The Phoenix Flame’s Embrace

Mu Qingli quickly shook her head, banishing the absurd thought from her mind.

‘How could that be?’

‘I must be overthinking things!’

‘While Ji Xue had undeniably left a profound impact on her, it was nothing to worry about.’

Mu Qingli remained confident in her ability to contend with that immature brat, Ji Xue.

After her previous display of fierce protectiveness, she was certain Lin Mo’s affection for her would reach new heights.

‘If not for the damned rules of the Hall of Clarity, would Ji Xue even dare to approach my Lin Mo?’

‘Delusional!’

‘Hmm!’

‘No, that’s wrong! I’m getting carried away!’

‘With Master here, why am I even thinking about Lin Mo?’

She had countless questions she wished to ask Lin Ruoli.

Yet, no matter how she called out, Lin Ruoli seemed not to hear, remaining lost in thought for a long time, gazing intently at Lin Mo.

A sudden jolt struck her heart, and an unsettling premonition settled in.

It was strange, but an ominous feeling persisted.

It was as if she had intended to show off, only to find herself being targeted instead, a deeply uncomfortable sensation.

….

‘No, no, no, no!’

‘What nonsense am I thinking?’

‘Perhaps Master is merely analyzing Lin Mo’s injuries.’

‘Didn’t her Master always have a bad habit?’

‘Once immersed in something, no amount of calling could pull her back.’

She decided to simply and quietly observe alongside her Master.

Few words were needed; silent companionship was still companionship.

Thus, Mu Qingli held her breath, her gaze returning to Lin Mo within the secret realm.

Deep within the secret realm, nestled within a crevice of the broken cliff.

The bottomless cliff face offered the perfect concealment.

Lin Mo sat cross-legged, a faint, cold mist swirling around him.

His divine sense enveloped his body; under the guidance of spiritual energy, his fractured meridians were gradually mending.

Furthermore, bolstered by the immense medicinal power of the supreme-grade pill Qing You had given him, the severed meridians were being forcefully repaired and reconnected at an unprecedented speed.

Once his meridians were fully restored, the next step was to imbue them with spiritual energy without delay.

It was only after witnessing Ji Xue’s power during the preliminary arena matches that Lin Mo truly understood the fundamental difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Condensation.

The endowment of spiritual energy was not a mere addition of ‘one plus one,’ but a multiplication.

To defeat Qiu Yue, relying on the martial arts he had learned on Blue Star was insufficient; his ability to replicate them perfectly depended entirely on spiritual energy for correction.

Without spiritual energy, he was merely a facade.

Spiritual energy was far more complex than a simple flowing current.

Lin Mo sensed that it was closer to an infinitely malleable substance—like clay with endless possibilities, yet far more advanced and profound than mere clay.

It could not only transform its form at will but also change its hardness, toughness, and even its intrinsic properties as desired.

However, most people in this world possessed only a superficial understanding, viewing spiritual energy merely as a torrent to be unleashed, and the body as a conduit to carry it—the shape and size of the conduit’s exit determining the form of the spiritual energy output.

The clashes of magical power between cultivators, when viewed from an unconventional perspective, were essentially like… a duel of incredibly powerful water guns!

The only difference was that the “water” discharged by these “water guns” was lethal.

‘Yes!’

This realization brought sudden clarity to Lin Mo.

Spiritual energy was like water, the body like a vessel, and cultivation techniques were the craftsmanship that forged the water gun!

Some cultivation techniques could forge the vessel into a massive aperture capable of unleashing high-pressure spiritual cannons, pouring forth boundless spiritual energy to crush everything with overwhelming force.

Other techniques focused on sculpting precise “water guns.”

The gun’s body might be slender and inconspicuous, its spray a needle-like stream, imperceptible and silent, yet capable of delivering a fatal blow at the opponent’s most unexpected moment.

Considering this, the reason his body contained Ji Xue’s Phoenix Flame was clearly… no, it was the Bright Jade Profound Yin that was integrating this technique.

If he wanted to bear the Phoenix Flame, he would need to… reshape his body to accommodate these two disparate forces, wouldn’t he?

Previously, he had attempted to activate the Bright Jade Profound Yin, guiding its supremely pure and frigid energy to circulate through his meridians in an orderly fashion.

