Immortal Fire Takes Form · Reunion in the Tower

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The crimson-gold flame aura on the official road of Holy Soul Village arrived faster than Nan Feng had anticipated.

He was still standing by the Blue Silver Grass field, the grass at his feet already scorched and curled up.

He had just withdrawn his immortal consciousness from the Tower Spirit Space when ten golden flame halos exploded from the end of the official road. The pebbles on the road were baked white. The heat wave, spanning half a mile, scorched the wild grass on both sides of the road, causing it to curl at the edges. The morning mist evaporated in the flames, and the air distorted into a layer of transparent ripples.

Nan Feng stood at the edge of the Blue Silver Grass Field. The silver-white Soul Power patterns on the new red hairband on his left wrist shone in the heat. The heat hit his face, but he didn't blink.

He sensed that within that fiery aura, the essence of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent was surging. The essence was shifting from crimson gold to cyan gold, and the temperature was three times higher than at Jialing Pass.

"They're here," said Nan Feng.

The Old Huai tree's voice echoed from within the Tower Spirit Space, carrying an air of smug composure.

"Complete form? I've seen that kid in his transformed state before, the red-haired one, he looked like a tinderbox. What does the complete form look like?"

The Nan Feng did not answer.

The crimson-gold flame on the official road converged a hundred paces away from him. Ten golden flame halos condensed from the sea of fire, one ring after another encircling the human figure. The flames shifted from crimson-gold to bluish-gold, shedding layer by layer from the outside in, like the Blazing Sun changing color during tempering.

Shifang stood on the official road. Two scorch marks appeared on the road from the heat of his feet.

He transformed from a red-haired boy into a red-haired youth. His hair grew longer, dancing wildly in the azure-gold flames, each strand glowing with flame patterns. He was half a head taller than before, his shoulders and bones had broadened.

His short, tight-fitting clothes were burned to shreds. His exposed skin was covered with a layer of lapis lazuli scales, which stretched from his shoulders to his wrists, and from his waist to his ankles. Each scale was engraved with Immortal Mark.

Ten halos of azure-gold flames swirled around him. The arrangement of the halos corresponded one-to-one with the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, with a serpent head phantom floating within each halos. All ten eyes opened simultaneously, their pupils reflecting the azure -Golden Immortal light emanating from the tower.

Shifang looked down at his hands. His palms were covered with interwoven blue-gold scales, and his knuckles were covered with fine fire patterns. His fingernails were also covered with a thin layer of scales, which made a sound when tapped. He clenched his fist, and blue-gold flames shot out from between his fingers, burning the wild grass within half a foot of him to ash.

He loosened his fist again. The flames receded from the scales, and the Immortal Mark on his palm swirled.

"Brother Nan."

Shifang raised his head. His voice had changed, becoming half a tone deeper than when he was a boy, with a low, fiery hum at the end. His tone was still the same, but he scratched his head, a somewhat uncertain expression on his face.

"I think..." Shifang scratched his head again. This time he touched his hair, grabbed a handful of strands and looked at them. Azure flames burned in the strands of hair.

"You've become an immortal?"

Nan Feng looked at him. The aura on Shifang's body rose all the way from the Demigod Level and crossed the threshold of the God Level. There was an extra Primordial World Immortal Power in the origin of the azure-gold flame, which was of the same origin as the silver-white Soul Power pattern on the red hairband on Nan Feng's left wrist.

"The first realm of Immortal Dao," Nan Feng said, "the Foundation Establishment Entry Stage."

Shifang was taken aback for a moment.

He lowered his hand, and lapis lazuli flames flowed across the scales. He tried moving one halo to the left, and it moved. He then tried moving another to the right, and that halo moved too.

He made ten halos circle around his body.

"Foundation Establishment Entry Stage?" Shifang's voice rose half an octave. "Only beginner level? When I transformed, my Immortal Power surged so fiercely; I thought I'd at least reach the minor completion stage."

Old Huai's voice, cursing and swearing, echoed from within the Tower Spirit Space.

"So what if I've just entered the beginner stage? Back when I was guarding the tower with your ancestor, I hadn't even gotten close to the beginner stage. You, kid, entered the Immortal Dao as soon as you transformed into human form, and you still complain about being too slow? You're being pretentious!"

