Naviga sat in the small room at the Carona Inn. The room was modest, furnished with just a bed, a small wall shelf, and a window. There was nothing else of note. They had chosen this inn despite its simplicity because they sought a place where they wouldn't be disturbed. Additionally, Minerva had no interest in staying with the Medure family, and this inn was located in one of the most rural areas of Medure City.
Naviga opened the window, letting the bright night air flow in. She sat on the bed in a meditative position, inhaling and exhaling deeply to calm her mind. Closing her eyes, she began to practice Lunar Serenity Breathing. Universal Essence, intertwined with moon energy, gently entered her body through her pores and nostrils. It flowed toward the center of her chest, where her core was located, and settled there, circulating slightly within the core.
Her current mastery of this art was at the Foundation level. In the 7th Sky Universe, mastery of an art was divided into four stages: Foundation, Mastery, Transcendence, and Unity. She was striving to deepen her understanding of the art, and this practice served as a step toward that goal. To comprehend it better, she needed to cultivate both understanding and her base. That was precisely what she was focusing on now. This practice also served as a form of breathing cultivation.
The Lunar Serenity Breathing technique could be practiced during the day, but the results were limited. In the morning, she would absorb only small amounts of Universal Essence and would lack the crucial moon essence that significantly enhanced her cultivation. At night, under the moon's glow, she could draw in both moon essence and Universal Essence more effectively.
After more than five hours of deep meditation, Naviga sensed the sun approaching to greet the world. In this universe, each galaxy had 300 days in a year, divided into 10 months, with a standard 24-hour cycle.
She opened her eyes and looked at her storage ring, retrieving a watch that resembled those from the modern era.
The black-colored band with a digital display showed the time, date, month and year on the front. On the right side of the watch was a button. This watch, though basic in appearance, was highly advanced and created by the White Owen Guild, one of the human powerhouses. Apart from displaying time, its primary function was to send and receive messages. The White Owen Guild was also studying the properties of white video stones and black image stones to develop advanced cameras.
This watch operated using two small magic arrays: one for a teleportation rune and another for a words rune. When someone typed a message, the words were converted into a rune by the words rune array. This was then transmitted through the teleportation rune's magic array, which directed the message to the spatial coordinates of the receiver's watch. Upon arriving at the receiver's teleportation rune array linked to the attached watch, the teleportation rune was activated, transmitting the runes' message to the rune array on the connected receiver watch, which then displayed the message on its screen. When a message was received, the watch vibrated gently to alert the user.
Although users couldn't see the spatial coordinates of these transmissions, the creators of the watch could. However, major powerhouses had developed methods to seal the teleportation rune magic arrays, ensuring their locations remained hidden. In such cases, the messages wouldn't arrive, and the watch could only function as a basic timepiece. To circumvent this, powerhouses often used communication talismans.
Communication talismans worked by recording a message and attaching it to a void stone, a rare and valuable material found in the void between galaxies. The void stone carried the talisman across space, unaffected by domains will or obstructions, to a fixed spatial coordinate. However, due to the rarity and expense of void stones, their use was limited to the most powerful entities. For everyone else, watches like this remained a profitable and practical solution, making the White Owen Guild immensely wealthy.
Naviga glanced at her watch, which displayed 3 AM. And the date, month, and year displayed on the watch are 24/10/11600. Although the watch only displays 11,600 years, there are more than that in the Seven Sky Universe. The watch's limitation to showing only 11,600 years marks the beginning of a new era. Fourteen thousand years ago, a major war concluded in the Seventh Sky Universe. Despite the war not resulting in significant losses, it took 2,400 years to overcome the feelings of conflict, leading into the Era of Future Saviours or the Era of Future Heroes. Additionally, Naviga is aware that future wars will continue this cycle.
There were still more than three hours until morning. She placed the watch back into her space ring and resumed her cultivation.
At 8 AM, Naviga woke up, washed her face, and walked to room 12, where Minerva was resting. She knocked on the door and called out, "Miss, I'm coming in."
"Yes," came the reply from inside. Naviga opened the door and stepped into the room.
"Miss, we can go now to get the Violet Inferno Flower," she said.
