Night arrived swiftly, wrapping the sea in a blanket of darkness. By then, the rchant ship was far from the Fire Dragon Kingdom, gliding steadily across the open waters. The deck creaked softly, the rhythm of the waves steady and unbroken.
Suddenly, a crate of spices shuddered. The sound woke Lu Changsheng. He snapped his eyes open and looked toward the cabin storing goods, where crates were stacked high in uneven rows. One of them began to tremble violently. The lid buckled, then burst open from within.
Out climbed Yun Haitang, brushing dust and spice off her sleeves.
Phew!
She let out a sigh of relief. She had hidden for so long that her limbs ached, but it had been worth it. The ship had already set sail. Out here on the sea, the Divine Fire Palace could no longer reach her.
As Yun Haitang turned to take in her surroundings, she froze. In the dim cabin, a familiar silhouette stood quietly beside her.
"Mr. Dao," she said, letting out another sigh of relief when she realized it was only Dao Shier.
Lu Changsheng looked at her calmly. "Miss Yun," he said lightly, "I didn't expect you to actually board the ship. And hiding inside a crate too. No one noticed you at all."
Lu Changsheng realized that the Divine Fire Palace had not been wrong. Yun Haitang was really on the ship. The Divine Fire Palace disciples had searched thoroughly. They had opened crate after crate, checking the cargo one by one. How they had missed her remained a mystery. She had been inside a crate the entire ti.
"Mr. Dao, I know about everything that happened at the dock," she said, sincerity creeping into her voice. "Thank you for driving back the Divine Fire Palace Great Elder. If they had really detained the ship, I would never have escaped."
She knew that no matter how carefully she hid, if the Divine Fire Palace had seized the ship and conducted a slow, thodical search, she would have been found eventually. What she had never expected was that Dao Shier could actually force the Great Elder to back down.
Lu Changsheng did not ask how she had slipped past the Divine Fire Palace's inspection. There was no need. What was clear was that he had saved her, whether by coincidence or not.
"I heard that you took sothing very important from the Divine Fire Palace. Their fire seeds," Lu Changsheng said, studying her carefully. "I must admit, I am curious. Would you mind letting see them?"
For the Divine Fire Palace to turn the ship upside down for the fire seeds, they had to be extrely valuable.
Yun Haitang hesitated, her fingers tightening at her side. She was well aware of the trouble she had created this ti. By hiding aboard the Far Ocean rchant Association's ship, she had placed both the rchants and Dao Shier in danger. If he had failed to stand up to the Divine Fire Palace, the ship would have been seized and none of them would have left Volcano City. Thus, compensation was only fair. And more importantly, Lu Changsheng was not soone she could afford to offend.
After a brief mont, she made her decision. "This ti, I only escaped because of your help, Mr. Dao," she said firmly. "As such, you're rightfully entitled to a share of the fire seeds."
She reached into her robes and drew out a small porcelain bottle. The stopper ca free with a soft pop. Instantly, a thin strand of fla sprang upward. Weirdly, it did not scorch the air or radiate any heat. Instead, it burned quietly, alive and afla in a way that ordinary fire could never manage. Even when she moved to seal the bottle again, the fla continued to burn within. It was strange, but also beautiful. It was clearly not sothing of this world.
"Brother Dao, do you have a porcelain bottle?" Yun Haitang asked.
"I do."
Lu Changsheng produced one at once. With great care, Yun Haitang tipped her bottle and guided a small portion of the fla into his. She then handed it back to Lu Changsheng.
"As long as it stays in a porcelain bottle, the fire seed can be stored for a very long ti."
Lu Changsheng nodded, peering into the bottle. The fla inside flickered gently, as if aware it was being watched. He was almost enthralled by it. Although the fire seed was clearly special, Lu Changsheng knew nothing about its specific uses or effects.
"And what exactly does it do?" he asked.
"The fire seeds were brought back by the founding ancestor of the Divine Fire Palace from a mysterious land. When it is used to ignite materials, the resulting fla can burn away impurities within the body, especially in the blood. It can make the blood extrely pure, its effect almost equivalent to blood replacent."
Since Yun Haitang had gone to great lengths to steal the fire seeds, she was naturally knowledgeable about them.
