"As an advanced intelligent species, you have the right to communicate with me as an equal." An unusual Spiritual Fluctuation continued to spread. "If the bodies of you ’humans’ are unsuitable, then I must ask you to help me find a Soul Beast called the Netherworld Snake. It is the Death Sacred Beast of the Alataku People, often used as a temporary vessel for reincarnated beings and an ideal sanctuary to evade the summons of the Netherworld."
’Based on its abilities, this Netherworld Snake sounds like a really big deal. Where am I supposed to find something like that for you?’ Han Ning was inwardly speechless, but on the surface, he wanted to pry more information from the entity, so he continued to ask,
"Where do the Netherworld Snakes live? If I help you find one, what will you give me in return?"
After a moment of silence, the Scorching Sun Bishop replied, "I cannot help you with things from the real world. My Spiritual Power has been severely damaged, and this fragmented remnant of it holds only limited memories. I can only impart some rather precious knowledge."
"Sesmiya is a continent of exile, a territory controlled by the Abyssal Race known as the Alataku People. It is located..."
"This part of my memory is missing. In any case, there are many laboratories on Sesmiya established by the Alataku People. Only they have mastered the method for breeding Netherworld Snakes. If any exist, they are certain to be found within the Alataku People’s sphere of influence."
The Scorching Sun Bishop’s words gave Han Ning a clearer understanding of the Insect Continent and this world.
He seized this rare opportunity and asked quickly, "The Abyssal Race? What is their relationship with the Insect-men on this continent? Also, why do you call yourself the Scorching Sun Bishop? Where are you from, and what Race are you?"
"The Abyssal Race is a group of intelligent species who live where Dark Energy is abundant, near rifts to the Netherworld. Due to prolonged exposure to the Netherworld’s power, their temperaments have become gloomy and dark."
"As for the Insect-men you mentioned... I’m not familiar with them."
"Scorching Sun Bishop... Yes... Why am I called the Scorching Sun Bishop...? What was my purpose in coming here?"
A frantic and rambling stream of information flooded Han Ning’s mind. He had wanted to ask what the Netherworld was, but seeing how unstable the entity seemed with its fragmented memories, he had no choice but to interrupt the Scorching Sun Bishop’s manic episode.
"Forget your origins for now. Just tell us about the general appearance of the Netherworld Snake, the architectural style of the Alataku People, and what you can give us as a reward."
"The Netherworld Snake is also known as the Guardian of the Netherworld’s entrance. It exists in a state between reality and illusion. It has fine, pale-gray scales, emerald-green eyes, and two pairs of skeletal wings on its back. Its destructive power in the physical world isn’t strong, but it can absorb a creature’s Soul Spirit. Remember, you must not look directly into its eyes. You must use your Spiritual Perception to sense its movements and be prepared to have your Spiritual Power devoured."
"The architectural style of the Alataku People is quite distinctive. They carve a series of death-related reliefs and murals on their buildings, and the overall architecture is predominantly dark and gloomy. From a distance, their structures look like containers for corpses."
’This guy doesn’t seem so crazy after all. When I ask about the things he needs, his answers are perfectly clear. I really can’t tell if he’s faking it or if he’s genuinely lost his mind.’
Listening to the Scorching Sun Bishop’s information, delivered in neat packets of thought, Han Ning couldn’t help but grumble to himself.
However... based on the Scorching Sun Bishop’s description, the first thing that came to Han Ning’s mind was the Black Tower in the Mist Deep Valley.
’No way... Could it be that the snake I saw in the Black Tower back then was a Netherworld Snake?’
At the time, he had only given it a casual glance, his attention mostly captivated by the skeletal horse beside it. He hadn’t paid much mind to what the snake actually looked like.
Relying on his extraordinary memory, Han Ning rummaged through his mind for the vague image of the little snake. Faintly, it seemed to bear some resemblance to the Scorching Sun Bishop’s description.
"As for the reward... what area of knowledge do you desire? Spiritual Power, or perhaps Soul Beast cultivation?" The Scorching Sun Bishop’s Spiritual Fluctuation transmitted once more.
