Chapter 29: The Wonderful Adventure in the Blazing Crystal Bazaar

Kyle piloted the modified spaceship and slowly landed in a relatively safe area of the Blazing Flame Crystal Star Region. The searing air currents constantly buffeted the spaceship, making "砰砰" sounds, as if reminding them of the danger here. The three of them stepped out of the spaceship, and in front of them was a peculiar scene surrounded by rivers of magma. In the distance, a huge volcano spewed out flames, turning the sky a bright red. At the foot of the volcano, there was a bustling place, which was their destination this time - the Blazing Crystal Bazaar.

"This is the Blazing Crystal Bazaar. I hope we can find some clues about the stardust power here," Kyle said, looking towards the bazaar with anticipation in his eyes.

"Be careful. Morgan said that this place is ruled by Sakka, the Flame Lizard, and he's not an easy character to deal with," Alicia reminded, while gripping the energy gun in her hand tightly.

Morgan nodded slightly and observed the surroundings vigilantly. "Everyone, stay on high alert. Everything here is full of the unknown."

The three of them walked towards the bazaar. The closer they got, the higher the temperature became, and a pungent smell of sulfur filled the air. But the lively scene in the bazaar soon caught their attention. All kinds of strange creatures shuttled through it. Some were short in stature and covered all over with scales; some had huge wings and flew at a low altitude. The stalls were filled with a dazzling array of goods, emitting a charming glow.

Kyle and the others entered the bazaar and looked around at everything with a sense of novelty. Alicia was attracted by the peculiar ornaments on a stall. It was a necklace carved from blazing crystals, and each blazing crystal sparkled with a lively flame, as if it had a life of its own. "These ornaments are so beautiful!" she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Morgan, on the other hand, was interested in some of the tools on the stall. The materials of these tools looked very special. They seemed to be made by mixing blazing crystals with a certain kind of metal and remained extremely sturdy even in high temperatures. He picked up one of the tools and examined the texture on it carefully, secretly pondering its use in his heart.

Kyle's gaze was drawn to a food stall not far away. There were some fruits and foods on the stall that he had never seen before, emitting an alluring aroma. One of the fruits was shaped like a huge red sphere, with sharp thorns all over its surface. However, these thorns glowed softly and didn't seem to be prickly. There was a small hole at the top of the sphere, from which a rich fruity fragrance wafted out, mixed with the searing heat, making one's mouth water.

"What kind of fruit is this?" Kyle asked the stall owner curiously. The stall owner was a plump creature covered with a thick layer of mucus, which seemed to be able to insulate against the high temperature. He grinned, revealing a set of uneven teeth. "This is a Blazing Berry. It's only found in our star region. It tastes great! Not only can it quench your thirst, but it can also replenish your energy."

Kyle was somewhat tempted. He looked at Alicia and Morgan, and both of them also showed curious expressions. Kyle paid the money and took a Blazing Berry from the stall owner. He carefully approached the small hole and took a gentle sip. A stream of sweet juice instantly rushed into his mouth, with a slight warmth, and the taste was really wonderful. The juice flowed down his throat, and he could feel a warm current spreading in his body, and the sense of weariness seemed to be reduced a lot. "It's really delicious. You guys should try it too!" Kyle said, and passed the Blazing Berry to Alicia and Morgan.

Alicia took the Blazing Berry and also took a sip. Her eyes lit up immediately. "Wow, this taste is so unique!" Morgan also took a sip and nodded slightly in approval.

While tasting the Blazing Berry, Kyle noticed another food item beside it. It was like twisted black worms, covered with a layer of sauce that looked like flames, and wriggling slightly on the plate. "What's this?" Kyle asked curiously. The stall owner smiled and explained, "This is a Blazing Crystal Worm. Don't be put off by its strange appearance. It tastes really good and is rich in nutrients! Many people like it."

Kyle hesitated for a moment but still decided to give it a try. He picked up a Blazing Crystal Worm and put it into his mouth. With a gentle bite, the worm burst out a rich fragrance, and the spiciness of the sauce and the freshness of the worm itself blended perfectly, and the taste was actually very wonderful. "Mmm, it really tastes good!" Kyle mumbled as he chewed. Seeing Kyle's reaction, Alicia and Morgan also mustered up the courage to try it and were equally amazed by this peculiar taste.

