After listening to Murong Yue's explanation, a burning passion ignited in Mo Chen's eyes.
"Master," he couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is the Heavenly Dao Flame? This disciple has never heard of it before."
Murong Yue's lips curved slightly, her gaze gently falling on him: "The Heavenly Dao Flame is not something that can be refined later; it is a strange fire born naturally from heaven and earth." "
Its attributes are incredibly diverse. Some can control people's minds, causing them to lose their way; some are so violent that they can burn everything; some possess a strange ability to devour; some can turn water into ice; some feed on lightning..."
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"There are forty-nine kinds of Heavenly Dao Flames in the world, and anyone who obtains even one is a person of great fortune."
Mo Chen's heart trembled.
"The Heavenly Flame has no rank, but there is a Heavenly Flame Ranking. The higher the ranking, the stronger the power."
"However, the ranking is not absolute. A newly born flame, no matter how strong, can hardly defeat an old flame that has grown for hundreds or even thousands of years."
Silence nodded repeatedly.
So there really were such heaven-defying things in this world.
Murong Yue looked at him, her eyes filled with expectation: "I believe in you. With your Blazing Sun Body, you are naturally compatible with the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame. If it were someone else, I would hesitate, but you might be able to tame this Heavenly Flame." Silence clasped his hands: "This
disciple will not fail Master's expectations!"
He was equally excited.
If he could tame the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, his combat power would undergo a true transformation.
...
The next day.
In front of the deep pool of the Qingxuan Sect, disciples gathered.
No one expected that the entrance to the Qingxuan Cave Heaven was actually behind the waterfall, which surprised many disciples.
At this moment, the area behind the waterfall was shrouded in a layer of azure flames.
Flames rolled and heat waves swept over, making it difficult to breathe even from several meters away. Even Core Formation cultivators dared not approach rashly.
Murong Yue, Liu Yuanfeng, and Song Chaofeng simultaneously unleashed their spiritual power, attacking the flames at the cave entrance.
Three powerful forces crashed into the azure flames, causing the azure fire curtain to tremble violently and visibly weaken.
Behind the three stood Chen Mo, Liu Yunxuan, and Song Junjie.
These three were the disciples who had been granted entry into the Azure Profound Cave Heaven.
Xiao Fan and Liu Fei were also among the crowd below.
Xiao Fan stared intently at the three figures ahead, his eyes filled with undisguised jealousy and resentment.
"I should be standing there!" A ferocious beast seemed to roar within him.
Liu Fei, sensing his emotions, quickly and softly comforted him, "Brother Xiao Fan, in my heart, you will always be the best." "
It's just the Azure Profound Cave Heaven, so what if I miss it? My father can provide you with many other resources."
Xiao Fan forced a smile.
But he knew in his heart—he should have been the one to enter and tame the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame.
But now he could only stand in the distance, like an outsider, watching his opportunity being taken away step by step by others.
"Could it be… that Heaven truly doesn't favor me?" His eyes dimmed. "Am I really not a genius?" He
glanced silently at the crowd, seeing the dejected figure, but his expression remained calm.
When he first met Xiao Fan, his destiny chart did indeed indicate that he would enter the Azure Profound Cave Heaven and tame the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame.
However, he had intercepted Xiao Fan's Heavenly Rank cultivation technique and Heavenly Rank physique beforehand.
Once the cultivation rhythm was disrupted, everything would be lost.
Before the Azure Profound Cave Heaven opened, Xiao Fan hadn't even reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and was currently stuck at the peak of Qi Condensation, so naturally he wasn't qualified to be selected.
Fate is something that can sometimes be completely rewritten with a gentle push.
Silently, he withdrew his gaze and silently looked at his own destiny chart.
[Name: Silent]
[Realm: Early Foundation Establishment]
[Destiny: Descendant of a Pharmacist, Innately Wise, Obsessed with Sword Dao, Fair Luck, Body Burned by the Blazing Sun]
[Fate: Ultimately reaches the peak of Foundation Establishment. Five years later, dies in battle when the Divine Sword Sect attacks the Azure Profound Sect.]
[Recent Opportunity: Today, enters the Azure Profound Cave Heaven for cultivation.]
[Recent Variable 1: One month later, while cultivating in the Azure Profound Cave Heaven, is severely injured by Liu Yunxuan, who has already tamed the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, and his realm makes no progress.] [
Recent Variable 2: A month and a half later, upon leaving Qingxuan Cave, he was framed by Liu Yunxuan, who claimed that Chen Mo had caused Song Junjie's death.]
Chen Mo sighed inwardly.
It seems the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame will most likely fall into Liu Yunxuan's hands first.
He was curious about what the other party possessed that allowed him to tame such a violent Heavenly Dao Flame.
With a thought, he glanced at Liu Yunxuan's destiny chart.
