Chapter 71: The Murky Dark Fire

In the early morning, Li Xuan, who had been sound asleep, suddenly opened his eyes, turned his head, and stared intently at the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus on the windowsill.

He spent a full nine days, finally cultivating the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus to a nine‑hundred‑year cultivation; if he lets the Green Spirit Liquid be absorbed by it tonight, it will break through to a thousand‑year cultivation.

Although a normal soul master's Second Soul Ring is eight hundred years, Li Xuan, having absorbed the Burning Heart Golden Chrysanthemum, not only gained the Burning Heart Divine Flame but also had his body reinforced.

Now Li Xuan estimates that his body can absorb soul rings up to, but not exceeding, two thousand years.

However, the seed of the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus is itself a defective one; even if it absorbs the essence of other lotus seeds, it can at most grow to a thousand‑year cultivation.

Since Li Xuan cannot find a second Immortal‑Grade fire‑type plant, the thousand‑year Filthy Flame Yin Lotus, though not a soul ring of the ultimate age, can only be barely absorbed by him.

Even though the soul ring's age is a bit off, Li Xuan believes the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus will give him a surprise.

Li Xuan climbed out of bed, walked straight to the windowsill, lifted the water basin, and set it on the Dormitory floor.

He summoned a small green vial; a drop of Green Spirit Liquid slowly fell and landed steadily on the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus's leaf.

The Green Spirit Liquid was absorbed in an instant, and a jet‑black lotus tendril sprouted rapidly from the root.

Within a few breaths it pierced the water, then at its tip a finger‑sized black lotus bud emerged; the bud was small but jet‑black, its surface gleaming with a glassy luster.

"The Filthy Flame Yin Lotus is actually about to bloom," Li Xuan said with some surprise; he also wanted to see the moment an Immortal‑Grade spirit plant blossoms.

Li Xuan thought for a moment, hurriedly closed the curtains tightly, locked the door, took out several Starfire Fruits, infused them with soul power, and placed them in the room, making the room brightly lit.

Finally, Li Xuan took out the Lotus Platform of the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus and set it aside; when he later absorbs the lotus, he worries it might scorch the floor, so he chooses to sit on the platform.

After arranging everything, Li Xuan immediately returned to the water basin, watching the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus about to bloom.

"Snap!"

A faint crisp sound rang, the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus burst open instantly, and a light, lingering fragrance filled the entire Dormitory at once.

Li Xuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, unexpectedly feeling his very soul extremely comfortable.

After two breaths, the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus fully bloomed, a palm‑sized black lotus flower appearing before Li Xuan.

Though only palm‑sized, the lotus was indescribably beautiful; each petal seemed carved from the finest black jade in the world, splendid and noble.

The Filthy Flame Yin Lotus wilted after less than three minutes; then its leaves, roots, and lotus stems all began, at a visibly rapid pace, turning into black soul power that dissipated into the air.

Finally, only a single lotus petal floated quietly in the water basin.

"So this must be the essence of the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus," Li Xuan muttered delightedly, looking at the floating petal.

Without hesitation, Li Xuan reached out, scooped the petal from the water, and turned to sit on the Lotus Platform.

Li Xuan placed the petal before his eyes and examined it closely.

The petal was only two fingers wide, entirely jet‑black, crystal‑clear like jade, ice‑cold to the touch, and felt very pleasant.

Under normal circumstances, the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus must absorb the gloom and resentment between heaven and earth to grow, generating a great amount of negative energy.

However, the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus Li Xuan cultivated is different; it was grown entirely with Green Spirit Liquid, never absorbing gloom or resentment,

Li Xuan sat on the Lotus Platform, assumed a cultivation posture, solemnly pinched the petal, and placed it into his mouth.

The lotus petal melted on contact, slid down his throat, and entered Li Xuan's stomach.

"Boom!" An incomparably massive energy erupted within Li Xuan's body, instantly swelling his meridians.

Li Xuan's eyes widened sharply, his face flushed red, and veins bulged.

