běn zhāng jié kuáng rén shǒu dǎ ）
本章节 狂人 手打）
This chapter was typed by the Madman.
wèi jìn jiē dào dù jié qī ， tā kě shì lì jīng le qiān xīn wàn kǔ ， ruò shì yīn wèi zhè mò míng qí miào de yuán yīn gōng kuī yī kuì ， zì jǐ qǐ bù shì tài yuān wǎng le 。
为进阶到渡劫期，他可是历经了千辛万苦，若是因为这莫名其妙的原因功亏一篑，自己岂不是太冤枉了。
For advancement to the Tribulation Transcending Stage, he had endured countless hardships. If this inexplicable reason caused him to fail at the last moment, wouldn't that be too unfair?
lín xuān xīn zhōng yǒu xiē dǎ gǔ ， tóng shí yě àn àn sī suǒ ， wèi shén me huì chū xiàn zhè yàng de qíng kuàng ne ？
林轩心中有些打鼓，同时也暗暗思索，为什么会出现这样的情况呢？
Lin Xuan's heart was somewhat uneasy as he pondered why such a situation would arise.
nán dào shì yīn wèi yǎn qián de líng bō gǔ ？
难道是因为眼前的灵波谷？
Could it be due to the Spirit Wave Valley before his eyes?
suī rán zhè jǐn jǐn shì yī zhǒng chuǎi mó ， dàn zǐ xì xiǎng xiǎng què shì dà yǒu kě néng de 。
虽然这仅仅是一种揣摩，但仔细想想却是大有可能的。
Although this was just speculation, upon careful consideration, there was indeed a possibility.
ā xiū luó wáng kě shì yīn sī zhī zhǔ ， shēn fèn zūn chóng ， zhè lǐ néng bèi tā suǒ kàn zhòng ， yòng lái xiū jiàn háng gōng ， bú yòng shuō ， kěn dìng shì yǒu bù fán zhī chù 。
阿修罗王可是yīn司之主，身份尊崇，这里能被她所看中，用来修建行宫，不用说，肯定是有不凡之处。
The Asura King was the Lord of Yin, holding a prestigious position. For her to choose this place for an imperial palace, it must have some extraordinary qualities beyond merely dense spirit energy.
jué bù jǐn jǐn shì yīn wèi líng qì nóng mì zhè me jiǎn dān de lǐ yóu 。
绝不仅仅是因为灵气浓密这么简单的理由。
There were also those nine-headed birds; they seemed somewhat similar to true spirits as per legend.
hái yǒu nà jiǔ tóu guài niǎo ， zěn me kàn ， zěn me yǔ nà chuán shuō zhōng de zhēn líng yǒu jǐ fēn xiāng sì lái zhe 。
还有那九头怪鸟，怎么看，怎么与那传说中的真灵有几分相似来着。
While specific details couldn't be said, their presence alone was enough to prove the Spirit Wave Valley's extraordinary nature.
tài jù tǐ de bù hǎo shuō ， dàn yǐ zú yǐ zhèng míng zhè líng bō gǔ de bù fán zhī chù 。
太具体的不好说，但已足以证明这灵波谷的不凡之处。
Could this be the legendary True Spirit Realm?
nán dào shì chuán shuō zhōng de zhēn líng kōng jiān me ？
难道是传说中的真灵空间么？
Back when he first arrived in Nael Dragon World, Yuan Yuan had been taken away by a phoenix. At that time, Lin Xuan didn’t know much about the True Spirit Realm.
dāng nián chū dào nài lóng jiè ， yuàn yuàn bèi fèng huáng suǒ dài zǒu ， nà shí hòu ， lín xuān hái bù xiǎo de zhēn líng kōng jiān de lái yóu 。
当年初到鼐龙界，媛媛被凤凰所带走，那时候，林轩还不晓得真灵空间的来由。
But times have changed; his strength has grown significantly since then, and he had heard some secrets about true spirits.
