227: Chapter 227 Burning Baptism

As expected, there was still one condition missing.

The spirit attribute must also reach the Level 5 cap!

As the System prompts appeared one after another, Chu Xuan immediately understood the reason for all this.

In that flash of thought, Chu Xuan directly ignored what the Baptism of the Fire of Nirvana was; there was no turning back now, and he couldn't afford a moment's hesitation, so he immediately made his choice.

—Yes.

[You have consumed 1,000 spirituality value. You will undergo the Baptism of the Fire of Nirvana. Time limit: 24 hours.]

[23:59:59]

[23:59:58]

[...]

As Chu Xuan made his choice, a distinct burning pain suddenly emerged from his heart in an instant. It was faint at first, but in the blink of an eye, the pain became intense.

The next second, the burning pain suddenly spread throughout his entire body.

Wisps of black flames emerged from the surface of Chu Xuan's body, instantly spreading everywhere.

The flames were extremely faint, almost imperceptible without careful observation, and they didn't burn his clothes. However, they felt like tens of thousands of steel needles piercing his skin and pores, ruthlessly boring into his muscles and bones.

Chu Xuan gritted his teeth, but he still couldn't help letting out a low growl. This pain wasn't just physical; it felt as if his entire Soul was being burned by intense flames.

This pain, like a thousand cuts and the tearing of his Soul, was far more intense than the crimson flames unleashed by the Azure Dragon that he had endured in his dreams.

"W-what is this?"

The Phantom Demon's startled cry suddenly rang in his ears: "You lowly insect, what are you doing?!"

A familiar sense of dread appeared as the Phantom Demon once again released its unique S-rank Specter aura. Chu Xuan felt as if a massive shadow was enveloping him, and his vision became hazy and kaleidoscopic.

But in an instant, all those feelings of fear and darkness vanished completely, without leaving a trace of influence.

Everything was replaced by the intense pain of being scorched by the black flames.

[Tempered by fire, reborn anew. You are undergoing the Baptism of the Fire of Nirvana... It has been detected that you have 29 spirituality value remaining. Do you wish to use it all to fuel the Fire of Nirvana?]

"Tempering... rebirth... so this is the Baptism of the Fire of Nirvana? Good, this is much better than self-harm... Use it all as fuel!!"

Chu Xuan roared through gritted teeth, his eyes bloodshot and his expression uncontrollably contorted. Yet, he felt an immense sense of satisfaction; this was the first time he had successfully resisted the Phantom Demon's aura erosion.

[Tempered in pain, sublimated through hardship. You have used 29 spirituality value. The Fire of Nirvana has been fueled, accelerating your baptism progress by 41 minutes and 45 seconds.]

[Remaining time: 23:17:58]

The black flames spreading across his body suddenly leaped an inch higher. Along with it, a sensation far more painful than before swept through him. His whole body couldn't stop shaking, and even his Soul seemed to be trembling incessantly.

"Ah!!"

The Phantom Demon's startled cry turned into a scream of agony: "This pain... what on earth are you doing? Why... why is my power disappearing... I haven't even truly manifested in this world yet..."

[Your spirituality value +1]

[Your spirituality value +1]

[...]

Almost every two or three seconds, the System popped up a "spirituality value +1" notification. Chu Xuan's spirituality value had been empty, but now it was rapidly increasing.

"Chu Xuan, what's wrong?"

Standing at the door, Tang Zheng noticed Chu Xuan's abnormality and rushed over, grabbing his arm. But in the next instant, he jerked it back as if bitten by a venomous snake.

"Holy crap! What is this thing? It hurts..."

A wisp of fire was seen coiling around Tang Zheng's hand, spreading across his palm in the blink of an eye. He shook his hand repeatedly until it finally went out.

His palm was only slightly singed, causing little physical damage, but Tang Zheng's face was somewhat pale. Then, his eyes widened: "Damn it, why did my spirituality value drop by 5 points?"

[Your spirituality value +5]

At the same time, Chu Xuan received a new System notification and immediately understood that these 5 points of spirituality value came from Tang Zheng.

This discovery made Chu Xuan instantly realize the horror of the Fire of Nirvana; it could actually burn others' spirituality value and convert it for his own use.

Not only was the Phantom Demon affected, but others in reality were as well!

"Tang Zheng... don't worry about me. Help me guard the door and don't let anyone in..."

Chu Xuan couldn't move at all. He gritted his teeth and spoke with difficulty: "Especially watch out for He Jun. If he tries to force his way in, take him down!"

"But you..."

Tang Zheng was momentarily stunned, staring blankly at Chu Xuan, who was covered in black flames. After a few seconds, his gaze turned resolute. Without saying another word, he turned and walked out the door.

"I won't let anyone in!"

With a thud, the metal door slammed shut.

Chu Xuan was left alone in the detention room.

[Tempered by fire, reborn anew. It has been detected that your spirituality value is continuously increasing and has reached 20 points. Do you wish to use it all to fuel the Fire of Nirvana?]

"Use it all! Including all the spirituality value I gain from now on—use it all to fuel the Fire of Nirvana!"

Chu Xuan's eyes were bloodshot.

As the flames continued to rise, the pain grew more intense. Yet, Chu Xuan felt no fear because he could also hear the Phantom Demon's agonizing screams, which seemed even worse than his own.

The constant "spirituality value +1" notifications from the System gave Chu Xuan a strange sense of pleasure and satisfaction amidst the pain of being burned.

[Tempered in pain, sublimated through hardship. You have used 20 spirituality value. The Fire of Nirvana has been fueled, accelerating your baptism progress by 28 minutes and 48 seconds.]

[Remaining time: 22:49:03]

"Come on, let's enjoy the pain together!"

As the spirituality gains continued to be converted into fuel, Chu Xuan collapsed to the ground with a thud, yet he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

As the black flames burned brighter and brighter, every inch of his skin, flesh, and bone quickly turned yellow and then black in the fire, making a sizzling sound. The muscles beneath, also slightly blackened by the heat, were exposed.

Even his internal organs and bone marrow were burning.

Yet, there seemed to be a unique vitality hidden within these black flames, as if the extreme of misfortune had brought a turn for the better, blooming with new life amidst nirvana.

"Damn it! Damn it!"

The Phantom Demon's gentle voice was long gone, replaced by hysterical roars: "What on earth is this... Why is it able to harm me..."

Its voice paused as the Phantom Demon suddenly became terrified: "What? This is... the Fire of Nirvana? A Purifier? I have received the calling of the True God; this is a Purifier's Fire of Nirvana. When did you..."

"No! This must be the method you got from Future Tang Zheng in your dream!"

The Phantom Demon let out a furious and shrill roar: "This is the certain-kill guidance promised by the True God. Go to hell!!"

"I won't give you any chance to turn the tables. Even if my parasitism fails, I can still find redemption and new life. But you, you shall perish completely along with this last remaining Legacy!"

"You, and your world, are destined to have no future!!"

The Phantom Demon's crazed laughter kept crashing against him, and Chu Xuan felt his vision blur slightly.

And then... nothing.

That was all.

Compared to the intense pain deep within his spirit and Soul while being burned by the Fire of Nirvana—as if countless sharp spikes were stabbing into his brain and churning violently—the Phantom Demon's impact was truly insignificant.