Chapter 275 – Absorbing Earth Fire, Heart Merges with Method, Samadhi True Fire Complete

Although Lu Chen had only trapped Mu Xiaoye with his Spiritual Qi Flying Swords, these were no ordinary weapons. Each sword contained pure Primordial Qi, making every individual Flying Sword equivalent to a full-power strike from an ordinary Pseudo-core Stage cultivator—far beyond what a typical Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator could handle. With thousands of such Flying Swords gathered together, their collective power was immense, making it no surprise that Lu Chen claimed they alone were enough to restrain Mu Xiaoye.

Lu Chen had assumed this display would make Mu Xiaoye concede, but he had underestimated her competitive spirit—or rather, her confidence in her Innate Divine Ability, Crimson Phoenix Calamity. To his slight surprise, the phantom of a Three-Legged Golden Crow materialized behind Mu Xiaoye. Immediately, the temperature on the arena soared even higher, growing intensely scorching. Simultaneously, Mu Xiaoye’s own cultivation level began to rapidly rise, soon reaching Foundation Establishment Perfection.

Though this Realm was unstable—forcibly elevated by borrowing the Three-Legged Golden Crow’s unique destiny power, Blazing Sunfire—the ability maximized Mu Xiaoye’s strength for three minutes at noon. Empowered by Blazing Sunfire and her inherently potent Phoenix Calamity Fire, she no longer feared the encircling Spiritual Qi Flying Swords and charged directly at them, determined to break free.

Boom!

With the dual enhancements of Blazing Sunfire and Crimson Phoenix Calamity, Mu Xiaoye shattered the Sword Qi prison formed by Lu Chen’s thousands of Flying Swords through sheer brute force. However, her escape came at a cost: numerous sword wounds covered her body, some nearly striking vital points. Without the immense vitality granted by Phoenix Calamity Fire, such injuries would have rendered her completely combat-ineffective. Yet, even severely wounded, Mu Xiaoye gathered her remaining flames and lunged at Lu Chen.

Witnessing this, Lu Chen grew uncharacteristically angry. In the next instant, he vanished from Mu Xiaoye’s sight, reappearing behind her. Thanks to the Primordial Qi, Mu Xiaoye couldn’t sense his presence, failing to locate him immediately.

Thud!

Lu Chen’s jade-like palm, enveloped in Primordial Qi, struck the back of Mu Xiaoye’s neck. Her prized Phoenix Calamity Fire and Blazing Sunfire shattered instantly. Darkness clouded her vision, and she collapsed onto the arena floor. Lu Chen caught her with one hand, preventing a hard fall.

Until the very end, Mu Xiaoye had failed to force Lu Chen to deploy his Sword Domain. This was the absolute disparity born of overwhelming cultivation.

As Lu Chen secured victory, the entire examination hall erupted in thunderous cheers. Many across Qingzhou watched the scene unfold on television, and in that moment, Lu Chen’s name spread throughout the region. He had become the first high school student to achieve Golden Core cultivation while still in secondary education.This record was not only unprecedented, but likely would remain unmatched.

Because no one could fathom what kind of talent would enable someone to advance from having no cultivation base to the Golden Core Stage in just eighteen years.

Even a reincarnated Immortal probably couldn’t achieve this, right?

In the VIP seats, after witnessing Lu Chen’s performance, the numerous Nascent Soul Stage experts had gained a general understanding of what had happened yesterday.

Yet they all tacitly chose not to voice their speculations.

Eighteen years old, Golden Core Stage, Dao Integration Realm Sword Domain.

Although Lu Chen hadn’t even entered the Dao Academy yet.

The strength and talent he had displayed already far surpassed that of ordinary Dao Academy graduates.

It was worth noting that most top students from Dao Academies struggled to reach Golden Core cultivation before graduation.

But Lu Chen had achieved this during high school.

Such a person could no longer be simply treated as a talented junior.

Shortly after the college entrance exams concluded, Lu Chen’s name began appearing frequently in Qingzhou’s local newspapers and television news.

Due to his Golden Core Stage cultivation, even many media outlets outside Qingzhou started reporting on him.

