Chapter 114: Successive Gains

"Heavens! That purple flame has a terrifying temperature!" Upon reaching the Purple Flame Bead, Du Long immediately felt a heat radiating towards him that was many times hotter than the molten lava beneath his feet.

Fortunately, he had released the Gang Fire within his body early on, forming a protective barrier around himself, which allowed him to withstand the assault of such horrific heat.

"Nonsense! If that weren't the case, why would I have told you to use the Fire Cloud Cauldron to collect the Purple Flame Bead?! If you don't act now, be careful—it might sink back down in a moment!" the beautiful Ring Spirit answered bluntly.

Du Long didn't waste any more words. He flipped his hand, inverted the Fire Cloud Cauldron, and swept the purple-flame-engulfed bead inside. Only then did he fly back to solid ground as if his backside were on fire.

Although he had protected his feet with his internal Gang Fire, his boots were still scorched black by the lava; had he stayed a moment longer, they would likely have burst into flames!

Stomping his feet, Du Long curiously examined the Purple Flame Bead inside the Fire Cloud Cauldron's space. After a long moment, he finally asked, "Ling'er! Now can you tell me the origin of this Purple Flame Bead and what its use is for me?!"

"The Purple Flame Bead is a rare treasure formed over hundreds of millions of years within the deep subterranean molten lava! While it appears to be a bead burning with fierce purple flames, in reality, the entire bead is condensed from the purest fire energy in heaven and earth! For a martial cultivator who has developed Gang Fire, it is an extremely rare and potent supplement," the beautiful Ring Spirit explained.

"Does this mean it can be absorbed to strengthen the Gang Fire within my body?!" Du Long immediately asked, filled with excitement.

Before he began refining second-grade spirit liquid, he never felt his Gang Fire was insufficient thanks to the Fire Cloud Cauldron. But ever since he started refining second-grade liquid, Du Long realized his internal fire was too scarce; if the main ingredient failed once, it meant his medicine refinement for the day was over.

"That's right! This single Purple Flame Bead can at least double the amount of Gang Fire in your body!" the beautiful Ring Spirit replied with a laugh.

"Double?!" Du Long’s eyes lit up immediately. He understood perfectly what doubling his Gang Fire meant—it would allow him to refine second-grade spirit liquid at least twice a day!

When refining medicinal pills, if one failed, immediately continuing the process would yield a much higher success rate for the second attempt. If one waited a whole day, the success rate would drop again.

"You brat! You aren't planning to start refining and absorbing this bead right now, are you?!" The beautiful Ring Spirit couldn't help but ask, feeling slightly depressed as she saw Du Long impatiently sitting cross-legged.

"Yes! Isn't it best to strike while the iron is hot? If I wait too long, I'm afraid the bead's efficacy will evaporate!" Du Long replied naively.

"Do you know how long it takes to refine and absorb a Purple Flame Bead?! Aren't you afraid those two little girls outside will worry? Rest easy! With the internal space of the Fire Cloud Cauldron, the bead's efficacy won't evaporate that easily!" the beautiful Ring Spirit chided, sounding as if she were exasperated by his lack of foresight.

"Hehe! You could have said so earlier! Then it won't be too late to refine and absorb it during our rest time tonight!" Du Long scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. "Ling'er, should we continue looking for another bead here, or head back to the hot spring?"

"I'm dizzy! You don't think these beads are lying around everywhere, do you?!" the beautiful Ring Spirit said, speechless. "If that volcano hadn't erupted today and brought this bead up, you'd be lucky to encounter one in your entire lifetime!"

"Oh! Then let's head back to the hot spring!" Du Long didn't dare talk back to this 'ancestor' of a spirit. Blushing, he flashed into the tunnel he had come from and shot toward the hot spring.

When he burst out of the waterfall, Xiao Lie was hovering in front of it, looking vigilant. Judging by its dust-covered appearance, it clearly hadn't even gone into the water to bathe, as it was busy guarding its three masters.

Seeing Du Long emerge from the waterfall, it immediately greeted him excitedly, "Haha, Master! You're finally out!"

"Xiao Lie! Have Huo Feng and the others not finished washing yet?!" Du Long, having spent nearly an hour going back and forth, couldn't help but ask when he didn't see the two women.

"Not yet! They are still soaking in the hot spring over there!" the great lion rumbled.

"That's perfect! Xiao Lie, let's go soak as well!" After greeting the lion, Du Long didn't even bother removing his clothes and plunged into the hot spring beneath the waterfall with a splash.

The great lion followed suit. Man and beast began to enjoy the hot spring bath. Once he had cleaned off and was resting comfortably by the pool's edge, Du Long spoke up, "Ling'er! Everything is normal with Huo Feng and the others, right?"

