Han Zhan's words struck like a blow to the head.
Luo Chen, whose heart had been burning with fervor, felt as though doused in freezing water, chilling him to the bone and setting him shivering uncontrollably.
"It seems you have finally realized."
"How could this be?"
"It was bound to be so. I had merely intended to console you after you failed to devour the Tier 4 Sky-Burning Fire, never expecting you would actually succeed. Seeing you about to follow the same path and devour even more, I had no choice but to speak up and warn you."
Luo Chen glanced in the direction of Vermilion Bird Mountain, then found a spot barren of spiritual qi and sat down cross-legged.
Calming his mind, he looked inward.
Within his sea of qi, his life-bound golden core and second primal core spun smoothly, the former enveloped by the Hunyuan Cauldron.
Beside them, a wisp of azure flame danced with vibrant vigor. As its flames unfurled, it took on the phantom likeness of a sapling, appearing remarkably animated.
Luo Chen did indeed sense a faint will within it!
In other words, his source true fire had gained sentience!
This should have been a tremendous joy, yet at this moment, it felt like a sword suspended over his head, a steel spike driving into his flesh, leaving him on pins and needles.
Han Zhan's voice drifted over softly. "The sea of qi is the dwelling of the golden core and the place that will later evolve into the purple mansion to house the Nascent Soul. Yet your source true fire has gained sentience a step early, and it has begun altering your sea of qi to make it more hospitable to itself. How will your Nascent Soul find a place there in the future?"
"One mountain cannot hold two tigers!"
"And that is merely the long-term worry. The immediate danger has already manifested. As the Wither-Bloom True Fire gained sentience, it took command of a power even greater than your own body. If a backlash occurs, how could you possibly resist it?"
*The guest supplanting the host!*
The four words sprang into his mind.
Cold sweat drenched Luo Chen as he listened. Never had he imagined such a hidden peril lurked behind so great an opportunity.
With a dry, rasping voice, he said, "Then why didn't I notice earlier? Why did I even feel I still had strength to spare?"
"It was that formidable physique of yours that gave you the illusion!"
In an instant, Luo Chen's clear mind grasped the underlying cause.
Man possessed the three treasures of essence, qi, and spirit. When united into one, the three flowers gathered at the summit to form the Nascent Soul body.
Now, this Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit had usurped the sea of qi, making it comparable to the weakest sort of Nascent Soul.
Luo Chen's "essence"—his physical body—was strong enough to bear the Wither-Bloom True Fire's presence.
Yet his "spirit"—his divine soul—was not necessarily able to suppress the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit!
If he obstinately persisted, devouring more sourceless fires to nourish the fire spirit, the subject would grow stronger than the master, leading to an uprising from below.
The best outcome would be just as Han Zhan had said: he would no longer be Luo Chen, but a Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit!
He might even be assimilated by the Blazing Purgatory, becoming just one among its myriad fire spirits.
Having thought it through, Luo Chen offered a bitter smile.
"Truly, I succeeded by my physique, and nearly fell by it as well. It almost led me into eternal damnation."
Han Zhan consoled him, "In truth, you cannot be blamed. Likely even the master of this place never imagined a Golden Core cultivator could rely on a formidable physique, a peculiar cultivation method, and a high-tier true fire to accomplish what only a Nascent Soul True Person could do."
"Can only a Nascent Soul True Person do this?"
"Yes. A True Person's Nascent Soul is sufficient to suppress a fire spirit, and even seize the opportunity to glimpse the power of fire laws. But your divine soul, relatively speaking, is far too weak."
Luo Chen fell silent.
His divine soul's foundation had always been the trait he took greatest pride in, once even surpassing his physical strength.
This was linked to cultivating god-forging methods in his youth, consuming Nether-Passage Pills, and weathering several inner demon barriers.
Yet after advancing to the Golden Core stage, the growth of his divine soul foundation had lost external aids and could only rely on realm breakthroughs and the natural accumulation of years.
Even though his foundation was solid and each advancement far exceeded ordinary cultivators', his soul foundation at the sixth layer of Golden Core was now merely comparable to an eighth-layer cultivator's.
That was precisely why, despite possessing the fatal illusion art Mirror Flower, Water Moon, he rarely used it against great cultivators.
It was not ineffective, but prone to backfire!
In battle, should the divine soul suffer a backlash, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Luo Chen could not afford that risk!
It might sound absurd—possessing soul strength far beyond his realm, yet belittling himself in such a manner.
In truth, from Luo Chen's perspective, it was entirely natural. After his physique reached Desolate Ancient Tier 4, the opponents he measured himself against were Nascent Soul True Persons.
Against a Nascent Soul True Person, an unbridgeable gulf truly existed.
Especially now that the Lanke Black Chess Piece, which could protect his soul, had been destroyed.
Seeing Luo Chen's silence, Han Zhan continued, "Of course, not just any Nascent Soul True Person could manage what you have done in this Blazing Purgatory. The might of a source true fire cannot be borne by an ordinary physique, and one also needs a corresponding method to devour sourceless fire. That Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture of yours..."
