Chapter 689 Take action
The surroundings were deathly dark, with only the flickering flames licking the air with a soft "crackling" sound, tinging the space with a swaying orange-red hue.
The surrounding air seemed to be frozen by the high temperature, and apart from the sound of flames flickering, there was no other noise.
Xiao Ling's footsteps tread on the scorching ground, each step carrying a subtle burning sensation.
He held his breath, his gaze fixed on the stone monument standing in the center of the square, and slowly approached it step by step.
As the distance decreased, the originally blurry gray layer on the surface of the stone tablet seemed to be dispelled by the flames, and something vaguely appeared on the stone surface.
He subconsciously squinted and stopped walking.
Once his gaze was fully focused, Xiao Ling's pupils contracted slightly. It wasn't the natural texture of the stone; the stone tablet was covered with tiny, ant-like characters.
They are embedded in the hard stone surface, the strokes are ancient and obscure, and they have a faint matte sheen in the firelight.
Upon seeing this, he immediately focused his attention and cast all his gaze over it, a strong urge rising within him to see what these words actually contained.
The ancient characters on the stone tablet shimmered in the firelight, seemingly carrying the lingering warmth of a thousand years ago, line by line drawing into Xiao Ling's eyes. The characters, though vigorous, held a hint of weariness, yet exuded an undeniable solemnity, like an elder's slow, earnest instructions to a descendant on his deathbed:
“My name is Red Lotus. I have traveled through fiery paths throughout my life. Fortunately, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire recognized me as its master, and people call me ‘Venerable Red Lotus’.”
"However, time is merciless, and the struggle for the Great Dao will eventually come to an end. Now I feel that my time is coming to an end and my lifespan is not long."
"I have made countless enemies in my life, mostly because of the resentment I harbored when I fought for the Red Lotus Flame. Those enemies who covet the flame are like wolves and jackals around me. If I die, and the Red Lotus Flame remains in the family, it will surely become a source of disaster. They will definitely kill all the family members in order to seize the flame, and that will be a catastrophe."
The words seemed to freeze into the cracks in the stone, a soft sigh lingering there. Xiao Ling gazed at the trembling firelight, as if he could feel the worry of his ancestor as he wrote these words.
"Therefore, before I perished, I sealed this Crimson Lotus Flame deep within a volcano at the core of the Flame Sky Ancient Domain, isolating it from the world. I also left a map of the Flame within the family, which was not to be passed on to anyone but the closest relatives. In this way, future generations would have clues to find the flame, and the flame would not fall into the hands of enemies, thus protecting the family's peace for a time."
"But the path to finding the fire is never easy. The many trials in this sealed land are the tests I have set. Only those with a firm will and sufficient strength who can overcome all the dangers to come here are worthy of meeting the Crimson Lotus Flame and are qualified to try to subdue it."
"My bloodline, if you can see these words, it is fate. I hope you will not fail me. If you succeed, subdue the Red Lotus Karmic Flame and protect the family's safety; if you fail, you must bury the secret of this place deep within, lest our enemies find any trace of it..."
The last few words gradually faded away, as if the voice of that ancestor had dissipated into the years, leaving only the inscription on the monument, which, amidst the silent sound of flames, weighed heavily on Xiao Ling's heart.
After reading through the inscription on the stone tablet line by line, Xiao Ling finally had all his doubts resolved.
It turns out that the sealing of this Crimson Lotus Flame in this isolated space was a carefully planned arrangement by the Crimson Lotus Venerable.
Knowing his time was near, and worried that his enemies would turn their wrath on his family for coveting the strange fire, bringing annihilation upon his clan, he hid the strange fire deep within a volcano in the Yanqiong Ancient Domain before his demise, cutting off any possibility of his enemies easily obtaining it.
However, that predecessor did not completely block the road.
He deliberately left a map of the strange fire among his close relatives, hoping that if any of his descendants were exceptionally talented and blessed, they could follow the clues, pass the trials, and arrive here, where they would have the opportunity to subdue this inherited fire.
In this way, the younger generation is given the opportunity to inherit the strange fire, while the family is prevented from suffering because of the strange fire to the greatest extent possible. It can be said that the intention is very good.
But now, the fragment of the strange fire map, which should have been passed down only within the family bloodline, has long deviated from its original trajectory. It first fell into Xiao Yan's hands, and then was passed on by Xiao Yan before finally arriving at my place.
As Xiao Ling gazed at the four characters "blood relatives" on the stone tablet, a sense of indescribable melancholy welled up in his heart.
The answer is clear: the family that Venerable Red Lotus devoted all his efforts to protecting has probably long since vanished into the long river of history, leaving not even a trace.
