After successfully subduing the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, Lin Ran finally turned his attention to the lava beneath them. In the original story, Medusa had taken the Green Lotus Core Flame from here, but the lotus platform and lotus seeds remained, which later greatly aided Xiao Yan in his cultivation.
"Xiao Yixian, use the dense fire attribute energy here to temper your Dou Qi. Luyi, guide Qinglin a bit," Lin Ran said calmly. "I'm going down into the lava."
"Into the lava?!" the two girls exclaimed in shock. Luyi furrowed her brows but didn't try to stop him. She simply warned, "My lord, there is something beneath capable of seriously injuring Queen Medusa. Please be cautious."
A strong expert's Dou Qi provided extremely high resistance. For a Dou Zong like Lin Ran, diving beneath the lava wasn't a problem. What worried Luyi was the unknown threat that had once injured Medusa.
"Don't worry," Lin Ran replied with a faint smile. After winking at Xiao Yixian and Qinglin, he took a step forward and submerged directly into the scorching lava.
Beneath the lava, everything was a sea of crimson. However, this level of heat was insignificant to Lin Ran. Pure Yang Dou Qi surged from his body, forming a protective barrier around him that shielded him from the extreme temperature.
Within the scarlet lava world, powerful undercurrents occasionally surged from unknown depths. These undercurrents were extremely violent, but when they crashed into the barrier surrounding Lin Ran, they couldn't even create a ripple.
Lin Ran's Dou Qi strength far surpassed the power of the lava here, making it completely incapable of affecting him, not even to transmit heat.
He moved quickly. Within a few breaths, Lin Ran had descended a tremendous distance. The surrounding lava darkened in color. From red, it gradually turned bluish, and then entirely blue. After passing through this deep-blue sea of fire, the space suddenly opened up.
A vibrant blue glow illuminated everything. Lin Ran narrowed his eyes slightly. Amid the glow, a blue lotus gently floated in place.
"'The Green Lotus Core Flame—formed after ten years of spirit, a hundred years of shape, a thousand years of bloom. At full maturity, it shines blue. The heart of the lotus gives rise to a cluster of blue fire capable of connecting with the earth's inner flames.'"
Lin Ran muttered to himself. This was his first encounter with an exotic flame. Though only its remnants remained, he could still sense the vast energy and intense heat radiating from it.
The Green Lotus Core Flame, also known as the Green Lotus Flame.
This flame was born deep within the earth, formed through endless tempering, fusion, compression, and refinement by subterranean fire. Its power was immense—close proximity could cause volcanic eruptions and unleash nature's wrath!
Unfortunately, what remained before him was only the lotus platform of the flame.
Amid the blue glow, a lotus flower floated quietly.
It had eight petals, each like flawless blue jade—crystal clear, flawlessly shaped, exuding a captivating glow. At the center of the flower sat a small lotus seat, about two or three feet wide, with small glowing holes that seemed to hold lotus seeds made from the purest fire attribute energy.
Beneath the lotus, a long root extended over ten meters, densely covered in tiny tendrils that greedily absorbed the surrounding lava's raging fire energy.
This blue lotus floated in the boundless lava like a lone water plant in the sea—tiny and easy to miss. If not for Lin Ran's prior knowledge and powerful soul perception, he would never have found it amidst such a vast environment.
'Exotic flames truly are rare treasures.'
Lin Ran sighed and took a step forward, instantly appearing before the lotus.
At the center of the small lotus platform was a fist-sized hollow space. At this moment, it was empty—except for several seven-colored snake scales nestled within.
With a wave of his hand, Lin Ran summoned them. They flew out as seven-colored beams of light and landed in his palm.
The scales were about the size of half a palm, shimmering with brilliant hues. At a glance, they looked dazzling and radiant.
They felt cold to the touch, and an icy aura continuously seeped into his body. Lin Ran, however, didn't mind. Instead, he gently rubbed the scales with his fingers.
'Just like Qinglin and Xiao Yixian, it's an icy Dou Qi. For me, this kind of Dou Qi is the best tonic.'
Smiling faintly, Lin Ran stored the seven-colored scales away. Then a long jade ruler appeared, floating in midair. Under his control, it sliced through the root of the blue lotus.
This lotus platform, forged from centuries of underground fire energy, could multiply cultivation speed if one meditated upon it. In battle, it could also be used to unleash devastating fire attacks—deadly even to a Dou Ling.
While it wasn't very useful to Lin Ran himself, it could be of great help to others—particularly Xiao Yixian.
Though it was a fire attribute treasure, the contrast with her Ice Sovereign Qi would help her temper her Dou Qi and raise its strength.
'If I'm to establish a branch sect in the northwest, I'll need to gather valuable resources—even if they don't benefit me directly.'
Having made up his mind, Lin Ran collected the lotus seeds into a jade bottle. He didn't destroy the root, instead allowing it to continue absorbing the magma's fire energy.
'As long as the root remains, another Green Lotus Core Flame will bloom here in a thousand years.'
After some thought, Lin Ran released a surge of condensed Pure Yang Dou Qi from his palm. With a loud hum, he stamped a branding seal onto the base of the lotus's root.
Only after all this did Lin Ran leave the lava chamber.
…
"Qinglin's Three-Colored Pupils are the rarest of eyes. With them, she naturally restrains all snake-type magical beasts, and she also possesses perfect compatibility with all snake-type Dou Techniques."
"Her Dou Qi carries both wood and water attributes. She should try practicing these two techniques."
Above the magma chamber, Xiao Yixian meditated, refining her Dou Qi, while Luyi patiently explained snake-related cultivation methods to Qinglin.
She knew her place. In Lin Ran's eyes, Qinglin was the true treasure—she was just a supporting piece.
Helping Qinglin grow, helping this girl with the world's most powerful pupils rise to her potential, was her most important mission.
(End of Chapter)