Chapter 70: The Struggle

The three Foundation Establishment cultivators formed a triangular standoff, each wary of the others.

To them, the Earthfire Heart Lotus was no less important than the Sword-Nurturing Gourd. In fact, to some cultivators, the value of the Earthfire Heart Lotus surpassed that of many fourth-rank spiritual herbs.

The Earthfire Heart Lotus was born in scorching environments. The lotus seeds it produced possessed the miraculous effect of purification. Placing them in a cultivation environment could refine the surrounding spirit energy, allowing cultivators to cultivate faster and with greater safety.

If consumed directly or refined into pills, they could purify the polluted, turbid spiritual power inside a cultivator’s body, greatly reducing the chance of Aberration.

To cultivators already on the verge of Aberration, the Earthfire Heart Lotus was priceless. They would exhaust their entire fortunes to obtain even a single lotus seed, even if it only lowered that possibility by the slightest bit.

A third-rank Earthfire Heart Lotus was a rare and precious spiritual herb for Qi Refining cultivators and most Foundation Establishment cultivators alike.

The Earthfire Heart Lotus in the magma had already reached maturity. More than ten lotus seeds kept shifting in color, and from far away came a tempting fragrance. Just smelling it gave one a cool, clear sensation, leaving the mind lucid and keen.

“There seem to be quite a few lotus seeds in the magma. Why don’t the three of us split them equally?”

Bai Kun opened his sword case. Dozens of tiny flying swords trembled restlessly inside, and strands of sharp sword intent separated from them, circling and dancing around him.

“I have no objection. We will do as Fellow Daoist Bai Kun suggests.”

Steward Wang of Hundred Treasures Pavilion looked at the other two. The female cultivator from Black Jade Tower had two wings, which made this magma-filled stone cave the best place for her to maneuver.

As for Bai Kun, he had immersed himself in the sword path for many years. His offensive power was extremely strong, and his reputation was well known. Steward Wang was no match for him.

On top of that, things had gone rather smoothly when they divided the Sword-Nurturing Gourd earlier, so he agreed to Bai Kun’s suggestion without hesitation.

“I have no objection either.”

The winged female cultivator spoke indifferently, though her heart was full of unwillingness and regret.

If she had known earlier that there was third-rank Phoenix-Resting Wutong Wood and the rare Earthfire Heart Lotus deep inside the stone cave, she would never have lingered for so long among that pile of rocks.

It was all those rocks’ fault!

Seeing the other two relax slightly, her throat bulged. A long, slender, pale tongue trembled at extreme speed, releasing a strange hissing roar that swept toward Bai Kun and Steward Wang.

Immediately afterward, her wings spread, and she flew above the lotus seeds as though teleporting. Two arms extended from beneath her ribs and reached toward the Earthfire Heart Lotus bobbing in the magma.

When the sound wave reached Bai Kun, it was sliced apart and scattered by the endless sword intent around him, vanishing into nothing.

On Steward Wang’s body, a pale green barrier lit up and blocked the sound wave.

But both men were delayed for several instants because of it, and the winged female cultivator was about to seize the Earthfire Heart Lotus.

Bai Kun made a swift decision. A snow-white streak of sword qi swept toward the female cultivator’s body with thunderous force. If she ignored the sword qi, she would definitely suffer a serious injury.

Yet the female cultivator was ruthless as well. Her two wings wrapped around her, and the blue-black bone membrane on them shielded her body inside. Her hands stretched out and grabbed three or four lotus seeds.

The snow-white streak slashed viciously across her body, exposing deep white bone.

Ignoring the sharp pain from her body, the female cultivator clutched the lotus seeds and prepared to fly out of the stone cave.

Just then, several specks of green light appeared around her. Countless crisscrossing emerald lines extended from them and instantly formed an emerald cage, trapping the female cultivator inside.

The emerald cage kept tightening, constantly binding the female cultivator. More than a hundred tiny blue-black arms grew from the cage’s edges and embraced her from every direction.

Caught in the pincer attack of two Foundation Establishment cultivators, the winged female cultivator fell into danger. With an angry roar, she made a decisive choice and threw the lotus seeds in her hand toward the magma.