[Name: Liu Yunxuan]
[Realm: Foundation Establishment Great Completion]
[Destiny: Lucky Star, Elegant Demeanor, Able to Turn Misfortune into Good Fortune, Smooth Sailing, Lesser Yin Profound Ice Body]
[Fate: Reached the peak of Core Formation, later joined the Divine Sword Sect as an inner sect elder. Forty years later, while seizing a Earth-rank treasure, he was besieged by three Core Formation cultivators, his old injuries recurred, and he suffered additional external injuries, ultimately being killed by the three of them.]
[Recent Opportunity 1: Today, obtained the qualification to cultivate in the Azure Profound Cave Heaven.]
[Recent Opportunity 2: One month later, with the help of the Heavenly Dao Crystals provided by his father Liu Yuanfeng, he found the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame in the fourth level of the Azure Profound Cave Heaven, barely managed to tame it, greatly increasing his strength, but leaving him with serious internal injuries.] "
Heaven and Earth Dao Crystal? Never heard of it, but just from the name, you know it's no ordinary object. It must be a treasure for taming the Heaven and Earth Dao Flame. No wonder he was able to find and tame it so quickly."
"But as I expected, he only managed to tame it with difficulty. After all, his physique is ice-attribute, which is more suitable for ice-type Heaven and Earth Dao Flames, while the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame is pure fire-attribute."
He then looked at Song Junjie.
[Name: Song Junjie]
[Realm: Early Foundation Establishment]
[Destiny: Amazing luck, handsome appearance, proficient in both sword and saber, Wind and Thunder Sword Body]
[Fate: One month later, with the help of the Heaven and Earth Dao Crystal, he will find the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, only to discover that Liu Yunxuan has already taken it. In order to seize Liu Yunxuan's Heaven and Earth Dao Flame, he will be killed by Liu Yunxuan in return.]
[Recent Opportunities: Today, he obtained the qualification to cultivate in the Azure Profound Cave Heaven.]
He shook his head silently.
His strength was not good, his luck was also average, and he still wanted to seize the Heaven and Earth Dao Flame.
It would be a miracle if he wasn't killed in return.
Just then, Murong Yue suddenly raised an eyebrow.
Liu Yuanfeng and Song Chaofeng simultaneously noticed that the power of the azure flames was rapidly diminishing, and the three secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Directly using spiritual power to force open the cave against the azure flames was extremely taxing; even though they were all Core Formation cultivators, they couldn't sustain it for long.
Murong Yue immediately spoke: "The flames at the entrance to the Azure Profound Cave Heaven are about to dissipate. You only have thirty breaths."
"Two months later, I, the Vice Sect Master, and the Grand Elder will join forces again to open the cave entrance. Remember the time." "
If you miss the opportunity to exit, you'll have to wait another fifty years!"
The three silent figures responded in unison: "Understood!"
A few breaths later, the azure flames completely disappeared.
The three lightly touched their toes, transforming into three streams of light, instantly rushing into the Azure Profound Cave Heaven.
After the three entered, Murong Yue and the other two simultaneously withdrew their hands, and the azure flames rose again, completely sealing the entrance.
Liu Yuanfeng suddenly chuckled, "Sect Leader, aren't you leaving?"
Murong Yue sat down cross-legged, her expression indifferent, "I'll wait for them here for two months."
Liu Yuanfeng and Song Chaofeng exchanged a glance, a cold smile playing on their lips, but said nothing more, turning and leaving.
The waterfall roared on and on.
Only Murong Yue remained, waiting quietly.
Passing through the layer of azure flames, the view suddenly opened up before Mo Chen.
All around were dark blue rock walls, studded with crystals that emitted a faint, cold light.
There was no sunlight, but visibility was excellent. He quickly realized they were standing at the very top of the Azure Profound Cave Heaven.
Looking down, the dense network of branching passages resembled a giant spider web, layer upon layer, making one dizzy just looking at it.
"It's so hot..." Song Junjie couldn't help but mutter.
Mo Chen glanced at him, realizing he felt it too; the temperature inside the cave was at least twice that outside, the heatwave like a sauna.
Fortunately, they were both Foundation Establishment cultivators, their physiques far surpassing those of the Qi Condensation stage. In the past, he would probably have been drenched in sweat.
"The spiritual energy here is ridiculously dense," Liu Yunxuan said, taking a deep breath, his face showing amazement.
Mo Chen also tried inhaling.
The scorching spiritual energy rushed straight to his dantian, and his five-colored Dao Foundation, like a gluttonous beast, swallowed the spiritual energy whole, rapidly refining it into pure liquid spiritual power.
The vortex had long been suppressed by the Dao Foundation, leaving only a clear pool of spiritual liquid in the dantian, quietly supporting the five-colored platform.
Liu Yunxuan and Song Junjie were also adjusting their state, adapting to the heatwave.
Song Junjie suddenly turned away and said sarcastically, "I heard Junior Brother Shen has forged a perfect Dao Foundation?"
Silence ignored him and casually chose a side path to walk down.
