Heavenly Flame

"Here, Qing Lin, take this Qi Recovery Pill. It seemed that using the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils was still too much of a burden for you."

Xiao Yan caught Qing Lin, who was on the verge of fainting, and fed her a Qi Recovery Pill.

"Qing Lin, have the Fire Spirit Snake take me to the Heavenly Flame," Xiao Yan said to Qing Lin after she had rested for a while.

"It said for you to follow it. The place is deep below, and even it normally does not dare get too close," Qing Lin said after closing her eyes and concentrating for a moment.

"Then I'll go down. Qing Lin, be good and wait here with Hai Bo Dong."

"B-But..." Qing Lin looked fearfully at the churning magma below.

"Teacher, it's time to make your move," Xiao Yan secretly thought.

Whoosh! Streams of pale, illusory flames spilled from all over Xiao Yan's body, wrapping around him and forming a transparent sphere of light. Then, Xiao Yan leaped down.

"Be careful!" Qing Lin cried out as she watched Xiao Yan make such a dangerous move.

Hai Bo Dong also spread his Dou Qi Wings and stared intently at Xiao Yan, prepared to dive down and rescue him the moment anything went wrong.

Splash! The Fire Spirit Snake tilted its head and curiously looked at the human beside it, whose entire body was wrapped in pale flames.

But its master had instructed it to take him to that terrifying flame, so it had no choice but to go.

The Fire Spirit Snake considered all this with remarkably humanlike eyes, then turned its head and plunged into the magma.

Xiao Yan hurriedly followed behind the Fire Spirit Snake beneath the protection of the Heavenly Flame barrier and dove down as well.

Within the magma currents, the Fire Spirit Snake swam with great agility. Its speed was not particularly fast, though, and it kept turning back to look at Xiao Yan.

"Damn it. Even with Teacher's help, we can't stay down here for long."

Xiao Yan could clearly feel that as the depth increased, the pressure and temperature around him were both rising drastically.

"Yan boy, hurry and keep up. We need to move quickly," Yao Lao urged.

After descending for an unknown amount of time, Xiao Yan was still gritting his teeth and enduring.

Then he suddenly noticed that the Fire Spirit Snake leading the way had stopped. It was staring fearfully at a spot not far away.

"Oh, have we arrived?" Xiao Yan looked up.

To his delight, Xiao Yan discovered a lotus blooming brilliantly in the center of a patch of magma not far away, radiating a cyan glow.

"Green Lotus Core Flame!" Xiao Yan licked his cracked lips and spoke the name.

"Yan boy, quickly! Stop standing around and let's go take a look," Yao Lao said urgently.

Xiao Yan laughed heartily, kicked off with both feet, and sped over.

As Xiao Yan approached the cyan lotus, he discovered an incomparably bewitching cyan flame quietly floating at its center.

The flame looked harmless enough, yet staring at it for too long gave one the feeling that it would suck their eyes right in.

"I finally found you." Xiao Yan grinned at the flame atop the lotus.

"Collect the Heavenly Flame as soon as possible. Staying here for even a moment longer is dangerous," Yao Lao reminded him.

Xiao Yan swiftly took out a Rouge Jade Ruler from his Storage Ring and carefully cut through the dozen or so roots entwined around the Lotus Pedestal's stem.

"Teacher, let's go." Xiao Yan lifted the Lotus Pedestal.

"Go!"

Then, the man and snake quickly swam upward.

In the open space within the cavern, Hai Bo Dong watched the motionless surface of the magma lake with a tense expression.

"Damn it, he didn't die down there, did he? He still owes me the pill he promised to refine for my breakthrough to Dou Zong."

"They're coming." Just as Hai Bo Dong grew anxious, Qing Lin suddenly spoke.

Splash! Xiao Yan and the Fire Spirit Snake emerged from the calm lake.

Xiao Yan smiled at the two people on shore, then he and the snake leaped onto the ground.