For a time, many people learned that Luocheng in Qingzhou had produced an eighteen-year-old Golden Core Stage Sword Cultivator.

And because his displayed talent and strength were so astonishing.

Many even speculated that Lu Chen was a legendary Immortal’s reincarnation.

Thus, Lu Chen gained a new title among many people… the Sword Immortal of Luocheng.

Two months after the college entrance exams, two and a half years in game time.

Central Province, Azure Cloud Sect, Danyang Peak.

“Seriously, how long has Yangming Great Hall been closed? Why hasn’t it reopened? Does anyone know why the Great Hall is closed?”

“Not sure. I heard a certain Golden Core Stage Junior Martial Uncle from our peak needs to refine Earthfire. To avoid disturbing him, they closed the Great Hall temporarily. How long it remains closed depends on when that Junior Martial Uncle emerges from seclusion.”

“Ah? Which Junior Martial Uncle has such prestige that the Peak Lord would close the entire Yangming Great Hall just for him? You know, every day it’s closed, our Danyang Peak loses substantial elixir production.”

“For us disciples, it’s not a big deal—missing a few days of alchemy practice is tolerable.”

“But our Danyang Peak has elixir trade agreements with other sects. The Spirit Stones required to compensate for breached contracts during this period alone represent no small amount.”

“For the Peak Lord to pay such a high price, do any of you know who exactly that Junior Martial Uncle in seclusion inside the Great Hall is?”

At Danyang Peak, outside Yangming Great Hall, Danyang Peak formal disciple Ji Chang listened to his fellow disciples’ discussions. Though he wanted to tell them the truth.

As the most tight-lipped person in all of Danyang Peak, and indeed the entire Azure Cloud Sect.

He firmly remembered his master Spirit Fire Daoist Jing Gong’s instructions and didn’t reveal that Lu Chen was currently in seclusion within Yangming Great Hall.

Gazing at the still-closed Yangming Great Hall, Ji Chang felt quite conflicted.

Just ten years ago, he had been Lu Chen’s Senior Brother.

Back then, Lu Chen had just passed the Outer Sect Disciple assessment and become a formal disciple of Danyang Peak.

As his Senior Brother who had entered earlier, following the ‘veteran guides newcomer’ principle, Ji Chang had thoroughly familiarized Lu Chen with Danyang Peak and the entire Azure Cloud Sect environment, establishing a favorable connection.Though he had vaguely sensed Lu Chen’s extraordinary talent back then, he never imagined it would be to such an astonishing degree.

In just ten short years, Lu Chen had cultivated to the Golden Core Stage.

If not for the Sect Leader and others suppressing this news to protect Lu Chen and prevent him from being targeted by those with ill intentions…

Otherwise, merely revealing what Lu Chen had accomplished would shake the entire Central Province.

Reaching the Golden Core Stage in ten years—such a feat was truly staggering.

Ji Chang thought about Lu Chen, then about himself.

He couldn’t help but sigh at how sometimes the gap between people was even greater than that between humans and dogs.

‘Compared to Junior Brother Lu—no, Junior Martial Uncle Lu—I am truly too mediocre.’

Thinking this, Ji Chang decided that the slow must start early, and resolved to retreat into seclusion for serious cultivation.

But just as he was about to leave the Yangming Great Hall, the entire Danyang Peak began to shake violently.

This sudden upheaval startled everyone.

“Look over there, what is that?!”

A Danyang Peak disciple pointed toward the Yangming Great Hall and exclaimed in shock.

At the peak of the Yangming Great Hall, a dazzling white flame shot straight up into the sky.

Strangely, this white flame wasn’t scorching hot, and it didn’t even damage any structures around the Great Hall.

It was as if the white flame were merely an illusion—powerless yet spectacular, like a waterfall flowing backward.

However, this reverse-flowing spectacle came and went quickly, soon disappearing from the sight of all Danyang Peak disciples.

Meanwhile, inside the Great Hall, Lu Chen, who had been in seclusion here for a year, slowly opened his eyes.

