CHAPTER 23: FIRE ESSENCE

Wind Dragon coiled lazily above Lu Chen's head. As a spirit beast that had lived for tens of thousands of years, his wealth of experience allowed him to instantly see through both Nantian Wan’er’s feelings and Nantian Xiu’s intentions.

He glanced down at Lu Chen and snapped, "Idiot. You really are a dense fool with no sense of romance. Can't you tell what's going on?"

Lu Chen was clearly confused by Wind Dragon's reaction. "Wind Dragon, what exactly am I supposed to see?"

Wind Dragon stared at Lu Chen's clueless face, utterly speechless. "Sigh... Forget it. Even if I told you, you wouldn't get it."

He gave up on explaining, curled himself up atop Lu Chen's head, and promptly fell asleep.

Lu Chen called out repeatedly, "Wind Dragon, don't fall asleep! What do you mean by that?"

But Wind Dragon didn't respond.

Nantian Xiu glanced at Lu Chen in confusion. "Young one, what's wrong?"

Lu Chen quickly shook his head and changed the subject when he realized Nantian Xiu couldn't see Wind Dragon. "Ah... it's nothing, I'm just thinking about something."

Nantian Xiu felt a wave of nostalgia as he looked at Lu Chen's youthful energy. "Heh, youth truly is a wonderful thing. Back in my day, I had no shortage of admirers either... but now, well..."

Then he waved his hand. "Go help Wan'er pack. We should get ready to head out."

"Okay, Grandpa Xiu!" Lu Chen responded and ran over to help Nantian Wan'er.

***

About an hour later, Nantian Xiu returned to the small hut and, along with Lu Chen and Nantian Wan'er, set off deeper into the Fire Region.

As they walked, Lu Chen noticed that most of the demonic beasts in the area had already reached the Qi Condensation Realm. Having progressed that much with cultivation, these beasts had developed considerable intelligence and were now patrolling their territories.

At this point, they were already in the inner part of the Fire Region. The temperature here was several times higher than in the outer regions, and Lu Chen could feel a faint stir of the fire poison inside him beginning to resurface.

Nantian Xiu sensed Lu Chen's unstable aura and stretched out his hand, casting a barrier to protect Lu Chen from the surrounding heat.

Lu Chen turned to him with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Grandpa Xiu."

Wind Dragon gently blew cool air above Lu Chen to help ease the heat around him. "We've now entered the true core of the Fire Region. Most high-level demonic beasts dwell here, training under the Flame Demon. The weaker ones in the surrounding area won't dare attack us recklessly due to the suppression from the Phoenix Ancestor bloodline. Let's move quickly while we still can."

Lu Chen walked at the front of the group, clearing the path while sharpening his techniques along the way.

Suddenly, a demonic beast about five zhang tall leapt out from a nearby lava pool. Flames flared from the twin horns on its head.

This beast was clearly different from ordinary flame creatures. It continued drawing the fire energy from the magma, strengthening itself as it fed.

It paused and turned its eyes toward the group. The moment it saw Nantian Wan'er, an unmistakable flicker of joy surfaced in its expression.

Wind Dragon studied the beast and offered his analysis. "That's a Flame Demon at level-three Qi Regulation Realm. It can launch fire attacks but is extremely weak against ice. It's formed from the purest fire element and only appears in places with a high concentration of fire. You'd rarely see something like it outside of places like this. Once killed, it'll turn into a Fire Essence brimming with fire power. You could try using it to see if it helps that girl."

Lu Chen's eyes lit up. "Level-three Qi Regulation Realm, huh? Perfect timing. I can finally test the results of my recent training in external spirit qi release."

As he spoke, he unsheathed the Hunyuan Greatsword and infused it with ice-attribute spirit qi.

Nantian Xiu was puzzled to see Lu Chen readying his weapon. "Young one, what are you doing? Don't act rashly. Fighting here might attract more beasts!"

"A senior once told me that killing this type of beast yields a Fire Essence. I think it could be useful for Wan'er. I want to give it a try."

Before Nantian Xiu could stop him, Lu Chen charged forward with his sword.

"Star-Serpent Cloud Concealment!"

