Chapter 175: Strange Flame

The Floating Light Sword had always been impossible to draw, and the Floating Light Sword Art was also extremely difficult to cultivate. Now sensing the Floating Light Sword stir, Hua Changxi glanced at Bai Li Changfeng and his two disciples walking ahead, thought for a moment, and took out the Floating Light Sword.

Since the Floating Light Sword was out, her position was exposed, so there was no need to remain concealed.

Therefore, Hua Changxi removed the invisibility talisman.

As soon as the invisibility talisman was removed, Hua Changxi, dressed in a black cloak, appeared in the sight of Bai Li Changfeng and his two disciples.

The cloak’s hood covered most of Hua Changxi’s face; although they couldn’t see her features clearly, Bai Li Changfeng and his two disciples could still tell from her figure and the exposed part of her face that she was not old.

At this, the three disciples and master felt some agitation in their hearts, and all three instinctively thought that Hua Changxi was an old person who had consumed some kind of rejuvenating miraculous pill.

The great platform was difficult to climb, and the temperature in the air was too high. Even with talismans affixed, Xia Yang and Xia Xue could barely endure it. Bai Li Changfeng also stuck on a talisman to resist fire spiritual energy and held out one more, asking Hua Changxi.

“Senior, do you need a talisman?”

“I can still bear it. You all take care of yourselves.”

Bai Li Changfeng felt that Hua Changxi’s voice sounded far too young. He stole another glance at her, and his earlier guess that she was an old person who had taken a rejuvenation pill began to waver.

With the resurgence of spiritual energy, the children of those cultivation families who had seized the lead indeed had a head start. Although the families controlled many cultivation resources, cultivation also depended on opportunity and talent. Some juniors, due to high talent and abundant opportunities, could even overtake many children of cultivation families.

The female cultivator at the Nascent Soul realm before him might not necessarily be an old person who had cultivated for many years.

Since Hua Changxi didn’t want a talisman, Bai Li Changfeng didn’t say more. After putting the talisman away, he continued forward.

The fire spiritual energy in the air was extremely dense, but unfortunately mixed with demonic energy, making it unabsorbable. Otherwise, this place would have been an excellent cultivation spot for fire-spirit-root cultivators.

The higher they climbed, the hotter the air became, and the Floating Light Sword in Hua Changxi’s hand vibrated more and more violently. On the subsequent strange path, she used her spiritual power to suppress the Floating Light Sword while warily checking the surroundings.

Before stepping onto the great platform, she hadn’t seen what it was made of. Now walking on it, she discovered that not only did the platform resemble a volcanic mound in shape, but its material also seemed like volcanic rock, formed from cooled lava.

“Master, why do I feel this great platform is even taller than the highest peak of Kunlun Mountain?”

Xia Yang and Xia Xue were struggling to advance. Seeing that they had been climbing for so long and the top of the platform was still so far away, they couldn’t help asking.

Bai Li Changfeng: “Haven’t I told you about spatial folding before? Among all the cave paradises and ruins that have appeared on the Central Continent, which one isn’t small on the outside but hides a different world inside?”

“This place is the center of one of the four array eyes of the Demon Prison, where the Fusang Divine Tree grows. The Fusang Divine Tree connects the human world and the Nine Netherworlds. Do you think this place is big or not?”

Upon hearing this, Xia Yang and Xia Xue exchanged a bitter glance.

Before this, both of them had felt that their early Core Formation cultivation was already at the level of experts—no matter where they went to train, they could retreat unscathed. But now, they realized how ridiculous their previous thoughts had been.

Just then, a wisp of bright red flame suddenly appeared out of thin air, shooting straight toward Xia Xue, who had the lowest cultivation.

Seeing this, Bai Li Changfeng’s expression changed drastically: “It’s strange fire—dodge quickly!”

The red flame was too fast; Xia Xue couldn’t evade in time. Just as the red flame was about to touch her, Hua Changxi swung the Floating Light Sword and blocked it in front of Xia Xue. The red flame directly vanished into the sword.

As soon as the red flame entered the Floating Light Sword, Hua Changxi felt a sensation like rain after a long drought—not from her, but from the sword itself.

Strange fire was beneficial to the Floating Light Sword!

“Thank you, Senior, for your intervention. If my disciple had been struck by the strange fire, she would surely have become its fuel.”

