Following the faint traces of spiritual energy radiating from deep within the earth, Victor and Medusa ventured further into the cave system.
Eventually, they reached the deepest chamber.
A sea of scorching lava stretched beneath their feet, flames constantly erupting from its molten surface. The oppressive heat made the air shimmer and distort.
"The Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire lies at the very bottom of this magma sea," Medusa said, pointing down at the churning lava. A bead of sweat slid down her cheek before evaporating almost instantly.
The scorching atmosphere had made the air unbearably dry. Even with her peak Dou Huang cultivation, Medusa didn't dare linger here for long.
Moreover, as a member of the Snake-People Tribe, her constitution favored yin energy and cold environments. This place of extreme heat was fundamentally opposed to her nature, making the discomfort even more severe.
This was precisely why, despite discovering the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire's location long ago, she'd never been able to claim it.
Victor nodded in understanding.
At that moment, he'd already extended his spiritual sense outward, locking onto the azure flame deep beneath the magma.
"Rise!"
Victor stretched out his palm toward the lava below, attempting to draw out the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire.
However, the Strange Fire had already developed its own consciousness.
Once it realized someone was trying to subdue it, it naturally refused to surrender.
Boom, !
The azure flame transformed into a massive bird wreathed in green fire, bursting forth from the magma and hurtling toward Victor at incredible speed.
Victor's eyes narrowed. "Hmph. A mere flame dares to resist me?"
"Shatter!"
With a casual gesture, Victor pointed his finger like a sword.
A flash of white sword light cut through the air, instantly obliterating the azure bird.
Then, with a swift motion, he captured the flickering flame in his palm.
Finally, the azure flame condensed into the form of a green lotus, floating peacefully above Victor's outstretched hand.
Victor carefully examined the Strange Fire in his possession.
"So this is a Strange Fire. It truly is remarkable."
This flame contained the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth he'd encountered in this world.
No wonder using Strange Fires to refine pills provided such tremendous bonuses to their effectiveness.
"Is it... already subdued?"
Medusa's eyes widened in shock.
This was a Strange Fire!
Even a powerhouse at the Dou Zun realm would need to exercise extreme caution when attempting to subdue one!
Yet Victor had conquered it in less than half a minute.
Could it be that his strength had reached the Dou Sheng realm?
This revelation completely shattered Medusa's understanding of Victor's capabilities!
"Let's go. Time to head to our next destination," Victor said, absorbing the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire into his body.
Then, he tore open a spatial rift and departed the cave with Medusa.
By this time, Medusa had recovered from her initial shock.
"Where are we going next?"
Victor considered for a moment. "Next, let's head to Wutan City."
He was quite interested in both Yao Lao's collection and his alchemical knowledge, which meant a visit to Wutan City was necessary.
"Wutan City? Hmm... it should be in that direction. Follow me."
Though Medusa didn't understand why Victor wanted to visit such a small border town, she didn't dare question him too much.
For now, her job was simply to lead the way obediently.
Victor said, "Your flying speed is too slow. I'll carry you and fly. You just need to point me in the right direction."
Without waiting for a response, Victor grasped Medusa's hand, transformed into a streak of light, and flew with her in the direction she'd indicated.
Medusa glanced down at her hand held firmly in his grip, her eyes flickering with complicated emotions she couldn't quite identify.
After flying for a while, the two left the Tagore Desert behind.
Then, guided by Medusa's directions, Victor spent less than ten minutes before they finally arrived above Wutan City.
The two made no attempt to conceal their presence, appearing openly in the sky above the city in a rather high-profile manner.
Their dramatic entrance instantly caused a sensation throughout Wutan City.
"Flying through the air? They're actually Dou Zong experts?"
"Oh my God! Dou Zong level powerhouses appearing here?"
"I never thought I'd witness such powerful cultivators in my lifetime, and two of them at once! I have no regrets now!"
Since Medusa was traveling alongside Victor, she'd retracted her Dou Qi wings and was naturally mistaken for another Dou Zong level expert.
However, for these weaklings whose average strength barely reached the Dou Wise level, there wasn't much practical difference between peak Dou Huang and Dou Zong anyway.
At the same time, the three major families of Wutan City immediately noticed the arrival of these two powerhouses.
Soon after, the patriarchs of all three families emerged to greet them.
"Xiao Zhan, patriarch of the Xiao Family (Jia Liebi, patriarch of the Jia Lie Family, and Oba Apa, patriarch of the Oba Family) of Wutan City greets the two honored seniors!"
Victor's gaze fell upon the middle-aged man standing in the center position, and he spoke seriously. "Patriarch Xiao, I've heard for quite some time that your third son possesses exceptional talent. They say he became a Dou Wise at the age of eleven, a genius that appears only once in a century."
"I've always been curious about geniuses. Would you be willing to let me meet him?"
After hearing these words, Xiao Zhan froze for a moment.
But before he could respond, Jia Liebi, patriarch of the Jia Lie Family, interjected with a mocking tone. "Senior, you may not know this, but that's all ancient history. Xiao Yan is now nothing but a waste stuck permanently at the third stage of Dou Qi."
Oba Apa, patriarch of the Oba Family, quickly chimed in with agreement. "Yes, exactly. Meeting such trash would be a complete waste of your valuable time, senior. In contrast, both of our families have talented young people who might catch your eye."
In their minds, Victor wanted to meet Xiao Yan simply to take him as a disciple.
They couldn't allow the Xiao Family to use this opportunity to establish a relationship with Dou Zong level powerhouses.
There was just one thing they couldn't understand.
Xiao Yan's reputation as worthless trash had spread all the way to the imperial capital, so how could these two seniors be completely unaware of it?
"You dare!" Xiao Zhan glared at the two men beside him, his teeth clenched in anger.
While what they'd said was technically true, some things were better left unspoken. Once voiced, the entire nature of the situation changed.
Victor's expression turned cold, and a murderous aura surged forth, instantly enveloping both Jia Liebi and Oba Apa.
"I'm conducting a conversation with Patriarch Xiao. Do you believe you have the right to interrupt?"
"Pff!"
Both men immediately coughed up blood and collapsed unconscious.
Seeing this display, the guards from the two major families who'd accompanied their patriarchs trembled in terror, not daring to step forward.
Xiao Zhan felt fear as well at witnessing this scene.
However, beneath that fear, he couldn't help but feel a certain satisfaction.
He'd been annoyed with these two bastards for a long time. It seemed they were finally going to suffer the consequences.
Taking a deep breath to suppress the fear in his heart, Xiao Zhan addressed Victor. "Senior, my son was indeed once a renowned genius, but those days are long past. Do you still wish to see him?"
Victor nodded. "I do. My visit here today may help both you and your third son resolve the issue of his cultivation regression."
"What?! Are you serious?"
Xiao Zhan's head snapped up, looking at Victor with excitement blazing in his eyes.
"Whether it's true or not, won't you know after you see him?"
"Yes, yes, of course! Please, seniors, follow me!"
Xiao Zhan didn't dare show any negligence. He immediately led Victor and Medusa toward the Xiao Family compound.