Chapter 178: The Living Creature Flame!
The Pill Tower.
At the residence of Xuan Yi, one of the three great heads of the Pill Tower, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the sky at this moment. Bolt after bolt of three-colored pill lightning crashed down toward a blood-red pill below, which was emitting a dense pill fragrance.
Just then, a beautiful woman appeared in midair in the blink of an eye. With a wave of her hand, vast Dou Qi surged forth, forming a terrifying heavenly curtain that completely blocked the descending pill lightning.
Not long after, that heavenly curtain remained utterly unmoved. The thunderclouds in the sky could only disperse in unwilling resentment.
As the pill lightning dissipated, the pill suspended in midair was fully and thoroughly completed. Rich, dense spiritual energy rapidly surged forth, then transformed into a tiny dragon about half a meter long, swimming and circling around Xuan Yi.
Xuan Yi raised her hand and brought down a seal, sealing it within a jade bottle. Looking at the crowd below, a tender warmth flickered through her eyes. She swiftly descended toward them.
"Yao Chen, this Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill has been successfully refined. All the conditions for your resurrection are fully met. Let us begin quickly!" Extending the pill in her palm, Xuan Yi looked at Yao Chen with a face full of anticipation.
Hearing this, Yao Chen gazed at the Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill within the jade bottle, a touched look flashing through his eyes.
Still, he shook his head with some regret. "There is still one step missing. Back then, I self-detonated my soul to escape. My soul suffered severe damage and has never fully recovered over these years. To be resurrected, I still need to restore the damaged soul origin!"
Disappointment flickered through Xuan Yi's eyes. Medicinal ingredients related to the soul were exceedingly rare. Even in her possession, she had no ingredients capable of restoring soul origin.
"I'll go search the Small Pill Tower and see!"
Yet, looking at Yao Chen's transparent, ethereal body, a pained look flashed through her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she spoke.
"Xuan Yi, in the earlier great battle with the Soul Hall, the elders of the Small Pill Tower all sustained injuries. The Small Pill Tower's stored medicines have already been taken out and used. I went to check earlier and found no ingredients related to soul origin." Just then, Xuan Kongzi stopped Xuan Yi and shook his head.
"Then what do we do?" Xuan Yi was now truly panicked. Urgently, she asked.
"I've already notified the Pill Tower's people to search. I hope good news will come soon!" Xuan Kongzi spoke in a deep voice.
"That's all we can do!"
The group nodded. Now, they could only wait for news. Otherwise, searching like headless flies would be no different from fishing a needle out of the ocean.
Within the crowd, hearing the discussion, Xiao Yan's eyes flickered with inner conflict. He knew of a place that certainly had it. And he knew that if he just asked, it was highly likely he could obtain it—from Gu Xun'er.
As it happened, members of the Gu clan were currently right in Holy Pill City. The opportunity was there to try. But...
The Gu clan's inner circle was already very displeased with his relationship with Gu Xun'er. Before the Gu clan acknowledged him, he did not wish to bow his head and yield to them.
For a moment, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy with silence.
Half a year later.
In a remote, rarely visited mountain valley.
Xiao Yi Xian crouched on the ground, earnestly and carefully examining a strange, seven-colored flower. The flower was about a little over three feet long. Upon its stem and leaves, petals of seven different colors clustered together, forming a flower brimming with dreamlike, fantastical hues.
After a long while, an airy, ethereal smile finally rose on Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face. She called out toward Jiang Yun in the distance.
"Jiang Yun, come look, quickly! I've already revived this Seven-Colored Purple Lotus!"
Hearing this, Jiang Yun looked up, a smile on his face. Hoisting a hoe over his shoulder, he strolled leisurely toward Xiao Yi Xian.
"Jiang Yun, look..." Under Xiao Yi Xian's watchful gaze, Jiang Yun slowly crouched down beside her. Xiao Yi Xian excitedly pointed at the seven-colored flower swaying gently in the breeze within the medicinal field.
"You really did manage to revive it. Xiao Yi Xian, you truly have a gift for nurturing spirit medicines!" After examining it carefully, Jiang Yun smiled and encouraged the beaming Xiao Yi Xian.
