Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus

Lin Yan's thoughtless remark made the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, Ao Ye, freeze for a moment. Then, an awkwardly amused expression appeared on his face.

"Uh... Fellow daoist, you jest." Ao Ye coughed lightly and said somewhat awkwardly, "My name is Ao Ye. Ao is the surname of the direct dragon lineage, while Ye means blazing fire, with connotations of brightness, splendor, and distinction. It does not mean... staying up all night."

He specifically explained his name, clearly placing great importance on it.

However, Lin Yan's peculiar focus had successfully caught his attention. As a top divine beast, ordinary creatures invariably treated him with utmost reverence, yet this person before him showed no sign of restraint whatsoever.

Lin Yan knew he had misspoken. Rubbing his nose, he laughed awkwardly. "So it is fellow daoist Ao Ye. My apologies, my apologies. I am Lin Yan, transformed from the Earth Dragon Clan. How are your injuries, fellow daoist? Do you need treatment first?" He hurriedly changed the subject, putting on a concerned expression.

Mo Xuan, standing nearby, witnessed their expressions and burst out laughing. Pointing at Lin Yan, she said, "Hahaha, Lin Yan, what exactly goes on in that head of yours all day? Little Golden Dragon, I'm Mo Xuan, of the Qilin Clan. Your injuries look quite serious. Do you want us to help treat you?" As fellow top divine beasts, Mo Xuan spoke far more casually to Ao Ye.

Ao Ye examined the state of his body, and his brows furrowed. He discovered that some of the malevolent qi lingering in his wounds had already seeped into his body and were wreaking havoc on his meridians. Fortunately, the Dragon Clan possessed formidable physical bodies, so it could not do much to him for the time being. Still, completely removing that malevolent qi would likely take considerable effort.

Lin Yan and Mo Xuan had fought Innate Fierce Beasts countless times over the years and suffered countless injuries themselves. They were highly experienced in treating wounds. When they saw Ao Ye frown, they knew his injuries were not looking good.

With a thought from Lin Yan, the Primal Chaos Plate flew out of his body and hovered above Ao Ye's head, casting down a misty gray radiance that enveloped him.

"Fellow daoist Ao Ye, do not resist. I will help treat your injuries."

At first, Ao Ye wanted to evade the gray radiance enveloping him, but after hearing Lin Yan's words, he obediently stood still. He had also realized that if these two intended to harm him, they would not have saved him earlier.

Once the gray radiance shone upon Ao Ye's wounds, the malevolent qi coiling around them was instantly devoured. The malevolent qi that had seeped into his body was also drawn out strand by strand, then absorbed by that strange octagonal plate.

In just a short while, Ao Ye felt his entire body lighten. All the malevolent qi within him had been removed. All that remained were ordinary injuries of flesh and blood, and with the Dragon Clan's powerful recovery ability, he would soon recover completely.

Ao Ye looked at Lin Yan in surprise. To so easily purify the malevolent qi of Innate Fierce Beasts, that unremarkable-looking plate was certainly no ordinary treasure. And this Lin Yan, who came from the Earth Dragon Clan, also seemed far from simple.

"Many thanks, fellow cultivator Lin Yan," Ao Ye hurriedly said. The two had saved his life today and even helped treat his injuries. He knew he owed them a great debt.

"Ao... Fellow daoist Ao Ye, how did you end up fighting those fierce beasts? Did you draw your sword to help when you saw injustice?" Seeing that Little Golden Dragon's injuries were no longer serious, Mo Xuan asked.

"Ah, today has truly been unlucky! I discovered several fierce beasts wandering nearby. After investigating carefully, I found an Innate Spiritual Root beneath the ground—the Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus. I wanted to take the Spirit Root while the fierce beasts were unprepared. But through a moment of carelessness, I leaked a trace of my aura and was discovered by those fierce beasts. Then I was surrounded here by that group of beasts and nearly lost my life." A trace of unwillingness and frustration appeared on Ao Ye's face.

"You dared to face several Heavenly Immortal Late Stage fierce beasts head-on for a single Spirit Root?" Mo Xuan shook her head repeatedly, her eyes full of an expression that said, Is this dragon an idiot?

