Exploring the Underground

The vast desert was ravaged by wind and sand. Tagor Desert was forever accompanied by scorching sunlight and violent yellow sands.

A crimson streamer streaked across the sky, finally slowing to a stop over a stretch of desert east of Stone Desert City, revealing Liu Xi's figure.

Liu Xi hovered over a flat expanse that looked no different from any other part of the desert, supported by the enormous Crimson Wings behind him.

Liu Xi looked at the map Hai Bodong had given him. It was drawn with great clarity, marking the locations of cities, water sources, oases, and even the places where the Snake People Race frequently appeared.

The first place Liu Xi came to was the location marked with a flame east of Stone Desert City. After all, Xiao Yan seemed to have discovered the underground passage here. Liu Xi lowered his head to look at the utterly unremarkable terrain and gently said to Qing Lin in his arms, "Qing Lin, help me check whether the location marked with a flame on the map is here."

Qing Lin was currently clinging to Liu Xi's front like a sloth. Hearing his voice, she hurriedly turned to compare the map with the desert below them, then unconsciously burrowed deeper into Liu Xi's embrace. After all, this was Qing Lin's first time being several hundred meters above the ground.

A faintly bashful flush covered her face as she said softly, "Yes, but there's nothing down there. Is there really a treasure Young Master is looking for?"

Liu Xi raised an eyebrow and said, "If this is the place, then there's no problem."

He then folded up the map in his hand, held it in one hand, wrapped the other around Qing Lin in his arms, and dove downward.

Amid Qing Lin's string of startled cries, Liu Xi descended from the sky, withdrew the Dou Qi wings behind him, and landed lightly upon the sand.

Seeing Qing Lin's little face turn from red to pale, her expression dazed even as she still clung tightly to him, Liu Xi found it rather amusing. He patted her back and said gently, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Only then did Qing Lin come back to her senses. Somewhat reluctantly, she climbed down from Liu Xi and said, "Young Master, Qing Lin isn't afraid!"

After Qing Lin got down from him, Liu Xi reassuringly rubbed her hair. Then his robes and long hair began to flutter without wind, and powerful soul power surged out from between his brows. At that moment, Liu Xi seemed to have opened God's Perspective. Everywhere his soul power swept over, he could perceive every scene around him.

Only then, through Liu Xi's Spiritual Sense, could part of the world's true nature be seen clearly. Above the ground was Fiery Red Fire Attribute Energy, while beneath the ground lay Earthy Yellow Earth Attribute Energy—vast, boundless, magnificent, and majestic.

At Liu Xi's command, his soul power continuously surged underground. In order to probe deeper, he constantly compressed it into threads, striving to detect the depths beneath the earth. What appeared within his Spiritual Sense was an Earthy Yellow World.

As Liu Xi's soul power penetrated deeper, the Earthy Yellow World's suppression of it became increasingly severe, continuously consuming and assimilating his soul power.

This was clearly not what Liu Xi wanted to see. The Green Lotus Core Flame was a flame that existed within Core Lava. Born in the depths of the earth, it underwent countless refinements, fusions, compressions, and sculpting by the earth's fire... Ten years to gain spirit, a hundred years to take shape, a thousand years to become a lotus. Upon reaching maturity, its color leaned toward green, and a cluster of green flame grew within the lotus heart. It was called the Green Lotus Flame, also known as the Green Lotus Core Flame.

Therefore, the place Liu Xi wanted to find was Core Magma filled with Fire Attribute Energy. His expression turned solemn. By now, his soul power had penetrated at least hundreds of meters underground, yet he still had not found even a trace of Fire Attribute Energy.

Thus, after probing all the underground areas nearby, Liu Xi took a deep breath and withdrew his extended soul power. He then pulled Qing Lin to another location and once again sent his soul power deep underground. In order to find the Green Lotus Core Flame, Liu Xi could only search inch by inch in earnest.

Time passed little by little. After Liu Xi withdrew his soul power from underground once more and his Spiritual Sense returned to his body, a continuous wave of dizziness struck his mind. His body swayed, and he nearly fell.

Qing Lin, who had been watching Liu Xi all along, saw him stagger and hurriedly stepped forward to support him. Her face full of concern, she asked, "Young Master, are you all right?"

Liu Xi steadied himself, rubbing his brow with one hand as he said wearily, "I'm fine. I'm just a little tired."

With the soul strength of a Fifth-grade Alchemist, I'm not this tired even when I normally refine Fifth-grade Pills. I didn't expect to be exhausted like a dog today and still not find even the slightest clue about the Heavenly Flame.

Liu Xi looked at Qing Lin supporting him. Her palm-sized little face was also filled with exhaustion. Even with my strength as a Dou Wang, I'm exhausted. Qing Lin hasn't even begun cultivating yet. With the body of an Ordinary Person, she accompanied me through this sandstorm-ravaged desert for an entire day without a single complaint. It's been hard on her too.

Liu Xi then looked at Qing Lin and said gently, "You've worked hard, Qing Lin. Let's head back for today."

Hearing this, Qing Lin nodded obediently and softly said, "Young Master, I'll support you back."

