Crimson Talisman Iron Writ Transmits Immortal Arts, Fire Sea Hides Books and Refines Wutu Essence

"Senior, how could you do this?"

Heng Hua hurriedly flashed aside and had Xiaoyu prepare clothes for Li Nanxing.

Zhou Xiao sat to one side and laughed. "You saved his life and granted him the path to enlightenment. What was wrong with accepting a bow from him?"

Seeing Li Nanxing so humble and deferential, Zhou Xiao secretly reveled in it.

You pester this old man all day long. Once Fu Tongjun enters my school someday, won't you have to call this old man Grandmaster?

Zhou Xiao said, "In our Golden Fang, what does calling someone 'Teacher' amount to for the favor of imparting enlightenment and transmitting the Dao? If this fellow chooses your cultivation method as his main practice in the future, never mind him—even his descendants and inheritors should all call you 'Ancestor.'"

The karmic weight of opening a path and transmitting the Dharma was immensely grave within the immortal way.

Something stirred in Heng Hua's heart, and his Dao heart responded.

After Li Nanxing cultivated the "Five-Element Core-Condensation Art," he indeed formed a faint bond of master and disciple with him.

Zhou Xiao said to the neatly dressed Li Nanxing, "Don't think it shabby, either. The cultivation method this brat passed on to you has an immortal-art foundation. It is far more profound than your original Grand White Mystic Gold Art."

Li Nanxing fell silent. Having personally cultivated the Five-Element Core-Condensation Art, his feelings ran even deeper than Zhou Xiao's.

He had originally cultivated a metal art, and its power seemed immense. With his Bronze False Core, he could contend with Golden Core Cultivators. Yet every family knew its own troubles. His body had already begun to turn to metal. If he could not break through to the Golden Core Realm quickly and use Golden Core power to suppress his metal qi, then what awaited him would inevitably be qi deviation and madness, ending with him transformed into a Golden Man.

But the newly cultivated "Five-Element Core-Condensation Art" not only resolved the hidden danger of qi deviation and madness, but also let him see hope of forming a top third-grade Golden Core.

At that moment, crimson light shone from within the furnace and shot straight toward Heng Hua.

Heng Hua's expression remained unchanged. He drew the Heart Ape back into his body while taking the iron writ and the clod of earth into his hands.

The iron writ bore the two words "Yun Lie" in Crimson Talisman Script. Auspicious clouds curled around it, spirit light glittered brilliantly, and faint wondrous music drifted from within the writ.

Clearly, this was a true transmitted Dao book on the level of a Heavenly Book and Earth Canon.

Zhou Xiao said, "This iron writ should be the legendary Cloudflame Crimson Talisman Scripture, shouldn't it?"

The Record of the Divine Land's Immortals stated: "Cloudflame Mountain Hermit lived for two thousand years and once served as an official. At sixty, he cast aside his seal and traveled abroad. Arriving beneath Cloudflame Mountain, he saw a great stone beneath clear shade, whereupon he lay down upon it to sleep. In a dream, he encountered a heavenly maiden who gave him guidance. Upon waking, he shattered the stone and obtained three volumes of the Crimson Talisman Scripture. Thereafter, he comprehended the immortal Dao and passed down the Cloudflame lineage."

"It is indeed the Crimson Talisman Scripture."

Heng Hua said, "My family has records that Cloudflame Immortal Palace inherited a type of Crimson Talisman Script entirely different from the spirit seal script passed down in the Divine Land."

He tried to read it, but the Crimson Talisman Scripture was sealed by a restrictive art. Without true qi of the same origin, it could not be activated.

Fu Heyi and Fu Xiangfeng both changed expression as they thought of the same matter: if they had the complete Earth Canon Immortal Art, could the Fu Family's cultivation methods be completed?

Zhou Xiao said, "I have heard that the Crimson Talisman Scripture expounds the methods of fire immortals and cloud-swallowing. It should be of help to your grandfather."

Heng Hua stroked the cloud-patterned designs on the iron writ.

With his vast reading and knowledge of interpreting Dao arts, he naturally recognized that the cloud patterns on its surface were a method for drawing qi and swallowing clouds.

Heng Hua thought to himself, This should be the foundational chapter of the Cloudflame Dao arts. Only by cultivating Cloudflame True Qi through this qi-refining technique can one activate the Crimson Talisman Iron Writ and see the immortal art inside. But in that case, one would have to shoulder the great duty of reviving Cloudflame Immortal Palace.

