Chapter 238 - 208: Lava Secret Mansion, Purple Sun Jade Heart Lotus
Chapter 238: Chapter 208: Lava Secret Mansion, Purple Sun Jade Heart Lotus
Guided by his Divine Sense, Lu Zhao was like a fish encased in a black bubble, diving rapidly toward the spatial entrance the Red Fire Spirit Bird had discovered earlier.
The resistance from the magma was immense, and the range of his Divine Sense was severely compressed. Lu Zhao focused completely, carefully avoiding the exceptionally hot magma currents.
About a quarter of an hour later, a circular entrance, roughly ten feet wide, finally appeared at the edge of his Divine Sense Perception in the viscous magma ahead!
At the entrance, a formless membrane of light, barely visible to the naked eye, firmly held back the scorching magma. Countless naturally formed, profound Runes flickered in and out of sight on its surface—it was the Natural Array that blocked Divine Sense!
’This is it!’ A sharp glint flashed in Lu Zhao’s eyes. He pushed the Black Water Profound Turtle Shield to its limit and, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, slammed into the membrane of light!
POP!
It was the sound of a bubble bursting.
The powerful resistance he’d anticipated never came. The membrane of light seemed to be all for show. Lu Zhao felt a sudden weightlessness as the scene before his eyes abruptly changed!
A wave of Fire Attribute Spiritual Energy, more than ten times denser than in the magma outside, washed over him, instantly filling his senses and invigorating his spirit.
’Such dense Spiritual Qi! The concentration here is far beyond that of a Tier Two High-Grade Spiritual Vein—it must be close to Tier Three!’ Lu Zhao was inwardly shocked. He immediately steadied his mind and warily surveyed his surroundings.
The first thing he saw was his Red Fire Spirit Bird Puppet, the one he’d lost contact with. It lay quietly on the ground near the entrance, its Puppet Core glowing dimly. Apparently, the Array had only severed his Divine Sense connection to it; the Puppet itself was undamaged.
Then, Lu Zhao’s gaze was drawn to the center of the cavern, and he found he couldn’t look away.
It was a natural cavern, not overly large. The walls were made of a strange, dark red rock, smooth as a mirror, with a faint crimson light flowing within the stone.
A few crystal-clear stalactites hung from the cavern’s ceiling. Droplets of crimson Spiritual Liquid condensed at their tips before falling to the ground, forming a small Spirit Liquid Pool.
However, the most eye-catching sight was in the very center of the cavern!
A colossal lotus was rooted in a small pool of roiling, Dark Gold magma!
The entire lotus glowed with a soft, purple-gold luster, as if carved from the finest purple jade. It was so translucent its veins were clearly visible, and inside, crimson-gold flames seemed to flow and burn.
Its petals were slightly open, protecting a still-forming seedpod at its center that emitted a hazy, purple-gold radiance.
Around the lotus, the dense Fire Spirit Qi had almost condensed into a tangible mist. Wisps of it coiled around the flower, only to be slowly absorbed.
An indescribable, exotic fragrance brimming with vibrant Vitality permeated the cavern. The scent was utterly refreshing, and it even made the Magical Power within Lu Zhao’s body stir.
Not far from the lotus, on the rocky ground, was a massive bird’s nest haphazardly built from dark-red twigs, unidentifiable bird feathers, and fragments of some Fire Attribute Crystal Stone. A few crimson Feathers, glinting with a metallic luster, were scattered inside—remnants of the Red-Feathered Black-Footed Bird.
’This is...’ Lu Zhao’s gaze was locked on the Purple Gold Lotus as knowledge from countless Spirit Plant Scriptures surged through his mind.
The flower’s shape, its rooting in magma, its exotic fragrance, and its boundless Vitality... A name that had previously only existed in Jade Scrolls exploded like thunder in his Sea of Consciousness!
"Purple Sun Jade Heart Lotus!"
Lu Zhao blurted out the name, his voice trembling with disbelief!
He wasn’t so excited because the flower possessed some terrifying offensive or Defense Power, but because its value was enough to drive countless Foundation Establishment Cultivators into a frenzy!
The Ancient Texts were clear: the Purple Sun Jade Heart Lotus was a treasure of heaven and earth that could only grow in a place where the extreme Five Elements converged and the Fire Element was overwhelmingly dominant!
The flower contained all Five Elements but was dominated by the Fire Element. It was a supreme medicinal treasure for harmonizing the Five Elements and tempering one’s Golden Core! It was the indispensable main ingredient for several Tier Three Pills with miraculous effects for breaking through the Core Formation bottleneck, such as the Five Elements Golden Condensation Pill and the Purple Sun Tribulation Crossing Pill!
