Chapter 488 - 469: Luofeng Mountain

Chapter 488: Chapter 469: Luofeng Mountain

Luofeng Mountain. Legend has it that in the Middle Ancient times, a Fire Phoenix fell here, hence the name.

The deceased Fire Phoenix transformed into the Ten Thousand Miles Volcano, a place shrouded in smoke year-round, where flames flow like rivers, melting stone and metal. None below the level of a Nascent Soul True Monarch could venture deep inside.

This story was highly credible. However, the Ten Thousand Miles Volcano had little to do with the Fire Phoenix’s Demon Body. Rather, the Tier Five Peak Fire Element Divine Beast had been carrying various Exotic Fires, which scattered and ignited the mountain peaks.

The Nine Yang True Flame was just one of the True Flames the Fire Phoenix carried, and it had not been extinguished even after tens of thousands of years.

As for the Fire Phoenix itself, this demon possessed the direct bloodline of a Divine Beast. As long as a single spark of Nirvana Fire remained within its body, it was Immortal and Undying, capable of existing for all eternity.

Just a few days after the Fire Phoenix fell, some bold Cultivators attempted to search for its Demon Body, only to witness a ball of Nirvana Fire flying away.

With wings that could blot out the sky, the Fire Phoenix had created a world that was a sea of fire, leaving behind nothing but a mountain full of Exotic Fires.

"Luofeng Mountain truly marks a boundary. The landscapes on either side are vastly different, like stepping into an untamed, primitive land... If I hadn’t ventured out, I never would have imagined such a place existed in the Cultivation Realm."

Bai Zichen gazed into the distance. South of Luofeng Mountain was nothing but a desolate, rolling expanse of great mountains.

There were no cities, no Immortal Mountains—everything was steeped in a wild, primitive aura.

Countless stockades stood scattered among the mountains.

Organized as clan-based mountain strongholds, their people struggled to survive.

Flames were everywhere on Luofeng Mountain. The entire peak was made of red-hot rock and scorched, brown earth.

Wave after wave of heat could be felt even high in the sky, forcing flying birds to make wide detours to avoid scorching their feathers.

The air was saturated with Fire Element Spiritual Energy, but it was violent, untamable, and filled with Fire Poison, making it unsuitable for Refinement and absorption.

According to local Cultivators, this was due to the lingering resentment of the fallen Fire Phoenix, which had permanently altered the nature’s spiritual energy across this ten-thousand-mile region.

This was the main reason why only Nascent Soul True Monarchs could venture deep inside; one could only consume their True Essence without being able to replenish it.

Within a few hours, their True Essence would be completely depleted.

Nascent Soul Cultivators were a different matter. Not only were their True Essence reserves vastly greater than those in the Core Formation Stage, but a single breath of Lifebound True Essence from the Nascent Soul within them was equivalent to the combined total of ten Perfect Core Formation Cultivators. They had no fear of exhausting their True Essence in Luofeng Mountain.

As for Bai Zichen, this treacherous environment was like a fish in water to him.

No matter the type of flame, his Sun Element Copper Bone welcomed it all.

He reached out and gently stroked a pale flame on a nearby mountain wall. Beneath it lay a large pile of white bones.

At his touch, the white bones collapsed with a RATTLE, kicking up a cloud of ash.

It was impossible to tell what powerful Demon Beast’s corpse it once was; over the long years, it had turned to bone dust.

But upon its remains, this strange flame had been born.

’A fire born from bone. It’s not particularly hot, but it has a thread of demonic power. It’s already very close to the realm of a True Flame...’

The pale flame rested on Bai Zichen’s fingertip, casting a grim light on his knuckles and revealing a jade-like, cold luster.

After a few breaths, the bone-fire slithered down his finger and into his body, where it was directly devoured by his Sun Element Copper Bone.

It felt as if he had consumed a Great Replenishing Pill; a slight searing heat spread from his Sun Element Copper Bone.

’The area around Luofeng Mountain is vast. The Sword Refining Secret Technique was vague, only saying that the Innate Nine Yang True Flame could be found where flames erupt and molten fire rains down... But places that fit that description are everywhere. I’m afraid it would take me three to five months just to search them all.’

