Chapter 380 - 377: Consuming the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus
Chapter 380: Chapter 377: Consuming the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus
"Fang Han?"
A flicker of surprise, impossible to hide, flashed through You Xin’s narrow eyes.
’The Fang Han who’s ranked thirty-sixth on the Celestial Pride List?’
Of course he knew of him.
The man had a considerable grudge with the Netherworld Pavilion. He’d killed Gong Xing, two Stewards, and even heavily injured Duan Wuya.
But he recalled that this young man was ranked a mere thirty-sixth, while Meng Xian was seventeenth.
A difference of nineteen ranks.
"Explain in detail."
You Xin’s voice remained level.
Meng Xian took a deep breath and recounted the day’s events exactly as they had happened.
From sensing the commotion and going to investigate, to discovering the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus and Fang Han, to making a move to seize it, to the fierce battle, and finally, to his own voluntary retreat...
He concealed nothing, nor did he embellish the tale.
He knew that with You Xin’s shrewdness, any attempt at concealment would be futile.
You Xin listened quietly, his face betraying no emotion.
After Meng Xian finished, he was silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Are you saying his physical defense is extremely strong? That you struck him with your full power, yet he only sustained minor injuries?"
"Yes." Meng Xian nodded. "He cultivates a Body Hardening Technique, and he’s at a high level."
You Xin gave a slight nod, his gaze profound.
"To force you, with a rank of thirty-six, into a voluntary retreat... This young man’s strength is indeed far greater than his current rank suggests."
He paused, looked at Meng Xian, and said flatly,
"You may go and tend to your wounds. I’m aware of the matter now."
Meng Xian said no more and turned to walk toward his tent.
Behind him, You Xin’s gaze rested on his back for a moment before shifting away.
He stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out at the vast, night-shrouded mountain forest beyond the valley.
"Fang Han..."
He murmured the name, his voice so soft it was nearly inaudible.
Meng Xian, ranked seventeenth on the Celestial Pride List, had been defeated by this person.
And from Meng Xian’s description, this young man’s strength was by no means limited to what his rank suggested.
His swordsmanship was sharp and fierce, his Body Technique was phantom-like, and his physical defense was astonishingly formidable.
What was even more frightening was that he was only twenty years old.
To possess such strength at twenty.
’If he’s given a few more years...’
A cold glint flashed in You Xin’s eyes.
Duan Wuya was heavily injured, Meng Xian had been forced to retreat—the feud between the Netherworld Pavilion and Fang Han was deepening.
’This young man must be eliminated, one way or another.’
He stood with his hands behind his back, staring into the dark, silent forest.
The light of the bonfire danced across his face, reflecting a cold gleam in his narrow eyes.
"Fang Han..."
He repeated the name.
This time, his voice was filled with undisguised killing intent.
...
The light inside the tent flickered faintly with the glow of the bonfire, casting mottled shadows on the animal-hide rug.
Fang Han was sitting cross-legged, about to take out the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus, when the tent flap was suddenly lifted.
Yun Qianyue walked in, carrying a wooden tray.
On the tray was a large piece of roasted beast meat, glistening with grease that dripped and sizzled. Beside it was a steaming bowl of meat broth, milky-white and fragrant.
"I brought you dinner."
Yun Qianyue placed the tray beside Fang Han, her voice cool and emotionless.
Fang Han was slightly taken aback, his gaze falling upon the roasted meat and broth.
He had fought a giant python earlier, then battled fiercely with Meng Xian. His Inner Qi was massively depleted, and he was indeed starving.
But after returning, he had first treated his wounds and then gotten preoccupied with the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus, completely forgetting to eat.
"Thank you."
He didn’t refuse. He picked up the roasted meat, tore off a piece, and put it in his mouth.
The meat was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, cooked to perfection. The juices melted in his mouth, carrying a light, savory flavor and the unique deliciousness of wild game.
