Healing on the Return Trip, the Alien Flame is First Forged

The night was as dark as ink, dyeing the primeval forest outside the Black Stone Mountain Range in pitch blackness. Only the bonfire in the center of the temporary camp of the Xuntian Guard burned stubbornly, its dancing flames the sole source of light and heat in the dead silence. The flames illuminated the vigilant faces of the team members and, through the gaps in the tents, brought a trace of warmth to Li Yifan who was meditating and healing his injuries.

Inside the tent, Li Yifan's mind was calm and focused, circulating the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique with all his might. Guided by Zhao Kuang's mellow true qi and stimulated by the medicinal power of the Heart Protection Pill, the nearly depleted origin of his Nine Yang True Qi finally regained its vitality. Like a trickling stream, it began to flow slowly but steadily through his damaged meridians.

The healing process was painful and slow. His damaged meridians throbbed with needle-like stabs of pain. The Netherworld Piercing Force and Corpse Poison in his left arm were like maggots on bone, constantly emitting a chilling, corrosive power that fiercely opposed the Nine Yang True Qi. However, unlike before, Li Yifan keenly sensed that his newly generated Nine Yang True Qi seemed to possess an indescribable spirituality! It was an extremely faint, yet incomparably pure, blazing heat with the will to burn all things!

This trace of heat originated from his unyielding will that erupted in desperation when facing the extreme, sinister pressure of the Netherworld Blood Curse at the brink of death. This will had formed a mysterious resonance with the origin of the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique, thus unexpectedly comprehending a nascent form of "Nine Yang True Fire"!

According to the vague records in the cultivation technique and his past knowledge, the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique, as a top-tier Yellow Grade technique with extremely high aspirations, its true power did not lie solely in the supreme yang true qi cultivated, but in the extremely small chance of condensing its unique " Nine Yang True Fire " within the body when the technique reached the perfect state, or under some extreme stimulation!

Exotic fires were a miraculous and powerful form of energy in the world, with numerous varieties and infinite power. They were generally classified into four major grades: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow, with each grade further divided into high, middle, and low tiers. Exotic fires had diverse origins: some were innate exotic fires born from heaven and earth, nurtured over tens of thousands of years; some were beast fires condensed within powerful fire-elemental Monster Beasts; and some were acquired exotic fires, also known as "technique true fires," that transformed from one's own true qi origin after cultivating certain special techniques to their extreme.

" Nine Yang True Fire " was the acquired exotic fire that the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique could nurture. It was supremely yang and supremely rigid, specializing in counteracting sinister and evil forces! Once successfully condensed, even if it was just an initial nascent form, it meant a qualitative leap for the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique. As long as the technique was cultivated to perfection, its power would be comparable to a true low-grade Profound tier cultivation method! This was a leap in quality!

Li Yifan never expected that, at the mid-stage of Muscle Refining, he would have prematurely touched the core secret of this technique due to the immense pressure of life and death! Although this trace of Nine Yang True Fire was currently so weak that it was almost negligible, more like an added artistic conception and attribute, far from condensing into a substantial flame, it had already injected a new soul and potential into his Nine Yang True Qi! He could clearly feel a preliminary, vague sense of control over this trace of true fire, and could attempt to guide it, albeit very clumsily.

He carefully guided the Nine Yang True Qi, which contained a trace of the true fire's artistic conception, focusing on flushing out the wound on his left arm. As expected, the effect was completely different! The Netherworld Piercing Force and Corpse Poison, which had been stubbornly resisting, seemed to have met their nemesis upon contact with this true qi containing the true fire's artistic conception, and their dissolution speed clearly accelerated! The bone-chilling sensation was replaced by a scorching heat. Although it was still painful, it was a pain filled with hope.

"Is this the power of an exotic fire? Even at the very beginning, it has such a miraculous effect!" Li Yifan was shocked and became even more focused on healing and comprehension. He understood that this nascent form of Nine Yang True Fire was the greatest gain from his adventure this time, and it would be one of his most important trump cards in the early stages! He needed to practice continuously, improve his control proficiency, and make it his true killer move. The technique mentioned that the degree of control over the exotic fire directly determined the extent of its power. The higher the control, the greater the power of the exotic fire, and the more exquisite its application.

There was no word of sleep that night, only the gentle sound of true qi circulating within his body.

When dawn broke again, Li Yifan opened his eyes, and a subtle golden light flashed within them before disappearing. After a night of healing and comprehension, his injuries had stabilized for the most part. The Netherworld Piercing Force and Corpse Poison in his left arm had been cleared out almost entirely, and the wound began to heal. His true qi had recovered to about twenty percent, and more importantly, his control over that trace of Nine Yang True Fire seemed to have become a little more proficient.

"Awake? It seems you've recovered well." Zhao Kuang's voice came from outside the tent. He had been guarding him.

Li Yifan walked out of the tent and bowed to Zhao Kuang, "Thank you for guarding me, Lord Zhao. My injuries are no longer a major concern."

Zhao Kuang carefully examined his complexion and nodded, "The Nine Yang True Qi truly lives up to its reputation. Prepare yourself, we will depart immediately."

The team quickly broke camp and set off. Li Yifan rode his horse, moving forward with the team while silently circulating his technique to consolidate his injuries. At the same time, he diverted some of his attention to try and control the faint trace of true fire within his body with more precision. He discovered that this required extremely high concentration and true qi control skills. With a slight movement of his mind, he tried to condense the trace of true fire's artistic conception to his fingertips. The temperature of his fingertips seemed to have become slightly more noticeable than last night, and he could vaguely feel a scorching aura contained within.

"Controlling exotic fire is indeed not a day's work, but every bit of progress is clearly visible." Li Yifan was not discouraged; instead, he was filled with a desire for exploration. He regarded this practice of control as a form of cultivation, and he could feel his proficiency slowly but steadily increasing.

