Thunder Fang Spirit Flame

The First Transformation of the Five Elements Divine Art contained five foundational immortal arts.

They were the Li Huo Heart-Protecting Seal, Azure Origin Breath Art, Thick Earth Origin-Stabilizing Scripture, Geng Metal Meridian Tempering Art, and Weak Water Essence Condensation Formula.

If these five immortal arts were carelessly spread, they would surely stir up turmoil throughout the cultivation world.

Each art corresponded to one of the five viscera. Once mastered to perfection, one could naturally comprehend True Intent.

This differed from crude arts like the Thunder Summoning Art, which required one to forcibly observe and comprehend the True Intent of Thunder while drawing down Sky Thunder in order to reach perfection.

These five arts could be cultivated step by step. So long as one possessed exceptional talent, one could rely on them to comprehend True Intent before Foundation Establishment.

Comprehending True Intent before Foundation Establishment might have been an inconceivable matter in the cultivation world where Dong Lin now lived.

Yet in the immortal realm of his previous life, where mighty powers could reach the heavens and penetrate the earth, it had been nothing more than commonplace.

The first art, the Li Huo Heart-Protecting Seal, required Spirit Flame assistance for cultivation.

Spirit Flames differed from ordinary fire and possessed all manner of characteristics.

The most common and easiest Spirit Flames to obtain were beastfires.

Some exotic beasts with special bloodlines were accompanied by flames from the moment they were born.

This was a powerful innate ability.

After an exotic beast was slain, these flames could be extracted from its beast core.

They were generally purchased by alchemists and artifact refiners for pill refining and artifact forging.

Ordinary flames could not meet their demands for flame temperature and duration of combustion.

Other than cultivators who specialized in fire arts, few could continuously release high-temperature Spirit Flames with special properties for pill refining or artifact forging.

But alchemists and artifact refiners could hardly hire a fire-attribute cultivator to stand beside them at all times, waiting to release flames whenever needed.

As for the masters themselves, most lacked the talent to excel in both fire arts and alchemy or artifact refinement.

Thus, these Spirit Flames, which only needed a continuous supply of spiritual energy to burn steadily and fulfill such requirements, had been developed throughout the cultivation world.

Besides the beastfires possessed by exotic beasts, Innate Spirit Flames could also arise in this world.

Ordinary cultivators generally could not control such treasures. They were superb auxiliary cultivation materials for cultivators specializing in fire arts.

Some monstrously gifted fire cultivators would even refine Innate Spirit Flames or high-tier beastfires into Lifebound Spirit Relics, greatly enhancing their combat strength.

However, a Lifebound Spirit Relic was like a lifebound magical treasure. Once one possessed a Lifebound Spirit Relic, one could no longer refine a lifebound magical treasure of their own.

There were gains and losses involved; the choice rested entirely with the cultivator.

Dong Lin made a round through the market, but most of what he found were ordinary beastfires without unusual properties, which would be of little help to him.

There were also some second-tier beastfires, but their prices were relatively higher.

After making the rounds without finding anything satisfactory, Dong Lin decided to take a look at the Cavern Repository.

Rather than troubling Senior Sister Yun Shu, whom he had met before, Dong Lin went alone to the exchange counter to inquire.

"There are currently two top-tier Innate Spirit Flames available for exchange in the repository.

"One is the second-tier Innate Jade Marrow Spirit Flame. It can assist cultivation during the Body Tempering Stage and costs one thousand nine hundred contribution points.

"The other is the third-tier Innate Profound Void Spirit Flame, which possesses a certain degree of spatial ability.

"It is one of the finest treasures currently exchangeable in the repository, but I fear Junior Brother may be biting off more than he can chew. It requires nine thousand three hundred contribution points."

"That was equivalent to nine hundred and thirty High-Grade Spirit Stones? Good heavens, perhaps even more than that."

Dong Lin had merely asked about Innate Spirit Flames out of curiosity, yet the price had thoroughly shocked him.

Sect Contribution Points could neither be bought nor exchanged.