At this moment, the sound of an argument at a nearby stall caught their attention. Kyle saw a tall creature shouting angrily at a thin stall owner, and there were quite a few onlookers around. The tall creature was wearing a suit of armor pieced together from blazing crystal fragments, looking very imposing, but there was an arrogant expression on his face.

"For such a small amount of goods, you still dare to ask for such a high price? Do you want to do business here or not?" the tall creature said viciously.

The thin stall owner was so scared that he trembled. "Sir, this is already the lowest price. I... I really can't go any lower."

Kyle frowned and was dissatisfied with the tall creature's behavior. He stepped forward and said, "It's not right for you to bully a small stall owner like this, is it?"

The tall creature turned around and sized Kyle up, showing disdain in his eyes. "Who do you think you are? How dare you meddle in my business!"

Before Kyle could respond, several figures suddenly appeared behind the tall creature. They were exactly the group of Blazing Crystal Ratmen gangsters from before, and the leader of the gangsters was among them. The leader of the gangsters was startled when he saw Kyle, and then a ferocious smile appeared on his face. "Well, aren't these the few outsiders who were eating over there just now? What, got some energy after eating and now want to meddle in other people's business?"

It turned out that these gangsters had been wandering around in the bazaar and had noticed Kyle and the other outsiders before. When they saw Kyle meddling in the tall creature's business, they thought this was a good opportunity to pick a fight.

Only then did Kyle realize that his previous actions had inadvertently drawn the attention of these people. He was secretly on guard in his heart but was not afraid. He said, "I just can't stand seeing you bully others."

The leader of the gangsters sneered. "In this bazaar, Lord Sakka's words are the rules. We can do whatever we want. If you don't want to get into trouble, get out of here now!"

Morgan and Alicia also came over and stood beside Kyle. Morgan said, "Friend, we're all here to trade in the bazaar. There's no need to be so angry."

"Cut the crap!" The leader of the gangsters waved his hand, and the ratmen under him surrounded them, assuming a posture ready to fight.

Kyle knew that a conflict was probably inevitable. He secretly gathered the stardust power in his palm, preparing to deal with the attack. "Since you're being unreasonable, we're not afraid of you either."

When the leader of the gangsters saw that Kyle didn't back down at all, he let out a furious roar and charged towards Kyle. The short knife in his hand sparkled with a flame's light and stabbed straight at Kyle's chest. Kyle's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he sidestepped to avoid this attack. He didn't want to reveal too much of his strength in the bazaar, but these gangsters obviously didn't intend to let them go easily. When Alicia saw this, she was about to take out her energy gun, but Kyle reached out his hand to stop her.

"I'll handle this," Kyle said in a low voice. He concentrated his mind and mobilized the stardust power in his body, condensing a faint layer of light on his palm. When the leader of the gangsters attacked again, Kyle dodged nimbly, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it hard. The short knife in the leader of the gangsters' hand fell to the ground.

"Ah!" The leader of the gangsters let out a pained scream. Seeing this, the other ratmen rushed forward in a mob. Kyle, unhurried, utilized the stardust power and weaved through the crowd of ratmen like a ghost. In just a few moves, he subdued them all.

"You... You just wait!" The leader of the gangsters scrambled up in a sorry state and scurried away with his subordinates.

"It seems our actions have drawn their attention. We need to leave here as soon as possible," Morgan said.

However, before they could leave, they heard a deep growl. A huge Flame Lizard appeared at the entrance of the bazaar. Its body was over ten meters long, covered with scales that were ablaze. Its massive claws left deep marks on the ground. This Flame Lizard was Sakka. After transforming into human form, he stared coldly at Kyle and the others.

"You outsiders actually dared to cause trouble on my turf and display such peculiar power!" Sakka's voice was low and full of menace. He stepped closer to Kyle, and the searing heat emanating from him grew stronger. "I can sense that the power you used just now is extremely similar to the stardust power I've been pursuing. Why do you possess this ability, and where did you obtain it?"

Kyle's heart tightened, realizing that Sakka was extremely sensitive to the stardust power. He tried his best to stay calm and looked Sakka in the eye. "This is my secret and has nothing to do with you."

Sakka sneered. "In my bazaar, there's nothing that doesn't concern me. If you don't come clean, you won't be able to walk out of here alive." As he spoke, the flames on his body burned even brighter, and the surrounding air was distorted by the heat.