This indifferent attitude was the most infuriating, like punching cotton. Song Junjie immediately became furious: "So what if you have a Heavenly Rank physique? So what if you have a perfect Dao Foundation? If you don't grow, you're still just a piece of trash!"
Silence paused, turned back, and smiled faintly: "How do you know I have a Heavenly Rank physique?"
Song Junjie was stunned, immediately realizing he had let something slip.
"Master's decree forbids anyone from revealing my physique." The silent voice was soft. "Senior Brother Song, your information network is quite impressive?"
He paused, his tone becoming even more sarcastic. "Oh, by the way, your father is the Grand Elder. Looks like the Grand Elder leaked the information?"
"Tsk tsk, what does the Grand Elder mean by this? Openly ignoring the Sect Master's decree? Could he have some other scheme?"
After a few words, Song Junjie's face flushed red. "You're talking nonsense! My father is utterly loyal to the Qingxuan Sect! I… I learned from…"
He stammered for a long time, unable to come up with a decent excuse.
"I will report to Master truthfully after we leave Qingxuan Cave Heaven."
Song Junjie was furious and instinctively wanted to rush forward.
Liu Yunxuan grabbed him and whispered, "Junjie, don't be impulsive!"
He lowered his voice, "Have you forgotten our real purpose in entering Qingxuan Cave Heaven? Now is not the time to turn against him."
"We can deal with him after we get that thing."
Song Junjie took a few deep breaths, barely suppressing his anger, "Yes... I almost got enraged by him."
"Thank you for reminding me, Brother Yunxuan."
Liu Yunxuan smiled, "There's no need for thanks between brothers. We're closer than blood brothers, of course I'm on your side."
"If we can't get that treasure, I'll give it to you. In short, it must not fall into Mochen's hands."
"Good! Brother Yunxuan is indeed loyal!" Song Junjie felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
Mochen listened to the two whispering from afar. Poor Song Junjie, he was being sold out and was still helping the seller count the money. Liu Yunxuan had dug such a deep pit, yet he still thought the other was a true brother.
No wonder both of them possessed Heavenly Dao Crystals, but in the end, the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame ended up in Liu Yunxuan's hands instead of Song Junjie's.
This kid's mind was indeed worrying.
The three quickly parted ways, silently heading straight for the deepest part without looking back.
He had already seen the key information in Liu Yunxuan's destiny panel: the fourth cave!
In other words, the deepest part of the Azure Profound Cave Heaven wasn't just one cave, but nested layer upon layer.
As for the numbering, it was most likely a mark left by predecessors.
He had to find it before Liu Yunxuan could use the Heavenly Dao Crystals to locate and tame the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame!
With a clear goal, the temptations along the way became dispensable.
Even if he passed a cave with thirty times the spiritual energy, he only glanced at it without stopping.
That was the advantage of having a clear goal.
Everything else was insignificant.
A few days later, he arrived at a fork in the road.
The temperature here was already uncomfortably high.
Fortunately, he possessed the ability to withstand intense heat, making him far more tolerant of high temperatures than the average person. So, he felt like he was taking a hot bath, and it wasn't even burning painfully yet.
"Sure enough, there are several deep caves."
Six dark tunnels stretched before him, each leading downwards, their destinations unknown. Beside the tunnel entrances, someone had carved numbers with a weapon:
one to six.
Without hesitation, Mo Chen chose the fourth tunnel and began descending.
The heat intensified along the way, forcing him to stop several times to retrieve water from his storage ring and gulp it down.
Ten more days passed.
The surrounding temperature suddenly skyrocketed.
The light in the cave became increasingly blinding.
Mo Chen, far from being alarmed, was overjoyed.
This temperature, this brightness—it was definitely the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame!
"My darling, here I come!"
A smile spread across his face, and he quickened his pace.
Rounding a bend, a pool of emerald green "lake" suddenly appeared before him.
Upon closer inspection, it wasn't a lake at all, but a sea of fire!
A shimmering green ocean of flames, churning with liquid fire spirit energy—fire spirit liquid!
And in the center of this sea of fire, a lotus-shaped flame burned quietly.
Nine petals encircled the center, like a blooming red lotus.
It was indeed the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame!
Sensing the unfamiliar presence, the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame trembled slightly, instinctively preparing to launch an attack.
Silent's eyes flashed, and he swiftly removed his disciple's robe.
He then activated the *Hellfire Annihilation Scripture*, fully revealing his Blazing Sun Body.
A blazing red light shone from his chest, as hot as a branding iron. Nine lines of fire spread from his heart, extending towards his head, hands, and feet.
The Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, about to erupt, suddenly stopped.
Then, it lunged at Silent with even greater speed.
Silent took a deep breath and stood still.
The Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame quickly closed in.
The flames soon wrapped around his ankles, instantly turning his boots to ash.
The flames engulfed his calves, burning his trousers to ashes as well.
In the blink of an eye, Silent was naked, revealing his muscular body.