Liu Xi was quite pleased by Qing Lin's concern, but did a Dou Wang like him need to walk back? He immediately opened his arms to Qing Lin and said, "Come into my arms. I'm only tired because I used too much soul power. Flying back will definitely be faster!"

Seeing Liu Xi with his arms open, Qing Lin lightly bit her lip, a blush appearing on her face. She stepped forward and jumped into his embrace, then buried her head against his neck and gently breathed in the air carrying Liu Xi's unique scent. A hint of infatuation appeared in her eyes. Young Master's embrace is still so warm. How wonderful it would be if I could stay in Young Master's arms like this forever.

After steadying Qing Lin in his arms, Liu Xi spread his enormous Crimson Wings and transformed into a crimson streamer, flying directly toward Stone Desert City.

At Liu Xi's speed, it took only about ten minutes of flight to return outside Stone Desert City.

After entering the city, noisy sounds rushed toward them. Yet when Liu Xi carried Qing Lin onto the streets, the crowd suddenly fell silent for a moment.

They saw the Cursed Snake-Human Half-blood being carried in the arms of a White-robed Handsome Youth. The disgust in their eyes instantly turned to fear when they met Liu Xi's indifferent gaze, and they tremblingly moved aside to make way for him.

Liu Xi could not be bothered with these people. After returning to the Newly Purchased Courtyard, he greeted Qing Lin and went back to his room to rest. Sleep was the best way to recover from this kind of soul power depletion.

Ten days later

Liu Xi stood atop a sand dune with his eyes closed. He suddenly opened them in excitement, pursed his lips, and said, "After searching for more than ten days, I finally found it—the Core Lava buried deep underground and filled with Fire Attribute Energy!"

"But why can't I find the passage leading underground? Didn't the Original Plot have more than a dozen crisscrossing tunnels?"

"Wait. When Xiao Yan found the Core Lava, Queen Medusa had already been there and taken the Green Lotus Core Flame away. Only a Lotus Seat remained in the magma."

"Could those so-called tunnels have been forcibly blasted out by Queen Medusa with her profound cultivation?"

Seeing Liu Xi suddenly become excited, Qing Lin was happy for him as well. "Congratulations, Young Master!"

Liu Xi lovingly rubbed Qing Lin's little head and looked at her with a smile. "Didn't I teach you how to cultivate Dou Qi a few days ago? Have you cultivated any Dou Qi yet? I'll need Qing Lin's help shortly."

A delighted expression appeared on Qing Lin's face as she excitedly said to Liu Xi, "Young Master, I've already cultivated Dou Qi. This time, I'll definitely be able to help you!"

Liu Xi clapped his hands and said, "Then I'll be relying on Qing Lin. Next, let's go to the true location of the treasure!"

"Pill Fire Technique—Crimson Flame Mad Lion. This is my strongest attack, combining the Fire Control Technique of the Pill Fire Technique, the Heat Plundering Characteristic of the Nine Nether Spirit Flame Art, and the Beast Fire Power of the Crimson Flame Mad Lion. It is comparable to an Earth Tier Dou Skill. What Medusa can do, I can do as well!"

After saying that, Liu Xi extended his right hand, and a Crimson Flame appeared out of thin air in his palm. With a thought from Liu Xi, the Crimson Flame transformed into a Fire Lion.

The moment the Fire Lion appeared, the temperature of the already scorching desert around it instantly began to fall. After receiving the replenishment of heat from the outside world, the Fire Lion became increasingly blazing.

Liu Xi then threw the Fire Lion ahead and controlled it until its body reached two meters in length, no longer allowing it to grow. Though its size did not increase further, it still radiated boundless might.

Its terrifying heat caused the yellow sand around it to melt. It first threw its head back in a roaring posture, then leaped up and transformed into a streamer of flame, crashing fiercely toward the ground.

The terrifying heat instantly melted the yellow sand it touched into liquid magma, then plundered its heat and solidified it into lava. The flaming streamer continuously burrowed deeper underground, leaving behind a Lava Tunnel.

Liu Xi released his soul power, keeping it constantly around the flaming streamer and guiding it toward the Underground Magma Pool filled with Fire Attribute Energy that he had sensed with his soul.

At that moment, within the Underground Magma Pool, a flaming streamer burst straight through the lava above the pool and plunged directly into it. The originally calm magma pool instantly became turbulent, waves rising one after another. Yet every wave was magma capable of reducing an ordinary person to ashes.

Liu Xi narrowed his eyes as he sensed that the passage had been completely opened. He immediately picked up Qing Lin, circulated his Dou Qi to protect her fragile body, formed wings from Dou Qi behind him, and flew down through the passage. At the same time, his soul power fluctuated, leaving behind an Illusion Technique at the entrance so that others would be unable to discover the passage when looking this way.

Within the Giant Cavern, fiery red magma churned endlessly. This was the sight Liu Xi saw as he hovered above the Lava Pool. Abundant Fire Attribute Energy had completely occupied this place, repelling all other types of energy. It was so dense that it was nearly tangible.