Summer-Knowing Grass!
Bearing two leaves parted left and right, it typically sprouted at the onset of early summer.
Though low in rank, it contained within it a gentle fiery warmth, making it especially suitable for concocting certain Tier 1 healing pills, possessing an excellent curative effect against yin-cold poisons.
The instant that speck of tender green emerged, Luo Chen recognized it at once with his vast breadth of knowledge.
Such a medicinal herb was nothing extraordinary.
Yet what was truly bizarre was that, in the dead of bitter winter, it had somehow sprouted out of nowhere!
Gazing at those slightly parted, tender green leaves, Luo Chen felt a tinge of surprise.
The Summer-Knowing Grass was named so precisely because it only sprouted when early summer arrived; whenever people saw this grass, they knew summer had come.
Once summer and autumn passed, the Summer-Knowing Grass would wither away, quietly storing up strength to await the arrival of the next summer.
He reached out to touch the leaf.
Suddenly, the Summer-Knowing Grass flopped limply onto the white snow.
*So fragile?*
Luo Chen smiled faintly and paid it no mind, assuming this stalk had merely misjudged the season and sprouted at the wrong time.
He drew back his hand, but a flash of insight struck his mind, freezing his hand midair.
A subtle spiritual light flickered in his eyes as he cast his gaze across the snow-clad mountain range.
Without him realizing it, flecks and patches of verdant green had begun to emerge all around.
The Mirage Dragon Secret Realm was a self-contained grotto-heaven, yet the flow of its four seasons mirrored the outside world almost identically.
In such a frigid winter, there should never have been this much greenery across this region!
*Could it be?!*
Luo Chen's heart jolted. Subconsciously, he looked toward a low hill not far away.
Though it appeared utterly plain, its perimeter was blanketed in concealment formations set up by Luo Chen!
In terms of sheer power, these formations might not match the Mountain-Quelling Equilibrium-Guarding Array that Gu Daosu had laid around himself during his sudden enlightenment, but when it came to stealth and concealment, they were second to none.
Fu Qinglan was cultivating inside that very mountain!
Luo Chen formed an incantation gesture. As the array slowly unfolded, everything within sight turned lush and green!
The closer one drew to the cave dwelling where Fu Qinglan was in seclusion, the more luxuriant the vegetation became. Even from a great distance, Luo Chen could feel that surging, vigorous vitality.
He subconsciously pursed his lips, wonder shining in his eyes.
*Could this be the so-called Wood-attribute source power?*
That was the only explanation!
Powerful though Nascent Soul True Persons were, they were still far from capable of altering the surrounding external environment; even manipulating world spiritual energy required the coordination of their Nascent Souls.
Such plants and vegetation grew in accordance with the seasons and the wheeling of the sun and moon, relying entirely on the fundamental essence qi between heaven and earth.
For such vast quantities of vegetation to be induced out of season right now, there had to be a massive convergence of the fundamental essence qi they lacked.
Yet the Heavenly Dao followed constant laws; why would fundamental essence qi manifest out of thin air?
The only explanation was that Fu Qinglan had comprehended source power, thereby seizing vast amounts of the corresponding qi from the ocean of vital essence. Then, due to her imperfect control, some of it leaked out, ultimately stimulating the plants—which should have flourished only in spring, summer, or autumn—to burst through the frozen earth in the dead of winter.
*She has finally found her way!*
*In that case, my decades of toiling and guarding this post haven't been in vain.*
A look of relief and gratification surfaced on Luo Chen's face, and he slowly closed his eyes.
From here on, matters would be simple: he just needed to stand his final watch and wait for Fu Qinglan to emerge from seclusion.
It was hard to judge how long that would take—perhaps quite a while, perhaps very brief—yet at long last, the destination was in sight.
However, the moment Luo Chen closed his eyes, his mind shuddered violently.
Inside his Purple Mansion!
A faint, withered-white flame was shifting from white to azure, its tongues of fire rising incessantly.
What this development signified was self-evident!
The Wither-Bloom True Fire had awakened!
Its aura began to climb as vast plumes of azure flame billowed into the upper reaches of the Purple Mansion, forming what resembled an azure cloud that enveloped Luo Chen's Nascent Soul.
