Chapter 187 – Eternal Flame
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After the two sisters ate their satisfying meal together, Lin Ming pulled out another type of healing medicine and sprinkled it onto Na Yi’s back. Under the combined effects of these two medicines, Na Yi’s wound quickly mended without even leaving a scar.
Finding that Na Yi’s upper clothes were completely torn apart, and that there was some improper scenery revealed, Lin Ming took out some old clothes from his spatial ring and tossed them towards Na Yi.
Afterwards, Lin Ming asked Na Yi, “Do you know if there are any peculiar thunders or fires within the Southern Wilderness? For instance…”
Lin Ming stretched out his hand and a garnet colored flame suddenly bloomed within his palm. The tongues of flame from this fire formed petals just like an exquisitely dangerous lotus.
Na Yi was shocked. This was the first time that she had ever seen a flower-shaped flame like this!
Although the flame was only the size of an egg, the heat waves that emanated from it were enough to cause her to step backwards several steps. The temperature of this flame was simply inconceivable.
Not only that, but when Lin Ming had been fighting the monkey-faced man, he hadn’t even used this flame. That meant that he had been going easy on them!
For an Altering Muscle youth to fight against two peak Bone Forging martial artists and not even need to use their full strength was already an unimaginable level. To Na Yi, this youth was simply terrifying.
Mm… wait… how did Lin Ming’s cultivation…
Na Yi’s eyes widened; she suddenly wasn’t able to sense Lin Ming’s cultivation. For a martial artist in Body Transformation – and even most Houtian realm martial artists – they weren’t able to restrict their true essence from emitting within their bodies. Because of this, it was often very easy to spot what level of cultivation someone was at. When true essence entered the organs, that was Viscera Training. When true essence entered the bones, that was Bone Forging.
There were even some martial artists whose aura was like a billowing bonfire, where commoners who had no martial arts cultivation were able to sense their awesome strength.
Only a martial artist who had cultivated to the realm of completing a true state, in which true essence was gathered in their entire body would be able to mask their cultivation. For instance, if they were an extremely formidable peak Houtian realm master like Qin Ziya, or a genuine Xiantian realm martial artist.
If they converged all of their true essence and aura into their bodies, then they would appear no different than a common person. Only someone whose cultivation was higher than them would be able to see the complete depths of their strength.
However, at this moment, Na Yi could only see the faintest true essence fluctuations within Lin Ming’s body. If she didn’t know him, then she should have assumed that he was a martial artist who had just started down the path of cultivation, an outright newly minted youth who wasn’t even at the First Stage of Body Transformation.
“Mo Lin, your cultivation… how did you…”
Lin Ming paused for a moment; he immediately understood Na Yi’s questioning doubts. He himself had only just discovered that after absorbing the reverse scale blood, there had been some bizarre changes to his true essence.
In the past when Lin Ming cultivated, whether it had been practicing the ‘True Primal Chaos Formula’ or swallowing the Blood Lingzhi to increase his blood vitality, or even using the Heretical God Seed to compress his true essence, all of it had been similar.
All of these were quantitative changes to his true essence. For instance, they would remove impurities and let his true essence become purer, or thicker, or even increase the density of his true essence through compression.
The nature of his true essence had never changed.
But now, after Lin Ming had stumbled into an accidental fusion with the reverse scale blood, his true essence was showing a qualitative change. This sort of change didn’t happen overnight, rather it was slow process that happened over time.
Lin Ming couldn’t confidently say to what end these changes would bring him to, but he was able to approximate that whatever changes that would occur would be to his greatest benefit. After all, the reverse scale blood was something that even the mighty elders in the Realm of the Gods would be jealous of. The bloodline of a True Dragon was certainly far superior to that of a human mortal.
Because his true essence had undergone a qualitative change, Lin Ming found that his ability to control and manipulate his true essence was growing. When he attempted to control his true essence, he found that he would unconsciously converge all of the true essence and aura within his body, and achieve a state similar to returning to one’s origin. It could be said that he had achieved similar results through a different route.
