Geocentric Fire Cave

When Huo Wu walked out, many students had already begun their morning training.

Then they saw Huo Wu... emerging from Murong Ci's room, her clothes disheveled and her face flushed crimson, leaving them unable to stop their imaginations from running wild.

Huo Wu glanced at them, perhaps realizing how shameful she looked, and her fury ignited.

"What are you looking at! Keep staring and this lady will burn you all to ash!"

The students hurriedly went back to their own business...

The Geocentric Fire Cave is located in a natural magma mine cavern deep beneath the center of Blazing Fire Academy, rumored to be the remains left behind after the death of a certain fire-attribute Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

Present at the scene were Murong Ci, Huo Wu, Huo Wushuang, and the Dean, Huo Lie.

Huo Lie is a level 72 Soul Saint powerhouse, the number one figure in Blazing Fire Academy, and the father of Huo Wushuang and Huo Wu.

"The Geocentric Fire Cave is the holy ground of our Blazing Fire Academy, a place only the most core disciples may enter. At most, two people can go in; the three of you decide among yourselves."

After Huo Lie finished speaking, he took a puff of his cigarette, eyeing the three with interest, likely wondering how they would choose.

[Huo Wushuang will withdraw on his own.]

A lazy voice sounded, carrying a hint of certainty.

Sure enough, Huo Wushuang spoke up immediately.

"Father, my abilities are limited. My talent and strength cannot compare to Brother Murong and Wu'er, so I volunteer to withdraw."

Huo Lie looked at him, his expression calm, as if he had long expected his eldest son to say this.

He then walked to an open space where no vegetation grew within a ten-meter radius, the air exceptionally scorching.

"This is the entrance to the Geocentric Fire Cave. It requires fire-attribute soul power to ignite and open. Step back."

Huo Lie stared at the clearing, gathering energy in his hands, fire wings manifesting behind his back as he blasted flames at the ground. A temporary portal appeared.

"Go in." Huo Lie reminded them. After Murong Ci and Huo Wu entered, he waved his hand, closing the portal, and fixed his gaze on Huo Wushuang standing beside him.

"Wushuang, you should know the cultivation secrets in there, right? Are you really at ease letting Wu'er follow that boy?"

"Of course, Father. Brother Murong's strength exceeds our imagination. This child is certain that he will lead our Blazing Fire Academy toward glory and perhaps even dominate the continent."

"By then... hehe, Wu'er will be happy too."

Huo Wushuang scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed as he said this.

After hearing this, Huo Lie said no more and left with Huo Wushuang, though the smile at the corner of his mouth betrayed his inner agitation.

The Geocentric Fire Cave is vast; after all, the body of a Hundred-Thousand-Year fire-attribute Soul Beast can sustain many living things.

"Blazing Fire Academy has only developed half of the Geocentric Fire Cave. That is to say, only half of this place is safe. Look at those markings; that is the explored area."

Huo Wu pointed to the wall engraved with the Blazing Fire Academy emblem, signaling for Murong Ci to walk in that direction.

"Fire-attribute Soul Beasts appear here from time to time, but their cultivation isn't high, at most a thousand years or so. My brother and I obtained our first and second soul rings right here."

Huo Wu walked slowly, glancing back at Murong Ci from time to time before quickly turning her head away.

"As for the other side that hasn't been explored, it is a land of great danger. Even tens-of-thousands-year Soul Beasts appear there; even my father doesn't dare go. Once, a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse from the academy went to explore it and never came back." As she said this, a hint of fear flickered in her eyes; clearly, she was somewhat terrified of that place.

"Why is the polarization so severe? And why is the boundary between the two sides so clearly defined?"

"Because there is a soul power wall at the dividing line, set up by my grandfather. Generally, no Soul Beasts come near it."

Murong Ci suddenly realized; it seems the reality is far more complex than what was recorded in the original work.

Murong Ci followed Huo Wu to a stone house, not large, but enough to fit two people.

"This is the Fire Refining Path, a cultivation site opened by the predecessors of Blazing Fire Academy. Compared to the outside, the cultivation efficiency can be tripled."

Murong Ci looked into the cave, and sure enough, a wave of dry heat rushed toward him.