Wherever the flames passed, a strong burning sensation followed.
Silent gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, remaining motionless.
He feared that the slightest movement would frighten the little creature away.
The Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame circled him once, as if examining and confirming his presence.
Finally, it seemed to emit a hint of satisfaction.
The next moment, it pounced straight at Silent's lower abdomen!
"Hiss...!"
Silent gasped, clenching his teeth.
Good heavens, any lower and I'd be a eunuch!
"Little guy, don't be in such a hurry... Come on, take it slow, brother will take you home."
He endured the excruciating pain, reaching out to guide the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame into his mouth.
The Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame seized the opportunity, joyfully rushing into his mouth.
The moment the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame entered his body, Mo Chen felt as if he had swallowed a piece of burning red-hot coal and stuffed it into his internal organs.
The scorching heat exploded instantly, and his meridians, flesh, and bones reacted almost simultaneously, instinctively repelling and contracting, desperately trying to expel this foreign object.
He gritted his teeth, letting the veins on his forehead bulge, forcefully suppressing the tearing pain, guiding it little by little downwards, straight to his dantian.
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Wherever the flame passed, his meridians felt as if fire snakes were drilling through them, his skin and flesh emitted a subtle yet piercing "sizzle," and it felt as if lava was churning and flowing within his bones.
Silently, the phrase "heatstroke," which he had heard of in his past life, inexplicably flashed through his mind—high temperatures causing organ failure and functional shutdown.
The feeling he was experiencing now was similar.
"Hold on... just a little longer!"
He gritted his teeth, raised his hand, and poured out two bottles of Foundation Strengthening Pills and three bottles of Healing Pills, swallowing them whole.
At the same time, he pushed the *Hellfire Annihilation Scripture* to its limit, and his torn flesh began to regenerate. However, the newly formed tissue was quickly scorched black by the terrifying heat.
Destruction, regeneration, destruction, and more regeneration... For ten whole days, his body was torn between these two extremes.
Until one moment, the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame finally reached his dantian.
In that instant, all the turmoil seemed to be switched off; the flame gently swirled, as if finding its true home, quietly resting upon the five-colored Dao Foundation.
Immediately afterward, a sudden change occurred. A massive amount of spiritual energy surged in like a burst dam, frantically pouring into the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, causing the fire to rise rapidly and its aura to surge.
Almost instantly, thirty percent of the spiritual power within Chen Mo's body was completely drained.
Fortunately, this near-predatory absorption only lasted for a dozen breaths before gradually subsiding, and the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame returned to stillness.
Chen Mo slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air—it was done.
From now on, this Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame would obey his will; with just a thought, he could summon it at will, its power entirely under his control. He looked down at himself and couldn't help but give a bitter smile: "As thin as a bamboo pole." It was indeed pitiful; almost half of the water in his body had evaporated, and he looked as if he had shed a layer of skin
.
If he hadn't already established his foundation, possessing a physique far surpassing ordinary people, and hadn't happened to have the top-tier fire-attribute physique of the Blazing Sun Body, an ordinary cultivator would likely have been reduced to ashes by forcibly taming the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame.
Liu Yunxuan had clearly endured it head-on, no wonder he suffered such severe internal injuries. He
silently calmed his mind and examined his dantian.
Originally, it was a lake of spiritual energy, with his Dao Foundation floating above it.
But now, the lake had clearly shrunk, and a crimson flame burned quietly above his Dao Foundation.
He roughly estimated that
even without doing anything, just the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame "lying" there would consume one-tenth of his spiritual energy every ten breaths.
This number was somewhat frightening.
Keep in mind, he cultivated the Heavenly Rank technique "Hellfire Annihilation Scripture," and his Dao Foundation was already at a perfected stage, meaning his spiritual energy recovery speed far exceeded that of cultivators of the same level. Even so, he could barely keep up with this consumption.
If he were to actually use the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame to fight someone, the consumption would only be even more terrifying.
"No wonder..." Silent shook his head and chuckled, "Ordinary cultivators could hardly tame this thing."
This wasn't a rare treasure; it was a naked spiritual energy vacuum cleaner.
For ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, even if they were lucky enough to cultivate a high-grade Xuan-level technique and establish a perfect Dao foundation, they would already be considered geniuses.
But with that level of recovery speed, at most one-thirtieth of their spiritual energy could be replenished in ten breaths.
No matter how desperately they cultivated, they couldn't fill the bottomless pit of the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame.
The final outcome would be nothing more than being drained dry, turning into a dried-up corpse.
"Wait..."
Silent was about to get up when he suddenly stopped.
"My realm..."
Silent was stunned: "When did I reach the minor completion of Foundation Establishment?!"
Just now, he had focused all his attention on taming the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame and hadn't paid any attention to his own changes.
Now, thinking about it carefully, it made sense.
