Inferno Ravine was quite unlike the chasm they had walked through when searching for a place to let Wu Jian stabilize his cultivation. From a distance, it looked like a massive ring that encircled the Realm of Sacred Flame’s core layer. They had to pass through several smaller chasms, a number of forests, and some caves that led through a mountain. Each area was teaming with magical beasts, all at the Deva Realm or higher.
The four of them were strong, however, and the magical beasts proved no real problem. They continued unerringly onward. Their first goal was not to reach the core layer but to find a yang lotus for Huǒ Shuchang. That meant searching for lava pools and hot springs.
Wu Jian had properly adjusted to the heat by this point, though he was still sweating from the buckets. He was forced to rehydrate often. It made him envious of Huǒ Yulie and Huǒ Shuchang. They appeared right as rain.
The best place to find lava pools or hot springs was inside of caves, so they made sure to check every cave they came across. Sometimes, they would mistake a burrow for a cave, and when that happened, they would often be forced to fight against whichever magical beast made that place their home, though they had been lucky enough to find a few that had been abandoned.
“Is it just me, or is it getting hotter?” asked Wu Jian as he peeled his hanfu off his skin. It was sticking to his chest. He felt far hotter now than he had several minutes ago.
“Tis not much hotter than before, but… hmmm… the humidity levels doth seem to be rising. Mayhaps, we are nearing a hot spring.”
“So it’s because of the humidity that I feel this way…”
Wu Jian grimaced as he looked down at himself. Though he could not see his body, hidden as it was behind his hanfu, he could feel his sweat dripping down his skin, causing the fabric of his clothing to cling to him. He felt like he had stepped into a sauna. The scent of sulfur had also begun to grow thick in the air, so they were obviously getting close to either lava or a hot spring.
The cave they wandered through did not look naturally formed; the walls were too smooth. Even if this tunnel had been formed from lava passing through and melting it away, there would have been uneven lumps, but this was unnaturally smooth like glass. That also made it slippery since the smooth surface had very little traction. Huǒ Yulie had already come close to falling several times. Traveling as they were at a decline only made their footing more precarious.
The scent of eggs became much stronger. It preceded the tunnel opening into a vast cavern full of rising steam and water. They stood on the shore of a massive hot spring, though it seemed more akin to a lake than a spring. Several stalagmites rose from the water’s surface like monsters from the deep.
“Hey, is that what we’re looking for?” asked Wu Jian, pointing to something he saw in the distance.
“Tis so, I believe. Thine eyes are quite keen to have noticed it before me,” Huǒ Yulie said.
“So that’s a yang lotus. I’ve never seen one before now,” Huǒ Shuchang whistled. “It’s kinda big, ain’t it? How are we gonna get it?”
Floating upon the lake’s surface was a flower, its appearance stunning and exotic. Brilliant golden petals spread wide, each one the size of Wu Jian’s torso, giving the impression of a miniature sun. Its slender, emerald-green stalks rose gracefully from the scalding waters, reaching up to the surface with an air of resilience. They surrounded the gynoecium--the part of the flower that produced ovules and ultimately bore fruit and seeds. Several such seeds were already sprouting. They resembled brilliant golden stalks that curled both outward and inward.
“One of us will need to head into the water and cut the stem,” Wu Jian said. He moved closer to the lake but did not touch the water, instead summoning a stick from his storage ring. Kneeling, he placed the tip into the water and watched as the entire thing dissolved like it had touched acid. “This water is too hot for a regular person. It’ll melt my flesh from my bones.”
Wu Jian could, of course, avoid that by using Nihility, but that would also prevent him from being able to cut the stem. It still took most of his concentration to keep that ability active. He could not use any other powers while using Nihility.
Huǒ Yulie raised her hand. “I can--”
“I think since this is for Huǒ Shuchang, he should be the one to get it,” Wu Jian said.
“You really just want me to suffer, don’t you?” asked Huǒ Shuchang.
“What are you saying? Are we not brothers in arms? Have we not gone through thick and thin together? I would gladly give my life for you. However, that is a different matter. It is important that cultivators be able to acquire any resources needed through their own efforts. If I or Huǒ Yulie held your hand, would you get any stronger? Of course not. Those who rely on others will never gain true strength themselves. See? I’m looking out for you.”
Huǒ Shuchang stared at Wu Jian with a deadpan expression that would have been met with a brilliant smile if Wu Jian wasn’t hiding his face behind a mask. Several seconds passed like that, then the oldest among them shook his head and turned away.
“You definitely want to see me suffer.”
Despite his complaints, they both knew Wu Jian was right. Cultivators were expected to acquire resources through their own efforts. This was a tradition deeply rooted in the principles and philosophies that underpinned this world. The journey of cultivation was not just about acquiring power either; it was also a path of spiritual growth and enlightenment. Facing challenges and overcoming obstacles helped cultivators develop resilience, wisdom, and a deeper understanding of themselves. Easy access to resources hindered personal growth.
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That was part of the reason Wu Jian was so much stronger than the average young master and cultivation genius. Every scrap of power he gained was something he had acquired through his own efforts. No one had handed him anything. Even when he was younger, most of the resources Wu Jian had used were acquired through his own labors.
“Fine. Fine. I’m going in. Watch my stuff for me, will ya?” asked Huǒ Shuchang.
“Of course. Good luck.”
“You may count on me, dear brother.”