"That is a mid-grade Innate Spiritual Root, and it is Fire Attribute. Why would it not be worth risking my life for?" Ao Ye looked somewhat embarrassed by Mo Xuan's words, but he clearly did not think he had done anything wrong.

Lin Yan had not expected this Little Golden Dragon to be the sort who valued treasure over his life. For the sake of a Spirit Root, he had dared to make a move right under the noses of several Heavenly Immortal Late Stage fierce beasts. Lin Yan did not know whether to praise his courage or call him blinded by greed and ignorant of death.

But now that the fierce beasts had all been killed by the three of them, they could go take a look at what kind of Spirit Root had made this Little Golden Dragon willing to risk his life.

Guided by Ao Ye, the two sank underground and arrived at the edge of a vast Lava Lake.

At the center of the Lava Lake stood a crimson lotus shaped like blazing flames, continuously inhaling and exhaling Spirit Qi. The lotus had nine petals, each blood-red yet crystal-clear, as though carved from the purest ruby. Within its lotus heart, a wisp of Golden Flames swayed endlessly, releasing waves of pure yet violent Fire Spirit Qi. Lin Yan recognized that wisp of Golden Flames as something transformed from a trace of Innate Fire Essence.

"Look, the Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus, a mid-grade fire-type Innate Spiritual Root!" Ao Ye's eyes gleamed as he stared fixedly at the lotus. "Its lotus heart contains a trace of Innate Fire Essence qi, which is immensely beneficial for cultivating Fire Attribute divine abilities. Its lotus seeds can temper the physical body, improve bloodline purity, and even aid in comprehending the Law of Fire. It truly is an exceptionally rare treasure!"

Lin Yan noticed that ever since entering the underground area, Ao Ye's gaze had scarcely left the Spirit Root. His face was filled with excitement, as if he could not wait to claim the Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus for himself.

Out of habit, Lin Yan summoned the Mini Ecology Simulator and performed a rough scan of the entire Lava Lake.

The results returned by the simulator showed dozens of enormous Earth Fire Spirit Veins beneath the Lava Lake. The roots of the Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus grew precisely at the convergence point of those Earth Fire Spirit Veins.

Around the Lava Lake grew several heat-resistant spirit herbs and spirit insects. Farther away, some small spirit beasts moved about quietly.

Clearly, these living beings were permanent residents around the Lava Lake. Together with the Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus, they formed a small yet complete ecological environment.

Lin Yan attempted to remove the Crimson Flame Lotus through the simulator. The image showed that without the lotus balancing the underground fire veins, those fire veins would soon lose equilibrium and become violently unstable. The Fire Spirit Qi would begin to rage out of control, while the surrounding malevolent qi could no longer be restrained and would gradually erode the life force here. In only a short time, all living beings around the Lava Lake would perish as their life force was cut off.

Seeing this, Lin Yan said to Ao Ye, "fellow daoist Ao Ye, this Crimson Flame Lotus is indeed an exceptionally rare Spirit Root. But from what I can see, it is closely connected to the earth veins here and is the thread of life for this small heaven and earth. If you take it away, this place will likely become a true Fire Fiend Deadly Land, and all living beings here will certainly perish. Such an act... would disrupt the harmony of heaven. Fellow daoist Ao Ye, could you allow this treasure to remain here?"

Ao Ye could not help but freeze upon hearing this. All along, when collecting treasures and Spirit Roots, he had only considered whether he possessed the ability to take them. He had never considered what impact removing those treasures would have on the surrounding environment.

The Crimson Flame Lotus was valuable, but if satisfying his own selfish desires meant driving so many living beings here into extinction, then that seemed to conflict with his original intentions.

Still, the Crimson Flame Lotus was truly an exceptionally rare treasure to him. Giving it up just like that was rather regrettable. Besides, even if he did not take it, someone else might come and claim it. Would that not merely mean handing it over to someone else?

Yet Lin Yan and Mo Xuan were, after all, his saviors. It did not seem right to openly disregard their wishes.

For a moment, Ao Ye found himself caught in a dilemma.