In the past ten days, he had been using Foundation Strengthening Pills almost non-stop, and the Hellfire Annihilation Scripture had been running at high speed the whole time. In addition, the terrifying high temperature of the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame had accelerated the refining of the medicinal power.
And so, without realizing it, he had reached the Lesser Completion of Foundation Establishment.
"I still have a whole bunch of Foundation Strengthening Pills here..."
Silently glancing at his storage bag and sensing the dense, almost viscous spiritual energy within the cave, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Without seizing this opportunity, I'd be doing myself a disservice!"
He dumped out all the Foundation Strengthening Pills Murong Yue had given him, stuffing them into his mouth like candy, and then unleashed his full power.
In an instant, he seemed to become the eye of a storm.
The surrounding spiritual energy surged towards him like madmen.
More importantly, influenced by the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, the spiritual energy within the Azure Profound Cave was almost entirely fire-attribute.
And his physique was the same—a perfect match.
Meanwhile,
Liu Yunxuan, panting heavily, finally arrived at the fourth level of the cave.
The guidance of the Heavenly Dao Crystal wasn't very accurate to begin with; he could only roughly determine that the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame was between the fourth and fifth levels, but he guessed wrong and went to the fifth level first.
The deepest part was empty, so he had to turn back and rush to the fourth level, which he had finally reached.
"The temperature... how come it's about the same as the fifth level?"
Liu Yunxuan frowned, a faint unease rising in his heart.
He rounded a bend, and his entire body froze.
Before him lay a vast, crimson-orange "lake."
No, not a lake, but a sea of fire!
A saturation of fire spirit liquid!
"Here!"
Liu Yunxuan almost roared, "The Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame must be here!"
Overjoyed, he quickly pulled out a bead radiating cold energy and crushed it violently.
Layers of icy mist instantly exploded, enveloping him entirely.
This was the Ice Mist Bead—a Xuan-rank treasure given to him by his father, Liu Yuanfeng, before he entered the cave.
Each use provided insulation against the intense heat, lasting at least a quarter of an hour. Not top-tier, but not cheap either.
He had already used six along the way, leaving him with very few; he had to save them to deal with the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame.
Protected by the Ice Mist Bead, Liu Yunxuan stepped into the sea of fire without hesitation, heading towards the center.
One step, two steps, three steps…
He gritted his teeth, persevering with all his might.
Because he knew, hope was right before him.
If he could just hold on, he could obtain the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, tame it, and become a genius who could control the flames of heaven and earth!
Since the founding of the Qingxuan Sect, no one had ever successfully tamed the flames of heaven and earth.
Not even the sect's founding patriarch had done so.
If he succeeded, he would be the first person in the history of the Qingxuan Sect.
Even if he switched to another sect in the future, with the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, he would be able to overwhelm all his peers.
Therefore, he had to obtain it!
One hundred steps, two hundred steps...
Liu Yunxuan finally reached the shore.
Then, he saw a figure in the flames.
The person sat cross-legged on the ground, completely naked.
Crimson flames wrapped around his entire body as if they were real, and his muscle lines appeared cold and sharp in the firelight, like a king who wielded the flames.
Liu Yunxuan's breath hitched. He knew that face too well; day and night, he had wanted to devour it alive.
Silence.
Wasn't the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame he had been dreaming of wrapped around him?
Liu Yunxuan's handsome face instantly twisted, his eyes wide with rage.
"Silence! I'll kill you!"
he roared, drawing his longsword and charging towards Silence.
A murderous intent surged, and Mo Chen instinctively sensed the danger, his eyes snapping open.
The sword tip was aimed straight for his throat, and he almost reflexively dodged to the side.
The blade barely grazed his neck, bringing a chill.
At the same time, a red flame flashed in Mo Chen's palm, swift as lightning, and he struck Liu Yunxuan's chest with a backhand!
A full-force blow!
Boom!
Liu Yunxuan was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.
His sword slipped from his hand, and before it even hit the ground, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
The blood evaporated instantly in the intense heat, dissipating completely.
Liu Yunxuan's face was filled with terror: "You… your cultivation level?!"
Mo Chen's eyes gradually focused.
He had been completely absorbed in his cultivation, and that dodge and strike were purely muscle memory.
Only now did he realize what had happened.
Using the power of the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame, mobilizing all his spiritual energy, he had severely injured Liu Yunxuan with a single blow.
This power was far beyond what a Foundation Establishment cultivator should possess!
He looked inward and discovered that the spiritual energy lake in his dantian had expanded several times.
"I... I've completed the Foundation Establishment stage?!"
Silence was overjoyed.
Looking around at the sea of fire, he instantly understood.
This sea of fire was full of fire spirit liquid, but now it was less than half of what it was when he first arrived; he had swallowed at least three-quarters of it.
"No wonder my cultivation level increased so quickly."
"Master underestimated me, and also underestimated the concentration of spiritual energy in the Azure Profound Cave Heaven."
Silence grinned from ear to ear.
Meanwhile, Liu Yunxuan's face had changed from fear to utter terror.
