The stars filled the sky, and the moon hung above the treetops. A soft, gentle light descended, bringing with it a subtle chill.
The group felt a lingering sense of relief, as if they had just narrowly escaped death. For a time, Ye Long engaged in a lively conversation with Qin Youran and Lin Yun, which helped to bridge the gap between them. During the exchange, Ye Long recalled Qin Youran mentioning a Coiled Dragon Flower and asked her about it.
Qin Youran hesitated, clearly unsure whether she should speak of it. Though Ye Long was slightly perplexed, he did not press her for details.
"Junior Sister," Lin Yun said, "why not tell him?"
Lin Yun felt that, in both fairness and reason, the Coiled Dragon Flower should belong to Ye Long and his companions, though obtaining it would require careful planning.
"This..." Qin Youran remained hesitant. However, upon catching Lin Yun’s gaze, she steeled herself and explained, "Benefactor, please do not blame me for keeping secrets. This Coiled Dragon Flower is a supreme Yang essence of heaven and earth. It is extremely precious and has evolutionary properties for serpentine monster beasts."
Her tone shifted as she added, "Furthermore, the reason it is called the Coiled Dragon Flower is that it is of great benefit to us cultivators. A hundred-year-old specimen can not only extend one’s life, but when combined with other spiritual materials, it can also be refined into an elixir..."
Ye Long’s eyes lit up. Having just arrived in this world, this was the first he had heard of such a secret. Learning that this flower possessed such miraculous effects, he naturally coveted it.
Qin Youran was well aware of what his shift in expression meant. She sighed and continued, "I had intended to wait until you left to harvest it. I hope you will not hold this against me..."
"Oh..." Ye Long mused, falling into deep thought for a moment. He wondered whether he should give up this chance to increase his cultivation. In truth, he was reluctant to let it go, so he asked, "What are your plans for it, then?"
"This..." Qin Youran’s gaze flickered. She worried that if Ye Long knew her true identity, he might harbor ill intentions. She began to stammer.
"Junior Sister, let me explain," Lin Yun said, noticing the change in Ye Long’s demeanor. "Benefactor, you may not know this, but my Junior Sister’s father has been poisoned by a strange toxin. He requires the power of this Coiled Dragon Flower as a medicinal catalyst to neutralize it."
"In that case, please forgive my rudeness," Ye Long replied. It was clear that he knew how to distinguish between personal gain and saving a life. Though he felt a twinge of regret, that was all it was.
"Please, Benefactor, sell this flower to me," Qin Youran pleaded. "I can exchange other treasures for it."
It was evident she was determined to obtain the flower, and she was prepared to offer whatever it took. However, hearing this, Ye Long felt a flicker of annoyance. He had already decided to let it go, but Qin Youran’s implication—that he might be a greedy man looking for a bargain—stung.
Lin Yun, sensing the tension, rushed to intervene. "Benefactor, that is not what my Junior Sister meant! She is simply desperate to save her father, and that is why—"
"I was only teasing you," Ye Long interrupted. "I don't need that Coiled Dragon whatever-it-is."
He possessed a keen ability to read people. From the shifting expressions of the two, it was clear that their motivations—one concerned for a father, the other for his companion—were genuine.
"Thank you!" Lin Yun flashed a rare smile.
A short while later, curious about what lay within, Ye Long decided to follow them deeper into the valley, though he muttered to himself, "Does this python understand Feng Shui? Damn, what a place to build a nest."
They soon discovered a limestone cave. The three hesitated at the entrance.
"Strange, very strange," Ye Long muttered, looking at the dark cavern. "Is this really the nest of a Silver Python?"
He had good reason to be suspicious. Snakes generally prefer dark, damp places and would be averse to a location rich in Yang energy, let alone an Innate Monster Beast like a Silver Python.
"I’ll go first," Lin Yun said, leading the way with his Dharmic Instrument in hand. As the one with the highest cultivation, he did not want any further accidents. Ye Long did not protest.
Inside, the darkness was absolute. They were forced to circulate their internal energy; Ye Long’s eyes glowed with a faint cyan light, allowing him to see the path ahead. The ground was littered with stone shards, smoothed over by years of the python’s passage.
They reached the depths of the cave without incident, only to find that the path branched into two: one side was dark and damp, the other stiflingly hot.
"This place is truly perverse," Ye Long murmured. If he weren't already wearing the python skin, he doubted he could have withstood the intense heat. They shielded their bodies with protective Qi, as even the spiritual energy in this place of Yin-Yang convergence had become scorched.
As Ye Long channeled his Qingshi Formula, he suddenly experienced a strange phenomenon. The heat, mingled with the cold, rushed into his Dantian, leaving his heart and mind exhilarated. Under the bewildered gazes of Lin Yun and Qin Youran, Ye Long began to circulate his Qingshi Formula even faster, striding forward with ease.
The two were stunned. Even with their superior cultivation, they were struggling, yet Ye Long moved with greater grace than they did. It was unbelievable.
Noticing their struggle, Ye Long said, "Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back." He dashed into the depths of the cave.
When he reached the end, he couldn't help but exclaim, "The world is truly full of wonders!"
He found a stone platform shimmering with firelight, surrounded by translucent crystals. The interplay of pure and murky energy was mesmerizing. As hot waves rose from a pool nearby, they seemed to be channeled by some mysterious force toward the top of the platform.
"That must be where the Coiled Dragon Flower is," Ye Long thought, stepping forward.
A startling, sweet fragrance wafted toward him, refreshing his senses and making his Qingshi Formula run even more smoothly. As he reached the top of the platform, he saw a fire-red, golden flower shaped like a coiled dragon. It was surrounded by rings of flames, its form so vivid and clawed that it looked like a living creature of the Dragon Clan. The fragrance emanated from it.
"The spiritual materials of the Cultivation World are truly magical," Ye Long whispered. He felt a sudden, fierce urge to swallow it whole, but he forced down his greed, thinking of the life that needed saving.
He originally planned to use his Slaughter Blade to cut it, but fearing he might damage its roots, he instinctively reached out and pulled the whole thing from the earth. The moment he held it, the flames vanished, and to his surprise, a wave of icy coldness seeped into his palm. The flower felt like cold stone.
*Rumble...*
As Ye Long marveled at the wonders of nature, the stone platform began to tremble. Startled, he leaped away just in time. When he looked back, the platform had already sunk into the magma. Without the miraculous power of the flower, the platform had returned to the earth.
Ye Long looked at the Coiled Dragon Flower in his hand and gave a wry smile. "If the platform had stayed, perhaps another could have grown. What a pity."