Qing Lin

Lei Dong sat idly in the room for nearly half a day before Hai Bodong flew back. Whether the old man was overly excited because he had just recovered, or had always been like this, a chill filled the air before he even entered the room.

"Did you find it?"

Seeing Hai Bodong return, Lei Dong asked calmly.

Hai Bodong nodded, then took out the map and pointed to a spot. "Young Master, the Exotic Flame you wanted is here. However, I possess ice-attributed energy, and that Exotic Flame doesn't seem to have fully matured yet. So this old man couldn't retrieve it for you."

Hearing this, Lei Dong slightly furrowed his brows and wondered, "Could it be that the Azure Lotus Core Flame won't emerge until Xiao Yan enters the desert?"

Lei Dong then said, "All right, Hai Bodong. You can return to your Mittel Family and enjoy yourself."

After saying this, Lei Dong left Hai Bodong's small room and flew toward the place marked on his map.

After hearing Lei Dong reveal his origins, Hai Bodong breathed a sigh of relief, feeling fortunate that he hadn't tried to escape earlier! This Youth had indeed investigated everything about him...

A moment later, Lei Dong arrived at the entrance to the "Azure Lotus Core Flame." Once his body was enveloped in White Flame, he charged straight into the depths of the magma.

The fourth-tier Magical Beast, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, sensed the terrifying aura the moment Lei Dong entered. It immediately fled into the distance...

It had originally been a Magical Beast that stayed here to sense the growth of the Azure Lotus Core Flame. But first there had been Hai Bodong, a Dou Emperor, and now there was Lei Dong, who was even stronger than Hai Bodong.

A fourth-tier Magical Beast already possessed a trace of intelligence. Thus, it felt that cultivation was important, but its life was even more important!

Naturally, Lei Dong had no interest in a mere fourth-tier Magical Beast. A moment later, he saw a strand of azure light in the distance, enveloping this stretch of magma. Focusing his gaze, he vaguely saw an azure lotus standing gracefully within the light.

"Azure Lotus Core Flame."

The original work had introduced it before. It ranked nineteenth on the Strange Fire Ranking List. Born deep within the earth, it underwent countless temperings, fusions, compressions, and carvings through the earth's flames... It gained sentience after ten years, took shape after a hundred, and became a lotus after a thousand. When fully mature, its color turned slightly azure, and a cluster of azure fire was born in the lotus heart. It was called the Azure Lotus Flame, also known as the Azure Lotus Core Flame. Its power was unfathomable. Near volcanic regions, it could even trigger volcanic eruptions, creating nature's destructive force!

Clearly, the Azure Lotus Core Flame was now close to maturing. However, whether it would take a few days or a few months was something Lei Dong couldn't determine.

But he could be certain that this flame couldn't be taken yet.

However, according to the original work, the little girl called Qing Lin had sensed Medusa's aura half a year before Xiao Yan met her. It was at that time that the Exotic Flame matured and was taken by Medusa.

Since he couldn't determine when the Exotic Flame would mature, he might as well look for this little girl and take her under his command. After all, with her special eyes, her future achievements would be extraordinary!

With that, Lei Dong leaped up, left the depths of the magma, and headed toward Stone Desert City.

Lei Dong didn't know that the instant he had just left, the still-immature "Azure Lotus Core Flame" matured completely!

Stone Desert City was a city in the desert. Compared with the cities within the empire, it possessed a little more simplicity and solidity. Perhaps because it was near the Tagor Desert, its defenses were also much stricter than those of the cities inland. Fully armed soldiers could be seen patrolling everywhere throughout the city.

"Snake Person! Snake People are here! Run!"

"How terrifying!"

Not long after Lei Dong arrived in the city, just as he was worrying about where to find Qing Lin, voices suddenly came from a nearby street. A group of people shouted incessantly...

Following the sound, Lei Dong saw a little girl dressed in pale green being surrounded in an alley by a group of unruly children of various ages. They were shouting and laughing loudly at her.