Shifang's ears twitched. He turned his head to look in the direction of the Tower Spirit Space.

"Old Huai?" His voice rose another half octave. "You're alive?"

"He's alive." Old Huai's voice came from the Tower Spirit Space, muffled, as if speaking through a tree trunk, "He's more sensible than you. Don't let those ten halos of yours spin around, they're making me dizzy."

Shifang arranged the ten halos. He looked down at his scales. The cyan-gold scales were covered with Immortal Mark, originating from the same source as the tower.

He raised his hand and patted his chest; the scales were as hard as iron.

He touched his hair again. Azure flames shone through the strands.

The flames were connected to the immortal tree of the Old Huai locust tree in the Tower Spirit Space, to the branches of the Ancient Tree of Life, and also to the Soul Power patterns on the red ribbon on Nan Feng's left wrist.

"Brother Nan." Shifang looked up, scratching the back of his head, "Can I change my hair back? I'm used to red hair, this lapis lazuli is a bit too bright."

The Nan Feng lifted the pagoda to its chest. The nine-story bronze pagoda turned in the morning light, its lapis lazuli and Immortal Mark shimmering with golden light.

He sensed that the origins of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent within the complete Shifang Transformation Form had stabilized. The azure-gold flames were infused with Primordial World Immortal Power, and the ten illusory heads corresponding to the ten halos each condensed into an Immortal Mark.

"It can transform," Nan Feng said. "When you conceal your Immortal Power, you become Red Hair. When you release your Immortal Power, you become Azure Gold."

Shifang tried it. He drew the azure-gold flames into his scales, the Immortal Mark on his hair dimmed, and red emerged from the roots, returning to its previous crimson-gold color.

The ten halos then disappeared into his body, leaving only a halo behind him. He looked at his reflection in the puddle beside the official road and nodded.

Red hair looks better.

After Shifang finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something and walked towards the direction of the Tower Spirit Space. He shouted at the top of his lungs as he walked.

"Old Huai! Why aren't you showing yourself now that you're alive? I've fully transformed into my human form, won't you come out and take a look?"

The azure-gold Immortal Mark at the entrance to the Tower Spirit Space lit up briefly. The Old Huai poked half its body out from the immortal wood, looking Shifang Fang up and down. Its gaze swept from the red hair to the azure-gold scales, and then from the azure-gold scales to the ten halos that had been retracted behind it.

Old Huai put his hands behind his back, striking a pose like a guardian immortal guarding the tower.

"Finished reading." "Complete Transformation, Foundation Establishment Entry Stage, Ten Auras, Immortal Fire Body. Not bad, not too embarrassing."

Shifang stared intently at the Old Huai's half-protruding body from the immortal tree, his eyes narrowing even more.

"Old Huai," Shifang said, "Why are you hiding in the tree? Come out!"

Old Huai's beard twitched. He looked down at his hand and half-body sticking out of the tree trunk, then looked up at Shifang's complete body standing outside the tree.

Her eyebrows were so long they reached her hairline.

"I'd be happy to," said Old Huai.

Shifang turned and glanced at Nan Feng. Nan Feng stood at the edge of the Blue Silver Grass Field, saying nothing.

Shifang turned around and suddenly grinned.

"Fine." He crossed his arms, a lapis lazuli flame flickering on his scales. "You stay put. I'm going to grill the fish; I won't leave any for you when it's done."

The Old Huai jumped out from its trunk.

His feet touched the ground, causing the ground at the entrance to the Tower Spirit Space to tremble. His long beard swayed in front of his chest, and his hands were behind his back. He stood before Shifang, looking up at him.

"Grilled fish?" Old Huai said, "Have I ever eaten the fish you grilled? What kind of crap did you grill when you were a teenager? Some were burnt, some were raw. Only your brother Nan wasn't picky."

Shifang rolled up his sleeves. Azure flames exploded on the scales of his arms.

"That was before. Now I've fully transformed. My Celestial Fire Grilled Fish is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with precise temperature control. Would you like to try it?"

Old Huai snorted.

