After Qing Lian left its roots, the surrounding azure glow seemed to lose its source of light and dimmed considerably.
Now that he had obtained the Heavenly Flame, Qin Chen did not linger. After one final glance at the slender, swaying roots, he turned and rushed out of the azure radiance.
The moment he emerged from the azure light, the Fire Spirit Snake that had been waiting for so long came forward. Qin Chen stepped directly onto its back and ordered, "Let's go. We need to get back quickly."
At his words, the Fire Spirit Snake flicked its massive tail and swiftly carried Qin Chen back along their original route.
At the entrance to the passage, Qing Lin nervously clenched her little hands. Ever since Qin Chen had gone down, she had been staring blankly at the sea of magma.
At a certain moment, delight suddenly appeared on Qing Lin's previously vacant little face. Just then, the sound of something slicing through the air rang out. The Fire Spirit Snake's enormous body burst through the magma, carrying Qin Chen safely onto the ground.
"Young Master, you're back." Although she had known through the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake that Qin Chen was unharmed, Qing Lin was still overjoyed to see him return safely.
"This time, it was all thanks to Qing Lin. Otherwise, the Heavenly Flame would have passed me by." Looking at the dainty little girl before him, Qin Chen smiled.
This Magma World was unimaginably vast. Without the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake to guide him, even with Qin Chen's cultivation as a Dou Wang, he might not have found anything after searching for a year.
"As long as Young Master is happy." Hearing Qin Chen's praise, Qing Lin beamed, her large eyes curving into crescents.
"You little girl..." Qin Chen patted Qing Lin's fair, delicate cheek and smiled helplessly. Then he handed the Green Lotus Seat in his hand to her and said meaningfully, "Qing Lin, hold onto this for me first. Get to know it well."
"Yes, Young Master." Qing Lin accepted the Green Lotus Seat Qin Chen handed her. She did not know why her young master was leaving such a hard-won treasure with her, but she only needed to obey.
"Are you ready, Qing Lin? It's time for us to leave."
The Green Lotus Core Flame was already in hand, so there was no point in remaining here. They had to leave the Tagore Desert immediately, or it would be a huge problem if they drew out the Queen Medusa too early.
"Young Master, wait a moment."
As soon as she spoke, Qing Lin waved toward the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake in the distance.
The azure light on the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's forehead immediately flared. In an instant, its enormous body rapidly shrank, then transformed into a streak of azure light that flew into Qing Lin's sleeve.
Qing Lin lightly patted her sleeve and smiled at Qin Chen. "I'm ready, Young Master."
She had only just begun cultivating, yet she could already use Spatial Force. The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils truly deserved their reputation as a special physique guaranteed to reach Dou Sheng. Qin Chen would have been lying if he said he was not envious.
However, when he saw the Green Lotus Seat in Qing Lin's hands, Qin Chen smiled faintly. Perhaps he, too, could find a similar path to becoming strong in the future.
"Let's go."
Qin Chen picked up Qing Lin's petite body and quickly left the Magma World.
On the surface, Hai Bodong frowned deeply and muttered, "Those two have been down there for so long. Could something have happened?"
It was no wonder Hai Bodong was so anxious. He had staked his entire fortune on Qin Chen.
Just as Hai Bodong was hesitating over whether to go down and take a look, a sound came from below. Qin Chen's figure instantly appeared on the surface.
Before Hai Bodong could ask anything, Qin Chen tossed several bottles of pills to Rob and said flatly, "There's nothing more for you to do here. Go back."
"Yes!"
Rob clumsily caught the jade bottles, then did not dare stay any longer. He immediately called for the members of the Sand Mercenary Group and left.
The man was quite perceptive. He knew when to stop and did not ask about things he should not know. No wonder he had managed to establish a dominant force in Stone Desert City.
As soon as Rob and the others left, Hai Bodong impatiently asked, "Did you get it?"
"Yes. Everything went smoothly. The Heavenly Flame is already mine." Qin Chen chuckled and strode toward the cave entrance.
At that moment, Qing Lin's petite body was leaning against a soft cushion formed from Dou Qi. Qin Chen scooped the little girl up, then swept his sleeve. Yellow sand instantly buried the cave entrance.
Looking at the Green Lotus Seat in Qing Lin's hands, Hai Bodong could not help feeling startled. Although he had never seen a Heavenly Flame before, he knew that such spiritual treasures of heaven and earth possessed world-destroying power. He had not expected this one to be so gentle.
Licking his lips, Hai Bodong asked, "What do we do now?"