bù guò shì yì shí yí ， rú jīn tā de shí lì jīn fēi xī bǐ ， duō duō shǎo shǎo ， zì rán yě jiù tīng shuō le yī xiē zhēn líng de yǐn mì 。
不过事易时移，如今他的实力今非昔比，多多少少，自然也就听说了一些真灵的隐秘。
Combining this with the current situation, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Could the so-called Spirit Wave Valley be the True Spirit Realm of the nine-headed bird?
jié hé yǎn qián ， yuè xiǎng yuè jué de kào pǔ ， nán dào suǒ wèi de líng bō gǔ ， jiù shì chuán shuō zhōng jiǔ tóu niǎo de zhēn líng kōng jiān me ？
结合眼前，越想越觉得靠谱，难道所谓的灵波谷，就是传说中九头鸟的真灵空间么？
If that was the case, everything would make sense now.
jiǎ rú shì zhè yàng de huà ， yǎn qián de yī qiè ， jiù jiě shì dé tōng le 。
假如是这样的话，眼前的一切，就解释得通了。
Lin Xuan's mind raced, but his brows remained tightly furrowed.
lín xuān nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， shuāng méi què yī jiù jǐn suǒ 。
林轩脑海中念头转过，双眉却依旧紧锁。
While this explanation might hold water, it didn't help in resolving his current predicament. He had endured countless hardships to pass through the heavenly tribulation, yet he hadn’t experienced the effects of the True Spirit Cleansing technique. Whether he could successfully advance was still uncertain.
néng jiě shì yòu rú hé ， duì yú jiě jué yǎn qián de kùn jìng méi yǒu fēn háo bāng zhù ， zì jǐ fèi jǐn qiān xīn wàn kǔ jiāng tiān jié dù guò ， què bìng méi yǒu qǐ dào yì jīng xǐ suǐ de xiào guǒ ， néng fǒu chéng gōng jìn jí xiàn zài yī jiù shì liǎng shuō 。
能解释又如何，对于解决眼前的困境没有分毫帮助，自己费尽千辛万苦将天劫渡过，却并没有起到易经洗髓的效果，能否成功晋级现在依旧是两说。
This thought left him feeling disheartened, and the gloom on his face couldn’t be lifted.
xiǎng dào cǐ chù ， lín xuān xīn zhōng jǔ sàng bù yǐ ， méi yǔ jiān de yīn mái ， zì shì huī zhī bù qù 。
想到此处，林轩心中沮丧不已，眉宇间的yīn霾，自是挥之不去。
"Hey, what's that?"
“ yí ， nà shì shén me dōng xī ？”
“咦，那是什么东西？”
As the strange bird fell to its demise, the sky cleared up. A previously unremarkable object suddenly caught Lin Xuan’s attention.
suí zhe nà guài niǎo yǔn luò ， tiān kōng chóng xīn biàn dé qīng míng qǐ lái le ， yǒu yī wù yuán běn bìng bù qǐ yǎn ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， què jiāng lín xuān de zhù yì lì chéng gōng gěi xī yǐn le guò lái 。
随着那怪鸟陨落，天空重新变得清明起来了，有一物原本并不起眼，此时此刻，却将林轩的注意力成功给吸引了过来。
It was a flame!
nà shì yī tuán huǒ ！
那是一团火！
A pure gold color!
zuò chún jīn zhī sè！
做纯金之sè！
Radiating an aura of beauty, it flickered and glowed intermittently.
chōng mǎn le huá měi de qì xī ， hū míng hū àn de shǎn dòng bù yǐ 。
充满了华美的气息，忽明忽暗的闪动不已。
The flame had nine layers from within outwards. Each flicker saw countless tiny talismans burst forth, forming miniature arrays that were ancient yet profound. However, they quickly dissolved like bubbles.
nà huǒ yàn yóu nèi zhì wài ， gòng fēn jiǔ céng zhī duō ， měi yī cì shǎn dòng jiān ， dōu yǒu wú shù mǐ lì dà xiǎo de fú wén cóng shàng miàn pēn bó ， zǔ chéng yī zuò yòu yī zuò de wēi xíng fǎ zhèn ， xuán ào gǔ piáo ， dàn hěn kuài yòu rú qì pào yì bān de pò miè diào le 。
那火焰由内至外，共分九层之多，每一次闪动间，都有无数米粒大小的符文从上面喷薄，组成一座又一座的微型法阵，玄奥古朴，但很快又如气泡一般的破灭掉了。
Indeed, the arrays vanished into nothingness, but their impression was deeply etched in Lin Xuan’s mind.
méi cuò ， pò miè guī yú xū wú ， dàn nà fǎ zhèn gěi rén de yìn xiàng què shí fēn shēn kè 。
没错，破灭归于虚无，但那法阵给人的印象却十分深刻。
"True Spirit Flame!"
