Chapter 104: The Azure Lotus of the Earth’s Core!

"You should be familiar with Green-Scale herbs, right? Do you know what they are?" Qian Mo paused for a moment before asking.

Green-Scale shook her head and replied quietly, "I do not know, Green-Scale has only heard of them but has never actually seen them."

Qian Mo pondered for a moment, recalling the plot involving Green-Scale, and nodded inexplicably to himself, thinking, *It seems... she really hasn't.*

"It's alright. Since you haven't seen them, Big Brother will show you now." Qian Mo smiled and retrieved a complete set of ingredients for a first-tier medicinal pill from his storage ring, presenting them to Green-Scale and the two Xiao brothers.

"All the ingredients I have brought out now are used to refine first-tier pills," Qian Mo said, pointing to the herbs in front of Green-Scale.

Seeing the sudden appearance of so many herbs, Green-Scale felt a surge of excitement, her charming little eyes sparkling with golden light.

"Good heavens! I’ve never seen so many medicinal herbs in my life! Even though they are just for first-tier pills, we usually only see the finished products," Xiao Li said, staring in astonishment at the nearly one hundred types of herbs on the table.

Xiao Ding was equally shocked and nodded, saying, "Indeed, we usually only consume finished pills. For those of us who aren't alchemists, we rarely even see the raw components, let alone this many all at once."

"Sigh, I really envy alchemists," Xiao Li and Xiao Ding sighed softly in unison.

*Don't,* Qian Mo thought. *Don't envy alchemists. People may praise how powerful alchemists are now, and of course, they are powerful since we are still in the early stages of the Dou Qi continent. But if I told you that in the later stages, alchemists become truly useless—that while no one dares to offend them now, later on, they are slaughtered without a second thought and held in zero regard—you wouldn't feel the same. Unless one is a ninth-tier alchemist or above, and even then, not even a ninth-tier alchemist can escape the fate of being slaughtered by the Soul Clan, let alone those below the ninth tier.*

*Alas, it is tragic. A once sacred and great profession, now abused by treacherous, selfish, and cunning people for power. Forget the Soul Clan—if I ever come across one of them, I will kill them on sight!*

"Sigh, being an alchemist is actually not as simple or easy as you imagine. If I had the choice, I would rather be a warrior like you, who can dominate based solely on martial strength," Qian Mo said, shaking his head slightly.

His tone shifted as he smiled, "Although I am very strong now, I would still be willing to give up being an alchemist to choose even greater strength!"

*I would still be willing to give up being an alchemist to choose even greater strength!* Upon hearing Qian Mo's words, the Xiao brothers were startled, thinking to themselves, *What an overbearing statement!*

"Big Brother, I've figured it out!" Xiao Li slammed his hand on the table, startling both Green-Scale and Xiao Ding.

"You brat, what are you doing? You scared Green-Scale!" Xiao Ding immediately gave Xiao Li a rap on the head and scolded.

"Ouch, I was just too excited. Sorry, sorry! Hahaha!" Xiao Li rubbed his head and laughed awkwardly.

"Alright, what have you figured out? Let's hear it," Xiao Ding asked impatiently.

"This is all thanks to Brother Qian Mo's reminder. He is right. Since we cannot be alchemists, and I have loved fighting since I was born, why not choose to fight to my heart's content? Why clutter my mind with thoughts that don't belong to me and don't suit me? It only makes me irritable. Since that's the case, I won't envy any alchemist. I will focus on cultivating my lightning attribute. I will comprehend it, refine it, and push it to the absolute limit. Once I have the strength, will I fear lacking pills? Will I fear that our Xiao Clan cannot rise? Big Brother, I have decided: this time, I am returning to join the Xiao Clan’s training," Xiao Li said, clenching his fists with a steely gaze. His tone was filled with such intense battle intent that he seemed to be craving a fight right then and there.

"Second brother, oh second brother, I never thought that you, usually so rough and boisterous, could say such things today! Hahaha! Good! You're right. Since we cannot choose, why worry about it? Let's just cultivate what we already possess! If we do that, will we fear not getting what we want? Will we fear our Xiao Clan won't rise? And not just us—all the brothers here should do the same!" Xiao Ding said with a genuine, hearty laugh.

*Hm, they are teachable!* Qian Mo nodded in satisfaction. The reason he had said those things was to give them a wake-up call. In the original story, these two were mere side characters, yet their talent was no less than Xiao Yan's. With a little guidance, they would surely undergo breakthrough changes, perhaps even exceeding expectations.

