Chapter 409: I

"There are many types of Innate energy. Let's not even talk about the Five Elements Innate energy; there are also some special Innate energies, such as the Canglan energy of your Canglan Sect. But have you ever heard of refining and superimposing water-attribute energy, or metal-attribute energy? Have you ever heard of the Wan Shui Sect, or the Wan Jin Sect, or the Wan Tu Sect?"

In the courtyard.

After calming his emotions, Zhuang Lie began to instruct Lin Chen.

"This junior has never heard of them."

"This is the special feature of Innate Fire. Although other Five Elements energies can also cause changes in the body, no energy can make the body grow continuously like Innate Fire. Do you know why?"

"This junior does not know."

Lin Chen shook his head, looking at Zhuang Lie, waiting for this Elder Zhuang to enlighten him.

"That is because Innate Fire not only contains the power of destruction but also the power of rebirth. It burns all things and gives birth to new ones..."

Zhuang Lie stroked his beard and smiled: "You have heard of rebirth through fire, but have you heard of rebirth through water or earth?"

"No. Bathing in water is called drowning, and bathing in earth is called burial."

"Hahaha." Zhuang Lie burst into laughter upon hearing Lin Chen's answer:

"Not bad, that is the principle. This is the special feature unique to Innate Fire, and it is also the reason why techniques like the Boundless God-Phase Art were born. In my Wan Huozong, there are several techniques similar to the Boundless God-Phase Art, and there are even stronger ones."

Hearing Elder Zhuang's words, Lin Chen smiled slightly. This Elder Zhuang never forgot to tempt him.

Seeing that Lin Chen didn't take his words, Zhuang Lie didn't mind and continued: "Metal, wood, water, and earth energies are more about superposition or strengthening, based on the original body. Only Innate Fire can destroy the body and then continuously undergo restructuring and changes... The difference between these is extraordinary."

Lin Chen nodded. He understood what this Elder Zhuang meant.

It's like building a house. Metal, wood, water, and earth Innate energies are adding floors on the original foundation. The floors can be added continuously, but they are ultimately limited by the foundation.

Only Innate Fire can recast the foundation along with the structure, so there is no upper limit.

In the early stages, perhaps the difference isn't very big. An ordinary foundation can also withstand a height of five, ten, or even dozens of floors. But in the later stages, reaching hundreds or even hundreds of floors, only recasting the foundation can achieve it, and only Innate Fire can do that.

"Do you know how many types of Innate Fire there are in the entire Yan Huang Dynasty?"

"Over a hundred, I suppose."

Lin Chen had read the jade slips in the sect about Innate Fire, which recorded over a hundred types.

"Wrong, there are tens of thousands!"

Zhuang Lie saw the look of shock in Lin Chen's eyes and smiled: "Otherwise, do you think my Wan Huozong took the name 'Wan Huo' (Ten Thousand Fires) just because it sounds good?"

"Ten thousand types of Innate Fire? Senior, you aren't joking, are you?"

Lin Chen still couldn't believe it. Even if the Canglan Sect didn't cultivate fire-attribute techniques, as one of the super sects, the Canglan Sect was absolutely top-tier in terms of information.

If the Yan Huang Dynasty had ten thousand types of Innate Fire, it was impossible for the Canglan Sect's records to only have over a hundred.

"This is the second thing this old man wants to tell you about Innate Fire."

Zhuang Lie could understand why Lin Chen would question it and explained: "Innate Fire is divided into three types: Mother Fire, Variant Fire, and Child Fire."

"The so-called Mother Fire is nurtured by nature. The Li Fire you refined belongs to Mother Fire. But the Jin Wu Radiant Flame does not belong to Mother Fire; the Jin Wu Radiant Flame belongs to Variant Fire."

"The Jin Wu Radiant Flame is Variant Fire?"

"The Jin Wu Radiant Flame is transformed from the essence soul of the Jin Wu after its death, not nurtured by heaven and earth. My sect collectively refers to this type of Innate Fire that appears due to some special reasons as Variant Fire, including the Purple Nightmare Corrosive Flame, which also belongs to Variant Fire."

"Your Master told this old man that you originally chose the Jin Wu Radiant Flame between the Jin Wu Radiant Flame and the Purple Nightmare Corrosive Flame."

Seeing Lin Chen's confusion, Zhuang Lie explained why he had mentioned the Purple Nightmare Corrosive Flame.

"The flames of the Purple Nightmare Corrosive Flame have poisonous mist because the place where the Purple Nightmare Corrosive Flame grows is in the Black Water Pool. Beneath the Black Water Pool exists the Mother Fire Innate Purple Flame. The Innate Purple Flame continuously contacts the poisonous mist in the pool water under the Black Water Pool, and over time, it became the Purple Nightmare Corrosive Flame."