"Furthermore," she went on, "the fire seed can purify one's thoughts, allowing the mind to beco highly focused and greatly enhancing comprehension. With long-term use, one can quickly reach the peak of Organ Refinent. It is imnsely beneficial for breaking through the Profound Gate of Life and Death and advancing into the Divine Strength Realm."
Everything started to click for Lu Changsheng. The fire seed was an extraordinary treasure It allowed a martial artist to complete blood replacent once before reaching the Divine Strength Realm. For martial artists at the Organ Refinent Stage, the benefits were enormous. In fact, the earlier the blood replacent was completed, the greater the advantage.
It dawned on him that fire seeds were how the Divine Fire Palace produced Divine Strength martial artists generation after generation. No wonder the Divine Fire Palace had almost mobilized its entire force after losing so. This was the very foundation of the Divine Fire Palace. With such a treasure, it was only natural that producing Divine Strength martial artists would beco far easier.
"So this trip of yours was specifically for the fire seed?" Lu Changsheng asked.
"That's right. I have so history with the Divine Fire Palace and know certain things. However, these fire seeds are not the entirety of the Divine Fire Palace's supply. Otherwise, they would have gone truly mad. And although fire seeds can be preserved for a long ti, they cannot be stored indefinitely. The seeds can remain unextinguished only if kept using a volcanic leyline."
Hearing Yun Haitang's explanation, Lu Changsheng finally understood why the Divine Fire Palace was located in Volcano City.
Their conversation concluded and Yun Haitang proceeded to et with Sophie and the others. Sophie and her group were clearly not pleased, as Yun Haitang had effectively dragged the Far Ocean rchant Association into trouble. However, Sophie couldn't just drive Yun Haitang off the ship now that they have set sail. All she could do was allow Yun Haitang to return to the cabin.
Once they reached Zhanhai City, however, the Far Ocean rchant Association would draw a clear line between themselves and Yun Haitang. As for Lu Changsheng, these matters no longer concerned him, so he returned directly to his cabin.
He separated out a wisp of the fire seed.
Let's try this out.
Following Yun Haitang's thod, he placed the wisp of fire seed onto a wound in the palm of his hand. Slowly, the fire seed vanished into his palm, penetrating his blood vessels and rging with his blood.
He instantly felt a warm, burning sensation spread throughout his body. It was as if many things within his blood were burning away. And yet, there was no pain. Instead, he felt lighter and more relaxed as the flow of his blood accelerated. Even his mind beca noticeably clearer.
However, the sensation did not last long. It only lasted for two hours. After that, Lu Changsheng sensed that the burning within his body had extinguished entirely.
"It seems that using the fire seed directly consus it very quickly."
Lu Changsheng then tried igniting flammable material with the fire seed and using the resulting fla to burn away impurities in his blood. This thod was also effective, though it was much slower. However, the fla itself did not diminish.
"How remarkable. The fire seed is unlike ordinary flas. Instead of being very hot, it carries a purifying effect instead."
Lu Changsheng was astonished. The world was vast, and the wonders were endless. He had no idea where the founding ancestor of the Divine Fire Palace had obtained such a magical item.
Previously, Lu Changsheng possessed seventy cauldrons of strength. Purifying his blood now could be considered a form of blood replacent. Although it was not as powerful as marrow transformation and blood replacent together, it still increased his strength sowhat and made his body more formidable.
As for helping him advance into the Divine Strength Realm, that benefit was aningless to Lu Changsheng now. Instead, it was the fire seed's other effect that was of great value to him—the ability to purify the mind and help it focus, and temporarily enhance Perception.
More than two months had passed since Lu Changsheng last leapt the Dragon Gate. Normally, leaping the Dragon Gate required two or three months of adjustnt. The further he progressed, the longer the body needed to stabilize because attempting the Dragon Gate without complete preparation was extrely risky.
Previously, Lu Changsheng's body and ntal state had not yet reached the level required for the third Dragon Gate ascension. But under the purification of the fire seed, both his body and mind seed to have reached its peak state.
This is the best possible mont to attempt an ascension of the Dragon Gate.
With that, Lu Changsheng made his way to the deck. He sat with legs crossed while Sophie and others guarded him to ensure he would be undisturbed.
Ti passed slowly, but Lu Changsheng stayed patient. His emotions and mind were calm. He waited quietly until dawn, and when the red sun rose above the horizon, his lips curled into a smile.
It's ti.
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