252: Chapter 252 Devouring the Nameless Flame! The Natal True Flame Transforms!

Under Lu Qiu's meticulous care, the Void Crystal Beast soaked in the spirit eye spring for a full three months and consumed three batches of soul replenishing pills he had specially refined.

Six months passed like flowing water, and the small beast with spatial divine abilities finally fully recovered from its Primordial Spirit trauma.

On this day, with a slight thought, Lu Qiu released the Void Crystal Beast from the spatial bead.

A flash of purple light flickered, and the small beast appeared in the Quiet Room.

It shook its fur, which was as translucent as purple crystal, and a pair of small purple wings as thin as cicada wings spread out with a "shua" sound. It traced an elegant arc in the air and flew rapidly toward Lu Qiu.

When its wings vibrated, they actually left faint silver light trails in the air, a sign that the spatial fluctuations had not yet completely settled.

“Zhi zhi!”

The small beast landed lightly on Lu Qiu's shoulder and nuzzled his cheek affectionately with its tiny head, its purple eyes full of dependence and gratitude.

“Good boy.”

Lu Qiu reached out to stroke it. The purple crystal-like fur felt warm and smooth to the touch, carrying a hint of cool Spiritual Qi.

He could feel that the originally chaotic spatial power within the small beast's body was now as stable as before, and even a bit more pure than before its injury.

Lu Qiu had a thought and wanted to test the little fellow's dietary habits.

He took out a piece of dried hind leg meat from a Fifth-level Demonic Beast, the "Iron Armored Rhinoceros," from his Storage Pouch.

This was a delicacy loved by many Spirit Beasts, and he held it up to the small beast's mouth.

The small beast's tiny nose twitched as it sniffed, then it turned its head away in disgust, not giving it another look.

Lu Qiu didn't mind and took out a pigeon-egg-sized fifth-level monster core.

The monster core was deep blue, with water-attribute Spiritual Qi flowing over its surface; it was the favorite supplement of Yao Beasts.

The small beast leaned in to sniff, a flash of interest appearing in its purple eyes, but it quickly lost interest again and lay lazily back on Lu Qiu's shoulder.

Just as Lu Qiu was wondering what this little fellow actually ate, the Void Crystal Beast's gaze suddenly froze.

Its small head turned toward a corner of the Quiet Room where there was a Formation base; Lu Qiu had just placed a high-grade Spirit Stone in it to provide spiritual power for a certain Formation.

“Zhi zhi! Zhi zhi!”

The small beast suddenly became excited, pointing its tiny paws at the high-grade Spirit Stone and chirping urgently.

It flew off Lu Qiu's shoulder and circled the Spirit Stone, its purple eyes full of longing, and a strand of crystal-clear saliva even dripped from the corner of its mouth.

As the saliva fell, it actually transformed into tiny specks of spiritual light and dissipated in the air.

“Could it be... it eats Spirit Stones?”

Lu Qiu's heart stirred, forming a bold guess.

He took out a mid-grade Spirit Stone—high-grade Spirit Stones were too precious, so he would try a mid-grade one first.

The moment the Spirit Stone was taken out, the small beast pounced with a "sou" sound, grabbing the fist-sized mid-grade Spirit Stone.

It held the Spirit Stone firmly with its two front paws, then opened its small mouth, revealing tiny, crystal-clear teeth, and began to gnaw on the Spirit Stone with a "kacha kacha" sound.

The sound was crisp, like ice being crushed. The Spirit Stone shrank at a visible rate as pure Spiritual Qi was swallowed into the small beast's belly. Its purple fur then took on a layer of warm luster, appearing even more translucent.

Lu Qiu couldn't help but laugh and shake his head.

This little thing was quite a picky eater. It wouldn't eat Yao Beast meat and didn't like monster cores, yet it had a special fondness for Spirit Stones.

A Yao Beast that ate Spirit Stones—in all his years of cultivation, this was the first time he had seen one.

But on second thought, the Void Crystal Beast was born with spatial divine abilities, and the maintenance and execution of spatial power inevitably required a massive amount of Spiritual Qi.

Directly devouring Spirit Stones might be the fastest and most direct way to obtain Spiritual Qi.

“This also means its value is even greater.” A sharp light flickered in Lu Qiu's eyes.

With this little thing, when exploring Secret Realms in the future, it could bypass spatial barriers to scout for danger in advance; when tracking enemies, it could hide in spatial cracks, making it difficult to detect; and if pursued by powerful foes, he might even use its spatial divine abilities to escape instantly.

