Journey to the Earth's Core

"Did anything happen to you while I was out?" Xiao Ming asked, smiling at Qing Lin who was pouring him water.

"With me here, what could possibly happen?" Zi Yan scoffed.

"That's true, but why are they so afraid of you?" Xiao Ming asked, taking a sip of water and pointing to the people next to him.

Xiao Yi Xian chimed in, "That's because a few days ago some people came to cause trouble, Zi Yan taught them a lesson. After that, these people have been like this."

"That's right, Sister Zi Yan is amazing! She knocked those people away in one go!" Qing Lin chimed in from the side.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming raised his eyebrows. Zi Yan's attacks were known to either injure or cripple, no wonder they were looking at her like that.

After taking another sip of water, Xiao Ming skipped the topic and asked Zi Yan.

"I hope nothing's happened in the East City?"

No, it's always the same as before.

"That's good. I'm going to the East City to look for Heavenly Flames later. Qing Lin will come with me."

"Huh?!" Qing Lin was stunned upon hearing this, then reacted and nervously clenched her hands, saying, "Young Master, what can Qing Lin do? Qing Lin can't help you at all. Let Sister Zi Yan go with you."

"I want to go!" Zi Yan said unhappily, puffing out her cheeks, when she heard that Xiao Ming had just returned and was going out again without her.

"I didn't say you couldn't come along." Xiao Ming sighed, then glanced at the silent Xiao Yi Xian. "Xian'er, you should come too."

Bringing one person or three people is the same, and since they're not going down into the lava anyway, and with Zi Yan watching over them, it doesn't really matter.

Xiao Yi Xian smiled and nodded.

After taking another sip of water, Xiao Ming led Zi Yan and the others to the east of the East City.

The vast desert is ravaged by yellow sand.

"Xiao Ming, are you sure we're here?" Zi Yan looked at the flat desert in front of her with doubt.

The terrain here is extremely ordinary, with no features that would attract attention. Flat sandy areas like this are almost countless in the vast desert. It's hard to imagine that this inconspicuous place could contain traces of Heavenly Flames.

"Didn't I already say it would be underground?" Xiao Ming said softly.

"If it's underground, how do we get down? We can't just dig randomly, can we?" Xiao Yi Xian asked.

"No problem." Xiao Ming wasn't worried at all. As he spoke, he immediately closed his eyes, and an invisible yet powerful Soul Power spread out from between his eyebrows in all directions. In an instant, all the sounds and movements around him were clearly transmitted into his mind.

A moment later, Xiao Ming opened his eyes.

"So, did you find it?"

"Found it, follow me." With that, Xiao Ming headed in a slightly northerly direction, with Zi Yan and the others following closely behind. Soon, the four of them arrived at a sandy area with a slightly sunken terrain.

After Xiao Ming stopped, he raised his hand and threw a punch, from which red Vigor Qi flew out.

The depression was immediately blasted open, creating a hole about two meters wide. Glancing inside, it was pitch black, with a faint warmth rising from it.

"This should be the cave leading underground. If we follow this path downwards, we should be able to reach the underground."

Xiao Yi Xian slowly approached the dark cave entrance, flipped her hand, and a Moonlight Stone appeared in her palm. She then tossed it into the cave.

The faint glow emitted by the Moonlight Stone rolled around a few times in the dark cave before gradually disappearing completely.

"Shall we go in?" Zi Yan asked as she slowly approached the cave entrance.

"Certainly."

"Then I'll go in first and scout it out."

After Zi Yan finished speaking, she didn't hesitate and lightly leaped into the dark cave entrance.

Seeing Zi Yan jump in, Xiao Ming turned his head and waved to Qing Lin beside him.

Seeing Xiao Ming's actions, Qing Lin quickly ran over, her strange emerald green eyes fixed on him with lively eyes.

Xiao Ming's gaze swept briefly over those captivating emerald eyes, and he reached out, pulling Qing Lin into his arms amidst her astonished expression. He smiled and said, "The environment in the cave is unknown, and you're too young and your strength is a bit low. Stay in my arms for a while."

Held in Xiao Ming's arms, Qing Lin's face gradually flushed crimson. She lowered her head and nodded softly, thinking to herself, "Young Master Aura so good."

