“Brother San, how do you know?” asked Mu Qingyun.
“I can sense the auras of other people,” said Long Chen.
The Nine Star Hegemon Body Art was very sensitive to these auras. Although his abilities had been limited after entering the immortal world, he could still sense this.
Was someone else also after the Heavenly Flame seed? Long Chen started to have a bad feeling. He had found this information from one of the historical texts he had read.
That book hadn’t been read in hundreds of years. According to reason, no one should know.
“Everyone, come with me. Be careful. Try not to make any noise,” ordered Long Chen.
They carefully entered the cave. As soon as they entered, a dense heat washed over them, so Huo Long’s image on Long Chen’s arm lit up.
They quickly arrived at a large cave with dozens of pathways to choose from. It was like a maze.
Long Chen closed his eyes and sensed where the flame energy was the strongest. After that, he led everyone to the right.
“Boss San, I don’t feel very well. My head is splitting. It’s like something was set on fire,” said one disciple painfully. He was dripping with sweat.
“Endure it. This is the burning will of the Heavenly Flame, and it won’t cause any real damage to your body. This is a tempering for your will. The longer you can endure, the more it will benefit you. When you can no longer endure any longer, your body will automatically make you pass out. But let me tell you, once you pass out, you won’t benefit from it any longer. You’ll only have this one chance. Next time you come here, there won’t be this kind of effect. If you want to become strong, grit your teeth and endure,” said Long Chen.
“Boss San, I understand.” That disciple clenched his teeth, bitterly enduring the pain of his soul and continuing onward.
This underground cave was pitch black, except for the occasional dark red glow from the walls as if it was being heated. However, when touched, it was ice cold.
The will of the Heavenly Flame grew more intense the further they went, to the point that even Zhong Ling, Zhong Xiu, Li Cai, and the others found it taxing.
As for the ordinary disciples, they were holding their heads, clenching their teeth. Some people were clenching their teeth so hard that they spat out blood. However, they still persevered.
Long Chen suddenly paused and took out a sword. He slashed the wall.
The thin stone wall with the thickness of a palm was cut open. After that, it revealed a large space behind it.
Within this space were over ten lantern-like glowing objects embedded into the wall.
“Heavenly Flame Orbs!”
Mu Qingyun cried out in shock. Heavenly Flame Orbs could be likened to the companion ores of Heavenly Flame seeds. They possessed their own powerful flame energy and were rare treasures even in the immortal world.
Even before Long Chen could get a close look, Huo Long flew out and swallowed those Heavenly Flame Orbs into its stomach.
Mu Qingyun and the others jumped in shock. It was only when Huo Long returned to Long Chen’s arm that they realized that this flame dragon belonged to Long Chen.
These Heavenly Flame Orbs were extremely beneficial to Huo Long, able to increase its power by quite a bit. Although it wasn’t as good as the Heavenly Flame seed, at least they hadn’t come for nothing.
Back then, Huo Long had refined a single Heavenly Flame Orb, and it had taken a long time. Now it devoured them in almost an instant, and its power rose sharply.
At the center of this room was a stalactite. Long Chen walked to the bottom of it and saw a fist-sized spirit crystal.
“This is… heavens! Heavenly Flame source!” exclaimed Mu Qingyun.
This was practically a legendary existence, something that gave birth to Heavenly Flames. Who would have thought that they would stumble upon one today?
“It’s no good. The Heavenly Flame source has only formed recently. It still hasn’t gained the recognition of heaven and earth. If we take it now, this spiritual treasure of the world that takes millions of years to form will be destroyed.” Long Chen sighed and shook his head.
“Even so, if you take it, its value will be shocking. If you give it to the academy, you’ll be able to get countless resources!” said Mu Qingyun.
“Doing so is far too wasteful. Legend has it that such spiritual treasures have their own destinies. It hasn’t matured yet, so it means its master hasn’t come yet. If we take it forcibly, it will incur karma. Although I’m already surrounded by bad luck and don’t mind adding on some more, destroying such a spiritual treasure will aggrieve me. Let’s go. Tens of thousands of years from now, this fruit will be ripe for the picking. Leave it to the one with destiny to it.” Having taken the Heavenly Flame Orbs, Long Chen knew to be content with what he had. He touched the Heavenly Flame source, sighed, and then led everyone away.
Long Chen sealed the entrance, making sure there was no sign that they had broken the wall. Although some disciples were tempted by this treasure, for someone as fearless as Long Chen to give up on it made them not dare to think about taking it.
They continued on their way, with Long Chen guiding them. They didn’t even remember how many twists and turns they went through before they reached the end. Long Chen had found another spacious room and gained more Heavenly Flame Orbs. He had now gained over fifty of them, so Huo Long was growing increasingly powerful.
“Let’s stop here. The will of the Heavenly Flame is growing too powerful. You probably won’t be able to endure it. Rest here. As long as you can make sure that you don’t fall unconscious, you’ll benefit immensely. If someone does faint, use an ice needle to pierce the human center acupuncture point. That will wake them up. Don’t miss this chance to rapidly improve. As novices, you can make rapid advancements that won’t be possible in the future. Such a thing won’t happen again,” warned Long Chen sternly.
“Yes!” Everyone hastily sat down and worked hard on keeping their minds clear, resisting the scorching of their souls.
Long Chen looked at Mu Qingyun. “You are different from the others. This Heavenly Flame will is unable to threaten you, so you should take the initiative in absorbing that remnant aura to broil your soul. Then transmit your pain and helplessness to your sword. Closely feel how its emotions change in response. Try to form a resonance with its spirit.”
“Brother San, are you leaving?” asked Mu Qingyun.
“Yes. Someone else came first. My guess was very likely correct, and a new Heavenly Flame seed has been born. I need to fight for it. It’s incredibly important, so I will leave this place to you,” said Long Chen.
Mu Qingyun had an urge to say that she would accompany him, but then she thought that she would only slow him down. Staying here was better.
Long Chen’s arms bulged as he picked up a giant rock. He then sealed this space so it looked like a dead-end from the outside. After arranging this, he returned to his original path and followed a different path. His pace quickened.
As he was rushing, he suddenly paused. Huo Long told him that it sensed powerful flame energy.
Long Chen rushed down another passageway. In the end, he saw the light of a fire. That was where the flame energy was densest.
However, he then heard metallic clashing and the sound of furious shouts, so Long Chen lightened his footsteps and snuck over. He was then dumbfounded by what he saw.
“Luo Bing, let me see how you two sisters end up dying.” An arrogant and familiar voice entered Long Chen’s ears.
