Chapter 34

Chapter 34: Opportunity, Meridian Fire-Tempering

It had happened because the seal on a strand of his soul was thin, and there was enough energy in the lava for him to break it.

Shen Sang Ruo was stumped and did not know how to talk to him, so she said with a small smile: “So Immortal Lord Chang Li also likes to joke.”

She then asked: “Then does Immortal Lord Chang Li know what happened to me after I was pulled into the lava?”

“To be honest, I cannot sense my meridians or my dantian right now,” Shen Sang Ruo admitted.

“They will grow back soon. Do not worry.”

“Ah?” She wondered if she had heard wrong, thinking: [Did I hear that right?]

Immortal Lord Chang Li explained: “When you fell into the lava, my Nirvana Power protected you.”

Now it made sense why her flesh kept regrowing, and why soaking in lava left her body unharmed.

“A huge amount of spiritual power rushed from the lava into your meridians and dantian. It went past your body’s limit. But under the effect of Nirvana Power, your meridians and dantian were repaired again,” he said.

“This repeated again and again, each cycle strengthening your meridians and dantian. It is called Meridian Fire-Tempering.”

“It also worked because your talent is good. You have a Top Grade Single Fire Spiritual Root. On top of that, you practiced my Fanning Wind and Stirring Fire Art, which let me guide Nirvana Power into your body.”

Meridian Fire-Tempering was something the Phoenix Clan had to go through as they grew. Some cultivators with a Fire Spiritual Root could also do it once they learned the method.

But people usually did not choose to do quenching at Shen Sang Ruo’s young age and shallow cultivation.

This time was only an accident.

The risk was too great. If the body’s gift was lacking, the person would only end up as fuel.

Even though Shen Sang Ruo made it through with his help, her aptitude was already quite impressive.

Immortal Lord Chang Li was very satisfied with her and thought highly of her.

She was worthy to receive his legacy.

Listening closely to his words, Shen Sang Ruo asked with bright eyes: “So that means I actually turned misfortune into a blessing?”

“Yes. After successful quenching, you will become an excellent body for fire cultivation,” he said, then added with an easy smile: “Congratulations.”

“As for your meridians and dantian, they have not recovered from the last round of quenching yet. Give them time.”

“When your meridians and dantian are rebuilt, your strength will return too.”

“Thank you for helping me, Immortal Lord Chang Li,” Shen Sang Ruo said, her voice sincere.

Once again, the people of Ninghua Sect had saved her life.

“It was a small thing,” Immortal Lord Chang Li said carelessly, then added, “Besides, you only got into danger because you were helping me look for a magic item.”

Shen Sang Ruo hesitated for a moment, then could not help asking in a careful tone: “Immortal Lord Chang Li, where are you taking me?”

She said “taking” on purpose, but in truth it was more like dragging.

All through their talk, Immortal Lord Chang Li had kept bouncing along and pulling her forward.

She lay limp on the ground, not moving, while a booger sized red stone tugged her by the front.

Just thinking about the scene made her feel it was very strange.

“Of course I am taking you to find the magic item I need. You are recovering too slowly, and I cannot wait.”

Immortal Lord Chang Li was impatient by nature.

When she heard the item was inside the cave estate, Shen Sang Ruo felt very happy.

After all, when the lava swallowed her, she had given up hope for this quest.

She had not expected a new chance.

But the next moment she became alert: “Still, walking around so openly in someone else’s cave estate and taking their things may not be proper.”

“There is nothing improper,” Immortal Lord Chang Li said firmly. “No one else is here. Just follow me.”

[Is this really “walking”?] Shen Sang Ruo’s neck ached faintly.

Even so, she mostly trusted what he said.

He was the one who needed the magic item. If anything happened to her, he would not be able to carry it back with only a wisp of soul.

So Shen Sang Ruo let Immortal Lord Chang Li drag her along.

Nearly four hours passed, and the hopping Immortal Lord Chang Li still did not stop.

She stared blankly at the high ceiling of the cave. For the first time, she felt that a cave estate being too big was not a good thing.

“I wonder which cultivator this cave estate belonged to,” she sighed softly.

After another hour of being dragged, Immortal Lord Chang Li finally stopped and said with relief: “We are here.”

Shen Sang Ruo also let out a long breath.

She saw the Blazing Heart unlock its chains and fly past her eyes.

Then came a creaking sound as a chest opened.

“I will help your meridians and dantian recover first,” Immortal Lord Chang Li said. His voice sounded stronger than before.

At the start, his voice had been a bit faint.

The next moment, she felt a current of energy pour into her body.

It nourished her meridians and dantian and rebuilt them rapidly.

The feeling was exactly the same as the faint sense she had when she blacked out in the lava.

So this was Nirvana Power.

Shen Sang Ruo sighed inwardly in awe.

In less than a quarter of an hour, her meridians and dantian had fully recovered.

Just as Immortal Lord Chang Li said, she could clearly feel her meridians were tougher now.

Even without her trying to draw it in, spiritual power from the surroundings kept flowing into her meridians, forming little whirlpools.

The fire spiritual power here was extremely dense. In just this short time, she felt she was about to break through to the Qi Refining First Layer.

Yes, it was true. Shen Sang Ruo’s cultivation had scattered again.

Even if the meridians were rebuilt, they had truly been destroyed before. Her cultivation had naturally dispersed.

But she had a strong feeling that this time she would quickly regain her former realm.

And because she had trained through the Qi Refining Stage and the Foundation Establishment Stage three times already, her base would be very solid.

In the future, her cultivation would only get easier.

Now that she had strength again, she pushed herself up from the ground and looked toward where the Blazing Heart floated.

It was a jade chest, carved with very complex, hard to read characters.

She guessed the chest itself was also a high grade magic item.

It must be what the cave’s Master used to store precious things.

As for how Immortal Lord Chang Li opened it, she did not ask.

The world of experts was not something she understood.

In any case, it was open. Her job was to find the magic items and take them.

She walked to the jade chest and, at a glance, saw the bright, dazzling feather inside.

It looked a lot like the tail feather of that Fire Phoenix from before.

“Is this a Phoenix Feather?” she asked.

“Yes. Take it.”

This was one of the magic items Immortal Lord Chang Li had been searching for.

“And this Thousand-Year Phoenix Bone.”

He landed on a fiery red bone that had turned jade-like with age and motioned for her to take it.

“Take this too. That is Phoenix Heartblood.”

Shen Sang Ruo put a translucent glassy vial into her Cosmos Pouch.

The phoenix heartblood inside shone with golden light as it moved.

“Are there any other magic items you need, Immortal Lord Chang Li?” she asked.

“Yes… that book,” Immortal Lord Chang Li said. The ending pitch of his words rose, and his tone was a little different from before.

Shen Sang Ruo did not notice the change.

She reached her fingers toward the book as she had done before.

But the nameless book flipped open on its own the moment her fingertips touched it.

[Does this book read itself?] she thought in surprise.

In the same instant, a ray of red light shot from its pages and plunged into the space between her brows.