The sky was a sea of fire, and flowing flames filled his vision, turning the world crimson.

Bai Zichen sighed. It seemed he would have to rely on the Sword Box’s ’Insight as Clear as Daylight’ ability. The range of its sword-eye was several times that of his Divine Sense.

Using the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword as his eye would increase his efficiency more than tenfold.

With a flick of his wrist, the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror landed in his hand.

This fragmented Magical Treasure had been nurtured in his Dantian Sea of Consciousness for over a hundred years, and it looked quite different from when he first obtained it.

Spirit Light now flowed across the mirror’s surface, and its patterned talismanic script would flash with brilliance from time to time.

Bai Zichen waved the Treasure Mirror in front of the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword, informing it of the search for the Innate Nine Yang True Flame.

Given the sword’s Spiritual nature, it understood immediately.

The Flying Sword nodded slightly, indicating that it had everything under control and he could leave it to the sword.

’It is my duty to help my little brother find his missing parts. I will definitely succeed!’

Bai Zichen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry upon receiving the message from the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword.

Back then, the Liquid Magical Power in his Dantian Qi Sea had formed a lake, but the space for nurturing items was limited.

The prime spot always belonged to the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword, and only the leftover Spiritual Liquid could be shared with the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror.

It seemed that during that period, the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword had formed a memory and accepted this "little brother."

"Alright then, I’ll leave it to you... You’re a lucky one," he said to the mirror. "A mere Low-Grade Magical Treasure gets to be its little brother, while a whole pile of Tier Three Flying Swords in the Sword Box are still waiting in line."

The hierarchy within the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box was clear.

The Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword resided in the center, its status supreme. All the other flying swords kept their distance, not daring to approach.

Only its loyal little brother, the Moon Xuan Sword, remained by its side, following its every lead.

The other Tier Four Flying Sword, Splendid Youth, was a newcomer to the Sword Box and kept to itself, a solitary figure with no interaction with the other swords.

As for the Tier Three Flying Swords, they weren’t even worthy of the Lifebound Flying Sword’s notice; it had no interest in communicating with them at all.

For it to show such favor to the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror—a Treasure that, even if fully repaired, would only reach the rank of a Top-Grade Magical Treasure and whose Spiritual nature was still hazy—was truly rare.

Nascent Soul Xiaobai leaped out from his Mud Ball Palace. The Supreme Qingwei Sword Box it held floated into the air, and it sprayed a mouthful of Lifebound True Essence onto it.

The Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword transformed into thousands of lightning bolts, spreading out in all directions like an ever-expanding Thunder Net.

Fine threads of Thunder Radiance danced and weaved through the air, evolving into a roaring Thunder Sea that enveloped the entire mountaintop.

’In terms of range, it’s half again as large as the Moon Xuan Sword’s, and the sensory information is much clearer... Thirty miles to the left, there’s a Fire Red Flower. Once dried, its petals serve as natural Fire Element Rune Paper. Tier Three Fire Talismans made from it would have at least thirty percent more destructive power than those made from ordinary Talisman Paper, and the success rate of crafting them would be higher too.’

This was the first time Bai Zichen had used the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword as his eyes, and he was truly feeling the extraordinary nature of his Lifebound Flying Sword.

The Thunder Radiance covered everything, revealing the finest details, and even actively highlighted anomalies in the resulting image.

For instance, deep within a mountain ridge, a dark red halo stood out immediately in the ’Insight as Clear as Daylight’ vision.

A sweep of his Divine Sense revealed a crack several feet wide, where a skeleton was pressed tightly against the mountain wall, its hands raised high.

A Fire-Extinguishing Bead at its waist had kept the flames at bay, allowing the skeleton to be preserved until now.

’It’s only a Tier Three Fireproof Bead, capable of blocking ordinary flames. He must have been unlucky enough to encounter an eruption of Celestial Fire or True Flame that burned his flesh. In a panic, he fled toward a cooler spot. Unfortunately, the True Flame had already entered his body, burning him until only a skeleton of white bone remained.’

Bai Zichen could imagine how desperate that Cultivator must have been.

To die powerlessly in endless agony, still conscious as the True Flame burned him from within.