"Hehe!" Hearing Jiang Yun's praise, Xiao Yi Xian broke into a silly, delighted grin and explained, "But it's still mostly thanks to your teaching..."
"Hey—you little lass, have you no conscience? Did this old man not help you in the slightest?"
Just then, a somewhat sour, jealous voice came from behind them. Shen Nong had appeared behind the two at some unknown moment, his face full of smiles as he looked at the flustered Xiao Yi Xian.
"Senior Shen Nong has also given Xiao Yi Xian a great deal of help! But if it weren't for Jiang Yun, there wouldn't be the Xiao Yi Xian of today, and there wouldn't have been the chance for Senior Shen Nong to teach me later on, either!" Xiao Yi Xian's eyes darted around cleverly. Grinning, she wrapped her arms around Jiang Yun's arm and spoke.
"You, ah..." Shen Nong smiled and made a few mock-pointing gestures at Xiao Yi Xian. Then, his eyes, as he looked at Jiang Yun, carried a trace of envy. "Sometimes, this old man truly envies you, kid. Not only are you yourself blessed with transcendent, unmatched talent, but even the beauties by your side are equally outstanding. Sometimes I really do wonder if you're the biological son of the heavens themselves."
"I was just a little bit luckier!" A smile on his face, Jiang Yun spoke with a somewhat smug tone.
"I'm also very fortunate to have met Jiang Yun!" Xiao Yi Xian instantly blurted out, gazing at Jiang Yun with a face full of tender affection.
Shen Nong instantly felt as though he'd taken ten thousand points of critical damage. Youngsters these days are really... do they not care at all about an old man's feelings?!
"Let me see how this Seven-Colored Purple Lotus is growing." Somewhat dejected, Shen Nong could only step past the two and crouch down, solemnly examining the spirit medicine Xiao Yi Xian had revived.
Watching Shen Nong's actions, the two exchanged smiles.
Then, a thoughtful look flickered through Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. Her gaze darted around in search. In the next second, she locked onto a spirit medicine and smiled sweetly.
"Jiang Yun, I remember that one of the ingredients in the Bodhi Pill is the Mystic Spirit Fruit. There's a Mystic Spirit Tree right over there. It just matured a few days ago and now meets the Bodhi Pill's requirements. I'll go pick it for you!" As she spoke, Xiao Yi Xian immediately let go of Jiang Yun's arm and walked toward a spirit medicine in the neighboring medicinal field.
Watching this scene, Jiang Yun didn't dwell on it. He had indeed mentioned that he wanted to refine the Bodhi Pill.
Though he had yet to find the Bodhi Ancient Tree, that didn't stop him from preparing the ingredients for the Bodhi Pill beforehand.
Under Jiang Yun's gaze, Xiao Yi Xian slowly walked up to a small tree, entirely emerald green, a little over a foot tall, with luxuriant branches and dense leaves, brimming with an aura of vibrant life.
At this moment, the small tree was laden with emerald-green fruits. One among them was exceptionally plump and full, exuding a faint, delicate fragrance. This was the ripe Mystic Spirit Fruit.
Xiao Yi Xian smiled and extended her slender, fair-skinned palm. Applying a slight bit of force, the fruit she had grasped came away from the tree effortlessly and easily.
This in itself was nothing worth paying attention to. Yet just as that fruit separated from the tree, wisp after wisp of pale-green flame appeared on Xiao Yi Xian's palm.
"Ah!"
Frightened by the sudden appearance of the flame, Xiao Yi Xian instinctively circulated the Dou Qi within her body to protect her palm and flung the flame away from her hand.
"Xiao Yi Xian!"
The sudden incident immediately drew the attention of Jiang Yun and Shen Nong.
"This is..."
Shen Nong had originally been crouched down examining that Seven-Colored Purple Lotus. But the moment he saw the fruit, now beginning to blaze with emerald flames, in Xiao Yi Xian's hand, his entire being froze on the spot. Even the trowel in his hand unconsciously slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.
A look of surprise also flashed through Jiang Yun's eyes. His figure moved, leaving a trail of afterimages as he appeared beside Xiao Yi Xian. Taking her hand, he examined it carefully.
Fortunately, Xiao Yi Xian's palm had not suffered much damage. It had only become somewhat reddened.
