74: Red Sun Fox

Seeing her so direct, Lin Feng took out the Jade Slip containing the jade liquid pill recipe: "I need to refine a Medicinal Pill, and one of the main ingredients required is the 'earth flame flower'. This item grows in a rather special environment. Senior Sister, do you know where it might be found?"

“earth flame flower?” Luo Linger tilted her head, thinking, twirling a strand of hair with her finger.

"Hmm... let me think... Earth Fire Poisonous Qi... extreme heat giving birth to yin... Ah!" Her eyes lit up. "I've got it. The Sea of Ash and Silence! It's definitely there."

“Sea of Ash and Silence?” Lin Feng found the name unfamiliar.

"That's right!" Luo Linger clapped her hands. "That place is really far away, in the northwest direction of the Sect. It's a vast, black wasteland. It's said that there's a dormant volcanic cluster beneath it, with cracks everywhere, spewing poisonous fire and hot air from time to time. The ashes on the ground are so thick they could bury a person.

When the wind blows, the black waves of ash roll in layers, looking just like a black ocean, which is why it's called the 'Sea of Ash and Silence'.

The earth flame flower loves to grow in such places, absorbing the poisonous earth fire Qi and the essence of the occasional volcanic eruptions."

She then wrinkled her nose. "But that place is very dangerous. Besides the poisonous fire and Qi, there are many fire-poison Yao Beasts that have adapted to the environment there. Ordinary Disciples wouldn't dare to go. Are you really going?"

Lin Feng nodded. "The Medicinal Pill requires it; I must give it a try."

Luo Linger's eyes darted around, then she suddenly smiled. "Perfect! I've recently been researching the grafting of several fire-resistant spiritual plants, and I also need to go to the edge of the Sea of Ash and Silence to collect samples of some special volcanic moss and flame crystal fragments.

Junior Brother Lin, why don't we go together? I know a relatively safer path."

Lin Feng pondered for a moment, then agreed. "That would be excellent. Thank you, Senior Sister."

"Then wait for me, I'll pack some things." Luo Linger joyfully ran off and soon returned with a bulging Storage Pouch.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Hundred Flowers Peak, Lin Feng habitually formed a hand seal, intending to fly by sword.

"Hey!" Luo Linger quickly grabbed his sleeve. "Junior Brother, did you forget about my little wood kite? It's so far to the Sea of Ash and Silence; flying by sword would be too tiring."

Lin Feng paused, then remembered the convenience of Luo Linger's flying Magical Artifact. He had known its speed far surpassed his own sword flight when he rode it before, and it saved a lot of Spiritual Qi.

Luo Linger chuckled and formed a hand seal. Spiritual light flowed around the wood kite, instantly enlarging it enough to accommodate two people.

Lin Feng no longer refused and stepped onto the wood kite as instructed.

The wood kite transformed into a green rainbow, breaking through the air with astonishing speed. The oncoming airflow was easily parted by a faint spiritual light shield, with almost no wind resistance felt, and no need to expend mental effort controlling the direction.

'Flying Magic Treasures truly have their unique advantages...' Lin Feng watched the mountains and rivers rapidly receding beneath him, sighing with emotion once more. 'If I often need to travel far in the future, a good flying Magic Treasure is indeed a necessity.'

The journey was long, but with Luo Linger by his side, it didn't feel boring at all.

Sometimes she would point to a valley below, excitedly telling Lin Feng about a rare Moonlight Grass hidden there that only bloomed at specific times. Other times, she would frown at a slightly withered mountain forest, muttering that there might be a problem with the flow of the earth脈 Spiritual Qi.

Lin Feng mostly listened quietly, occasionally asking one or two questions about the habits of spiritual plants or the earth脈 Spiritual Qi, and Luo Linger always gave detailed and vivid answers.

One was quiet, the other lively, yet the atmosphere was unexpectedly harmonious.

Flying over verdant mountains and across surging rivers, the scenery below gradually became desolate.

Finally, a vast, boundless dark expanse appeared at the horizon.

"Look. That's the Sea of Ash and Silence." Luo Linger pointed to the wasteland ahead, her voice slightly lowered.

The wood kite slowly descended, hovering at the edge of the wasteland. As their feet touched the ground, their boot soles immediately sank into a thick layer of black dust.

Lin Feng took a deep breath, feeling a sharp sting, and an invisible scorching heat trying to penetrate his Meridians, unsettling his mind and causing his Bloodline and Qi to subtly churn.

Looking around, the scorched earth was twisted and cracked, forming countless ravines. Some deep cracks glowed with dark red light, occasionally spewing out scorching hot air that subtly distorted the air above.

However, in this deathly realm, seemingly completely incinerated by flames, large and small hot springs were miraculously scattered.

Steam billowed, hot water gushed from rock crevices, forming clear or murky pools, creating a stark contrast with the surrounding landscape.

"The earth flame flower likes high temperatures and earth fire, often growing near earth fire vents, drawing nourishment from the essence released during eruptions."

Luo Linger stayed close to Lin Feng, cautiously looking around as she whispered, "We need to carefully search for cracks that show signs of recent eruptions."

Lin Feng activated the heaven-stealing vine, carefully sensing the flow and abnormal fluctuations of the earth fire Spiritual Qi. Finally, at the edge of a lower-lying crack, where fresh volcanic ash had accumulated, his gaze sharpened.

On the black scorched earth at the edge of that crack, several peculiar plants stubbornly grew. The plants were not tall, their entire bodies dark red, with thick, succulent leaves, and a fist-sized flower bloomed at the top.

The petals were deep red, but their edges were outlined with a strange, almost ethereal blue halo, gently swaying with the faint tremors from underground.

"Found it." Luo Linger also saw it, a hint of joy on her face.

However, just as Lin Feng was about to step forward to pluck it, a pink shadow, as fast as lightning, sprang out from behind a rock warped by heat near the crack, aiming directly for Lin Feng.

Lin Feng reacted extremely quickly, and the flowing cloud immortal binding silk instantly shot out, transforming into a seven-colored glow to block in front of him.

"Bang!"

With a dull thud, the pink shadow collided with the glowing light. The flowing cloud immortal binding silk trembled violently, its spiritual light flickering erratically, and Lin Feng felt a strange force transmit through the silk ribbon, making his arm slightly numb.

The pink shadow, failing its attack, landed gracefully on a scorched rock, revealing its true form.

It was an elegant Yao Fox with pink fur all over its body, and its fox eyes were like two pink diamonds, shimmering with an alluring light.

Behind it trailed three fluffy long tails, and a strong aura of earth fire essence enveloped its body, clearly indicating its long-term habitation atop this earth fire.

"Crimson Sun Charming Fox. A Third-Rank Demonic Beast." Luo Linger gasped in alarm, her face instantly turning pale. "One of the overlords of the Sea of Ash and Silence. It's actually guarding this place."

The Crimson Sun Charming Fox's pink pupils locked onto the two of them, emitting a low growl of warning, and its body erupted with a brilliant pink glow.

Lin Feng knew things were bad and was about to fully activate the azure flood dragon banner when he saw a sudden flash of pink light in the Yao Fox's eyes.

In an instant, Lin Feng felt the surrounding scenery violently twist and change.

The scorching Sea of Ash and Silence vanished, replaced by a hazy, warm bedchamber, with a fragrant scent filling his nostrils, and countless seductive whispers seemingly echoing in his ears.

Before his eyes, Luo Linger's figure appeared, her clothes half-undone, her eyes brimming with a captivating allure he had never seen before, making his Bloodline surge as she gracefully walked towards him...