Two days later, the Xu Family High Council issued strict orders.
Maintain martial law and pull back the defenses!
Both measures were to proceed together! Family members were also forbidden from leaving the clan grounds unless necessary.
As for the resource sites outside, their great formations were to remain active day and night, with vigilance maintained against any attack. If anything happened, they were to send word back to the clan for reinforcements immediately.
Once the news spread, everyone knew something major had happened.
There must be enemies outside, and the clan feared its members would be ambushed and killed.
Thus, no one was foolish enough to defy the orders.
Lin Changheng had expected this.
After suffering such a grievous loss, the Chen Family of Purple Maple Bay would surely retaliate.
Although the Chen Family had struck first, there was no stopping things now. Such was hatred's powerful, unreasonable momentum, sweeping everything along in its relentless advance, refusing to rest until death.
This was precisely what it meant to say that a blood-sea feud could only be washed clean with ten thousand acres of fresh blood.
But this had little effect on Lin Changheng, because he had no intention of going out at all.
Another year passed in the blink of an eye.
Returning once more from the General Affairs Hall, Lin Changheng
looked as composed as ever, but his heart was already brimming with anticipation.
The high demand for [Miasma-Dispelling Pills] had slowed the accumulation of both the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed] and the [Greenwood Snake Treasure Seed] by well over half.
But at last, the moment had arrived.
"After all these years, advancing the Fire Crow Treasure Seed's Spirit Seizure one layer at a time... it's finally reaching the fifth layer!"
What realm would the fifth layer of a treasure seed represent?
Lin Changheng did not know either, but he had a vague premonition that the Fire Crow had its limits.
After all, it was a mixed-grade demon beast, a domesticated beast.
Its bloodline had been diluted too much, and its ancestors might never have amounted to much either.
Hoping to reach the very top with a single bloodline was unrealistic, but he had no idea exactly how far it could take him.
Still, Lin Changheng did not dwell on it. So long as it had more to offer, he would keep performing Spirit Seizure, all the way to its highest point, all the way to the end!
Besides, until now, it had always been [Spirit Seizure]. When would [Transformation] trigger?
Lin Changheng did not understand, and he had been searching for answers all along.
The [Origin Cauldron] had first appeared only after the [Origin Treasure Seed] completed Spirit Seizure. Perhaps Transformation would become possible once Spirit Seizure reached its end.
He had a mysterious feeling that it might truly be close now...
He could sense it!
Inside his room, Lin Changheng looked at the opened batches of waste and inferior [Crimson Flame Pills] and [Wood Origin Pills] arranged before him, then rubbed his hands together excitedly.
He first swept his hand over the latter.
The Origin Cauldron in his sea of consciousness trembled gently, draining every trace of essence blood from the waste and inferior Wood Origin Pills.
[Greenwood Snake Treasure Seed · Fourth layer] [Spirit Seizure: 12/100]
A new, solid treasure seed took shape once more and was plucked into his soul, while another illusory treasure seed emerged in its original place.
Naturally, Lin Changheng knew this had formed from the excess Greenwood Snake essence blood.
The next instant,
[Acquired: Poison Transformation Art · True Ascension] [Effect: The body keenly senses poisonous substances and can expel mid-grade toxins to a limited degree]
"Not bad."
Seeing this effect, Lin Changheng gave a slight nod, quite satisfied.
Although his body's resistance to poison had not increased again, it had instead developed "keen detection." Sometimes, "avoiding" was more important than "warding off." If he could steer clear early on, why suffer through it in the first place?
Moreover, he could now expel mid-grade toxins from his body, adding another measure of safety.
If the previous effect had been "passive," this counted as an "active" skill.
After all, the Greenwood Snake was an early first-tier demon beast with a mixed-grade bloodline. Obtaining an effect like this was already quite good.
But compared with the effects of the [Fire Crow Treasure Seed], it still fell far short.
Even between demons, the differences were considerable.
"Your turn."
Lin Changheng gathered himself and, without another word, linked his mind to the Origin Cauldron, sweeping his hand over the crimson pills.
