Lin Dong hesitated for a moment. Although his gut screamed otherwise, he chose to trust Ye Feng. Gritting his teeth, he swallowed the disgusting, squirming thing in his palm in one gulp.
"Ahhh!"
A blood-curdling scream tore from his throat, making even the air tremble.
The heat erupting from his body surged like a volcanic blaze. Scorching energy rushed through his veins, and the outer layer of his skin—the stratum corneum—began to melt at an alarming speed. Yet even as it dissolved, it regenerated just as quickly. Without the protection of the Blood Lotus Pill, he would have been incinerated by the Bone Chilling Flame in an instant.
"Hurry! Swallow the Ice Spirit Cold Spring!" Ye Feng's voice rang out, urgent and commanding.
But Lin Dong was already consumed by the agony. Pain dominated his mind, drowning out Ye Feng's voice entirely.
Ye Feng narrowed his eyes. He had no choice but to act.
A wave of spatial power surged forth, manipulating Lin Dong's limp body. His mouth was forcibly opened, and a jade bottle containing the Ice Spirit Cold Spring floated over under Ye Feng's control. The bottle tilted, pouring its contents into Lin Dong's mouth.
As the icy liquid entered his body, a wave of clarity pushed through the pain. Lin Dong's sanity began to return.
"Follow the path of the Burning Technique! Focus! Guide the Heavenly Flame into the Naling! Control it or die trying!" Ye Feng's voice echoed directly into Lin Dong's soul.
Gritting his teeth, Lin Dong began circulating the Burning Technique. The moment he tried to seize control of the Heavenly Flame, a searing pain lanced through his mind. The Bone Chilling Flame was too wild, like a rampaging beast. Subduing it was like trying to rein in a starving dragon.
He failed once. Then twice. Then again.
But Lin Dong didn't stop. He couldn't afford to. Ye Feng had made it clear—there was no turning back. If the Heavenly Flame consumed him, he would vanish without a trace. Only success would mean survival… and power.
Again and again, Lin Dong attempted to guide the fire, enduring torment that would shatter lesser men. Time blurred. Pain became his world.
Then—something shifted.
He felt it.
The flame rampaging through his meridians suddenly slowed… then began to flow in sync with his mind, following the path he carved with his will.
—
A long time passed.
In the courtyard, Lin Xiao approached slowly. He stopped, staring at the bizarre scene before him: Lin Dong, entirely naked and seated in the center of a strange, dark-white flame cocoon.
"Young Master Ye… is he alright?" Lin Xiao asked cautiously.
"He's fine," Ye Feng replied, his eyes focused on Lin Dong's form.
Through the lens of his powerful soul perception, Ye Feng could see the once-fractured meridians slowly knitting themselves back together. Lin Dong had done it. He had endured the wrath of the Bone Chilling Flame. This boy… he was no less extraordinary than Xiao Yan.
The flame cocoon surrounding Lin Dong shimmered like a translucent eggshell. Inside, the dark-white fire billowed and pulsed, wrapping around him like a second skin. He was transforming, a phoenix rising from its ashes.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed through the yard. A fragment of hardened energy flaked off the cocoon and hit a nearby stone, melting a small pit into the ground.
Click… Click… Click…
More pieces began to fall. The shell broke apart like glass, and in the next instant—
Boom!
The dark-white flame shield exploded outward.
Holes were punched into the ground, and the force of the blast created dozens of miniature craters. Amidst the fading flames, Lin Dong slowly opened his eyes.
Inside his pupils, a flickering dark-white fire danced like a living spirit. It lingered for a moment… then disappeared.
"Master… Did I succeed?" he asked, his voice raw but steady.
"You did," Ye Feng said with a proud nod.
Lin Dong could hardly believe it. "Master, I feel the Burning Technique has evolved… It's now a fifth-grade technique!"
In this world, martial techniques were ranked from one to nine, further divided into three levels—low, middle, and high. Above those stood Creation-level, Spirit Martial Arts, and the legendary Heavenly Martial Arts.
Ye Feng crossed his arms, nodding slightly. "This is only the beginning. As you absorb more Heavenly Flame, your Burning Technique may evolve into a Heavenly Martial Art."
Lin Dong's eyes gleamed. "Master! Does this mean I can challenge Nirvana Realm experts now?"
Ye Feng's voice turned serious. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You've gained a strange fire, yes. But you still lack martial techniques that fully unleash its destructive potential."
"Then Master, can you teach me one?"
"Of course."
"Really?!"
"Have I ever lied to you?" Ye Feng smirked. "Watch carefully. The martial art I'm about to show you is called… Buddha's Wrathful Lotus."
As he spoke, Ye Feng extended his hand. A colorful flame—the Emperor Flame—ignited in his palm. Under his control, the flame began to compress, folding in on itself again and again until it bloomed into a vibrant lotus made of pure flame.
"Pay attention," Ye Feng instructed. " Heavenly Flame is a condensation of violent energy. This technique compresses that violence to the brink of collapse. Then—when it's released—it tears through everything in its path."
He flicked his wrist.
The fire lotus soared into the distance.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted dozens of kilometers away. A mushroom cloud surged skyward, and a shockwave tore through the land. Trees snapped like twigs. Rocks vaporized. An entire mountain range was flattened in an instant, leaving behind a crater over ten kilometers wide.
Lin Dong stood frozen. "…That… was the Buddha's Wrathful Lotus?"
Ye Feng nodded. "A proper lake would've made for a better demonstration, but no matter."
He raised his hand again, and rain began to fall from the sky. A day later, the scorched land had been transformed—an azure lake now rested where destruction once reigned.
The area surrounding the Lin family estate was now a blessed land—protected by mountains, nourished by water, and brimming with spiritual energy.
"Master…" Lin Dong turned to him with wide eyes. "What level are you really at?"
Ye Feng smirked. "Even Ancestor isn't qualified to carry my shoes."
Lin Dong swallowed. "When will I reach your level, then?"
Ye Feng glanced up at the sky. "It's getting late. Go shower and get some sleep."
"…Oh." Lin Dong scratched his head.
Behind them, a voice chimed in playfully. "Brother Lin Dong, Master Ye means you're dreaming."
Lin Qingtan stepped out from the house, laughing as she teased him.
Lin Dong glared at her. "So now you're siding with Master? He hasn't even been here that long, and already you're betraying me!"
Her cheeks turned pink, and she glanced away. Lin Dong, noticing her flustered look, quickly shifted the topic.
"Master, about that Blood Lotus Pill... What makes it so different? It's not like any of the legendary pills I've heard of—like the Yang Origin Pill or Nirvana Pill."
Ye Feng chuckled. "Those so-called elixirs? Just beads of condensed vitality. They can't regenerate limbs, repair meridians, or strengthen the foundation."
He waved dismissively. "Those are trash."
Lin Dong's eyes sparkled. "So… your pills can heal injuries, regrow bones, and help someone break through after being crippled?"
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