Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus

Lin Yan's thoughtless words came out, and Ao Ye, the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, was stunned for a moment, then a wry smile 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, and 'Ye' means abundant fire, with meanings of brightness, splendor, and magnificence. It's not some... staying up all night."

He specifically explained his name, clearly valuing it greatly.

However, Lin Yan's peculiar focus also successfully caught his attention. As a top-tier divine beast, ordinary creatures would show him reverence, yet this person before him showed no signs of restraint.

Lin Yan also realized his slip of the tongue, touched his nose, and chuckled, "So it's Fellow Daoist Ao Ye, my apologies. I am Lin Yan, a transformed Earth Dragon. How is your injury? Do you need treatment first?" He quickly changed the subject, putting on a concerned expression.

Mo Xuan, standing by, saw their expressions and let out a chuckle, pointing at Lin Yan and laughing, "Hahaha, Lin Yan, what are you always thinking about? This little golden dragon, my name is Mo Xuan, from the Qilin Clan. You seem to be quite injured, do you want us to help you heal?" As fellow top-tier divine beasts, Mo Xuan spoke much more casually to Ao Ye.

Ao Ye felt his internal condition and frowned. He discovered that some of the malevolent energy lingering on his wounds had already entered his body and was wreaking havoc on his meridians. Fortunately, his dragon race possessed powerful physical bodies, so it wouldn't be able to do much to him for a while. However, completely eradicating this malevolent energy would likely require considerable effort.

Lin Yan and Mo Xuan had fought fierce beasts countless times over the years and sustained numerous injuries. They were experienced in treating wounds and knew Ao Ye's condition wasn't good when they saw him frown.

Lin Yan's mind moved, and the Primal Chaos Plate flew out from within him, hovering above Ao Ye's head, casting a misty gray radiance that enveloped Ao Ye.

"Fellow Daoist Ao Ye, do not resist, I will help you heal."

Ao Ye, enveloped by the Primal Chaos Plate, initially wanted to evade the gray radiance. But upon hearing Lin Yan's words, he stood still obediently. He had also realized that if these two wanted to harm him, they wouldn't have saved him earlier.

As the gray radiance shone on Ao Ye's wounds, the malevolent energy clinging to them was instantly devoured. The malevolent energy that had seeped into his body was also extracted bit by bit and then absorbed by the strange octagonal plate.

In just a moment, Ao Ye felt a lightness all over his body. All the malevolent energy within him had been absorbed. What remained were simple flesh and blood injuries. With his dragon race's formidable recovery abilities, he would soon be as good as new.

Ao Ye looked at Lin Yan in surprise. To be able to purify the malevolent energy of innate fierce beasts so easily, this unassuming plate was definitely not ordinary. And this Lin Yan, who came from the Earth Dragon lineage, also seemed extraordinary.

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Lin Yan," Ao Ye said quickly, expressing his gratitude. He had been saved by them today and then had his injuries treated by them. He felt he owed them a significant debt.

"Ao... Fellow Daoist Ao Ye, why did you get into a fight with those fierce beasts? Were you helping the weak and fighting for justice?" Mo Xuan asked, seeing that the little golden dragon's injuries were no longer serious.

"Alas, what bad luck today! I discovered a few fierce beasts wandering nearby. Upon careful investigation, I found an Innate Spiritual Root underground – the 'Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus'. I wanted to seize the spiritual root while the fierce beasts were unprepared. But due to a moment of carelessness, I leaked a trace of my aura, and those fierce beasts discovered me. Then I was besieged by this group of fierce beasts and almost lost my life," Ao Ye said with a hint of unwillingness and annoyance on his face.

"For just a spiritual root, you dared to go head-to-head with several fierce beasts at the Heavenly Immortal Late Stage?" Mo Xuan shook his head, his eyes full of an expression that said, "Are you a fool, dragon?"

