by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
"It works!" Xiang Shaoyun was overjoyed, and the realization calmed him down. Just a moment ago, he was still so anxious he was sweating madly. Now, he finally had a way of protecting himself.
Unfortunately, he had been too optimistic. The millennium earthcore fire seemed to hold a grudge, and it immediately sent the flame beasts at him.
"Bastard! Are you not giving me any chance at all?" Xiang Shaoyun cursed. Without any hesitation, he started climbing up the crater. He would think of his next step after escaping it. However, the flame beasts moved faster than him. They started spitting terrifying tongues of flame at him.
Xiang Shaoyun had his back against the beasts. Although he could sense the incoming attacks, he had no way of avoiding them since he was still climbing the wall. Just as he braced himself to be hit by the attacks, the tongues of flame actually stopped when they reached him and split to the sides, leaving him unharmed.
"Huh? I'm fine?" Xiang Shaoyun was thoroughly astonished.
It was at this moment that a new round of attacks began, and an even more intense bombardment of flame came at him from the flame beasts. Something amazing then happened. The tongues of flame all stopped and split to the sides upon reaching Xiang Shaoyun, not harming him at all.
"The human skin is immune to the flame!" Xiang Shaoyun was overjoyed when he reached this conclusion.
At that realization, a crazy thought surfaced in his head—to launch a counterattack at the earthcore fire. Thus, with the human skin draped over him, he turned around and swung his saber at the flame beasts. He was now immune to the flame beasts, but they were not immune to him.
"Die!" Xiang Shaoyun shouted.
His mighty saber energies shot out accompanied by an unparalleled saber intent, killing one flame beast after another.
Rumble! Rumble!
His actions created a series of explosions in the crater, putting the people there in an even greater panic.
"Bastard! Leave right now or I won't spare you!" Huo Linfei was the first to shout at Xiang Shaoyun.
They were all busy refining the strains of power sent by the millennium earthcore fire. Thus, they couldn't do anything else. What Xiang Shaoyun did angered them greatly.
The monk also spoke, "Amitabha, benefactor, it is not your fate to obtain the earthcore fire. Please leave."
Chen Zilong said, "Only those fated to obtain the earthcore fire will get it. Just leave first. I will battle you after taming the earthcore fire!"
"All of you think the earthcore fire is already yours? Hah! It belongs to this young master!" Xiang Shaoyun said with a mad glint in his eyes.
He had decided to throw all caution to the wind. With the immunity granted to him by the human skin, he could try going all the way to the earthcore fire and harvest it by force. The moment he made that decision, he stopped climbing and started sliding down the wall again.
This millennium earthcore fire already had a certain amount of intelligence. It was definitely not only 1,000 years old. It must have been forming for several millennia. A millennium earthcore fire like this had a chance to reach the next level, and it had an astonishing destructive power compared to other millennium earthcore fires.
Xiang Shaoyun couldn't be bothered to consider if he could even subdue the fire. He only wanted to borrow the power of its flame to refine the white tiger's bone into his saber. When the millennium earthcore fire saw what he was doing, it sent a large number of flame beasts toward him.
The flame beasts charged ahead fearlessly, sending an unending stream of fire attacks at Xiang Shaoyun. It reached a point he started wondering if the human skin could survive that kind of bombardment. Fortunately, the human skin did not disappoint, as it survived all the attacks.
Xiang Shaoyun became incomparably excited as he charged downward and attacked fearlessly. Wielding his saber, he killed one flame beast after another. The explosions from the deaths did nothing to him. Instead, the others were the ones to suffer.
And thus, chaos erupted in the crater.
Chapter 202: Battling the Various Geniuses
The space within the crater was wide, but it wasn't wide enough for the explosions of so many flame beasts. The chaos made it hard for the people who were trying to refine the millennium earthcore fire to focus. Some of them were even dragged into the chaos and were attacked by the flame beasts as well.
"You damnable bastard. If I fail because of this, I will kill you!" Huo Linfei shouted furiously after dodging a series of attacks from the flame beasts.
