"Goku really is such a good person!" Qing Lin said softly from the side, her eyes sparkling with an inexplicable light as she looked at him. If Goku knew he had just been handed a "good guy" card by Qing Lin, who knows what he would think?
"Why the sudden thanks? That was kind of random," Goku smiled casually, spreading his arms as he looked at Xue Lan and Qing Lin. "Come on, if we don't move now, we'll fall behind!"
Xue Lan gave a faint smile and, without saying a word, walked up to Goku's side and embraced him on her own accord. Qing Lin, her face slightly flushed, followed and did the same, wrapping her arms around Goku's waist. Goku, without any hesitation, wrapped both arms around the girls' waists, his figure lifting into the air as he took off to catch up with Cai Lin and the others.
---
"Goku, I think there's something inside the magma… I can sense a faint and concealed presence… and it's strong…" Flying over the lava lake, Qing Lin stared intently at a churning spot in the magma. A faint glow flickered within her emerald eyes, as if she were peering through the molten veil to glimpse the hidden being below.
"Oh, I noticed it too. It's just a small thing—no need to bother with it," Goku replied calmly, holding the two girls as he continued flying forward.
"There's something alive in the magma? A magic beast?" Xue Lan looked down at the lava below in surprise. But with her level of cultivation, she couldn't sense anything unusual. Shocked, she turned to Qing Lin—and this time, she finally noticed the strange glimmer in Qing Lin's eyes.
"Your eyes… Qing Lin, what's with your eyes?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Qing Lin looked at her in confusion, the glow in her pupils vanishing at the same time.
"It's… nothing," Xue Lan waved her hand, but couldn't help thinking, As expected, Qing Lin isn't an ordinary girl.
But it seemed that the creature in the magma had no intention of letting them leave so easily. Goku could sense it—this magma-dwelling beast had been trailing behind them, although it hadn't attacked yet. Maybe it was wary of Cai Lin and Yue Guang. But because Goku had concealed his own aura, the creature must've mistaken him for the weakest target—especially with two seemingly fragile human girls in his arms.
Apparently realizing that it had been discovered, the creature in the magma no longer hid. With a deafening boom, the once calm surface of the lava lake exploded. Molten rock sprayed in all directions as a massive creature burst out of the magma, launching itself toward the trio like a bolt of lightning—its gaping jaws aimed to swallow them all whole.
"Goku, be careful!" Qing Lin cried out in terror, her face pale with fright.
"It's… it's a Rank 4 magic beast? A Two-Headed Flame spirit Serpent?!" Xue Lan screamed, her expression turning ashen the moment she saw the monster's two ferocious snake heads. The intense heat and raw power it radiated made her—just a low-ranked Dou Fighter—tremble uncontrollably.
"Hmph, a mere Rank 4 beast dares attack me? Should I call you brave… or just stupid?" Goku said coldly, staring at the incoming creature. The heat it released was completely blocked by the transparent energy shield that surrounded him and the girls. Though Goku could easily ignore the temperature here, Qing Lin and Xue Lan couldn't, so he had kept the protective barrier active.
As the monstrous serpent drew closer, amid the girls' screams, Goku didn't even bother to dodge. Instead, he lashed out with a sweeping whip kick!
Boom! With a thunderous impact, Goku's kick slammed into the side of the beast's massive jaws. The crushing force shattered the creature's rows of razor-sharp teeth, sending fragments raining into the lava below.
Splash!
The colossal body crashed back into the lava lake, sending molten waves surging into the air like a tidal flood. The lava cascade engulfed the trio, but thanks to the energy shield, they remained completely unharmed. Still, the scene was terrifying enough to make both Qing Lin and Xue Lan scream in shock. Imagine a flood of lava pouring toward you from all directions—who wouldn't panic?
The lava tide rose fast and fell just as quickly, eventually calming as it sank back into the lake. Not long after, the massive serpent resurfaced, its body floating limply.