As the Fire Crow essence blood was extracted, the progress of Spirit Seizure soared.
[Spirit Seizure: 100/100]
The crimson treasure seed trembled, its form complete. Lin Changheng touched it, and information flowed back to him.
[Fire Crow Treasure Seed · Fifth layer] [Can continue refining the Demon Race's innate talent: Fire Control]
With a thought, the treasure seed flew out of the cauldron's mouth and entered his body. Lin Changheng shivered as an unprecedented warmth swept through him from head to toe.
Even his soul trembled at the sensation, leaving him somewhat entranced.
It was as though the flame in the lamp on the table before him would move with his heart, swaying at his whim.
A sudden inspiration struck him, and he blew a breath toward the lamp's flame.
Bang! The flame exploded, becoming a miniature blazing sun a full two feet across, suspended in the air. Hot wind struck his face as waves of fire rolled outward.
Had the courtyard walls not blocked the view, any outsider who witnessed it would have trembled in body and soul, struck speechless with shock.
Then Lin Changheng saw the wooden table within the flames turn instantly to ash at their touch.
The ash pattered to the floor.
"Even the Fireball Technique cultivated to perfection would only amount to this, wouldn't it? No, its power might not even measure up."
"And this is even more elusive and unpredictable!"
After a long while, Lin Changheng came back to himself, his heart still surging, and saw-
[Acquired: Fire-Control Art · Transformation mastery] [Effect: Ultimate control over ordinary flames; maximum enhancement of fire techniques]
Lin Changheng's eyes flashed. What had he just seen?
Two words denoting the absolute limit!
"Ultimate" and "maximum"!
They signify both the highest point and the furthest end. Perhaps this fifth-layer treasure seed... really has reached the end of the Fire Crow's bloodline power.
A thought stirred in Lin Changheng's mind. What would happen if he absorbed more essence blood now?
Once the thought arose, he could no longer suppress it. Unfortunately, he had used up all the waste and inferior pills, so Lin Changheng could only take out two proper [Crimson Flame Pills] and extract their essence blood.
"Hummm..."
Just then, an unexpected change occurred.
Within his sea of consciousness, the [Origin Cauldron], its entire body gleaming a deep blue-green as the resonance of the Dao flowed around it, suddenly blazed with blue-green light. Sounds rang out like tolling bells and struck cauldrons.
Crimson light mingled within the cauldron, and the clouds at its mouth took on blue-green and crimson hues.
Then some mysterious note seemed to rise in a piercing cry, and the strange, ancient beast patterns engraved on the cauldron began to writhe, as though coming alive.
Their eyes were sharp, their cries shook the heavens.
"Hiss..."
Even Lin Changheng could not help drawing a sharp breath at this transformation.
Then the Origin Cauldron shuddered, and everything fell silent.
Afterward, the scene before him abruptly changed-all things vanished, the void shattered, and wherever he looked, there was only crimson blanketing heaven and earth. Like blood, like flame, it swelled and spread until it filled his entire vision.
At last, he saw it clearly-
It was an enormous blazing bird whose name he did not know, dwelling in a realm of pure flame.
Its wings were woven from flowing lava, every feather burning with undying true fire. When it spread its wings, they were like clouds hanging from heaven, obscuring the firmament.
The giant bird lowered its head. Its golden pupils were like two blazing suns, reflecting his tiny figure.
Before Lin Changheng could react, the giant bird suddenly let out a long cry that shook the nine heavens!
-The boundless sea of fire abruptly contracted, transforming into billions of streams of flame. Like a celestial river pouring down, every last one surged toward him!
Lin Changheng could not dodge-could not even attempt to dodge. Before he could so much as scream, the terrifying streams of fire filling the sky engulfed him.
"This is..."
Inside the courtyard's room, terror spread across Lin Changheng's face. He stumbled back two steps, opened his eyes again, and came back to himself as though his soul had returned to his body. Cold sweat drenched him, soaking his back.