“What an excellent assistant!”

Lu Qiu was in a great mood as he reached out to gently stroke the small beast that was gnawing on the Spirit Stone.

The small beast squinted its eyes in enjoyment, but its gnawing didn't stop for a second.

It wasn't until the entire mid-grade Spirit Stone was finished that it let out a satisfied burp, exhaling a small puff of pure Spiritual Qi.

“Go inside and rest for now.”

Lu Qiu put the Void Crystal Beast back into the spatial bead and placed about ten mid-grade Spirit Stones in a corner of the bead.

The small beast happily pounced onto the pile of Spirit Stones, grabbed one, and started gnawing "kacha kacha" again.

Watching this scene, Lu Qiu smiled and shook his head, then composed himself and turned his attention to the more important matter ahead.

Six months later.

Deep within Biling Island, in a highly concealed Immortal Cave Quiet Room.

This place was shrouded by triple-layered concealment Formations and protected by natural ley lines outside. Even if a Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator passed nearby, they would find it difficult to notice anything unusual unless they intentionally searched carefully with their Divine Sense.

The Quiet Room was about thirty feet square, with all four walls made of hard Azure Steel Stone, their surfaces etched with dense protective runes that were currently emitting a faint green light. The floor was laid with Warm Jade bricks, which had the effect of calming the mind.

The entire Quiet Room was spotless, except for the center, where Lu Qiu sat cross-legged.

Before him stood a three-legged round cauldron, dark red in color and ancient in design.

The cauldron body was about three feet high with a rounded belly, its three legs firmly gripping the ground like beast claws.

The handles were curved like crescent moons, and the lid was tightly sealed. The entire cauldron had no ornate decorations on its surface, only an understated, heavy texture accumulated through the ages.

Looking closely, the dark red cauldron body had extremely fine natural patterns, like blood vessels and Meridians, yet also like the trajectories of the Dao, profound and difficult to understand.

This was precisely the mysterious ancient cauldron Lu Qiu had obtained years ago in the underground ancient palace of the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land.

The lid was tightly closed, but a gap had been specially carved out of the stone platform beneath the cauldron's belly.

Through the gap, a fist-sized ball of flame could be clearly seen, burning quietly in the center of the cauldron's belly.

The flame was a magnificent scarlet gold, its light warm and not piercing, like liquid gold flowing slowly.

When it burned, it didn't have the explosive flickers of ordinary flames; instead, it was as stable as if it possessed life, eternal and indestructible.

The strangest thing was that this flame clearly emitted a terrifyingly high temperature.

Even the air around the cauldron body was slightly distorted by the heat, but the temperature inside the Quiet Room didn't rise at all. All the heat was firmly locked within the cauldron's belly, without any leakage.

“Nameless scarlet gold Fire...”

Lu Qiu stared at the flame, a flicker of longing in his eyes.

His primary Cultivation Technique, the Crimson Sky Burning Heaven Technique, was a top-tier technique that could enhance one's Natal True Fire by devouring exotic flames.

From the moment he obtained this technique, Lu Qiu's Natal True Fire had continuously evolved and grown stronger through repeated devouring.

During the Foundation Establishment Stage, he devoured the Profound Yang True Fire, gaining the ability to burn all things with extreme Yang power.

After Core Formation, he refined the Qingyang Demonic Fire in a dangerous situation, obtaining the power to corrode bones, wither souls, and shatter Restrictions.

The Fusion of the two flames greatly increased the power of his Natal True Fire, with two distinctly different terrifying characteristics hidden within the gold-and-green flame, making it one of his major trump cards against enemies.

However, since breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage, Lu Qiu could clearly feel that the power of his Natal True Fire was gradually failing to keep up with the increase in his own cultivation.

It was still fine against Cultivators of the same stage, but if he encountered enemies with higher cultivation or special protective means, the threat of the True Fire would be greatly reduced.

He had to further increase the power of his Natal True Fire.

And the only way, naturally, was to continue devouring even more powerful exotic flames to make it evolve once again.

The scarlet gold flame in the cauldron before him was the target Lu Qiu had selected.

The Origin of this flame was mysterious. Lu Qiu had owned the ancient cauldron for so many years but had never been able to determine its roots.

He only knew its power was terrifying.

Back then, just a leaked trace of its aura had almost burned him to ashes when he was in the Foundation Establishment Stage.

Later, during Artifact Refining, no matter what Materials he threw in, it could melt them in an extremely short time, including several types of top-tier refining Materials known to be "unburnable."