“ zhēn líng zhī huǒ ！”
“真灵之火！”
Lin Xuan exclaimed with surprise, even he couldn’t suppress his shock.
lín xuān shī shēng jīng hū ， jí biàn shì tā ， yě bù kě yì zhì de lù chū le chī jīng zhī sè。
林轩失声惊呼，即便是他，也不可抑制的露出了吃惊之sè。
Descriptions of True Spirit Flames could be found in ancient texts. Due to their age, these texts were somewhat tattered, and the descriptions of true spirits themselves were limited. Nevertheless, they broadened Lin Xuan’s horizons significantly.
guān yú zhēn líng zhī huǒ de miáo shù ， lín xuān kàn zì yī shàng gǔ diǎn jí ， yīn wèi tài guò jiǔ yuǎn de yuán gù ， cǐ diǎn jí shèn zhì yǒu xiē cán pò ， guān yú zhēn líng de miáo shù yě bù duō ， dàn yī jiù ràng lín xuān dà kāi le yī fān yǎn jiè de 。
关于真灵之火的描述，林轩看自一上古典籍，因为太过久远的缘故，此典籍甚至有些残破，关于真灵的描述也不多，但依旧让林轩大开了一番眼界的。
What was a true spirit? Tracing its origins, one could classify them under the beast race.
hé wèi zhēn líng ， rú guǒ zhuī běn sù yuán ， kě yǐ jiāng tā men guī yú yāo zú 。
何为真灵，如果追本溯源，可以将它们归于妖族。
But true spirits differed from beasts in essence.
dàn zhēn zhèng de zhēn líng ， què yǔ yāo zú yòu shì bìng bù xiāng tóng de 。
但真正的真灵，却与妖族又是并不相同的。
This description seemed contradictory but had reasons behind it.
zhè fān miáo shù tīng qǐ lái máo dùn ， dàn zì rán shì yǒu yuán yīn 。
这番描述听起来矛盾，但自然是有原因。
True spirits were called such because they possessed the True Spirit Flame.
zhēn líng zhī suǒ yǐ shì zhēn líng ， shì yīn wèi tā men yǒu chuán chéng de zhēn líng zhī huǒ 。
真灵之所以是真灵，是因为它们有传承的真灵之火。
For instance, while phoenixes weren’t rare, there were only a few true spirits among them. The difference lay within their bodies—those with the True Spirit Flame.
bǐ rú shuō fàng yǎn sān jiè ， fèng huáng suī rán bù duō ， dàn jǐ shí bǎi lái zhǐ hái shì yǒu de ， rán ér shēn wèi zhēn líng de fèng huáng què zhǐ yǒu qí zhōng yí gè ， qū bié zài yú tā 〖 tǐ 〗 nèi yǒu zhēn líng zhī huǒ 。
比如说放眼三界，凤凰虽然不多，但几十百来只还是有的，然而身为真灵的凤凰却只有其中一个，区别在于它〖体〗内有真灵之火。
A true spirit phoenix was unique; when it fell, its True Spirit Flame would return to the True Spirit Realm, waiting for the next successor.
shēn wèi zhēn líng de fèng huáng shì wéi yī de ， dāng tā yǔn luò ， zhēn líng zhī huǒ huì zì jǐ huí dào zhēn líng kōng jiān ， děng dài xià yī wèi jì chéng zhě 。
身为真灵的凤凰是唯一的，当它陨落，真灵之火会自己回到真灵空间，等待下一位继承者。
The origin of the True Spirit Flame was shrouded in mystery. It was said to have originated from the first generation of true spirits and could pass down knowledge, memories, and a seed of power. Its benefits were numerous but unattainable by force, such as the Asura King who, despite her formidable strength, couldn’t capture it.