At this moment, because Luo Chen had previously laid down the Wither-Bloom Divine Restriction upon it, his Nascent Soul looked shriveled and wrinkled, unlike its usual fair, delicate state.
Luo Chen sank his soul consciousness into it, and the Nascent Soul snapped its eyes open.
It trotted over before the Wither-Bloom True Fire, where the surging vitality bathed its tiny face in a radiant, rosy glow.
*It's finally done!*
*Back in the outside world, I thought it would only take a few years to revive. But ever since entering the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, the Wither-Bloom True Fire's recovery slowed to an absolute crawl.*
*I assumed the differences between this world and the outside caused the delay, and planned to wait for its awakening after leaving.*
*Little did I expect...*
The Nascent Soul murmured to itself, feeling exceptionally invigorated by the surging vitality radiating from the true fire's awakening.
Suddenly, a thought struck Luo Chen.
*Could it be that the fundamental essence qi leaking from Fu Qinglan was unconsciously absorbed by me, thereby triggering the Wither-Bloom True Fire's early awakening?*
The more Luo Chen considered it, the more convinced he became!
This was because the metamorphosis of the Wither-Bloom True Fire moved from flourishing to withering, and from withering to blossoming.
The latter half of this evolution required immense vitality.
Previously, afraid that the Wither-Bloom True Fire would siphon vitality and harm his Nascent Soul—and given the nature of his self-created cultivation method—Luo Chen had deliberately placed the Wither-Bloom Divine Restriction upon the Nascent Soul to prevent its vitality from leaking out.
Now that Fu Qinglan had comprehended the Wood Origin, she had unwittingly filled this void for him.
All that remained was to let it undergo its natural transformation.
Luo Chen smiled faintly, leaving a portion of his soul stationed in the Nascent Soul while his main consciousness returned to his sea of consciousness.
He looked forward to seeing just what height the fully awakened Wither-Bloom True Fire would reach.
Luo Chen remained seated cross-legged on the snowy peak, vigilantly monitoring the surroundings to prevent anyone from disturbing Fu Qinglan's cultivation.
However, another portion of his attention was fixed on the Wither-Bloom True Fire's metamorphosis.
Day after day slipped by, and the sprawling mountain range passed through season after season.
Yet unlike before, the flora flourished in spring and summer, and autumn and winter remained equally verdant—all due to Fu Qinglan's influence.
Thanks to the source power radiating from Fu Qinglan, the transformation speed of Luo Chen's Wither-Bloom True Fire also increased by leaps and bounds.
From the moment it was first refined, this fire had stood at the early Tier 4 level.
Later, across the vast numbers of demon beasts Luo Chen slaughtered, the lion's share of their vitality had been absorbed by the fire, with only a small portion fed back into Luo Chen's physical body.
Bolstered by this foundation, the Wither-Bloom True Fire had been able to absorb numerous Tier 2 and Tier 3 exotic fires in the Blazing Purgatory, and had even consumed the fire spirit of a Tier 4 Sky-Scorching Fire!
If that had been all, it would already be formidable, but subsequently, the Wither-Bloom True Fire had also absorbed a wisp of Nirvana Holy Fire, as well as the entirety of Old Monster Netherfire's Spirit Netherfire.
What was more, when the Black King returned from the Coral Sea back then, the Tier 4 blue flame of the Merfolk clinging to his body had also been swallowed by the Wither-Bloom True Fire.
With so many flames replenishing it, the Wither-Bloom True Fire developed a terrifying foundation.
In terms of realm, it stood at least at the late Tier 4 level!
Yet precisely because there were too many flames, the boundary between master and subordinate blurred, leaving its interior excessively cluttered and chaotic.
That was why, while Luo Chen was cultivating, the Wither-Bloom True Fire had taken the initiative to enter the cyclical state of withering and blooming.
It sought to use the transition between withering and blooming to thoroughly digest all those disparate flames, refining itself until it was pure and singular.
From the looks of it now, this step had indeed been the right one.
In just a year or two, the Wither-Bloom True Fire's grade had climbed to late Tier 4 and began inching toward Tier 5 step by step!
Generally speaking, even if a sentient spirit entity reached Tier 5, it was still no match for a Soul Formation True Person.
Given specific countermeasures, even Nascent Soul cultivators could bring down Tier 5 sentient spirit entities.