"As for Child Fire, it is a new type of Innate Fire generated by condensing several strands of Mother Fire or Variant Fire. It can be two strands, or three, or even more... In terms of power, Child Fire is the strongest."

"This junior understands."

Hearing Elder Zhuang's explanation, Lin Chen knew why this Elder Zhuang would say there were ten thousand types of fire. Most of them should refer to Child Fire.

Mathematical permutations and combinations.

Over a hundred types of Mother Fire, including some variant fires, after various combinations and arrangements, result in new Child Fire. The quantity is absolutely a terrifying number.

"Mother Fire has its own characteristics, and there is even repulsion between them. The Boundless God-Phase Art you cultivate will only become harder and harder to absorb other Innate Fires later on. But if you choose Child Fire, you can choose Child Fire that is not repulsive to the Innate Fire in your body, and you can even cultivate suitable ones. This old man will not be modest: my Wan Huozong can guarantee that you can safely absorb five strands of Innate Fire."

"Except for my Wan Huozong, no other sect in the Yan Huang Dynasty can do this. In terms of manipulating and cultivating Innate Fire, no sect can be mentioned in the same breath as my Wan Huozong."

Zhuang Lie had enough confidence in these words, looking at Lin Chen with burning eyes.

Feeling the heat in this Elder Zhuang's eyes, Lin Chen could only move away with a bitter smile. It was impossible for him to leave the Canglan Sect.

Seeing Lin Chen's silence, Zhuang Lie sighed lightly, and a jade slip that was entirely crimson appeared in his hand.

He pushed the jade slip toward Lin Chen: "This jade slip is divided into upper and lower volumes. This is the upper volume, named 'Wan Huo Source Genealogy'. It is my Wan Huozong's source genealogy for many Innate Fires, including the relationships between over a hundred types of Mother Fire and hundreds of types of Variant Fire, including methods for improving fire rank, all recorded in it. As for the lower volume, even in my Wan Huozong, disciples need enough contribution points to exchange for it."

"Thank you, Elder Zhuang, for the gift."

Lin Chen thanked him and took it. With this upper volume, it would definitely be helpful for his cultivation of the Boundless God-Phase Art and the subsequent selection of Innate Fire. As for the lower volume, he didn't dare to hope for it.

"This Fire-Melting Art is the basic technique of my Wan Huozong, just like your Canglan Sect's Canglan Finger. This old man will give it to you together. You can try to cultivate it."

Zhuang Lie took out another jade slip. The standard for the Wan Huozong to recruit disciples was to successfully cultivate the Fire-Melting Art.

"Good."

Lin Chen nodded, took the jade slip, and under Zhuang Lie's request, directly probed his soul into the jade slip. Very quickly, he remembered the oral formula of this Fire-Melting Art.

The oral formula of the Fire-Melting Art was not complicated; it was a method of manipulating fire.

It was divided into nine layers. The first layer was the ability to divide fire into three strands.

After that, each layer was superimposed, and by the ninth layer, it was necessary to refine the fire into lotus petals.

"This Fire-Melting Art looks like the Thousand Mechanisms God-Refining Art, except one is manipulating fire and the other is manipulating spiritual sense."

"This old man will stay in the Canglan Sect for a month. During this month, if you have any questions, you can come here and ask this old man."

"Thank you, Senior."

Lin Chen agreed. The next moment, a cluster of flames appeared on his right fingertip, and under Zhuang Lie's gaze, the cluster of flames turned into two clusters, then into three, four...

Finally, there were flames jumping on the fingertips of all five fingers.

"Hmm?"

Zhuang Lie saw this scene, a sharp light in his old eyes, and couldn't help but ask: "Lin Chen, are you using the Fire-Melting Art to divide the flames?"

Dividing fire into several parts, many martial artists could do it, especially Innate martial artists, who could forcibly do it by relying on external force. With one slash, the fire would split into two, or even three, four...

But this kind of division also reduced the power of the fire, just turning the original fire into multiple parts.

The Fire-Melting Art's division of fire did not reduce the power of the fire, and with continuous superposition, the power would only become stronger and stronger.

"Hmm."

Lin Chen responded to Zhuang Lie's inquiry.

Actually, Zhuang Lie didn't need Lin Chen's answer anymore. He had just sensed it; these five clusters of flames were equal in power, without the slightest weakening. It must have been divided using the Fire-Melting Art.

Zhuang Lie's expression was very excited. Wan Huozong disciples, when they first started cultivating the Fire-Melting Art, used ordinary fire to cultivate, not Innate Fire. Innate Fire was much stronger than ordinary fire, and the stronger the power, the harder the division.

And the flames on Lin Chen's fingertips were all Innate Li Fire. Even though Lin Chen had already stepped into the Innate Realm and had refined Li Fire, being able to divide so many flames in such a short time was enough to shock him.

"You try to see how many strands you can divide at most?"