ér zhēn líng zhī huǒ de lái lì ， gèng shì shén mì yǐ jí ， jù shuō shì cóng dì yí dài zhēn líng de 〖 tǐ 〗 nèi yùn yù ， néng gòu chuán chéng lì dài zhēn líng de zhī shí ， jì yì ， hái yǒu yī kē lì liàng de zhǒng zi ， zǒng zhī hǎo chù zhī duō ， nán yǐ yòng yán shù ， dàn zhè dōng xī ， què bù xiàng yuán yīng yāo dān yì bān ， kě yǐ duó qǔ 。
而真灵之火的来历，更是神秘以极，据说是从第一代真灵的〖体〗内孕育，能够传承历代真灵的知识，记忆，还有一颗力量的种子，总之好处之多，难以用言述，但这东西，却不像元婴妖丹一般，可以夺取。
Thus, after his initial excitement, Lin Xuan’s face darkened.
bǐ rú shuō ā xiū luó wáng dāng nián ， yǐ jué qiáng shí lì ， néng gòu jiāng jiǔ tóu niǎo miè chú ， dàn yǐ tā kān bǐ zhēn xiān de shǒu duàn ， yě wú fǎ shōu qǔ zhēn líng zhī huǒ ， zuì hòu zhǐ néng yǎn zhēng zhēng kàn zhe ， tā táo zhī tiān tiān diào le ， biàn xún bù dé 。
比如说阿修罗王当年，以绝强实力，能够将九头鸟灭除，但以她堪比真仙的手段，也无法收取真灵之火，最后只能眼睁睁看着，它逃之天天掉了，遍寻不得。
While True Spirit Flames were invaluable, what use was seeing one without being able to take it?
zhè yě shì wú kě nài hé ！
这也是无可奈何！
He had endured countless hardships to pass through this bizarre heavenly tribulation. Now, it seemed like all that effort might have been in vain. The idea of not feeling disheartened was a lie.
gù ér lín xuān zài zuì chū de jīng xǐ zhī hòu ， liǎn sè yě yīn chén xià lái le 。
故而林轩在最初的惊喜之后，脸sè也yīn沉下来了。
Lin Xuan’s face was shrouded in gloom, but just as he pondered these thoughts, something unexpected occurred.
zhēn líng zhī huǒ shì hěn bǎo guì méi cuò ， rán ér kàn jiàn què wú fǎ shōu qǔ yòu yǒu shén me yòng chǔ ne ？
真灵之火是很宝贵没错，然而看见却无法收取又有什么用处呢？
The nine-headed bird had been eradicated, yet the True Spirit Flame didn’t vanish; instead, it drifted towards Lin Xuan.
zì jǐ lì jīng qiān xīn wàn kǔ ， cái jiāng zhè gǔ guài de tiān jié dù guò ， rán ér rú jīn kàn lái ， què sì hū shì bái máng huó ， yào shuō bù jǔ sàng ， kěn dìng shì piàn rén de 。
自己历经千辛万苦，才将这古怪的天劫渡过，然而如今看来，却似乎是白忙活，要说不沮丧，肯定是骗人的。
"What...?"
lín xuān de liǎn shàng mǎn shì yīn mái zhī sè， rán ér piān piān jiù zài cǐ kè ， yì biàn tū qǐ le 。
林轩的脸上满是yīn霾之sè，然而偏偏就在此刻，异变突起了。
This sudden change left Lin Xuan speechless. Could this True Spirit Flame have chosen him as its successor?
nà jiǔ tóu guài niǎo yǐ jīng miè chú ， zhēn líng zhī huǒ què bìng méi yǒu xiāo shī zōng jì ， rán ér xiàng zhe lín xuān piāo guò lái le 。
那九头怪鸟已经灭除，真灵之火却并没有消失踪迹，然而像着林轩飘过来了。
Though this thought flashed through his mind, he found it absurd.
