"City Lord!!"
While the group was still exchanging a few words, a large contingent approached from a distance. Most wore matching armor—Qingyun City's guard force.
Lei Ze nodded at them, commanding, "The crisis is resolved. Announce the news to reassure the citizens. Then, assess the damages, arrange compensation for the dead and injured, and organize repairs for the damaged streets."
"Yes, City Lord!" The newly arrived guards saluted and swiftly departed to handle the aftermath.
Lei Ze turned back to Changgong Linglan and the others. "Master Changgong, Master Zheng, Master Kou. You are all injured. We shall postpone further discussions today. Once you have recovered, I, Lei, will host a banquet to express gratitude for your righteous defense of Qingyun City."
Changgong Linglan smiled. "You overstate it, City Lord Lei. As citizens of Qingyun City, we cannot tolerate outsiders causing havoc here, especially a demon beast. It was our duty to act."
Zheng Changqing added, "Indeed. City Lord Lei led from the front, battling the beast alone—that is truly worthy of our admiration. However, today is not suitable for lengthy talk. We shall take our leave to tend to our wounds."
"Very well," Lei Ze nodded. His gaze then shifted to Lin Feng. "Young friend Lin Feng, you must be the one who caused quite a stir in Biquan City recently? Seeing you today, the reputation is well-deserved. Thanks to your timely intervention at the end, this great crisis was averted. I, Lei, offer my sincere thanks."
To everyone's surprise, he actually clasped his fists and bowed formally towards Lin Feng.
Lin Feng was startled, quickly waving his hands. "City Lord Lei, you honor me too much! This junior cannot accept such courtesy!"
Lei Ze chuckled warmly. "You eliminated that beast, safeguarding countless lives in Qingyun City. You are a hero here, fully deserving of my respect... It is inconvenient today, so I won't invite you formally, young friend Lin. But on another day, I shall host a banquet to celebrate your achievement."
Lin Feng responded respectfully, "If City Lord Lei invites, this junior will respectfully accept. I will certainly attend."
…
After a few more brief exchanges, the group dispersed. Lin Feng led Zhang Fangzhou and his two brothers back to their lodgings, told them to rest, and then returned alone to his own residence.
The events of the day had been overwhelming. Lin Feng felt exhausted, both physically and mentally. Night had fallen. Setting aside all distractions, he activated the Spirit Gathering Array and immersed himself in cultivation and meditation.
The night passed uneventfully. As the morning light of the next day filtered into the room, Lin Feng, seated cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes.
"Haaah…"
He exhaled a long breath of turbid air. Stretching his arms and neck, a series of popping sounds like crackling beans echoed from his body. He felt refreshed, all fatigue completely gone.
Sensing his internal state, he found his true essence flowing smoothly. The vortex at his dantian seemed slightly larger, within which a small flame pulsed gently. There was no sign of the anticipated backlash he'd feared from yesterday's exertion.
'This is definitely good news,' Lin Feng thought with inward relief. After confirming his condition, he began to mentally sort through yesterday's events.
He raised his right hand. With a thought, the Molten Rock Fire instantly materialized in his palm. He 'played' with the Extraordinary Fire, a sense of wonder and excitement still bubbling within him. When he had first learned of 'Extraordinary Fires,' he'd yearned for one but considered it an impossible dream. Yet here it was, in his hand—and not just any fire, but the Molten Rock Fire, ranked on the prestigious Extraordinary Fire Hundred Chart!
The defining characteristic of Molten Rock Fire was its overwhelmingly fierce power and difficulty in fine control. This made it ill-suited for delicate alchemy, as it would likely incinerate precious herbs—a reason its ranking on the Hundred Chart was slightly lower. However, this very intensity made it a favorite among artifact forgers. Materials notoriously resistant to melting or refinement yielded easily before the Molten Rock Fire's heat. In this specific aspect, it surpassed even some fires ranked ten places higher. Moreover, as an offensive weapon, its destructive potential exceeded that of several fires ranked above it—a fact Lin Feng had witnessed firsthand yesterday.