Someone like Na Yi, who was only a martial artist at the Viscera Training stage, would never be able to comprehend Lin Ming’s current cultivation.
Lin Ming grinned, no longer restraining his aura. His true essence emanated from him, and his cultivation of a peak Bone Forging martial artist presented itself to the world.
Na Yi suddenly gasped. She remembered that when Lin Ming had entered the Sorcerer Pagoda, he had only been at the early Altering Muscle stage. After stepping into the Divine Kingdom, his cultivation had actually been boosted to the peak Bone Forging stage. This was over a stage and a half of cultivation! What had Lin Ming been doing for these past seven days and seven nights?
Why had Na Yanda been inside for only a few hours, while Lin Ming had actually stayed within for a full seven days?
“You reached the peak Bone Forging stage so quickly…”
“Mm. I had a fortuitous encounter within the Divine Kingdom. My luck was good and I made a breakthrough. Ah, about that question I asked before, is there some sort of strange flame anywhere within the Southern Wilderness?” Lin Ming continued to press the question he had asked a moment ago.
Na Yi found it strange that Lin Ming was able to hide his cultivation. It couldn’t be that he had actually reached the realm of returning to his original state, could it? Regardless, after hearing that Lin Ming had returned from the Divine Kingdom, she stopped indulging in her ridiculous ideas, and said, “There should be. The Fire Worm Tribe uses a fire as their totem. Their tribe has a legacy flame. This flame is said to be eternal and is kept by the current ruling Shaman. I don’t know if this flame is the strange flame that you are looking for.”
“Mm? Eternal?”
Lin Ming was surprised. If there was an eternal flame, then that flame would be a Flame Essence!
‘The legacy of the Fire Worm Tribe is actually a Flame Essence! However, it’s in the control of the current Shaman. To obtain it is truly difficult!’
“How strong is the Fire Worm Tribe’s Shaman?” Lin Ming asked.
“I’m not sure.” Hearing the Fire Worm Tribe’s Shaman, Na Yi clenched her teeth. When the Fire Worm Tribe had invaded the Na Tribe, the Na Tribe’s Witch Queen had battled against the master powerhouse of the Fire Worm Tribe. Eventually, the Witch Queen had died under the Fire Worm Shaman’s hand!
“Mm? Do you have a grudge with the Fire Worm Shaman?” Lin Ming found that Na Yi was looking extremely ill, so he asked her.
Hate dripped from Na Yi’s voice as she said, “The Fire Worm Shaman killed my master, who was also my Na Tribe’s Witch Queen.”
“Oh, you haven’t thought of getting revenge?”
“I have, but that possibility is too far away. My master’s cultivation was already at the early Houtian realm, still, she was no match for the Fire Worm Shaman.”
“Really…” Lin Ming murmured. This Shaman’s strength should be a bit more than the middle Houtian realm. The middle Houtian realm was about the same cultivation as Muyi!
The Sky Fortune Kingdom had a population of tens of millions of people. Not counting the Seven Profound Martial House, there were only a few truly native Houtian realm martial artists. However, just the Southern Wilderness’ Fire Worm Tribe with a mere population of a million citizens, they actually had a middle Houtian realm martial artist!
‘The people of Sky Fortune Kingdom have always called those in the Southern Wilderness barbarians. But, this place is actually a crouching tiger, hidden dragon of masters. This is probably because of the legendary Sorcerer, who broke through the martial void and left behind a large number of relics and legacies. Not only that, but the Southern Wilderness also has countless vicious beasts. Martial artists here are always in danger, so it tends to increase their strength.
‘It’s impossible for me to defeat someone above the middle Houtian realm at the level I’m at, especially in a place like the Fire Worm Tribe with so many masters’
Although Lin Ming had defeated an early Houtian realm master within the sixth level of Sorcerer Pagoda’s life and death smelting trial, that was only because the luckiest moment had presented itself. The fight had dragged on and the Houtian realm master had lost his patience, which caused him to eat a loss.
Although he had suffered a small loss, it wasn’t a true defeat. If Yan Mo hadn’t appeared and the two had continued fighting, Lin Ming would most likely have lost.
