novelraw Chapter 69: Crimson Solarblaze Tree — Imperial-Tier
Chapter 69: Crimson Solarblaze Tree — Imperial-Tier
Ash stepped out of the Dark Area without hesitation.
Behind him, the Umbra Netherfruit Tree stood quietly. The dark mist no longer pressed against him. Instead, it seemed to recede slightly whenever he moved.
He paused briefly at the boundary between zones. To his right, beyond a shimmering red-gold barrier, heat distorted the air.
Even from several meters away, Ash could feel it as the heat wasn’t an ordinary one. This was concentrated elemental fire essence—dense, violent, and alive.
Old Ni frowned slightly. "That area feels more aggressive."
"Fire always is." Ash smirked faintly.
He stepped forward, and the moment he crossed the boundary, the temperature surged violently.
BOOM!
A wave of heat slammed into him like a physical force. The air turned dry instantly, and the ground beneath his bare feet shifted from blackened soil to cracked volcanic rock veined with glowing magma lines.
The sky of the cavern ceiling above this zone glowed faint crimson, illuminated by flickering embers floating like fireflies.
The entire region resembled a contained volcanic crater. At the center stood a tree that seemed forged from flame itself.
Ash’s pupils narrowed down as he inspected it.
The trunk was thick and rugged, its bark resembling cooled magma layered over centuries with dark, cracked, and molten orange light glowing faintly between the fissures.
Its branches extended outward like blazing spears. The leaves were not ordinary foliage as each leaf burned like an eternal ember, flickering with living flame, yet none of them were consumed.
And hanging from the branches were twelve fruits.
Each fruit glowed like a miniature sun as they were round with golden-red spheres radiating intense heat. Unlike the Netherheart Fruit’s cold spiritual pressure, these fruits emitted a direct, aggressive aura.
Heat rippled visibly around them as the ground beneath the tree had partially melted into a smooth obsidian-like surface.
Ash exhaled slowly when he heard the notifications from the system.
[Ding! Treasure Detected.]
[Name: Crimson Solarblaze Tree]
[Grade: Imperial-Tier]
[Attribute: Fire Element]
[Fruit Name: Blazing Sunfruit]
—> Effects After Consumption:
__Awakens Fire Element Affinity
__Greatly increases fire resistance
__Enhances attack explosiveness and burning damage
__30% chance to awaken Fire-related Physique
[Warning: Body temperature rises drastically after consumption.]
Old Ni frowned slightly from the heat. "It feels like standing near a volcano’s core."
Ash nodded and stepped closer, the heat intensified immediately. If it were an ordinary person, their skin would have blistered within a short time.
The heat was oppressive, but it was still manageable.
He then stopped directly before the tree and looked upward, his gaze was fixed at the twelve fruits in front of him.
Without hesitation, he reached out and plucked one. The moment his fingers touched the fruit, it burned his finger but not enough to even injure him.
Though, it was enough to remind him that this was pure fire essence condensed for centuries.
The fruit then detached with a faint crackling sound.
[Ding! You have obtained the Blazing Sunfruit — Imperial Rank.]
Old Ni stared at him. "You’re not going to eat that immediately too, right?"
Ash looked at the fruit. The surface pulsed faintly like a heartbeat.
"I’m genuinely curious now." He replied calmly, thinking about what kind of effect he would have this time.
Old Ni rolled his eyes at the answer.
Crack!
The moment he bit the fruit, the outer shell shattered like hardened lava. This time, instead of cold darkness, an explosion erupted inside his mouth.
BOOM!
Blazing heat surged down his throat and into his chest like molten metal poured into a furnace.
Ash’s entire body trembled violently and his vision turned red as he felt as though his blood itself had ignited. Flames erupted outward from his pores, swirling around him in a spiraling inferno.
Old Ni’s eyes widened. "Tribe Lord!"
Ash dropped to one knee as the heat inside him intensified exponentially.
Unlike the mental trial of darkness, this was purely physical. His veins glowed faint red beneath his skin.
His heartbeat accelerated as each pulse felt like a hammer strike.
Images flashed in his mind—endless volcanic eruptions, blazing battlefields, cities reduced to ash beneath descending meteors of flame.
The fire element was destruction, but also rebirth.
His body temperature spiked rapidly and even steam rose from his skin.
The ground beneath him cracked further as intense heat radiated outward.
[Ding! Fire Element Affinity Awakening...]
[Ding! Fire Resistance Increased Significantly.]
[Ding! Attack Explosiveness Enhanced.]
[Ding! Burning Damage Amplification Acquired.]
[Ding! Fire-Type Physique Awakening Check...]
[Ding! Failed (30% chance not triggered)]
Ash clenched his teeth because the heat did not subside, It continued rising instead.
His breath turned so scorching that even the fire around him began to distort, reacting to his unstable internal temperature.
His body felt like it was about to explode.
Old Ni stepped backward, unable to approach due to the extreme heat. "Your temperature is still rising!"
Ash’s vision blurred momentarily as his body temperature had reached an abnormal level.
The fire essence was integrating, but without balance, it was too extreme and just as his thoughts began to think about what he needed to do, he heard the system notification rang in his mind again.
[Warning: Internal Temperature Exceeding Stable Threshold.]
[Suggestion: Consume High-Grade Water Element Treasure to Achieve Elemental Balance.]
Ash’s pupils flickered. "Water Elemental Treasure..."
He exhaled sharply and without wasting time, he stood up despite the burning sensation and stepped out of the Fire Area.
The moment he crossed the barrier, the air cooled slightly but it wasn’t enough as his skin still radiated heat visibly.
He moved quickly toward the next zone. The barrier shimmered pale blue and as he crossed it, everything changed because the oppressive heat met a cool, soothing pressure.
The ground transformed into smooth stone covered with thin flowing streams of crystal-clear water. The air turned humid and a faint sound of cascading water echoed gently throughout the zone.
At the center stood a tree of breathtaking beauty. It was translucent blue, its trunk resembling carved sapphire infused with flowing liquid inside. Light refracted softly through it, casting shimmering reflections across the area.