"Yes, Navi, we are definitely getting it this time. Yesterday, we were attacked by the Phantom Cult, but it seems they already knew we were coming. Perhaps we are always under their watchful eyes. Aunt Minasa might already be aware of this, but she didn't tell us. That's fine, though—I don't want help from her unless it's absolutely necessary. This time, we need to be even more careful.
"We know we're facing the Phantom Cult, and they're likely to send 2nd Essence Core magic cultivators. The Violet Inferno Flower is incredibly valuable for fire elemental magic cultivators, so there's always a risk of others attacking us out of greed, even though they know we belong to a powerful family. Greed often outweighs fear and rationality.
"Besides them, we also have to deal with the monsters guarding the flower. So, we need to stay alert and cautious."
Naviga nodded in agreement. The two prepared for their journey to the Three Volcanic Mountains.
They walked to the inn's counter, where the old woman was waiting. They handed over 4 magic stones for their stay and then stepped outside. Moving to a secluded area where no one was around, Minasa emerged from the shadows. She brought out the magic airboat, and the three soared into the sky.
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Two and a half hours later, they arrived in a barren region stretching over 100 kilometers. There were no trees, only sparse grasses, barrel cacti, and prickly pear plants dotting the landscape. This marked the entrance to the Three Volcanic Mountains.
The air here was noticeably hotter, even during the winter season. At this time of year, the temperature was around 15°C, but in the middle of winter, it would drop to 5°C. However, the heat would only intensify the closer they got to the volcanoes.
Flying deeper into the area, they approached the towering volcanic mountains. The closer they got, the more evident the harshness of the environment became.The three volcanoes stood tall in the center of the barren land:The central volcano was the largest, towering at over 160 feet,The right volcano was 130 feet tall, The left volcano stood at 120 feet.
The volcanic mountains were a striking black color, with their peaks open, releasing waves of heat. Here, the temperature had risen to over 25°C. They would need to travel another 40 kilometers to reach the base of the Three Volcanic Mountains.
Minerva said to Minasa, "Aunt Minasa, drop us here. I want to feel more of the fire essence in this area-it will help my body and mind."
Minasa, piloting the airboat, considered Minerva's request thoughtfully and agreed. She dropped them off, then vanished into the shadows, leaving the two behind.
Once they were on the ground, the heat became much more noticeable. Previously, Minasa's protective aura shielded them from the intense temperature, but now they felt the full force of the environment.
Minerva, however, welcomed the warmth. She found the heat comforting, as if it resonated with her very being. The fiery essence of the area made her feel invigorated and at ease, as though the heat itself embraced her.
Naviga, on the other hand, had a different experience. Her elemental affinity was Yin, which naturally conflicted with the Yang essence of fire. The two opposing energies clashed, creating a sense of discomfort for her. The heat seemed to reject her presence, and she felt the effects more intensely.
Sweat poured from her body, soaking her white dress and causing it to cling to her curves. As they walked more than 10 kilometers deeper into the volcanic region, the temperature rose steadily.
Minerva continued to enjoy the environment, but Naviga found it increasingly unbearable. Her throat grew dry, and her sweat made her clothes stick even more tightly to her skin, accentuating her figure. Her swaying hips and her black under wear with giggling buttocks were visible beneath the damp fabric, and Her black bra was noticeable under the dress, accentuating her large breasts,now outlined by the soaked dress, added to her striking appearance.
Minerva glanced at Naviga and remarked with a teasing smile, "Navi, it seems you're struggling with the heat, but I must say, you look stunning right now. If there were men here, they'd surely be drooling at the sight of you. Pity it's just me, Aunt Minasa, some plants, and perhaps a few monsters that haven't shown up yet."
Naviga blushed slightly but said nothing,silently enduring the heat as they pressed forward toward the heart of the volcanic region.
After walking more than 30 kilometers, no monsters had attacked them, but the heat had risen significantly to 32°C. Even Minerva, who usually found the heat comforting, began to sweat. Naviga was even worse off, her entire body drenched in sweat as she attempted to use her Universal Essence to cool herself. Despite this effort, the heat was still oppressive.
Suddenly, a swift attack came from the sand beneath them. Minerva, always on guard, had sensed the danger moments before. Reacting instantly, she channeled her Universal Essence into her hand and slapped the attacker with tremendous force. The creature, struck hard, fell lifeless to the ground.