The broth was also excellent—rich, thick, and smooth. It had clearly been stewed for a long time with Demon Beast bones.
Fang Han ate not quickly, but steadily.
Yun Qianyue sat quietly to the side, not speaking. She would only occasionally raise her eyes to glance at Fang Han before lowering her gaze again.
The only sounds in the tent were the faint chewing from Fang Han and the indistinct chatter and laughter from far outside.
A short while later, Fang Han finished the last piece of meat and drank the rest of the broth, the gnawing hunger in his stomach finally dissipating.
He wiped his hands with a handkerchief and looked up at Yun Qianyue. Her cool eyes were fixed on his face, but she averted her gaze the moment he looked up.
"Get some rest."
Yun Qianyue stood up, gathered the bowl and utensils, and turned to leave with the wooden tray.
As she reached the tent flap, her steps faltered slightly. Without turning back, she spoke softly,
"Your wounds haven’t healed yet. Don’t do any Cultivation tonight."
With that, she lifted the flap and her figure disappeared into the night.
Fang Han stared at the gently swaying tent flap, silent for a moment.
He reached into his robes and felt the warmth of the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus.
Even through the fabric, he could feel a faint, searing heat, as if he were carrying not a lotus flower, but a contained flame.
’To keep others from coveting it, I should consume it as soon as possible.’
The Golden Flame Sacred Lotus had already been exposed. To prevent others from coveting it, the best solution was to refine it as quickly as possible.
Fang Han took the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus from his robes.
The tent was dimly lit, but the moment the lotus appeared, it seemed to illuminate the entire space.
Nine layers of petals were stacked one upon another, each a pure, brilliant gold that shimmered in the dim light.
The fine lines along the edges of the petals resembled dancing flames or flowing runes, faintly emitting a heart-pounding, searing aura.
At the lotus’s heart, the seed was plump and round, golden in color like a miniature sun, containing a vast and pure energy.
Fang Han’s gaze lingered on the lotus for a moment.
According to the Sect’s records, the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus takes three hundred years to root, three hundred years to sprout leaves, and three hundred years to bloom. It blooms with nine petals, each like a flame, hence its name.
Its effect was to enhance one’s Body Hardening Talent. For a Martial Artist who cultivated a Body Hardening Technique, it was a supreme sacred treasure.
Without hesitation, he plucked the seed pod and placed it in his mouth, lotus seed and all.
The moment it entered his mouth, a searing heat exploded on his tongue.
The sensation wasn’t unpleasant; instead, it carried a strange, gentle warmth.
He chewed a few times, and the pod and seed dissolved into a warm liquid that slid down his throat and into his stomach.
The next instant—
A sudden change occurred!
The moment the warm liquid reached his stomach, it detonated like a lit powder keg!
A torrent of extreme heat erupted from his stomach, instantly surging through his limbs and into every corner of his body!
It wasn’t a normal kind of heat, but a scorching sensation that penetrated deep into his marrow and seeped into every fiber of his flesh.
It felt as if countless tiny flames were racing, leaping, and burning inside him.
Every fiber of his flesh, every tendon and bone, every inch of his skin was being repeatedly forged by this searing torrent.
Fang Han let out a muffled groan, and beads of sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
The moment they appeared, the sweat beads were evaporated by the high temperature of his skin, rising as wisps of white steam.
His skin began to turn red, a color that emanated from within, as if his entire body was on fire.
In the deepest parts of his body, beyond his perception, the very essence of his Body Hardening aptitude was undergoing a transformation at an unimaginable speed.
Time slipped by quietly amidst the searing refinement.
An unknown amount of time passed—perhaps only the time it takes an incense stick to burn, or perhaps a full hour—
The searing torrent that had been rampaging through his body finally began to subside.
Like a receding tide, it left behind a body that had been washed clean and made anew.
Fang Han slowly opened his eyes.
In that instant, a pure golden glint flashed in the depths of his pupils.
The golden glint vanished as quickly as it appeared, but his eyes were now deeper and brighter than before.