Over thousands of years, not a single descendant of the family has been able to overcome the numerous trials he set up and reach the core of this ancient fiery domain.
This Crimson Lotus Flame, which once ranked eighth on the list of extraordinary flames and was awe-inspiring to the region, was sealed deep within the volcano. In its unnoticed silence, its former glory was gradually worn away by the years, and it never reappeared in the world.
"I never imagined that such a story was hidden behind this strange fire. It's truly heartbreaking," Xiao Ling murmured, gazing at the increasingly blurred inscriptions on the stone tablet.
He withdrew his gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips, and shook his head, muttering to himself, "But then again, if it weren't for the vicissitudes of these thousands of years, how could this Crimson Lotus Flame have fallen into my hands? Naturally, I wouldn't have had the chance to subdue it."
After thoroughly digesting the contents of the stone tablet, Xiao Ling finally understood the origin of this space and this strange fire, and most of his previous inexplicable concerns dissipated.
Since that Venerable Red Lotus left the strange fire here, it was originally an opportunity left for his descendants. It was a gift to his own family, so he probably wouldn't do anything wicked.
In this way, things become simple. As long as I can handle this red lotus karmic fire and truly have the ability to subdue it, there won't be much of an obstacle on this journey.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ling's eyes gradually hardened, and he turned his gaze back to the depths of the plaza, as if he could already sense that the dormant strange fire was waiting to be awakened.
Without further hesitation, Xiao Ling decided to test the Crimson Lotus Flame.
With a casual wave of his hand, a solid palm print of battle qi, carrying a sharp, air-piercing force, hurtled towards the fiery lotus in the center of the plaza.
Although this was a probing attack, its power was comparable to the full-force attack of a high-level Dou Zun expert, and it was by no means something that could be blocked by ordinary means.
Sensing the approaching danger, the dormant crimson lotus flame instantly reacted.
The flames that had been quietly suspended suddenly surged violently, and as the lotus petals unfurled, they grew to a hundred feet in size in an instant, the crimson flames almost completely illuminating the space.
Immediately afterwards, countless blazing flames spread out from the lotus petals, like burning crimson ribbons, surging upwards with an aura of incineration, and precisely collided with Xiao Ling's battle qi palm print.
In an instant, a crackling, burning sound rang out.
Xiao Ling's palm print, imbued with powerful battle qi, was like ice and snow meeting the sun under the licking flames. The surface battle qi was quickly burned and vaporized, while the internal energy was frantically eroded and disintegrated by the flames. In just a few breaths, the palm print, powerful enough to shake mountains, completely dissipated in the firelight, and the attack was completely neutralized.
On the other hand, the hundred-foot-tall flaming lotus flower remained suspended in mid-air, its flames churning without showing any signs of weakening, clearly having not suffered much damage.
The moment the battle qi palm print dissipated, Xiao Ling could clearly feel that a burning gaze had fallen on him, which was the hundred-foot-tall giant lotus of flames hovering in mid-air.
Sure enough, the next moment, a voice, indistinguishable in gender and possessing a somewhat ethereal quality, emanated from the Crimson Lotus Flame, echoing endlessly in the enclosed space and directly entering his mind:
"Human, the aura I sensed earlier when I released the fiery fragments in the magma world, it must have originated from you, right?"
The voice paused, then added with a hint of scrutiny: "To withstand the burning fire in your heart and still manage to get here, human, you do have some skill."
"I sensed a trace of the old man's aura on you. Judging from your arrival here, you must be a descendant of that old man. But don't even think about subduing me. Now go and break the seal on this space to set me free. Considering you are his descendant, I can bestow upon you a Red Lotus Seed Flame, enough for you to enjoy for the rest of your life. If you insist on fighting, don't blame me for being ruthless."
The voice, carrying the oppressive power of flames, trembled in the air. Every word carried an undeniable force, clearly indicating that the Crimson Lotus Flame had awakened its intelligence and was extremely resistant to the word "subdue."
Xiao Ling was not surprised that the Crimson Lotus Flame had developed sentience. After all, it was ranked eighth on the Flame Ranking, and its strength was already extraordinary.
Based on his initial observation, the aura of this strange fire was at least comparable to that of an ordinary nine-star Dou Zun, and even slightly stronger than the Three Thousand Burning Flames he had encountered in the Star Boundary of Saint Pill City.
Hearing the words coming from the flames, Xiao Ling understood. Clearly, the Crimson Lotus Flame had mistaken him for a descendant of the Crimson Lotus Venerable.
As for the "familiar aura" it mentioned, it most likely came from the map of strange fire that it carried with it, which must have retained the aura of that ancestor.
However, the Red Lotus Flame's resistance to "subduing" was far greater than expected. Even though it mistook him for a descendant of the Red Lotus Venerable, it made no attempt to hide its resistance, directly stating "Don't even think about subduing him," its attitude almost bluntly firm.