[After a period of cultivation, you have fused the three fires of Heaven, Earth, and Man. You have mastered the Transformation Dao Realm Divine Ability… Samadhi True Fire]

[Samadhi True Fire: Transformation Dao Realm (Cannot be upgraded)]

[Effect: Mind united with law, thought following intent, nothing can extinguish it, nothing cannot be burned.]

Though the description of Samadhi True Fire was brief, Lu Chen understood the terror of this divine ability.

According to Lu Chen’s prediction, once he unleashed the Samadhi True Fire…

Unless the opponent was also a great divine power master who had comprehended the Transformation Dao Realm, they would absolutely be unable to easily extinguish his Samadhi True Fire.

Even great divine power masters would find the Samadhi True Fire troublesome to deal with.

Because besides being able to burn physical substances, Samadhi True Fire could also burn illusory Daos.

Specifically, if Lu Chen’s Samadhi True Fire encountered another great divine power master’s ‘Severing Heaven and Earth’…

Even if that master’s great divine power withstood his Samadhi True Fire, the effectiveness of their divine ability would be greatly reduced.

And these were just the most basic applications of Samadhi True Fire.

Samadhi True Fire had two additional special effects.

The first concerned the cultivation of spells and divine abilities.

Having mastered Samadhi True Fire, Lu Chen could easily comprehend many fire-element spells and divine abilities, understanding analogous cases through one example.

And fire-element divine abilities executed with Samadhi True Fire as their core naturally possessed power unmatched by ordinary flames.

The other special effect of Samadhi True Fire was its ability to ‘refine and fuse’ oneself.

After all, for cultivators progressing from the Golden Core Stage to the Nascent Soul Stage, the most crucial task was to condense their own ‘Nascent Soul’.

The birth of a Nascent Soul was no easy matter.

This required a cultivator’s essence, energy, and spirit to all reach their peak before it could be achieved.

Generally, cultivators refined their Nascent Souls either by relying on heavenly treasures and earthly wonders, or by practicing special cultivation manuals.Within the Azure Cloud Sect, many utilized the Yangming Earth Fire of Danyang Peak to refine their Divine Souls, giving birth to a Nascent Soul within the Golden Core, ultimately achieving the Nascent Soul realm.

As for Lu Chen, he could advance even further than them.

That was to use the Samadhi True Fire to refine his own Divine Soul.

Not only would this make his Nascent Soul more powerful, but the quality of the Nascent Soul born would also be higher.

Moreover, the assistance of the Samadhi True Fire to Lu Chen’s cultivation did not stop at the Nascent Soul stage.

Above Nascent Soul was the Deity Transformation stage, and the full process of Deity Transformation was ‘Nascent Soul Transforming into Deity’.

Therefore, the Samadhi True Fire also aided Lu Chen in breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage.

This was why Lu Chen valued the Samadhi True Fire so greatly.

Now, considering everything, he had not only achieved a Transcendent Golden Core and reached the first revolution of the Golden Core stage in cultivation, but he had also mastered two Great Divine Powers: the ‘Fiend-Slaying Sword Formation’ and the ‘Samadhi True Fire’.

Even in the Central Province, where experts were as numerous as clouds, with this strength, he could handle most situations and barely protect himself.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen immediately turned his attention to his main quest.

【Main Quest (3/10): Explore the Nine Realms】

【Quest: Find the Gate of the Nine Realms and enter it using a Heretical Avatar】

【Quest Reward: Ten million experience points, Soul Crystal Shard (Gold)1, Random Great Divine Power Method1】

【Quest Clue: Azure Cloud Sect: Sword Concealment Peak Leader, Yi Hanqing】

【Quest Time Limit: None】

The so-called ‘Nine Realms’ referred to the Ancient Fiend World.

If this main quest required his true body to enter the Nine Realms, Lu Chen would at least need to wait until he had stepped into the Deity Transformation stage before having the confidence to set foot in there.

But if it only required entering using a Heretical Avatar, then for him, this was not impossible to accomplish.

However, the ‘Gate of the Nine Realms’, being the channel through which the Immortal Fiends entered the Central Province, was absolutely not something ordinary people could find.