"Amitabha. Without dust and without filth. Selfless and thoughtless. Unwavering will...f*ck! Even a Buddha would be angry in this situation! Benefactor, if you insist on staying, don't blame me if I decide to send you back into the wheel of reincarnation!" said the young monk. He was no longer able to remain calm after an endless stream of flame beasts attacked him.
A vicious glint surfaced on Fan Ren's honest-looking face as he glared at Xiang Shaoyun. He wished for nothing more than to rip Xiang Shaoyun apart. Even Chen Zilong and Li Yaxuan wore unsightly expressions as they stared at Xiang Shaoyun with resent.
As for Xiang Shaoyun, he completely ignored them and continued sliding down the wall while swinging his saber without stop. With the skin, he did not need to bother defending himself. Thus, he entered the human saber unity mode and sent his saber intent everywhere, killing to his heart's content.
Each flame beast killed equaled another explosion. The explosions filled the crater with flame, making it hard for anyone to calm their mind or stay focused. That in itself was already infuriating enough for everyone there. Suddenly, someone cried out in alarm, "The millennium earthcore fire is sinking!"
The cry attracted everyone's attention. When they looked over, they found that the millennium earthcore fire was indeed sinking into the lava. It had most likely been frightened by the havoc Xiang Shaoyun was wrecking, so it was now seeking refuge in the lava.
The lava would be too hot for any of them to approach. Not even King Realm cultivators would be able to approach. Thus, once the earthcore fire hid within the lava, only Emperor Realm cultivators would have a chance of capturing it. Everyone fumed at that realization.
"Kid, I'm going to kill you for sure!" Huo Linfei shouted at Xiang Shaoyun before charging straight at Xiang Shaoyun's direction.
Apart from him, the young monk and Fan Ren did the same. They were all peak existences within the Transformation Realm and were no weaker than Xiang Shaoyun. In fact, they were even slightly stronger than him. The three attacked at the same time, sending three different attacks crushing down at Xiang Shaoyun.
Huo Linfei swung his blazing saber, the young monk slammed his palm forward, and Fan Ren swept his massive sword. The three attacks had differing strengths, but each of them were undoubtedly powerful.
Xiang Shaoyun was busy killing flame beasts when he sensed the incoming attacks. Without any hesitation, he swung his saber at the three attacks. He did not think that the human skin would also be immune to the incoming attacks as well. That was simply impossible.
Rumble! Rumble!
The attacks collided, creating a series of explosions. Xiang Shaoyun held no superiority hanging on the wall. The impact from stopping the three attacks caused him to lose balance and continue sliding down the wall.
Huo Linfei took the chance to pounce on him, slamming his blazing saber downward. "Just keep on rolling all the way down!"
A fiery dragon flew out of the blazing saber and blasted the spot Xiang Shaoyun was hanging, causing him to slide down at an even faster speed. Xiang Shaoyun was quick on his feet, and he immediately jumped onto a nearby flame beast, kicked it, and sent himself springing away. He swung his saber at Huo Linfie. With saber intent infused into it, the slash he sent was nearly unstoppable.
Huo Linfei was no pushover either. The instant the saber energy flashed forward, he placed his saber in front of him and blocked the incoming slash. Even so, he was blasted into the wall. It was obvious Xiang Shaoyun was the one
with the upper hand in the exchange.
Just as Xiang Shaoyun was about to take the chance to stabilize himself on the wall, the young monk arrived. The monk chanted Buddhist scriptures without stop as a thick tongue of flame formed a Buddhist symbol in his palms. He then shot it toward Xiang Shaoyun.
The attack was boundlessly valiant and surpassed the might of ordinary peak Transformation Realm cultivators. From that attack, it was clear the young monk was also one with the capability of battling King Realm cultivators.
As Xiang Shaoyun was midair without any footing, he couldn't even change his direction or the speed at which he was moving. He could only release his innate purple lightning and send a punch at the incoming attack. His fist shot forward like a lightning bolt.
It connected with the Buddhist attack, instantly creating a massive explosion of lightning and fire. The two different powers were unable to do anything to each other. Instead, the flame beasts nearby were the ones killed by the impact. As for Xiang Shaoyun, the impact sent him falling.