"Enough."
Suddenly, Luo Chen rose to his feet.
"Devouring sourceless fires ends here!"
Luo Chen looked out into the distance, a faint trace of regret in his voice.
In a place of such fortune, being unable to press further was truly a pity.
Han Zhan smiled. "It is best that you understand. At least it saves this old man from watching you be consumed by a fire spirit, ruining a century of bitter cultivation in an instant."
Luo Chen twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Oh, right!" Han Zhan spoke again. "Watch your state of mind!"
"What about it?" Luo Chen frowned slightly.
Han Zhan said gravely, "Haven't you noticed? Ever since entering the Blazing Purgatory and absorbing that first sourceless fire, you haven't been as calm and composed as before."
Luo Chen was stunned.
Reflecting on it, that truly seemed to be the case.
Originally, his sole objective in entering the Land of the Fallen Demon was the Five Elements Lotus Platform.
Yet after absorbing the first sourceless fire, he had grown indifferent to the lotus platform close at hand, turning instead to aggressively collecting other sourceless fires.
Not only that, he had grown increasingly domineering toward Taisui and Cave Master Moyun.
Even when Han Zhan warned him earlier, he had felt nothing but impatience, his words bristling with resistance.
In a flash, Luo Chen shuddered.
"The fire spirit altered my temperament?"
"Not altered—influenced!" Han Zhan corrected.
Luo Chen drew a deep breath, already understanding what the other meant.
The path of cultivation was vast and long. Among its many wondrous arts, pills, and secret techniques, countless factors could influence or even alter a cultivator.
For example, when he took True Flame Pills in large quantities to cultivate, residual pill toxins caused his skin tone to change.
Or earlier still, when refining the Wither-Bloom True Fire, the drain on his vitality turned his hair snow-white.
And this time, the continuous growth of the Wither-Bloom True Fire had swayed the calm, detached disposition he normally maintained.
"Most cultivators who practice fire arts turn out this way—irascible, harsh, domineering, and brooking no argument. Your conduct over the years has been drifting in that direction, and this old man saw no need to meddle, thinking it mere natural evolution.
"Yet this time is vastly different!
"Within the Land of the Fallen Demon, the slightest carelessness means death. If your temperament shifts drastically and you act rashly, not only will you fail to exert your full power, you could easily plunge both of us into grave danger."
The words were delivered smoothly and steadily.
Like spring rain drizzling into Luo Chen's heart, they restored peace to his spirit.
Exhaling a faint breath of turbid air, Luo Chen mounted the clouds once more and took to the skies.
Only as he set off did he murmur softly, "Thank you, Senior."
Han Zhan smiled faintly and said nothing more.
...
They had arrived!
Luo Chen's steps halted at the foot of Vermilion Bird Mountain.
Taisui and Cave Master Moyun silently materialized, flanking him.
"Why not head straight up the mountain?"
As he spoke, Luo Chen's gaze fell upon a nearby peak, where a figure sat cross-legged, swaying as if on the verge of collapse.
"Dao Lan? Is it because of him?"
Taisui shook his head. "Not just him. There are also two great demon kings, as well as an unknown presence."
Luo Chen raised an eyebrow and whispered, "Wait a moment. Let me see what they are up to!"
Taisui and Cave Master Moyun looked at Luo Chen in surprise.
If two cultivators of higher realms could not divine what the other side was doing, how could Luo Chen, a mere sixth-layer Golden Core cultivator, accomplish it?
A divine sense transmission went out.
"Senior, I must trouble you."
"A trivial matter!"
Han Zhan smiled faintly, sweeping his divine sense outward.
The divine sense of a Nascent Soul True Person—and one masterfully skilled in god-refining methods—brushed past like gentle rain, completely undetected by Dao Lan and the other two.
Han Zhan's divine sense swept through the air, followed the conduits of the array the trio had formed, and traced the converged magic power upstream.
Gradually...
Within a vast magma lake deep in the heart of Vermilion Bird Mountain, Han Zhan spotted a figure seated quietly upon a lotus platform, their aura fluctuating erratically.
Just then, the figure's eyelids twitched, seeming about to open.
Han Zhan hastily retracted his divine sense.
The vast spiritual awareness surged back like an ebbing tide.
Without hesitation, Han Zhan barked in a low voice, "Luo Chen, get into Vermilion Bird Mountain at once! Someone has beaten you to the punch!"
With that single phrase, Luo Chen's expression shifted drastically.
At this moment, all talk of remaining calm and cautious was forgotten; when haste was required, one had to hurry!
He snapped his head up and called out, "Someone has beaten us to the prize and is trying to refine the Five Elements Lotus Platform! Strike!"
Taisui and Cave Master Moyun were caught off guard. Before they could ask what method Luo Chen had used to scout the situation, they saw him already rocketing into the sky.
What was more, Luo Chen's voice transmission followed immediately:
"One human and two demons—we each take one."
