After leaving the map shop, Hai Bodong looked up at the sky.
"Wutan City is in that direction. If we press on, we can cover some distance before the day is out."
Xiao Yan shook his head.
"We're not heading back yet."
Hai Bodong glanced at him.
"Something else to do?"
"Elder Hai, come with me to retrieve a flame."
Vendors' cries filled the street. A man carrying buckets of water passed beside them. Hai Bodong stepped aside and asked casually, "What flame?"
Xiao Yan leaned closer and lowered his voice.
"The Green Lotus Core Flame."
Hai Bodong stopped short.
He turned and stared at the boy for a moment before slowly uttering two words.
"Heavenly Flames?"
Xiao Yan nodded.
"You know where it is?"
"Roughly. We'll still have to search once we get there."
Rather than answering immediately, Hai Bodong led Xiao Yan to a shaded spot beside the street, took a map from his Storage Ring, and spread it over a stone slab.
"Show me."
Xiao Yan's finger landed on the area around Stone Desert City.
The opportunity he remembered lay hidden in the underground magma nearby. But the novel had not clearly marked every dune and every crack in the rocks for him.
Besides, it was still early in the timeline. The terrain might not match every detail of the description he remembered.
"Let's search this area first."
Hai Bodong studied the map, then suddenly raised a hand and pointed to three spots.
"There's geothermal heat here. The caravans nearby often take detours around them. I visited while drawing my maps. The rocks beneath the sand were much hotter than elsewhere."
"But underground fire and heavenly flames are two different things. Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"
Xiao Yan smiled. "Let's take a look first. My teacher will help me identify it, too."
At the mention of his teacher, Hai Bodong asked no more.
The seal that had plagued him for years had been undone with a mere lift of that man's hand. It was only natural for someone like him to know of opportunities hidden from others.
"Then let's go."
They bought plenty of fresh water and dry provisions, then soon left Desert City.
Yellow sands stretched beyond the city, and the distant trade route dwindled to a thin line. Ice wings unfurled behind Hai Bodong. He rested a hand on Xiao Yan's shoulder and carried him into the air.
The wind instantly roared past their ears.
Watching the city gate rapidly shrink beneath them, Xiao Yan could not help feeling a little envious.
He had yet to find time to cultivate the Purple Cloud Wings scroll. Now that he was traveling, he had put a ready-made Dou Emperor to use first.
"Hold tight. If you fall, I'll have to turn back and pick you up."
"Elder Hai, why does that sound like you're hauling cargo?"
"I've never shielded any cargo from the wind."
Hai Bodong casually swept aside the oncoming wind and sand. His tone remained flat, but the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
Xiao Yan smiled and fell silent, sinking his awareness into the ring.
"Master, since I cultivate the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, do I still need to refine a heavenly flame separately?"
Bodhi sat in his chair, steam curling from the teacup in his hand.
"What do you want to use it for?"
"Alchemy. And I've heard heavenly flames can increase one's strength, so I thought, since I'm already here, I shouldn't leave empty-handed."
The Grandmaster smiled at that.
"A flame born naturally of heaven and earth has its own wonders. Used well, it can refine medicine, help temper your sinews and bones, and teach you to discern the transformations of the fire element."
"Then do I need to find another cultivation method specifically for devouring flames?"
"No."
Bodhi shook his head.
"The Eight-Nine Arcane Arts cultivate your own being, while the flame serves your purposes. First understand how it is born and how it changes, then learn to control it. Why rush to replace your foundation the moment you see something good?"
Xiao Yan felt a weight lift from his heart.
He had still been thinking about the Flame Mantra, but the Grandmaster's words made everything clear.
Since he already possessed an immortal cultivation method, following his original path would only mean taking the long way around.
"I understand."
"Once you find it, first learn to gather the flame. As for refining it into your body, there's no need to rush into that beside a pool of magma."
Xiao Yan hurriedly committed this to memory.
Anyone else who learned there was a heavenly flame below would probably have prepared a whole pile of pills to protect their meridians. Yet his master spoke as though he were teaching him to collect a new tool.
The more he thought about it, the more certain he became that this trip was the right choice.
At dusk, they landed on an expanse of exposed reddish-brown rock.
Hai Bodong withdrew his ice wings and brushed aside the loose sand. Sure enough, heat rose beneath his palm.
"The first spot."
Xiao Yan crouched down and, following the Grandmaster's instructions, cleared away distracting thoughts and focused his awareness on the rock before him.
See Through Walls.
At first, he could only see the stone's surface. As his breathing steadied, vague patches of light and shadow gradually emerged within the thick layers of rock.
But when he looked a little deeper, pressure began building between his brows.
"Don't try to look straight into the depths of the earth all at once."
The Grandmaster's voice reached him telepathically.
"Follow the cracks first, and distinguish where the energy is coming from."
Xiao Yan adjusted his focus, and it became easier at once.
A moment later, he withdrew his gaze and shook his head.
"The heat is scattered. It looks like ordinary underground fire below."
Hai Bodong was somewhat surprised by those words.
He had sensed much the same thing, but he was a Dou Emperor. This boy was only a Dou Shi, yet he had discerned it so quickly?
Xiao Yan offered no explanation. He took a drink of water and rose to move on.
The second spot yielded nothing either.
Hai Bodong remained patient. He crossed the searched locations off the map, then drew a new line following the terrain.
"The underground rock layers are connected. Both these spots above are releasing heat. The place where the fire truly gathers is probably farther down."
Xiao Yan leaned over for a look and discovered that Hai Bodong was not simply guessing by intuition. He had even recorded the depths of nearby dry wells.
This map was worth considerably more than the ones displayed in his shop.
It was not until the following afternoon, when they reached the final area, that Hai Bodong stopped.
Several black rocks protruded between the dunes. One had split in half. No wind blew through the crack, yet loose sand never settled inside it.
Xiao Yan crouched to examine it, then suddenly reached out to stop Hai Bodong.
"Wait."
He activated his Divine Ability again and focused his gaze on the crack.
Deep within the rock, an unusually bright current of energy flowed slowly.
Rather than dispersing, it seemed drawn by something, all of it converging in the same direction.
Xiao Yan's eyes lit up.
"There's a passage below."
Hai Bodong raised his palm. A sweep of force flung aside the surrounding sand, revealing the buried edges of what had seemed a crack only a hand's breadth wide.
Beneath the crack lay a rocky opening large enough for a person to pass through.
Scorching air rushed from the opening, blowing up the stray locks over Xiao Yan's forehead.
Hai Bodong reached out to test it, and at last his brows creased slightly.
"The fire down there is nothing like ordinary underground fire."
Rather than jumping down in haste, Xiao Yan asked quietly:
"Master, have we found the right place?"
Inside the ring, Bodhi set down his teacup.
"There is indeed an interesting green lotus growing below."
The corners of Xiao Yan's mouth immediately lifted.
Found it!
He drew the Taiji Liangyi Sword. Clear and black hues flashed along its spine as he strode toward the opening.
Hai Bodong stepped in front of him.
"I'll go down first. Stay close."
As he spoke, a layer of cold energy enveloped them both, and the white-haired elder darted into the darkness first.
Xiao Yan followed close behind.
The sunlight overhead gradually receded, while a crimson glow deep within the stone walls came into view.
Before you continue