Before Silence could make another move, he struggled to his feet and staggered away,
terrified that Silence would catch up and kill him.
Silence watched his disheveled retreating figure and sneered.
He wouldn't kill Liu Yunxuan now.
It would feel good, but killing him would completely sever ties, leaving no room for reconciliation between the sect leader's lineage and Vice Sect Leader Liu Yuanfeng's lineage.
This wouldn't be good for the sect.
Although Liu Yuanfeng secretly colluded with the Divine Sword Sect, he outwardly still respected Murong Yue as the sect leader, at least maintaining basic order.
Now that Shen Mo had completely crushed Liu Yunxuan, there would be plenty of ways to deal with him in the future, so there was no need to rush.
"The most important thing now is to absorb all the fire spirit liquid here; we can't waste it."
Chen Mo sat down again and continued cultivating.
Liu Yunxuan's appearance was just a minor episode.
It didn't cause any major disturbances.
Time passed day by day.
In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.
Chen Mo had completely absorbed the fire spirit liquid gathered by the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame.
The temperature here had clearly dropped.
His realm hadn't broken through any further, but he could clearly feel that his Foundation Establishment Great Completion was now completely stable. Once
he left the Azure Profound Cave Heaven, even if he relied on a ton of Foundation Consolidation Pills, he could reach the peak of Foundation Establishment in at most three months.
"It's time to go."
Chen Mo took out a new inner disciple robe from his storage ring, put it on, and strode towards the entrance.
He timed it perfectly.
Traveling at full speed, he could reach the entrance in five days.
Worried that Liu Yunxuan or Song Junjie might sabotage him halfway, he deliberately ended his cultivation a day early.
"I severely injured Liu Yunxuan, and the residual power of the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame still lingers in his body. Even with a healing treasure, he can't recover in a short time."
"He's at most 30% of his combat strength now." "
As for Song Junjie, he was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage when he entered the cave, and now he's at most at the minor completion stage. He poses no threat to me."
Although he was confident he could crush the two of them, he still wanted to confirm if there were any unforeseen circumstances.
[Name: Silent]
[Realm: Great Completion of Foundation Establishment]
[Destiny: Descendant of a Pharmacist, Innate Wisdom, Obsessed with Swordsmanship, Fair Luck, Body Burned by the Blazing Sun]
[Fate: Ultimately reaches the peak of Foundation Establishment. Forty years later, he will die of suicide in the Qingxuan Cave Heaven due to loneliness.]
[Recent Variables: Today, on the way to the entrance of the Qingxuan Cave Heaven, he was caught in a poisoned crossbow trap set by Liu Yunxuan and Song Junjie at the entrance of the fourth cave. His leg was severely injured, and he was unable to reach the entrance in time and was trapped inside the cave.]
Silent's eyes flashed.
As expected, there was an ambush.
He had originally thought the two would set up an ambush near the entrance, but unexpectedly, they had acted beforehand at the entrance of the fourth cave.
"Since we know the location of the trap, dismantling it won't be difficult."
He smiled confidently and continued to return the way he came.
Before long, he reached the entrance of the fourth cave.
Upon closer inspection, there were indeed several thin, almost invisible lines on the ground.
The ends of the lines were deeply embedded in the rock walls on both sides.
Silent took out a throwing knife from his storage ring and threw it a distance away.
The blade landed on the line.
Snap!
The thin line snapped.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two crossbow bolts, as thick as a baby's arm, shot out from the rock walls on both sides instantly.
The arrowheads were extremely sharp and embedded themselves half a foot deep in the ground.
Silent glanced at them and noticed that the arrowheads glowed with a faint green light.
Poisonous.
Moreover, this poison was very special; it was not only highly toxic but could also penetrate a cultivator's spiritual power.
Silent's eyes flickered slightly.
Murong Yue had given him a booklet before.
It detailed the distribution of power and the relationships between enemies and allies of the Qingxuan Sect.
It also mentioned the Five Sects of Xuanjiang.
One of them was called the Green Vine Sect.
The Green Vine Sect was famous for its poison.
They had a unique plant on their territory called the "Spirit-Severing Flower," whose venom could directly penetrate spiritual energy.
It was often used in various weapons, including crossbows.
"It seems Song Chaofeng has the Green Vine Sect backing him up," Mo Chen chuckled.
He carefully tossed another weapon over.
After confirming there were no more crossbow bolts, he cautiously crossed the area.
Before leaving, he casually put both crossbows and arrows into his storage ring.
...
The entrance to the Azure Profound Cave.
Liu Yunxuan and Song Junjie sat cross-legged, quietly waiting for the cave to open.
They had already exchanged information, and Song Junjie already knew that Mo Chen had subdued the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame.
At first, he wanted to cause trouble for Mo Chen and see if he could take it away.
But after hearing that Liu Yunxuan was seriously injured, he immediately gave up the idea.