They could only be used to exchange for the sect's resources and land.

More than nine thousand contribution points—even sect elders would find it difficult to save up so many.

As a personal disciple, Dong Lin received one hundred contribution points from the sect each year, allowing personal disciples to select resources from the treasury.

With only one thousand one hundred contribution points on him, buying an Innate Spirit Flame was truly beyond his reach.

"Please let me see the second-tier beastfires, Senior Brother. Sorry to trouble you."

Dong Lin said this to the deacon of the Cavern Repository responsible for Spirit Flame exchanges.

"Let me take a look."

The deacon before him searched through the control panel for a moment, then used spiritual power to project several Spirit Flames for Dong Lin to examine.

"This is a second-tier Crimson Flame Beastfire, extracted from the beast core of a second-tier mid-grade Crimson Flame Blast Wolf. As its name suggests, it possesses exceptionally explosive flames and can unleash extremely high temperatures in a short time. According to our Cavern Repository's tests, its core temperature can reach over five thousand degrees.

"It costs two hundred and ninety contribution points."

"Over five thousand degrees? That was indeed decent. Ordinary flames usually only reached around one thousand degrees.

"Five thousand degrees was no small difference."

Dong Lin looked at the projected flame before him and felt tempted, but he decided to keep looking.

"This cluster is a second-tier Shadow Beastfire, extracted from the beast core of a second-tier low-grade Shadow Leopard. It has some ability to obscure vision and spiritual sense. It costs two hundred contribution points."

"Was the price difference between these two really that great? Let me look at some more."

Ever shrewd, Dong Lin intended to compare several options before making his choice.

After all, all five viscera needed cultivation. With only his current contribution points, if he spent too much now, earning more later would be difficult.

The deacon seemed to see Dong Lin's straitened circumstances.

"This second-tier Thunder Fang Beastfire was extracted from the beast core of a second-tier low-grade Thunder Fang Beast. It contains a trace of lightning attribute, though not much. Generally, only cultivators specializing in Lightning Arts can trigger the lightning power contained within it, thereby mixing lightning and fire to increase its power.

"This one is rather unpopular, and its quality is only average among second-tier flames. It can be exchanged for one hundred and thirty contribution points."

Dong Lin's eyes lit up upon hearing that. Wasn't this perfect?

"Just what I wanted. The price was moderate, and its effect was no worse than those two flashy ones from before."

Dong Lin no longer hesitated.

"I'll take this one!"

Before a Spirit Flame was refined, its fire seed was stored in a specially made jade bottle.

The jade bottle ensured the fire seed would not be extinguished, preserving it indefinitely while consuming very little spiritual energy.

"A sect with such deep foundations truly was wonderful. Without ever leaving the mountain, I could exchange for all the resources I needed."

Dong Lin looked at the jade bottle containing the Thunder Fang Beastfire in his hand and sighed.

The difficulty of refining a second-tier Spirit Flame exceeded Dong Lin's expectations.

Still, Dong Lin was merely giving it a try. Even if he could not refine it, it would not affect his cultivation of the art.

Over the course of one night, Dong Lin barely managed to make an initial entry into the Li Huo Heart-Protecting Seal.

The art chiefly cultivated the True Intent of Fire, using fire-attribute spiritual energy to continuously temper and strengthen the heart. Just as one nourished the dantian, the heart would eventually carry the intent of Li Huo, and cultivators of this art would naturally comprehend the True Intent of Fire.

Even if there were only one such heaven-defying art, the great immortal sects and prestigious schools would certainly regard it as their supreme foundation. Yet Dong Lin possessed five such arts.

The heart was among the most crucial parts of the human body. Once it had been sufficiently strengthened, one's body-tempering ability would correspondingly rise by no small amount.

This art killed two birds with one stone. It could not only help Dong Lin comprehend the fire of the Five Elements, but also improve the efficiency of his body refinement.

"Once all five methods of tempering the viscera reach perfection, breaking through the Body Tempering Realm should be as easy as turning my hand over!"