Underground

Looking at Qing Lin, who stood before him like a beautiful porcelain doll and gazed at him timidly, Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Qing Lin, would you do your big brother a favor?"

"Y-you, tell me," little Qing Lin said shyly.

"Help me find a flame," Xiao Yan said.

"Master, can she really help you find a Heavenly Flame?" Hai Bo Dong asked from the side, puzzled.

"Although she cannot find a Heavenly Flame directly, she might be able to find that snake," Xiao Yan said with a mysterious smile.

Hai Bo Dong had long since grown accustomed to the strange remarks that often slipped out of Xiao Yan's mouth.

"Let's set off. Xiao Yi Xian, you stay behind; you won't be able to handle the temperatures in the vast desert," Xiao Yan said to Hai Bo Dong and Xiao Yi Xian, ignoring Xiao Yi Xian, who had already begun to pout.

Whoosh. A figure draped in icy-white Dou Qi wings and another in purple Dou Qi wings streaked across the sky above Mo City.

To think he even possesses a long-lost Flight Dou Technique. Which mysterious, powerful family did this direct descendant come from to gain experience? I have never heard of such a person within the Jia Ma Empire, Hai Bo Dong thought to himself as he watched Xiao Yan, who was flying beside him with purple Dou Qi wings while holding Qing Lin.

"Let's go. We are heading to that suspicious location in the east marked on the map. You lead the way," Xiao Yan said.

"Very well, this way." With that, the three of them changed direction and flew toward the horizon.

"Hah! Ptooey! Ptooey! This Tager Desert is truly no place for a human to stay," Xiao Yan spat out the sand in his mouth and tightly wrapped his cloak around Qing Lin.

"We are almost there," Hai Bo Dong announced.

The three of them walked through the sky-filling sandstorm with their heads bowed, their footsteps uneven as they headed toward the area marked on the map.

"Master, it should be around this location. The suspicious area here is actually quite large, so I cannot pinpoint the exact spot," Hai Bo Dong said to Xiao Yan, stopping his footsteps and stamping on the ground.

Hai Bo Dong looked at Xiao Yan with slight anticipation, hoping that Xiao Yan would use some divine ability to locate the Heavenly Flame.

"Qing Lin, it is up to you now," Xiao Yan said, setting Qing Lin down with a smile.

"Hmm?" Qing Lin wrinkled her cute, oval-shaped face in confusion.

"Qing Lin, you are a half-blood of the Snake-People Tribe and the human race. You were born with a bloodline ability—the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils—which allows you to easily sense the aura of nearby snake-type magical beasts," Xiao Yan explained.

Upon hearing Xiao Yan mention her background, Qing Lin pulled her sleeves down in fear.

"It is alright, Qing Lin, do not be afraid. Help me find the snake-type magical beast hiding nearby, will you?" Xiao Yan stepped forward and patted Qing Lin's head.

"Okay, Brother Xiao Yan," Qing Lin said shyly.

"Hai Bo Dong, control your aura to the Da Dou Shi level so Qing Lin can sense it," Xiao Yan said, looking back at Hai Bo Dong.

"Understood." Upon hearing this, Hai Bo Dong retracted his peak Dou Emperor aura and compressed it down to the Da Dou Shi level.

"Qing Lin, did you feel that? Remember this energy intensity. The strength of that snake should be between these two levels. Try to feel it with your heart," Xiao Yan encouraged.

"Okay, I... I will try my best," Qing Lin replied cautiously, then carefully closed her eyes to sense it intently.

After a short while, Qing Lin opened her eyes and pointed uncertainly toward the north. "About fifty meters in that direction, I felt an aura that makes me feel very close to it. The intensity is about the same as the old gentleman just now. However, it seems to be underground; I am not entirely sure."

"Let's go take a look," Xiao Yan said, exchanging a pleasantly surprised look with Hai Bo Dong.

"Teacher, it is your turn to act," Xiao Yan said, stopping at the spot Qing Lin had just pointed out, speaking secretly to Yao Lao.

Yao Lao's vast soul power overflowed from the Storage Ring and began to extend deep into the ground.

A moment later, Yao Lao replied, "It should be here. I just felt abundant fire-type energy below; it is even more active than on the surface. There should be magma down there. Let's go down and take a look."

"Understood, Teacher."

"This is the place. Hai Bo Dong, it is your turn to act," Xiao Yan said.

Sigh, to think that I, the dignified Ice Emperor, have been reduced to digging sand in the desert, Hai Bo Dong thought to himself while bombarding the ground with his Dou Qi.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As Hai Bo Dong struck with effort, a narrow underground passage began to slowly appear beneath the sand.

"I will go down first." Hai Bo Dong leaped down, sliding while unleashing powerful Dou Qi to continue blasting the passage, with Xiao Yan holding Qing Lin closely behind him.

After sliding through the long, narrow tunnel, the three of them landed in a massive cavern. Fiery red magma flowed slowly within the cavern, and wisps of smoke rose from the surface of the magma from time to time before vanishing.

"Hah, it really is here," Xiao Yan said joyfully, while Hai Bo Dong and Qing Lin looked at the subterranean wonder in shock.

I must lure the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake out so Qing Lin can subdue it to lead the way for me, Xiao Yan thought as he looked at the lake.

"Strike the surface of the lake, Hai Bo Dong," Xiao Yan commanded.

"Understood." Hai Bo Dong waved his right hand, and a violent Dou Qi slash cleaved toward the magma lake.

Boom! A depression appeared on the surface of the lake, but within seconds, it was quickly filled by the surrounding magma, and the surface returned to calm.

Seeing this, Hai Bo Dong looked at Xiao Yan, not understanding the purpose of this action.

Hiss, hiss, hiss. At this moment, a snake-type magical beast emerged from the surface of the magma, its entire body glowing with red light, flicking its tongue, its fierce eyes locked onto the three people on the ground.

"A Fire Spirit Snake? Its aura is still at the peak Da Dou Shi level, and the second head has not grown out yet," Xiao Yan muttered, watching the Fire Spirit Snake swimming continuously on the lake below.

"Master, do you want me to kill this magical beast?" Hai Bo Dong asked.

"No."

"Qing Lin, it is your turn to act," Xiao Yan said to Qing Lin.

Seeing Qing Lin looking at him with confusion, Xiao Yan smiled and encouraged her: "Stare intently at that Fire Spirit Snake, imagine it as your companion, and use the bloodline within your body to call out to it."

Under Xiao Yan's encouragement, Qing Lin stared earnestly at the Fire Spirit Snake below. A moment passed, and just as the Fire Spirit Snake saw that the three humans on the ground made no move and prepared to submerge once again.

Within Qing Lin's emerald pupils, three small green dots suddenly emerged, followed by the three dots rotating at high speed around her pupils, forming three small, budding flowers.

"Bang!"

A faint beam of light shot from Qing Lin's eyes and struck the Fire Spirit Snake's head. Just as the Fire Spirit Snake was preparing to fiercely retaliate, a green flower suddenly appeared faintly upon its head before finally vanishing.

The Fire Spirit Snake immediately calmed down, looking at Qing Lin with gentle eyes.

Seeing that she had successfully controlled the Fire Spirit Snake, Qing Lin let out a long breath and collapsed into Xiao Yan's arms, drained of all strength.