[Dense fire-attribute heaven and earth energy detected ahead. If the host cultivates here, fire-attribute affinity can be significantly increased.]

Sigh, this system is a completely different entity when providing suggestions versus chatting; it's so serious, I'm a bit unaccustomed to it.

"Normally, we can come to the Fire Refining Path a few times a week."

"Fourteen outstanding core disciples are selected each week, two per day, for one day at a time."

It seems Blazing Fire Academy treats its students quite well. I wonder if the other elemental academies are the same? Murong Ci felt a bit of anticipation for his future life.

"However, our goal for this trip isn't here. We need to go further in, pass through the magma lake, and then reach our final destination: the Fire Lotus Secret Cave. The secret cave is full of magma, and in the center is a lotus flower called the Geocentric Fire Lotus. It bears fruit once every ten years, but because it is fire-attributed and there is dense heaven and earth energy here, one year of cultivation here is worth ten years outside. Therefore, that lotus is essentially a hundred-year-old immortal herb."

After Huo Wu finished speaking, her excitement was evident; that was an immortal herb! It would be of great benefit to her own cultivation.

[Ding—The system offers two choices. First: Absorb the Geocentric Fire Lotus to enhance your fire-attribute purity and control. Second: Pick the Geocentric Fire Lotus and give it to Huo Wu to significantly increase her favorability, as the Infernal Delicate Apricot from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the original work is of higher quality, and the host can absorb that instead and forgo the Geocentric Fire Lotus.]

"I'll go with the second option. After all, she needs this more than I do right now, and it increases favorability, which is definitely better."

[I didn't expect you to be so sentimental, not the type to stop at nothing for power.]

"You're only realizing this now?" Murong Ci was somewhat dissatisfied.

Unknowingly, Huo Wu and Murong Ci had stepped onto the magma path.

Calling it a magma path, it was actually just a bridge crossing the magma lake, though the temperature here was also exceptionally scorching.

"Kid, be careful. The temperature of the flames here is approaching the level of Ultimate Fire, which is higher than your own. I suggest using ice-attribute energy to block it," the system reminded him.

"Besides, Huo Wu, that little girl, definitely won't be able to withstand the heat here. You could even stage a classic 'hero saves the beauty' moment."

Sure enough, just as the system finished speaking, Huo Wu was already breaking into a heavy sweat. She was still wearing that crop top, and now most of it was soaked through with perspiration.

This only made her figure appear even more graceful.

Seeing her like this, Murong Ci placed his hand on her back and slowly channeled his Ultimate Ice soul power into her.

Huo Wu gave a slight shiver before relaxing, clearly finding the ice-attribute energy very comfortable.

Within this magma lake, there were quite a few ten-year-old soul beasts, some of which were foolish enough to approach the pair.

They were promptly frozen stiff by the aura of Ultimate Ice released by Murong Ci.

[Detected an abundance of high-quality fire-attribute heaven and earth energy nearby. Automatically activating Yongzhen to absorb.]

In an instant, a massive amount of soul power swirled around Murong Ci, forming a fire-attribute protective barrier that enveloped both him and Huo Wu. This barrier also served to insulate them from a portion of the intense heat.

As the surrounding temperature dropped, Huo Wu no longer needed Murong Ci to keep his hand on her back. She felt a touch of shyness as she took his hand off.

The two walked side by side, moving slowly toward the deeper reaches.

Throughout the journey, Huo Wu kept staring at Murong Ci's profile, while he kept his eyes fixed ahead.

"What are you looking at?" His voice carried a hint of playfulness.

"N-nothing." Huo Wu lowered her head, her voice growing softer as she quickened her pace.

Finally, they crossed the magma path, and ahead of them lay the Fire Lotus Secret Cave.

"Let's rest for a while; the magma in there will only be hotter." Murong Ci sat cross-legged, closed his eyes to conserve his energy, and activated Yongzhen to absorb the heaven and earth energy.

Huo Wu sat nearby, utilizing the aura of Ultimate Fire released by Murong Ci to cultivate, once again reaching that wondrous resonance they had experienced the previous night.

Yet, within the magma of the secret cave, a massive serpent was slowly circling the fire lotus.

It seemed to be anticipating the arrival of its uninvited guests.