During a rest stop along the way, Zhao Kuang discussed the arrangements after their return with Li Yifan, emphasizing that the Soul-attracting Jade Box must be handed over.

Li Yifan had already made up his mind. He calmly replied, "Lord Zhao, please rest assured, your subordinate understands the gravity of the situation. That Soul-attracting Jade Box is an evil artifact and a key piece of evidence in this case. Your subordinate will personally hand it over." As for the storage ring, he did not mention it at all.

Zhao Kuang did not suspect him and was satisfied with Li Yifan's "understanding of the bigger picture."

In the evening, the team successfully returned to Qingzhou Prefecture City. The majestic city walls brought an unprecedented sense of security. After entering the city, Zhao Kuang directly took Li Yifan to see Commander Wang.

In Commander Wang's office, when Commander Wang heard that Li Yifan not only completed the mission of pursuing Li Heng but also encountered a more dangerous Ghoul old monster and narrowly escaped with Zhao Kuang's timely rescue, even he, with his extensive experience, was moved. Especially when he heard Li Yifan describe the fierce battle with Li Heng, which ultimately forced the latter to use the Netherworld Blood Curse and suffer backlash to his death, Commander Wang looked at Li Yifan with shock and disbelief.

"Good! Good! Good!" Commander Wang said "good" three times in a row, his face full of admiration. "Li Yifan, the merit you have made this time far exceeds expectations! Killing the 'Shadow Demon' Li Heng single-handedly is a great achievement! This official will definitely petition the Thousand-Household Commander, and even the Commander-in-Chief, on your behalf!"

"Thank you, sir!" Li Yifan clasped his hands together. He then retrieved the still-cold Soul-attracting Jade Box from his embrace and presented it with both hands. "Sir, this is an evil artifact obtained from Li Heng, known as the Soul-attracting Jade Box. It's suspected to be related to the 'Yinsha Soul Pearl'. Your subordinate dares not keep it and hereby submits it."

Commander Wang solemnly accepted the Jade Box, carefully examining the strange runes on it, and said in a deep voice, "Indeed, this item is truly sinister. Handing it over was the right decision. Rest assured, your merits will not be reduced in the slightest because of this item being handed over. You may return and recuperate well. After your injuries have healed, you will write a detailed mission report. Rewards and subsequent arrangements will be notified to you after the higher authorities make their decision."

"Yes, your subordinate takes his leave."

After leaving Commander Wang's office, Li Yifan went to the Xuntian Guard's medical officer to have his wounds redressed and received some auxiliary medicinal pills for healing, before finally returning to his own secluded courtyard.

Closing the door, he finally relaxed completely. He first carefully checked the courtyard gate and windows, and after confirming they were secure, he sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion in the quiet room.

His mind sank into his dantian, feeling that faint trace of Nine Yang True Fire. A clear panel of information appeared in his consciousness:

[Name]: Li Yifan
[Realm]: Body Tempering · Muscle Refining (Mid-stage: 220/800)
[Position]: Qing ProvinceXuntian Guard Seventh Squad Captain (Eighth Rank)
[Cultivation Techniques]:
Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique(Yellow Grade High-tier) - Great Accomplishment (400/5000)
Iron Bone Technique(Yellow Grade (Low))- Perfected
[Martial Skills]:
Burning Wood Saber Technique(Yellow Grade High-tier/Incomplete)- Great Accomplishment (150/5000)
Scorching Sun Finger(Yellow Grade High-tier)- Great Accomplishment (140/5000)
Spirit Fox Steps(Yellow Grade Mid-tier)- Minor Accomplishment (320/500)
[Exotic Fire]: Nine Yang True Fire(Yellow Grade High-tier)(Beginner 1/1000)
[Skills]: Detection - Minor Accomplishment (160/300)
[Contribution Points]: 0 points

As expected! A new entry appeared on the panel - [Exotic Fire]! Nine Yang True Fire, status: Beginner (1/1000). This meant that he could continuously practice and comprehend to improve his control over the exotic fire. Every point of proficiency gained would be a further mastery of this trump card's power.

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Li Yifan turned his attention to the storage ring on his finger. It was time to inventory the spoils he had hidden.

His mind delved into the ring space, and the items appeared one by one. He first skimmed over the sinister cultivation techniques and pills, directly focusing on the parts useful to him:

Cultivation Manuals: Netherworld Ghost Shadow Steps(Yellow Grade Top-tier, mysterious movement technique), Hundred Poisons True Explanation(Knowledge-based, for understanding and prevention).

Medicinal Pills: Ten Nourishing Yuan Pills(Strengthen foundation and cultivate origin, perfectly suitable).

Materials: Several pieces of Crimson Flame Iron, one piece of Warm Sun Jade(Yang attribute material, useful in the future).

Wealth: Approximately two hundred taels of Gold Leaves, some Silver Ingots, a small amount of Jewels. These worldly possessions could be exchanged for contribution points or used for daily expenses.

After inventorying, Li Yifan took out the Nourishing Yuan Pills. Then, he carefully hid the storage ring. This wealth and resources would be an important guarantee for his future cultivation.

Having done all this, he took one Nourishing Yuan Pill and entered the cultivation state again. This time, he not only circulated the Nine Yang Burning Heaven Technique to heal his injuries and consolidate his cultivation, but also devoted most of his attention to practicing the control of the Nine Yang True Fire. His consciousness guided his true qi, constantly attempting to condense, compress, and guide the blazing true fire power... He could feel that with practice, the "Beginner (1/1000)" proficiency was slowly but steadily increasing at an imperceptible rate.

He knew that mastering the Nine Yang True Fire was the beginning of his true foothold in this world.