The energy contained in the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus far exceeded Li Xuan's expectations; his meridians were stretched to the limit, and thanks to his earlier absorption of the Burning Heart Golden Chrysanthemum, otherwise his meridians would already be riddled with cracks.

Li Xuan could not concern himself with anything else and hurriedly began circulating his technique to absorb the tremendous energy within his body.

However, the energy from the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus was sticky, filthy, and penetrative; once it entered Li Xuan's body it immediately began corroding his meridians and flesh, and his current technique simply cannot absorb such energy.

"Damned Filthy Flame Yin Lotus, you have no normal spot! So troublesome!" Li Xuan gritted his teeth, and immediately a mass of Burning Heart Divine Flame manifested in his meridians, beginning to scorch those Filthy Flame Yin Lotus energies.

The sticky energy, upon touching the Burning Heart Divine Flame, melted like snow water and split into two completely different energies.

One type of energy is exceedingly pure soul power, likely the refined ability the Filthy Flame Yin Lotus obtained after breaking through its cultivation; this soul power divided into three parts: one merged into Li Xuan's dantian, raising his soul power level; the second infused his body, strengthening his meridians, tendons, bones, and muscles; the third lay dormant in his meridians, to be absorbed later during future cultivation.

The second energy turned out to be pure soul force, which can be directly absorbed by the soul to strengthen it.

Naturally, Li Xuan did not hold back, channeling all this soul force into the Spiritual World, gradually nourishing his own soul.

However, Li Xuan is now simultaneously juggling control of the Burning Heart Divine Flame, directing the soul to absorb the soul force, and circulating his technique to draw soul power from his meridians.

The Filthy Flame Yin Lotus released a great amount of energy, and Li Xuan does not know how long it will take to clear all of it.

…

The next morning at first light, the first ray of sunlight streamed through the window into the bedroom.

Li Xuan slowly opened his eyes.

As Li Xuan's eyes fully opened, his entire eyeballs turned black, and a murky, sticky flame flowed from his palm, landing on the Lotus Platform.

Li Xuan slowly raised his hand, gazed at the streaming Filthy Flame, nodded with satisfaction, finally possessing this disgusting fire.

"Next is absorbing the soul ring; I think it shouldn't be too hard," Li Xuan nodded, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes again.

A cyan energy emanated from Li Xuan's body, coalescing above his head into a phantom of the Nine Hearts Nine Flame Lotus.

Li Xuan pointed upward; the Filthy Flame, sticky like oil, poured from his fingertips, encircling the Nine Hearts Nine Flame Lotus and condensing into a dark‑purple soul ring.

The sticky Filthy Flame gradually became a violet, translucent halo, then slowly entered the Nine Hearts Nine Flame Lotus, turning one of its nine petals into pure black.

"It's done!" Li Xuan snapped his eyes open, a slight smile curling his lips, and said happily.

"Second soul skill, Filthy Flame Tentacle!" Li Xuan slowly extended his hand, and a wrist‑thick tentacle made of Filthy Flame suddenly emerged from the ground.

As for this soul skill, it's conventional yet a bit sinister, but versatile; its attacks also carry the searing burn of Filthy Flame.

Moreover, Filthy Flame, like the Burning Heart Divine Flame, is Li Xuan's innate talent, so using Filthy Flame does not consume much soul power.

Filthy Flame can also augment the Burning Heart Seal, simultaneously manipulating an enemy's emotions and corrupting their mind.

After obtaining Filthy Flame, Li Xuan finally realized the flame's magnitude.

Filthy Flame is unusually sticky, penetrates everything, and besides the high temperature of fire it also has extreme corrosiveness; more importantly, Filthy Flame muddies the heart and erodes will, sucking bone and marrow! Burning Heart Divine Flame represents heart fire, anger, while Filthy Flame represents kidney water, decadence! Dear readers, happy weekend, I'll strive to update regularly, adding more content for you.

(End of Chapter)