Qin Chen's gaze sharpened as he said solemnly, "I plan to find a place to refine the Heavenly Flame. After that, I can begin helping you break the seal."
"There is a forest south of Stone Desert City. We should go there," Hai Bodong suggested.
"Alright." Qin Chen nodded.
"In that case, I shall wait at the Sand Mercenary Group for your good news."
Qin Chen nodded, but then abruptly changed the subject and asked, "Hai Lao, do you know of any dormant volcanoes nearby?"
Hai Bodong froze for a moment. A trace of confusion flashed through his eyes as he asked, "Why are you looking for a dormant volcano?"
After living for so many years, he had never seen an alchemist interested in volcanoes, much less dormant ones.
Qin Chen grinned and said mysteriously, "There may be some treasures deep within a volcano that can rapidly increase my strength in a short time. That would not only make entering the desert safer, but also greatly improve the success rate of refining the Seal-Breaking Pill."
Refining the Heavenly Flame
Hearing this, the confusion in Hai Bodong's eyes deepened. But seeing that Qin Chen did not wish to elaborate, he wisely did not press the matter. He merely stroked his beard and recalled, "Dormant volcanoes... There really is a volcanic range near the Tagore Desert called the Flame Bone Mountain Range."
"Legend says it was once the site of ancient volcanic eruptions. Extremely violent fire-attributed energy remains inside the mountains. Ordinary people would be burned just by approaching it, and even Dou Wang experts would not dare venture too deeply. However, the place is extremely remote, so it is generally not marked on ordinary maps."
By the end, Hai Bodong could not help revealing a smug smile.
Few people in the entire Jia Ma Empire probably knew the Flame Bone Mountain Range's exact location. Over the past several decades, he had sought many ways to break his seal and traveled to many places before accidentally discovering it.
Qin Chen was secretly delighted. Since the Flame Bone Mountain Range contained violent fire-attributed energy, that thing might really be there. He hurriedly asked, "Hai Lao, do you know the mountain range's exact location?"
"Of course. I have traveled throughout the Jia Ma Empire for decades. What place have I not visited?"
As he spoke, Hai Bodong took a yellowed map from his Storage Ring and handed it to Qin Chen.
Qin Chen accepted the map and saw that it depicted the outline of the Tagore Desert. At the edge of the desert, beside an inconspicuous triangular marking, were the small words "Flame Bone Mountain Range," along with several dangerous areas marked nearby.
Looking at the detailed map, Qin Chen curled his lips into a smile and praised, "Hai Lao truly deserves to be called a master cartographer. To draw a map with such precision is truly admirable."
"In that case, we will meet again after some time."
Qin Chen put the map into his Storage Ring, then picked up Qing Lin, who was standing prettily beside him, and sped away due south.
Watching Qin Chen's retreating back, a complicated expression flashed across Hai Bodong's aged face. Then he sighed and headed toward Stone Desert City.
An hour later, a scarlet streak of light crossed the sky, and a seductive figure wearing a veil appeared here.
She wore an elegant purple brocade robe. Beneath it, her curvaceous body was exquisitely shaped, while her exposed skin was as fair as jade yet carried an enticing flush. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall. Her bewitching face was charming and captivating, but it also bore an imperceptible hint of majesty and an air of noble grace. Beneath her brocade robe was a section of purple snake tail, whose gentle movements carried a wild, seductive allure.
She was none other than the Queen Medusa, whose fearsome reputation and peerless beauty coexisted throughout the Tagore Desert.
Her eyes, filled with endless allure, swept over the surroundings before finally settling on a patch of yellow sand. She murmured, "That unusual aura came from here. It seems what I am looking for is below."
Before her words had even faded, Queen Medusa raised her delicate hand. A vast surge of Dou Qi poured from her palm, transforming into a purple light whip that viciously struck the yellow sand below.
With a deafening boom, sand flew everywhere, and a bottomless pit abruptly appeared in the ground.
Elsewhere, after a full day of flying at top speed, Qin Chen and Qing Lin finally arrived at the forest Hai Bodong had mentioned. The forest was even more expansive than Qin Chen had imagined, and its location was extremely well hidden.
After arriving in the forest, Qin Chen did not immediately begin refining the Heavenly Flame. Instead, he first helped Qing Lin subdue several more followers.
Only after the number of followers reached the limit Qing Lin could control did Qin Chen lead her to a concealed cave. The cave was situated on a sheer cliff face, with no footholds anywhere nearby. The only way to enter was by flying.
