novelraw Chapter 349: The Sumset Divine Flame
Chapter 349: The Sumset Divine Flame
"Alright! I'll give it a punch, but don't blame me if I break it," Long Xuan said, glancing at the sleeping toad. His expression revealed a hint of hesitation. The creature was peacefully asleep; hitting it suddenly felt a bit cruel.
Although Long Xuan's true cultivation level was only at the early stage of the Spiritual Sea, if he unleashed the full power of his Steel Fist—concentrating all his strength at one point—his attack would far surpass the peak of the Spiritual Sea Stage.
Feigning the strength of a peak Spiritual Sea cultivator was hardly a challenge for him.
“This is your master's idea, not mine, so don’t blame me,” Long Xuan muttered. His eyes sharpened as he clenched his fist, gathering 30% of his power into it. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and delivered a heavy punch to the toad’s belly.
The sleeping toad abruptly opened its eyes, letting out a piercing cry of pain.
“Are you okay?” Master Sun quickly rushed over. Seeing the clear fist mark on the toad's stomach, his face showed a pained expression.
“You brat! Who told you to use so much force? Do you know you almost killed my Stone Toad just now?”
Master Sun glared at Long Xuan, a trace of imperceptible caution flashing in his eyes.
The reason he asked someone to punch the Stone Toad’s belly was because its defense was said to render attacks from Spiritual Sea-stage Gu cultivators ineffective.
However, this young man had injured the toad with ease. This indicated his offensive power had far exceeded the realm of Spiritual Sea cultivators, marking him as anything but ordinary.Long Xuan, putting on an innocent expression, replied, “But you told me to hit it.” Worried that he might kill the Stone Toad, Long Xuan had already restrained himself to 30% of his strength. Yet even that was enough to wake the toad.
“Forget it. You pass. Next!” Master Sun, realizing he was partly at fault, decided to drop the matter and proceeded to assess the next Spiritual Sea Gu cultivator.
Long Xuan stepped aside, standing quietly behind Master Sun. As he waited, he studied the others who had already passed the selection.
The regular Spiritual Sea Gu cultivators didn’t draw much of his attention. However, the eight arrogant Gu Kings in the group warranted a closer look.
These eight Gu Kings were all male: two at the peak of the Gu King stage, two in the late stage, and four in the mid stage.
There wasn’t a single early-stage Gu King among them. The collective strength of these Gu Kings was formidable—few factions could assemble such a powerful lineup.
Long Xuan wondered what kind of price Master Sun had paid to recruit such experts. It was clear he was going all out for this mission, likely to seize the Heavenly Flame he was after.
After waiting patiently, Long Xuan watched as Master Sun finished the selection process. He then led the chosen individuals out of the city, preparing to depart immediately.
This group exuded overwhelming power, drawing the attention of those near the city gate. Many cast wary glances in their direction.
“We’ll use my vessel. My flying boat is the fastest,” an elder with the aura of a peak Gu King said. He retrieved a white flying boat from his storage ring and placed it on the ground. Turning to Master Sun, he asked, “Now, which direction are we headed, and could you finally tell us which faction you plan to attack?”
The elder’s intent was clear. By offering his flying boat, he sought to extract information. He was eager to know whether Master Sun’s target was one he could afford to offend.
If the target was a powerhouse like the Shui or Zhu clans, the elder would walk away immediately, no matter how many pills Master Sun offered.
The others, too, perked up their ears, curious about which faction Master Sun intended to attack.
Though Master Sun had never explicitly stated his goal, everyone assumed he was planning to invade another family. Otherwise, why mobilize such a powerful group of Gu cultivators?
Master Sun forced a bitter smile. “Let’s board the vessel first. This isn’t the right place to discuss it. Head north for now,” he said before stepping onto the flying boat.
After a moment of hesitation, the others followed.
Including Master Sun and the eight Gu Kings, there were eighty-nine people on the boat. Among them, not a single individual was below the late Spiritual Sea stage, and even those were in the minority.
The flying boat rose into the air and began heading north.
Once they were airborne, another peak-stage Gu King spoke up. “Now can you finally tell us?”
Master Sun nodded solemnly. “I didn’t reveal this earlier because I was worried about information leaking out. If they were to prepare in advance, it would make our mission far more difficult. I hope you all understand.”
“Now that we’ve set off, and with a peak Gu King piloting the boat, it won’t take long to reach our destination. There’s no need to keep it a secret any longer.”
“My target is the Yan Clan of the Flaming Court Empire.”
Master Sun’s eyes sharpened as he said, “Of course, we won’t call it an attack—that word sounds unpleasant. I merely intend to trade some treasures with the Yan clan for that piece of Heavenly Fire. You all are simply my hired escorts.”
“If they agree to the trade, then there’s no need for us to escalate the situation. Without lifting a finger, you’ll all still receive the pills I, Master Sun, refine.”
“However, if they don’t know their place, then we’ll have no choice but to seize it by force. It’s regrettable, but necessary.”