Xiao Ling's gaze narrowed slightly; it seemed that subduing this strange fire would not be an easy task.
Seeing that Xiao Ling did not respond for a long time, the Crimson Lotus Flame seemed to be angered. Its voice suddenly carried a scorching pressure and exploded in the space again: "Human, do you still have any objections to my proposal? I advise you not to be ungrateful!"
"What you resisted in the magma world before was merely a portion of my scattered flames outside of space. Just because you could withstand those flames eroding your mind doesn't mean you can withstand my true form. Now, facing me directly, the power you will have to endure is dozens of times stronger than before!"
Its tone carried an undisguised threat: "I could easily take control of you first, then break the spatial seal and leave on my own. At that time, you would be completely at my mercy, powerless to resist."
The giant lotus of flames swayed slightly as if sensing something, and its tone became more impatient: "Besides, I've already sensed the aura of a strange fire within you. Since you have the opportunity to subdue other strange fires, don't try to take advantage of me. I've already been more than generous by not attacking you directly out of respect for that old man. Don't push your luck any further!"
Xiao Ling's control over his own strange fire was already superb, and he had long since concealed its aura completely.
Therefore, although the Crimson Lotus Flame could vaguely sense that there were other strange flames hidden in his body, it could never identify their type and strength. If it knew the true power of those strange flames, it would probably have lost its arrogant attitude by now, and would not dare to be so domineering.
Faced with the Red Lotus Strange Flame's angry shout filled with accusation, Xiao Ling simply smiled faintly, shook his head gently, and said in a calm but undeniably firm tone: "How about this, since you're somewhat reasonable, I'll give you a chance."
"If you are willing to submit obediently and let me subdue you, I can preserve your mind and keep you by my side. In the future, I can also let you see the magnificent scenery of this Dou Qi Continent."
He paused, his gaze falling on the hundred-foot-tall fiery lotus, his tone suddenly turning cold.
"But if you insist on being ungrateful, then don't blame me for being impolite."
As soon as Xiao Ling finished speaking, the Crimson Lotus Flame was instantly ignited with rage upon hearing this.
The hundred-foot-tall flaming lotus swayed violently, its crimson flames surging wildly, almost tearing space apart.
A voice filled with boundless rage exploded forth.
"Human! How dare you utter such arrogant words! You are utterly shameless! Since you insist on being ungrateful, don't blame me for being ruthless. Today, I will make you taste the bitterness of regret!"
Before he finished speaking, a raging sea of fire erupted from the giant lotus of flames, rolling like crimson waves and surging toward Xiao Ling with the power to burn mountains and boil seas.
At the same time, the most bizarre corrosive power of the Crimson Lotus Flame was also quietly activated. Strands of invisible, strange fluctuations followed the airflow and entered Xiao Ling's sea of consciousness, attempting to disturb his mind and erode his will.
The double blow came simultaneously: on one hand, the physical flames engulfed the creature, and on the other hand, the mental will crumbled. Clearly, the Crimson Lotus Flame was serious and wanted to completely crush this arrogant human.
Despite the double attack of the Crimson Lotus Flame, Xiao Ling remained calm and composed.
His natal talisman in his Niwan Palace trembled slightly, emitting a faint clear light. As soon as the strange fiery power that tried to invade his sea of consciousness approached, it was completely cleansed and eliminated by the power of the talisman.
With prior preparation, the mind-eroding methods of the Crimson Lotus Flame were completely ineffective. Even when facing its true form directly, it could not have any effect on Xiao Ling.
The next moment, Xiao Ling's figure spun lightly into the air, hovering steadily in mid-air, his gaze fixed on the raging giant lotus of flames.
Gazing at the raging inferno rushing towards him, a cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, his voice carrying clearly through the flames:
"Judging from your expression, you've clearly made your decision. In that case, I won't stand on ceremony any longer. Today, I'm taking your source of the strange fire."
The next moment, an ice-blue rune suddenly lit up on Xiao Ling's forehead. As the rune swirled, an extreme chill swept out.
The intense heat that was originally enough to scorch battle qi seemed to be instantly sucked away, and the flames and heat waves in the air condensed into fine ice crystals in an instant, which fell down in a flurry.
At the same time, countless shimmering white ice flowers quietly bloomed from the void, their petals layered upon each other, slowly rotating around him with a chilling aura, steadily surrounding Xiao Ling.
Xiao Ling's figure had already landed on a hundred-foot-tall ice lotus. The ice lotus petals were crystal clear, gleaming with a cold luster, facing off against the hundred-foot-tall fiery giant lotus in the distance. (End of this chapter)
