" Hai Lao, stand guard here." Qin Chen gave Hai Bodong an order, then stuffed a pill with heat-resistant properties into Qing Lin's mouth before picking up the blushing little girl and jumping into the cave entrance.
Although Qing Lin had a special constitution and could withstand high temperatures, doing so would still consume her energy. To better activate her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils later, it was best to keep her in peak condition.
Thanks to the pill, the temperature inside the cave had fallen to a level ordinary people could endure. The rocks along the walls were incredibly solid as well, showing no signs of collapse.
The passage was pitch-black, but it did not hinder Qin Chen's steps in the slightest. As Dou Qi circulated within him, the darkness around him swiftly receded like a tide.
Before long, Qin Chen brought Qing Lin to the bottom of the passage. With a light tap of his feet, he landed steadily on the ground, where more than a dozen dark passageways appeared before them.
Without Qing Lin needing to say anything, Qin Chen sensed a dense fire-attributed energy from one of the passageways and immediately headed inside.
As they ventured deeper, the fire-attributed energy in the passage grew increasingly intense. Ordinary mercenaries would have been unable to endure it, but Qin Chen was now a Dou Wang, and the scorching aura had no effect on him. Qing Lin, due to her special constitution, felt no discomfort either.
After turning the final corner, Qin Chen and Qing Lin reached the end of the passage, and the scene before them suddenly opened up.
It was a boundless Magma World. Scorching magma churned endlessly, fiery-red bubbles occasionally bursting and splashing boiling droplets of magma everywhere. The air was filled with a searing presence.
Though he had long been prepared, Qin Chen was still deeply shaken by the sight before him. It was hard to imagine what kind of spectacle lay beneath Jia Nan Academy—a Magma World that encompassed most of the Black-Corner Region.
"Young Master, be careful! I can sense that strange aura hiding beneath the magma." Just then, Qing Lin let out a startled cry in his arms, her jade-green eyes fixed tightly on the churning magma.
"Don't worry. I'm here." Qin Chen rubbed the serious little head in his arms, then gently placed Qing Lin by the cave entrance.
Qin Chen slowly walked to the edge of the magma. A "powerful" aura at the Da Dou Shi level emanated from his body. He had deliberately concealed most of his strength to lure out the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake beneath the magma.
As Qin Chen wandered along the edge, he mobilized his soul power and watched the magma's surface closely. Moments later, he sensed a massive figure swimming toward him from the depths.
Bang!
The magma suddenly exploded open, and a giant double-headed snake covered in crimson scales shot into the air. Its two vicious heads opened their bloody maws and bit toward Qin Chen.
"Finally." Seeing the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake pouncing at him, Qin Chen advanced instead of retreating. He clenched his right hand into a fist, unleashing Dou Wang-level Dou Qi without restraint, and smashed his fist into one of its heads.
The Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's massive body flew backward like a cannonball and slammed brutally into a nearby rock wall, kicking up clouds of dust.
"Hisss—"
The Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake let out two miserable hisses. Human-like panic appeared in its two huge heads, and it turned to dive into the magma and flee.
A fourth-tier magical beast had already developed rudimentary intelligence. Though it did not understand why the human before it had suddenly erupted with such terrifying strength, it knew perfectly well that it could not win. Time to run.
But how could Qin Chen let it get its way?
With a low shout, powerful soul force burst from between his brows. Violent soul fluctuations slammed fiercely into the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's two vicious heads.
"Wuu—"
The Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake gave a brief cry of pain, and its enormous body went limp. The light faded from its scarlet vertical pupils as it fell completely unconscious.
Qin Chen curled his lips into a smile. With a flap of the Dou Qi wings behind him, he landed before Qing Lin.
Qing Lin was staring at Qin Chen with a face full of admiration. Little stars seemed to shine in her clear eyes. She had never expected her young master to be so amazing, subduing such a huge creature so quickly.
Seeing the little maid's worshipful gaze, Qin Chen rubbed her head and smiled. "Qing Lin, no need to get excited. You'll be able to do this too before long."
Qing Lin's little face filled with delight at his words, but when she looked at the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake in the distance, doubt still appeared on her face. "Really? Will Qing Lin become as powerful as Young Master someday?"
"As powerful as me?" Qin Chen considered it briefly, then smiled. "Of course. Maybe one day, when I encounter a bottleneck in cultivation, I'll need your help. I just hope Qing Lin won't refuse me then."
As he spoke, Qin Chen lightly patted her fair, tender cheek.
Qing Lin's face reddened at the intimate gesture. She then lifted her head and said seriously, "Qing Lin would never refuse Young Master. As long as I can help Young Master, Qing Lin is willing to do anything."
"What a silly girl..."
A trace of warmth passed through Qin Chen's heart as he looked at her shy yet earnest expression. He then smiled and asked, "Qing Lin, are you ready?"
During their flight earlier, Qin Chen had already told Qing Lin that she possessed the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
Qing Lin nodded heavily, her tone full of determination. "Young Master, I'm ready!"