"Jiang Yun, I'm fine!" Seeing Jiang Yun worried about her, a happy smile immediately bloomed on Xiao Yi Xian's face. Shaking her head, her gaze shifted to that Mystic Spirit Tree—which showed no sign of abnormality. Puzzled, she said, "What happened? I didn't sense any magical beast just now."
"Xiao Yi Xian, you've truly stumbled upon a treasure!" Jiang Yun, his face full of smiles, looked at that Mystic Spirit Tree. Then, gazing at the bewildered Xiao Yi Xian, he said, "Go and collect the entire thing. Then everything will become clear!"
Hearing Jiang Yun's words, even though she still carried traces of doubt, Xiao Yi Xian obediently stepped forward. With a light wave of her palm, that Mystic Spirit Tree suddenly ignited without any apparent flame source. A wisp of green flame, like liquid, slowly blazed up and landed in Xiao Yi Xian's hand.
The emerald-green flame swelled with the wind. A sea of green, liquid flame spread outward. Layer upon layer of mist rose and swirled. Within that rising, dispersing mist, countless strange, wondrous medicinal ingredients slowly grew and flourished, radiating a life aura that stirred the heart.
"The Living Creature Flame... To think it truly is..."
As if bewitched, Shen Nong stared deathly at Xiao Yi Xian's palm—at that emerald-green flame releasing countless auras of life. Longing and a measure of inner turmoil flickered within his eyes. The aura around him also became restless and unstable.
The Living Creature Flame—ranked fifth on the Heavenly Flame List. This heavenly flame was exceptionally strange and wondrous. The vast majority of heavenly flames, though differing in form, were all pervaded by the power of destruction. Yet the Living Creature Flame did not display powerful destructive force. What it was famed for throughout the world was the life force with which it was saturated.
Where this heavenly flame spread, the surrounding plant life would rapidly sprout, grow, and flourish. Even ordinary plants could transform into peerless spirit medicines. The place where it dwelt was invariably a treasure trove of spirit medicines.
With this kind of heavenly flame, one basically had no need to consider searching for medicinal ingredients. As long as one possessed sufficient spirit medicine seeds, one could obtain the desired ingredients in an endless, continuous stream.
The Living Creature Flame was also known as the Flame of Longevity. Those who obtained it would have lifespans no shorter than even those magical beasts famed for their longevity.
If one had to name a drawback, compared to flames of the same tier, it was not adept in battle.
"This is the Living Creature Flame. To find it, everything hinges on the word 'fate.'"
"When this heavenly flame takes form, its spiritual intelligence is exceptionally high. Ordinarily, it does not manifest in the form of flame. Instead, it transforms into all manner of medicinal ingredients, quietly taking root within the soil."
"An ordinary person could walk right past it and never be able to identify it. Only those with tremendous karmic fortune can, by chance, unearth it from the ground."
"Now, it seems—you are that fated person!" At this moment, even Jiang Yun's voice couldn't help but carry traces of delighted surprise. Although he had brought Xiao Yi Xian to find Shen Nong with a faint intent of intercepting this treasure—
he had never had absolute confidence. Because this Living Creature Flame was truly a flame that heavily depended on 'face'—on fate.
As he spoke, Jiang Yun turned his head and looked at the stunned Shen Nong beside him. "Senior Shen Nong, would you not agree with what I've said?"
Even as he spoke, Jiang Yun stood shielding Xiao Yi Xian. In his palm, a purplish-gold dragon scale appeared, ready to be crushed at any moment.
In the shadows, Zhu Feng was also vigilantly circling the vicinity of the valley. Ordinarily, he kept his distance out of wariness of Shen Nong's strength, not daring to draw too close. But if Jiang Yun were to fall into danger, then he would have no choice but to disregard all else.
Xiao Yi Xian had also become aware of the abnormal atmosphere. She stared warily at Shen Nong. In this moment, the half-year of friendship and rapport between them had all, in an instant, become utterly meaningless.
With Jiang Yun's question, imbued with soul power, Shen Nong immediately snapped back to his senses. His aged eyes, tinged with a hint of murkiness, cast a complicated glance at Xiao Yi Xian and Jiang Yun.
