"But it’s not necessarily safe just hugging the edges of the lava pool," Ya Qiaoxi added, "The rock layers by the lava pool are quite fragile, and too much pressure could cause a collapse... if you accidentally fall into the lava pool with the vehicle, tsk tsk, not even a deity could save you."

"Well, it’s not definite, depends on one’s physique," Sun Hang said, "If an athlete falls in, maybe they could still be rescued."

"An athlete needs rescue? Just a bit of iodine, and they should be fine," Ya Qiaoxi, clearly an internet surf regular, immediately caught onto Sun Hang’s quip.

"But then again, aren’t there plenty of people like that here in this convoy?" Sun Hang surveyed the other vehicles, "I get the feeling some of these folks have pretty strong memetic strength."

"Quite a few," Ya Qiaoxi replied, "The lava pool’s danger can’t compare to a deadly sandstorm; if the entire convoy was thrown in, I guarantee that at least two-digit figures would climb out." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

As the convoy drew closer to Sunfall Ridge, the ambient temperature began to rise to a level of discomfort—even with the off-road vehicle’s AC at full power, the thermometer inside still showed nearly forty degrees.

"Candle Dragon, can you remove your scarf?" Sun Hang looked at the driver beside him.

"Uh? Oh..." Candle Dragon hesitated, realizing Sun Hang intended to use him like a human air conditioning, and switched hands on the wheel to remove his hat, scarf, and gloves.

Suddenly, a chilling aura filled the cabin, dispelling the previous stuffiness completely.

"Everyone, heads up, Sunfall Ridge is just ahead!" A Hunter shouted over the public communication channel, "First-timers here should be careful, try following the tracks of the vehicle ahead."

The convoy merging then split again inside Sunfall Ridge, large-tonnage vehicles climbing towards the slope top around a lava pool over four hundred meters in diameter, while Sun Hang’s party chose a circuitous route through the mountain pocket—on either side of which there were smaller lava pools, the path through them resembling a bridge made of irregular stones.

"This pocket’s nicknamed the Bridge of Hesitation," Ya Qiaoxi reduced the motorcycle’s speed to forty mph, "This counts as one of the most stable routes across the first mountain of Sunfall Ridge, the only issue is the narrow pathway, big vehicles can’t traverse, they can only climb."

"Why is this said to be the most stable?" Sun Hang asked.

The tire ahead rolled over within less than twenty centimeters of the lava pool’s edge, and Sun Hang could distinctly hear a faint cracking sound from within the rock layers. As their off-road vehicle crossed the same spot, a palm-sized stone piece cracked off the lava pool’s edge, plummeting into the fiery red lava below, instantly engulfed.

"The larger the lava pool, the more frequent the geological activity beneath it, hence more unstable," Ya Qiaoxi said.

"Isn’t it said that places already forming lava pools won’t have secondary eruptions?" Sun Hang questioned, "What’s the difference between big pools and small pools then?"

"According to the experts, Sunfall Ridge erupts magma like a volcano due to immense pressure in the subterranean magma layers, and these lava pools are formed by magma breaking through the surface under high pressure," Ya Qiaoxi explained, "They’re like pressure-relief vents, releasing stresses from within the crust... but releasing doesn’t mean completely eliminating. The larger the pool, the faster its expansion, and the pool’s peripheral zones become more fragile."

"Lava pools expand, albeit at varying speeds," Ya Qiaoxi pointed to the path ahead, "Last time I came to Sunfall Ridge, the Bridge of Hesitation was about fifteen to sixteen meters wide, now it doesn’t even reach ten meters... I estimate that after a few years, we’ll need another route to cross Sunfall Ridge."

As they spoke, the vehicle ahead suddenly jolted violently, tilting its front, with its left front wheel immediately jutting out over the pool’s edge, half the vehicle suspended above the scorching lava!

"Stop immediately!" Candle Dragon promptly hit the brake, the screeching friction of tires and ground echoing from behind them.

"Can... can you all reverse?" shouted a female Hunter from the front passenger seat of the car ahead, sticking her head out, "Our car has four-wheel drive, we’ll try reversing to get the vehicle back."

Right then, she could evade danger easily by opening the car door, but doing so would destabilize the car, slowly sliding towards the lava pool’s side.

"Don’t move!" Ya Qiaoxi immediately commanded, "Press the brake, and don’t move at all!"

"What’s happening? Is the chassis stuck on the lava pool’s edge?" the female Hunter frowned.

"Do you know why your vehicle jolted just now?" Ya Qiaoxi parked the motorcycle aside, jumping off.

"Seemed like it rolled over a rather big stone."

"That’s not a stone... it’s a Molten Rock Crab." Ya Qiaoxi bent down, peering through the gap under the front car’s chassis, "It’s now stuck beneath your chassis suspension, if you reverse and set it free, it will likely just push your vehicle right into the lava pool!"