More importantly, even without being refined into a Pill, the flower itself—especially its fully matured Jade Heart Lotus Seedpod—provided an immeasurable boost to Foundation Establishment Cultivators attempting to break through to the Golden Core Realm!
It was said that consuming a mature Jade Heart Lotus Seedpod raw could drastically increase one’s chances of successful Core Formation and improve the quality of the resulting Golden Core! This was an irresistible temptation for any cultivator aspiring to the Golden Core Dao!
’No wonder that Red-Feathered Black-Footed Bird wouldn’t leave this area! It was guarding such a treasure, probably intending to wait for the lotus to mature, consume it, and break through to a higher Realm!’ Lu Zhao instantly understood why the Demon Bird had confined its activity to the vicinity.
Ecstasy washed over his Heart Spirit like a tidal wave, and he could barely contain himself. He suppressed his frantic heartbeat and cautiously approached the edge of the magma pool for a closer look.
’Eight petals... The Ancient Texts state that each petal of the Purple Sun Jade Heart Lotus takes one hundred and twenty years to bloom. Eight have opened, and the ninth is about to form. This lotus is, at most, another one hundred and twenty years from full maturity!’ Lu Zhao quickly made this assessment based on the petals’ shape and the Spiritual Charm they exuded.
At the same time, with the limited knowledge of Spirit Plants he had accumulated over the years, he could tell the eighth petal had been in bloom for quite some time. Though the seedpod was still unformed, the Vitality it contained was already immense.
’At most, one hundred and twenty years...’ Lu Zhao’s gaze grew incredibly intense. A century was a long time, but he could afford to wait.
After the initial excitement, Lu Zhao quickly calmed down. He paced slowly around the small magma pool, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the Purple Sun Jade Heart Lotus and the surrounding Natural Array.
’I can’t touch it.’ A clear thought formed in Lu Zhao’s mind.
There were three reasons.
First, the place was exceptionally well-hidden. The entrance was deep beneath the magma, and the Natural Array blocked all Divine Sense probes. If he hadn’t, by a stroke of luck, sent the Red Fire Spirit Bird crashing through, and if he didn’t happen to understand Natural Array Patterns, he never would have found it. The risk of discovery was extremely low.
Second, any man-made protection, whether an Array Formation or a restrictive ward, would leave traces—fluctuations in Spiritual Qi or the aura of its materials. This could, in turn, become a weakness that exposed the location and attracted unwanted attention. The Natural Array, seamlessly formed and integrated with the Earth Vein Spiritual Energy, was the best possible protection.
Third, and most importantly—he, Lu Zhao, could not possibly guard this place for one hundred and twenty years!
His tour of duty as Commander of Broken River Castle was thirty years at most. After that, he would have to leave. If he rashly put his own measures in place and they were discovered by the next Commander or an accidental intruder, this worldly treasure would likely be lost to him forever.
’Better to let nature take its course and trust this natural barrier than to add something superfluous.’ Lu Zhao finally made his decision. He fought back the impulse to pocket the treasure and reluctantly tore his gaze away from the lotus, which glowed with a dreamlike, purple-gold light.
’I will leave this treasure here for now. When my Cultivation has advanced, I will return for it!’ Lu Zhao vowed to himself. He took one last, long look at the Purple Sun Jade Heart Lotus, as if to carve its image into his very Soul.
Before leaving, Lu Zhao’s gaze swept over the messy bird’s nest. He pondered for a moment, then with a wave of his hand, collected the few most intact crimson Feathers scattered within and put them in his Storage Bag.
These were the Lifebound Feathers of a Tier Two Demon Bird, containing pure Fire Element Spiritual Power. They were superior materials for refining Fire-Element Spiritual Artifacts—a small bonus from this trip.
Finally, after reconfirming that the Natural Array at the cavern entrance was functioning properly and would effectively block all auras and Divine Sense probes from both inside and out, he turned and plunged unhesitatingly back into the roiling magma.
With the Black Jade Profound Light Shield protecting him, Lu Zhao’s figure quickly vanished into the golden-red lava flow.
A moment later, Lu Zhao’s figure shot out from the lava fissure and landed steadily on the scorching black rock. He glanced back at the churning sea of fire, a flicker of determination and anticipation in his eyes.
"Purple Sun Jade Heart Lotus... I’ve laid my claim on it," he muttered to himself. Then, without further delay, he transformed into a streak of light and sped away in the direction of Broken River Castle.