The little girl in pale green lowered her head timidly. Her slightly thin Delicate Body trembled faintly, like a frightened little rabbit, evoking a trace of pity in anyone who saw her.

Finally, the little girl wrapped her arms around her legs and crouched down, beginning to cry.

Only then did the unruly children scatter. Seeing the small body trembling incessantly, Lei Dong walked over.

As if hearing footsteps approaching, the little girl, who had been crying, began sobbing even harder. She continuously mumbled, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare anyone..."

Looking at the trembling little girl and recalling what the children had shouted just now—"Snake Person!"—

Lei Dong was certain that she was Qing Lin.

It was just that she looked even worse than he had imagined.

Looking at Qing Lin, Lei Dong asked, "Why are you saying sorry?"

Lei Dong's calm voice echoed through the alley, allowing the frightened, crying little girl to feel a trace of warmth she had never experienced before.

That trace of warmth caused Qing Lin to weakly raise her head. Her exquisite, adorable oval face was marked by pitiful tearstains as she looked up at the unfamiliar "beautiful" Youth she had never seen before.

Lei Dong's gaze met the little girl's. When it fell upon her eyes and saw the three emerald-green dots deep within them, he smiled faintly and said, "You were bullied, yet you still have to apologize. Do you know why?"

Qing Lin timidly shook her head. "I... because I was born from the union of a Snake Person and a human. I'm a... person who... shouldn't... exist... in this world..."

Lei Dong snorted coldly and waved his hand. "No, you're wrong. No one is unworthy of existing in this world."

"You simply lack strength. If you possessed enough power and became a Strong Person, then the one hiding in this corner, crying in sorrow, wouldn't be you. It would be the people who bullied you. Are you willing to follow me and become a Strong Person?"

The gentle voice caused the fear on Qing Lin's face to freeze slightly. Since she had been born, no one had ever spoken such words to her.

Ever since she had gained awareness, she had worked as a servant girl for the Mo Tie Mercenary Group, living each day beneath the strange looks of others. She had never considered anything else.

Without thinking, Qing Lin nodded and replied, "I'm willing."

After she spoke, Lei Dong extended his hand. As if possessed, Qing Lin stretched out her small hand as well. Trembling faintly, she timidly placed it in his palm. When Lei Dong took her hand and led her toward the street, Qing Lin felt a surge of warmth.

Just as the two of them left the street, Qing Lin suddenly began trembling. It was as if some terrifying existence had appeared.

Lei Dong asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

If he hadn't known that Qing Lin had been bullied since childhood, he would have already lost his temper at her behavior!

He didn't like people who broke down crying at the slightest thing.

But when he thought of her talent and her future loyalty, Lei Dong once again showed great patience.

Upon hearing Lei Dong's question, Qing Lin answered weakly, "Young... Young Master, there's a terrifying aura. It seems to be approaching this place. I... I'm scared..."

Hearing this, Lei Dong slightly knitted his brows. "When did it start?"

If he remembered correctly, the aura Qing Lin sensed should belong to Medusa. But why hadn't he sensed the approach of a Dou Emperor?

Moreover, hadn't the "Azure Lotus Core Flame" yet matured?

Qing Lin paused, then added, "Young Master, it started just now. And the aura doesn't seem to be far from us."

Lei Dong put aside the doubts in his heart and asked, "Can you find the source of this aura?"

Qing Lin nodded. "I should be able to... But, Young Master, are we really going to find it? Qing Lin feels that it's terrifying!"

Lei Dong asked directly, "That way?"

Qing Lin had just felt warmth, and she didn't want to lose it. Thus, when Lei Dong asked, she raised her hand and pointed toward the direction where the "Azure Lotus Core Flame" existed.

Lei Dong felt extremely depressed. In the next moment, he picked Qing Lin up with one arm and flew straight toward the place where the "Azure Lotus Core Flame" was located.

PS: I wrote it this way simply to give Medusa and the protagonist a chance to meet.

(*๓´╰╯`๓)♡

As usual, it's time for a wave of collections, recommendations, and investments!