“ zhè ……”
“这……”
In ancient times, when the nine-headed bird fell, there were undoubtedly many other nine-headed birds in the Three Realms that weren’t true spirits. Regardless, it didn’t belong to him to inherit this flame.
rú cǐ biàn gù ， ràng lín xuān chēng mù jié shé ， nán dào shuō zhēn líng zhī huǒ jū rán xuǎn zé zì jǐ zuò le chuán chéng zhě 。
如此变故，让林轩瞠目结舌，难道说真灵之火居然选择自己做了传承者。
But if not, what could explain the current scene?
zhè ge niàn tou zài nǎo hǎi zhōng zhuǎn guò ， dàn lín xuān zì jǐ dōu jué de tài huāng miù le 。
这个念头在脑海中转过，但林轩自己都觉得太荒谬了。
Lin Xuan was uncertain but reminded himself: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
xī rì， zuò wéi yuǎn gǔ zhēn líng de jiǔ tóu niǎo yǔn luò ， dàn fàng yǎn sān jiè ， bú shì zhēn líng de jiǔ tóu niǎo kěn dìng hái yǒu xǔ duō ， wú lùn rú hé ， yě lún bú dào zì jǐ lái jì chéng zhè zhēn líng zhī huǒ 。
昔rì，作为远古真灵的九头鸟陨落，但放眼三界，不是真灵的九头鸟肯定还有许多，无论如何，也轮不到自己来继承这真灵之火。
He didn’t act rashly despite his surprise. The scene before him seemed bizarre, but perhaps it was a chance encounter.
kě jiǎ rú bú shì ， yǎn qián de yí mù ， yòu gāi zuò hé jiě shì ne ？
可假如不是，眼前的一幕，又该作何解释呢？
As the True Spirit Flame approached within a few feet of Lin Xuan, he felt both fear and hesitation. While the benefits of a True Spirit Flame were immense, its inherent power was formidable. At such close range, it could be perilous if it intended harm.
lín xuān bù xiǎo de ， tā xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le yí huò ， dàn sú huà shuō ， shì fú bú shì huò ， shì huò duǒ bù guò 。
林轩不晓得，他心中充满了疑惑，但俗话说，是福不是祸，是祸躲不过。
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.
lín xuān zài chà yì zhī yú ， bìng méi yǒu qīng jǔ wàng dòng ， yǎn qián de yí mù ， kàn shàng qù suī rán yǒu xiē lí pǔ ， dàn yě xǔ shì shén me jī yuán ， nà yě shuō bù dìng de 。
林轩在诧异之余，并没有轻举妄动，眼前的一幕，看上去虽然有些离谱，但也许是什么机缘，那也说不定的。
The True Spirit Flame, originally about a foot tall, rapidly shrank before his eyes.
nǎo hǎi zhōng niàn tou zhuǎn guò ， zhēn líng zhī huǒ jù lí zì jǐ ， yǐ jǐn shèng xià le zhàng xǔ 。
脑海中念头转过，真灵之火距离自己，已仅剩下了丈许。
In just a few breaths, it had shrunk to the size of a bean.
lín xuān xīn zhōng dài zhe yì diǎn hài pà ， yì diǎn yóu yù ， bì jìng zhēn líng zhī huǒ zhè zhǒng dōng xī ， gù rán yǒu mò dà de hǎo chù ， dàn běn shēn de wēi néng yě shì fēi tóng xiǎo kě ， ruò shì tā yì tú duì zì jǐ bù lì ， zhè me jìn de jù lí ， jī hū shì fáng bù shèng fáng dì 。
林轩心中带着一点害怕，一点犹豫，毕竟真灵之火这种东西，固然有莫大的好处，但本身的威能也是非同小可，若是它意图对自己不利，这么近的距离，几乎是防不胜防地。
Despite this reduction, its nine layers remained distinct. The aura emanating from its surface didn’t diminish; rather, it grew stronger than ever.
jiù zài zhè shí ， yì biàn tū qǐ 。
就在这时，异变突起。
A dazzling golden light burst forth, so brilliant that it was almost indescribable.
nà zhēn líng zhī huǒ yuán běn gāo chǐ xǔ ， cǐ shí cǐ kè ， què yǐ ròu yǎn kě jiàn de sù dù ， xùn sù suō xiǎo le 。
那真灵之火原本高尺许，此时此刻，却以肉眼可见的速度，迅速缩小了。
It then flew towards Lin Xuan’s brow.
