Xiao Yu clawed at the ground around him and pulled himself out of the dirt, then began surveying the small island.
The island was not particularly large. Lush bamboo groves and various flowers and grasses had been planted everywhere, with no shortage of precious medicinal herbs among them. Everything was brimming with life, exquisitely beautiful.
But Xiao Yu had no time to care about those herbs. At such close range, he could already sense the violent aura of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
The Bone Chilling Flame around his body gradually vanished, and Xiao Yu's aura disappeared once more. A moment later, he stepped lightly forward, slowly following a path through the woods.
After following the aura of the Heavenly Flame for a while, Xiao Yu slipped into the grass beside the path at its end.
Ahead lay a circular clearing. The surrounding bamboo and trees had all been cut down, replaced by rings of pebble-sized stones arranged in a circle. At its center was a pool of crystal-clear liquid. Though he was still far away, Xiao Yu could sense the faint chill emanating from it.
"Ice Spirit Cold Spring..."
At the center of the Ice Spirit Cold Spring floated a lotus pedestal carved from crystal. In the center of that lotus pedestal rested a green flame. The flame churned within the crystal lotus, sometimes taking the form of a green lotus, sometimes transforming into a small green snake swimming within it. Yet whenever it touched the edge of the crystal lotus pedestal, a faint barrier appeared and bounced it back to the center.
"So this is the Green Lotus Core Flame..."
Xiao Yu licked his lips as he watched the flame in the crystal lotus pedestal and murmured softly.
Xiao Yu swept his gaze around again and discovered a