Outside Stone Desert City lay a flat expanse of desert.
Boom!
A crimson streak of Dou Qi burst from beneath the ground, revealing a pitch-black passage beneath the yellow sand. Immediately afterward, two figures slowly emerged from the passage. Beside them, a Green Lotus floated in midair.
Sunlight spilled over the figures, revealing a handsome face from the darkness. It was Xiao Yun, who had just returned from the Underground Magma World. He took Qing Lin's hand and pulled her out of the passage, then activated his Dou Qi again to bury the entrance.
"Qing Lin, next, Brother needs to devour the Heavenly Flame. It may take some time. When that happens, I'll have that Grandpa Hai from before take care of you." Xiao Yun rubbed Qing Lin's little head and smiled.
"Can't you take Qing Lin with you? I don't want to be separated from Brother." At Xiao Yun's words, reluctance immediately filled the little girl's eyes. Xiao Yun was the first person who had ever treated her so well. She was afraid that if he left this time, he would never come back.
"Hehe, be good." Xiao Yun crouched down and met the little girl's eyes. Seeing tears gradually well up in those emerald-green pupils, he reached out to wipe them away and comforted her. "Brother isn't abandoning you. It's just that devouring the Heavenly Flame is dangerous, and it may take a long time. I'm only not taking you because I'm worried about your safety."
"Alright, then Brother, you have to come back safely." Looking into Xiao Yun's sincere eyes, Qing Lin suddenly wrapped her arms around him tightly.
Xiao Yun remained half-crouched, feeling Qing Lin's soft, slender body. A wave of tenderness rose in his heart as he rubbed the back of her head and said