Just like in Withered Wood Ridge back then, when Blood Hermit subdued the Tier 5 Withered Blood Vine!
Yet fire-attribute sentient entities were uniquely distinct.
Such beings naturally wielded colossal destructive power; once reaching Tier 5, their might far surpassed that of ordinary sentient entities, to the point where even Soul Formation experts who had yet to fully comprehend the power of laws were not necessarily their match.
Back in the Blazing Purgatory atop Vermilion Bird Mountain, Merfolk Emperor Liu Jun had dared not provoke the Vermilion Bird Fire Spirit for this very reason.
If the Wither-Bloom True Fire could cross this final threshold and attain Tier 5, Luo Chen would possess an absolute reliance to walk the Mountain Sea Realm unhindered!
Yet this hope hit a snag in the third year.
*How could this be?*
Within the Purple Mansion, the Nascent Soul tightly knitted its brows as it watched the azure flame flare up time and again, only to sputter and recede each time.
He could sense how desperately the Wither-Bloom True Fire wanted to take that step, yet it remained forever unable to cross the gap.
The faint consciousness of the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit transmitted vague waves of frustration and rage.
It was as though something was constraining it.
And it was utterly powerless against it?
Luo Chen racked his brains. As its master, he naturally wanted to lend the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit a hand.
*Is its accumulation still insufficient?*
That shouldn't be. If it lacked foundation, it wouldn't have initiated the metamorphosis on its own. Sentient entities of this kind were exceedingly sensitive to their own condition; barring external tribulations, they could typically complete their transformations naturally.
*Is it because it absorbed too many exotic fires?*
Yet after a full cycle of withering and blooming, they should have been thoroughly refined by now.
Suddenly!
The Nascent Soul's bright eyes locked onto a brilliant spark of gold within the azure flame!
Even amidst the sprawling azure clouds and roaring flames, that speck of gold had not faded in the slightest, remaining firmly rooted inside.
*Nirvana Holy Fire!*
Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly.
Never had he imagined that this item would be the obstacle holding back the Wither-Bloom True Fire's final leap.
This wisp of Nirvana Holy Fire had been obtained from the Heaven Refining Cauldron.
It had originally been of greater scale, but over a thousand years of contending with the Nine-Refining Signal Fire, it had been worn down relentlessly, and its sentience had long since scattered.
That was why, when Luo Chen completed his physical nirvana back then, the Wither-Bloom True Fire had proactively absorbed it.
One could say that the Wither-Bloom True Fire's ability to embark on this metamorphic path on its own was largely due to the influence of the Nirvana Holy Fire.
Yet what made it also broke it!
Its grade was simply too high. Even stripped of consciousness, even reduced to a mere spark, it was not something a Tier 4 Wither-Bloom True Fire could fully assimilate and refine.
Instead, its very presence obstructed the Wither-Bloom True Fire from ascending to higher realms.
*Must it really halt here?*
Luo Chen's Nascent Soul murmured softly.
Waves of anxious sentiment rippled over—it was the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit's unwilling defiance.
How could Luo Chen be willing to accept this either?
They had already come this far.
At last, Luo Chen made up his mind!
"You and I have been companions for two hundred years. I once lost much of my lifespan because of you, yet through you, my physical body attained great accomplishment, and throughout my cultivation and battles, I have benefited immensely from your aid."
"Now that you have this opportunity to achieve your Dao, as your master, I naturally must give you a push!"
As he muttered, all of Luo Chen's consciousness returned to his sea of consciousness.
*Whoosh!*
His eyes snapped open, and a jade box appeared before him.
Lifting the lid, the Heavenly Secret Pill, shrouded in white light, radiated a lethal allure toward Luo Chen.
Perhaps this was the purpose of its existence!
At any other time, Luo Chen would have swallowed this Heavenly Secret Pill himself, attempting like Fu Qinglan and the others to comprehend the true intent of laws and achieve supreme personal might.
Yet now, this pill would be refined by the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit!
Luo Chen had thought it through clearly—or rather, he saw the reality with utter clarity.
These Nascent Soul true disciples of the Tianyuan Dao Sect all possessed extraordinary talent, guidance from their elders, and extensive prior preparations, yet they still struggled immensely to grasp the true intent of laws.