Alicia stepped forward, attempting to defuse the situation for Kyle. "We really have no ill intentions. We just happened to come here, and we only fought back in self-defense just now."

Sakka completely ignored her explanation and kept his gaze fixed firmly on Kyle. "I can feel the power's strength. You must tell me everything about it."

Kyle knew he couldn't deceive Sakka easily. He secretly clenched his fists, and the stardust power in his body began to surge, ready to deal with any possible attack at any moment. "I've said it. This is my business, and you can't force me."

Seeing Kyle's stubbornness, Sakka let out a furious roar and instantly grew in size, transforming back into his Flame Lizard form. He opened his huge mouth and spewed out a massive column of fire that swept towards Kyle and the others.

Kyle quickly released the stardust power, creating a protective barrier in front of them. The fire column crashed into the barrier, making a "sizzling" sound and sending countless sparks flying. Alicia and Morgan were not idle either. Alicia fired her energy gun at Sakka, while Morgan used his special ability to try to disrupt Sakka's movements.

The creatures in the bazaar fled in all directions, stalls were toppled over, and goods were scattered everywhere. Sakka rampaged through the bazaar, leaving a trail of destruction wherever he went. He swung his huge claws at Kyle and the others. Kyle nimbly evaded the attacks while searching for Sakka's weak point.

"This won't work. We need to come up with a strategy," Kyle shouted as he dodged.

Alicia observed Sakka's movements and said, "The scales on his abdomen are relatively thinner. Maybe that's his weak point."

Morgan nodded in agreement. "I'll distract him. Kyle, look for an opportunity to attack his abdomen."

With that, Morgan activated his special ability and created some illusions around Sakka. Confused by the illusions, Sakka's attacks became a bit chaotic. Seizing the opportunity, Kyle concentrated all his stardust power and charged towards Sakka's abdomen. He condensed a stardust blade in his hand and stabbed it fiercely into Sakka's abdomen.

"Roar!" Sakka let out a pained roar, and his huge body swayed. He turned his head angrily and swept his tail over. Kyle couldn't avoid it in time and was hit by the tail, falling to the ground.

"Kyle!" Alicia and Morgan rushed over and helped him up. Kyle wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "I'm okay. He's injured. Let's keep attacking!"

Just then, a mysterious figure appeared in the bazaar. The figure was shrouded in a black robe, and his face couldn't be seen clearly. He held a staff in his hand, and at the top of the staff was a gemstone emitting a strange light. The man in the black robe approached Sakka and whispered a few words. A hint of hesitation appeared in Sakka's eyes.

The man in the black robe turned around and said to Kyle and the others, "You, come with me. Lord Sakka is sparing you for now, but you must come with me."

Kyle and the others exchanged a look, not knowing what the man in the black robe's intentions were. But given the current situation, they seemed to have no other choice.

"Why should we trust you?" Kyle asked.

The man in the black robe sneered. "Do you have any other options? If you don't want to die, come with me obediently. Lord Sakka doesn't have much patience left."

Kyle weighed the situation and said, "Fine, we'll go with you, but you'd better not try any tricks."

The man in the black robe led Kyle and the others out of the bazaar and towards the volcano. Along the way, Kyle and the others vigilantly observed the surrounding environment, ready to deal with any unexpected situations at any time. They didn't know where the man in the black robe was taking them, nor did they know what awaited them. But they all knew in their hearts that this would be a dangerous journey into the unknown, and the secrets of the stardust power seemed to be hidden in the thick fog, waiting for them to uncover.

As they got closer to the volcano, the surrounding temperature grew higher and higher, the ground began to tremble slightly, and magma seeped out from the ground, forming small streams of magma. The man in the black robe stopped in front of a cave at the foot of the volcano. He tapped the entrance of the cave with his staff, and the stone door of the cave slowly opened.

"Go in," the man in the black robe said.

Kyle and the others entered the cave. A pungent smell filled the air, and strange lights flickered on the walls. At the far end of the cave was a huge stone platform, and on the platform was a fragment emitting a mysterious light.

"This is the fragment related to the stardust power that Lord Sakka obtained," the man in the black robe said. "He has always wanted to figure out the secrets of this fragment but has never succeeded. I know you are looking for clues about the stardust power. Maybe this fragment can give you some hints."

Kyle stepped forward and carefully examined the fragment. He could feel that the fragment contained a powerful energy, and this energy seemed to have a subtle connection with the stardust power in his body. He reached out and gently touched the fragment. In an instant, a powerful stream of information flooded into his mind.

