Obtaining the Flame

"How much farther is it?!"

Gu He felt they had been descending for several hours, but all around them stretched an endless sea of dark red magma. If not for the Fire Spirit Snake, he might already have been burned to nothing...

Withdrawing the soul power he had sent out to scout ahead, Gu He opened his eyes and glanced at Yun Shan and Medusa, who were sitting cross-legged and looking perfectly calm. The three of them were inside the Fire Spirit Snake's mouth, traveling with it toward the core of the earth's veins, where the Green Lotus Core Flame had been born.

"They're almost there!"

In the passageway, Qing Lin said this to Yun Zimo. She had received a message from the Fire Spirit Snake, and they were already close to their destination.

After subduing the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake earlier, Qing Lin had communicated with it. In the end, the Fire Spirit Snake had reluctantly agreed to take Yun Shan and the others down to search for the Heavenly Flame.

"We're here!"

At that moment, Yun Shan and Medusa opened their eyes at the same time. Gu He swiftly summoned his battle armor, the Fire Cloud Water Flame, to cover his body. A powerful current surged in as the Fire Spirit Snake opened its mouth, and the three of them leaped out along the force, steadying themselves as they floated in the bluish magma.

"This is..."

Gu He stared at the underground world enveloped in azure light, then turned to look at the Fire Spirit Snake, which was shrinking back and refusing to advance.

"Senior Yun, Senior Medusa, let's go take a look!"

The three cautiously approached the azure glow. As they felt the temperature steadily rising, Yun Shan and Medusa's expressions grew slightly grave.

"Be careful, all of you!"

Medusa and Yun Shan both summoned their battle armor. The gentle, water-like Fire Cloud Water Flame also spread over Gu He's armor. They paused briefly before the azure light, then all three charged in together.

The bone-piercing heat they had expected never came, but the three still dared not let their guard down. Gu He led the way, with Yun Shan and Medusa behind him on either side. The three swam toward the enormous lotus at the center of the azure light, forming a triangle.

"Born in the fiery veins of the earth and tempered for thousands of years by the fire at its core, its body like a lotus, its color like jade..."

The Eight-Leaf Green Lotus rested at the very center of the azure light. Its crystal-clear body looked as though it had been carved from a single piece of green jade. At the heart of the lotus sat a three-foot platform, from which tiny points of light quietly shone.

"These tendrils are how the Green Lotus absorbs energy. Be careful not to get stuck to them. Even a Dou Emperor would be drained dry in less than half a quarter of an hour!"

Gu He carefully skirted the slender roots beneath the Green Lotus, which were greedily absorbing the energy of the surrounding magma, and swam above it like a fish.

"Flames like petals, fire tinged with green, still as a lotus platform, fierce as a mountain fire—the essence of earth's flames forged into a Green Lotus!"

Gu He gazed at the azure flame atop the lotus platform, shifting endlessly through different shapes, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. To witness two wonders from the Heavenly Flame Ranking in one lifetime—he could die without regrets!

"Senior Medusa, wait!"

Seeing Medusa about to use Dou Qi to forcibly take the Heavenly Flame, Gu He quickly stopped her.

"An alchemist has an alchemist's way of doing things."

Gu He led Yun Shan and Medusa away from the Green Lotus for the moment, then carefully swam to where its roots joined the stalk. He took out a fine, ancient-looking jade ruler and gently cut through the spot. The crystal-clear Green Lotus immediately separated from the roots.

Once severed from its roots, the enormous Green Lotus rapidly shrank to the size of a washbasin. A pale green flame danced playfully at its center, seeming to hold none of the might of an earthfire.

Summoning the lotus platform to him, Gu He prepared to return with Yun Shan and Medusa without a second thought. Seeing them still staring at the roots of the Green Lotus as they greedily absorbed energy, he hurriedly spoke up.

"Seniors, spiritual treasures of heaven and earth are not easy to come by. If we leave it here, perhaps in a thousand years or so, another Green Lotus will grow!"

Hearing Gu He's words, Yun Shan and Medusa stopped dwelling on it. They had only been curious about how the thing could absorb energy so voraciously. For them, it was more of a spectacle than a means of improving their strength.

"Senior, leave the task of escorting the Green Lotus Core Flame to me!"

Holding the Green Lotus Platform, Gu He was brimming with fighting spirit. Afraid the Green Lotus Core Flame might hurt the Fire Spirit Snake, he decided to swim back on his own!

"Forget it. Let's go together. This little flame can't hurt us."

Yun Shan shook his head. If they hadn't been worried that some unforeseen danger might lurk down there, they wouldn't have ridden the Fire Spirit Snake in the first place.

The three of them and the snake traveled through the depths of the underground magma, four faint trails of fire streaming behind them before quickly vanishing.

"Splash!"