"Taisui, you take the giant squid. Cave Master, go intercept Dao Lan. Leave that desolate beast, the Sea-Absorbing Golden Toad, to me!"
Taisui's eyes lit up. The giant squid?
Just as he desired!
Cave Master Moyun hesitated; he was no match for Dao Lan!
Yet with Luo Chen taking on the most formidable of them, the desolate beast Sea-Absorbing Golden Toad, how could he shrink back?
"Don't worry. They have maintained the array for days, and their magic power is nearly spent!"
Luo Chen tossed out the reassurance as he charged toward the peak where the Sea-Absorbing Golden Toad sat.
Just as he said, the trio atop the peaks were in dreadful condition.
Even seated cross-legged, they swayed like candles in the wind.
One could easily imagine how much combat strength they could muster right now.
Midair, with two sharp whooshes, the Poyue Wings unfurled behind Luo Chen.
*Whoosh!*
A few flashes brought him right before the Sea-Absorbing Golden Toad.
Roughly a zhang in size, the golden toad let out a low croak, seemingly threatening Luo Chen.
Yet Luo Chen paid it no heed at all. Activating the Airburst Step, he stepped right past its position.
Breaking away from the array, the Sea-Absorbing Golden Toad was about to soar into the air to cut Luo Chen off.
The next moment, however—
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
Two colossal figures blocked its path.
One was a black-scaled flood python, coiling its body and raising its head, flicking its tongue with tyrannical, slitted pupils.
The other was a green-feathered battle gull with vibrating wings, clutching a giant palm-leaf fan. With a few vigorous flaps, it parted the fiery vapors and cordoned off the battlefield.
Tianxuan said coldly, "Halt. Your opponents are us!"
"Croak!"
The Sea-Absorbing Golden Toad could not understand their words. It knew only that no one was to disturb its master's grand undertaking, and that the man flying toward the depths of Vermilion Bird Mountain had to be stopped.
Yet with two demons barring its way, how could it easily advance?
A fierce battle erupted in an environment least suited to all three demons!
Meanwhile, on the other two peaks.
Dao Lan rose slowly, looking at the wary Cave Master Moyun.
"Cave Master, long time no see."
"Indeed. How have you fallen to such a state?"
Dao Lan smiled bitterly. "Walk by the river often enough, and your shoes will get wet. I merely spent my days hunting geese only to have my eyes pecked out in the end."
Cave Master Moyun shook his head, his gaze settling on the broad saber in Dao Lan's hands. "A pity for this Golden Ni Saber. The offensive magic treasure I was most proud of in the first half of my life has now had its brilliance dimmed."
Dao Lan's life-bound magic treasure, the Golden Ni Saber, had been custom-forged for him by Cave Master Moyun using a demonic saber forging technique passed down from the Yuan Demon Sect.
Upon completion, it had only been low-grade, yet possessed a profound foundation!
Furthermore, because it was exceptionally attuned to its master, years of slaying demons and honing its edge had raised it to the high grade, making it undeniably one of the renowned demonic sabers in the Northern Sea cultivation world today.
Hearing the words "brilliance dimmed," shame crossed Dao Lan's face.
Soon after, he said in a deep voice, "Now that we serve different masters, what I do is not of my own will. Forgive me, Cave Master."
Raising the broad saber high, baleful aura surged violently.
"Watch out. This next strike will be very strong!"
Cave Master Moyun drew a deep breath as multiple treasure radiances flashed around him.
He could see that Dao Lan's magic power was depleted and his condition wretched; he intended to stake everything on a single strike.
And this strike was bound to shake heaven and earth.
If he failed to withstand it, he would die.
If he withstood it, everything would be settled!
On another peak of Vermilion Bird Mountain.
Taisui strolled with a smile toward the giant squid as it slowly hauled itself up, seemingly unbothered by the colossal tentacles.
Part of his gaze, however, tracked the direction Luo Chen had taken.
*If my senses are correct, the presence hidden within Vermilion Bird Mountain should be an expert at the Nascent Soul level. Can Demonic Lord Qingyang handle them?*
Deep worry lingered in his heart.
Yet until the moment Luo Chen departed, he had not spoken to hold him back.
For he knew very well that Luo Chen was determined to claim the Five Elements Lotus Platform at all costs. How could he permit someone else to beat him to the prize?
...
*Whoosh!*
The escaping light came to an abrupt halt, hovering above the great magma lake.
"Are they inside?"
Luo Chen murmured, and the wooden plaque against his chest gave a clear, affirmative response.
The next moment, Luo Chen slowly reached out a hand. A colossal claw that could prop up the heavens burst through the void, clawing downward with a thunderous roar.
"Come out!"
The Cloud-Seeking Divine Claw plunged straight into the lake. Wherever it passed, searing waves churned and fiery light parted.
Until a depth of a thousand zhang, where a resilient azure barrier gently rippled into view, barring the gigantic claw with impregnable tenacity.
Separated by a thousand zhang, two gazes met in sharp contention.
"It's you!"
"Shark Sovereign Liu Jun!"
Chapter 670