Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace (I)

Though their parting was imminent, when Long Haochen saw the small white tripod furnace, his gaze was still irresistibly drawn to it.

"Dad, what is this?"

Long Xingyu said, "This is the Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace, a gift I prepared for you. There are many kinds of spirit furnaces, each with its own characteristics, and spirit furnaces themselves are ranked as well. But the more powerful a spirit furnace is, the greater the price one must pay to use it. Among the seventy-four known spirit furnaces, this Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace ranks around sixty-eighth. Yet its rarity is enough to rival the spirit furnaces ranked in the top ten."

"The books I gave you contain detailed records of the Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace's effects. Put simply, this Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace possesses no offensive or defensive abilities of its own, nor can it greatly increase your Internal Spiritual Power. However, it can evolve at least three times, enough to rival spirit furnaces ranked among the top twenty. And for us knights, it is of enormous use. When you use the Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace, you can draw an enemy's attention, making them attack only you instead of your companions. Unless they kill you or you sever the Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace yourself, you will remain their sole target."

"Perhaps you still cannot understand the mystery within that now. But one day, you will understand just how immense its use is. At the same time, the Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace's greatest advantage is that it is an exceptionally rare attribute-less spirit furnace. Not only will it place no burden on your body during use, it also consumes relatively little spiritual power. Nor will it affect your ability to absorb other spirit furnaces in the future. That is why I chose it as your first spirit furnace. I hope you like this gift. As for what other abilities it might evolve in the future, even I do not know. You can only explore that yourself."

"Also, you must remember that spirit furnaces are not omnipotent. A more powerful spirit furnace is not necessarily better suited to you. The spirit furnaces ranked in the top ten all require enormous prices to wield. Some prices are even beyond what we can bear. Nor is it always better to possess more spirit furnaces. You must make a thorough judgment before deciding whether to fuse with a new spirit furnace."

Long Xingyu's voice was stern. Every word he spoke was the sum of many years of experience.

"Dad, then how many kinds of spirit furnaces can each person fuse with?" Long Haochen asked.

Long Xingyu shook his head. "I don't know. In theory, there is no numerical limit. But spirit furnaces can easily conflict with one another. Once that happens, it becomes a nine-deaths-one-life ordeal for the one fusing them. The greatest number of fused spirit furnaces known is five. I have fused with three. But that does not mean the more spirit furnaces you fuse with, the better. Spirit furnaces need constant effort to evolve. A spirit furnace that has evolved several times can be more powerful than several spirit furnaces that have never evolved combined. All right, I've told you the most important things. Haochen, don't forget what your mother said: no matter when, your own safety must come first."

As he spoke, Long Xingyu tapped forward with his left hand and struck Long Haochen's chest. At once, a hazy golden glow enveloped his body, leaving him unable to move.

With flashes from Long Xingyu's left hand, he tapped Long Haochen's chest four times in succession. Four points of white light appeared there. Long Haochen felt as if his body had been pierced through, his Internal Spiritual Power instantly stirred into motion, swirling around the places his father had touched.

Taking Long Haochen's right hand, Long Xingyu carefully used a speck of golden light to cut his fingertip and squeeze out a drop of blood. The bright red blood rose, floating upon the support of Long Xingyu's spiritual power, before lightly falling into the Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace.

At once, the small white tripod furnace, which had been giving off a gentle glow, burst into dazzling radiance. A beam of white light swiftly shot from it and landed on Long Haochen's chest.

A warm sensation stimulated every pore across Long Haochen's body, making them spring open in an instant. The Internal Spiritual Power that had been circling within him also spread outward at once, as though an intruder were trying to enter his body.

White light flickered. Drawn by that beam, the little white tripod furnace slowly flew to Long Haochen's chest and gradually seeped into it.

The warmth instantly became scorching, as though a branding iron had been pressed against his chest. Long Haochen could not help crying out in pain. Bai Yue, who had just rushed into the wooden house, was so frightened that she ran back out again.

Fortunately, the burning sensation did not last long. After only a few breaths, the small white spirit furnace had sunk into his body and vanished.

A faint white glow rippled through Long Haochen's body, gradually bringing a lustrous sheen to the surface of his skin.

Long Haochen felt countless streams of blazing energy spread out from his chest, reaching every corner of his body, including his mind. Countless profound and mysterious truths flooded into his thoughts along with that blazing energy.

All his senses sealed shut in an instant. Long Haochen stood rigidly atop the mountain, a faint, intermittent white glow shining from his body. Especially at his chest, where, with every flicker of light, tiny spirit furnace marks continuously appeared.

This was the process of the Holy Guiding Spirit Furnace fusing with Long Haochen. With blood as the guide and spiritual power as the medium, this miraculous spirit furnace condensed from the essence of heaven and earth would completely become a part of his body. The most basic requirement for fusing with a spirit furnace was two hundred spiritual power—the starting point of a third-step profession. Long Haochen had clearly surpassed that long ago.

Long Xingyu stood there silently, watching his son. A few traces of melancholy gradually surfaced in his eyes.

Bai Yue quietly walked to Long Xingyu's side and clasped his large hand. Tears once again streamed uncontrollably down her face. "Are we really not taking Chenchen with us? I... I'm worried about him. From the time he was little until now, he has never left my side."

Long Xingyu drew his wife into his arms. "Don't worry. The arrangements I made for him are the most reliable ones. If he never leaves your side or mine, he will never grow into a true man. Our struggle against the Devil Race is becoming harder and harder. Our son possesses such outstanding talent; in the future, he will surely become a mainstay of the Holy Temple Alliance. If we truly love him, then let him spread his wings and soar through the skies."

"Can't you just not go through with that appointment?" Bai Yue asked through her tears. She knew full well that this was also one of the true reasons her husband was leaving their son behind.

A resolute divine light appeared in Long Xingyu's eyes. "This battle between A Nan and me is unavoidable. I have waited too long for this day. If I can make him fall, it will be a blessing for humanity. Don't worry. For you and our son, I will do everything I can to return alive."

The sky was clear for miles, and the mountain wind blew, bringing a dry, refreshing chill to Odin Mountain.

Long Haochen slowly opened his eyes. When he saw the three small wooden houses before him, seemingly touched by a hint of desolation, no matter how warm his body felt inside, his heart fell into icy coldness at that moment.

"Dad! Mom!" Long Haochen shouted as he abruptly rushed into the central wooden house—the room where his parents had lived.

The simple furnishings were unchanged, but there was not a trace of either of them left. A suffocating sense of loss and longing almost instantly filled Long Haochen's heart.

With a thud, he dropped to his knees. Tears were already flowing like a spring. Though he had only just parted from them, in that moment, he felt as though loneliness had completely surrounded him.