"Shit!" Xiang Shaoyun's face fell as he quickly slashed his saber at the flame beast near him, causing the flame beast to explode. The impact of the explosion pushed Xiang Shaoyun to the side, allowing him to stab his saber into the wall and stop his fall.
"Phew! I nearly shat my pants there!" Xiang Shaoyun broke out in cold sweat from the fright. Without any hesitation, he started climbing. Since the millennium earthcore fire had hidden itself in the lava, his new priority was to flee. But of course, the others were no longer letting him leave alive. Above him, Fan Ren had dug a massive boulder out, and currently, the boulder was falling right on him.
"Just go all the way down!" Fan Ren shouted.
The boulder was only several hundred catties in weight, but combined with the strength at which Fan Ren had tossed it down, it carried a weight reaching several tens of thousands of catties.
"Damn it!" Xiang Shaoyun cursed and quickly shifted to the side. But on the wall, his speed was far slower than the dropping boulder. Thus, he was ultimately forced to swing his saber and smash the boulder apart.
That was not the only attack Xiang Shaoyun was facing. The flame beasts were still spitting tongues of flame at him repeatedly. Although the attacks couldn't harm him, they still slowed him down considerably.
Apart from that, Huo Linfei and the young monk had arrived once again. Both attacked without stop, forcing Xiang Shaoyun to flee everywhere in a sorry manner. They were not giving him any chance to run.
"Are you really not going to leave me a way out?" Xiang Shaoyun howled at them.
"We told you to leave earlier, but you refused. Now you die," Huo Linfei said, still furious.
"Benefactor, it's time you return to the wheel of reincarnation," said the young monk.
"Remember those words. If I survive today, I will come for your lives," Xiang Shaoyun swore.
Right after that, Huo Linfei, the young monk, and Fan Ren all resumed their attacks. This time, he could no longer dodge or block the attacks, and he was helplessly sent falling down. Below him the wide expanse of lava was teeming with an intense power of fire. Anyone falling into the lava would be instantly destroyed.
Would Xiang Shaoyun survive the fall?
Chapter 203: Flame Taming Technique
The people there witnessed with their own eyes how Xiang Shaoyun fell right into the pool of lava.
"Finally, he's dead," Huo Linfei said coldly.
The young monk also chimed in, "Amitabha. Benefactor, you are now in paradise. May you be a kind person in your next life."
Everyone had an odd expression on their faces when they heard the young monk. That young monk was definitely no virtuous person. They were right. The young monk was called Ming Kong, and he was an expelled disciple of Buddhism. He might look virtuous and kind, but he had a dark and ruthless heart.
"Let's go," Chen Zilong said. He did not feel anything even as he watched everything unfold.
Li Yaxuan nodded and left with Chen Zilong.
For them, Xiang Shaoyun was merely a passerby in their lives that they somewhat respected. He was not important enough that they would keep him in their minds. In truth, even they had the urge to attack Xiang Shaoyun earlier. The only reason they didn't was because they were too proud to join hands with so many people.
With Chen Zilong and Li Yaxuan's departure, the others also left one after another. They couldn't stand staying any longer. The millennium earthcore fire had already sunk into the lava. Thus, they would no longer be able to get the millennium earthcore fire. Moreover, it wasn't like they could stay for long anyway; the flame beasts had turned mad and were attacking them without stop.
At this point, they would be happy with just leaving safely. Even after the group left, people were still ceaselessly arriving. A large number of them were killed, and the rest were forced to retreat. None of them were able to obtain the millennium earthcore fire.
Gong Qinyin had also arrived with Gong Fen, but their group was unable to go through the flame beasts and failed to get anywhere near the crater. Ultimately, Gong Fen found out that even the likes of Chen Zilong and Huo Linfei were forced to return empty-handed. Thus, he had no choice but to give up as well and made the decisive choice to withdraw.
On the other hand, Gong Qinyin was unwilling to leave. She wanted to stay and wait for Xiang Shaoyun. It was then that she encountered Li Yaxuan.