Huǒ Shuchang grumbled as he stripped off his shirt, then his pants, revealing slender muscles that rippled with subtle strength. Wu Jian furrowed his brow, then looked down at himself. He was much bulkier than Huǒ Shuchang. This man had a lot of luck with the ladies, so obviously, slender muscles were more preferable than thicker muscles. Did Hou Jingshu, Zhou Lihua, and Wu Meiying also prefer men with a slender physique? What about Huǒ Yulie? Hua Xue?
“Is something wrong, Master?” Youmei said from his shadow.
Wu Jian shook his head. “No. Nothing is wrong.”
Huǒ Shuchang took a deep breath before diving into the water. Wu Jian and Huǒ Yulie watched the ripples spread across the surface before disappearing, and then they waited.
“Tis a matter troubling you, Jian Wu?”
“Hmm? Oh, no. I was just thinking about something?”
“What art thou pondering?”
“Muscles.”
“… Excuse me?”
“Um… what I mean is… I was just wondering if women preferred men who had slender muscles like Huǒ Shuchang. That’s all.”
The look Huǒ Yulie gave Wu Jian made him want to turn his head and look away, to pretend he hadn’t seen it. He felt like she was judging him. The expression on her face was almost deadpan.
“I see. Well, I cannot speak for everyone when I say this. Different people will have different preferences, you know? P-personally, I like strong men, so… um… like men who have a bulkier physique… but I mostly care about how a man smells. Er…”
“Ah… right…”
“Yeah…”
The two glanced at each other, then looked away, an awkward silence filling the air.
Wu Jian had forgotten that Huǒ Yulie had a smell fetish. While he didn’t share her proclivities, he did understand her to some extent. He recalled the times when Hou Jingshu would walk past him and the scent of her hair addled his mind, or when he was snuggling with Zhou Lihua after a sweaty workout and her body’s natural odor would permeate his nose. Recently, he’d had the pleasure of smelling Wu Meiying, who often smelled of a combination of vanilla and lavender.
Just before the situation could become any more awkward, something burst from the water’s surface. He didn’t know what it was at first. However, he soon found out when it landed on the ground. It was Huǒ Shuchang, bleeding profusely from a cut on his arm and another on his head.
“Brother?!” Huǒ Yulie shouted.
“Tch! I should have known this thing would be guarded by a magical beast! You two get back! It’s coming!”
Mere moments after he spoke, something else broke through the water, sending a spray of scalding liquid everywhere. Wu Jian was forced to block the liquid, chopping the air before him to create a black hole that sucked all the water up. That was when he finally got a glimpse of the creature that had injured Huǒ Shuchang.
A long, sinuous body that had grown to an incredible length stretched out before them, adorned with scales that transitioned from deep crimson at the head to a radiant gold along the tail. Each scale possessed a metallic luster that caused it to glisten in the light. A majestic crest of fiery red feathers ran along its spine like a regal mane. It currently stood up straight. Did it feel threatened? Perhaps its most captivating features were its eyes; they gleamed with an inner fire, and their gaze sent a shiver down Wu Jian’s spine. Gazing into those eyes made him feel vulnerable, almost naked. It was as if all his darkest desires and secrets were laid bare.
Even more shocking than this magical beast’s massive appearance, however, was its cultivation.
Wu Jian could not sense it.
“What is that?” he asked.
“It is known as a phoenix dragon. They are born in the depths of the hottest and most volatile hot springs within the Realm of Sacred Flames. I did not expect to see one here,” Huǒ Yulie bit her lip. “We need to be careful. This beast’s cultivation is much higher than my own.”
So it was even stronger than Huǒ Yulie? That meant it was at the Realization Realm at least. Could they go up against something so powerful?
Whether they could or couldn’t was not up for debate. The massive serpentine creature opened its mouth wide and spewed flames that gushed forth like a geyser, forcing the group to take evasive action. As they soared into the sky, Wu Jian glanced at where the attack had struck, only to grimace when he saw the ground they had been standing on turn into bubbling orange liquid.
“Jian Wu! It’s coming your way!”
Wu Jian launched himself backward as the creature snapped at him, barely missing his foot. While he avoided its initial attack, he could not avoid the powerful breath that slammed into him. It hadn’t been an attack, just the result of wind pressure, but it was enough to send him staggering through the air.
Huǒ Yulie flew high above the creature, then spun around and extended a leg, which ignited into fire as though heated up by the intense friction. She came down hard. A loud sound like an explosion echoed around them as her heel slammed into the phoenix dragon’s head, sending the creature crashing down to the ground.
Not one to miss an opportunity, Wu Jian summoned Pale Moon and held it aloft. He breathed in deeply through his nose and held his breath, synching his chi to the beat of his own heart. Darkness gathered around his blade. It looked like midnight given form, and it only grew larger as the seconds passed. Before too much longer, the gathering darkness had taken the shape of the great sword it surrounded, but it was ten times larger. The air crackled around his weapon as he brought it down.
[Spatial Severing]
His attack tore through the space before him, and yet, just before it could reach the dragon, a brilliant golden-orange shield appeared above, stopping his attack in its tracks. Wu Jian gnashed his teeth together and infused more chi into his attack. Nothing happened. He was unable to cut through. It was not long before his technique ran out of juice. He took several heavy breaths as the phoenix dragon raised its head once more to glare at them with a look of intense loathing.