"..."
Focusing intently, Lin Feng felt the flame's pulsing rhythm. It seemed marginally clearer than yesterday. 'Our resonance is deepening,' he realized. 'This is excellent. With greater familiarity, I can unleash even more of its power.'
After studying the fire for a while, he recalled it. Then, with a flip of his right hand, he summoned his flying sword.
"How did it become like this?!"
Upon examining the sword closely, Lin Feng was taken aback. Its shape and size remained unchanged, but the once entirely silver blade was now intricately adorned with swirling, wave-like crimson patterns, as if branded with dancing flames. Its appearance was far more striking than before. An intense heat radiated from the entire weapon; merely gripping the hilt conveyed a searing warmth that would likely cause an ordinary person to drop it instantly.
"Zheng…"
Lin Feng tentatively channeled a wisp of true essence into the blade. The sword emitted a clear, resonant hum and vibrated faintly. The flame patterns seemed to come alive, shimmering vividly. Simultaneously, the sword's temperature soared dramatically, turning it red-hot.
To test his suspicions, Lin Feng swiftly drew a top-grade treasure artifact short sword with his left hand. Holding both weapons, he brought them together in a clash.
"Sssss!"
A soft hiss sounded. His flying sword sliced through the short sword as if it were soft tofu. The severed edge glowed red-hot and appeared molten, as if fused by extreme heat.
The sheer power left Lin Feng momentarily stunned, quickly replaced by irrepressible joy.
"It truly has gained fire attributes!! And… it must have ascended to mid-grade spirit artifact level!"
He gazed delightedly at the transformed sword, confirming his earlier thoughts. A question arose: 'But why such a drastic change? Could merely soaking in a magma pool near an Extraordinary Fire grant it a new attribute and even raise its grade? That seems far too simplistic, even with the fire present...'
'Could it be… related to the Fire-Tailed Scorpion King?!'
Lin Feng's eyes suddenly lit up with realization. He remembered the flying sword had been embedded in the Scorpion King's back when it forcibly devoured the Molten Rock Fire. 'Did the sword absorb some of the Extraordinary Fire energy the scorpion was attempting to assimilate? Is that what caused this evolution?'
It seemed the most plausible explanation. The idea that a mere dip in magma near the fire could bestow a new attribute and elevate its grade was indeed implausible. Still, he resolved to revisit the underground magma pool beneath Crimson Rock Mountain sometime soon to test his theory.
"Equipment Damage: 15%"
"Cannot be repaired."
The status information flashed in Lin Feng's mind upon his focused thought. He frowned slightly. "Already 15% damaged? Was this caused during its transformation?"
He retrieved the necessary repair materials from his spatial ring. Placing the sword and materials together, he murmured softly, "Repair."
"WHOOSH!!"
An intensely fierce flame erupted before him, instantly engulfing both the sword and the materials.
Roughly ten minutes later, the flames dissipated. Lin Feng wiped an invisible bead of sweat from his brow, murmuring, "Thank goodness for the Molten Rock Fire. With my previous flame, I doubt I could have sustained the energy required for this repair now…"
Checking the remaining materials, he confirmed his suspicion: the piece of fifth-grade fire-attribute spirit ore had diminished by nearly half. Previously, repairing the flying sword hadn't required this specific ore. Its consumption now was clear proof that the sword had indeed gained a fire attribute.
Looking at the fully restored sword, a satisfied smile touched Lin Feng's lips. He felt an increasingly profound connection to the weapon. 'When my cultivation reaches Foundation Building mid-stage,' he daydreamed, 'perhaps I'll finally be able to soar through the skies on this sword?'
"Ah, right…" he thought, gazing intently at the radiant blade in his hand. "You deserve a name now…"
He pondered for a moment, his eyes tracing the vibrant crimson patterns that now dominated the silver surface. "The fiery hues overshadow your original silver. And you possess that unique ability to harm the soul…"
A decisive glint entered his eyes. He spoke softly, yet with conviction:
"Your name… shall be 'Crimson Soul'!"