Over the following half month, after Lin Yuan returned to Stone Desert City with Qing Lin, he bought an elegant courtyard within the city, where the two of them lived together for half a month.
During this period of interaction, the relationship between Lin Yuan and Qing Lin gradually became closer. Their bond developed rapidly, and under Lin Yuan's care, Qing Lin regained some of the lively innocence that belonged to a young girl.
However, there was one thing that Qing Lin insisted on with unusual determination—that was taking care of Lin Yuan's daily life. Lin Yuan understood that Qing Lin was trying to find an anchor through which she could demonstrate her own value, so that she could feel at ease. This girl, who had grown up amid disdainful looks since childhood, bore deep emotional wounds and still needed a considerable amount of time to heal her heart.
As for Qing Lin, the life she had experienced over these past few days felt like a blissful dream. Her young master was a Dou King and a High-Grade alchemist—someone she would never have had the chance to come into contact with in the past. Moreover, unlike others, her young master treated her extremely well. The way he looked at her was neither the disgust and contempt she had long been accustomed to, nor the frightening lustful gazes she feared, but instead a gentle warmth that left her intoxicated.
Because of this, she wanted to do more for her young master to repay him, and she wished to remain by his side forever. Thus, while diligently taking care of his daily needs, she also trained seriously. Just yesterday, she broke through another layer of Dou Qi, she was now at the Fifth Stage of Dou Qi.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan had, during this time, relied on maps and his own soul perception to successfully confirm the location of the underground cave where the Heavenly Flame was hidden. He prepared various pills and supplies that might be needed later, and also made certain preparations to awaken Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
Three days later.
In an elegant courtyard on the outskirts of the city, a gentle-looking youth dressed in green robes was conversing with a delicate girl in a green dress.
"Let's go, Qing'er. It's time for us to leave. Have you packed everything?" Lin Yuan asked the girl before him.
"Yes, Young Master. Everything is ready," the green-dressed girl replied sweetly. She cast a deep glance at the courtyard where she had spent the happiest days of her life since gaining awareness, then walked over to Lin Yuan and used her soft hands to straighten his robes.
"Then let's go!" With that, Lin Yuan wrapped an arm around Qing Lin's slender waist, pulled her into his embrace, and unfurled his fiery wings as he flew toward the southeast of Stone Desert City.
Nestled in Lin Yuan's arms, Qing Lin stared blankly at the youth carrying her through the sky for a moment. Her delicate nose lightly inhaled the faint medicinal fragrance on his body, and a look of contentment appeared on her exquisite face. Within her jade-green pupils, three extremely faint green dots flickered indistinctly.
At this moment, Lin Yuan, focused on flying, also allowed a slight smile to curve his lips.
Soon, the two arrived above a depressed area within the desert to the southeast of Stone Desert City.
After landing, Lin Yuan swept his sleeve toward a patch of yellow sand. A Dou Qi whirlwind surged forth, sweeping away the sand, and soon a pitch-black cave entrance appeared before them. Wisps of heat drifted out from the opening—this was precisely the entrance Lin Yuan had discovered and cleared over the past few days.
After confirming the surroundings with his soul perception, Lin Yuan held Qing Lin and flew inside. With another sweep of his sleeve, Dou Qi sweep up the sand outside, sealing the entrance once more. The place reverted to an utterly unremarkable stretch of desert.
Lin Yuan summoned a ball of flame to illuminate the surroundings, then led Qing Lin as they slowly descended along the passage.
After winding downward for one or two minutes, the two reached the bottom of the tunnel. Once they landed, Lin Yuan set Qing Lin down, held her hand, and walked forward a short distance. Soon, more than a dozen pitch-black tunnels appeared before them.
"Qing'er, sense them. See if any of these tunnels emit an aura that feels particularly strange to you," Lin Yuan said to Qing Lin. At the same time, he closed his eyes, releasing his soul perception to sense the energy flows in the area, focusing on finding the tunnel that emitted the densest Fire-attribute energy.
"I understand, Young Master," Qing Lin replied softly, slowly closing her eyes as she sensed the auras within the tunnels.
After a while, Lin Yuan opened his eyes. "Found it."
Qing Lin also opened her eyes and shook her head at Lin Yuan. "Young Master, I didn't sense anything unusual."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan felt reassured. It seemed that Queen Medusa had not yet discovered this place—that was good. There was no need to worry about encountering hidden dangers.
Afterward, Lin Yuan led Qing Lin toward the tunnel on the left that he had sensed to contain the most concentrated Fire-attribute energy.
The deeper the two ventured, the richer the Fire-attribute energy around them became. Finally, at the end of the tunnel, a fiery red underground world came into view. Within the vast subterranean cavern, crimson lava flowed endlessly—this was a lava world that seemed to stretch beyond sight.
The scorching heat radiated by the dense Fire-attribute energy here was already something even low-tier Dou Master would find difficult to withstand. Qing Lin, however, showed no signs of discomfort. The bracelet on her wrist, forged from a Fourth-Rank magical core, emitted a cool aura, while within her body, a faintly chilling energy also seemed to flow continuously, protecting her from the intense heat.
"This should be the place. Such abundant and massive Fire-attribute energy is indeed sufficient to nurture a Heavenly Flame," Lin Yuan murmured with a sigh as he gazed at the fiery world before him.
At this moment, a soft cry from Qing Lin reached his ears. "Young Master, be careful. It seems like something below is approaching us."
Lin Yuan patted Qing Lin on the shoulder and said calmly, "No need to worry. I know. With me here, there's nothing to be afraid of."
Lin Yuan had long since sensed an aura approaching from beneath the magma. The reason he deliberately released the aura of a Dou Grandmaster after entering the cave was precisely to draw this creature out.
After placing Qing Lin at a safe distance, Lin Yuan walked to the edge of the magma and continued releasing his Dou Grandmaster aura. Though Qing Lin felt nervous, her trust in her young master gradually allowed her to calm down.
A few minutes later, Lin Yuan sensed a faint, concealed aura appearing within the magma ahead, using the molten lava to hide its form.
"Come out." With a casual flick of his hand, Lin Yuan sent a strand of Dou Qi into the magma. Instantly, a massive figure burst forth from the molten surface and lunged toward him. It was a serpentine magical beast measuring four to five zhang in length, its entire body blazing red like fire jade. What was astonishing was that this beast possessed two heads—it was a Double-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent that fed on magma. The four enormous diamond-shaped eyes of the Double-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent brimmed with violent killing intent, eager to devour the seemingly frail creature before it.
"So you've come? My guide." Seeing the serpent charge at him, Lin Yuan was not angry—instead, he was delighted.
"Dragon-Grasping Hand!" Lin Yuan waved his hand, and a powerful surge of Dou Qi transformed into a whirlwind, ripping the Double-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent out of the magma and hurling it into the air. Immediately after, Lin Yuan's figure flickered as he appeared beside the serpent. He kicked out with his leg, unleashing a tremendous force utterly disproportionate to his frame, sending the Double-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent flying like a cannonball into a distant rock wall.
Before the Double-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent could regain its senses, Lin Yuan had already appeared in front of it once more, delivering a punch to each of its two heads. The overwhelming power made the serpent see stars, and it instantly lost consciousness.
Looking at the unconscious Double-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent, Lin Yuan clapped his hands. "Done. The guide has been found. Time for the next step."
He waved toward Qing Lin, who was still staring in shock from afar. "Qing'er, come over. There's no danger here anymore."
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