Refining the Heart with Earthly Fire and a Strange Encounter with the Fire Sect

"It's hot...so hot..."

Xiaoman clutched her collar, her face flushed red from the heat. The group stopped at the edge of a crimson rift valley, where waves of heat rose and the distorted air made distant scenes appear like reflections in water. Across the rift, a patch of scorched earth was faintly visible, and further away, dark red light flowed through fissures in the ground—that was the core area of ​​Flame Valley.

"We can't go any further." Chunmeng wiped the sweat from her forehead; her dark red dress seemed to be on fire in this environment. "Ordinary people would dehydrate in less than an incense stick's time if they approached the core area."

Xiao Lingshan crouched down, placing her hands on the scorching ground. The Green Wood Token, warm to the touch in her arms, conveyed a chaotic sensation: a vast amount of fire-attribute energy surged deep underground, but life on the surface was nearly exhausted. The small pine tree on her shoulder—which she had carefully carried, pot and all—had its tender buds drooping listlessly, clearly ill-suited to this environment.

"The Qingmu Token's senses are very chaotic," she said, frowning. "The earth fire energy is too domineering, suppressing all wood-type life force. We need to find a place to rest and let the sisters adjust."

Peng Shitao was taking out some light blue pills from her medicine box and distributing them to everyone: "These are 'Heart-Clearing Pills,' which can relieve summer heat and prevent heat toxins from entering the heart. But they only last for two hours."

As she spoke, she carefully touched the red crystal in her arms. The crystal was even hotter than when she had first received it, as if it were responding to the subterranean fire in the valley. At the bottom of the medicine chest, the pair of small dolls—Musheng and Lingyu—were carefully wrapped in cotton cloth and placed together with the holy water crystal. She had a feeling that these things would soon be needed.

Just as everyone was preparing to find a campsite along the edge of the rift valley, five people suddenly emerged from behind the rocks ahead.

They were all dressed in matching crimson outfits, carrying long swords on their backs. The leader was a burly man with a full beard, about forty years old, his muscles bulging, looking like a small furnace just by standing there. His sharp gaze swept over the members of the Holy Gate, lingering for a moment, especially on Chunmeng and Binglan, the two women who clearly possessed cultivation.

"Gentlemen," the burly man clasped his hands in greeting, his voice booming like a bell, "this is the territory of my 'Burning Heaven Sect.' May I ask what brings you all here from afar?"

Burning Heaven Sect? The crowd looked at each other, having never heard of this sect.

Chunmeng stepped forward, neither humble nor arrogant: "We are just passing through this place and are on our way to Flame Valley to find a medicinal herb. We have no intention of offending you."

"Medicinal herbs?" The burly man raised an eyebrow, looking at Bingwei on the stretcher in the group. "This young lady has a chilling aura, yet she shows signs of fiery poison burning her meridians... You wouldn't happen to be looking for 'Earth Fire Lotus Heart,' would you?"

Peng Shitao's eyes lit up: "Does this brother know about the Earth Fire Lotus Heart?"

"Of course I know." The burly man's expression softened somewhat. "That thing only grows near the fiery springs in the core area of ​​Flame Valley, blooming once every hundred years. It's a sacred medicine for suppressing the yin-cold fire poison. However..." He shook his head, "The fiery springs in the core area are extremely violent. Even among the disciples of my Burning Heaven Sect, only a few with the highest cultivation levels can enter to collect the medicine each year under the protection of the elders. You people..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear: he wasn't qualified.

"Brother, could you do me a favor?" Xiao Lingshan said softly. "My sister is critically injured. If we can obtain the Earth Fire Lotus Heart, we will try our best to meet any requests the Burning Heaven Sect may have."

The burly man sized up Xiao Lingshan, then suddenly noticed the small pine tree on her shoulder: "Huh? This is... a wood-type spiritual plant? Are you a wood-type cultivator, young lady?"

"Yes."

"And this little sister next to you..." He looked at Peng Shitao.

Peng Shitao nodded: "I also have some knowledge of wood-based martial arts, mainly medical skills."