"I succeeded." Xiao Yan held up the Lotus Pedestal.

"He actually succeeded... from the depths of that magma," Hai Bo Dong muttered.

Qing Lin also revealed a cute smile. At that moment, the Fire Spirit Snake behind Xiao Yan squeezed forward and slithered over to Qing Lin's side.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..." The Fire Spirit Snake, three to four zhang long, dragged its body around Qing Lin in circles.

Qing Lin stretched out her hand with both affection and a trace of fear, tentatively stroking the Fire Spirit Snake's head.

After receiving the Fire Spirit Snake's affirmative response, the girl and snake began communicating through some mysterious method unknown to others.

"Now that we have the Heavenly Flame, let's leave," Xiao Yan said to the two of them.

"But, Brother Xiao Yan, what about Xiao Qing?" Qing Lin asked anxiously.

Well, Qing Lin had already given the Fire Spirit Snake a name in such a short time. But its scales were clearly dark red!

"We'll take it with us." Xiao Yan found the anxious expression on Qing Lin's little face rather amusing.

"Thank you, Brother Xiao Yan!"

The three people and one beast left the underground area, then sealed the passage shut.

Holding the Lotus Pedestal, Xiao Yan said, "Qing Lin, come with me. Hai Bo Dong, you take that snake."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan picked up Qing Lin, spread his Purple Cloud Wings, and shot into the sky, leaving Hai Bo Dong and the Fire Spirit Snake facing each other in silence.

"I actually have to carry this stupid snake and play with a snake in the air?" Hai Bo Dong felt utterly disheveled in the sand.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss," the Fire Spirit Snake replied.

"Behave yourself." As he spoke, Hai Bo Dong grabbed the Fire Spirit Snake, spread his Dou Qi Wings, and chased after Xiao Yan.

"Hiss... hiss... hiss..."

In a room in the rear courtyard of the Ancient Map shop.

Xiao Yan sat facing Yao Lao, with a Lotus Pedestal emitting a cyan glow placed between them.

"Teacher, my first Heavenly Flame is finally in my hands," Xiao Yan said with a sigh.

"Mhm. That was also thanks to your accurate intelligence gathering and thorough preparations beforehand." Yao Lao smiled.

"However, three things are needed to consume the Heavenly Flame: the Blood Lotus Pill, Ice Spirit Cold Spring, and a Spirit Container. I have the Spirit Container here, and we have already gathered the materials for refining the Blood Lotus Pill. Right now, we are still missing a portion of Ice Spirit Cold Spring. As a rare heavenly treasure, Ice Spirit Cold Spring can release a huge amount of ice-element energy when you consume the Heavenly Flame, helping you ward off the damage from its high temperature. It is extremely important, and we need to find it as soon as possible."

"Ice Spirit Cold Spring? It would be too late to go to Black Rock City in the Empire's interior to find Gu Te, Pill King Gu He's brother. Besides, it is uncertain whether Gu Te has already collected Ice Spirit Cold Spring by this point. I can only ask Hai Bo Dong to look for it," Xiao Yan secretly thought.

"Alright, Teacher. I'll ask Hai Bo Dong to search for it. As a Dou Emperor, he should have considerable influence," Xiao Yan said.

"Hai Bo Dong, I need you to help me find a rare heavenly treasure—Ice Spirit Cold Spring," Xiao Yan said after calling Hai Bo Dong over.

"Ice Spirit Cold Spring? That is no common item. I'll get right on it," Hai Bo Dong agreed.

At noon on the third day, Yao Lao took out his Black Demon Cauldron in the room and prepared to refine the Blood Lotus Pill.

"Yan boy, watch carefully. The Blood Lotus Pill is an essential pill for devouring Heavenly Flames, so it ranks among fifth-tier pills," Yao Lao said.

"Yes, Teacher." Xiao Yan answered seriously.

P.S. This makes up for yesterday's second update.