Naviga stepped forward to examine the attacker and found it to be a small brown snake, perfectly camouflaged with the barren land. Her Al chip had detected the movement within its 5-meter radius and signaled her just before the attack. Thanks to this early warning, she was aware of the danger even before the strike.
The creature was identified as a fire sand snake. While not inherently deadly, these snakes were dangerous because of their stealth and unexpected attacks. They could blend seamlessly with the sand and ambush their prey without warning.
Though the snake wasn't venomous, its bite was still perilous. Its teeth injected a liquid fire into its victim's body, which could destroy blood vessels, bones, and skin upon entry. Left untreated, the liquid fire would continue to erode the affected area, causing severe and irreversible damage.
Fortunately, this particular snake was only Creating it's core,making it a minor threat. Minerva, with her superior cultivation and preparation, killed it with ease. Naviga glanced at the lifeless creature, acknowledging the dangers of this region, even from its less powerful inhabitants.
"This place truly lives up to its reputation," Naviga murmured, wiping sweat from her brow. Minerva nodded, her eyes scanning their surroundings for further threats. They both knew this was just the beginning of the challenges they would face in the volcanic region.
They walked toward the three volcanic mountains, the peaks becoming clearer with each step. As they approached, more attacks came their way—fire toads, flame lizards, fire scorpions, and fire hoppers—but none of these posed any real danger to the duo.
Eventually, they arrived at the base of the leftmost mountain. Its massive size loomed over them, making it impossible to see the summit from below. The mountain was entirely black, and its base was covered in a mix of black and grey soil. This soil was formed when volcanic eruptions spewed fire and ash down the mountainside. Over time, as the heat dissipated, the soil darkened and gradually turned grey. The presence of grey soil here indicated that the last eruption occurred more than six months ago.
The heat reached an oppressive 45°C, causing Minerva and Naviga to sweat profusely. To combat this, they drank low-quality cooling potions, feeling an immediate soothing effect that calmed their overheated bodies and reduced their sweating. Afterward, they took some water, with Naviga finishing a full bottle. The bottle, inscribed with an ice rune, kept the water cool even in the sweltering heat. Next, they consumed Universal Essence replacement potions to replenish the energy in their cores, which had been depleted by half during their earlier battles.
Despite being partially replenished, they both knew the upcoming fights would be more intense, as they had reached the base of the three volcanic mountains. Minerva retrieved an airboat similar to Minasa's, and Naviga was momentarily dumbfounded. However, she quickly understood why Minerva hadn't used it earlier. Although the airboat was a Phase-level treasure, using it required Universal Essence, and flying while preserving enough energy for battles would have been risky. However, at this point, they had no choice but to use it to ascend the mountain.
Naviga briefly considered asking Minasa to help, but Minerva's pride had kept her from summoning her sister earlier. They had chosen to cover the distance on foot, enduring the heat and monsters to strengthen themselves. Minerva's determination was evident, even if it caused her discomfort. Naviga chuckled at this realization, then approached Minerva and offered, "Miss, I'll drive the airboat. You can sit and rest for any attacks."
Minerva nodded and handed over the controls. Naviga infused Universal Essence into the airboat's arrays, causing the boat to expanding, allowing accommodation for four people. Both women boarded, and Naviga prepared to lift off.
As Minerva sat, she glanced at the mountain but couldn't help noticing Naviga. The white dress stuck to Naviga's skin, outlining her figure due to the sweat. Her black undergarments clung to her body, her swaying hips drawing Minerva's attention. Her throat suddenly felt dry as she tried to focus. Thoughts of slapping Naviga's buttocks crossed her mind, and her body began to react. Minerva fought to suppress her arousal, especially since this was a dangerous place, and Minasa might still be watching. Even so, Naviga's striking appearance—her black underwear against her white dress, her swaying white hair, and the faint, intoxicating body odor from her body with sweat —made it increasingly difficult for Minerva to focus.
Unaware of her Miss's internal struggle, Naviga concentrated on powering the airboat. As she infused more Universal Essence into the arrays, the boat slowly ascended, gliding smoothly into the heated air above the volcanic terrain.
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