At that moment, Moonlight and Cai Lin also caught up to Goku. Staring at the two-headed serpent below, Cai Lin commented lightly, "The Two-Headed Flame spirit Serpent usually dwells in extremely hot environments and feeds on magma. It starts off as a Rank 1 beast, but if lucky, it can evolve all the way to Rank 6—on par with a Dou Emperor."
'So… strong! And Goku just kicked it to death! No battle aura, no techniques—just pure physical strength… How strong is he really?' Xue Lan was stunned as she looked at the beast that had been instantly slain. For someone who had lived at the bottom rung of society, being suddenly surrounded by such overwhelming power felt like stepping into a dream.
"Let's move on," Goku said indifferently, glancing at the lifeless serpent. In the original story, this creature was actually subdued by Qing Lin using her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. But now? He had just crushed it with a single kick. To Goku, this kind of magic beast didn't even qualify to be Qing Lin's pet.
"That's a Rank 4 magic core! Don't waste it! If you don't want it, I'll take it!" Xue Lan said excitedly, staring at the serpent's corpse. She'd never even seen a Rank 4 core before, let alone owned one.
"Could you at least aim a little higher? You're following me now—you need to broaden your horizons," Goku replied, shaking his head.
Xue Lan rolled her eyes. "What do you mean following you? I only agreed to stay with you temporarily, alright?" she huffed, then urged, "Come on, take me down there! That's two Rank 4 cores—we can't let them go to waste!"
Goku sighed and looked to Moonlight. "Moonlight, go get the cores."
"Yes, Master." Moonlight smiled softly, descending gracefully. At some point, a sharp dagger had appeared in her hand. With swift precision, she sliced open both of the serpent's heads and retrieved two shimmering magic cores before returning to Goku's side.
"Give them to her," Goku said, nodding toward Xue Lan.
"Thank you!" Xue Lan beamed with joy as she accepted the cores from Moonlight. A grin spread across her face. "My first Rank 4 magic cores—finally!"
Seeing Goku shake his head again, she gave him another glare. "Hey, I'm not some noble like you. To you, these may be worthless, but to me, they're priceless. This is the first time I've ever gotten Rank 4 magic cores!"
"Goku! What are you guys still dawdling for? Hurry up, hurry up! I can sense the Heavenly Flame just ahead!" shouted the tiny spirit not far away. Then, under the astonished eyes of Qing Lin and Xue Lan, she dove straight into the churning lava with a splash!
"This little spirit sure is impatient…" Goku smiled faintly. Holding onto Qing Lin and Xue Lan, he dove straight into the flowing sea of crimson magma. This time, though both girls looked tense, after their earlier experience, they didn't scream or panic. Despite the boiling heat outside, they trusted Goku's protective shield to keep them safe.
Moonlight and Cai Lin followed close behind. With Goku's energy barrier surrounding them, the dangers of the magma world were largely neutralized, saving them a great deal of trouble.
Inside the lava, it was a world of blazing red. Qing Lin and Xue Lan, watching from within the energy shield, were filled with awe as they stared at the flowing magma. Who would've thought they'd one day be drifting safely through a molten sea?
Two soft splashes sounded as Moonlight and Cai Lin appeared at their sides. Goku could clearly sense everything in this magma domain, though to Qing Lin and Xue Lan, Moonlight and Cai Lin were just vague silhouettes through the haze.
"Let's go. Just keep going down," Cai Lin said calmly, taking the lead and diving deeper into the lava.
Goku didn't mind letting her lead. With his senses, this magma world held no secrets for him—but since Cai Lin was being so eager, he wouldn't ruin her fun. Holding the two girls close, he followed swiftly downward.
As they plunged deeper and deeper, the temperature steadily climbed. The surrounding lava, once a glowing red, had begun to take on a faint greenish tint. The protective barrier ensured that none of this extreme heat reached the girls, but Cai Lin was still slightly surprised. She had been here before, and back then, it took a considerable amount of effort to resist the raging currents and searing heat. But now? Thanks to Goku's barrier, it was like a leisurely swim.