The three of them and the snake shot out of the magma lake, making a sound like they had burst through the surface of the water.

"Hall Master!"

"River, you've done the task without fail!"

Gu He cupped his fists in greeting. The Green Lotus Platform in his hand flew toward Yun Zimo.

The crystal-clear Green Lotus Platform was cool and smooth as jade. It spun gently as it floated into Yun Zimo's hand.

Yun Zimo lowered his head in a slight bow. After Little Qing Lin beckoned, the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake let out a hiss, and its enormous body rapidly shrank. A streak of red light flew to Qing Lin's wrist and became a small red jade bracelet.

"The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils can do that, too?"

Gu He's eyes widened in astonishment, then a trace of envy flickered through them.

"You disagree with me going to negotiate with the Imperial Family?"

"No. You just can't go right now."

Yun Shan answered Yun Zimo's question softly.

"If you go now, you'll only hand the Jia Ma Imperial Family a perfect excuse to declare war on the Snake-Person Tribe."

"What?!"

Yun Zimo knitted his brows. He truly didn't understand. Couldn't the two tribes coexist peacefully? Couldn't they sit down and talk?

"I understand now why you once said you really weren't suited for politics..."

Yun Shan nodded and spoke softly, though he made no attempt to explain.

Yun Zimo understood it all, but had never wanted to admit it. He didn't want to touch that filthy game, yet he still clung to a sliver of hope...

"Medusa will need a few more months to prepare for her evolution. You should continue on your path to becoming a Dou Emperor. Once her evolution is complete, we'll return to the Misty Cloud Sect."

Yun Shan didn't want Yun Zimo wasting too much energy on these matters, so he urged him to continue on his way.

Yun Zimo sighed deeply. For the first time, he felt that his arrival in the Dou Qi Continent had been a mistake made by the Creator.

"Strength! Only strength that stands unrivaled beneath the heavens gives you the right to rewrite the rules!"

Yun Zimo felt as though he had almost grasped something, yet it also seemed as if nothing had come to him at all.

"Then let's keep going!"

Facing the blazing sun, Yun Zimo stepped into the Snake-Person Holy City once more. His road of challenges began!

"You want to fight a Peak Dou Emperor?"

Medusa looked at him as if he were a fool, though there was also a hint of admiration for Yun Zimo.

"You've already done well to defeat a low-tier Dou Emperor while punching above your weight. What now? You want to cross an entire major rank and defeat a Peak Dou Emperor?"

Medusa's tone held no shortage of teasing, but she was mostly trying to talk him out of it.

"Don't you have to see the road ahead before you can walk it, one step at a time?"

Yun Zimo smiled faintly. If he didn't push himself, how could he grow?

"Oh?"

Medusa regarded him with newfound respect. She raised a hand, and her cool voice carried beyond the main hall.

"Summon the Four Great Elders!"

"Elders?"

"Mm. They're all Peak Dou Emperors. Having them spar with you will keep you from getting hurt."

"Would they really be willing to train some nobody like me?"

"If I tell them to spar with you, then spar with you they will!"

Medusa spoke calmly. She merely adjusted her posture slightly, yet her alluring, bewitching aura disappeared completely, replaced by an inexplicable force of authority that quietly filled the hall.

Only then did Yun Zimo understand why Medusa was the Snake-Person Tribe's object of faith!

"Greetings, Your Majesty. May we ask why you summoned us?"

The four Snake-Person Elders all wore fearsome masks. Their aged, powerful voices emerged from beneath them, yet there wasn't the slightest trace of respect.

"A distinguished guest from the Misty Cloud Sect needs help with his training."

"Th-this... May we ask what kind of help?"

"Training partners!"

"Training partners?!"

The Elders' voices rose sharply, then immediately dropped low again.

"Your Majesty, this... this would be most improper, wouldn't it?"

"Hmm?"

"Impudent!"

Medusa's voice rang out with authority. An invisible wave of force swept across the hall, and the Four Great Elders crashed to their knees. The many Snake-People all bowed and trembled, terrified that Medusa might once again go on a killing spree.

"Is Medusa using this as an excuse to settle a score? Did the Four Great Elders offend her?"

Yun Zimo was stunned. Medusa wasn't even trying to hide it—she was clearly going to teach these disobedient elders a lesson.

"It feels like..."

Yun Zimo suddenly thought of Hai Bodong, and inspiration struck. Everything fell into place!

"Medusa, who's determined to reform things; the elders, who stubbornly cling to rotten clan rules. No wonder everyone in the Snake-Person Tribe is so afraid of her. She must have killed plenty of people to make an example of them."

"But that has nothing to do with me. With four Peak Dou Emperors fighting me, I can build up my foundation faster!"

Yun Zimo muttered to himself, already looking forward to reaching the Dou Emperor realm!