The burly man's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh: "What a coincidence! Our Burning Heaven Sect cultivates fire-based techniques, emphasizing the 'mutual generation of wood and fire.' However, the sect lacks skilled wood-based cultivators to assist in harmonizing these elements, and many disciples are stuck at the 'fire overpowers wood' stage when they reach a bottleneck. If you two are willing to help, the Earth Fire Lotus Heart... perhaps we can discuss it!"

The Burning Heaven Sect's headquarters were built in a relatively cool cave on the east side of the rift valley. The cave had been carved into several levels, with several natural stone pillars standing in the central hall, their surfaces covered with flame totems.

The burly man's name was Zhu Tieshan, the third senior brother of the Burning Heaven Sect. After settling the members of the Holy Sect in the guest stone room, he hurriedly went to report to the sect leader.

"Wood and fire are mutually generative..." Peng Shitao sat on the stone bed, lost in thought. "Brother Li once said that energy conversion requires a medium and a catalyst. The vitality of wood might really help fire-type cultivators stabilize their internal energy and avoid going astray."

Xiao Lingshan nodded: "My Green Wood Token can sense the flow of life force. If it's combined with their cultivation techniques, perhaps..." As she spoke, she looked at the wilted little pine tree in her arms, and suddenly an idea struck her. "Shitao, do you think if we let the little pine tree absorb some gentle earth fire energy, would that..."

"No, no!" Peng Shitao quickly waved her hands, "The little pine tree is a pure wood-type energy body; the earth fire is too violent and will hurt it!"

Just then, footsteps came from outside the stone chamber.

Zhu Tieshan returned, followed by an elderly man with white hair and a red robe. The old man had a gaunt face and bright, piercing eyes. As he walked, a faint heat emanated from his body—clearly, he possessed extremely high cultivation.

"This is the sect leader of my Burning Heaven Sect, True Man Zhurong," Zhu Tieshan introduced.

Zhu Rong Zhenren's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering briefly on Chunmeng and Binglan before finally settling on Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao: "My two young friends, Tieshan says you are wood-element cultivators. Would you be willing to allow me to verify yourselves?"

Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao exchanged a glance and nodded.

Zhu Rong Zhenren extended his right hand, palm facing upward. A wisp of crimson flame suddenly ignited, but at the center of the flame was a very fine wisp of blue—that was the "fire within wood" he simulated with his own power.

"Infuse your wood-elemental spiritual power into this flame," he said.

Xiao Lingshan went first. She closed her eyes and concentrated, the Azure Wood Token glowing faintly in her bosom. A wisp of gentle green spiritual energy flowed from her fingertips and seeped into the flame. The flame trembled instantly, the azure at its center rapidly growing stronger, while the flame itself contracted slightly, its color changing from crimson to orange-red, becoming more solid and stable.

Zhu Rong Zhenren's eyes flashed with delight: "Such pure wood-elemental vitality! Again!"

Peng Shitao also extended her hand. Her spiritual power was not as abundant as Xiao Lingshan's, but it was more delicate and gentle, carrying a medicinal fragrance. After the spiritual power was injected, the flame's color actually turned a pale gold, and patterns resembling plant veins faintly appeared inside the flame.

"This is... a wood-type spiritual medium?" Master Zhurong exclaimed, deeply moved. "And it has a natural affinity for and ability to guide life energy! Wonderful, truly wonderful!"

He extinguished the flames, clapped his hands, and laughed heartily: "My two young friends, I have a favor to ask. Three core disciples of my sect have been stuck at the bottleneck of the 'Triple Earth Fire Barrier' for over three years. If you two would be willing to use your wood-elemental spiritual power to assist them in harmonizing their inner energy and breaking through the barrier... I will personally retrieve the Earth Fire Lotus Heart for you!"

The terms are so generous it's unbelievable.

Chunmeng frowned: "Sect Master, while the Earth Fire Lotus Heart is indeed precious, sending them into danger to assist in cultivation could lead to problems..."

"Don't worry, young lady," Zhu Rong said solemnly. "The cultivation process will take place in the sect's 'Fire-Suppressing Cave,' which contains the 'Fire-Melting Array' set up by generations of ancestors, ensuring your safety. Moreover..." He looked at Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao, "Wood and fire are mutually generative, which will greatly benefit your cultivation. If you succeed, it might help you... touch the edge of converting wood-type spiritual power into fire-type."

