touched the magma, a layer of frost also began to form on the molten rock. Finally, the evil spirit landed firmly on the ice, motionless.
Zhou Lin picked up his whip and swung it forcefully, hooking it onto the red stone pillar.
"This is yours. I have completed the task."
Zhou Lin calmly placed the frozen evil spirit on the ground. At that moment—
A figure emerged from within the red pillar and retrieved the evil spirit, leaving behind a red key. It was handed to Zhou Lin.
"This is your reward."
After speaking, the shadowy figure vanished again. Zhou Lin looked at the key in his hand, still warm to the touch, and a smile curved his lips.
Behind him, the mercenaries and professors breathed a collective sigh of relief, seeing that Zhou Lin had succeeded. The ordeal had looked incredibly perilous.
In the live stream:
"Where's that loser who said our boss would die? Come out and open your dog eyes to see! Is this what death looks like? Even if the boss dies, you won't."
"Exactly! Why are you silent now? Speak up! Why aren't you saying anything?"
"These people are just cowards. They've never seen the world before, it's hilarious."
"Haha, that's true. If it were them, they'd definitely be dead by now. But... they know the boss is capable, they just refuse to admit it. They're stubborn fools."
...
In the Dean's conference room.
The assembled group watched as Zhou Lin emerged safely, having turned the evil spirit into a block of ice, which they found quite miraculous.
"As expected of our Professor Zhou Lin. He's truly capable."
Professor Hu looked at Zhou Lin with immense admiration.
"Zhou Lin's clothes seem a bit scorched. It's evident how dangerous it was. We were too careless before, thinking that as long as Zhou Lin was involved, nothing would go wrong."
Professor Wen, with her sharp eyes, noticed a burnt edge on Zhou Lin's attire. Hearing this, the professors realized why Zhou Lin was so keen on money; it was earned with his life.
"Dean, I suggest you consider increasing his pay."
Professor Hu proactively advocated for Zhou Lin's increased compensation, which was quite unusual. The Dean, upon hearing this, agreed it made sense, but the question of how much to increase remained.
...
Inside the tomb.
Next was the golden pillar. A golden figure emerged from it.
"My greatest desire is gold. I love gold, but amidst this pile, I cannot choose the best gold. Every piece is the best gold."
The golden figure waved its hand, and a mountain of gold appeared beside it, composed entirely of gold ingots. It stood over twenty meters high, and each ingot appeared to be of substantial weight. It wasn't just the golden figure that was dazzling; the onlookers were equally mesmerized.