At this moment, Liu Yunxuan's chest was wrapped in bandages, and with each breath, blood seeped through the bandages.
Obviously, his injuries were extremely serious.
Every time Song Junjie saw him like this, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.
Because he knew that Liu Yunxuan's strength far surpassed his own.
Even Liu Yunxuan had been severely injured by Silence, demonstrating just how terrifying Silence was.
He was no match for him.
At this moment, Liu Yunxuan's face was flushed with a sickly redness.
"According to my calculations, that guy will soon pass through the entrance to the fourth cave." He smiled sinisterly.
Song Junjie nodded: "That's right."
"Junjie, are you sure the crossbows are properly arranged? Silence won't detect those thin lines beforehand, will he?" Liu Yunxuan asked.
Song Junjie waved his hand: "Don't worry. My father bought a heavy crossbow from the Qing Teng Sect; a single volley is enough to penetrate the protective spiritual power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator." "
The arrowheads are coated with the Qing Teng Sect's Bone-Corroding Poison; no one in the world can cure it except themselves."
"As for those thin lines..."
Song Junjie chuckled: "They're made by my father using century-old ice silkworm silk; they're invisible from three feet away."
Liu Yunxuan nodded emphatically.
The arrangement was indeed meticulous.
Silence would definitely be caught off guard and would have no chance of returning to the entrance on time.
"So what if you have a Heavenly Rank physique, a perfect Dao Foundation, and have even tamed the Dao Flame of Heaven and Earth? Trapped in the Azure Profound Cave for fifty years, even the most talented will die!"
Liu Yunxuan sneered.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Footsteps suddenly sounded in the distance.
Liu Yunxuan and Song Junjie's expressions changed drastically.
The two turned their heads almost simultaneously, following the footsteps.
When that familiar figure came into view, their expressions froze instantly.
How could this be? How could he have reached the entrance so quickly?
Liu Yunxuan subconsciously glared at Song Junjie—his eyes filled with "Didn't you say it was foolproof? Didn't you say that the protective spiritual power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator could be torn apart at will?"
Song
Junjie was also dumbfounded, his mind filled with: "What on earth is going on?!"
Silently watching their ghostly expressions, he couldn't help but chuckle: "Oh, you two senior brothers, why the expressions? So unhappy to see me?"
Before they could answer, he added on his own: "But I can understand. If it were me, seeing the plan fall through, I certainly wouldn't be in a good mood either."
"You..." Song Junjie opened his mouth.
Setting up ambushes to harm others is something that can't be done in the open, let alone being exposed on the spot.
Mo Chen's smile deepened: "Want to know how I dodged your trap?"
Song Junjie nodded subconsciously. Mo Chen
chuckled: "Honestly, even a fool could see through your shoddy stuff; hiding it would be too much trouble."
"You're talking nonsense!" Song Junjie instantly exploded, "My father bought a bone-corroding crossbow from the Qing Teng Sect at a high price, and the trap was laid with century-old ice silkworm silk—it's invisible to the naked eye within three feet! How could you possibly…"
He stopped mid-sentence, completely exposing his own mistake.
Liu Yunxuan wanted to slap this incompetent teammate to death on the spot; one sentence had revealed everything.
Mo Chen's voice turned cold: "Song Junjie, setting up an ambush to assassinate the sect leader's personal disciple, what do you think is the punishment?" Song
Junjie's heart trembled violently; he knew very well that he had no grounds for defense.
Moreover, Mo Chen's strength now completely surpassed his. Even Liu Yunxuan had been beaten like this; how could he possibly have the courage to fight back?
Faced with the questioning, he froze on the spot, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Silent sneered; this guy had clearly chickened out.
"Don't be too smug," Liu Yunxuan said grimly from the side, "Don't think that just because you're the sect leader's personal disciple, no one will dare touch you."
Silent walked up to him, before Liu Yunxuan could finish speaking…
*Slap!
* A clean, crisp slap echoed through the cave entrance.
Liu Yunxuan's usually proudly handsome face instantly swelled on the left side, a clear, bright red handprint visible.
He was completely stunned. From childhood to adulthood, he'd never been slapped so hard, not even by his own father.
"You…!" he roared in fury.
*Slap! *
Before he could finish speaking, Mo Chen delivered another slap to his right cheek, the sound even crisper, symmetrical and clean.
Liu Yunxuan trembled with rage, about to retaliate, when Mo Chen kicked him to the ground, then stomped on his chest, right on the previous wound.
"Ah—!" Liu Yunxuan screamed in pain.
The wound from the Crimson Lotus Heavenly Flame hadn't healed yet; this kick reopened it, blood instantly soaking the bandages.
"How dare you treat me like this? My father won't let you get away with this!" Liu Yunxuan roared.
*Slap! *
"My father—"
*Slap!*
This time it was his right cheek.
"I…" *
Slap slap!*
This time, he slapped Liu Yunxuan from both sides.