Wood generates fire.

Xiao Lingshan recalled the records in her mother's notes and Li Xian's words that "energy attributes can be transformed," and made a decision in her heart.

"We agree."

The Zhenhuo Cave is located at the deepest part of the Burning Heaven Sect's territory. Countless crimson stalactites hang from the cave ceiling, and the dripping from the tips of the stalactites is not water, but molten lava, which falls into the lava pool on the ground and makes a "sizzling" sound.

In the center of the cave are three stone platforms arranged in a triangle. On each platform sits a disciple of the Burning Heaven Sect, two men and one woman, all with their eyes closed and focused, but their faces are flushed and there is faint white steam rising from their heads—this is a sign that their internal energy has been circulated to its limit.

Zhu Rong Zhenren stood outside the formation and said to Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao, "The Fusion Fire Formation has been activated and will gently draw earth fire energy into their bodies. Your task is to protect their heart and liver meridians with wood-type spiritual power—the heart belongs to fire, and the liver belongs to wood; the key to the mutual generation of wood and fire lies here. Remember, the spiritual power must be gentle and continuous, like spring rain nourishing all things; do not be impatient."

Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao each walked behind a male disciple. The remaining female disciple was personally guarded by Master Zhurong—this was the most dangerous one. She had already failed to break through twice, and if she failed again this time, she would either lose all her cultivation or die from being burned alive.

"start."

Xiao Lingshan placed her hand on the back of the disciple in front of her. The Azure Wood Token glowed in her arms, and gentle wood-elemental spiritual energy slowly flowed into it. The disciple's body trembled, and his flushed face visibly calmed down. The white mist above his head subsided, and the violent fire-elemental energy within his body seemed to have found an outlet, beginning to flow in an orderly manner.

Peng Shitao's actions were even more miraculous. Her spiritual energy, imbued with medicinal properties, not only protected the heart and liver meridians after entering the disciple's body, but also traveled along the meridians, gently nourishing and repairing the small meridians that had been scalded by years of practicing fire arts. The disciple was so comfortable that he almost groaned.

But the third female disciple is in a bad situation.

Even with the protection of the immortal Zhu Rong, the fire elemental energy within her body still went out of control, and fine blood beads began to appear on the surface of her skin—a sign that her meridians were about to rupture!

"Not good!" Zhu Rong Zhenren's expression changed drastically. "The earth fire energy is too strong; she can't hold on!"

Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao exchanged a glance. Peng Shitao suddenly remembered something and took out the red crystal from her bosom: "Sect Leader, try this!"

Zhu Rong Zhenren took the crystal, its surface burning hot to the touch. A glint flashed in his eyes: "This is... the essence of earth fire? Where did you get this?!"

"I found it with a drone," Peng Shitao answered honestly.

Before Zhu Rong Zhenren could ask any further questions, he pressed the crystal to the female disciple's forehead. The liquid flames within the crystal slowly flowed down, seeping into her skin. Strangely, this pure earth fire energy, upon entering, did not intensify its rampage; instead, like a king descending, it rapidly gathered and unified the chaotic fire attribute energy within her body!

"I see..." Master Zhurong suddenly realized, "What she lacks is not the harmony of wood elements, but a 'fire source core'! The essence of earth fire is the perfect seed of fire!"

The female disciple trembled violently, the blood droplets on her skin evaporating into a red mist, which she then inhaled. Three breaths later, she suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze burning red like flames!

"It's done!" Zhu Rong Zhenren was overjoyed.

Almost simultaneously, the two disciples assisted by Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao also broke through to the next level, their flames flaring up and then receding, their auras surging.

Inside the Fire-Suppressing Cave, the heat was intense, yet it also exuded a strange vitality.

Three days later, at dusk, Master Zhurong fulfilled his promise and personally retrieved a Fire Lotus Heart from the core area of ​​Flame Valley—a lotus flower as red as flames, with a golden lotus seed in its center, radiating gentle heat.