Since he possessed the Creation's Epoch-Reunion Art, Heng Hua was curious about the Earth Canon Immortal Art, but he only intended to use it as reference to establish cultivation methods for himself and his grandfather. He had no intention of inheriting another sect's Dao lineage.

Zhou Xiao swept his gaze over everyone on the island and smiled. "This old man just cast a divination. Among the people currently on this island are those fated to Yun Lie. Take it back tonight and study it. Tomorrow morning, open an altar and preach the Dao. Pass down the Crimson Talisman Scripture, and let them establish the Immortal Palace lineage anew."

In this way, Heng Hua could read the Earth Canon without becoming entangled in the revival of Cloudflame Immortal Palace.

Heng Hua silently nodded, his hand hidden in his sleeve giving the lump of mud a squeeze.

Suppressing the urge to inspect it on the spot, he summoned Xu Wenyu and the others back.

When they heard they could cultivate immortal arts, everyone was overjoyed beyond measure and readily let the Fu Family order them about.

As night had already fallen, Hengshou and Xiaoyu raised the Colorful-Luan Spirit Ship from the water. The group simply remained on the island for another night.

Aside from preparing a room for Li Nanxing, they could no longer leave Xu Wenyu and the others in the prison cells. Fortunately, after Fu Heyi emerged, the rooms on the skiff side were available for use. Xiaoyu put in some effort to settle everyone properly.

Returning to Heng Hua's room, she saw him examining the lump of mud.

"Young Master, this mud?"

"This is Essence of Wutu Earth. Among the five elements, fire gives birth to earth. The volcanoes in the Cloudflame Mountains contained a thousand years of firepower, nurturing this clump of Essence of Wutu Earth. It can be used to cultivate spirit roots and spirit plants."

"Panlong Wood?"

Heng Hua nodded faintly.

If Cypress Sovereign Hall could still retain control of Coiling Dragon Island, this clump of Essence of Wutu Earth could be used to nourish the spirit plants and spirit roots on the island.

Yet what truly occupied Heng Hua's mind was not this clump of mud, but the volcanic crater.

A thousand years of firepower should not have produced only this one clump of Essence of Wutu Earth.

"Xiaoyu, later, you and Hengshou should take extra care watching the people aboard the ship. I need to head out."

"Head out?"

Xiaoyu looked at the sky. "Young Master, it may not be safe for you to go out alone."

"It's fine."

Heng Hua changed into the scarlet fitted outfit Zhang Qiulan had prepared.

"I'm going to explore inside the volcano. Don't worry, I know my limits."

Shaking his feather fan, Heng Hua said, "With this fan here, mere flames cannot hurt me.

"Besides, there are too many outsiders aboard the ship. Though they are willing to listen to my sermon tomorrow, we still need to keep some people behind as a precaution."

Afterward, Heng Hua drew a Spirit-Concealing Talisman upon himself and climbed out through the window.

Xiaoyu was worried, but she did not dare alarm the others. She could only seek out Hengshou and wait together.

"A rare occasion for you to act alone."

Riding the wind, Heng Hua arrived at the volcanic crater under cover of night.

After one eruption, the lava within the volcano had gradually settled, no longer carrying the daytime's violent restlessness.

"Hey—"

Just as Heng Hua arrived, Fu Xuanxing leaped down on his flying sword.

"Why are you here?"

"Martial Uncle guessed you would come to the volcano to seek an opportunity, so he sent me to help you."

"Then he is alone in the room?"

Suddenly, Heng Hua examined Fu Xuanxing carefully and tightened his grip on the fan.

This guy carries the Heavenly Demon Six-Desires Pearl around every day. Is he really not afraid of being bewitched?

"Senior Li is keeping my Martial Uncle company and talking with him."

Li Nanxing had let go of the knot in his heart and was reminiscing with Zhou Xiao about the events of the past several centuries. Fu Xuanxing had no desire to disturb them.

"So Senior Zhou noticed after all."

Heng Hua sighed.

Of course. After Senior Zhou saw the iron writ appear and watched him put away the Essence of Wutu Earth, how could he possibly have had no thoughts about it?

The volcano had accumulated a thousand years of firepower. No matter what, it should not have contained only this little Essence of Wutu Earth. Moreover, since the iron writ had flown out of the volcano, Cloudflame Immortal Palace had clearly made preparations long ago. What they left behind might include other things as well.

His feather fan swayed lightly, and a gust of wind wrapped around Fu Xuanxing and Heng Hua.

"You are skilled in using Separation Flame as well. Use your mana to set up another layer of protection."

Fu Xuanxing activated his mana, and a red light barrier appeared outside the Pure Wind.

As the light barrier descended inch by inch, heat waves gradually surged upward.