At the very moment of their realization, the aura around Xiao Li and Xiao Ding surged, and two rays of light erupted from their bodies. Xiao Li’s was a blue-purple light, while Xiao Ding’s was green.

*A sign of breaking through!* Qian Mo thought. *I didn't expect a little bit of guidance would trigger a breakthrough for both of them.* Xiao Li’s attribute was lightning, hence the blue-purple light, while Xiao Ding’s was wood, hence the healthy green.

"This... I’ve broken through!" Xiao Li exclaimed, staring at the light in his hands and sensing his Dou Qi.

"And I... I’ve broken through too!" Xiao Ding shouted, equally excited as he looked at the light surrounding him.

Xiao Li and Xiao Ding leaped onto the central stage. With a thunderous roar, their Dou Qi exploded and sublimated. "Ha! Break for me!" With a loud shout and a "bang," they both successfully broke through their cultivation levels.

"Seven-star Great Dou Shi!" Xiao Ding looked at his enhanced aura and said in shock, "I actually jumped two stars! Hahaha!"

"One-star Great Dou Shi! Ah, hahaha! I’ve finally reached the Great Dou Shi rank! Hahaha!" Xiao Li felt the changes in his body. Originally an eight-star Dou Shi, he had jumped two levels to become a one-star Great Dou Shi! How could he not be thrilled?!

"Hahaha! Congratulations to the First and Second Commanders for your successful breakthroughs! Congratulations to the Second Commander for stepping into the Great Dou Shi rank!" The crowd below, who had been drinking, were shocked by the brothers' display and quickly shouted their congratulations.

"Whoa, they broke through just by having a meal, and by that much?" Fan Xin, holding a wine jar below, stared blankly at the two, feeling completely bewildered.

"Haha, thank you, thank you all, brothers," Xiao Li and Xiao Ding replied, cupping their hands. Xiao Ding seized the opportunity and shouted, "I would like to take this moment to discuss something with all of you! Our Xiao Clan is on the rise, and our cultivation resources have increased significantly. We have a private cultivation space, and I would like to invite you all to join the Xiao Clan and cultivate with us. Once our strength improves, we will set out to conquer the world again!"

"What do you brothers think?" Xiao Li added after his brother finished.

"If that is the case, we would be honored!" everyone shouted. Everyone wanted to be stronger; no one wanted to remain weak.

Steel, the representative of the main squad below, stepped forward and cupped his hands, "First Commander, Second Commander! Our lives were saved by you two. We listen to your commands, and we have no objections." He turned to the others and shouted, "Brothers, am I wrong?!"

"No!" the crowd shouted in unison.

"Good! Thank you, brothers! Since there are no objections, we will pack our things today and set off tomorrow—back to the Xiao Clan!" Xiao Ding raised his hand and shouted.

"We follow your orders!" the crowd cheered enthusiastically. They were finally going to be strong—how could they not be excited? To them, strength meant power, power meant status, and status meant respect!

"Good, everyone, continue your meal!" Xiao Ding said, turning to Xiao Li, "Let's go, let's go back and have a drink to celebrate!"

"Right, Big Brother!" Xiao Li replied.

When the two returned to the table, Qian Mo cupped his hands and cheered, "Congratulations, both of you, on your progress!"

"Haha, don't mention it. This is all thanks to your reminder, Brother Qian Mo. Come, let's drink to celebrate!" Xiao Ding raised his glass and said.

Qian Mo smiled, raised his glass, and downed the drink.

Everyone was overjoyed, and Fan Xin, who had just been calling for a duel, was long forgotten by everyone...

***

"Am I redundant?" Fan Xin muttered awkwardly, clutching his wine jar. Seeing the current situation, he realized he had been forgotten, which was quite embarrassing. "Forget it, to hell with the duel, I'm going back to drink my wine!" Finally, Fan Xin decided not to bother with them and walked toward his room, cradling his jar.

—

After lunch, it was time to part ways. Qian Mo, Green-Scale, Xiao Li, and Xiao Ding stood outside the gate.

"You're leaving," Xiao Ding said.

"Yes. Don't worry, we will meet again soon. After all, I am the master of your little Yan-zi," Qian Mo said, then added, "Oh, right, keep these two tokens. If you encounter any danger, shatter them, and it will unleash a strike at my peak strength to protect your lives."