Previously, Lu Qiu's cultivation was insufficient, and he didn't dare to entertain ideas about this flame.

Now that his Nascent Soul was formed, his cultivation was stable, and various preparations were in place, it was time to give it a try.

“Hu...”

Lu Qiu took a deep breath to calm his mind and formed a profound hand seal before him.

With a thought, his right hand slowly opened.

“Teng—”

A fist-sized ball of flame emerged from his palm.

The flame appeared in a weave of gold and green. The gold was as fierce as a great sun, while the green was as deep as a ghost realm. The two colors were not simply mixed but were intertwined and flowing like two spirit snakes, forming a dynamic balance.

When the flame flickered, the golden part erupted with an aura of extreme Yang and destruction, while the green part emanated the eerie, soul-corroding pressure of the Demonic Path.

This was Lu Qiu's Natal True Fire—the Chixiao True Fire that fused the characteristics of the Profound Yang True Fire and the Qingyang Demonic Fire.

As soon as the True Fire appeared, the temperature in the Quiet Room surged abruptly.

The air crackled and popped as it was scorched, distorting and forming visible heatwave ripples. Even the protective Restrictions on the walls began to flicker slightly, their green light pulsing urgently as if sensing a massive threat.

Lu Qiu's expression was solemn as his gaze moved back and forth between his Natal True Fire and the scarlet gold flame in the cauldron.

“Let's begin.”

He whispered, and with a gesture of his right hand, the gold-and-green True Fire in his palm slowly floated toward the ancient cauldron.

At the same time, his left hand formed a seal and struck a spell onto the cauldron body.

“Weng—”

The ancient cauldron shook slightly, and the lid opened a tiny crack.

In that very instant, the scarlet gold flame seemed to sense something and suddenly flared up!

An indescribable, terrifying heat erupted from the cauldron. Although Lu Qiu was prepared, he still felt his face burning. His protective spiritual light automatically activated, forming a green light screen in front of him.

“Go!”

Lu Qiu shouted low, and the gold-and-green True Fire slipped into the cauldron through the crack in the lid.

The cauldron lid then closed.

The Quiet Room fell into silence, save for the ancient cauldron, which began to vibrate slightly.

Lu Qiu sat motionless with his eyes tightly shut. His entire mind was invested in the clash inside the cauldron through his connection with his Natal True Fire.

In his perception, the interior of the cauldron had become a battlefield of flames.

After the gold-and-green True Fire entered, it lunged straight at the ball of scarlet gold flame, attempting to envelop and devour it.

However, while the scarlet gold flame appeared gentle, it was actually incomparably domineering. Facing the intrusion of an outsider, it suddenly erupted with overwhelming power, forcing the gold-and-green True Fire back.

The two balls of flame engaged in a fierce confrontation within the cauldron's belly.

The gold-and-green True Fire sometimes transformed into a fire net to envelop its target, and sometimes condensed into a fire spear to pierce it, pushing the incineration power of the Profound Yang True Fire and the corrosive ability of the Qingyang Demonic Fire to their limits.

The scarlet gold flame, on the other hand, exhibited an "invulnerable to all methods" quality. Whether it was extreme Yang or soul-corroding, it remained unmoved, instead using its extremely pure high temperature to gradually scorch and dismantle the offensive of the gold-and-green True Fire.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on Lu Qiu's forehead.

He felt that his Natal True Fire was being suppressed and consumed.

The level of the scarlet gold flame was clearly higher; it was a terrifying existence close to the fire of Origin. If this fire weren't uncontrolled and acting only on instinct, his True Fire would likely have been defeated long ago.

“I can't face it head-on...”

Lu Qiu's mind raced as he changed his strategy.

Under his control, the gold-and-green True Fire no longer tried to devour the other head-on. Instead, it transformed into countless tiny fire threads, spreading out like a spider web and slowly approaching the scarlet gold flame from all directions.

Upon contact, it would immediately peel off an extremely tiny scarlet gold spark and quickly drag it back to its own side to be enveloped and refined by the True Fire.

This was a process of constant dripping wearing away a stone.

With every tiny spark of scarlet gold flame peeled off and refined, Lu Qiu's Natal True Fire would undergo an imperceptible change.

The golden part became more solid, the green part became deeper, and at the junction where the two colors fused, a faint scarlet gold luster began to emerge.

But this process was extremely dangerous.

Although the scarlet gold flame lacked intelligence, it possessed an instinctive sense of retaliation.

