"Come on~ Didn't I tell you guys before? Little Yan has a talent for becoming an alchemist, and he's already been taken in as a disciple by one."
Xiao Feng helplessly shrugged, saying, "I already promised Little Yan that I'd give him a special fire as a gift one day. As his elder brother, I can't go back on my word, right? Now that I've finally caught wind of one, I have to try and find it. Whether I can get it or not is another matter."
"So that's how it is."
Xiao Ding's face showed a realisation. He then grabbed Xiao Feng's hand and said, "Since it's for finding a special fire for Little Yan, your second brother and I should help."
"Let's go! I'll take you to the entrance of that underground passage."
"No need to rush, big brother!" Xiao Feng stopped Xiao Ding. "The underground passage isn't going anywhere. We can wait until night to avoid drawing too much attention and causing unnecessary trouble."
"That works, too."
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Ding said, "I'll have someone prepare bathwater and food for you. Take some time to relax. We'll move tonight."
"That's perfect!"
…
Night slowly descended.
After being warmly hosted by Xiao Ding and his group, Xiao Feng and his two companions enjoyed a hearty dinner before slipping out of Stone Desert City under the cover of night.
Soon, they arrived at the outskirts of the eastern part of Stone Desert City. At Xiao Ding's command, several burly mercenaries grabbed shovels that had been prepared in advance and dug up the sand near the entrance of the underground passage, revealing a yellowish wooden board.
After discovering the entrance to the underground passage, Xiao Ding's group sealed it with the board. It covered it with layers of sand to camouflage it, preventing anyone from accidentally wandering in.
Looking at the two-meter-wide, pitch-black underground passage, Xiao Feng smiled faintly and said, "Qing Lin, it's your turn now."
"Mhmm!"
Qing Lin obediently nodded. With a wave of her tiny hand, a yellowish-brown snake shot out from her sleeve.
The small snake increased in size, transforming into a several-meter-long rock snake that fearlessly slithered into the underground passage.
Qing Lin closed her big, watery eyes, fully focusing on using her snake-sensing technique to describe the rock snake's perception as it scouted ahead.
The rock snake moved quickly through the winding underground passage. After about ten minutes, it reached the exit, discovering a vast underground cavern with streams of molten lava flowing through it. The temperature was extremely high.
Sharing the snake's perception, Qing Lin reported everything to Xiao Feng and the others.
After hearing Qing Lin's description, Xiao Ding turned to Xiao Li and said, "Second brother, you stay here and keep watch. I'll go down with the others to check it out."
"Got it!"
Xiao Li nodded solemnly as he watched Xiao Feng's group enter the underground passage.
Thanks to the rock snake scouting ahead, Xiao Feng's group didn't need to proceed cautiously and quickly arrived inside the underground cavern.
The massive cavern had red-hot lava slowly flowing through it, with large bubbles occasionally rising to the surface before bursting like fireworks.
"Wow!"
Though the group had already learned about the lava's existence, seeing the seemingly endless sea of lava before them still left them stunned.
Covered in a faint green robe, Xiao Ding wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Who could've imagined that beneath the outskirts of Stone Desert City, there'd be such a terrifying place?"
"Indeed," Xiao Feng nodded slightly before continuing, "But it's only in places like this that there's a chance for the legendary special fire to exist."
"But the path ends here, and my cultivation technique is wood-based, which is naturally suppressed by this fire-rich environment. I won't last long here."
Xiao Ding, drenched in sweat, couldn't help but complain, "Do none of you feel hot? You all look so relaxed; you're making me feel weak!"
Xiao Feng's resilience could be explained by his physical body being as strong as a third-tier magical beast so that he could withstand the high temperature. However, both Qing Lin and Yixian appeared equally unfazed, which made Xiao Ding feel a bit embarrassed.
Seeing Xiao Ding's somewhat aggrieved expression, Xiao Feng chuckled, "Big brother, don't compare yourself to us. All three of us have awakened special constitutions, so this heat is nothing for us."
"Oh? Really?" Xiao Ding's eyes flashed with curiosity. "Little Medical Fairyl, what kind of special constitution have you awakened?"
"I've awakened the Woeful Poison Body, which allows me to enhance my Dou Qi by consuming poisonous substances."
Yixianl smiled sweetly and added, "I recently consumed water that carried both extreme cold and extreme heat properties, so I'm not afraid of this heat at all."
In the past, Yixian would never have shared her Woeful Poison Body's secrets with outsiders. But since she had absorbed the external soul bone, resolving the most significant threat to her constitution, she no longer felt the need to hide it.
"I see."
Although Xiao Ding had never heard of the Woeful Poison Body, he could tell from her tone that it was a robust constitution.
Suddenly, Qing Lin called out, "Young master, be careful! Something seems to be coming out!"
Boom, boom, boom...
Before Qing Lin's voice had even faded, several massive pillars of fire erupted from the lava sea. A giant creature burst out of the molten lava soon after.
It was a massive snake, four to five zhang in length, its entire body a fiery red.
Its body was covered in scales, each about the size of a palm, resembling red gemstones with a metallic sheen.
The most remarkable thing about it? The snake had two heads!
Feeling the terrifying aura radiating from the two-headed snake, Xiao Ding's face changed drastically. "W-what kind of magical beast is this?"
"This is a Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, usually found in extremely hot regions, and it survives by devouring lava. Its potential for evolution is immense."
Xiao Feng explained calmly, "When it's born, it's only a first-tier magical beast, but if given the right opportunities, it can evolve into a sixth-tier magical beast, on par with a Dou Emperor.
"As the saying goes, where there's an extraordinary creature, there's likely an extraordinary treasure. With a Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake here, the chances of finding a Heavenly Flame just got higher."
"Crazy guy, this isn't the time to talk about that! This beast is probably as strong as a Dou Spirit expert. We should..."
(End of the Chapter)
P.S
Guys, do check out the fiction my friend Senatus Alpha is translating. The stories are unique and engaging, and the translations are fantastic. You can have my word for it. They go by the title…
BTTH: Receiving My Own Death Farewell Letter
Exploding Soul Rings in Doulou
They are new books, and your support will be highly appreciated.
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