Chapter 547 - 543 Karmic Fire Lotus Platform Trial Completed
Duan Shanhe gazed profoundly toward the direction of the Beast Taming Sect’s encampment.
He was a proud man who, after a narrow defeat to Qin Feng, had been forced to venture far into the Iron Forest in search of opportunities.
Even though he eventually reaped a great harvest, he could never forget what had happened.
There were few in the entire Cultivation World who could so magnanimously dismiss the defeat at the hands of a rival with a smile.
And for cultivators from the Giant Spirit Sect, who focused on Body Refinement, brimming with blood and vigor, and possessed of staunch physiques, it was preordained they preferred fists over wits; thus, ‘forgive and forget’ was an alien concept to them—they always repaid debts of vengeance and grievance.
Duan Shanhe believed that he had formed a vendetta against Qin Feng. Ignoring the existing hostilities between their sects due to different affiliations, the enmity from the past competition for treasures alone was enough to linger in his mind for a long time.
Moreover, his later return and loss of Qi Fortune to Qin Feng and Li Miaozhen—which denied him the chance to become the Chosen Son—was regarded by him as an insurmountable obstacle in his path.
Now, with new hatreds compounding the old, how could the mention of Qin Feng’s name not inflame his heart?
Duan Shanhe squinted his eyes toward the source of the anomaly, which was the residence of the Beast Taming Sect.
It was uncertain whether it was the madwoman Li Miaozhen advancing to the Dharma Image [Realm] or Qin Feng achieving the Purple Mansion.
However, he felt not an ounce of fear in his heart, regardless of who it might be.
If it were Li Miaozhen, she would merely have advanced a step earlier than him—the attainment of the Dharma Image [Realm] was not Duan Shanhe’s ultimate goal, merely a matter of time.
He believed that once he advanced to the Dharma Image [Realm], with the opportunities he had obtained in the Giant Clan, his prowess would undoubtedly rival that of Li Miaozhen.
If it were Qin Feng advancing, all the better.
It would be the perfect moment to settle both their new and old scores!
With his current power at the late stage of the Purple Mansion, openly challenging Qin Feng might seem like bullying the weaker, especially since Qin Feng, considered a Magic Cultivator, still remained at the peak of the Golden Core without making the breakthrough.
But if Qin Feng advanced, it would be just right!
…
Inside the Cultivation Room, Qin Feng’s eyes were tightly closed and his hands formed spells, constantly drawing Spiritual Energy together. Spiritual Light emitted from every pore in his body, as streaks of Pure Spirit Qi continuously flowed into him and, with the circulation of his Cultivation Technique, transformed into streams of True Yuan to replenish the rapid growth of his Purple Mansion Nascent Soul.
Of course, the simple absorption of Spiritual Energy to enhance True Yuan was far too slow.
For other cultivators advancing to the Purple Mansion [Realm], the surrounding drawn Spiritual Energy would be sufficient for their advancement.
But Qin Feng was different; he had too many Laws within him and the growth rate of his Purple Mansion Nascent Soul was too rapid. If he were to refine Spiritual Energy in a conventional manner, it would not keep up with the Nascent Soul’s consumption, and the final result would definitely not compare to the current extent of nearly half-human height growth of the Nascent Soul.
Fortunately, he possessed the Demon Refining Pot!
The Demon Refining Pot, an Exotic Treasure, not only contained the many resources Qin Feng had scavenged but also numerous Spirit Veins. Not to say merely supporting the expenses needed for Qin Feng to advance his Nascent Soul, even if he was to ascend to Immortality in broad daylight, the Spirit Veins within the Demon Refining Pot could easily sustain it.
It was precisely because of the incessant flow of Pure Spirit Qi from inside the Demon Refining Pot into his body that Qin Feng could assure the rapid strengthening of his Nascent Soul.
Finally, when the Nascent Soul ceased growing and the Divine Light manifested by the Power of Laws stopped flickering, Qin Feng had completed his advancement.