Even if he consumed the Heavenly Secret Pill himself, the odds of successfully gaining insight into the true intent of laws would only be fifty-fifty at best.
However, if he gave it to the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit, its chances of advancing to Tier 5 would far exceed his chances of comprehending the true intent of laws.
And once the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit succeeded, the boost to Luo Chen's strength would be no less than mastering the true intent of laws!
The reason he was so certain—
—lay in the parting words Alchemy Saint Chu Yan had transmitted to Luo Chen before his ascension:
*"The metamorphosis of your true fire is only a single step away; with the aid of this Heavenly Secret Pill, success will flow naturally."*
From the very beginning, this pill was meant for the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit.
Luo Chen hesitated no longer and swallowed the Heavenly Secret Pill in one gulp.
Entering his body, the medicinal pill bypassed any refinement by spiritual power and plunged straight into the Purple Mansion, where the Wither-Bloom Fire Spirit enveloped it with ravenous impatience.
At that instant, Luo Chen clearly sensed vast waves of spiritual opportunity and insight dispersing outward.
His Nascent Soul stirred restlessly, yet it could only watch as all that spiritual opportunity was devoured by the Wither-Bloom True Fire.
*Forget it! Let it be!*
Luo Chen sighed and stared blankly at the Wither-Bloom True Fire's transformation and elevation, hoping that day would arrive soon.
Seven years later.
Inside a cave dwelling, Shi Ju suddenly opened his eyes.
"Where are they?"
One-armed Qi Xiongcheng stood respectfully to the side and said in a low voice, "On the outer periphery of the grotto-heaven, the Far North."
Shi Ju's brow arched. "They ran all the way out there? No wonder there wasn't a trace of them before. Are you sure they're there?"
Qi Xiongcheng nodded. "It should be accurate. This news came from Wang Yifu. He said the environment there is exceedingly bizarre—even under heavy snow, lush forests and vegetation thrive as if it were spring or summer. According to the Dao Sect's ancient records, such an anomaly only occurs when a cultivator fails to properly control source power. Desolate Hermit snatched so many mirage cores; with such assistance, it is entirely reasonable for Fu Qinglan to have reached that step."
A thoughtful look crossed Shi Ju's face.
As the most fundamental aspect of the true intent of laws, source power might seem simple, but mastering it actually required profound cultivation.
It was only natural that Fu Qinglan's imperfect control caused her source power to leak out.
The only unexpected factor was how fast her progress was; even Gu Daosu hadn't reached this stage earlier.
In that case...
"Let's go. To the Far North of the grotto-heaven!"
Qi Xiongcheng hesitated, subconsciously touching the stump of his severed arm.
With the methods of a Nascent Soul True Person, reattaching a severed limb was normally child's play, yet for reasons unknown, an arm severed by that blood sword could not be reattached through conventional means.
Noticing his slight gesture, Shi Ju frowned. "Are you afraid of Desolate Hermit?"
Qi Xiongcheng hastily shook his head. "No, Young Master. It's just that you have already gathered enough mirage cores and ought to cultivate in peace. Why bother going out of your way to cause them trouble?"
Shi Ju's expression turned fierce, and he waved his hand dismissively.
"If I don't seek them out, they'll run away! As for cultivation, I've never worried about it in my entire life—what are you worrying for!"
Qi Xiongcheng was left speechless.
What he said held truth: once Fu Qinglan succeeded and activated her mirage core, she could leave the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven directly.
Once outside, everything would have to follow the rules of the Tianyuan Dao Sect.
As for Shi Ju's cultivation, it was indeed not his place to worry.
In his entire life, Shi Ju had never fretted over cultivation. Even comprehending the true intent of laws, which everyone else found arduous, was a foregone conclusion in Shi Ju's eyes.
*Am I truly afraid of Desolate Hermit?*
As he questioned his heart, touching upon the suppressed truth he dared not confront, Shi Ju had already strode out of the cave dwelling.
"Notify Wang Yifu: he is not to act rashly and must wait for our arrival. He is too weak to be Desolate Hermit's match. If he alerts the enemy, I will hold him solely responsible!"
"Understood!"
***
"Is it here?"
"It should be. I followed that white eagle here. Look at how it circles the area relentlessly—it has clearly detected the location of its foe."
