[[EDITING]]... Wei Ying sat there on the mountain where he stood when he and Lan Zhan went separate ways. He sat there with tears falling, wondering what he should do. He wanted to be beside Lan Zhan, but he was now Chief Cultivator until his brothe...
"A-Die, is that the caves there?" Sizhui pointed out after a few hours of searching.
Lan Zhan looked at the direction his son pointed. There was a section in the mountain where it was all Ice, and it had an opening the lead into the mountain.
"Let's go check," Lan Zhan said.
They flew over and landed at the opening of the cave entrance. The two entered hoping to find what they came for. They did not know what the Phoenix Flower looked like, or where it hid. They did not even know if this was the right area. They could have just been sent on a wild goose chase.
They followed through the Ice Cave's passage once they entered. The deeper into the cave the more blue it became. It was almost like light was making the ice glow a beautiful blue. It was cold inside the cave, as it would be for being completely ice. Luckily, Lan Zhan and Lan Sizhui were used to such temperatures. As the walked through the cave's passage, they began to hear movement. It sounded big and there was a rattle of a chain. They heard a clicking sort of noise and a chuff. The two had their swords out just in case.
At the end of the passage it let into an opening. There was a large cavern. At the center, there was a large creature chained down and was guarding the flower they needed. This creature was as big as a house, it had large claws at its feet and had horns on its head. The creature was while like snow, covered in fur. The eyes were green, almost like acid, and they looked gentle. The creature looked to be a dragon of some sort. The dragon noticed the two standing a few feet from the entrance. It bowed its head at the two men and kept its eyes on them.
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((Dragon))
"Hello young cultivators," the dragon spoke to them.
"It can speak?" Sizhui asked.
Lan Zhan bowed back to the dragon, "we do not mean to disturb you. My partner has been poisoned with Bone Chilling Poison. We were told the Phoenix flower would cure it," Lan Zhan greeted the dragon in return as he explained the situation.
"There is a price to pay for taking the flower," the dragon said calmly, "if you want it, you have to pay or you can just be with your partner for as long as you can."
"What is the price?" Lan Zhan asked.
"You need to exchange the most valuable thing a cultivator possesses," the dragon answered.
Sizhui was about to hand over his sword when Lan Zhan told him to stop and stay put. He would handle it.
"You can't give up Bichen!" Sizhui yelled.
"It is not a sword, Sizhui," Lan Zhan said and walked up to the dragon, "if I accept, how do I prepare the antidote?"
"Crush the flower into a paste and add cup of water and let it simmer for three days, it is then to be consumed and the poison will disappear after twenty-four hours," the dragon informed, "do you really accept the exchange?"
"Nothing is more valuable then the love between two people. My partner gave up his to save his family member, and I will do the same. I can live without it but I cannot live without him," Lan Zhan said, "I will do it."
"A-Die, what are you talking about?" Sizhui questioned.
"I just need you ready to fly us both out," Lan Zhan said, "after the exchange, I will be too weak to fly on Bichen."
"What do you mean? Please explain to me what you are about to do?"
"I am saving your Baba, and my husband," Lan Zhan said to him.
Lan Zhan stood before the dragon. The dragon blew a gust of wind and it twirled around and through Lan Zhan's body. As the wind circled him, he felt his powers drain and is core dissipate until there was no more golden core. He was now mediocre. He gave up was a cultivator values most to save Wei Ying's life from the poison, his golden core.
After his core ceased to exist, the dragon gave the flower to the man that stood before him, "You are brave and such a selfless deed will not go unrecognized. No go, your partner needs you," the dragon told him.
Lan Zhan nodded, bowed to the dragon and left with Sizhui, "A-Die, what did you just do?"
"What is the most valuable thing a cultivator owns?" Lan Zhan asked him as the walked to the exit of the cave.
Sizhui thought for a moment and stopped in his tracks. He had tears welling up in his eyes, "you gave it up for the flower?" Sizhui cried.
"I did," Lan Zhan told him, "it may be valuable to a cultivator but the most valuable thing to me is my husband and family. I would give up my cultivation to make sure they are safe and healthy. So that is the price in exchange."
Sizhui nodded as he understood. He could not argue as the deed was already done, "let me fly is back," he said wiping his tears away.
"I will be okay, Sizhui. After all, your Baba lives without one as well," Lan Zhan informed, "we can just now live as just your parents and have a happy life as we are able."
Sizhui nodded. The reached the exit of the cave and Sizhui helped his father to his sword and flew back to Wei Ying and Wen Ning.
////////////////// This a a bit of a shorter chapter but I felt this was a good spot to end this chapter.