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li took the tokens, saying gratefully, "Brother Qian Mo, you helped us break through and gave us such precious items. We don't know how to repay you."

The two brothers looked at each other, their faces filled with lingering shame.

"Since you called me brother, why would I need repayment? If you really want to repay me, just show me your strength when we meet again," Qian Mo said, extending his hand.

The three shook hands, and the Xiao brothers said with firm gazes, "Agreed! When we meet again, we will definitely not let you down!"

"Haha! Good, it's a deal! Stay here, I’m off!" Qian Mo said, then scooped up Green-Scale and flew straight into the high sky.

Watching Qian Mo fly away, the two exclaimed in shock, "A Dou Zong!"

Qian Mo would have said, *Wrong, it's a Dou Di!*

—

Flying high in the sky, it was Green-Scale's first time in the air. "Wow! It feels so good!" She felt the breeze brushing against her face, bringing a sense of comfort. She turned to Qian Mo, blinked her little eyes, and asked, "Big Brother, where are we going now?"

Hearing her question, Qian Mo smiled slightly, "Big Brother has some things to do, so we are now on our way to find 'Heavenly Flame'."

"Heavenly Flame? Big Brother, what is Heavenly Flame?" Green-Scale's curiosity flared again.

"Heavenly Flame is a natural wonder born from the accumulation of countless years of nature's refinement, weathering the wind and rain. It is not just one thing; many things in this world are like that," Qian Mo explained.

As he spoke, he held out his right hand, and a tiny fire-red flame appeared in his palm. He looked at Green-Scale and said gently, "The Heavenly Flame I speak of is just like this fire-red flame in my hand. You must always remember what I tell you: never think these flames are gentle, never think they lack lethality, and never be deceived by their appearance. They are actually terrifying!" He raised his hand and paused, "Green-Scale, watch closely!" He waved his hand at a massive sandstone rock below, and the Phoenix Divine Flame descended.

*BOOM!*

A massive explosion echoed beneath Green-Scale.

"So, so terrifying!" Green-Scale stared with wide eyes at the destruction wrought by the flame, shocked.

"That is why Big Brother told you never to be fooled by their weak, gentle exterior," Qian Mo said, patting her little head to comfort her.

Green-Scale nodded, "I understand, Big Brother."

*It seems I need to find a mount. Carrying her like this isn't sustainable. Right, isn't there a Purple-Winged Lion King in the Magical Beast Mountain Range? Oh, I almost forgot that treasure. After this trip to the Tagor Desert, I will go to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and subdue the Purple-Winged Lion King to use as a mount.*

Thinking this, Qian Mo increased his speed.

—

Qian Mo followed the map toward the valley of the Heavenly Flame. With his current high-speed movement, he would arrive quickly.

About ten minutes later, Qian Mo stopped above a low-lying valley. The valley was shielded by towering desert rock walls, and it stood in the center of the area.

*We're here. This must be it,* Qian Mo thought, observing the surroundings from above.

"Big Brother, are we here?" Green-Scale, who was enjoying the breeze, noticed him stop and pouted, unhappy.

Qian Mo nodded, "Yes, let's go down and take a look." He held Green-Scale and descended.

Once they reached the ground, the perspective from below was completely different from what he had seen from above.

"Big Brother, is this where the Heavenly Flame is?" Green-Scale pointed at the cave entrance.

Qian Mo nodded slowly, "Yes, let's go in and see."

They walked into the cave. The temperature inside was noticeably higher than outside. *It must be the lava,* Qian Mo thought as the air grew hotter the deeper they went.

"Big Brother, it's so hot in here!" Green-Scale fanned her hand, trying to cool herself.

Qian Mo smiled slightly and moved his hand, wrapping her in a barrier of cooling air. "Is it still hot?"

"Mm, it's not hot anymore. I like this temperature," she nodded.

"I'm glad." Qian Mo set her down and ruffled her hair.

They walked further until they reached another opening. They stopped at the edge, for there was no path ahead—only a vast expanse of crimson lava. Boiling bubbles surfaced on the lava. "We've arrived," Qian Mo murmured.

"Big Brother, there's no road, just lava," Green-Scale pulled at his sleeve.

"The Heavenly Flame is beneath the lava," Qian Mo explained.

"No way! If we fall in, the heat would burn our bones to ash!" she exclaimed.

"You have Big Brother here, don't you?" Qian Mo laughed.

