In the fiery red magma world, turbulent undercurrents surged, occasionally erupting from unseen depths with terrifying force. These undercurrents carried immense dou qi—enough to severely injure even a Dou King realm expert.
Fortunately, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent was intimately familiar with this environment. Before each undercurrent struck, it swiftly navigated the safest path.
Gu He, following closely behind, relied on his spatial agility to evade the dangers with ease.
This scorching world seemed devoid of life apart from the serpent. No wonder—the conditions here were far too harsh.
Only a creature like the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent, which fed on magma, could survive. Even a beast like the Amethyst Winged Lion King would struggle to move freely in such a place without consequence.
As Gu He ventured deeper into the seemingly endless magma, even the protection of his Black Ice Sacred Armor couldn't fully shield him from the escalating heat.
The temperature outside was rising alarmingly, nearly doubling in intensity. Sensing this, he poured more dou qi into the armor, reinforcing its defenses.
At these depths, the slightest misstep would be fatal. Even with spatial powers, survival would be impossible if he faltered.
Yet, the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent ahead showed no concern for whether Gu He could keep up. Without so much as a backward glance, it continued to move forward.
After what felt like an eternity, Gu He noticed a shift in the magma's hue—the fiery red had darkened into a deep, eerie blue.
Gu He's heart tightened. This change signaled a drastic spike in temperature. If this continued, maintaining the Black Ice Sacred Armor would use even more dou qi.
Gritting his teeth, Gu He glanced around, a trace of unease creeping into his mind. In this suffocating environment, stripped of all senses, time itself seemed distorted. He had no choice but to follow the serpent blindly.
Unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, he shouted through the magma, his voice amplified by dou qi: "Hey, big guy! How much farther?"
The Two-Headed Fire Spirit Serpent twisted its massive head, hissing in response before abruptly surging forward at breakneck speed. Realizing the meaning behind its actions, Gu He's spirits lifted. He pushed his dou qi to the limit, chasing after it.
After another stretch of descent, his gaze suddenly locked onto a faint blue glow in the distance. Within that radiance stood a majestic lotus, its petals exuding an ethereal beauty.
"Found it at last!" Gu He's heart raced with excitement.
Beside him, the Serpent let out a sharp hiss, its massive body trembling slightly as it stared at the blue light with unmistakable fear.
Ignoring the serpent's reaction, Gu He kicked off through the magma, darting toward the glow like a fish through water.
As he neared the blue light, the temperature spiked violently, forcing him to reinforce the Black Ice Sacred Armor once more. His lips parched, he pushed forward—and finally breached the barrier of blue light.
To his astonishment, instead of unbearable heat, an inexplicable coolness enveloped him. The sudden shift left him momentarily stunned.
Shaking off his surprise, his eyes swept the surroundings before settling on the lotus at the center.
The Green Colored Lotus Platform stood in flawless perfection—eight sapphire-like petals cradling a small lotus platform, its surface dotted with luminous seeds. Each seed pulsed with pure fire-attribute dou qi, condensed over countless years.
Beneath the lotus, slender roots stretched over ten meters, covered in delicate tendrils that swayed greedily, absorbing the violent fire dou qi from the surrounding magma.
Suspended in this endless inferno, the Green Colored Lotus Platform drifted like a leaf upon the sea. Without the Serpent's guidance, even Gu He's extraordinary soul power wouldn't have sufficed to locate it.
Moving cautiously, Gu He approached, careful to avoid the writhing tendrils. Up close, the lotus's magnificence was undeniable—a masterpiece forged by time and nature itself.
At the center of the lotus platform lay a fist-sized hollow space.
Empty.
Though he had known the Green Lotus Core Flame had already been taken by Queen Medusa, a pang of disappointment still struck him. He exhaled, shaking his head.
'No matter. With my current strength, reclaiming it from her won't be difficult.'
'For now, I will let her keep it.'
His attention then turned to the Green Colored Lotus Platform itself. A rare treasure, born from thousand years of condensed flame. Cultivating atop it could multiply one's training speed by three or fourfold—perhaps even more.
Moreover, in battle, channeling dou qi through it could unleash the Green Lotus Core Flame within. Even against a Dou King, it wouldn't guarantee victory, but injuring wouldn't be hard.
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