The fifteen-day trip was soon over. Han Feng had promised to return, so he put away the partially explored map and headed back to Desert City.
Destiny showed no special favoritism. Han Feng had not found any sign of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
Although he was full of hope during the planning stage, reality was often just reality.
Finding the Green Lotus Core Flame was not that easy.
Yao Chen had shared with Han Feng the story of how he obtained the Bone Chilling Flame. Everyone knew it might be born in the Fallen God Ice Plain, but after so many experts had searched for a full eight years, none had found it.
In the end, it was the Bone Chilling Flame that ran into Yao Chen, allowing him to refine it as he had wished.
The current situation was very similar to what his master had described. There had long been rumors of the Green Lotus Core Flame in the Tagor Desert, but after several decades, no one had yet discovered it.
They had given up, and Han Feng's opportunity had come.
Desert City, the private courtyard.
It was afternoon. Ye Qingyun and Lin Xian'er were both in their rooms cultivating Dou Qi, while Qing Lin was reading a primer.
Han Feng returned home quietly, without disturbing the three of them.
Walking into his room, Han Feng was surprised to find several Heaven Origin Flowers on the table.
The flowers were planted in pots, the soil slightly moist. It was clear that someone had been taking care of them every day.
"Have they already been delivered?"
The Heaven Origin Flowers that Ai Lin had promised to deliver within half a month had arrived as scheduled.
However, it seemed he had not yet paid.
Han Feng smiled helplessly, plucked the Heaven Origin Flowers, and began to cultivate the "Heaven Origin Finger."
The desert environment was not suitable for growing Heaven Origin Flowers. It was better for him to use them up as soon as possible to avoid wasting their medicinal power.
After cultivating for an afternoon, Han Feng had refined two Heaven Origin Flowers and successfully tempered his left middle finger.
The further one cultivated this technique, the number of Heaven Origin Flowers required increased exponentially, because it was not just one finger that needed to be tempered, but all previous ones as well, in order to achieve mutual connection.
"Two Fingers Transform Mountains and Rivers!"
Han Feng recited the incantation in his mind. Dou Qi flowed along different meridians and gathered in the two fingers of his left hand.
A silver-white light shone at his fingertips, the dual concepts of transformation and creation all within a single thought.
To use "One Finger Opens Heaven and Earth," one must comprehend the artistic conception of creating a new world.
And to use "Two Fingers Transform Mountains and Rivers," one must understand the changes in the principles of the world; mountains and rivers are merely a manifestation.
Han Feng had long understood these principles. Now that the time was right, he formed a sword-finger and pointed to the sky.
The finger-light flew out from the window, rapidly ascended, and disappeared into the clouds.
"Transform."
Han Feng murmured.
In the clouds, the finger-force changed, causing the surrounding water vapor to constantly rub together, and wisps of electric arcs began to brew.
Rumble!
The finger-force finally catalyzed natural lightning, and a clap of thunder sounded in the sky.
"Create."
Splash!
All the raindrops in the clouds fell, and a heavy rain poured down.
Han Feng opened his hands, welcoming the great rain he had created.
Just like that, the dual concepts of transformation and creation. Sometimes, as long as one understood the principle, one could easily grasp the changes of all things in the world.
Pitter-patter!
Ye Qingyun suddenly ran out of her room and rushed out the door.
Han Feng was puzzled. Where did the little maid go?
He followed her out of the room and saw Ye Qingyun hurriedly gathering clothes.
"What's with this weather? Why did it suddenly start raining out of the blue?" Ye Qingyun muttered. When she turned back to go into the house, she suddenly noticed Han Feng.
"Master?!"
"When did you get back!"
Han Feng smiled awkwardly. "Just got back."
A joyful smile appeared on Ye Qingyun's face.
"It's a good thing you came back early, Master. If you were any later, you might have gotten caught in the rain."
Han Feng looked at the two strands of green hair stuck to Ye Qingyun's forehead, and some parts of her body were also wet.
"Let me dry these clothes."
A strange sense of guilt was at play. Han Feng felt that he should take the initiative to do something.
"Ah? No, no!"
Ye Qingyun's face turned red, and she waved her hands repeatedly. What she had hung out to dry were all women's clothes, including her undergarments.
To let her master dry these things would be too embarrassing.
Han Feng's hand froze awkwardly in mid-air. Ye Qingyun ran off with a red face.
"Master, I'm going to take a bath first."
The little maid hugged a bundle of wet clothes, leaving a trail of water stains on the floor.
Han Feng looked at the heavy rain outside and sighed.
It was easy to make it rain, but it wasn't so easy to make the rain stop.
"I still need more practice," Han Feng evaluated himself, then picked up a mop and began to clean the floor.
He had to clean up the water he had made himself.
———
After Ye Qingyun finished her bath, she glanced at the time. It was almost time for dinner.
In the living room, Lin Xian'er and Qing Lin were being affectionate with Han Feng. The two little girls sat on either side, leaning against Han Feng's thighs.
"Master, did you encounter anything in the desert?"
"I encountered a big lizard. It had a very long tongue."
"Uncle Han, what did you eat in the desert?"
"Dry rations. Occasionally, I'd have some meat for an extra meal."
The big one and the two small ones chatted idly. Only when dinner was served did the three of them stop talking.
The dinner was sumptuous. Ye Qingyun's cooking skills were getting better and better. When Han Feng tasted it again after fifteen days, he felt a sense of amazement.
Could it be that the Azure Wood Longevity Body was also a culinary physique?
After praising the maid's cooking, Ye Qingyun was very happy.
After dinner, Han Feng began to check Lin Xian'er's homework.
The little girl was very diligent. She read the books he had assigned every day, and when he quizzed her on a few parts, she answered correctly.
In terms of Dou Qi cultivation, the little girl had not fallen behind either. In half a month, she had advanced another stage of Dou Disciple and was now a little master at the third stage of Dou Disciple.
After checking Lin Xian'er's homework, there was still an adult to be checked on.
Only Qing Lin had it easy.
"How is your cultivation of the technique going?"
Han Feng came to Ye Qingyun's room and asked.
"It's going quite smoothly, but there are some parts of this Dou Skill that I don't understand."
Ye Qingyun humbly asked Han Feng for guidance.
After seizing the opportunity to cultivate, she was very diligent, because she herself understood that in this world where the strong prey on the weak, only with strength could one not be bullied by others.
Han Feng explained everything to her one by one. Seeing her serious learning attitude, he was very pleased in his heart.
A simple and happy life like this was very rare. When they left Desert City and returned to the Black-Corner Region with Han Feng, they would understand that there were more cruel places in the world.
So they had to work hard now. The time Han Feng could wait for them was not long.
He hoped that Ye Qingyun and Lin Xian'er could grow up as soon as possible, at least to have the power to protect themselves when he left the Northwest Continent for a long journey.
After teaching Ye Qingyun, Han Feng returned to his room and took out the map of the Tagor Desert to think carefully.
He had searched the east for so long and still had no clues. Perhaps he should change direction.
He decided to try his luck again. After setting off next time, he would start searching from the south.
This time, he would definitely find it!
Han Feng encouraged himself in his heart.