Chapter 43: Obtaining the Earth Fire Lotus Seeds
"Haah!"
Hai Bodong let out a loud cry, and with a sudden burst of force, his ice spear whipped across like a lash, striking the Twin Headed Flame Spirit Serpent with a resounding bang. The massive impact sent the serpent flying backward. Seizing the moment, Hai Bodong grabbed Qing Lin by the shoulder and quickly retreated with her.
At the same time, Lu Bu returned to their position. His soul power surged out like a storm, instantly restraining the Twin Headed Flame Spirit Serpent.
Qing Lin, who had been shaken by the ordeal, took a while to recover. Once Lu Bu landed, he held her gently in his arms, softly comforting her until her pale face gradually regained some color.
Hai Bodong stood guard with his spear, keeping an eye on the restrained serpent. The beast was cunning, but since Lu Bu wasn't killing it, there was no need to rush. With their combined strength, dealing with this serpent was more than manageable.
Once Qing Lin had calmed down, Hai Bodong asked, "What do we do with this thing? And what's the next step?"
Lu Bu stroked his chin, hesitating for a moment. He couldn't exactly reveal his true thoughts so bluntly.
"Um, Young Master…" Qing Lin tugged at Lu Bu's sleeve timidly. "If you're looking for the Heavenly Flame, perhaps it knows something about it."
Her words made Hai Bodong's face change slightly. "This thing knows where the Heavenly Flame is? Wait how do you know that?"
"Uh… um…" Qing Lin lowered her head, too shy to meet Lu Bu's gaze, her fingers nervously poking at each other. "I… I think I can sense its thoughts…"
Hai Bodong's eyes widened as he alternated between looking at Qing Lin and the serpent. His gaze lingered on the two tiny green flowers marking the serpent's heads. Slowly, comprehension dawned on him, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Lu Bu waved his hand, withdrawing his soul power. Hai Bodong tightened his grip on his spear, but to his surprise, the ferocity in the serpent's eyes had vanished, replaced by a distinctly human like fear.
Hai Bodong's mouth twitched again. Although he didn't fully understand what had happened, it was clear that the serpent had submitted to Qing Lin.
"Girl, where does it say the Heavenly Flame is?" Lu Bu asked with a smile, rubbing Qing Lin's head.
"Um…" Qing Lin's face turned slightly red before she straightened her posture. "Young Master, it says the Heavenly Flame is… below."
She pointed her jade like finger toward the lava sea beneath them.
"What? The Heavenly Flame is under the lava?" Hai Bodong's eyes widened in disbelief. "How are we supposed to retrieve it from there?"
"Girl, have it lead the way. I'll go down and take a look," Lu Bu said. He turned to Hai Bodong. "Old Hai, look after Qing Lin for a while. I'll be back soon."
Seeing the resolve in Lu Bu's eyes, Qing Lin swallowed the words of protest that had risen to her lips. She glanced at the serpent, which lowered its heads submissively before slithering back into the lava. Turning back, it gestured with its heads for Lu Bu to follow.
Lu Bu enveloped himself in the protective flames of his Spirit Fire, which instantly formed a shield around his body. Without hesitation, he leaped into the lava and disappeared beneath its surface, following the serpent into the fiery depths.
"Good grief…" Hai Bodong wiped the sweat from his brow. Even at his peak, he wouldn't have dared to dive into the lava like this.
For the first time, he truly understood the allure of the Heavenly Flame for alchemists.
As Lu Bu and the Twin Headed Flame Spirit Serpent vanished from view, a flicker of concern crossed Hai Bodong's face. If something went wrong, all of his efforts would be for nothing.
Meanwhile, Qing Lin sat down nearby, her emerald eyes shimmering faintly with a mysterious glow. However, her expression remained calm, which eased Hai Bodong's worry somewhat. It seemed there wasn't much to fear after all.