"Good!" Qin Chen picked up Qing Lin's petite body. His Dou Qi wings trembled as he flew before the unconscious Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake.
Qin Chen took a jade bottle from his Storage Ring and handed it to Qing Lin. "This is a pill that will strengthen your perception. Go on, Qing Lin."
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Chen formed hand seals and erected a small energy barrier that enveloped the two of them.
This was a simple formation Qin Chen had obtained at Jia Nan Academy. It could isolate the inside of the formation from the outside world, concealing the energy fluctuations created when the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils awakened and preventing the people of Heavenly Snake Mansion from discovering them. It had the same effect as the seal suppressing the Fallen Heart Flame.
Qin Chen knew that keeping Qing Lin by his side was not good for her growth. Heavenly Snake Mansion was the place most suited to her development, and only Heavenly Snake Mansion could give Qing Lin the finest training.
However, Qing Lin was still only a little girl. Qin Chen hoped that she could have a happy childhood instead of being sent straight to Heavenly Snake Mansion after helping him find Heavenly Flames.
Of course, Qin Chen would not deny his selfish motives either. He truly wanted to spend this time building a proper bond with Qing Lin.
"Yes, Young Master!" Qing Lin did not know what Qin Chen was thinking. After accepting the jade bottle, she walked toward the Fire Spirit Snake.
Although the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils had appeared extremely rarely, the Jia Nan Academy library still contained some brief records. Activating these pupils was simple: when facing snake-type magical beasts, one only needed to focus one's mental power intensely upon one's eyes.
In the original story, Qing Lin had found it so difficult to control the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake because she had never practiced Dou Qi. She did not even possess Dou Qi, much less have the ability to use a trace of it. Had the Fire Spirit Snake not given her such intense stimulation, she likely would never have awakened the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils in her lifetime.
Awakening of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils
Qing Lin tightly gripped the jade bottle in her hand and gathered her courage as she approached the Fire Spirit Snake's two massive heads. She took a deep breath, pulled out the stopper, and swallowed the pill. A cool sensation instantly flowed down her throat and into her mind.
Qing Lin focused her attention, her gem-like jade-green eyes fixed tightly upon the Fire Spirit Snake's enormous snake pupils.
"Ah!"
Moments later, Qing Lin suddenly threw back her head and let out a piercing scream.
With that scream, the three green dots in Qing Lin's eyes shone brilliantly, transforming in an instant into three extremely tiny green flowers.
The moment the green flowers appeared, a dark beam of light shot from her eyes and instantly enveloped the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's massive body.
The instant it was struck by the dark light, the Fire Spirit Snake's massive body twitched unconsciously. The strange dark light slowly moved across its body. When it stopped between the foreheads of the two snake heads, it gradually shrank while its glow grew brighter and brighter.
When the beam had shrunk to the size of a palm, another burst of dark light flashed, and two tiny green flowers were branded onto the Fire Spirit Snake's two vicious heads.
After the green flower marks were formed, the strange dark light gradually disappeared. The tiny flowers in Qing Lin's eyes quickly faded as well, and her eyes returned to their usual jade-green moments later.
After her pupils returned to normal, Qing Lin's face had turned pale as paper, and fine beads of sweat seeped from her forehead. Then her eyes closed, her body went limp, and she began to fall to the ground.
Qin Chen reacted quickly and caught Qing Lin in his arms.
Qing Lin had fainted from exhaustion. Qin Chen took out a pill from his Storage Ring and placed it in her mouth, then took out a waterskin and fed her a small sip of water to help her swallow it.
Not long afterward, the unconscious Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake slowly woke up. Yet it did not immediately dive into the magma and flee. Instead, it quietly coiled in place, its once-violent aura greatly restrained. Its two enormous heads hung meekly, and the way it looked at Qing Lin held far less ferocity than before, replaced by fear and obedience.
Looking at the docile Fire Spirit Snake, a strange thought could not help but arise in Qin Chen's mind.
On the Battle Qi Continent, wasn't the upper limit for snake-type magical beasts a little too high?
Take the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python and the Ancient Heavenly Serpent, for example. They could actually stand shoulder to shoulder with the dragon and phoenix clans. Many things were also closely tied to snakes, such as Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
When Qin Chen had read novels in his previous life, he had deliberately looked into their authors. He discovered that Potato's zodiac year was the Year of the Snake. Could it be because of that that this world favored snake-type magical beasts?
Just as Qin Chen's thoughts wandered, Qing Lin slowly woke up in his arms. She shook her groggy little head, and when she saw that Young Master was holding her, her face reddened slightly. Then she softly said, "Young Master, I... I think I succeeded."
Qin Chen smiled warmly and lightly scraped the tip of her nose. "Qing Lin is amazing. You succeeded on your first try. How do you feel now?"
Qing Lin blinked her clear eyes and looked at the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake in the distance. "I feel like I've established a strange connection with it. I can communicate with it, and I can sense its thoughts."
"It told me that the Heavenly Flame Young Master has been searching for is beneath the magma."
At the end, Qing Lin lifted her little face as if seeking praise.