qián hòu bù guò jǐ xī ， jū rán yǐ jīng xiǎo rú dòu lì 。
前后不过几息，居然已经小如豆粒。
Lin Xuan didn’t move, but the thought of what might happen left him uneasy. He didn't know if the True Spirit Flame intended to choose him as its successor or harm him.
rán ér nà jiǔ céng huǒ yàn ， yī jiù shì céng cì fēn míng ， qí biǎo miàn suǒ sàn fà chū lái de qì xī ， bù jǐn méi yǒu shuāi jiǎn ， fǎn ér gèng shèng wǎng xī 。
然而那九层火焰，依旧是层次分明，其表面所散发出来的气息，不仅没有衰减，反而更胜往昔。
Both possibilities existed.
yào mù de jīn guāng zhàn fàng ér chū ， xuàn lì dào wú yǔ lún bǐ de dì bù 。
耀目的金光绽放而出，绚丽到无与伦比的地步。
The former seemed far-fetched but would undoubtedly bring great benefits.
suí hòu ， suí hòu tā xiàng lín xuān méi xīn fēi guò lái le 。
随后，随后它像林轩眉心飞过来了。
If it was the latter, he wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed; even his元婴 (immortal core) might perish here.
lín xuān méi dòng ， dàn yào shuō bù tǎn tè nà kěn dìng shì piàn rén de 。
林轩没动，但要说不忐忑那肯定是骗人的。
But Lin Xuan ultimately decided to take a chance. He was cautious by nature, but in critical moments, he never hesitated.
bì jìng tā bù zhī dào zhēn líng zhī huǒ de yì tú ， jiū jìng shì xiǎng yào xuǎn zé zì jǐ zuò chuán chéng zhě hái shì shāng hài zì jǐ ne ？
毕竟他不知道真灵之火的意图，究竟是想要选择自己做传承者还是伤害自己呢？
Puff...
liǎng zhǒng kě néng xìng dōu yǒu 。
两种可能xìng都有。
In an instant, the shrunken True Spirit Flame entered Lin Xuan’s brow.
qián zhě yǒu xiē lí pǔ ， dàn bú yòng shuō ， kěn dìng yě huì yǒu mò dà de hǎo chù 。
前者有些离谱，但不用说，肯定也会有莫大的好处。
Surprisingly, despite it being flame, Lin Xuan felt a cool sensation, as if drinking ice-cold snow on a hot summer day. It left him feeling refreshed and invigorated from head to toe.
This chapter was typed by the Madman.
For advancement to the Tribulation Transcending Stage, he had endured countless hardships. If this inexplicable reason caused him to fail at the last moment, wouldn't that be too unfair?
Lin Xuan's heart was somewhat uneasy as he pondered why such a situation would arise.
Could it be due to the Spirit Wave Valley before his eyes?
Although this was just speculation, upon careful consideration, there was indeed a possibility.
The Asura King was the Lord of Yin, holding a prestigious position. For her to choose this place for an imperial palace, it must have some extraordinary qualities beyond merely dense spirit energy.
There were also those nine-headed birds; they seemed somewhat similar to true spirits as per legend.
While specific details couldn't be said, their presence alone was enough to prove the Spirit Wave Valley's extraordinary nature.
Could this be the legendary True Spirit Realm?
Back when he first arrived in Nael Dragon World, Yuan Yuan had been taken away by a phoenix. At that time, Lin Xuan didn’t know much about the True Spirit Realm.
But times have changed; his strength has grown significantly since then, and he had heard some secrets about true spirits.
Combining this with the current situation, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Could the so-called Spirit Wave Valley be the True Spirit Realm of the nine-headed bird?
If that was the case, everything would make sense now.
Lin Xuan's mind raced, but his brows remained tightly furrowed.
While this explanation might hold water, it didn't help in resolving his current predicament. He had endured countless hardships to pass through the heavenly tribulation, yet he hadn’t experienced the effects of the True Spirit Cleansing technique. Whether he could successfully advance was still uncertain.