Zhuang Lie's eyes carried encouragement. Lin Chen didn't hesitate. Strands of flames drifted from his fingertips and began to gather together in the space, but they didn't merge. In the end, dozens of them formed a fireball in front of Lin Chen.

Swish!

With the change of Lin Chen's hand gestures, the fireball instantly split into dozens of parts and began to gather into other shapes in the air. In the end, it slowly gathered into a lotus shape.

One petal, two petals...

Unfortunately, it fell short at the last petal, and there was a look of regret on Lin Chen's face.

"Senior, this is the limit of what this junior can do."

Zhuang Lie listened to Lin Chen's words and looked at Lin Chen's regretful expression. There was only one thought in his mind: should he just take Lin Chen and run away?

Kidnap him and run away, before the Canglan Sect could react.

Lin Chen's talent in manipulating fire was that of a chosen one.

However, just as Zhuang Lie had this thought, he felt an invisible pressure sweep over him, instantly making him sober up.

This was the Canglan Sect, which had Myriad Phenomena Realm experts sitting in command.

"Forget it, let's follow the original plan and contact him again after Lin Chen leaves the Canglan Sect."

……

Three days later, Zhuang Lie left.

After Lin Chen was able to manipulate Innate Li Fire to condense lotus petals, he left the Canglan Sect.

He was afraid that if he didn't leave, he wouldn't be able to help but teach Lin Chen the martial arts techniques unique to the Wan Huozong. But these techniques were not allowed to be passed on to outsiders. Even if he appreciated Lin Chen, he had to abide by the sect rules.

"Kid, when you go out to travel in the future, you can come to my Wan Huozong."

"Thank you, Senior, for your guidance these past few days. This junior will definitely visit the Wan Huozong to pay respects to you when I have time."

Zhuang Lie left, and Lin Chen saw him off personally. After Zhuang Lie left, he also continued to cultivate in the courtyard.

Only this time, besides cultivating the Thousand Mechanisms God-Refining Art and continuously strengthening his control over spiritual sense, he was also cultivating the Fire-Melting Art. In his view, these two techniques had the same effect.

They complemented each other and reflected each other.

……

One day, two days...

A month passed.

In the courtyard.

Slap!

Lin Chen snapped his fingers lightly. Seven hundred spiritual sense flying knives circled around him. At the same time, the golden wings behind him appeared again. The difference was that this time, flames flowed up and down on the golden wings like a curtain of rain.

The flames on the golden wings were Innate Li Fire.

Swish!

With a thought from Lin Chen, his figure shot out, and the seven hundred flying knives around him also flew out at the same time.

Lin Chen's figure stopped at the courtyard wall thirty zhang away, and at the same time, the flying knives also landed beside him.

"This range is still a bit small."

Glancing at the courtyard wall in front, Lin Chen jumped over the wall and appeared at a lake on the side.

The ten-thousand-zhang lake was enough for him to exert his extreme speed.

Swish!

On the lake surface, extreme golden arcs and ice-blue flying knives shot out at the same time, drawing beautiful arcs on the water surface.

Within fifty zhang, the speeds of the two were equal.

After fifty zhang, the flying knives began to lead.

After a hundred zhang, the golden light surpassed them again.

After two hundred zhang, the flying knives couldn't keep up.

Lin Chen's figure stopped, looking at the flying knives behind him. With a thought, the flying knives transformed by spiritual sense dissipated into nothingness.

"Relying on this pair of golden wings, my speed can be equal to spiritual sense within fifty zhang, but after fifty zhang, spiritual sense will surpass me..."

Lin Chen began to ponder. Spiritual sense speed is prioritized over the martial artist's own speed; this is recognized by the entire martial arts world. But in his case, he could make his own speed catch up to spiritual sense, but after fifty zhang, the Innate Power in his body couldn't keep up with this extreme consumption, which was why he was surpassed by spiritual sense.

However, spiritual sense attacks also have flaws, limited by one's own soul, and have a certain attack range. His current extreme range is within a hundred zhang. Beyond a hundred zhang, the power of spiritual sense weakens...

"One cannot be too greedy."

Lin Chen abandoned the regret in his heart. When he entered the Canglan Realm and could comprehend martial will, his soul would have another growth.

"There are still more than three months before the Canglan Realm opens."

Just as Lin Chen was about to return, his footsteps had just stepped on the lake surface, and the next moment his figure was stunned.

The panel, which hadn't been updated for more than two months, suddenly showed a text prompt.

【Settlement incomplete.】

【Please complete the Mount Wudao summit challenge as soon as possible.】

【The final settlement will be opened in ten days.】

Seeing the text prompt on the panel, Lin Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. What did this mean?

Urging him to complete the Mount Wudao summit challenge?

Opening the final settlement in ten days...

Thinking of the previous three settlements, Lin Chen had a guess in his heart.

The panel was suggesting that completing the Mount Wudao summit would make the settlement score higher, and the panel for the next stage would also be stronger.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 410 =====