Whoosh!

With a single slash, Lu Chen cleaved the Flame Demon cleanly in half from behind.

"That's it?" He frowned upon seeing the beast cut in half so easily. Even with the sharpness of the Hunyuan Greatsword, a Qi Regulation Realm demonic beast shouldn't be this weak.

Nantian Wan'er's urgent voice rang out from behind, "Lu Chen, behind you!"

Two more Flame Demons emerged from the lava behind him and launched fireballs in his direction.

"Star-Serpent Cloud Concealment!" Lu Chen reacted swiftly and leapt backward using his movement technique to dodge the incoming attack. "Wind Dragon, what's going on? I've already cut it in half. How is it still alive?"

Wind Dragon pondered for a moment and replied, "That's the Flame Demon's unique trait. It's immune to physical attacks. As long as there's enough fire energy present, it cannot be killed. See those horns on its head? They store its fire essence. What you need to do now is keep consuming its fire energy reserves. The Flame Demon can only be slain when the energy stored in those horns is completely depleted."

As Lu Chen landed and steadied himself, the two small Flame Demons behind him merged back into one. The fusion triggered an instant surge in its cultivation, pushing it to the fourth level of the Qi Regulation Realm. It swung its massive fists wildly and charged straight at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen no longer dared to take the Flame Demon lightly. He weaved through the barrage of blows, using his footwork to stay just out of reach while carefully analyzing the creature's attack patterns.

Wind Dragon exclaimed, "There! Now!"

Catching a momentary opening in its assault, Lu Chen gathered water-attribute spirit qi and infused it into the Hunyuan Greatsword. He launched a series of strikes at the Flame Demon. Once, twice, and three times... eventually, it was chopped into pieces once again.

"That should do it, right? Its body's been sliced into so many pieces already."

But before he could relax, Wind Dragon shouted, "Lu Chen, keep attacking! Don't let them merge again, or its cultivation will rise even further!"

More miniature versions of the Flame Demon began to take form from the shredded remains. One by one, they reassembled, fusing back together.

"What the!? Green Sovereign Divine Tree!"

Lu Chen summoned the Green Sovereign Divine Tree without hesitation, aiming to bind the reforming demons.

"Don't use wood-element attacks! Wood fuels fire. That'll only make it stronger!"

Wind Dragon tried to stop him, but it was too late. The Flame Demons engulfed the divine tree in flames, reducing it to ashes in seconds. In that moment, the beast's cultivation surged again, breaking through to the fifth level of the Qi Regulation Realm.

Lu Chen looked at the towering Flame Demon, now brimming with even more power, and sighed. "I really don't know enough about these strange beasts..."

Wind Dragon explained, "Each time you kill a Flame Demon, it burns through some of its Fire Essence to regenerate and grow stronger. The only way to kill it is to prevent the scattered parts from merging again and slowly wear it down."

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Flame Demon launched another volley of fireballs at Lu Chen, engulfing the area around him in blazing flame. In moments, the last remnants of trees were reduced to smoldering ash.

Seeing Lu Chen still unable to finish the beast, Nantian Xiu said, "Young one, need my help?"

"No need, Grandpa Xiu. I've still got this! Hyaah!"

Lu Chen focused on the Flame Demon, then gripped the Hunyuan Greatsword and charged forward again, striking its arm. The blade made contact, but only managed to open a shallow gash before the wound swiftly closed.

"Level-five Qi Regulation Realm... its body really is getting tougher. But I'm not done yet!"

The Flame Demon let out a furious roar. Flames surged around its fists as it launched a fierce counterattack. Lu Chen felt the crushing force bearing down on him and immediately retreated several steps, avoiding the strikes. He darted through the gaps in its offense, seeking an opening to strike.

"Wind Dragon, the Flame Demon heals too quickly in the magma. Is there any way to slow down its recovery?"

Wind Dragon looked at the Flame Demon and thought for a moment. "It recovers by absorbing the dense fire energy in the magma. As long as it stays in there, it will keep regenerating endlessly. We can try combining wind and ice to freeze the magma around it and force it out."

"Wind and ice? I'll give it a try."