This thought left him feeling disheartened, and the gloom on his face couldn’t be lifted.
"Hey, what's that?"
As the strange bird fell to its demise, the sky cleared up. A previously unremarkable object suddenly caught Lin Xuan’s attention.
It was a flame!
A pure gold color!
Radiating an aura of beauty, it flickered and glowed intermittently.
The flame had nine layers from within outwards. Each flicker saw countless tiny talismans burst forth, forming miniature arrays that were ancient yet profound. However, they quickly dissolved like bubbles.
Indeed, the arrays vanished into nothingness, but their impression was deeply etched in Lin Xuan’s mind.
"True Spirit Flame!"
Lin Xuan exclaimed with surprise, even he couldn’t suppress his shock.
Descriptions of True Spirit Flames could be found in ancient texts. Due to their age, these texts were somewhat tattered, and the descriptions of true spirits themselves were limited. Nevertheless, they broadened Lin Xuan’s horizons significantly.
What was a true spirit? Tracing its origins, one could classify them under the beast race.
But true spirits differed from beasts in essence.
This description seemed contradictory but had reasons behind it.
True spirits were called such because they possessed the True Spirit Flame.
For instance, while phoenixes weren’t rare, there were only a few true spirits among them. The difference lay within their bodies—those with the True Spirit Flame.
A true spirit phoenix was unique; when it fell, its True Spirit Flame would return to the True Spirit Realm, waiting for the next successor.
The origin of the True Spirit Flame was shrouded in mystery. It was said to have originated from the first generation of true spirits and could pass down knowledge, memories, and a seed of power. Its benefits were numerous but unattainable by force, such as the Asura King who, despite her formidable strength, couldn’t capture it.
Thus, after his initial excitement, Lin Xuan’s face darkened.
While True Spirit Flames were invaluable, what use was seeing one without being able to take it?
He had endured countless hardships to pass through this bizarre heavenly tribulation. Now, it seemed like all that effort might have been in vain. The idea of not feeling disheartened was a lie.
Lin Xuan’s face was shrouded in gloom, but just as he pondered these thoughts, something unexpected occurred.
The nine-headed bird had been eradicated, yet the True Spirit Flame didn’t vanish; instead, it drifted towards Lin Xuan.
"What...?"
This sudden change left Lin Xuan speechless. Could this True Spirit Flame have chosen him as its successor?
Though this thought flashed through his mind, he found it absurd.
In ancient times, when the nine-headed bird fell, there were undoubtedly many other nine-headed birds in the Three Realms that weren’t true spirits. Regardless, it didn’t belong to him to inherit this flame.
But if not, what could explain the current scene?
Lin Xuan was uncertain but reminded himself: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
He didn’t act rashly despite his surprise. The scene before him seemed bizarre, but perhaps it was a chance encounter.
As the True Spirit Flame approached within a few feet of Lin Xuan, he felt both fear and hesitation. While the benefits of a True Spirit Flame were immense, its inherent power was formidable. At such close range, it could be perilous if it intended harm.
Suddenly, something unexpected happened.
The True Spirit Flame, originally about a foot tall, rapidly shrank before his eyes.
In just a few breaths, it had shrunk to the size of a bean.
Despite this reduction, its nine layers remained distinct. The aura emanating from its surface didn’t diminish; rather, it grew stronger than ever.
A dazzling golden light burst forth, so brilliant that it was almost indescribable.
It then flew towards Lin Xuan’s brow.
Lin Xuan didn’t move, but the thought of what might happen left him uneasy. He didn't know if the True Spirit Flame intended to choose him as its successor or harm him.
Both possibilities existed.
The former seemed far-fetched but would undoubtedly bring great benefits.
If it was the latter, he wouldn’t be able to escape unscathed; even his元婴 (immortal core) might perish here.
But Lin Xuan ultimately decided to take a chance. He was cautious by nature, but in critical moments, he never hesitated.
Puff...
In an instant, the shrunken True Spirit Flame entered Lin Xuan’s brow.
Surprisingly, despite it being flame, Lin Xuan felt a cool sensation, as if drinking ice-cold snow on a hot summer day. It left him feeling refreshed and invigorated from head to toe.