Crossing the wilderness to survive, starting with a broken kitchen knife.

Meanwhile, Zhao Feng's flanking squad was also busy. They continuously hurled special magic bombs at the behemoth. The bombs exploded, emitting a powerful flash and a pungent odor, causing the beast to turn its head repeatedly and roar in anger. However, the beast's skin was tough and these attacks only made it more ferocious. It swung its massive tail, sweeping towards the flanking squad. Seeing this, Zhao Feng roared and swung his battle axe fiercely at the tail. The powerful impact numbed his palms, and he flew back several steps.

"Brothers, hold on! Keep harassing!" Zhao Feng got up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and boosted morale again.

On the front lines, Ge Dalong saw Zhang Shi injured and rushed forward, raising his hand to radiate a healing magical light that enveloped Zhang Shi. Puffs of white smoke billowed from Zhang Shi's right arm, his injury slightly relieved. Enduring the burning pain, he gritted his teeth and gripped the blade again, "Old Ge, come again!" Ge Dalong took a deep breath and waved his hands. The surrounding magical elements converged frantically, and he instantly summoned several giant demonic wolves composed of ice and water. The demonic wolves roared and pounced on the behemoth, biting at the lava armor with sharp claws and teeth, trying to create a better opportunity for Zhang Shi to attack.

Zhang Shi seized the opportunity and unleashed his Shadow Step once more, his figure moving like a ghost between the demon wolf and the giant beast. The sharp blade in his hand constantly shifted its angle, stabbing the giant beast's chest again and again. Each strike caused the beast to roar in pain, and the shimmering spot on its chest dimmed further and further.

Behind the behemoth, the island's defense tower opened fire at full power. Although most of the attacks were blocked by the behemoth's magma shield, several magic beams broke through the defense and hit the behemoth, gradually slowing down its movements.

Just as Zhang Shi was putting all his might into delivering a fatal blow, the beast, as if sensing the danger, suddenly raised its head and opened its bloody maw. A massive ball of magma, blazing with black flames, rapidly coalesced within its mouth. Zhang Shi was horrified. If this thing hit them, everyone around them would be reduced to ashes.

"Get out of the way!" Zhang Shi shouted, exerting all his strength to throw the sharp blade at the magma ball in the monster's mouth. The blade collided with the magma ball in mid-flight, causing a violent explosion. Black flames and magma flew everywhere, and the powerful impact sent Zhang Shi and Ge Dalong flying.

Zhao Feng, watching this from the flank, was terribly anxious. He desperately ran towards Zhang Shi and the others. The beast had also been severely injured by the explosion. A large gash had opened in a vital part of its chest, and black blood gushed out. However, it remained standing, struggling to launch a new attack.

Zhang Shi struggled to his feet. His stumbling motion showed he wasn't feeling well, but his resolve was growing stronger. He picked up a rune-marked scale and discovered that after it was stained with the beast's blood, some ancient runes he had never seen before appeared on it, as if guiding something.

"Old Ge, Brother Feng, we still have a chance! There's something strange about this scale!" Zhang Shi shouted. Ge Dalong and Zhao Feng quickly gathered around. The three of them gathered together, gazing at the runes on the scale, pondering deeply. Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from the scale, pointing directly towards an ancient volcano deep within the island.

"Could it be... that's where the key to defeating it lies?" Zhang Shi muttered to himself, a flicker of determination in his eyes. Without time to dwell, the three of them, along with the remaining warriors, raced towards the ancient volcano, the beast still in pursuit, still gravely wounded.

The sea breeze howled, carrying the pungent smell of sulfur. They rushed forward, the ground beneath their feet growing ever hotter. Scorching lava flowed through the cracks in the rocks, threatening to engulf the path ahead at any moment. Zhao Feng ran in front, brandishing his battle axe, splitting the scorching rocks that blocked his path, clearing a path for his comrades behind him. His clothes were already drenched with sweat, his back muscles tensed, and every swing of his axe carried an unwavering momentum.

Ge Dalong followed closely behind, his hands forming seals and casting ice-based protective magic on everyone. A thin layer of ice formed on everyone, barely shielding them from the intense heat. His face was pale, and the excessive drain on his magic power made his steps a little unsteady, but his eyes remained firm, and he would occasionally turn back to check on Zhang Shi's condition.

Zhang Shi endured the excruciating pain in his right arm, tightly gripping the rune scale in his hand. He stared intently at the shimmering light, fearing he would lose his way. His mind raced, fragments of ancient texts flashing through his mind as he tried to piece together clues about the volcano and the lizardmen's secrets.

As they drew closer to the crater, the ground shook more violently, and boiling lava surged like a river, making their progress increasingly difficult. Suddenly, a massive magma arm burst from the nearby lava pool and swept towards them. Zhao Feng reacted quickly, shouting loudly and swinging his battle axe at the arm. The collision of metal and lava produced a sharp hissing sound, sending up a shower of sparks. Zhao Feng was thrown back repeatedly by the recoil.

"Everyone, be careful!" Zhang Shi shouted, his figure flashing, performing a Shadow Step, and quickly flashing in front of the group. He swung his blade, creating a sharp sword energy that cut through the incoming lava debris. Ge Dalong seized the opportunity to dance with his hands, controlling the surrounding water elements, and building a water curtain barrier in front of the group to resist the impact of the lava.

After finally overcoming this crisis, the group finally reached the foot of the ancient volcano. At this moment, the light on the scales grew increasingly dazzling, pointing directly towards the crater. Zhang Shi looked up and saw violent magic surging within the crater. Black and red lights flickered and intertwined, like a portal to hell.

"No matter what's in there, we have to break through!" Zhang Shi said through gritted teeth. The three of them looked at each other with determination in their eyes. They led the remaining soldiers and climbed up the steep mountain road towards the crater.

Along the way, they encountered various bizarre monsters formed from a fusion of magma and magic. They twisted their bodies, spewed flames, and launched a frenzied attack. The warriors worked closely together, with Zhao Feng charging in the front, Ge Dalong providing magical support in the middle, and Zhang Shi using his agility to roam and kill the enemies. Step by step, they advanced towards the top of the mountain.

As they approached the crater's summit, a deep roar erupted, jarring their eardrums. Then, a massive, even larger lizard-like beast, its body ablaze with black flames, slowly rose. Its eyes flickered with an eerie red light as it stared intently at them, as if guarding some crucial secret.

"Is this... the Lizardmen's ultimate trump card?" Zhang Shi's heart trembled, but he tightened his grip on the blade. Zhao Feng roared, his battle axe heaving over his shoulder, ready to charge again: "Whatever it is, let's fight!" Ge Dalong took a deep breath and began frantically gathering his magic power, preparing to cast his most powerful spell.

As the two sides confronted each other, the rune scale in Zhang Shi's hand suddenly trembled violently, then broke free from his palm and flew into the crater. Zhang Shi subconsciously reached out to grab it, but found that the scale was extremely fast and disappeared into the depths of the crater in the blink of an eye.

Then, a strange scene occurred. The violent magic within the crater began to calm rapidly, the black flames gradually died down, and the guardian beast seemed to be restrained in some way, unable to move. Zhang Shi and the others looked at each other in confusion.