Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

The Next Morning

Xiao Bai, seated cross-legged on his bed, opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing through them. "Finally fully recovered!" Nearly twenty days had passed since the heavenly thunder drained his soul force. Now, his sea of consciousness brimmed with misty soul energy, dense and vibrant. He sensed he was close to the peak of the Mortal Realm.

"Young Master, may Qing Lin come in?" A soft, sweet voice called from outside.

Xiao Bai smiled. The girl had embraced her role as his maid with zeal. Last night, after cultivating, she'd bustled into his room, making his bed, folding blankets, and preparing washing items. She'd even tried to help him undress, insisting on staying until he slept—only to be shooed away. Where'd a kid her age learn this stuff?

"Come in," he said.

"Good morning, Young Master!" Qing Lin entered, dressed in new clothes, carrying a basin with a towel. Spotting Xiao Bai meditating, she beamed, dimples blooming on her cheeks.

He nodded, smiling, but sighed inwardly. Despite her bright grin, her eyes held worry. She feared failing him, terrified he'd abandon her. Every action was cautious, meticulous. Though he'd assured her last night he'd never cast her aside, it hadn't sunk in. Only time can heal that, he thought, resigned.

"Qing Lin, stay here today. I'm heading out and will be back later," he said, wiping his hands after washing.

Her smile faltered, eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Head bowed, she stammered, "O-okay." Xiao Bai patted her head,无奈 (helplessly) saying, "Don't overthink. How could I abandon such a sweet, dutiful maid? If you need anything, find the old man next door." He meant Hai Bodong.

Last night's talk with Hai Bodong revealed the map's flame location was a rough estimate, based on decades of rumors. Today, Xiao Bai planned to scout with Yao Lao alone—their strong soul forces could cover more ground in the vast Tagore Desert.

___

The Endless Desert, Sand Raging Unceasingly

By day, the Tagore Desert baked under a merciless sun, yellow sand swirling in relentless storms. A purple streak flashed across the sky, landing on a dune.

Xiao Bai surveyed the undulating dunes stretching to the horizon, stunned. If a Heavenly Flame's underground, shouldn't the surface show something? Scanning around, the scenery was identical to the rest of the desert, indistinguishable.

Pulling out Hai Bodong's map, he confirmed the flame was likely within a hundred-li radius. "Kid, this is where your Heavenly Flame is?" Yao Lao floated out, eyeing the surroundings skeptically. No trace of a flame's volatile energy lingered.

"Correct, somewhere nearby—but underground," Xiao Bai said firmly.

"Underground? How do we get down?" Yao Lao glanced at the sand. The desert's depths were unknown—hundreds or thousands of meters? Digging through flowing sand risked burial before reaching the bottom.

Xiao Bai closed his eyes, extending his soul perception to its maximum, covering roughly three kilometers. His perspective shifted, sensing dense weaves of yellow and red energies—earth and fire—but no distinct flame fluctuations. "Try sensing underground for magma or something," he suggested.

Yao Lao stared oddly. "Kid, didn't you just scan below?"

Xiao Bai blinked, then probed the sand beneath. Moments later, he let out a surprised, "Huh?"

"Feel it?" Yao Lao asked.

"Yeah," Xiao Bai nodded.

"This is a desert—earth energy's dense and active. With rising geothermic currents, soul perception barely reaches far," Yao Lao said, stroking his beard.

Xiao Bai understood. On the surface, his soul force stretched far, but underground, it petered out at under two hundred meters, straining him. "Trouble," he muttered. Two hundred meters didn't reach the sand's base. Without a passage in this range, what then? How did that desert queen find the underground flame? Medusa's soul force was weaker than his, yet she'd pinpointed and claimed the flame. She must have a special method.

"For now, let's search for passages within two hundred meters," Xiao Bai told Yao Lao. Their perception ranges were similar; they'd comb the map's area, resorting to other plans if nothing turned up.

"No better option," Yao Lao agreed after a pause.

Though lacking a body, Yao Lao's Taiyi Soul Art allowed soul force use without risking slumber, unless overexerted. They roamed the desert, but Xiao Bai soon found the method agonizingly slow. Probing underground, his soul force clashed against boundless, surging earth energy, draining him rapidly. Continuous use would exhaust him in two hours, requiring technique recovery. Beyond that, soul restoration crawled—only slightly faster than his last total depletion.

Yao Lao fared worse, his incomplete state and lack of a body limiting him, leaving Xiao Bai to do most of the searching. A silver lining emerged: the cycle of strain, depletion, and recovery toughened his soul force, making it more resilient.

As the sun set, painting the desert orange, Xiao Bai, weary, prepared to return to Stone Desert City. "Senior, looks like we'll be here a while," he said. Today's progress suggested two months to cover the map's area—and that assumed they'd find a passage.

"No rush. As long as we're back for Xiao Yan's coming-of-age ceremony, we're fine," Yao Lao said, unperturbed, trusting Xiao Bai's intent. Heavenly Flames aren't easy. His own quest for the Bone Chilling Flame had nearly killed him.