Every time a spark was peeled off, it would erupt once. Under the impact of the terrifying heat, a portion of Lu Qiu's Natal True Fire would be burned away.

It was equivalent to using the depletion of his own True Fire to exchange for the Fusion of a trace of the opponent's power.

This was a war of attrition, and also a contest of will.

Lu Qiu gritted his teeth and persisted, constantly drawing spiritual power from his body to replenish the consumption of his Natal True Fire. The Nascent Soul sat cross-legged in his Dantian, its small face solemn as its hands formed seals, and pure Nascent Soul spiritual power surged out incessantly like a river.

One day, two days...

One month, two months...

Time passed in a silent tug-of-war. In the Quiet Room, Lu Qiu sat motionless like a stone statue, with only the ancient cauldron before him vibrating incessantly. The temperature of the cauldron body grew higher and higher, and the dark red surface gradually became bright, as if it were about to be heated to a glow by the internal fire.

The clash inside the cauldron had reached a fever pitch.

At this moment, nearly one-third of the gold-and-green True Fire had been transformed into scarlet gold. The three colors intertwined and flowed, and its power had clearly increased by a level.

But the scarlet gold flame still resisted stubbornly. It seemed to have been infuriated; at the core of the flame, a piercing golden-white point of light was condensing, emitting a destructive aura that made Lu Qiu's heart skip a beat.

“One last push.”

Lu Qiu knew the critical moment had arrived. He suddenly opened his eyes, and phantoms of gold, green, and scarlet gold flames flashed through them.

He gave a low roar and spat out a small clump of Essence Blood.

The Essence Blood did not dissipate after leaving his body but instead transformed into blood-colored runes that vanished into the ancient cauldron in a flash.

At the same time, the Nascent Soul in his Dantian turned pale, its radiance dimming slightly as a stream of the purest Origin power surged through his Meridians and into the cauldron.

With the addition of the Nascent Soul's Origin, the Natal True Fire in the cauldron surged in power. The scarlet gold portion expanded rapidly, transforming into an overwhelming fire curtain that swept toward the final core of the scarlet gold flame.

The scarlet gold flame resisted frantically, and that golden-white point of light exploded!

“Boom—!!!”

Even through the ancient cauldron, a muffled, thunderous sound echoed in the Quiet Room.

The entire Immortal Cave was vibrating, the protective runes on the walls flashed wildly, and cracks even appeared in several places.

Lu Qiu let out a muffled groan, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but his gaze was as sharp as a blade as his hands changed the spell seal.

“Refine!”

Inside the cauldron, the Natal True Fire finally swallowed the last core of the scarlet gold flame. The three flames began their final Fusion and transformation...

In the blink of an eye, another three months passed.

On this day, the ancient cauldron that had been silent for a long time in the Quiet Room suddenly emitted a clear, resonant hum.

“Weng—”

The cauldron lid opened automatically.

A brand-new ball of flame rose slowly from the cauldron.

The flame was still fist-sized, but its color had completely changed.

It was a deep scarlet gold, as if molten scarlet gold were flowing, its light reserved and noble. At the core of the flame, golden, green, and scarlet gold light points could be vaguely seen flowing like stars, fusing with each other to form a perfect balance.

The most miraculous thing was that this flame had developed a faint trace of spirituality. It burned quietly, yet gave off a feeling of being "alive," as if it had its own breath and heartbeat.

The air around the flame no longer distorted, because all the heat was perfectly contained within the flame itself; only when it wanted to release it would it erupt with the power to incinerate the heavens and boil the seas.

Lu Qiu opened his eyes and looked at the transformed Natal True Fire before him, a smile finally appearing on his pale face.

Six months of hard work and several dangerous encounters had finally paid off.

With a thought, the scarlet gold True Fire floated to his palm, dancing submissively.

Through his mental connection, Lu Qiu could clearly perceive the three characteristics contained within:

The extreme Yang incineration of the Profound Yang True Fire, the soul-corroding and Restriction-breaking of the Qingyang Demonic Fire, and the terrifying power of the nameless scarlet gold flame to "refine all things and return them to the Origin."

Now that the three characteristics were perfectly fused, the power of his Natal True Fire had increased by more than several times!

He opened his mouth and inhaled, and the Three-Colored Chixiao True Fire turned into a streak of light and entered his body, returning to his Dantian and floating quietly beneath the Nascent Soul like a fire spirit submissive to its emperor.

Feeling the closer connection between the True Fire and the Nascent Soul, as well as that majestic power, Lu Qiu nodded with satisfaction.

This devouring was a success.