Although his ascent was quite different from others, and even his Nascent Soul appeared too hefty to resemble a typical one, he had nevertheless ascended as a higher-tier cultivator!
At this moment, the Purple Mansion was far more vast than before, seemingly boundless, with only one figure sitting cross-legged and floating in the center.
Qin Feng’s brow furrowed slightly, and after a moment’s contemplation, he flipped his hand over, taking the Karma Fire Red Lotus out from the Demon Refining Pot, then the spell in his hand shifted slightly, causing the Red Lotus to shrink instantly and fly into his forehead, disappearing.
Simultaneously, within the Purple Mansion, atop the Sea of Consciousness, a Red Lotus quietly emerged.
Qin Feng’s Nascent Soul took a step forward, arriving above the Red Lotus.
With the arrival of the Nascent Soul, the Karma Fire Red Lotus subtly bloomed, petal after petal unfurling to reveal a Lotus Platform within.
The Nascent Soul stepped onto the Lotus Platform and sat down cross-legged.
The flower gently rotated, raising a pillar of Fire.
The Karma Fire Red Lotus was immensely powerful, and its Flame Power was capable of Burning Sky and Boiling Sea—cleansing all that is impure in the world. Common entities with Spiritual Nature could not carelessly come in contact, or they risked being purified.
But this Karma Fire Red Lotus was Qin Feng’s own Treasure, already long ago refined by him, and its Artifact Spirit, too, had been nurtured from a mere shred of Spiritual Nature; naturally, it would not harm him.
Therefore, the immensely powerful Fiery Fire Red Lotus served as a purifying artifact for his True Yuan, continuously refining it with the power of Fire.
Even though Qin Feng’s True Yuan was already extremely pure, if cleansed by the Karma Fire Red Lotus over the years, it was certain to become even more refined.
Moreover, with the Karma Fire Red Lotus’s protection, his Nascent Soul would become incredibly secure—unperturbed by Enchanting Techniques, undaunted by the coercion of the powerful, and even immune to Soul Searches.
Even if a True Immortal were to rashly perform the Soul Search Spell on him, they would only be rebuffed by the Karma Fire Red Lotus, effortlessly unable to reach his Nascent Soul!
More importantly, sitting on the Lotus Platform allowed his Nascent Soul to be constantly nourished by the immortal energy within the treasure, giving him an intangible edge.
After finishing these preparations, Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes.
In an instant, the void turned bright white, and two beams of light shot out several feet, fluctuating with his breathing before finally disappearing into his eyes.
Just as Qin Feng ended his cultivation, the spiritual energy that had originally gathered in the sky began to dissipate, and the auspicious clouds directly turned into chaotic mist, without any pattern.
This left all the cultivators in the city astonished!
What happened to the expected advancement? Why had the spiritual energy dissipated without much being absorbed?
Given Li Miaozhen’s previous record of undefeated battles, if she were to advance to Dharma Image, it wouldn’t end so simply after such a commotion, right?
Wasn’t that an anticlimax?
What exactly was going on?
The people in the city were baffled!
As they were feeling puzzled, suddenly, a mighty voice shook heaven and earth, “Hahaha… Qin Feng, it indeed is you who is advancing. Well done!”
In Yingxian Building, under the dumbstruck gaze of the surnamed Wang and others, Duan Shanhe drained his bowl of Spiritual Wine. Then, flipping the bowl with a bang, he jumped out from the third floor, landing heavily on the ground.
And he didn’t stop there; he immediately issued a challenge: “Qin Feng, during our last fight, you used schemes to gain an advantage, snatching two Divine Artifacts of the Fire God from the Treasure Vault.
Now, you’ve created such a stir with just one advancement, showing significant progress in your Dao Cultivation. Perfect timing, as I’ve been itching to fight. Let’s have a match to determine the victor!”
His voice was deep and piercing, reaching nearly half of Lingxiao City.
Cultivators who had been curious now heard news of a spectacle, and countless idle cultivators came from all directions, eager to witness the excitement—much like when Li Miaozhen’s fame had spread, and people would gamble on her challenges.
