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**
Ten days later, the sandstorm finally ceased.
Wei Yang and his companions set out once more, venturing deeper into the Endless Sand Sea.
This time, they increased their travel speed slightly.
Wei Yang carried Qing Lin in his arms, while Xian'er flew beside them, her Dou Qi wings spread wide.
As before, they traveled by day and rested by night.
Days passed in a cycle of walking and stopping, and before they knew it, another month had slipped by.
In the blink of an eye, nearly two months had passed since their journey into the desert began.
By now, they had ventured countless miles into the depths of the sand sea. Everywhere they looked, there was nothing but endless sand—not a single trace of life.
The entire world was dead silent, save for the occasional howling of wind and shifting dunes.
This was, in every sense, a forbidden zone for life.
In such an environment, time itself seemed to slow down—each day felt longer than usual.
It was as if they had left the world behind, stepping into an entirely different realm of silence and desolation.
Fortunately, the three of them had each other for company, so the journey wasn't entirely lonely.
Now, their destination was within reach.
Of course, they couldn't be completely certain where exactly they were along the map's route—without clear landmarks, precise positioning was impossible.
They could only estimate based on scale that they were very close to their goal.
And along the way, they hadn't come away empty-handed.
Rare medicinal herbs, the kind that only grew in the desert, occasionally appeared, making for unexpected rewards.
Even the Sand Mandala, an extremely rare plant, had been found more than a dozen times—each one fully matured and rich in medicinal power.
"We're close. I can feel it—we should be arriving soon."
High in the sky, Wei Yang flew forward, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon, a faint glimmer of anticipation flashing in his gaze.
He flipped his hand, taking out the map, and scanned the endless, featureless desert below.
Lowering his gaze, he looked at Qing Lin, still nestled in his arms, and asked, "Qing Lin, take another look. Does the flame symbol on the map resemble anything in this area? Are we almost there?"
Qing Lin, curled up comfortably like a lazy little sloth, let out a contented sigh, eyes half-closed.
Daytime travel was her favorite.
She breathed in Wei Yang's familiar scent, a dreamy look flickering in her emerald-green pupils.
"Young Master's embrace is so warm… If only I could always stay like this…"
Lost in thought, she was suddenly pulled back by Wei Yang's question.
Feeling a little guilty for daydreaming, Qing Lin quickly glanced at the map, then at the surrounding desert landscape.
Without looking for too long, she burrowed back into his chest, shifting slightly as if finding an even cozier position.
A faint blush crept onto her face—a mixture of shyness and a hint of nervousness, as if she'd been caught sneaking a treat.
Her voice was soft and sweet as she replied, "Young Master, I don't think it's here yet… We should still have three or four days left to go."
Wei Yang nodded and turned to Xian'er, who was flying beside him, his gaze questioning.
Xian'er rolled her eyes at him. "Brother Yang, didn't you ask this yesterday? You're even worse than us at directions."
She added, "Based on the map's scale, we're definitely very close. But a small miscalculation can mean a huge deviation in distance."
"I agree with Qing Lin. We still have at least three or four days left."
"Hehe."
Qing Lin giggled mischievously in his arms.
Wei Yang clicked his tongue in mild frustration, letting go of his wishful thinking.
He wasn't bad with directions, but he knew both Xian'er and Qing Lin were right.
The closer they got to the Heavenly Flame, the harder it was for him to remain calm.
Endless days of monotonous flying and waiting were gnawing at his mind, making him question—what if he was wrong?
The Heavenly Flame was too important.
It was the key to his future.
To pursue it, he had even given up the Green Lotus Core Flame, something that was already within his grasp.
Deep down, he wasn't without doubt.
A part of him knew he was taking a gamble.
And now, as they neared their destination, he could no longer maintain his usual calm and steady composure.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of nervous anticipation—fear of gain and loss.
The more one cares, the harder it is to remain calm.
Wei Yang could not guarantee that this Heavenly Flame truly existed.
Perhaps it was just a rumor, or maybe someone had already taken it away?
One could never be too cautious.
As the saying goes, the closer one gets to uncovering the truth, the more likely something unexpected will happen.
Therefore, until he saw it with his own eyes, everything remained uncertain.
What if, after traveling thousands of miles and spending nearly two months, they ended up with nothing but disappointment…
…
"Xian'er, be careful!" Wei Yang warned sharply.
Furious Lion Roar!
Roar—
A crimson-gold energy lion, about five meters long, appeared in midair. Its four powerful paws stomped on space itself, flames dancing wildly across its body. It lifted its head and let out an enraged roar, sending invisible sonic ripples outward. With its massive frame, it charged fiercely toward the target on the ground.
"Don't worry, Brother Yang!" Xian'er responded. Her figure flickered like a white streak of light, and with graceful yet swift movements, she waved her delicate hands. Streaks of gray-white flame, tinged with dark red, slashed toward the target below.
Hiss—
The ground below had turned into a sea of molten lava due to the extreme heat.
A massive serpent-like magic beast, over twenty meters in length, coiled within the fiery pit. Its body was slightly flattened and covered in large yellow-brown scales. Its head was triangular and broad, with two half-fan-like membranes extending from its neck—bearing a striking resemblance to a King Cobra.
Its massive body was coiled tightly, yellow-brown flames flickering between its scales. Most of its form rested within the molten ground, while a portion of its body rose high into the air. It opened its mouth and let out a sharp, piercing hiss toward the energy lion.
In an instant—
Whoosh!
As the beast hissed, a massive yellow-brown firestorm tornado erupted around it, sweeping up the surrounding lava and flames.
The tornado spun wildly, growing larger and larger until it seemed to pierce the heavens and earth. It charged straight toward the energy lion with terrifying force.
At the same time, the serpent lashed out with its massive tail, cutting through the air with a deafening sonic boom as it struck against the fiery streaks launched by Xian'er.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hiss—
A series of explosive collisions followed by the furious hissing of the beast. A miniature mushroom cloud rose from the battlefield.
A powerful energy shockwave spread outward like ripples, forcing Wei Yang to retreat rapidly, avoiding the immediate impact.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
After a few swift movements, he appeared beside Xian'er, raising his hand to disperse the residual energy waves. The two flapped their Dou Qi wings, hovering at a distance, observing the raging storm and flames ahead.
"I never thought we'd encounter such a monster in this desolate death zone!" Wei Yang exclaimed.
This was a peak Rank 5 magic beast—though its exact species was unknown.
One thing was certain: it was a mutated serpent-type magic beast, one that Wei Yang had never encountered before.
Typically, creatures that thrived in deserts—be they serpents or scorpions—were either earth or fire-attributed, sometimes evolving into rock or poison-based variations.
Yet, this particular peak Rank 5 serpent possessed both wind and fire attributes, perfectly balanced between the two—an incredibly rare occurrence.
This made it exceptionally powerful.
The Wind Flame Tornado it had summoned carried both the force of the wind and the searing heat of fire. The wind fed the flames, increasing their intensity, creating a terrifyingly potent attack.
It was a formidable opponent.
Even with Wei Yang and Xian'er working together—both of whom were low-tier Dou Wang with high-level cultivation techniques and Dou techniques—they struggled to subdue it.
Yet, Wei Yang was unwilling to give up so easily.
Leaving aside its potential for future growth, its sheer strength as a peak Rank 5 beast made it an ideal first contracted beast for Qing Lin.
Moreover, as Wei Yang observed the creature's abilities, an idea struck him—
This magic beast reminded him of a certain Heavenly Flame!
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