With Lin Ming’s current strength, at best he could jump past a stage to fight a peak Pulse Condensation Period master. However, if he was to leap a realm and a half and go against a Houtian realm master, then he would be in trouble.
Facing a true early Houtian realm master, Lin Ming could only try to defend himself and preserve his life.
‘Since a middle Houtian realm mater is in charge of this eternal flame, it will have to wait for later. It’s fine if I don’t improve the Flame Essence for now, the Thunder Soul is much more important.’
After Lin Ming had absorbed Huo Gong’s Hollow Flame Essence, the Heretical God Seed’s Flame Essence had experienced a great period of growth. In comparison, the Thunder Soul was much weaker. Lin Ming’s most urgent need was to enhance the Thunder Soul with some form of special lightning.
With a fusion of the two, the power of Thunderfire Annihilation would improve.
Lin Ming asked, “Miss Na Yi, do you know where in the Southern Boundary I can find some special kind of thunder or lightning? For instance, like this…”
Lin Ming stretched out his finger and a thin arc of electricity sizzled from his fingertip and swirled around Lin Ming’s finger, just like it was a cute spiritual snake.
Na Yi’s eyelids jumped. Just how many secrets did Lin Ming have?
“I don’t know anything about special lightning or thunder.”
“I see…” Lin Ming mumbled with some regret. Of course, the existence of rare naturally occurring thunder was much rare than strange flames.
At this moment, Na Yi suddenly said, “I don’t know any areas that have special thunder, but I know that deep within the Southern Wilderness there is an area called Thundercrash Mountain. On Thundercrash Mountain there many different types of Thunder Lizards that spit out blue and white lightning. They are very ferocious creatures. On Thundercrash Mountain there is also a special kind of Thundergrass. Thundergrass over 100 years old is pretty valuable. Not even a Houtian master would rashly climb the mountain; at most they would pick some from around Thundercrash Mountain. I’m not too sure if this is the special thunder that you’re looking for.”
“Oh? Thundergrass?”
Lin Ming’s mind stirred; he was somewhat interested in this Thundergrass. He just didn’t know what was on Thundercrash Mountain. Since even Houtian realm masters did not dare to recklessly scale the mountain, then there must be some unknown perils there.
Lin Ming said, “I’ve got it. Let’s leave now.”
“Oh…” Na Yi hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Mo Lin… you entered into the Divine Kingdom from the Sorcerer Pagoda, right? What did you experience there? How far high in the Divine Kingdom did you go?”
She had been curious, but also thought that just asking was a bit rude, so she hadn’t until now.
Lin Ming smiled, “Oh, you know that the Divine Kingdom is separated into levels?”
“Mm. It’s recorded in the ancient texts. There are seven levels altogether, and they are guarded by the Eye of the Witch God. You’ve been gone for such a long time; did you at least reach the fifth level?”
Na Yi felt more and more that the truth of Lin Ming was unfathomable. Since he had passed seven days and seven nights in the Divine Kingdom, he should have gone farther than Na Yanda. Perhaps, he might even have been like the Feather Emperor from 6000 years ago, and gone to the fifth floor…
Na Yi didn’t dare to imagine any more than this. The Feather Emperor was already a legendary figure only spoken of in children’s tales. It was said his cultivation had surpassed the Xiantian realm, and the empire he had established in the Southern Wilderness was not inferior to any third-grade sect.
At that time, whenever the great masters and powerhouses of the mainland would hear the name of the Feather Emperor, they would run around in panic. Afterwards, the Feather Emperor was revered as a second god within the Southern Wilderness, and became one of the core figures within their spiritual belief. Even Na Yi’s master, the Witch Queen of the Na Tribe, would be respectful when mentioning the Feather Emperor, and their tribe had rituals where they would pay homage to the ancestral tablet of the Feather Emperor.
If Lin Ming was like this legendary man, didn’t that mean that later he would become a god or a saint? Would his power break past the Xiantian realm?
Was she personally witnessing the rise of a peerless master?