Chapter 28: Chapter 28: Subduing the Earth Spirit Fire
Boom!
Accompanied by the explosion of the last Thunder Shocker.
Liu Yongqing was left without a complete corpse.
To avoid prying eyes, Yang Ji threw all the severed limbs and remains into the magma pool.
Liu Yongqing's Storage Bag was intact. Yang Ji, having no time to check it at the moment, picked it up and then turned his attention to the Earth Spirit Fire.
He was somewhat at a loss now.
His original plan was to use Liu Yongqing to bring it out, but now that plan had fallen through.
After staring for a long time without thinking of any method, he put it aside.
In an instant, he rose with a leap, his feet stepping on two streams of hot air, and the next moment, he landed in front of the Flame Tree.
These Flame Fruits were Spiritual Objects that could directly increase one's cultivation. If he said he wasn't happy about it, that would be a lie.
He immediately reached out and cautiously plucked the five red-orange fruits, which looked like burning flames.
The Spirit Fruit in his hand didn't have the burning heat he had imagined, just a faint warmth.
Yang Ji looked it over for a while, then put it away.
After picking the Flame Fruit, he stared at the half-human-height Flame Tree, falling into deep thought.
Such a tree that could bear Spirit Fruit was a treasure indeed. If it could be transplanted...
No sooner had this thought emerged than the Flame Tree before him displayed the information "Flame Tree, born above Fire Crystal Stone. Cannot survive without magma to supply energy."
Fire Crystal Stone?
Yang Ji drew his sword and slashed, and with a hiss, his formidable Sword Qi instantly split open the magma beneath the Flame Tree. He spotted the fiery-red and translucent crystal below through the fissure that was about a foot wide.
Information immediately displayed "Fire Crystal Stone, the essence of magma crystallized. It can absorb the energy of magma and give birth to Earth Spirit Fire."
Was the Earth Spirit Fire nourished by the Fire Crystal Stone?
Yang Ji was startled. As he gazed, more information displayed "By absorbing the Fire Essence Power within the Fire Crystal Stone, it can form the embryonic matrix that nurtures the Earth Spirit Fire, thereby allowing it to be absorbed into the body for gradual refinement."
To absorb the Earth Spirit Fire into the body!
Seeing this information, Yang Ji was so elated it was as if he couldn't contain his joy.
His original plan was to use the Fierce Tiger Talisman to blast a way out while the Flame Snakes were distracted by Chen De and the others, and then to talk about escaping first.
He would return to refine the Earth Spirit Fire once he was stronger.
But he had never anticipated that after absorbing the Fire Essence Power from the Fire Crystal Stone, he could carry it inside his body. It was an unexpected joy.
Yang Ji glanced outside. The information showed that Chen De and the others were still in the midst of battle. Without further hesitation.
He wanted to quickly absorb the energy of the Fire Crystal Stone and then meet up with them, as it would be hard to fight his way out alone with just the few Fierce Tiger Talismans remaining in his hand.
With a fierce slash of his sword, there was a clang, and as the magma opened, a piece of Fire Crystal Stone was cut free.
Swinging his longsword, Yang Ji used force to lift, and then he flicked the chopped piece of Fire Crystal Stone onto the shore.
One piece wasn't enough. He repeated the process, cutting down a total of five pieces of Fire Crystal Stone. Then he stepped through the air, leaping to land on the shore.
He had obtained the Fire Crystal Stone.
Sitting cross-legged on the scorched, hardened crimson ground, Yang Ji held a piece of Fire Crystal Stone in both hands and began to absorb its energy, activating his Cultivation Technique.
The Fire Crystal Stone was the essence of magma, with extremely pure Fire Essence Power within. As soon as he activated his Cultivation Technique, strands of red energy mist began to rise from the Fire Crystal Stone and were absorbed into Yang Ji's body.
The human-head-sized Fire Crystal Stone in his hands began to shrink at a visible rate.