A long while later, a long breath slowly escaped from his lips. With a somewhat weary spirit, he said, "Boy, there's no need to be so on guard against this old man. I am still not capable of doing something like robbing another of their karmic fortune!"
"Senior, please do not take offense. Before an opportunity like this, no amount of caution on Jiang Yun's part would be surprising." Jiang Yun smiled and shook his head, putting away the dragon scale in his palm.
In the distance, Zhu Feng's figure once again retreated further away. And Shen Nong, as if sensing something, glanced in Zhu Feng's direction and teased, "If this old man had truly tried to seize the heavenly flame just now, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to leave this valley, would I?"
Faced with Shen Nong's half-joking question, a mysterious smile appeared on Jiang Yun's face. He did not answer.
His heart jolting, Shen Nong inwardly raised his assessment of the two's background yet another level. At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder—just who was behind Jiang Yun?
That aura just now—though he couldn't discern which clan it belonged to—its strength, equivalent to a peak one-star Dou Sheng, was unmistakable and real.
It was more than enough to show how much importance the power behind Jiang Yun placed on him.
In the midst of his thoughts, Shen Nong's gaze fell upon the green flame dancing in Xiao Yi Xian's palm. Noticing Xiao Yi Xian's still fair and unblemished hand, he shook his head with a bitter smile. "And it's so compatible with you even before being refined... You and the Living Creature Flame are truly fated!"
"This old man doesn't know how many years I've lived in seclusion in this valley, yet I never discovered the Living Creature Flame's traces. I never imagined that in just half a year, you two would come and take it away. Truly, such is the timing, such is destiny!"
"Senior Shen Nong, this junior was also simply fortunate—having a wood-engendering-fire constitution, and also possessing a special resonance with plant life. Perhaps that was precisely what attracted the Living Creature Flame the most." Xiao Yi Xian looked at Shen Nong with some sympathy and spoke softly.
But sympathy was one thing. There was no way she would give up the Living Creature Flame.
"Luck. Sometimes, it's just that tiny bit of luck that makes fate vastly, vastly different." Shen Nong shook his head. Having reached his level, he knew that luck truly existed in this world.
What's more, he was a Dou Sheng expert who had reached this step without an imperial clan bloodline. He believed this even more firmly than those of the imperial clans.
Perhaps this truly was no longer his era. The wave-riders of the new age had long since stood ready and in position.
"Xiao Yi Xian has a wood-engendering-fire constitution. Although I used my connections with the Pill Tower to find her an eighth-rank beast flame of the same attribute, any further, and her flame would become even more inadequate. And her constitution dictates that among the heavenly flames on the Heavenly Flame List, only this Living Creature Flame is the most suitable for her. So..."
"I concede, Senior Shen Nong." Jiang Yun looked at Shen Nong with a solemn expression and cupped his fists.
"I really am getting old!" Shaking his head with a sigh of lament, Shen Nong looked at the two and admonished, "Xiao Yi Xian, after all, is only at the peak of nine-star Dou Zong. Wanting to refine the Living Creature Flame—that is absolutely, utterly impossible. Don't rashly attempt to absorb it. You can first seal it within Xiao Yi Xian's body and slowly refine it. All of this will still require the intervention of the elders behind you."
Having said this, Shen Nong shook his head with a somewhat forlorn air and slowly walked into the distance, vanishing from the two's sight in the blink of an eye.
Watching the disappeared Shen Nong, Xiao Yi Xian looked at Jiang Yun and asked, "Jiang Yun, will Senior Shen Nong be alright?"
"Rest assured. Senior Shen Nong is a senior who has lived for over a thousand years. He's not so fragile as to be crushed by this. He just needs some time to properly settle his emotions." Jiang Yun raised his hand and tousled the top of Xiao Yi Xian's head, speaking gently.
"Right now, the most pressing matter is your situation!" Then, Jiang Yun looked at the Living Creature Flame in Xiao Yi Xian's palm and spoke.
Toward Jiang Yun's words, Xiao Yi Xian had no objections. She nodded lightly. Seeing this, Jiang Yun took Xiao Yi Xian's hand and swiftly flew toward a distant mountain range.