Liu Yunxuan trembled with rage, but dared not utter a single word, only covering his face and glaring at Chen Mo.
Chen Mo smiled and slapped him again.
Liu Yunxuan finally broke down: "I didn't say anything!"
"Do I need a reason to slap you?" Chen Mo's smile widened.
But to Liu Yunxuan, that smile was more terrifying than a vengeful ghost.
He looked desperately at Song Junjie behind Chen Mo, wanting help.
But Song Junjie was already cowering in a corner, like a frightened chick, not daring to even breathe.
It was as if the series of slaps were just insignificant background noise; Liu Yunxuan's heart turned completely cold.
This idiot was not only stupid, but also incredibly cowardly.
Just then, the azure flames at the entrance to the Qingxuan Cave Heaven began to tremble violently.
The temperature of the flames gradually decreased, and their color dimmed.
Liu Yunxuan and Song Junjie immediately became excited.
Finally, we can get out!
I don't want to stay in this hellhole for another second.
"Let us out!"
Outside the cave.
Murong Yue, Liu Yuanfeng, and Song Chaofeng stood side by side, unleashing their spiritual power to continuously bombard the flame barrier at the cave entrance.
Further out, there were nine inner sect elders, dozens of outer sect elders, numerous stewards, and a dense crowd of inner and outer sect disciples.
Zhao Ting and Luo Shengnan were also among the crowd.
After dealing with family affairs, they had rushed back to the sect almost at breakneck speed. Missing the opening of the Qingxuan Cave Heaven filled them with regret.
Now that the cave was about to reopen, they naturally wanted to see what changes had occurred in the three of them.
Luo Shengnan glanced at Zhao Ting—whose loose robe had somehow become a tight-fitting garment—and licked her lips: "Zhao Ting, the Qingxuan Cave Heaven opened ahead of schedule this time, supposedly because a great treasure appeared."
"Who do you think is most likely to get it? Chen Mo, Liu Yunxuan? Or Song Junjie?"
Zhao Ting's gaze was calm: "First of all, Song Junjie can be ruled out. He's just an arrogant idiot who relies on his father."
"Although Chen Mo has great potential, his hard strength is a step below Liu Yunxuan's.
" "If Chen Mo gets the treasure first, it will most likely be snatched away by Liu Yunxuan." "
Conversely, if Liu Yunxuan gets it first, Chen Mo won't have a chance to turn the tables."
"So I still favor Liu Yunxuan."
Luo Shengnan smiled lightly: "I don't think so. Chen Mo is quite interesting; maybe he'll give us a surprise."
She turned to look at Zhao Ting's sister, Zhao Rou: "Little girl, what do you think?"
Zhao Rou said decisively: "I believe in Chen Mo!"
Among the inner disciples, there was another pair that attracted attention.
The man was handsome and tall, and the woman was charming and beautiful; they were Xiao Fan and Liu Fei.
Liu Fei nestled against Xiao Fan's arm, her head resting on his shoulder, her voice sweet and cloying: "Brother Xiao Fan, my father said that the Heavenly Dao Flame will definitely be obtained by my brother. Silence... he'll most likely be trapped and die in the Qingxuan Cave."
Xiao Fan sneered: "Serves him right. He can't see the current situation of the Qingxuan Sect at all."
"Murong Yue is unreliable; the Vice Sect Master and the Grand Elder are the righteous ones."
"Daring to offend both of them at the same time, it's a miracle he's still alive."
Liu Fei drew circles on his chest with her finger, her voice alluring: "Without him, Brother Xiao Fan, you'll be in a much better mood, right?"
Xiao Fan laughed: "Of course."
Xiao Fan chuckled, grabbed her wrist, and whispered in her ear: "Tonight, let's go to the pond in the back mountain and try our water play?"
Liu Fei's cheeks flushed, and she hummed softly: "Mmm... okay."
Just then, the azure flame at the entrance of the Qingxuan Cave rapidly dimmed.
Everyone's spirits lifted, and they all looked towards the cave entrance.
Murong Yue glanced at Liu Yuanfeng and Song Chaofeng. Seeing their resolute expressions, her heart sank. However, having led the sect for many years, she was no longer the young woman in her early forties. No matter how anxious she was, she would never show it.
"Silence... You must be safe," she murmured to herself.
Then, footsteps echoed from inside the cave.
The first to rush out was Song Junjie.
As if being chased by something, he threw himself into his father's arms.
Song Chaofeng was initially happy to see his son emerge, but seeing his son's terrified and pale face, his brows furrowed instantly.
However, due to the occasion, he didn't ask any questions, only patting Song Junjie's back.
Immediately afterward, there was another set of footsteps.
This time it was Liu Yunxuan.
His once handsome face was now swollen like a steamed bun, the bandage on his chest soaked with blood, drops of blood falling to the ground. He staggered with each step, looking utterly wretched.
Seeing Liu Yunxuan's miserable state, everyone present gasped.
What exactly happened inside the Azure Mystery Cave?