Neither dared go too deep, so they landed on a protruding rock.

Holding the Essence of Wutu Earth, Heng Hua silently activated the Heavenly Unity Algorithm and the Spirit-Sensing Communion Technique, finding a thread of earth qi with the same origin amid the boundless fire qi.

"That spot." Thousand-Coiled Silk shot toward the lava sea below and to the right, dragging out a huge lump of black mud.

But the power of the earthfire was tyrannical, and it quickly burned away Heng Hua's threads of true qi.

"That lump of mud—can we just take it directly?"

Fu Xuanxing slapped two talismans onto himself and jumped straight into the fire.

"You—"

Yet the youth moved like a fish in water, utterly unconcerned by the lava's heat. He strode across the lava, then plunged into the fire sea and pushed up a huge mass of black mud.

Heng Hua secretly marveled. Though I could tell his cultivation method followed the path of Water and Fire Enter Yin-Yang, how could a mere True Flame Realm cultivator possess such attainments in the fire Dao? He is not even afraid of earthfire?

Within this volcano lay a thousand years of accumulated firepower. At its deepest point burned the ceaseless, blazing Earth-Lung Venomfire.

"Hey, catch it."

The youth lifted the mud and hurled it toward Heng Hua.

Heng Hua hurriedly waved the Sparrowfeather Fan. A fierce gale swept up the black mud and forcibly pushed it to the volcanic crater.

"Come up."

Thousand-Coiled Silk pulled Fu Xuanxing back up.

Seeing that the youth's clothes were neat and even his hair had not been singed in the slightest, Heng Hua fell into thought.

"You're surprised that I'm not afraid of fire?"

The youth brushed away the dust without a care. "I was born with this constitution. I heard that when I was little, I caused trouble and ran into my Martial Uncle's pill furnace to play hide-and-seek. The furnace fire burned me into a fire-repelling constitution."

Good heavens, another one who crawled into a pill furnace?

Thinking of Li Nanxing, then connecting it with his own Heart Ape, Heng Hua shook his head and said no more.

The two returned to the volcanic crater, where Heng Hua examined the black lump of mud.

The black mud measured nearly two zhang across, its surface covered by a thick layer of thousand-year earthfire mud.

He had Fu Xuanxing cut it open, revealing clump after clump of Essence of Wutu Earth within.

Yet when the object at the very center was exposed, Heng Hua's expression changed completely.

A large redwood box.

Had he not personally retrieved it from the bottom of the volcano, Heng Hua would have suspected it was the one from Langhuan Hall.

"What is this?"

Fu Xuanxing swung his sword, severed the gold lock, and opened the wooden box.

Staring at the broken gold lock, Heng Hua's eyelids twitched.

Well now, even the gold lock was exactly the same design.

"Are there books inside too?"

Fu Xuanxing picked up one of them.

"Huh? These aren't Dao books from the Yun Lie sect."

Though they had endured over a thousand years, the books inside remained perfectly preserved.

Fu Xuanxing casually flipped through a few pages. "These are mortal books. Why would the predecessors of Cloudflame Immortal Palace be so interested in collecting so many mortal books?"

Heng Hua silently picked up a book.

"..." He swiftly closed it and tossed the few books in Fu Xuanxing's hands back into the redwood box.

"Since they are mortal books, don't pay them any mind. We'll divide this Essence of Wutu Earth between us. As for this book box, give it to me."

As compensation, Heng Hua intended to give Fu Xuanxing a larger share of the Essence of Wutu Earth.

But Fu Xuanxing shook his head. "Martial Uncle sent me here to help you seek an opportunity. Keep these things. As for the Essence of Wutu Earth... I don't plant trees or raise flowers, so it is useless to me."

Seeing how open and forthright the youth was, Heng Hua was even less willing to take advantage of him. He simply passed the Supreme Mystery Sect's Spirit-Sensing Communion Mystic Art on to him.

"This is a secret art of the Supreme Mystery Sect that I obtained by chance. It will help you."

Then he had Fu Xuanxing carry the redwood box back to the spirit ship, while Heng Hua shut himself in and began reading.

The first book had them.

The second book had them too.

The third book had them as well!

Heng Hua's expression turned strange.

Like his mother's relic, this large redwood box contained mortal books, yet it hid countless evil arts and forbidden taboos.

One of the books even recorded in detail the sacrificial refinement of the Evil Soul Cult's Mother-Child Yin-Yang Stele and the related methods of using it.

"What exactly are these redwood boxes?"

The next chapter will be posted at eight tonight. It still isn't finished.