Peng Shitao ground the lotus seeds into medicine, combined with other medicinal herbs, and fed it to Bingwei. In less than half a day, the dark green sap on Bingwei's left arm completely disappeared, the wound began to scab over, and her complexion regained its color, but she was still unconscious.

"She has been injured at her core and needs time," said Master Zhurong. "The Earth Fire Lotus Heart has stabilized her injuries; the rest is up to her."

The members of the Holy Sect temporarily stayed at the Burning Heaven Sect, resting and waiting. Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao exchanged ideas with the Burning Heaven Sect disciples daily on the principles of the mutual generation of wood and fire, gaining much insight. After absorbing a small amount of gentle fire energy purified by the Burning Heaven Sect's techniques, the sapling's tender buds miraculously regained their vitality, changing their color from emerald green to a green tinged with gold, appearing even more mystical.

Late that night, Peng Shitao couldn't sleep, so she took her medicine box and went to a small hill outside the camp. She took out the holy water crystal, the red crystal, and the pair of small dolls and placed them in front of her.

Under the moonlight, the three things each glowed: the holy water crystals were pale gold, the red crystals were crimson, and the little doll had a warm, woody sheen.

"Brother Li," she murmured to herself, "you said energy can be transformed, attributes can resonate... What would happen if I combined the vitality of wood, the passion of fire, and the 'spiritual code' of holy water?"

She was just a sixteen-year-old young doctor who didn't understand the profound string theory, but she had a kind of intuition—just like the combination of medicinal herbs, with the principal, assistant, and adjuvant herbs, energy should also have its own "prescription".

She first picked up the holy water crystal and tried to infuse it with a trace of wood-elemental spiritual energy. The light within the crystal flowed faster.

He picked up the red crystal again, hesitated for a moment, and then infused it with a trace of wood-elemental spiritual power. The flames flowing within the crystal suddenly softened.

Finally, she gently placed the two crystals together.

A miracle happened.

Pale gold and crimson light intertwined and merged, transforming into a warm orange-gold halo. The halo spread out, enveloping the two small dolls.

Mu Sheng and Ling Yu's bodies began to glow slightly.

It wasn't the passive energy injection reaction from before, but rather... an active glow, as if it had been awakened.

Peng Shitao held her breath, staring at the little doll's eyes—those eyes, marked with ink dots, seemed to... blink once in the orange-gold halo.

"Clatter".

It was a very soft sound. It didn't come from the little doll, but from behind her.

Peng Shitao turned around abruptly and saw a figure appear on the bank of the lava river below the hill.

The figure stood with his back to her, naked, tall and slender with flowing black hair, looking down at his reflection in the lava. The light from the lava river shone on him, outlining his strong muscles and illuminating the spiderweb-like, not-yet-faded dark red lines on his back.

He slowly turned around.

The moonlight illuminated his face.

Pale, thin, with sunken eyes, but those eyes... Peng Shitao would never mistake them.

"Brother Li... Brother Li?!" Her voice trembled.

Li Xian looked at her, his eyes somewhat blank. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but no sound came out. He raised his hand, looking at his palm—there was a thin orange-gold line there, slowly fading away.

Then, his body went limp and he fell forward.

Peng Shitao cried out and rushed over, catching him before he fell to the ground. His skin was icy cold to the touch, but there, beneath his skin, was a tiny, orange-gold spot of light, pulsating gently, like a newborn heart.

"Brother Li... Brother Li, wake up!" Peng Shitao cried out, frantically checking his pulse and breathing.

It's very faint, but it definitely exists.

He didn't die.

He really came back.

only……

Peng Shitao looked at the dark red patterns on his back, and then at her own reflection in the lava river in the distance—in the reflection, a very thin, flame-shaped golden mark had appeared between Li Xian's eyebrows at some point.

She suddenly remembered something Li Xian had said:

"Energy transformation is essentially the reorganization of information and the replacement of its carrier."

Is the current Li Xian the same Li Xian as before?

Or……

In the shadows across the lava river, a figure in a black robe quietly disappeared.

In the figure's hand, a black communication crystal was flashing, from which Genda Nobutsuna's deep voice could be heard:

"Found him? Good. Remember, I want him alive... fully alive."

(End of Chapter 49)