Xiao Ming was unaware of Qing Lin's thoughts. Holding the still-young Qing Lin, he gestured to Xiao Yi Xian and then jumped in as well.

In the pitch-black passage, Xiao Ming held Qing Lin tightly in his arms, and the two of them slid down the slope of the passage, chasing after Zi Yan ahead.

Behind her, Xiao Yi Xian was holding a Moonlight Stone, her gentle gaze emanating from it, allowing her to discern whether there were any obstacles on the path ahead.

A moment later, with a soft thud, Xiao Ming landed steadily.

After setting Qing Lin down, Xiao Ming turned around and caught the Xiao Yi Xian was following closely behind and was a little unsteady on her feet.

"Thank you." Xiao Yi Xian smelled the unique Aura on Xiao Ming, tidied her slightly disheveled hair, smiled and thanked him, then looked ahead, where more than a dozen dark passages appeared before her.

"Oh no, this passage isn't a straight line; there are actually more than a dozen passages."

"There are indeed more than a dozen passages. These passages were probably opened up by a Snake Magical Beast. There are still some traces of its Aura on them. Judging from the Aura, this little snake should be Fourth-Order Magical Beast."

At the front of the passage, Zi Yan, with her eyes closed, turned her head and spoke.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming thought to himself, "This passage was probably opened by that Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake. I just don't know why this snake is running around so restlessly."

After thinking for a moment, Xiao Ming asked Zi Yan, "Can you find where that snake lives?"

"Of course," Zi Yan said with a smile. As Ancient Void Dragon, her perception of the Aura of other Magical Beast was stronger than Xiao Ming's. Identifying the lair of Magical Beast was a piece of cake.

Xiao Ming laughed upon hearing this, "This Magical Beast has burrowed into so many holes here, it should be extremely familiar with this area. You lead the way, find the Magical Beast's dwelling place first, and then we'll talk to it. That should allow us to find out the exact location of the Heavenly Flames."

The girls all agreed that what he said made perfect sense.

Zi Yan examined the cave entrance for a moment, then pointed to a passage slightly to the left and whispered, "This should be the passage."

"Okay, follow me." His gaze swept towards the dark passage, which was obviously very long and completely dark. Seeing this, Xiao Ming did not hesitate and walked straight in.

In the pitch-black and deep passage, there seemed to be no concept of time. They just kept moving forward in a somewhat rigid manner, and the passage seemed to have no end. They could never see the light at the end. This situation was like walking towards the center of the earth.

As they ventured deeper into the area, a faint heat enveloped Xiao Ming and his companions, which eventually intensified into a high temperature.

Xiao Ming felt his fighting Dou Qi become more active.

Xiao Ming was walking at the front, turned around and glanced at Zi Yan and the others behind him. "The Fire Attribute Energy here is too high. Can you hold on?"

"No problem." Zi Yan had no problem with it.

Within Qing Lin's body, a somewhat chilling energy was continuously being released to sustain her, which allowed her to remain composed.

Xiao Yi Xian's face was covered in sweat.

Seeing her like this, Xiao Ming's heart stirred.

Xiao Yi Xian suddenly felt a cool sensation. Looking at the milky white water droplets emanating cold air and constantly spinning around her, she was somewhat surprised.

"This is?"

"This is the Marrow of Extreme Cold." Xiao Ming didn't explain further, but turned and walked deeper into the passage.

"The Marrow of Extreme Cold?" Xiao Yi Xian looked at Xiao Ming's back, her heart gradually filled with warmth.

As they reached the end of the passage, the group quickened their pace, swiftly traversing the final stretch before arriving at the passage's exit.

Standing at the end of the passage, gazing at the fiery red world that appeared before him, Xiao Ming smiled slightly.

Inside the enormous cavern, fiery red magma flowed slowly, with occasional huge bubbles rising from it. After a moment, with a soft sound, it burst open with a bang, and scorching magma shot out like a brilliant red firework.

Standing at the end of the small passage, gazing at the seemingly endless Lava World before them, Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian somewhat shocked, and involuntarily swallowed.

Thanks to Xiao Ming's Marrow of Extreme Cold protecting her, Xiao Yi Xian felt incredibly relaxed and exclaimed in amazement.

"I never imagined that such a terrifying place would be hidden beneath the seemingly ordinary eastern East City Stone Desert City."