However, whenever the Profound Yin spiritual energy, clear as a spring from the underworld, tried to flow through his meridians, the invisible spark of fire, originating from Ji Xue and lurking deep within his muscles and veins, would instantly ignite!

He had always used spiritual energy to encase the Phoenix Flame, preventing himself from being consumed by its fire.

It wasn’t until he saw Ji Xue’s ethereal blue flames during the preliminary round that Lin Mo instantly understood: Ji Xue had also obtained his Profound Yin energy, as if they had exchanged the foundational spiritual energies of their respective selves.

What’s more, Ji Xue had successfully integrated it!

This prompted Lin Mo to boldly speculate that perhaps he, too, could integrate this wisp of Phoenix Flame.

Furthermore, the Profound Yin energy Mu Qingli had initially given him allowed his attacks to take the form of an ice-fire fusion, didn’t it?

Since he could unleash ice-fire fusion attacks, it indicated that the spiritual energy within his body should also possess a fire-attribute inclination.

If he could achieve integration, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance his combat prowess.

However, this Phoenix Flame… was no ordinary fire, but a domineering will that incinerated all things and branded souls.

Could it be that this was indeed a cultivation technique passed down by royalty?

Previously, it had lain dormant within his body like a venomous snake, waiting for an opportunity; the moment he relaxed even slightly, it would bite him, ignite his blood, and utterly incinerate him.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to accept it before, but as soon as he attempted to integrate it, his own Profound Yin origin would react as if provoked, erupting with an even stronger counterattack.

The Phoenix Flame, not to be outdone, likewise burst forth with a counterattack.

This was why, during the previous sparring matches before the official competition, his earlier injuries weren’t entirely faked; they were self-inflicted, which had even made Lin Mo lose confidence.

But now, given the current circumstances, Lin Mo felt he had no other option but to try.

Mobilizing the spiritual energy within his body, he activated the Bright Jade Profound Yin and dispersed the Profound Yin energy that enveloped the Phoenix Flame.

For a long time, Lin Mo’s strategy had been “containment.”

He had leveraged the profound foundations of the Bright Jade Profound Yin, drawing upon the pure, crystalline Profound Yin energy like the frigid ice of deep winter, to layer upon layer envelop and suppress that small, restless cluster of Phoenix Flame.

His will, sharp as a blade, precisely severed the last wisps of Profound Yin energy maintaining the enveloping net.

Like a bursting dam, the long-suppressed and accumulated essence of the Phoenix Flame instantly broke free from its restraints!

“Whoosh—!”

A terrifying sensation of scorching heat instantly erupted from his Dantian, like molten lava surging into an icy river!

Lin Mo’s body trembled violently, his jaw clenched so tightly that blood nearly seeped from his gums.

The frost on his skin was rapidly dispelled by the rising heat, replaced by a shocking crimson flush, as if his blood were boiling beneath his skin!

It surged madly upstream along his meridians; wherever it passed, spiritual energy vaporized, and his flesh seemed to emit a scorching, wailing cry!

This was a pain beyond mere words; the sensation, clearly felt through his divine sense, of every inch of his body dissolving, vaporizing, and melting, combined with the sheer impact, was enough to drive a person insane.

Almost anyone else would, at this moment, instantly halt this terrifying process, abandoning the insane idea of integration.

But not Lin Mo!

He completely opened his mind and embraced the Phoenix Flame borrowed from Ji Xue.

‘All this time, I’ve worried too much.’

‘Would it destroy my meridians? Would I end up dying without a complete corpse?’

‘Fearing this, fearing that, always—hesitating to act.’

‘I always thought that even without integration, I could defeat Qiu Yue with the martial arts and techniques I learned on Blue Star.’

‘But the truth proved otherwise; I couldn’t beat her.’

‘No, not just couldn’t beat her, but would be captured by Qiu Yue, made a s*ave for life, provided with food and clothing but trapped by her side, subjected to humiliation, becoming a complete masochist.’

‘But not anymore.’

‘If I fear death, why cultivate immortality?’

‘Cultivating immortality was inherently an act against the heavens; facing tribulations was unavoidable.’

Lin Mo opened his eyes again, his gaze now unshakeably firm.

At this moment, he wagered his very life on this endeavor.

‘I will gamble my life against the heavens!’