’I wonder what the effects are...’
With a thought, Fang Han began to circulate the Xuanwu True Skill.
The moment he started circulating the Cultivation Technique, he noticed a difference.
It was as if a thin veil before his eyes had been lifted, or as if a previously blocked river channel had been cleared.
The smoothness of the technique’s circulation, his control over his qi and blood, his perception of every fiber of his flesh—all of it had taken a qualitative leap.
This was an improvement in his Body Hardening Talent.
And it was a permanent improvement.
Fang Han took a deep breath and, following the Cultivation Method of the Xuanwu True Skill, began to guide his qi and blood to temper his physical body.
His qi and blood surged, flowing along a specific path within his body, washing over his tendons, bones, and skin.
The speed of this tempering—
Fang Han was stunned.
’It’s too fast.’
It was several times faster than before—no, much more than that.
A tempering process that would have originally taken several hours now showed significant progress in the time it took for an incense stick to burn.
The feeling was like having trekked on foot before, only to now be riding a thousand-mile stallion.
"This..."
An indescribable joy surged through Fang Han’s heart.
The Talent enhancement from the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus, stacked with his 128x Body Hardening Talent Amplification, wasn’t a simple one-plus-one effect. It was an exponential leap!
He continued his Cultivation, his mind completely immersed in the unprecedentedly smooth and satisfying tempering process.
His qi and blood surged, his tendons and bones vibrated, his skin tightened...
He could clearly feel his physical strength increasing at a visible rate.
Although he was still some distance from the next Realm of the Xuanwu True Skill, Minor Achievement, with this rate of Cultivation, he was confident he could reach that threshold within a few months.
Inside the tent, there was only the sound of his long, powerful breaths and the faint, barely audible roar of his surging qi and blood.
An unknown amount of time passed—
SWISH.
The tent flap was suddenly pulled gently aside.
A pale cyan figure, accompanied by the night breeze and the light of the bonfire, stepped into the tent.
It was Yun Qianyue.
She looked at Fang Han with a slight frown, her voice cool.
"Are you cultivating?"
Fang Han looked at Yun Qianyue, feeling a little guilty.
Her eyes were fixed on him. Her gaze was still cool, but now it held a hint of... anger?
"You’re injured."
Yun Qianyue’s voice was still level, but it was clear she was suppressing some emotion beneath the calm.
"Cultivating like this when your wounds haven’t even healed... are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Fang Han opened his mouth to say something, but found he had no rebuttal.
His injuries really hadn’t healed yet.
Although most of the wounds weren’t deep, they were still wounds.
For a Martial Artist, cultivating forcefully after being injured was taboo, especially a Body Hardening Technique that heavily consumed qi, blood, and strained the tendons and bones. A single misstep could worsen the injuries or even leave behind hidden long-term damage.
He had been so caught up in the excitement from the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus that he had completely forgotten about that.
"I..."
For once, Fang Han was at a loss for words.
He looked into Yun Qianyue’s eyes. They were still cool, yet they clearly held an indescribable emotion.
That emotion was called concern.
It was called—anger.
He sheepishly stopped his technique, and the surging qi and blood in his body gradually calmed, returning to a state of peace.
"I’ll stop," he said obediently.
Yun Qianyue didn’t speak, merely watching him quietly.
Her gaze made Fang Han feel inexplicably guilty.
After a moment, Yun Qianyue finally withdrew her gaze. Her voice was still cool, but a few shades softer than before.
"Rest well."
With that, she turned and walked out of the tent.
The tent flap lifted and fell, and the pale cyan figure vanished into the night.
Fang Han sat in the tent, staring at the gently swaying flap, silent for a moment.
He looked down at the wounds on his body, then felt the qi and blood surging even more powerfully within him, thanks to the Golden Flame Sacred Lotus.
A helpless smile slowly formed on his lips.
—’That girl... she’s pretty fierce when she gets angry.’