Chapter 62: Filthy Flame Yin Lotus

As Li Xuan kept rushing up Huoyan Peak, Li Xuan felt the surrounding temperature rising higher and higher!

With a light pinch of his finger, Li Xuan immediately sensed the air filled with scorching energy; this energy was the same type he had previously analyzed in the Cultivation Chamber, though exactly what it was, Li Xuan did not know.

However, Li Xuan could feel that the high temperature here might be related to that energy.

After an unknown amount of walking, Li Xuan suddenly stopped, looked up, and saw that about a quarter of the mountain path remained before reaching the summit of Huoyan Peak.

"This is definitely not the temperature of a normal volcanic crater! Why is it so hot here?" Li Xuan panted, wiping the sweat from his forehead, speaking with some discomfort.

Li Xuan stopped not because the surrounding heat made him uncomfortable, but because his clothing had begun to emit a faint burnt smell.

In other words, the clothes on Li Xuan could ignite at any moment.

Li Xuan thought for a moment; to prevent his clothes from turning to ash, he had to strip them off, place them inside the Void Pearl, and continue upward toward Huoyan Peak wearing only shorts.

As Li Xuan drew ever closer to the summit of Huoyan Peak, the surrounding temperature kept climbing, and when he was only two hundred meters from the summit, Li Xuan could no longer endure the extreme heat.

Li Xuan halted, took out a bottle of cool water and poured it over himself; after prolonged exposure to the heat, his whole body was flushed red, looking terrifying! "There's no choice; I have to use this method!" Li Xuan gritted his teeth, speaking with resignation.

Li Xuan waved his hand casually, and a mass of Burning Heart Divine Flame materialized before him; he then controlled the Burning Heart Divine Flame to envelop his body, forming a fiery barrier to achieve cooling, though this consumed a great amount of soul power.

This was truly a last resort; otherwise, Li Xuan would rather endure hardship than expend soul power like this.

Li Xuan could only sustain the Burning Heart Divine Flame around himself for about half an hour; the method is so soul‑power‑hungry that little time remains for him.

At that moment, Li Xuan noticed a stone marker by the path bearing a few characters.

"Liu Erlong, Arrive!"

The marker indicates that Liu Erlong had been here before, so this should be the limit of Liu Erlong's reach.

Although Li Xuan's journey has been more comfortable than Liu Erlong's, this does not mean Li Xuan's strength surpasses that of a Soul Saint; after absorbing the Burning Heart Divine Flame, his mortal body became more resistant to heat, and since the Burning Heart Divine Flame is Li Xuan's innate talent, it saves soul power. Under normal circumstances, Li Xuan would never have reached such heights.

Li Xuan took another step forward, the surrounding temperature spiked abruptly, and he hurriedly regulated the flame's temperature so that he would not be harmed by the heat.

No wonder the Soul Saint Liu Erlong turned back upon reaching here; the heat is truly terrifying.

"I'm curious what kind of Immortal‑grade spirit plant could grow in a place like this, and I feel the heat is inseparably linked to that plant," Li Xuan mused, then adjusted the Burning Heart Divine Flame's temperature and continued up Huoyan Peak.

The short two‑hundred‑meter distance took Li Xuan a hard‑earned half hour to cover.

When Li Xuan reached the summit of Huoyan Peak, he was drenched in sweat, exhausted not only by the surrounding heat but also by the massive physical exertion of climbing.

More importantly, the soul power within Li Xuan's body had been depleted.

Li Xuan unceremoniously took several Yunling Pills from the Void Pearl and popped them into his mouth.

Although Yunling Pills are meant to aid soul‑power cultivation, they also contain some soul power, so Li Xuan used these pills as a blue elixir to replenish his soul power.

Wiping the sweat from his face, Li Xuan took out a bottle of mineral water and drank, rehydrating a bit. After a couple of breaths, he finally began to survey the surroundings.

The summit of Huoyan Peak was empty and barren; beneath his feet lay a massive stone slab, cut smooth and flat, forming a perfectly level platform, and Li Xuan also saw some artificial carvings on the platform.

Li Xuan stood on the stone plate, crouched down, and carefully examined the carvings on it.

The surface of these patterns showed weathered lines, indicating that the stone plate had been here for many years. Since Lanba Academy is less than a hundred years old, this likely wasn't Liu Erlong's work; rather, Liu Erlong probably discovered the volcanic crater's peculiarity and, using the mountain's terrain, cultivated a Fire-type Simulated Cultivation Environment.

Perhaps because a Immortal‑grade spirit plant lies beneath the stone plate, cultivation here yields double results, making it especially suitable for a Fire Attribute Soul Master.

Then Li Xuan took out the Treasure-seeking Compass, fed it soul power, and the radar's Light Screen appeared instantly.

The compass indicated that Li Xuan was only a few dozen meters—about thirty meters—from the Fire-attribute Immortal‑grade spirit plant.

"Only a few dozen meters? Great!" Li Xuan exclaimed, pumping his fist in excitement, then surveyed the surroundings.

However, after looking around, Li Xuan noticed a problem: the summit of Huoyan Peak is completely flat, offering an unobstructed view of everything, and not a single blade of grass grows here!

"System, is this compass broken? There's not a single grass here—where could an Immortal Grade be?" Li Xuan growled at the system.

But Li Xuan knew his system was aloof, so he didn't wait for a reply and began probing the surroundings on his own.

The summit's area was small; after a short while, Li Xuan had already completed a sweep.

To Li Xuan's surprise, the summit of Huoyan Peak was covered by a massive stone plate, likely placed there after leveling the area and moving the huge slab onto the summit.

It was probably brought here to suppress something.

At that thought, Li Xuan hesitated; could something formidable be sealed beneath? He wasn't afraid of harming living beings, but if he broke the seal, the first to die would be himself, being the closest.

Li Xuan once again took out the Treasure-seeking Compass, began scanning, and eventually found that the very center of the stone plate was closest to the spirit plant—only a little over twenty meters away—and also discovered a mechanism on the plate; after activating it, a cavity opened in the stone plate.

The moment the cavity opened, a streak of ink‑black flame burst out, forming a half‑meter‑high blaze.

Li Xuan considered, released the Burning Heart Divine Flame, and gently suppressed the ink‑black flame, pushing it back beneath the stone plate.

After a while, Li Xuan confirmed that the Burning Heart Divine Flame had restrained the ink‑black flame, which would no longer erupt.

Li Xuan without hesitation lay prone on the stone plate, looking down.

Li Xuan saw an extremely bizarre scene.

Several dozen meters beneath the stone plate lay a magma pool, and directly above it floated a massive black lotus!

The lotus measured three meters in diameter and two meters in height, with thirty‑six petals, no leaves, its root and stem embedded in the magma pool; the flower was exquisitely alluring, exuding a sinister beauty.

Li Xuan unhesitatingly employed the Medicine Appraisal Technique.

The next second, a Light Screen appeared before Li Xuan.

【Herb: Filthy Flame Yin Lotus】

【Quality: Immortal Grade】

…

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