’I wonder why these Cultivators, who clearly only have Core Formation Cultivation, would enter Luofeng Mountain. I’ve never heard of any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures or ancient ruins here...’

With a flick of his finger, Bai Zichen brought both the Fireproof Bead and the Fire Red Flower to him.

Just as he was about to move to the next location, he suddenly recalled the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword’s magnificent display of power when it single-handedly held back the cultivators before the Grand Array at the Hundred Skills Sect.

"That’s right. You’re not like other Spiritual Treasures; you’re my Lifebound Flying Sword. Work hard and return to being a Tier Five Flying Sword before your master reaches the Divinity Transformation stage. Then I won’t have to be envious of other Cultivators with their Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasures!"

He pointed, assigning a search area to the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword. It let out a cheerful sword cry, scooped up the Sword Box, and flew off.

"Excellent! This way, my efficiency will double!"

Bai Zichen nodded in satisfaction. A dragon’s roar suddenly escaped his lips as he transformed into a majestic and powerful Fire Dragon.

Its tail swung, shattering a massive boulder, and it soared into the clouds.

’My physical strength has increased more than tenfold. I feel like I could lift an entire mountain... With a single thought, the surrounding flames bend to my will. This must be what it means to be the supreme sovereign of fire.’

Thanks to the Holy Beast Essence Blood, Bai Zichen’s Fire Dragon Returning Essence Scripture, which he had cultivated to Perfection, had already elevated his Fire Spiritual Root aptitude to a level approaching that of a Celestial Spiritual Root.

However, in his human form, this affinity mostly manifested as Spiritual Qi proactively gathering around him during Cultivation.

He had never experienced this level of control over fire before.

This had nothing to do with Spiritual Root aptitude anymore; it was a pure manifestation of the Fire Path.

The body of a Fire Dragon was just that uniquely blessed.

If he hadn’t embarked on the more promising Time Path, he could have made great strides on the Fire Element Path simply by transforming into a Fire Dragon more often.

He didn’t even need to use his Divine Sense to search. As he flew, his body would naturally react to the presence of any True Flame.

The roaming dragon covered a thousand miles, flying over several mountain peaks before it finally caught a whiff of a unique aura. It took a sharp breath, inhaling forcefully toward the ground.

Rocks and debris scattered as a nine-colored flame shot out, seeming to contain nine even smaller flames within it.

It was only the size of a fist, but it radiated a heart-pounding danger.

This was the goal of his journey: the Innate Nine Yang True Flame!

The Fire Dragon swallowed the nine-colored flame in one gulp, then immediately reverted to his human form, the Innate Nine Yang True Flame now resting in his hand.

"Excellent! Excellent! I never expected it to be this easy! I found the Innate Nine Yang True Flame in just one day..."

A smile spread across Bai Zichen’s face as he sent a message to his Lifebound Flying Sword, telling it to stop searching and return.

A quarter of an hour later, the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword descended, carrying the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box.

He could feel its emotions from the sword’s body; it clearly hadn’t had enough fun and wanted to keep going.

Although the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword hadn’t found the Innate Nine Yang True Flame, it had brought back a piece of smoldering round wood.

"Fire-in-Wood, the purest yang fire... Well done!"

Bai Zichen patted the thunder-wreathed body of the sword, praising his Lifebound Flying Sword.

If it had been his other two Tier Four Flying Swords, even if they could have completed the task, they would never have known to bring back other Treasures they found along the way.

The Spiritual nature of the Ziwei Dazzling Thunder Sword was already on par with a Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure.

Fire-in-Wood, Fire-in-Stone, and Fire-in-Air. When these three are combined, they form the renowned Samadhi True Flame.

He found a special, empty spot within the Realm to place the Fire-in-Wood before turning his attention back to the ball of Innate Nine Yang True Flame.

’I’ll forge the Golden Light Fierce Fire Sword right here, and then merge the rest into the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror... If I forge the sword first and then go looking for another flame, I might not be so lucky.’

The Sword Refining Materials for the Golden Light Fierce Fire Sword had been prepared long ago and had already undergone preliminary refinement back at the Mountain Gate.

If not for the lack of a suitable True Flame, there would have long been another Tier Three Flying Sword in the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box.