It only took half an incense stick of time to completely absorb the five Fire Crystal Stones.
Yang Ji glanced at the fist-sized cluster of red mist inside him that was the Fire Essence Power, and immediately, the information showed, "One thousand strands of Fire Essence Power."
Can this one thousand strands of Fire Essence Power wrap the Earth Spirit Fire into my body?
Yang Ji looked at the red cloud inside him, then at the Earth Spirit Fire at the center of the magma.
With an attemptive mindset, he leaped into the air, took several steps, and hovered in front of the Earth Spirit Fire.
He pointed with one hand at the Earth Spirit Fire, and the Fire Essence Power burst forth from his fingertip like red threads, quickly enveloping it like cotton.
Yang Ji formed hand seals, intending to draw the Earth Spirit Fire into his body.
But the Earth Spirit Fire did not budge at all and showed no sign of wanting to leave with the Fire Essence Power he was trying to refine.
Yang Ji saw, "The Fire Essence Power is insufficient, the nurturing embryo formed is less attractive to the Earth Spirit Fire than the original native embryo."
Not attractive enough? Seems like I need to invest more.
Without hesitation, Yang Ji swung his sword and in a short span, he had cut away the majority of the Fire Crystal Stones in the magma pool.
Just as he was about to take some more, he suddenly realized that the temperature inside the cave had risen sharply.
Glancing at the Earth Spirit Fire, he felt a chill in his heart as he saw the Earth Spirit Fire had grown in size, the flames more fierce, changing from the size of a fist to that of a head.
"The reduction of Fire Crystal Stones has disrupted the original embryo, alarming the Earth Spirit Fire, showing signs of an outburst."
Signs of an outburst?
Please, not that!
Yang Ji was startled. If the Earth Spirit Fire erupted, turning into a sea of flames, that would be difficult to handle.
He immediately retracted his Flying Sword, hurried back to the shore, and began absorbing Fire Crystal Stones.
A full incense stick of time passed.
He had absorbed all fifteen Fire Crystal Stones.
Inside him, the previous fist-sized red mist had grown to the size of a head.
Without hesitation, Yang Ji flew again to the Earth Spirit Fire, gently extended the Fire Essence Power from his body, wrapped it around, and tried to move it away.
At that moment, the Earth Spirit Fire showed hints of "hesitation" and "doubt."
Hesitation?
The Fire Crystal Stones in this magma pool had been mostly cut away by me, and my internal Fire Essence Power must be approximately the same as the remaining Fire Crystal Stones in the magma pool.
With conditions nearly equal on both sides, it seems the Earth Spirit Fire had some thoughts but was reluctant to move.
It looks like I need to add a little more dowry.
After thinking for a moment, Yang Ji realized the key point and swung his sword again, obtaining another Fire Crystal Stone.
With his left hand, he refined it, while his right hand channeled the refined Fire Essence Power to envelop the Earth Spirit Fire.
After refining two more stones like this, the Fire Essence Power within Yang Ji was notably greater than the power contained within the Fire Crystal Stones in the magma pool.
At that moment, it moved, the Earth Spirit Fire finally moved.
As Yang Ji gently moved the Fire Essence Power, the Earth Spirit Fire within also moved without resistance, being slowly dragged along.
Perhaps because the Fire Essence Power enveloping it was plentiful, it felt as safe as if it was in its mother's embrace, feeling no danger. The once nearly riotous Earth Spirit Fire slowly contracted its flames and shrank back to the size of a fist.
Seeing this, Yang Ji was overjoyed; he cautiously moved the Fire Essence Power, and after thirty breaths, he finally drew the Earth Spirit Fire into his body.
Inside his Dantian, under Yang Ji's control, the Fire Essence Power turned into the shape of a bird's nest, and the Earth Spirit Fire, like a newly hatched chick, nestled comfortably within, shining and heating, crackling as it burned.