Lu Chen summoned the Green Sovereign Divine Tree, forming a shield that enveloped the area around him in a protective barrier.

Then, he started drawing in the surrounding ice and wind energy. It started to swirl around him, gradually growing in intensity. Beside him, the Wind Dragon released his own core spirit qi, feeding it into the wind, steadily amplifying its power.

Whoosh...

A biting, frigid wind gradually spread outward from Lu Chen.

Nantian Xiu reached out, sensing the wind condensing in the air. He murmured, "Wind... mixed with water. This boy is far from ordinary."

"Little Lu, now's your chance! Freeze the magma and lure the Flame Demon out!"

Lu Chen swung his massive sword in a wide arc, stirring up the wind and directing it toward the Flame Demon. "Let's do it!"

The Flame Demon was instantly swept into the air, dragged from the molten depths. As it lost its connection to the fire energy, its aura began to weaken.

Suspended in midair, the Flame Demon howled in rage. Flames burst violently from its fists as it struggled to tear through the binding winds.

Wind Dragon shouted from above, urging Lu Chen into action, "Quick! Encase the Green Sovereign Divine Tree in ice and use it to seal the magma!"

Seeing that the Flame Demon was on the verge of breaking free, Lu Chen wasted no time. He started encasing the branches of the Divine Tree in solid ice before laying them across the magma in neat rows. The lava solidified in an instant, sealed under a layer of shimmering frost.

Boom!

The Flame Demon broke free from the wind's restraint, crashing down onto the ice. With its link to the fire energy severed, its strength plummeted.

With a furious roar, it gathered the last of its fire into its fists and lunged toward Lu Chen.

Lu Chen shouted, "Perfect timing. Wind Dragon, let's finish this!"

He surged forward with the Hunyuan Greatsword in hand, his movement art propelling him like a streak of light.

Without the fire energy to sustain it, the Flame Demon's regenerative power faltered. In just a few exchanges, Lu Chen's blade cleaved clean through its massive form, splitting it in two.

"Keep going! Don't give them a chance to regroup!"

"Silver Snake Emerges from Its Lair! Flood Dragon's Dive!"

"Haaah!"

Lu Chen launched into a flurry of his strongest techniques, raining relentless blows upon the enemy. With every strike, more small Flame Demons emerged across the battlefield, but each one was weaker than the last.

As the ground became littered with fragments of Flame Demons, Lu Chen finally lowered his sword and began gathering the cold energy within him, focusing it above his head.

This was the technique he had recently mastered. The second form of Heaven-Splitting Six Yang Palms—Frost Sun Lifts the Sky.

Lu Chen rose into the air. A pair of enormous hands formed above him, letting out waves of bone-chilling frost as they lifted a shadowy, frozen sun into the sky.

"Go!"

The cold sun rapidly expanded, then descended toward the earth. The moment it touched the ground, a shockwave of frost burst outward, freezing all nearby Flame Demons in an instant.

Lu Chen followed close behind, sweeping his greatsword in wide arcs and shattering the frozen enemies one after another.

Watching the scene, Nantian Xiu couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. Lu Chen's power left him speechless.

In the Qi Absorption Realm, cultivators typically focused on refining their bodies and qi. Very few ever displayed such overwhelming offensive strength.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the frost finally dispersed, all of the small Flame Demons shattered into pieces and vanished completely. A fiery red vortex slowly began to take shape from the horn the Flame Demon left behind on the battlefield.

Lu Chen glanced at the vortex, then turned to Nantian Xiu. "Grandpa Xiu, this is its Fire Essence. Give it to Wan'er."

Nantian Xiu raised his hand, lifted the vortex, and formed a series of hand seals to guide the Fire Essence into Nantian Wan'er's body.

Nantian Wan'er whispered, "Grandpa, I can feel the cold inside me fading. This Fire Essence... is hundreds of times more potent than Fiery Sungrass. If we can find one of even higher quality, I think it might completely dispel the cold energy inside me."

Nantian Xiu nodded, but concern still lingered in his gaze. "It seems we've chosen the right path. But we'll need to hurry. If we can't find a better Fire Essence before the end of the month... I fear you won't be able to hold on."