Although Qin Feng had cultivated in seclusion for many years and didn’t have as prominent a reputation as Li Miaozhen, he was, after all, a cultivator who had claimed the title of Master of Qi Luck just like her, and both were True Disciples of Beast Taming Sect.
Given that the Beast Taming Sect’s renown was at its peak, anything related to it drew significant attention, especially since the cultivator who had just caused such a massive anomaly was a disciple of the Sect.
Now, hearing someone confirm the anomaly was caused by Qin Feng, everyone was amazed and invigorated.
Li Miaozhen was already so formidable, considered unrivaled among her peers. Since Qin Feng was considered on par with her within the Beast Taming Sect, his strength should not be lacking.
Otherwise, he would not have triggered such a large anomaly.
Although the anomaly seemed somewhat anticlimactic, as it didn’t appear to have absorbed much spiritual energy, the sheer magnitude of it was shocking enough to astonish everyone.
The moment they heard someone challenge Qin Feng, the people gathered, ready to swarm and enjoy the showdown, just as they had during Li Miaozhen’s challenges.
Duan Shanhe, standing tall and proud, marched forward!
However, after a few steps, he felt a wave of awkwardness.
Firstly, his challenge had been broadcast without receiving a reply from Qin Feng, and secondly, his fellow disciples, emulating his grand entrance, were throwing their wine bowls and jars on the ground, ready to jump out the window, only to be halted by the shopkeeper’s wave that sent forth a Spirit Light, demanding payment for the shattered artifacts and Spiritual Wine!
These Giant Spirit Sect disciples had rushed off too quickly in their eagerness to witness their senior brother’s challenge against the True Disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, neglecting to settle the bill.
Although such a small amount of Spirit Stones was negligible to them, being suspected of skipping out on the bill was indeed embarrassing!
On the other hand, Duan Shanhe understood why Qin Feng had not responded.
Without a doubt, Qin Feng had just finished advancing and had not yet left the Seclusion Room. With the room’s defensive prohibitions, it surely wouldn’t allow external disturbances. His voice lacked the power to penetrate the various prohibitions, so it was natural that Qin Feng couldn’t hear his challenge.
However, having spoken, Duan Shanhe found himself in a dilemma. Regardless of whether Qin Feng responded or not, he had to visit the Beast Taming Sect’s domain, lay down the gauntlet, and then leave; otherwise, he’d become the laughingstock!
Along the way, Duan Shanhe and his few tall and burly companions already attracted much attention. As people around recognized him as the Giant Spirit Sect’s leading True Disciple and the one challenging Qin Feng, it drew many eyes, and a large crowd gathered, accompanying him to the Beast Taming Sect’s domain.
Inside the Beast Taming Sect’s domain, unlike when Qin Feng and the others had returned, the place was bustling due to Li Miaozhen’s widespread challenges, which had prompted many elders and disciples to come back. Furthermore, as the ten-year period for the disciples’ trial was nearing its end, many were returning.
Although Qin Feng had not heard Duan Shanhe’s challenge, the others had, stirring a buzz of excitement.
Aside from Qin Feng and Li Miaozhen, over the years, several True Disciples participating in the trials had already connected with their chest marks and were brought back by Mituom Buddha.
Many of these disciples had advanced to the Purple Palace, clearly enjoying rich harvests in the Otherworld. Hearing Duan Shanhe’s challenge and seeing the ‘call to arms’ bringing such a crowd, some confidently prepared to go out and confront Duan Shanhe in place of Qin Feng.
Among these disciples, Ma Xingkong was the most vocal: “The brutes of the Giant Spirit Sect are also playing tricks, taking verbal advantage while Junior Brother Qin is still in seclusion, and now bringing such a crowd over, as if they want to force Junior Brother Qin out to challenge him when his realm is still unstable right after his advancement.
Hmph, such shameless thick-browed fellows truly deserve no forgiveness.
Junior Brother Qin should not be disturbed while he stabilizes his realm. I’ll go out and meet this Duan Shanhe myself, see how much he really weighs, to dare make such an outrageous claim!”