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In the depths of the Tager Desert, Renzo guided Little Fairy Doctor and a young girl with three delicate flower-like patterns in her pupils. The three of them sat atop a drifting white cloud, gliding steadily toward the desert's heart.
"This is amazing! Is this cloud even real?"
Qing Lin curiously patted the soft white surface beneath her, wide-eyed with wonder.
"Sort of. It's called a Flying Nimbus. If you like it, I can make one for each of you," Renzo said with an easy smile.
He'd simply recreated the cloud from the Dragon Ball world. Having long since studied it inside and out, producing his own version was practically child's play for him.
"Eh? You'd really give us something like this? That's way too valuable!" Qing Lin's voice wavered, torn between gratitude and reluctance. Her eyes, however, betrayed just how much she wanted it.
Qing Lin was a half-blood child of the snake-people and humans, born with the rare Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils that allowed her to command serpents. Renzo had discovered her in Stone Desert City, saved her, and brought her along ever since.
"To me, it's nothing. Just something I can create with a flick of my wrist. Here—take them." Renzo waved his hand, and two miniature Flying Nimbus, each no bigger than a palm, appeared before the girls. "Drip some blood on them to recognize ownership. Then you can put them away for later."
"Thank you, Renzo!"
Both girls accepted happily, pricking their fingers without hesitation to bond with the treasures.
A little over ten minutes later, Renzo slowed the cloud's descent as they reached a certain point deep within the desert. He could sense a rich, scorching flame aura pulsing from below. After dismissing the cloud, the three of them stood upon the endless dunes.
"So this is the place? But I don't see anything special… except it's really hot," Qing Lin murmured, frowning at the endless sand stretching in every direction.
"That's how you know we're close. What we're looking for is underground. Grab my hand—we'll head down directly."
She and Little Fairy Doctor quickly clasped his outstretched hand.
In an instant, the three of them vanished from the surface and reappeared hundreds of meters below in a vast underground cavern.
At the far end of a tunnel, a massive chamber opened up before them. From here, Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin could already glimpse waves of molten rock roiling inside, the cavern glowing with fiery light.
The oppressive heat washed over them, almost unbearable. Thankfully, the gear Renzo had given them regulated temperature, or else they wouldn't have lasted more than a moment.
"Look! Over there—a lotus!"
Qing Lin suddenly pointed toward the molten lake, astonishment written all over her face. On the surface of the lava floated a delicate, blue-green lotus blossom, impossibly pristine in such a hellish place. "How could a flower grow out of magma? Is that an illusion?"
"It doesn't look like one…" Little Fairy Doctor frowned, sensing that this had to be something extraordinary. Could this be the real reason Renzo had brought them here?
"That lotus is a rare treasure.. My goal this time is the flame sealed inside it, the Green Lotus Core Flame." Renzo glanced at the two of them with a smile before leading them closer to the massive cavern.
"Hissss~!"
Before they could get further, a dark-red serpent erupted from the molten pool. Its two heads snapped their jaws wide, lunging toward Renzo with a shrill screech.
"Stop."
Renzo raised his hand calmly and pointed. Instantly, the serpent froze in midair, locked motionless by his power. With a flick of his finger, the writhing beast drifted through the air and landed right in front of Qing Lin.
"Try using your Triple Snake Pupils to control it," Renzo told her. "It's a Dou Spirit-class beast—not bad as a servant. You can probably manage it for a while."
"Eh?" Qing Lin blinked, stunned. "C-Can I really… control something like this?"
"You can. Believe in yourself." Renzo reached out and ruffled her hair gently.
The girl had many strengths, but her deep-seated self-doubt was something that would take time to undo.
"Mm! I'll try!"
Encouraged by his words, Qing Lin nodded earnestly. Her pupils shifted, the three flower-like patterns beginning to rotate as she activated her ability, focusing on the twin-headed serpent before her.
But the difference in power was huge, though, and her face drained of color almost instantly.
Seeing this, Renzo placed his palm lightly on her head. A soft golden glow spread out, and Qing Lin felt her spiritual strength recovering in a rush. The crushing fatigue lifted, and within seconds, she was back on her feet.
Barely ten seconds later, she had the snake under her full control.
"Whew… it worked! Thank you, Renzo!"
She exhaled hard, wiped the sweat off her forehead, and beamed at him.
"No need to thank me. Try giving it some commands."
Renzo released his own control over the creature. The snake blinked, then immediately recoiled in terror, instinctively trying to flee from Renzo's presence.
"Snake, come back!"
Qing Lin called out. The light in her Triple Jade-Green Flower Pupils flickered again, and the two-headed serpent instantly calmed down. It slithered back toward her, rubbed its heads affectionately against her palm, then shrank into a small snake. Wrapping itself around her wrist, it linked its head to its tail, forming a bracelet.
"How obedient! Hehe!"
Qing Lin giggled, waving her wrist in front of Renzo. "Brother Renzo, look! I did it!"
"Not bad."
Renzo nodded, satisfied.
This girl really did have potential.
He was already planning to analyze her body and the secrets of her Pupils in detail later. Once he understood it, he'd craft an evolving pill or potion tailored just for her.
Right now, her potential was far from being fully tapped.
"How amazing! So this is your eye ability, Sister Qing Lin?"
Little Fairy Doctor leaned closer, her eyes full of wonder as she stared at Qing Lin's wrist.
Now she finally understood why Renzo had saved the girl—her talent really was extraordinary.
It all made sense now.
"Alright. Next, I'll collect the Heavenly Flame."
"Mm!"
Without wasting time, Renzo extended his hand. Space itself rippled, and the Heavenly Flame, along with the Blue Lotus it rested on, was wrapped in his power. With a twist, the lotus was severed from its stalk deep in the magma.
Instantly, the remaining stalk and its lotus root dove deeper into the molten sea, retreating at frightening speed.
Such was the survival instinct of heaven-and-earth treasures.
Renzo didn't bother chasing it. He'd left it on purpose.
Always good to leave a trace behind. Who knew? Hundreds or even thousands of years later, that root might sprout another Heavenly Flame.
For now, he had both the lotus and the flame—that was enough.
With a flick of his wrist, he drew the treasures into his palm, then tucked them neatly into his personal world, the Little Takamagahara.
Turning to his companions, he said, "Alright, we've got what we came for. Let's leave."
"Mm!"
Neither Little Fairy Doctor nor Qing Lin had any objections. Renzo whisked them away from the underground cavern.
But the moment they emerged—
"Heavenly Flame! Hm? A human? I sense a Heavenly Flame on you. Hand it over!"
A sharp, seductive voice rang out.
A figure swooped down: a stunning serpent-woman, eyes sharp and deadly. She had sensed the anomaly the moment they appeared and now rushed at Renzo without hesitation.
The Serpent Queen herself— Queen Medusa.
She had been investigating the Heavenly Flame's fluctuations earlier and picked up traces of humans. Racing here with all her strength, she had hoped to seize the flame for herself… but she was too late.
Renzo already had it in his grasp.
.
.
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