"Looks like you've successfully awakened it. Congratulations, Qing Lin." Qin Chen did not hold back his praise. He then looked around the Magma World and said seriously, "Time is of the essence. Since you've controlled it, have it take me down. Once we find the Heavenly Flame, we'll leave this place immediately."
"Ah..."
Qing Lin immediately revealed a hesitant expression upon hearing this. But when she saw Qin Chen's serious look, she could only nod and softly say, "Young Master, you must be careful."
"Don't worry. Your young master is very capable."
Qing Lin no longer hesitated after hearing that. She closed her eyes and conveyed Qin Chen's command to the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake.
The Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake was somewhat unwilling after receiving Qing Lin's command. However, once Qin Chen tossed a pill into its mouth, it immediately adopted a fawning expression. It eagerly lowered its enormous heads, signaling for Qin Chen to ride on its back.
Qin Chen smiled, flipped onto the Fire Spirit Snake's broad back, and circulated the Dou Qi within him to form a protective barrier around his body.
Who would have thought that instead of becoming a dragon rider, he would become a snake rider first? Riding a snake was fine. At least he would not need to slowly swim while consuming his own Dou Qi.
He had no idea why Xiao Yan and Yao Lao in the original story were so foolish. They had a perfectly good mount available, yet they insisted on making the Fire Spirit Snake lead the way ahead while they slowly followed behind.
Even after Qing Lin controlled the Fire Spirit Snake, that guy still did not want to pay attention to Xiao Yan. Yao Lao, that old fox, really was something else. He did not even know to use something good to bribe this greedy snake with low intelligence.
Feeling the weight on its back, the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's two massive heads let out a low hiss at the same time. Then, like an arrow released from a bowstring, it dived toward the rolling magma below.
As the Fire Spirit Snake continued descending, the surrounding temperature gradually rose. Scorching waves of heat rushed toward him. Fortunately, Qin Chen had the protection of sixth-tier beast fire and had brought plenty of pills, so he did not need to worry about running out of Dou Qi.
Half an hour later, as the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake gradually slowed, a lotus radiating cyan light appeared in Qin Chen's sight.
The Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake seemed terrified of the lotus. After stopping, it merely circled nearby and did not dare approach it easily.
"Green Lotus Core Flame, I've finally found you!"
Excitement surged through Qin Chen's heart, and the Dou Qi in his body began to churn uncontrollably.
The Green Lotus Core Flame, also called the Green Lotus Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Born deep within the earth, it underwent countless temperings, fusions, compressions, and carvings by the earth's fire... It gained spirituality after ten years, took shape after a hundred years, and became a lotus after a thousand years. Once fully mature, its color leaned toward cyan, and a cluster of cyan flame would grow in its lotus heart. This flame possessed boundless power. Near volcanic regions, it could trigger volcanic eruptions and form nature's destructive force!
Though Xiao Yan never used this ability even by the end of the story...
Looking at the uneasy Fire Spirit Snake, Qin Chen patted its back and told it, "Wait here for me." Then he spread his Dou Qi wings and shot toward the center of the cyan light.
The moment he stepped into the cyan light, Qin Chen felt the surrounding temperature drop considerably.
The Green Lotus Core Flame required vast amounts of energy to take shape, drawing the fire-attributed energy around it here. Thus, the closer one got to the cyan light, the higher the temperature became. However, the energy within the cyan light had already been initially absorbed, which was why the temperature inside was lower.
Green Lotus Core Flame
Qin Chen did not approach the lotus directly. Instead, he took a portrait of Qing Lin from his Storage Ring. In the portrait, the young girl's brows curved gently, and a faint smile rested on her lips. Like a budding lotus, she was pure and beautiful. Only after holding the portrait before him did Qin Chen step toward the cyan lotus.
The cyan lotus had eight petals, each crystal-clear and seemingly formed by nature itself.
Within the lotus sat a small lotus platform roughly two or three feet wide. Several holes on its surface emitted faint glimmers of light. They contained Earthfire Lotus Seeds condensed from pure fire-attributed energy.
Beneath the cyan lotus was a slender root stalk three or four zhang long. Dense, tiny tendrils covered the stalk. As those tendrils swayed, an immensely powerful suction force emerged from them, wildly absorbing fire-attributed energy from the surrounding magma.
At the center of the small lotus platform within the lotus was a fist-sized hole. A tiny cluster of cyan flame swayed lightly within it. Though small, it radiated energy so powerful that even Qin Chen felt alarmed.
When Qing Lin's portrait approached the cyan lotus, the tiny flame inside clearly flickered slightly, like a droplet falling into still water.
After holding the portrait before the lotus for a long while, Qin Chen finally put it back into his Storage Ring. He then took out the jade longsword he had prepared long ago and lightly sliced the point where the lotus connected to its root stalk. The incomparably beautiful cyan lotus fell free.
Seeing the cyan lotus fall, Qin Chen raised a hand and drew it toward himself. The cyan lotus floated above his palm and slowly turned. He then took out several jade bottles, carefully picked out the eleven Earthfire Lotus Seeds within the lotus, and placed them into the bottles.
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