"Wow… the lava is turning green! That must mean the temperature's skyrocketing! But even in this kind of heat, we can't feel anything… Goku, this barrier is amazing! What kind of technique is this? Some kind of battle skill?" Xue Lan asked in awe, watching the shifting colors of the magma around them.
"This isn't a battle skill. It's divine magic," Goku replied with a faint smile.
The energy shield he used wasn't something from this world. It was a divine technique he had learned after absorbing Whis's powers. It could completely isolate them from the outside world—not just physically, but even filtering out heat, sound, and pressure. If needed, it could even provide all the nutrients a human needed to survive. Its defensive power was astonishing; unless someone on his level struck it directly, it would not break.
"Divine magic? That sounds powerful… What is divine magic exactly?" Xue Lan asked, eyes wide.
"You can think of it as something far more advanced than battle skills," Goku said casually, not bothering to explain in detail.
"More advanced than battle skills? That powerful? Can you teach me?" she asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling.
"You're not strong enough. You wouldn't be able to learn it."
"Oh…" Her face fell in disappointment.
"Found it!" Cai Lin's excited voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone turned their gazes toward the source of her voice, and their eyes landed on a distant object glowing with intense cyan light.
A brilliant green glow radiated through the magma, and within it, a lotus-shaped flame hovered in the air. Graceful and serene, the lotus floated as tendrils of fire wrapped around it, releasing a terrifying wave of heat. Were it not for the energy barrier, they'd be cooked alive by now.
Hovering near the fire lotus, the little spirit fluttered about, curiously studying the flame.
"That's… a Heavenly Flame?" Xue Lan exclaimed, eyes wide with shock. Her heart raced with excitement. A real Heavenly Flame—she was witnessing the legendary source of power with her own eyes! Even Cai Lin looked at the green lotus with intense fascination.
"Goku! You're finally here! Hurry, hurry! There's really a Heavenly Flame here! Look! It's shaped like a lotus—it's so pretty!" The little spirit waved happily at them. Then, with a sudden inhale, she sucked a stream of the cyan fire directly into her mouth!
She was absorbing the Green Lotus Core Flame to temper her spiritual body!
But the little spirit was careful—she knew this flame belonged to Goku, so she didn't try to take it all. She only absorbed some of the outermost flames to strengthen herself. Even so, the sight left Xue Lan utterly dumbfounded.
"She… she just… ate the Heavenly Flame? That's impossible!"
Even without direct experience, she could imagine how terrifying this flame's temperature must be—just look at their surroundings! And yet the little creature had swallowed part of it like it was nothing.
"Stop overreacting. That little spirit is stronger than me. A flame of this level can't hurt her," Cai Lin said coolly. She vanished in a flash and reappeared beside the little spirit, eyes locked on the flame lotus with visible desire. Last time, she'd only managed a glimpse before being forced to retreat. Now, fully prepared, she had returned—only for the Dou God ruins to open, forcing her to delay again. That fire had been waiting for her ever since.
"Wait, what?! That little thing is stronger than Queen Medusa? No way…" Xue Lan's jaw dropped. Queen Medusa was a Dou Emperor! If the little spirit was even stronger than her, what kind of monstrous being was she? Xue Lan didn't dare imagine it further.
Everyone around Goku is a freak… one more terrifying than the last, she thought with a bitter smile.
Goku appeared inside the cyan glow with Qing Lin and Xue Lan in his arms. Staring at the elegant lotus-like flame, he smiled faintly.
"So this is the Green Lotus Core Flame… It really is beautiful. Well then, I won't be polite."
He reached out his right hand toward the flame.
"Wait… you're just going to grab it like that? Is that even safe?" Xue Lan said nervously, unable to hide her tension. Qing Lin also held her breath, her instincts telling her just how terrifying the heat coming off that flame really was.
"This flame isn't nearly enough to hurt me," Goku replied with a calm smile.
As his hand reached forward, the Green Lotus Core Flame flared up suddenly, as if reacting to his presence. The surrounding temperature spiked drastically, but it didn't slow Goku down at all. His hand passed through the blazing flames and grasped the lotus directly, lifting it with ease from its pedestal.
_
T/N:
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