"Let's give it a try." He turned and shouted at the Nan Feng, "You little brat, are you even going to feed yourself?"

Nan Feng collected the tower into his palm. He sensed that at the entrance to the Tower Spirit Space, Old Huai and Shifang, one old and one young, were glaring at each other on the official road. They were only one step away from fighting.

Or use your mouth.

"Manage," Nan Feng said.

He walked towards Holy Soul Village. Shifang followed behind, bickering with Old Huai as they went. Old Huai walked in front with his hands behind his back, occasionally glancing back at Shifang's azure-gold scales.

"Can those ten halos of light be used to grill fish?" Old Huai asked.

"Yes," Shifang said. "One halo can bake one piece, and ten haloes can bake ten pieces simultaneously."

"Did it burn?"

"It won't burn. The 'fairy fire' can adjust the temperature."

"Adjust the temperature? Show me how you adjust it."

Shifang flung a halo of light out from behind him. Azure-gold flames condensed into a small ball in his palm. He snapped his fingers, and the flames shrank to the size of a fist, their temperature dropping to the level of ordinary charcoal, burning in his palm.

Old Huai leaned closer for a look. He reached out and tested the temperature near the flame, keeping his fingers about three inches away from the fire.

He nodded.

"It's alright. Let's go get some grilled fish. Add extra chili."

Shifang withdrew the flames from his palm and took two steps toward the direction of the Nan Feng, leaving a trail of charred footprints on the path.

He suddenly stopped again. He turned to look at the Old Huai and scratched the back of his head.

"Old Huai," Shifang said, "You're alive now, so there are two trees in the pagoda. One is yours, and the other is what sustains you."

Old Huai stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes shining beneath his long eyebrows.

"Two trees," he said. "One guards the tower, the other sustains us. There's someone guarding the tower now."

He turned and walked towards Holy Soul Village. After a few steps, he stopped and glanced back at Shifang.

"Let's go," Old Huai said. "Your brother Nan will provide meals, just like you said, it's Xianhuo Grilled Fish."

Shifang Fang grinned. He caught up with the Old Huai and walked side by side with it on the official road. The old man and the young man bickered in the morning light. The azure-gold flames and the azure-gold Immortal Mark on the immortal wood intertwined in the morning breeze.

Nan Feng walked at the very back. The silver-white Soul Power patterns on the new red hairband on his left wrist were shining. The tower spun in his palm, and the azure-gold Immortal Mark reflected the azure-gold light of the Blue Silver Grass fields on both sides of the official road.

From the direction of Holy Soul Village came the sound of Tang Three Teachings the children to recite the new chapter of the Mysterious Heaven Skill. Smoke rose from the chimneys of the village houses, and the cyan-gold light of Ah Yin's remnant soul shone in the morning light in the center of the Blue Silver Grass Field.

Suddenly, Shifang turned his head and shouted something to Nan Feng.

"Brother Nan! Old Huai said to add more chili peppers, do you eat spicy food?"

Old Huai kicked him from behind.

Why are you asking about Brother Nan? He doesn't grill fish.

Shifang jumped forward to dodge.

"Why don't you ask? What if Brother Nan doesn't eat spicy food?"

Nan Feng watched the old man and the young man bickering on the official road, then put the tower into his palm. He sensed two large trees in the Tower Spirit Space stretching their branches on the dome, their roots intertwined at the bottom, and cyan-gold Immortal Mark flowing in the trunks.

His voice was flat when he spoke.

"Eat," said Nan Feng.

Shifang turned to Old Huai and made a gesture. Old Huai snorted and put his hands back behind his back.

The three headed towards Holy Soul Village. The morning light cast long shadows of them, stretching out in the azure-gold light of the Blue Silver Grass Field.

When they reached the village entrance, Shifang suddenly stopped. He turned back to look at Nan Feng and scratched the back of his head.

"Brother Nan," Shifang's voice became slightly more serious, "I've completed my human form. From now on, I'll do the job of guarding the tower with Old Huai."

Old Huai paused for a moment. He stood with his hands behind his back, not turning around. His long beard swayed in the morning breeze.

"Okay," Old Huai said, "But you have to learn how to grill fish first. Burnt fish won't do."