Qin Chen first had Qing Lin station her followers around the perimeter as guards. Then he set up an array that could conceal fluctuations of Dou Qi. Unless a Dou Emperor-level expert or stronger deliberately investigated, it would be difficult to notice anything unusual here.
Once everything was ready, Qin Chen took the Green Lotus Core Flame from Qing Lin and handed several bottles of pills to her. He instructed, "Qing Lin, if you sense the array's aura weakening, throw one pill into the array core."
"Yes, Young Master!" Qing Lin nodded obediently.
"Thanks for the effort." Qin Chen rubbed Qing Lin's little head, then turned and walked into the cave.
Watching Qin Chen disappear from sight, Qing Lin placed the jade bottles into her Storage Ring and fixed her gaze firmly on the array's core.
Inside the cave, after placing the unsealed Qing Lian on the ground, Qin Chen did not immediately begin refining the Heavenly Flame. Instead, he took a tiny lotus seed wrapped in dense azure light from his Storage Ring.
The Earthfire Lotus Seed was born alongside the Green Lotus Core Flame. Absorbing it could improve one's affinity with the Heavenly Flame, weaken the Heavenly Flame's resistance, and make the refinement process smoother.
Refining a Heavenly Flame was an exceptionally dangerous process. No amount of caution was excessive.
Besides...
Thinking of the bold plan he had been brewing for a long time, Qin Chen took a deep breath. Then, with a flick of his finger, he sent the Earthfire Lotus Seed precisely into his mouth.
The moment the Earthfire Lotus Seed entered his mouth, it rapidly transformed into a scorching stream of energy that flowed forcefully down his throat and into his meridians.
Feeling waves of swelling pain from his meridians, Qin Chen formed hand seals and gritted his teeth as he refined the pure energy.
Half an hour later, Qin Chen slowly opened his tightly closed eyes. The scorching energy within his body had been completely exhausted, which meant he had fully absorbed the pure energy contained within the Earthfire Lotus Seed.
At this moment, Qin Chen had not only increased his affinity with the Green Lotus Core Flame, but also sensed an opportunity to break through to Five-Star Dou Wang.
"As expected of the essence of a Fire Spirit that produces only one seed every hundred years. The effect is truly remarkable."
Qin Chen could not help sighing in admiration. Then his gaze sharpened as he looked at the tiny flame swaying within the Green Lotus Seat. "Next, it is time to refine the Heavenly Flame."
Qin Chen flicked his Storage Ring and took out two jade boxes and several small jade bottles.
When he opened the larger jade box, a snow-white jade bottle lay quietly inside. A faint white chill mist lingered around it. It was the Ice Spirit Cold Spring he had obtained from Gu Te.
Inside the other jade box was a thumb-sized gray stone—the Spirit-Absorbing Stone.
Holding up the Green Lotus Seat with both hands, Qin Chen slowly permeated it with his soul power, separating the lotus seat from the Green Lotus Core Flame before carefully pulling the seat away.
Freed from the restraints of the Green Lotus Seat, the originally tiny azure flame abruptly swelled. In the blink of an eye, it became a huge azure flame floating within the cave.
As the azure flame gradually grew larger, the atmosphere inside the cave became increasingly scorching.
Seeing this, Qin Chen lightly tapped the ground with the tip of his foot and drifted onto the Green Lotus Seat. Then he swallowed the Blood Lotus Pill from the jade bottle in one gulp.
After the Blood Lotus Pill entered his mouth, a frigid energy rapidly surged out from it, eventually transforming into layers of blood-red membranes that completely covered Qin Chen's body.
Qin Chen extended a hand wrapped in the blood-colored membrane and slowly drew the Green Lotus Core Flame before him toward himself.
Since Qin Chen had just refined the Earthfire Lotus Seed, a considerable amount of its aura still lingered on him. Combined with his gentle movements, the Green Lotus Core Flame showed no signs of agitation and instead drifted slowly toward Qin Chen in perfect calm.
Successfully Refining the Heavenly Flame
When the azure flame drifted before him, Qin Chen calmly reached his hand into it. After searching for a moment, he pulled out a strip of azure magma-like substance that wriggled faintly.
"Gulp..."
Qin Chen swallowed, then took a deep breath and sent the azure magma into his mouth.
The moment the azure magma entered his mouth, Qin Chen swiftly closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his body.
In Qin Chen's perception, the azure magma that had entered his body had already split into tiny strands of azure flame. These azure flames, containing terrifying energy, ran wildly through his meridians as though they wanted to burn everything in their path into nothingness.
Fortunately, Qin Chen's body had long been tempered by countless heavenly treasures, so the azure flames could not destroy it in an instant.
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