Otherwise, the Central Province should have long discovered the situation of the Nine Realms.

Fortunately, this main quest did not ask Lu Chen to search for a needle in a haystack; instead, it provided a clue.

This clue lay with Senior Brother Yi Hanqing.

But Lu Chen could not understand why Senior Brother Yi Hanqing, as a genuine and upright disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect, would be connected to the Gate of the Nine Realms.

Could it be that during the more than two years he was in seclusion, something had happened to Yi Hanqing?

Thinking of this, Lu Chen immediately left the Great Hall, intending to ask his Master, Jing Gong, for some information.

But when Lu Chen arrived at Jing Gong’s Cave, he found that Jing Gong was not in the cave at that moment.

Not only that, but even Danyang Peak’s Peak Lord, Du Youlan, was also not on the peak.

This was undoubtedly very unusual.

In the Great Hall of the Azure Cloud Sect’s Main Peak.

The Peak Lords of various peaks and Golden Core cultivators had mostly gathered here.

The last time a similar situation occurred was when Sect Leader Gu Liqing approached them to discuss the matter of Lu Chen’s Golden Core breakthrough.

But unlike the gentle atmosphere of the previous time, the atmosphere in the Main Peak’s Great Hall was now very oppressive.

Among them, Hidden Sword Peak’s Peak Lord, Leng Yingfeng, had the most somber expression.

Sect Leader Gu Liqing sat in the chief seat; the elegant and amiable demeanor he usually had was gone, replaced by a stern expression.

He looked around and finally fixed his gaze on Leng Yingfeng’s face.

“Everyone, I presume you have all received the news regarding the demonic possession of our sect’s Hidden Sword Peak Leader, Yi Hanqing?”

The people present remained silent, creating a heavy stillness.Though no one spoke, their solemn expressions clearly conveyed their stance.

“Slaughtering the entire Heavenly Heart Villa, injuring fellow disciples who tried to dissuade him, and escaping into the Demonic Path—Yi Hanqing’s actions have crossed our sect’s bottom line, representing the most severe transgression in our millennium-long history.”

“I’ve gathered everyone today not for discussion, but to announce one matter.”

“Effective immediately, this disciple is permanently expelled from our sect. Junior Brother Leng…”

Leng Yingfeng lifted his head to look at Gu Liqing.

“Since he belongs to your Hidden Sword Peak, your peak shall be responsible for bringing him back. Any objections?”

Without a word, Leng Yingfeng stood and strode directly out of the Great Hall.

His icy gaze revealed the fury burning within him.

None of the other Peak Lords showed any intention of intervening.

Because Yi Hanqing’s actions had simply gone too far.

Especially his descent into the Demonic Path—something the Azure Cloud Sect could never tolerate, leaving no room for negotiation.

The so-called “descent into the Demonic Path” meant Yi Hanqing had completely abandoned his mental defenses, allowing the Heart Demon to take over his upper dantian.

Once reaching this stage, there was no possibility of redemption.

No matter what compelling reasons Yi Hanqing might have, the Azure Cloud Sect must capture him and deliver justice for all.

Shortly after Hidden Sword Peak’s Lord Leng Yingfeng departed the Great Hall…

The Meow King from Azure Cloud Peak arrived at Lu Chen’s Cave Residence seeking him out.

The Meow King’s first words upon seeing Lu Chen were…

“Junior Brother Lu, something terrible has happened! We must descend the mountain immediately, or Yi Hanqing will surely be executed on the spot by Peak Lord Leng!”

Seeing the injured Meow King and his anxious expression, Lu Chen immediately adopted a serious demeanor and inquired about the full story.

After listening for approximately the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Lu Chen finally understood what had happened to Yi Hanqing.

He also comprehended why the Meow King was so urgently distressed.

If everything the Meow King said was true, not only would the Azure Cloud Sect pursue Yi Hanqing…

But other Central Province sects would likewise not let him escape easily.

And the root of all this actually related to Yi Hanqing’s former white moonlight from his time down the mountain—that demonic path enchantress who had married another…

(End of Chapter)