"You're waiting for someone?" Li Yaxuan asked.
Gong Qinyin saluted Li Yaxuan before answering, "Yes, Miss Li."
"Don't bother. He will not appear anymore," Li Yaxuan said.
"Why?" Gong Qinyin asked anxiously.
"He fell into the lava," Li Yaxuan said. She added, "Not even a King can survive that lava."
After saying that, she left without waiting for Gong Qinyin's reply. Gong Qinyin felt like she had been struck by lightning as she stood there blankly. After a long while, she gazed at the direction of the crater and muttered, "H-how is it possible that he died just like that?"
It wasn't like she was very close to him, but through the short interaction they had, she found herself developing an odd feeling toward him, a feeling she couldn't erase. For her to suddenly hear that news, she felt so incomparably sorrowful that she had a sudden urge to charge straight to the volcanic crater.
Her intellect still prevailed, and she did not end up doing anything rash. After standing in the same spot for a long time, she finally muttered to herself, "Back at the Golden River Valley, everyone thought you were dead, but you had survived. This time, I believe you will still come back from death!"
Then, she turned and left resolutely. This incident made her feel that she was way too weak. Thus, she had decided to join the Cloud Margin Pavilion and focus on cultivation. She too wanted to grasp her fate in her own hands.
Finally, the current batch of people that came searching for the earthcore fire left. However, the number of people dead eclipsed the number of people that managed to leave alive. Even with the large number of deaths, people were still coming unendingly. Each day, numerous Transformation Realm cultivators arrived in search of the millennium earthcore fire, and each day, numerous people died on the Flame Mountain. Still, nobody was able to obtain the millennium earthcore fire.
...
In a flash, half a year passed. The Flame Mountain still stood tall, and there were even more people present compared to before. However, the number of people still hunting for the millennium earthcore fire had dropped.
That was because news had spread that after the last appearance of the millennium earthcore fire, it had gone missing, and it was unlikely that the earthcore fire would reappear anytime soon.
Most of the people here now were only here to borrow the environment in their cultivation of the power of fire. One had to admit that the power of fire in the air was very thick, and it was a very beneficial environment for those cultivating the power of fire. Many people had broken through here, and slowly, the place became known as a perfec
t cultivation ground.
Today, the pool of lava in the volcanic crater was bubbling, looking different than how the pool normally looked. Nobody knew that there was a living human in the pool of lava. That living human was none other than Xiang Shaoyun who had fallen into the pool half a year ago.
The lava had an extremely high temperature and not even a King could stay for long. It was truly astonishing that Xiang Shaoyun was able to stay alive in the lava for so long. Without a doubt it was all due to the human skin.
On that day, after Xiang Shaoyun fell into the pond, the human skin suddenly started to emanate a unique power by itself. The ancient characters on it started shining and pushing the lava away, forming a safe zone that acted as his shelter within the pool of lava.
Apart from that, those ancient characters had formed numerous shiny symbols that orbited him. The entire scene looked incredibly wondrous and enigmatic, and the symbols emanated an ancient and profound aura that streamed into Xiang Shaoyun's mind without end.
Xiang Shaoyun had spent the past half year comprehending and accepting the profound aura. Through his comprehension, he found that the symbols represented a top ancient flame taming technique.
That was why even Xiang Shaoyun required such a long time to comprehend what the symbols entailed. He also finally understood why the human skin was immune to fire. It was because the skin's owner had tamed flames of an even higher level. Thus, ordinary flames couldn't harm the skin at all.
As for what happened to the skin for it to remain in the cave, Xiang Shaoyun had no idea. But he knew one thing—he had struck the jackpot!
Flame taming techniques were extremely rare even among top-tier sects. With him obtaining an ancient flame taming technique by luck, he would have no problem subduing the millennium earthcore fire.
Today, Xiang Shaoyun had finally fully comprehended the flame taming technique and could finally start subduing the millennium earthcore fire. He was aware that the millennium earthcore fire was hidden somewhere within the pool of lava. Every now and then, the millennium earthcore fire would show itself before him. But he was busy comprehending the flame taming technique, so he had ignored it all the while.