"Rest assured! Hehe, are you hoping I'll transmit images of them bathing over to you?" the beautiful Ring Spirit teased with a wicked smile.

"No need! As long as they are safe!" Du Long replied with a look of righteous integrity.

In truth, he was struggling quite hard. With the Ring Spirit able to hear his every thought, he had to maintain a facade of nobility while ensuring not a single stray thought entered his mind, or he would be exposed instantly!

"Tch! You hypocritical, stinking man!" the beautiful Ring Spirit sneered with disdain.

Du Long didn't dare dwell on this topic and immediately changed the subject. "Ling'er, do you think that massive volcano eruption might have ejected other Purple Flame Beads? If so, what would happen to them?"

"That possibility exists! However, in a normal environment, the energy of a Purple Flame Bead evaporates quickly. When the volcano erupts, the sky is filled with volcanic ash; by the time you find them, they will likely have exhausted their energy," the beautiful Ring Spirit explained, following his lead.

"Oh! I see! Since the energy evaporates so quickly, how would ordinary people collect them without a Fire Cloud Cauldron?" Du Long continued to ask curiously.

"By using jade bottles to collect the beads and then storing them in a spatial ring; that way, they can be preserved for a year or so without issue!" the beautiful Ring Spirit explained.

"I see! By the way, how did you discover this bead just now? If you relied on your terrifying scanning ability, does that mean we could try our luck at the site of the eruption?" Du Long suddenly remembered this, and his eyes lit up.

He knew that one Purple Flame Bead could double his Gang Fire energy. If he could find a few more, he would be wealthy!

"Theoretically, it's no problem! But are you sure you want to go there? You should know that the sky is currently choked with volcanic ash; it's probably hard to even breathe in there!" the beautiful Ring Spirit replied casually.

"Since I've stumbled upon a treasure like the Purple Flame Bead, I naturally can't let it go!" Du Long said firmly.

"Heehee, I don't care if you want to go, but what about your two little women?" the beautiful Ring Spirit teased.

Du Long was clearly stumped. He thought to himself, 'It's two or three hundred miles to the volcano! I must take Xiao Lie. Huo Feng and the others definitely can't go. I'll have to arrange for them to stay in the cave while I make a quick trip.'

Thinking it through, he acted immediately, calling out toward the direction where the two women were bathing, "Xiao Feng! Qing Lian! Hurry up and finish washing; come here for a moment!"

Responses came from the two women shortly after. These women loved beauty; if you didn't urge them, you'd never know how long they'd take. Even with Du Long urging them, it took nearly half an hour for them to arrive late!

Having already changed into clean clothes, Du Long went straight to the point, asking them to hide in the cave behind the waterfall for safety. Upon learning that Du Long was going to the volcano to search for beads, they were naturally unwilling to enter the ash-filled area and agreed to stay hidden in the cave.

Although the cave was well-concealed, Du Long was still worried. He had the great lion release its aura in the area and leave unique markings at several corners to warn off invading demonic beasts. Only then did they take flight and rush toward the distant volcano, which was still shrouded in smoke and dust!

With something on his mind, Du Long didn't want to waste time on the road. He urged Xiao Lie to move at full speed, and before long, they arrived at the outskirts of the volcano. They began to circle the mountain quickly, with the beautiful Ring Spirit scanning the area with all her might, searching for any sign of a Purple Flame Bead!

"Two miles ahead, there's a Purple Flame Bead! Go collect it!" Not long after, the beautiful Ring Spirit’s voice, sounding slightly incredulous, echoed in his mind. She never expected that they would actually find one in such a short time!

Two miles was only a matter of a few breaths for Xiao Lie. Under the guidance of the Ring Spirit, Du Long swept away a thick layer of volcanic ash, revealing the burning bead beneath. He excitedly collected it with the ready-to-use Fire Cloud Cauldron.

"Although it has lost some energy, at least seventy percent remains!" Du Long assessed the bead's condition at a glance, feeling quite excited.

"You brat! You really are lucky! Shall we continue searching?" the beautiful Ring Spirit replied, feeling a bit sullen.

"Of course! We found one in just a moment with your help, Ling'er. Who knows? We might have more luck today!" Having obtained a treasure so easily, Du Long was unwilling to give up.

"Fine! Search if you want! At least I don't have to eat volcanic ash; it's you two big blockheads who have to deal with that!" the beautiful Ring Spirit grumbled.

They continued to circle the volcano. Because they had to scan the path carefully, Xiao Lie’s speed had to be reduced, though it was still relatively fast. Just as Du Long thought there was no hope left, the beautiful Ring Spirit’s exclamation finally rang out again!

"Heavens! There are two Purple Flame Beads a mile ahead! What kind of treasure is hidden beneath this ground to nurture so many of them?!" The beautiful Ring Spirit’s exclamation made Du Long’s face flush with excitement!