***

"Come out, big guy!" Qian Mo looked at the pair of eyes beneath the lava.

*Big guy? Is there something down there?* Green-Scale wondered, glancing at the lava.

Qian Mo’s voice echoed across the lava. With a "bang," a Dual-Headed Fire Snake lunged out, roaring hostilely at the two.

"Wow, it has two heads! How cute!" Green-Scale shouted.

"This is called a Dual-Headed Fire Snake," Qian Mo said.

"Dual-Headed Fire Snake?" she muttered.

Qian Mo asked, "Do you like it, Green-Scale?"

"I like it!" she nodded.

Seeing that the two weren't taking it seriously and seemed to be mocking it, the snake became enraged and roared, lunging toward Qian Mo.

"Insolent!" Qian Mo narrowed his eyes, his voice icy. A terrifying pressure radiated from him.

The charging snake felt the immense power and saw Qian Mo's gaze; it felt the sensation of death and immediately ceased its attack.

"Come, Green-Scale, use your Jade-Green Three-Flower Pupils on the snake," Qian Mo instructed.

"Jade-Green Three-Flower Pupils?" Green-Scale was puzzled.

"Oh, right, I forgot you don't know you have them." Qian Mo patted his head and picked her up, "Green-Scale, just look at it with your eyes."

"Mm."

She followed his instructions. Suddenly, her eyes transformed; three flower-shaped green patterns appeared in her irises. A beam of light shot into the snake's eyes, and a seal was etched onto its forehead. Instantly, the snake became docile and obedient.

"Green-Scale, ask it if there is a Heavenly Flame below," Qian Mo said.

"Okay." She nodded. Because of the pupils, she had a mental link with the snake.

"Big Brother, Little Dual says there is a Heavenly Flame down there," she said a moment later.

Qian Mo smirked. *Little Dual? That works.*

"Green-Scale, wait for me up here. If anything happens, tell Little Dual to protect you. I'll be right back," Qian Mo said.

"Okay, Big Brother, I'll wait for you here." She nodded, looking forward to playing with Little Dual.

Qian Mo smiled at her obedience. He willed a barrier of extreme cold to envelop him, then leaped into the lava with a *splash*.

He moved rapidly downward, observing the surroundings. *I didn't expect the bottom of the lava to look like this—broken rocks everywhere.* As he descended, the heat grew more intense, but he was completely unaffected. Amidst the red, a blue light floated in the magma.

"It seems I've arrived." He flew quickly toward the blue light.

Before him was a blue lotus pedestal. Qian Mo landed on it. It had large lotus-like petals. He stepped on it and muttered, "The seed of the Fallen Heart Flame is gone. It seems Medusa has already been here." He looked around and found a red scale in a crevice. He picked it up—it was indeed a scale. *It seems she really was here. But wait, the plot isn't supposed to start for another two years. How could she be faster than me?* After a moment of thought, he realized the answer: the Butterfly Effect.

*Because of my arrival, the plot has likely accelerated. It seems it won't be two years after all; the story might be completely thrown into disarray.*

"Forget it, at least there are still lotus seeds." He reached into a small hole and picked up the tiny blue seeds. "Not bad, quite a few." He stored them in his ring.

With a wave of his hand, he stored the entire lotus pedestal in his inventory. It could accelerate a cultivator's speed. "Perfect, I'll give it to Xiao Yan to speed up his cultivation so he can reach the Dou Di rank sooner. That way, I can finish my mission and go back to see Bi Yao and Xue Qi, and maybe visit the next plane."

*Well, nothing left here.* He leaped upward, shooting toward the surface at light speed.

"Squeak, squeak, Little Dual, you're so cute," Green-Scale was busy grooming the shrunken snake above, laughing. She frowned when she looked at the lava, "I wonder how Big Brother is doing." Just as she spoke, the lava erupted with a "bang," and a white figure emerged.

Seeing the familiar figure, she cheered, "Big Brother!"

"Haha, Green-Scale!" Qian Mo laughed, reaching out to catch her as she ran over.

"Big Brother, did you find the Heavenly Flame? Let me see!" she asked.

Qian Mo shook his head, "Someone was a step faster than me."

"Ah! Then someone else got it first?!" she cried.

"It's alright. I know who it is, and that person cannot refine the Fallen Heart Flame," Qian Mo smiled, completely unconcerned.

"Big Brother, who is it?" she asked.

"Queen Medusa," Qian Mo said calmly.