"That's a Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Root, and it's fire attribute. Why wouldn't it be worth risking my life for?" Ao Ye felt a bit awkward being lectured by Mo Xuan, but he clearly felt he had done nothing wrong.

Lin Yan didn't expect this little golden dragon to be someone who valued treasure over his life. For a spiritual root, he dared to make a move under the noses of several Heavenly Immortal Late Stage fierce beasts. He didn't know whether to call him courageous or greedy and reckless.

However, since the fierce beasts were already killed by them, they could go and see what kind of spiritual root it was that made this little golden dragon risk his life.

Under Ao Ye's guidance, the two sank into the ground and arrived at the edge of a huge lava lake.

In the center of the lava lake, a lotus flower, entirely crimson and shaped like a blazing flame, was constantly inhaling and exhaling spiritual energy. The lotus had nine petals, each crimson like blood, yet crystal clear, as if carved from the purest ruby. At the lotus heart, a golden flame flickered, emitting waves of pure and violent fire spiritual power. Lin Yan recognized that the golden flame was a trace of Innate Fire Essence.

"Look, the Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus, a Mid-grade fire-attribute Innate Spiritual Root!" Ao Ye's eyes shone, staring intently at the lotus. "The heart of this lotus contains a trace of Innate Fire Essence, which is greatly beneficial for cultivating fire-attribute divine abilities. Moreover, its lotus seeds can temper the physical body, enhance bloodline purity, and even aid in comprehending the Law of Fire. It is truly a rare treasure!"

Lin Yan noticed that ever since entering the ground, Ao Ye's gaze had barely left the spiritual root, his face filled with excitement. It was as if he couldn't wait to put the Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus into his possession.

Lin Yan habitually called out the Mini Ecology Simulator and gave the entire Lava Lake a rough scan.

According to the results fed back by the simulator, there were dozens of huge Earth Fire Spirit Veins beneath the Lava Lake. The roots of this Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus were growing at the intersection of these Earth Fire Spirit Veins.

Around the Lava Lake, some heat-resistant spirit grasses and spirit insects grew, and a little further away, some small Spirit Beasts were quietly active.

Clearly, these living beings were permanent residents around the Lava Lake, and together with the Nine-Petaled Crimson Flame Lotus, they formed a small but complete Ecological Environment.

Lin Yan attempted to remove the Crimson Flame Lotus from the simulator. The scene in the simulator showed that without the Crimson Flame Lotus balancing the underground fire veins, these fire veins would soon lose their balance, become Rampage, and the Fire Spirit Qi would become uncontrollable. The surrounding Fiend Qi could no longer be restrained and would slowly begin to erode the Life Force here. In a very short period, all the living beings around the Lava Lake would be annihilated due to the severance of Life Force.

Seeing this, Lin Yan said to Ao Ye, "Fellow Daoist Ao Ye, this Crimson Flame Fire Lotus is indeed a rare spiritual root, but I observe that it is closely connected to the earth veins here and is the only thread of Life Force for this small Heaven and Earth. If you take it away, this place will likely turn into a true Fire Fiend Deadly Land, and all the living beings here will be annihilated. This action... is against heavenly principles. Fellow Daoist Ao Ye, could you let this item continue to stay here?"

Ao Ye was stunned when he heard this. All along, when collecting treasures and spiritual roots, he only considered whether he had the ability to collect them, and never considered the impact on the surrounding environment after the treasure was taken away.

Although the Crimson Flame Lotus was good, if it was just to satisfy his own selfish desires, it would lead to the extinction of many living beings here. This seemed to be contrary to his original intention.

However, the Crimson Flame Lotus was truly a rare treasure to him, and it was a pity to give it up just like that. Moreover, even if he didn't collect it, others might come and collect it, wouldn't that be making a wedding dress for others?

But Lin Yan and Mo Xuan were, after all, his saviors. It didn't seem right to completely disregard their feelings.

For a moment, Ao Ye was in a dilemma.