Hearing Gu Chen's words, Gu Yuan braved the heavy snowfall and lowered his body.
He reached out and pulled up a stalk of withered yellow grass.
"No. This grass is withered, virtually devoid of vitality. It doesn't look like it has been tainted by Wood-attribute source power."
Gu Chen was also somewhat puzzled and could only offer, "Perhaps we are too far away, and this area hasn't been affected yet?"
Gu Yuan stood up and looked at the massive white eagle in the sky.
"That beast likely got the wrong place. Counting the years, thirty years have already passed. Even if Fu Qinglan's talent is mediocre, with the help of so many mirage cores, she should have achieved enlightenment and left the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven long ago. Why would she still linger in these endless snowy mountains?"
"Should we head further in to take a look?"
"Alright. In any case, I'm in no hurry, and I need to survey the grotto-heaven's conditions for the clan along the way. If they truly are inside, we might get to watch a good show."
Unconcerned, Gu Yuan concealed his aura and, tracking the white eagle's movements, ventured deeper into the snow-blanketed mountains.
Two days later.
Their steps came to a halt.
Their gaze shifted toward a mountain peak where two men stood side by side, looking back at them from afar.
"It's those two from the Lin clan."
"Why are they here? Could they have come for Desolate Hermit as well?"
"Hard to say. Maybe they came for this white eagle. I heard earlier that the kid Lin Jingtang grasped a method to hunt mirage beasts and reaped quite a harvest over the years. Perhaps he set his sights on this blatantly conspicuous white eagle."
"Ignore them. Let's keep searching. If we can't find anything, we'll head back; my own foundation has settled enough anyway."
So saying, Gu Yuan continued forward.
In the distance, Lin Bufan and Lin Jingtang watched them with puzzled looks.
As the two from the Gu clan pressed forward, the sights before them grew increasingly bizarre.
In this bitter winter, abnormal verdant vegetation was indeed defying the seasons and sprouting up.
Yet amidst that lush green, vast swathes of withered yellow also accompanied it.
Without external intervention, such an anomaly was truly baffling.
Suddenly!
Gu Chen halted in his tracks, his golden robe flapping in the wind as he shielded Gu Yuan behind him.
Gu Yuan asked in surprise, "What is it?"
Gu Chen's expression was filled with doubt and alarm. "For some reason, I feel an intense sense of unease. If we go any further, something terrible might happen."
*A feeling?*
Gu Yuan frowned and unfurled his divine sense, scanning the surroundings.
Mountains rolled on, high and low.
Covered in heavy snow, clad in silver.
Amidst the vast expanse of white, not a soul was in sight.
Apart from the abnormal vegetation, there was nothing else.
"Protect me for a moment."
Gu Yuan instructed, sat cross-legged on the ground, and sent his Nascent Soul flying forth.
In this state, he attuned more closely to heaven and earth, and having previously practiced with mirage cores, he was even more sensitive to this realm's spiritual opportunity and energy.
The most conspicuous presence was undoubtedly that white eagle circling in the sky.
Yet beyond the white eagle, two other auras drew his attention.
His Nascent Soul returned to his body, and Gu Yuan opened his eyes.
"Found it! The place where the spiritual energy converges!"
Yet having said this, confusion resurfaced on his face.
"But why are there two auras? Shouldn't only Fu Qinglan be cultivating?"
Perplexed, he beckoned Gu Chen and crept forward stealthily.
About the time it took to drink a cup of tea, their figures halted in a gorge where the snow was half-melted and water trickled murmuringly.
The two looked up; from a mountaintop that appeared completely deserted, a terrifying aura was emanating.
Gu Yuan swallowed hard as a possibility surfaced in his mind.
*How did he enter a state of sudden enlightenment as well?!*
Just then, the white eagle shrieked, and the mountains rumbled.
Three figures tore through the air, their auras unmasked in the slightest.
Wherever they passed, their vast spiritual power caused massive swathes of snowy mountains to collapse in avalanches, creating a commotion so immense it drew astonished stares.
"Desolate Hermit, I have found you!"
The arrogant, boisterous roar echoed across the wilderness, reverberating ceaselessly through the peaks and triggering even more avalanches.
Gu Yuan took a deep breath.
"Timing is everything—Shi Ju and his men have come knocking!"
Chapter 764