At the same time, the tiny scales on her neck lifted, and small mouths filled with sharp teeth bit at the blue-black arms.

The snow-white streak followed the motion and coiled around, wrapping up the three or four lotus seeds before flying out of the stone cave with sword-driven speed.

The Earthfire Heart Lotus in the magma seemed to be affected by the spiritual power of the three cultivators. Like a little boat amid the surging magma, it drifted with the current, then immediately sank into the magma.

Seeing this, Steward Wang of Hundred Treasures Pavilion no longer paid attention to the winged female cultivator, who was still tearing at the emerald cage with her teeth. He made a judgment in an instant and chased after the sword cultivator Bai Kun.

Naturally, it was Lu Yuan’s doing that the Earthfire Heart Lotus had sunk into the magma.

Because there was no protection around the Earthfire Heart Lotus, he was worried that the aftershocks from the three cultivators’ battle might harm the lotus. Therefore, he controlled the stone cave’s magma with his divine sense and made it swallow and transfer the Earthfire Heart Lotus away.

Soaked in the scorching magma, the Earthfire Heart Lotus showed no discomfort at all. Instead, its fiery-red lotus leaves became even brighter.

Above the magma, the female cultivator whose wing bore a huge sword wound finally broke open the emerald cage. She stared at the magma below her feet as it rose and fell like waves, her expression terrifyingly silent.

Then she looked toward the stone cave’s exit. In the end, she took out a flying bird ritual implement. The ritual implement transformed into a small fiery-red bird and plunged into the magma.

The winged female cultivator controlled it with her spiritual sense, carefully searching the magma for traces of the Earthfire Heart Lotus.

However, she had run into Lu Yuan’s mysterious and unfathomable divine sense, which had protected the Earthfire Heart Lotus so tightly that not even the slightest trace of its aura leaked out.

In the end, the fiery-red bird returned empty-handed and burrowed back into the flying bird ritual implement.

The winged female cultivator put away the flying bird ritual implement, then suddenly sensed a gaze coming from above.

She raised her head and saw the Red-Footed Golden Crow gripping the Phoenix-Resting Wutong Wood with one foot, perched at the very top of the stone cave. Its golden pupils looked down at the female cultivator with arrogance.

The female cultivator’s wing had been struck by Bai Kun’s sword qi, and she had also suffered the assault of the arms on the emerald cage. A huge wound nearly ran through the entire wing, and blue-black patches covered it everywhere.

The Red-Footed Golden Crow cried out toward the ceiling, as if asking Lu Yuan:

Between me and the winged female cultivator, who is more beautiful?

Lu Yuan’s divine sense hurriedly offered up a bit of flattery.

You are far more beautiful. How could the winged female cultivator compare to you?

There was no helping it. One’s own child was always the best-looking!

The Red-Footed Golden Crow may also have felt that comparing itself to the winged cultivator in her current state was somewhat unfair, so it placed the Phoenix-Resting Wutong Wood on a protruding rock.

Then it folded its golden wings and closed its eyes in contemplation.

When the winged female cultivator saw this, her eyes lit up.

What was lost in one place was gained in another. Although she could not find the Earthfire Heart Lotus, this Phoenix-Resting Wutong Wood was also an extremely rare spirit plant!

It was also third-rank. In the eyes of some cultivators who practiced fire-element spells, Phoenix-Resting Wutong Wood was no less valuable than the Earthfire Heart Lotus.

It could be used to refine fire-element ritual implements, nurture fire-element spirit birds, and had a wide range of uses.

As for the Red-Footed Golden Crow, although it was also a third-rank demonic beast, it still seemed to be in its growth phase. Its strength was probably not too great.

She could try capturing it alive. If she succeeded, judging by its quality and spirit, it would likely sell for a decent price to a fire-element cultivator.

If she could not, then she would simply kill it, peel off its pair of wings, and refine them.

That could also slightly strengthen the abilities of her own wings.

Thinking of this, she gently beat her wings and approached the Red-Footed Golden Crow.

The Red-Footed Golden Crow sensed the winged female cultivator’s approach, opened its eyes, and tilted its little head slightly. Its golden pupils were full of confusion.

Why is this ugly thing coming toward me?

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