In the stream of information, Kyle saw some blurred images, including ancient civilizations, mysterious rituals, and some fragmentary information about the stardust power. But these images were too blurry for him to obtain a complete clue.

"Why are you helping us?" Kyle turned to ask the man in the black robe.

The man in the black robe was silent for a while and then said slowly, "I was once a member of the Lingyao Clan, just like Morgan. I also hope to unlock the secrets of the stardust power and find a way to revive our race. Sakka just wants to use the stardust power to satisfy his ambitions, and I won't let him succeed."

Upon hearing the man in the black robe's words, Morgan stepped forward in surprise. "You're also from the Lingyao Clan? What's your name?"

The man in the black robe slowly removed his hood, revealing a weathered face. "My name is Cavin. I was lucky enough to survive that disaster and have been secretly searching for clues related to the stardust power ever since."

Kyle felt a sense of affinity towards Cavin. "Cavin, since we have the same goal, let's search for the secrets of the stardust power together."

Cavin nodded. "Okay, but we need to be careful of Sakka. He won't let us go easily. Although this fragment can give us some hints, it's far from enough. I know that deep in the volcano, there is an ancient ruin that may hold more secrets about the stardust power. However, the ruin is full of dangers, with all kinds of powerful guardian creatures and deadly traps."

Alicia frowned. "That sounds very dangerous. Can we do it?"

Kyle said firmly, "We've come all this way and faced so many dangers. We can definitely do it this time. To uncover the secrets of the stardust power and help Morgan revive the Lingyao Clan, we must give it a try."

Morgan and Cavin both expressed their agreement. So, they began to prepare for entering the ruin deep in the volcano. Kyle used the materials found at the interstellar base to further modify his weapon, enabling it to better unleash the power of the stardust. Alicia carefully checked every part of her energy gun to ensure that it wouldn't malfunction at a crucial moment. Morgan and Cavin, relying on their knowledge and experience, made some tools to deal with the traps.

Once they were fully prepared, the four of them walked towards the depths of the volcano. The environment inside the volcano was extremely harsh, with high-temperature magma flowing everywhere, and volcanic rocks falling from above from time to time. They moved forward cautiously, avoiding various dangers. During the journey, they found some strange symbols carved on the volcanic wall. These symbols were somewhat similar to the Lingyao Clan symbols in Morgan and Cavin's memories, but they were also different in some ways.

"These symbols seem to be guiding us to something," Morgan said.

Cavin studied the symbols carefully. "I think these symbols might be a roadmap to the ruin, but there must be some kind of code hidden in them that we need to decipher."

Kyle concentrated his mind and used the stardust power to sense these symbols. Under the influence of the stardust power, he found that the light of these symbols would flicker with his perception. He tried to interpret the symbols according to the rhythm of the flickering light, and finally, he found the pattern of the code.

"I think I understand!" Kyle said excitedly. He interpreted the symbols according to the pattern, and sure enough, a hidden passage appeared ahead.

The four of them continued to move forward along the passage. The passage became narrower and narrower, and the surrounding temperature grew higher and higher. Suddenly, a huge Blazing Crystal Spider pounced down from above. This spider was made entirely of blazing crystals, with its eight legs shining with a sharp light, and it spewed out high-temperature flames from its mouth.

"Be careful!" Kyle shouted and quickly used the stardust power to form a protective shield, blocking the Blazing Crystal Spider's attack. Alicia and Morgan then fired at the Blazing Crystal Spider from both sides, and Cavin also released an energy wave with his staff, attempting to disrupt the spider's movements.

After being attacked, the Blazing Crystal Spider became even more furious. It waved its huge claws and pounced towards Kyle and the others. Kyle seized the opportunity, condensed the stardust power in his hand, and formed a huge stardust sword, slashing at the Blazing Crystal Spider fiercely. The stardust sword struck the spider, sending sparks flying, and one of the spider's legs was cut off.

"Roar!" The Blazing Crystal Spider let out a pained roar and turned to flee. How could Kyle and the others let it go so easily? They pursued the spider and finally eliminated it completely.

After a hard-fought battle, they continued to move forward. Finally, they came to a huge stone door, which was engraved with complex patterns and symbols. Kyle knew that they had finally found the entrance to the legendary ruin.