Seeing that Xia Xue was unharmed, Bai Li Changfeng quickly thanked Hua Changxi, and at the same time, glanced at the Floating Light Sword in her hand. What grade of spiritual sword was this—able to absorb strange fire?

“It was nothing. You previously said there was a lot of strange fire here—let me clear the way then.”

Since strange fire benefited the Floating Light Sword, Hua Changxi wanted it to absorb more.

Hearing this, Bai Li Changfeng felt a sudden relief in his heart and thanked her again.

The stone steps had the most strange fire—their purpose was to prevent people from breaking into the array eye’s center. Moreover, the closer they got to the platform’s top, the more strange fire there would be, and its power would grow stronger. Though he was a late Core Formation cultivator, he couldn’t protect both disciples.

After that, Hua Changxi took the lead to clear the way.

As they continued climbing higher, the frequency of strange fire appearing increased. Every time it appeared, if it attacked them, Hua Changxi would intercept it with the Floating Light Sword.

After the Floating Light Sword absorbed nine wisps of red flame, Hua Changxi no longer felt that nourishing sensation of rain after a drought. Knowing that red flame was no longer effective for the sword, when the red flame came again, she directly dispersed it with the sword.

The red flame turned into sparks that sank into the volcanic rock underfoot and quickly disappeared.

Seeing this, Xia Yang looked regretful: “Strange fire is a rare treasure for fire-spirit-root cultivators to increase their strength. If my cultivation were strong enough to subdue it, I wouldn’t have to scatter it.”

Bai Li Changfeng was also very regretful, because his current strength couldn’t subdue strange fire either. He spoke up: “The Fusang Divine Tree can nurture strange fire. Once scattered, the strange fire will be nurtured anew.”

They couldn’t subdue strange fire, but Hua Changxi could. Reminded by Bai Li Changfeng and his disciples, she easily drew a wisp of red flame into her dantian.

Seeing this, Baili and his two apprentices were all very envious.

Afterwards, the four of them climbed for another hour, and when strange fire attacked them again, it was no longer red flames but orange flames.

The temperature of the orange flame was clearly several times higher than the red flame, and as soon as it appeared, Xia Yang and Xia Xue felt suffocated.

But Hua Changxi sensed the excitement of the Floating Light Sword and quickly swung it, striking directly at the strange fire.

When the orange flame merged into the Floating Light Sword, the sword once again revealed a joyful sensation like a long drought finally meeting rain.

And so, ascending all the way, after Hua Changxi swung the Floating Light Sword and absorbed enough strange fire of the red, orange, and yellow colors, she and Baili Changfeng and his two apprentices finally stood at the top of the giant platform.

Before coming up, Hua Changxi thought the top of the giant platform was a wide, open space with an array laid out, but after coming up she found it was nothing like that—this wasn't any kind of giant platform; it should be a volcanic crater.

"Daoist friend, do we still need to go down?"

Baili Changfeng nodded: "Yes."

At the top of the volcanic crater, the temperature had already reached a terrifying level. The yellow strange fire that had just appeared was so hot it could already burn Hua Changxi; if they went down, even stronger strange fire would certainly appear.

Hua Changxi looked at Baili Changfeng: "Are you sure you want to keep going down? Can you endure it?"

Baili Changfeng: "Even if we can't endure it, we must. We have to stop those six Yao tribesmen." As he spoke, he took out four sky-blue stones.

As soon as the sky-blue stones were taken out, the temperature of the surrounding air dropped sharply.

"These are Polar Cold Marrow Jade, which can help us block the attacks of the fire spiritual energy at the center of the array eye."

Polar Cold Marrow Jade was extremely rare. Baili Changfeng gave one piece to each of his two apprentices, then, with a pained expression, handed one to Hua Changxi.

There was no other choice—they needed this person to help them block the strange fire, and perhaps when they reached the center of the array eye, they would also need her help dealing with those six Yao tribesmen.

Although Polar Cold Marrow Jade was rare and precious, the stability of the array eye was even more important.

The Floating Light Sword needed to absorb the strange fire, and outside the stone soldier terracotta there was a Demon Suppression Guard General trying to capture her. Although Hua Changxi knew Baili Changfeng had his own use for her, she still reached out and accepted the Polar Cold Marrow Jade.