"Do you know about the Tears of the Stars?" Han Ning seized the opportunity to ask.
"Hmm... The essence of stars from beyond the heavens. It contains abundant Power of Stars and is generally used for Soul Beast evolution or crafting Soul Artifacts. I know of it, but I do not know if it exists on this continent."
"You can ask me for knowledge about Fire Type Soul Beasts. I am quite an expert on the subject."
Although the Spiritual Fluctuation only conveyed information, Han Ning somehow sensed a hint of arrogance within the message.
"Fire Type... In that case, do you know where to find the Purgatory Red Lotus?"
For Egg Pancake to break through to the Lord Level, it didn’t need to evolve. It just needed to raise its Energy Control Ability and Physical Strength to a high enough level, and it could achieve a breakthrough under the right conditions.
The panel had presented a method called a High-Energy Breakthrough, which involved collecting some very precious Fire Type Materials. During Egg Pancake’s breakthrough, he could extract the Fire Type Spiritual Energy—with all its various properties—from these materials to help it ascend to a higher level.
Among the required materials, the most precious was the Purgatory Red Lotus—a treasure the Red Centipede Tribe didn’t have in its storerooms.
The other materials largely overlapped with those needed for the Flame Fire Vermilion Centipede’s evolution. As for the required Earth Type materials, the Red Centipede Tribe happened to have them in storage, which was a windfall for Han Ning.
"The Purgatory Red Lotus grows at a depth of around fifty kilometers within volcanic Fire Veins. It’s not a naturally occurring plant, but rather a product formed from the interweaving of mineral essences, magma, and the tissue of High-Level Fire Type Soul Beasts. If you want to find it, you should search at the base of a Volcanic Area that spans over 300,000 square kilometers."
"The larger the Volcanic Area, the higher the likelihood of a Purgatory Red Lotus appearing deep underground."
"Of course, that is the method ordinary people would use. I can tell you a much simpler way."
At this point, the Scorching Sun Bishop paused, as if waiting for Han Ning’s inquiry.
"What is it?" Han Ning immediately obliged.
"There is a high probability that extraordinarily powerful Soul Beasts are present near any Purgatory Red Lotus. War General is the minimum Level, with Lords being quite common. They subsist on the refined Fire Element drawn in by the Purgatory Red Lotus."
"If I am not mistaken, judging by your Spiritual Fluctuation, it would be very difficult for the Soul Beasts under your command to snatch a Purgatory Red Lotus from those guardians."
Han Ning didn’t "speak," but waited quietly for it to continue.
"You can find a low-level Soul Beast called the ’Blazing Fire Insect.’ After some time, raise them to their second evolutionary stage, the ’Flaming Fire Insect.’"
"The physical properties of the Flaming Fire Insect are quite unique. Upon touching magma, they completely change into the form of magma, merging with the molten rock and going undetected by any nearby Soul Beasts. Furthermore, they are extremely sensitive to the aura of subterranean Fire Veins. They can precisely locate areas with magma in the complex underground, saving you a great deal of time."
"You can have the Flaming Fire Insects dive into the magma, approach the area where the Purgatory Red Lotus is located, and use their unique bodies to continuously chip away at it until you have collected a satisfactory amount."
"Since Purgatory Red Lotuses are mostly found within Magma Lakes, where Fire Type Energy is rampant, the tiny scraps taken by the Flaming Fire Insects won’t be noticed by high-level Soul Beasts. If you raise dozens, or even hundreds, of Flaming Fire Insects and spread them throughout the subterranean Fire Veins to gather from all over, it won’t take long to collect a sufficient amount."
"As I said before, the Purgatory Red Lotus is not a plant, but a composite of multiple materials. Collecting it little by little will not affect its inherent quality."
"This contains the method for finding and cultivating Blazing Fire Insects. Consider it a gift for our friendly exchange."
As the Scorching Sun Bishop "spoke," a stream of information was transmitted.
Han Ning carefully committed the contents of the information stream to memory.
After a while, once he had completely memorized everything, he nodded and transmitted a message to the Scorching Sun Bishop: "I will try to look for the Netherworld Snake. I hope you will no longer interfere with my friend’s training."