Time passed slowly in the underground lava world, broken only by the occasional bubbling sound of the molten sea. Hai Bodong, not one for idle chatter, sat quietly. Although he found Qing Lin's abilities curious, he wasn't the type to pry unnecessarily.
Qing Lin, for her part, remained focused on monitoring Lu Bu's movements, her eyes glinting faintly as she followed his progress.
Beneath the Lava
The surroundings transitioned from red to black, then from black to a brilliant cyan. Eventually, a lotus platform glowing with a cyan radiance appeared in Lu Bu's sight.
"Beautiful!" Lu Bu's eyes gleamed with excitement.
The Amethyst Source he had been relying on was no longer sufficient to support his cultivation of the Nirvana Golden Body, but the Earth Fire Lotus Seeds would suffice. There were eleven seeds here enough for him to condense the Nirvana Golden Body.
Once his physical body was strengthened further, he could finally begin the process of cultivating the Minor Nirvana Golden Body.
"Jie, time to harvest!" Lu Bu grinned, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as he pulled out a sharp jade blade he had prepared earlier.
…
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Qing Lin, who had been watching the lava sea intently, suddenly broke into a smile. Hai Bodong noticed her reaction and felt a flicker of hope. It seemed Lu Bu had succeeded.
Still, a question nagged at Hai Bodong's mind. Lu Bu already had one Heavenly Flame why was he so intent on obtaining another?
He pondered the matter for a moment but couldn't come to any conclusions. Deciding it was none of his business, he let it go. All he wanted was to restore his own strength as soon as possible.
With a sudden whoosh, Lu Bu and the Twin Headed Flame Spirit Serpent broke through the surface of the lava sea, landing beside Hai Bodong and Qing Lin.
However, Hai Bodong's brows furrowed when he noticed that Lu Bu's hands were empty. Even as someone with ice attribute Dou Qi, he knew that Heavenly Flames couldn't be stored in spatial rings.
"Did someone beat you to it?" Hai Bodong asked, narrowing his eyes.
Lu Bu shrugged helplessly, spreading his hands. "Yep. Someone got here first."
"Who?" Hai Bodong's expression turned serious.
Instead of answering directly, Lu Bu pulled out two shimmering, rainbow colored snake scales.
Hai Bodong's eyes twitched, and he instinctively took two steps back. The aura emanating from the scales was unmistakably that of Medusa. His face darkened as he cursed, "Damn it! That's Medusa's aura!"
"Relax, Old Hai. They're just snake scales," Lu Bu teased, his tone light.
"You don't get it!" Hai Bodong retorted, his face flushing with a mix of shame and anger. "That's Medusa! She kills without hesitation… Forget it, you don't even understand how terrifying she is!"
Lu Bu smirked but didn't respond, leaving Hai Bodong to grumble and rant about how clueless he was. Eventually, Hai Bodong realized Lu Bu was teasing him on purpose, which only made him roll his eyes in frustration.
"So, what's the plan now? If Medusa has the goods, are you still going to chase after her?" Hai Bodong asked, steering the conversation back on track.
"Of course," Lu Bu said with a smile. "I'll make a trip to the desert, see Medusa for myself, and while I'm at it, help you gather the medicinal ingredients you need. But first, I'll need to refine some pills."
"Let's head back to the surface," Lu Bu added, motioning for the others to follow.
Hai Bodong sighed and took the lead, preparing to guide them out of the cave.
Qing Lin beckoned to the Twin Headed Flame Spirit Serpent, and the green flowers on its heads glowed before transforming into streaks of green light that vanished into her sleeve.
"Young Master, we can leave now," Qing Lin said with a bright smile, clearly pleased with her new pet.
Hai Bodong couldn't help but sigh. This serpent's strength was comparable to his own, yet it was now obediently following this girl. She truly was remarkable.
"Alright, let's go," Lu Bu said as he picked up Qing Lin and followed Hai Bodong back toward the surface.
As the three of them and the serpent departed, the underground lava world fell silent once more, enveloped in eternal stillness.
(End of Chapter)
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