Chapter 17: An Bulang Roasted Over Charcoal
An Bulang began cultivating the divine ability Glazed Sun Pupil.
The difference between divine abilities and spells lay in this: spells were techniques and methods of utilizing one's own power, while divine abilities were the cultivation and comprehension of a certain kind of power.
Spells were instantaneous displays of particular moves. They could be improved through repeated practice to raise proficiency, as well as through an increase in cultivation that enhanced their might.
Divine abilities, on the other hand, were moves that developed continuously over a long period. They could be gradually nurtured, improved through the feeding of all kinds of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, personal visualization, and insights into one's Dao realm.
The Glazed Sun Pupil that An Bulang was cultivating was a top-tier immortal Yang-attribute divine ability.
It had three major stages: Glazed Sun Pupil, Golden Crow Divine Pupil, and Solar Immortal Pupil.
Once cultivated to the ultimate Solar Immortal Pupil, one could even wield the might of the sun through one's eyes—open them, and it was day; close them, and it was night.
Of course, all that was still far too distant for An Bulang.
The most important thing for him now was to first get started with the Glazed Sun Pupil.
The Glazed Sun Pupil was divided into four minor realms: Eye Opening, Sun Merging, Spirit Flight, and God Creation.
An Bulang's first goal was to achieve Eye Opening with the Glazed Sun Pupil!
Pah, it was Yang's Crystallization. With a large pile of spirit stones gripped in his right hand, he silently entered a state of beginner visualization. A boundless great sun appeared in his mind. It was supremely Yang and utterly pure, born amid the cosmic starry skies. Like a meteor of flying fire, it incinerated everything in the world...
The pure Yang power within Yang's Crystallization flowed through An Bulang's palm and into his eyes.
The extremely dense spiritual energy within the spirit stones also transformed into the foundational power An Bulang used to temper and condense the divine ability.
Scorching heatwaves rippled outward, battering the surrounding air.
An Bulang's body began to grow burning hot.
"Pfft..."
The bedding beneath his butt suddenly caught fire.
Outside the door.
Ji Hongxue, who had been vigilantly guarding the surroundings with a solemn expression, suddenly caught the scent of something burning.
"Huh... Why does this place smell burnt..." Ji Hongxue muttered, just as a plume of thick smoke slipped out through the crack in the door.
She turned around, her beautiful eyes widening as a bad premonition surged through her heart. "Oh no! An Bulang's room is on fire?!"
The woman hurriedly pushed open the door. What met her eyes was a fiercely burning blanket, as well as An Bulang sitting motionless atop it.
Ji Hongxue was dumbfounded. Did the divine ability An Bulang cultivated require roasting his butt?
She had come in intending to put out the fire, but on second thought, what if An Bulang had deliberately started these flames? If she extinguished them, would she not ruin An Bulang's plans?
Then she looked at An Bulang's expression. Though flames covered the area beneath him and even his pants had burned through, his expression remained calm. What did that mean? It meant everything was under his control!
The greatest taboo in cultivation was interrupting someone else's cultivation process. That could easily cause them to Deviate in Cultivation. She absolutely could not harm An Bulang!
Ji Hongxue nodded slightly, praising herself for her cleverness.
At that moment, An Bulang had already noticed Ji Hongxue's presence. But he was at a critical point in cultivating his divine ability, unable to move or speak. All he could do was roar inwardly, Quick! Help me put out the fire! What are you standing there for? I'm getting burned to death!!
Ahead of him, Ji Hongxue remained unmoved, silently watching An Bulang's butt burn...
An Bulang was about to lose his mind. Had Ji Hongxue gone stupid? Why was she not putting out the fire? Why?!
He had miscalculated. He had forgotten that cultivating this divine ability would heat up his entire body. He had never expected the things around him to be ignited by his body. But this could still be saved, as long as Ji Hongxue put out the fire. As long as Ji Hongxue put out the fire...
Ji Hongxue continued watching quietly.
The flames grew larger and larger.
And the fire began spreading in every direction.
"No, this won't do. At this rate, the entire room will burn down. I should put out the fire," Ji Hongxue muttered to herself.
Hearing those words, An Bulang was so moved that he nearly cried.
Heavens above, Ji Hongxue had finally come to her senses!
Ji Hongxue circulated the spiritual energy within her body and condensed several water snakes to extinguish the fire—only the flames around the edges!
"I'll only put out the surrounding flames. I'll leave the flames in the middle for An Bulang. That shouldn't disturb his cultivation, right?" The Woman in Red wore a hesitant expression on her lovely face as she continued talking to herself.
Upon hearing that, An Bulang nearly Deviated in Cultivation...
What kind of goddamn heavenly maneuver was this?
Half an hour later.
An Bulang opened his eyes.
The instant Ji Hongxue saw the man's pupils, she was utterly captivated.
What kind of eyes were these... Amid their pure gold gleamed the dazzling brilliance of glazed crystal. Clear and translucent, they seemed like the most perfect work of art. With one glance, it was as though she saw two blazing suns hanging high overhead, bringing boundless warmth—and even a scorching sensation.
"Haa... I finally succeeded..." An Bulang let out a heavy breath.
A huge hole had been burned through the bed. He was now sitting on the floor, with only his head sticking out through the hole, making him look like a groundhog.
Yet this comical appearance did not affect Ji Hongxue's awe and admiration for An Bulang in the slightest.
"Bulang, congratulations on cultivating your divine ability!" Ji Hongxue looked into the man's eyes, her cheeks glowing red and her heart pounding wildly. Unable to resist, she softly praised him, "Your eyes... are so beautiful..."
An Bulang had been about to sternly condemn the woman's foolish behavior earlier, but upon hearing this, he froze slightly, and much of his anger dissipated.
"Thank you," he said with a nod.
He felt that he really could not withstand praise.
An Bulang rose to his feet. Ji Hongxue let out an "Ah!" and hurriedly turned around, her face reddening all the way to her ears.
Only then did An Bulang realize that his pants had nearly been burned away...
Well... this was a little awkward...
He hurriedly changed into a fresh set of clothes, still a white Daoist robe. Once changed, he went downstairs with Ji Hongxue to compensate the innkeeper, change rooms, and continue cultivating.
This round of divine ability cultivation had cost him one whole piece of Yang's Crystallization, as well as eighty-one spirit stones.
He had forty spirit stones remaining.
Over the course of one night, An Bulang absorbed the energy of those forty spirit stones and successfully broke through from the Profound Body Fifth Layer to the Profound Body Sixth Layer.
The next morning, when Ji Hongxue met An Bulang, she was stunned once again.
"Y-you... you broke through again?" Ji Hongxue asked in a trembling voice.
"Ah... Last night, I fought a fierce battle against an expert from Other Shore Pavilion and gained many insights, so I broke through," An Bulang said with a perfectly serious expression.
Ji Hongxue: "..."
At that moment, Ji Hongxue wanted to smash herself to death with a spirit stone.
They were both cultivating the Dao, so why was the gap between people so enormous?!
An Bulang patted the dazed Ji Hongxue on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Let's go. Our preparations are now more than sufficient. We're heading to the Royal City of the Azure Kingdom! I truly want to see just how formidable that brother of yours, with his deep background, really is."