Leo considered and said, “Let’s stop here and leave the rest for others.” Reflecting now, without the distraction of Hundred Flowers Sect’s incense and the presence of masters from the Flying Dragon Gang, Leo and his companions might have faced a much more challenging task obtaining the honey wine.
As Leo finished his sentence, Joe, dressed in a light blue gown, appeared before the three. Leo merely gave this attractive woman a glance and didn’t want to engage with her, considering she had once sought his life.
“Leo, come over here! There’s Fire Spirit Stone!” Violet pointed to the edge of the lava river, excited.
Leo quickly went over and saw several fiery-red stones near the edge of the underground lava river. Fire Spirit Stones were also valuable; when used in forging weapons, they could impart fire attributes to the weapon.
“Don’t get too close. I’ll go fetch the Fire Spirit Stones,” Leo said, moving slowly towards the edge of the lava river.
The closer he got to the lava river, the higher the ground temperature became. The scorching ground even caused smoke to rise from Leo’s shoe soles, leaving black footprints with every step.
Enduring the heat, he quickened his pace. When he approached the edge of the lava river, Leo took out the Blue Phantom Sword and lifted the Fire Spirit Stones from the ground. Using telekinesis, he flung the stones to his rear.
He dared not catch the Fire Spirit Stones directly with his hands, as it would undoubtedly result in burns. Picking up the second Fire Spirit Stone, Leo’s shoe soles couldn’t endure any longer. He had to cast a minor freezing spell on his feet.
Once the ice beneath his feet completely melted, Leo had retrieved all five Fire Spirit Stones. Just as he was about to leave the edge of the lava, a series of gurgling sounds caught his attention.
Squinting his eyes, he saw a basketball-sized black stone floating on the scorching surface of the lava. Legend had it that magma could produce a kind of black stone that could withstand high temperatures without melting. Through the intense heat of the magma, the stone would generate something called Rock Marrow.
While Rock Marrow wasn’t particularly useful for cultivation, if fed to tamed beasts, it might make them more intelligent, potentially evolving them into spiritual beasts with enhanced combat capabilities.
Though Leo wasn’t sure if the stone floating on the lava surface had produced Rock Marrow, he decided to fish it out and take a look.
The black stone was a bit far away, but for Leo, retrieving it wasn’t difficult. He summoned Purple Radiance, a flash of purple light pierced through, and Purple Radiance inserted into the black stone. Leo then controlled Purple Radiance to retreat, bringing the stone along.
As it reached the shore, Leo applied a freezing spell to his hands and lifted the stone from the lava. After placing the stone on the ground, Leo collected the five Fire Spirit Stones and handed them all to Violet, smiling. “These five Fire Spirit Stones should be enough to forge a short sword. Keep them and find an opportunity to have a blacksmith craft it for you.”
Leo could tell that Violet had the Fire Root, making a weapon crafted with Fire Spirit Stones suitable for her.
“Thanks, Leo!” Violet giggled and took the Fire Spirit Stones without hesitation, placing them in her small backpack.
Leo, what are you moving a stone over here for?” Master Jennifer asked curiously.
Leo explained, “This thing floating in the lava is an extremely special stone; it might contain Rock Marrow.”
Using Purple Radiance, Leo peeled open the black stone. It wasn’t as hard as typical stones but rather had a somewhat soft texture, similar to the skin of a black pomelo.
Soon, a white luster appeared in Leo’s eyes. The emergence of this white luster signified the presence of Rock Marrow inside.
After completely peeling off the skin, a Rock Marrow the size of a duck egg was revealed, looking like an oval-shaped white jade.
“Leo, you’re amazing! It is indeed Rock Marrow,” Violet exclaimed, clapping her hands.
Rock Marrow was considered a natural treasure, its preciousness no less than the honey wine in the ceramic jar.
At this moment, Joe had filled two gourds with honey wine, leaving half of it in the ceramic jar.
Upon seeing the Rock Marrow in Leo’s hand, Joe’s gaze sharpened.
“Mission accomplished, let’s go,” Leo stowed the Rock Marrow away, giving a nod to the two women.
But after walking a few steps, Joe appeared in front of Leo, holding a crescent-shaped blue dagger, identical to the one Leo had taken from her during their first encounter.
“If you want to leave, bring out the Rock Marrow,” Joe said coldly.
Leo sneered, “You alone against the three of us? Do you think you’re our match?”
Joe’s gaze shifted between the three. Leo’s words were factual. Not to mention Leo, even Master Jennifer alone wasn’t sure she could handle it. It seemed they needed to stall for time until Ursula arrived to act.
Joe’s eyes flickered, saying, “You injured me last time. As compensation, you should hand over the Rock Marrow.”
“Injured you? Are you kidding? Clearly, you were trying to kill me!” Leo suddenly realized something, “No, compared to last time, your cultivation has greatly improved.”
Speaking of this, it was thanks to Leo. Joe’s constitution was unique, and after their battle, she had undergone a mutation, resulting in a rapid advancement in her cultivation.
Listening to Joe’s words, Leo fell into contemplation.
Joe’s mentioned constitution was essentially a type of talent.
To become a martial practitioner, having martial roots, namely, talent, was a prerequisite for cultivating internal energy. Additionally, talent was crucial for both martial practitioners and cultivators. People with high talent could surpass their peers in cultivation realms, while those with lower talent might be stuck at one realm for a lifetime without breakthroughs.
Seeing Leo seemingly stunned by her words, Joe continued, “After my constitution mutated, I secluded myself in the sect for cultivation. Eventually, I broke through to the Mid-Stage Grand Martial Master. Moreover, you’ve seen Ursula’s strength, who came with me. We don’t want to harm you, so hand over the Rock Marrow.”