Earthcore Fire Lotus

A quarter of an hour later, the four arrived before a cliff face.

Below lay a small gorge, its depths shrouded by vast swathes of white mist, concealing every trace of the scene within.

Xie Jinghan circulated his Innate True Qi and gathered it in his eyes before he could barely make out the location of the cave.

The mist was continuously billowing out from that cave, spreading throughout the gorge.

Black Boy looked down at the gorge filled with boundless white fog and could not help asking:

"Brother Xie, is that cave really in the gorge below?"

"It is indeed here!"

Xie Jinghan stared down below and said in a low voice.

"Watch out for the wolf pack!"

At that moment, a large pack of wolves was lurking and prowling within the gorge below.

Xie Jinghan surveyed the entire gorge but found no trace of the Azure Wolf.

It seemed the Azure Wolf had already slipped into the cave.

"What exactly is inside that cave?"

At his side, Zhao Wen stared at the densely packed wolf shadows below and asked quietly:

"Brother Xie, with so many wolves guarding it, how are we supposed to get through?"

"We'll walk straight through."

"The Azure Wolf isn't here. Though these wolves are numerous, they are nothing to worry about!"

Xie Jinghan said indifferently.

"You all stay behind me."

With that, Xie Jinghan headed toward the gorge below.

The three exchanged looks, then stared at Xie Jinghan's retreating back and hurriedly followed.

The four strode toward the depths of the gorge.

The instant they appeared, the wolves swiftly surrounded them.

"Awwooo..."

"Awwooo..."

Wolf howls rose and fell in succession.

The wolves bared their fangs and crouched low, looking ready to pounce at any moment.

Xie Jinghan clenched the hilt of the Thunderclap Sword. Sword intent filled the air, and his entire body resembled a blade, sharp beyond measure.

Intimidated by Xie Jinghan's aura,

the wolves paused, deeply wary of him and no longer daring to approach rashly.

The gorge was rather steep, but with the four prepared, they soon passed through the wolf pack and entered the cave.

The cave was pitch-dark.

With a thought from Xie Jinghan, the sword case on his back opened, and a Moonlit Night Sword flew out to hover at his side. Pale moonlight flowed from it, illuminating a stretch of the cave.

The four slowed their pace and cautiously explored deeper inside.

There were many branching paths within the cave, tangled and intricate like a maze. Yet under Xie Jinghan's Ten-Thousand-Mile Tracking Art, he quickly identified a route.

"Follow me," Xie Jinghan reminded them.

Nearly half a quarter of an hour later, they reached the end of a branching path, and the view before them suddenly opened up.

A vast underground river came into view, as broad as a lake and dozens of zhang across.

At that moment, however, the river water kept bubbling and churning as though it were boiling!

Great quantities of mist steamed upward.

At the center of the underground river, vast amounts of fiery-red magma continuously erupted.

Within the magma, a crimson fire lotus was quietly blooming.

The fire lotus was extraordinarily dazzling!

Flames coiled around its petals, twelve in total.

Within were twelve lotus seeds.

The fire lotus's roots were deeply embedded in the scorching magma, continuously drawing in the essence of the earth below.

From afar, the entire fire lotus gleamed with a hazy red radiance.

It had yet to fully mature.

Strands of strange fragrance drifted over with the heat waves. Though they stood amid scorching heat, the scent was refreshing to the heart and spirit.

"This is... the Earthcore Fire Lotus!"

Xie Jinghan's pupils contracted slightly. From the lotus's extraordinary qualities, he instantly recognized this rare treasure.

The three behind him were likewise captivated, staring fixedly at the Earthcore Fire Lotus growing within the magma.

Black Boy widened his eyes and exclaimed in astonishment:

"Heavens! This fire lotus grows in magma—it's far too beautiful!"