"Stay close to me," Lin Hao said to Snow Empress, then walked in one direction.
Snow Empress discovered that Lin Hao was not walking on the main road, but on a secluded path, with almost no one else around.
"Your Majesty, shall we not compete for the opportunities deep within?" the Snow Empress couldn't help but ask.
"There is indeed Fortune deep within, but the greatest opportunity lies elsewhere," Lin Hao said calmly. "That old fox, the Azure Emperor, loves to play feints and diversions."
Snow Empress suddenly understood and asked no further questions.
The two walked along the path for about a quarter of an hour and came to a side hall. The side hall was not large, only about a hundred feet in diameter, with a stone platform in the center, on which was placed a jade box.
The jade box is simple and unadorned, yet it exudes a faint fragrance that invigorates the senses.
"This is... the aroma of Enlightenment Tea Leaves?" Snow Empress's eyes lit up.
The Enlightenment Tea Tree is a spiritual root of heaven and earth, ripening only once every ten thousand years, producing only one hundred and eight tea leaves each time. Each tea leaf contains a fragment of the Great Dao, which can help people comprehend the Dao, making it extremely precious. Even the lord of a sacred land can hardly obtain a single leaf.
The fragrance emanating from this jade box was incredibly rich, likely from more than just one piece.
"It's not just Enlightenment Tea." Lin Hao stepped forward and opened the jade box.
Inside the jade box were indeed three tea leaves, each as clear and lustrous as jade, with natural patterns and imbued with Daoist charm. But that wasn't the main point; the main point was that beneath the tea leaves was a jade pendant.
The jade pendant is bluish-green and carved with a lifelike Green Lotus.
"This is... the token of the Azure Emperor?" The Snow Empress's breath hitched.
The Azure Emperor's token can unlock certain restrictions left by the Azure Emperor, granting access to true inheritance. Its value is a hundred times greater than that of the Enlightenment Tea Leaves!
"Put it away." Lin Hao handed the jade box to Snow Empress.
"Your Majesty, this is too precious..." The Snow Empress hesitated.
"Take it if I give it to you." Lin Hao said calmly. " The Enlightenment Tea Leaves is useful to you at this stage; it can help you refine the Ice Emperor's Heart faster. As for this jade pendant, it will be useful in the future."
Snow Empress no longer refused, respectfully accepted it, and carefully put it away.
Just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside the side hall.
"Huh? There's a side hall here. Maybe there's something good inside!"
"Go in and take a look!"
Three figures rushed in: two middle-aged cultivators and a young man. All three possessed considerable auras, were from the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, and wore matching Daoist robes with a red sun embroidered on their chests.
"People from the Sun God Sect." Snow Empress recognized their origins. The Sun God Sect was a major cult in the Eastern Wasteland. Although not as powerful as the Holy Land, it was not to be underestimated. Its leader was an extremely Mighty One.
The three of them also saw Lin Hao and Snow Empress, and their eyes lit up when they saw the jade box in Snow Empress's hand.
" Enlightenment Tea Leaves! And the Azure Emperor's Token!" Greed flashed in the eyes of the leading middle-aged cultivator. "Hand them over, and we'll spare your lives!"
Snow Empress's eyes turned cold, and she was about to make a move when Lin Hao spoke:
"Roll."
A single word, yet it contained supreme authority. The three cultivators of the Sun God Sect were struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out a mouthful of blood, flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall, and losing consciousness.
Snow Empress gasped. She knew Lin Hao was strong, but she hadn't expected him to be this strong—one word crippled three cultivators at the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm; it was simply divine power.
"Let's go, there's nothing worth lingering here." Lin Hao turned and walked deeper into the side hall.
Snow Empress quickly followed, her awe of Lin Hao deepening even further.
The two passed through a side hall and came to a hidden passage. The passage wound downwards, its destination unknown.
"Your Majesty, where are we going?" the Snow Empress couldn't help but ask.
"The place where the Azure Emperor passed away," Lin Hao said calmly.
Snow Empress's heart trembled. The place where the Azure Emperor passed away was the most core forbidden area of Demon Emperor's Tomb. It was rumored to contain the Azure Emperor's last legacy and his Emperor Weapon — the Demon Emperor Sword!
Could it be that His Majesty's trip is for the Demon Emperor Sword?
" The Demon Emperor Sword shattered long ago with the passing of the Azure Emperor and no longer exists." Lin Hao seemed to see through her thoughts and said calmly, "What I want is something else."
Snow Empress dared not ask any more questions and simply followed silently.
The passage seemed endless. The two walked for a full half hour, and the surroundings grew increasingly hot, the air itself beginning to distort.
"It's so hot! This place feels like an oven!" The Snow Empress circulated the Taiyin True Scripture, and moonlight flowed across her body, barely managing to withstand the heat wave.
"Because ahead lies the Earth's core fire vein," Lin Hao said. "That old fellow, the Azure Emperor, chose this place as his final resting place precisely to use the power of the Earth's core fire vein to nurture that thing."
Finally, the passage came to an end.
Ahead lay a massive cavern, in the center of which was a lava lake hundreds of feet in diameter. The lava churned within the lake, radiating intense heat. In the heart of the lake stood a stone platform, upon which floated a ball of blue flame.
The flame, no bigger than a fist, radiated terrifying heat, even distorting the void itself. At the center of the flame, a faint image of a Green Lotus could be seen, slowly rotating, each rotation accompanied by the roar of the Great Dao.
"This is... the Azure Emperor's Origin Emperor Fire?!" the Snow Empress exclaimed in shock.
The Azure Emperor's true form was a Chaos Green Lotus. He attained enlightenment and transformed into human form, becoming an emperor. His Origin Emperor Fire contains the imprint of his Great Dao. If one can refine it, it is equivalent to obtaining a portion of the Azure Emperor's inheritance!
"Not bad." Lin Hao looked at the ball of blue flame, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "Old man, you still left yourself a backup plan after all."
He took a step, stepping into thin air as he walked towards the lava lake.
"Your Majesty, be careful!" the Snow Empress hurriedly warned. The lava lake was extremely hot; if someone fell into the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm, they would instantly turn to ashes.
But Lin Hao walked as if on flat ground, step by step towards the stone platform in the center of the lake. The lava automatically parted, and heat waves swirled around it, as if welcoming a king.
Arriving at the stone platform, Lin Hao reached out and grabbed at the ball of blue flame.
The flames seemed to possess a spirit, trembling slightly, but they did not resist, allowing Lin Hao to grasp them in his hand.
"Old friend, I've come to keep my appointment," Lin Hao said softly.
The azure flames shone brightly, transforming into countless points of light that entered Lin Hao's palm. The next moment, Lin Hao's aura began to surge.
Snow Empress watched with trepidation. She could sense that Lin Hao's cultivation was rapidly improving, but she couldn't discern exactly what level he had reached.
A moment later, the light faded, and Lin Hao's aura returned to calm, as if nothing had happened. But Snow Empress could sense that Lin Hao's temperament seemed to have undergone a subtle change, gaining a touch of antiquity and vicissitude.
"Let's go, it's time to leave." Lin Hao turned around and returned to Snow Empress's side.
"Your Majesty, that ball of Emperor Fire..." the Snow Empress couldn't help but ask.
"I've refined it." Lin Hao said calmly, " The Azure Emperor owed me a favor back then, and this ball of Emperor Fire is his repayment to me."
The Snow Empress was shocked, but dared not ask any more questions.
The two returned the way they came. When they left the side hall, the three Sun God Sect cultivators were gone; they had probably escaped after waking up.