Chapter 66: True Ultimate Flame! Short, Yet Powerful!

When the radiant light from the dome gradually faded, Lin Mo slowly opened his eyes from meditation, and the +20 Insight value boost vanished with it.

His gaze shifted to the progress bar on his panel:

【Five-Spirit Body】: 1626/10000

……

Good, progress has surpassed one-tenth.

If I maintain a slightly more diligent pace of -1 per day, it should take about another ten days to fully max out the 【Five-Spirit Body】’s proficiency.

Why must Foundation Establishment take a hundred days?

Lin Mo’s lips curled slightly.

Clearly, this is a wealthy battle!

Yet compared to the progress of the 【Five-Spirit Body】, the refinement of 【True Ultimate Flame】 seemed painfully slow.

Just as he ended his meditation, a system prompt sounded in his ear:

【Ding! Meditation ended! True Ultimate Flame partially refined! Fire Spirit Root purity increased: 43% → 43.1%】

As he read the panel notification, he extended a finger—“tsk!”—a tiny flame sprouted from his fingertip.

This was the partially refined 【True Ultimate Flame】; his fingertip felt a faint warmth, but the panel showed no other special attributes.

“Maybe it hasn’t been fully refined yet? This True Ultimate Flame must have other effects beyond boosting spirit root quality—Yan Nanfeng left too fast and didn’t explain anything…”

He mentally grumbled.

The refinement speed of the Heaven-grade spiritual item 【True Ultimate Flame】 was slower than expected.

So far, only about 10% had been refined, increasing fire spirit root purity by roughly 4.2%, and much more time remained before full refinement.

“I wonder how long it’ll take to fully refine the 【True Ultimate Flame】…”

Currently, it seemed the ratio of purity gain per unit of spiritual item refined was diminishing.

In other words, the higher the purity ratio, the more spiritual item was required for further gains.

He wasn’t in a hurry, since refinement couldn’t be accelerated with Merit Points.

Whatever, I’ll return to my room and meditate again…

Lin Mo’s mind shifted, and the flame at his fingertip retracted; he slowly rose from the meditation cushion.

But the moment he stood, he regretted it.

Because all around was utterly silent, not a sound to be heard.

Though the radiant light had faded, the Immortal Seedlings on the Nine-Layer Enlightenment Platform remained in deep awakening, their bodies glowing with various hues—impressively dazzling.

No one else had risen except him.

Lin Mo suddenly felt the awkwardness of everyone still in class, yet only he stood up after the bell rang.

Just as he considered sitting back down, a faint “ Ca ” echoed beside him.

He turned to see another freshman standing behind him.

Their eyes met—like two fellow “truant students” who’d found each other—and without a word, they tiptoed together down the enlightenment platform.

Only after they’d walked a hundred meters away did they both exhale softly.

Silence settled again. Lin Mo bowed slightly. “Brother, may I ask your name?”

The freshman scratched his head. “Uh, the one you pushed out of the top ten…”

A name instantly flashed in Lin Mo’s mind: “Long A?”

Only then did he notice: though this freshman was short—barely under 1.6 meters—and his face looked simple-minded, his build was powerfully sturdy, his loose Daoist robe stretched taut over defined muscles.

He looked both short and compact.

Long A nodded. “That’s me.”

Then he looked at Lin Mo. “I know you. Lin Mo.”

Not just him—among this year’s Immortal Candidates, hardly anyone didn’t know him.

After all, everyone on the Immortal Platform waited the longest for him—it was impossible not to know.

The nickname “Chu Wan’ge’s pretty boy” was now permanently stuck to him.

Maybe I shouldn’t have shown up… Lin Mo forced a dry smile, about to take his leave, when Long A suddenly invited him:

“Brother Lin Mo, you got up so early—your butt must’ve gone numb from sitting too long. Want to find a spot and train your body together?”

If I say I’m going back to my quarters, won’t that look like I’m slacking off?

Lin Mo thought for a moment and didn’t refuse.

He’d been in seclusion for days; sitting too long had left his body limp. A bit of stance training to stretch out would be a good idea.

“Alright, let’s walk a few steps then?”

He said it, thinking: where can't I deduct 1?

Even while meditating, his fingers never stopped.

Lin Mo and Long A walked forward, descending from beneath the Nine-Layer Enlightenment Platform.

Though the entire Enlightenment Cliff stood far out at sea, it was far from deserted.

On the contrary, every year during the Hundred-Day Radiance season, countless cultivators stuck at Qi Refining Ninth Layer flooded here.

This side of the cliff showed little activity, but the other side was packed with people, bustling and lively.

Many cultivators with ordinary Dao Academy identities remained stuck at Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

These people lacked the courage to face the Tribulation, yet couldn’t bear to abandon their pursuit of immortality.

Almost every year, they came just to pay lip service—gaze upon the grandeur of those who ascended, hoping to find even a sliver of opportunity to break through and ascend.

Naturally, the top three levels, occupied by the Nine Great Dao Academies, were isolated from the bustling crowds below, protected from disturbance.

Still, courtyards, pavilions, and small villas existed here.

As a freshman who reached the ninth level, Lin Mo even had a private courtyard, located just a short distance down from the enlightenment platform steps.

The leaders of the Nine Great Dao Academies also resided here.

After descending, Lin Mo and Long A found an open patch of ground near the small courtyard.

Facing the opposite direction of the enlightenment platform, ahead stretched boundless clouds and endless sea.

Six hours after the Radiance faded, the sun blazed directly overhead; standing atop the cliff, they felt its scorching rays.

But neither was a weak Qi Refining beginner—this sunlight meant nothing to them.

Upon reaching the spot, Long A offered no small talk. He simply nodded at Lin Mo, then stepped aside to begin stance training.

Lin Mo didn’t move immediately. He wanted to observe how body cultivators’ stance training differed from ordinary Qi Refiners’.

Especially since this man was among the top body cultivators of this year’s Immortal List.

The man stood still, his breath sinking into his dantian.

Then, suddenly, he stepped forward—

“Hey!”

“Ha!”

“Hok!”

Lin Mo: “...”

He twitched his lips—the familiar shouts nearly sent him back to Shahe Park.

Still, unlike those elderly folks, Long A moved with the grace of a dragon and the power of a tiger; each step radiated astonishing momentum, far beyond ordinary people.

But it was just… too plain and unadorned…

The prodigies atop the Nine-Layer Enlightenment Platform, when awakening their Dao Foundations, manifested wondrous phenomena that left observers awestruck.

Even Lin Mo himself, when cultivating the 【Five-Spirit Body】, had seen five-colored rainbow light swirling around him—yet Long A showed nothing at all.

No wonder modern body cultivators are growing fewer and fewer…