“Treasures belong to those capable of claiming them. If I don’t take extraordinary measures, I might never encounter another piece of Heavenly Fire in my lifetime.”
Master Sun clenched his fist tightly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
Hearing this, the others exchanged glances, a solemn expression flickering in their eyes. The Yan clan of the Flaming Court Empire wasn’t an easy target. They were once the empire’s most powerful clan, though they had since declined. Even now, they still boasted five Gu Kings.
Though five Gu Kings placed them neither at the peak nor the bottom, the saying “a starved camel is still bigger than a horse” rang true. The Yan clan wasn’t to be underestimated.
That said, their group’s strength was formidable as well. The number of Gu Kings and their overall cultivation levels surpassed the Yan clan’s.
Even the number of Spiritual Sea-stage Gu cultivators and their collective power were higher than the Yan clan’s. As long as nothing unexpected occurred, this was likely to be a victorious endeavor.
Thus, despite knowing the risks of provoking the Yan clan, no one chose to abandon the mission at such a critical juncture.
“Does the Yan clan truly have a Heavenly Fire? Why haven’t I heard of this before?” asked one late-stage Gu King.
“Hmph! If news of this had reached your ears, the Heavenly Fire would have already been taken by someone else. I suspect the Yan clan only recently discovered it somewhere,” replied another late-stage Gu King, glancing at Master Sun.
“Master Sun must have stumbled upon this secret, as always,” he added, a smile forming.
“May we know what type of Heavenly Fire it is? Can you satisfy our curiosity?” he asked with a hint of humor.
Master Sun’s expression lit up with excitement. “It’s the Sunset Divine Flame, ranked 28th on the Heavenly Fire Rankings,” he declared. “The Sunset Divine Flame has an extraordinary ability to purify spiritual energy.”
“For a Gu cultivator, purified spiritual energy brings countless benefits. Its increased potency significantly boosts the chances of breaking through bottlenecks. For example, reaching the Gu King realm from the Spiritual Sea pinnacle would become much easier.”
“I am a genius in alchemy but possess abysmal talent in cultivation. Despite consuming countless King Surging Pills, I have yet to break through to the Gu King level.”
“This Sunset Divine Flame might be the key to my breakthrough. I’ll stop at nothing to obtain it.” Master Sun clenched his fists, his emotions running high.
Upon learning the Heavenly Fire in question was the Sunset Divine Flame, many Gu cultivators on the ship displayed fleeting greed in their eyes.
Purified spiritual energy? Who wouldn’t want that? It could enhance their attacks, extend their endurance in battle, and even aid breakthroughs. It was undoubtedly a treasure worth coveting.
However, the high mortality rate associated with absorbing Heavenly Fire quickly sobered them. The thought of its fiery power scorching their flesh made them shudder, snuffing out any greed.
Heavenly Fire wasn’t something ordinary people could handle. Its deadly force meant that attempting to absorb it often spelled doom.
Only Long Xuan seemed unbothered by the danger. After all, it wasn’t him but his Fire Clone who would attempt to absorb the fire. Why should he be afraid? At most, he could research pills mentioned in ancient texts to help the clone succeed.
The Sunset Divine Flame’s ability to purify spiritual energy was too tempting to pass up.
With his five types of mutated spiritual energy already terrifyingly strong, having them further purified by the Sunset Divine Flame would make him unstoppable.
In the entire Gu world, who could rival the quality of his spiritual energy then?
A peak-stage Gu King with a grim expression broke the silence. “The power of Heavenly Fire is truly terrifying. Anyone possessing it becomes unrivaled among their peers.”
“Do we know if the Yan clan has already absorbed the Sunset Divine Flame? And if so, who did it? Can we truly defeat someone wielding Heavenly Fire?”
He fixed his gaze on Master Sun, his tone serious.
“Rest assured,” Master Sun replied. “The one who absorbed the Sunset Divine Flame is Yan Tiexin, the head of the Yan clan. He’s only at the late-stage Gu King level.”
“The Yan clan has declined significantly, with just one late-stage Gu King remaining.”
“With two peak-stage Gu Kings and two late-stage Gu Kings from our side joining forces, we can annihilate him.”
“Furthermore, mastering Heavenly Fire isn’t easy. It requires extensive time to wield it effectively.”
“While Heavenly Fire grants unparalleled power among peers, Yan Tiexin hasn’t had enough time to fully control it. Without mastery, it won’t significantly enhance his combat strength.”
“With you four taking action, this mission is foolproof. I don’t believe Yan Tiexin can defeat four opponents of similar or higher level.”
“As for the other four Gu Kings in the Yan clan, the remaining four of you will handle them. This operation is destined for success,” Master Sun concluded confidently.
“Fine. If you’re this confident, I feel reassured.”
“Even if Yan Tiexin had perfectly mastered the Heavenly Fire, the four of us together could still crush him.”
“This Sunset Divine Flame is as good as yours, Master Sun!” someone declared.