Chapter Sixty-Two: Tempering the Body with Flames

But even with the power of such flames, they seemed unable to inflict much harm upon him. If that were so, then did it not mean his strength had already reached the level of False Core? The white-haired elder glanced at Zhou Yi, who still showed no sign of weakness. His heart grew heavier at the realization.

Could it be that his strength truly has reached False Core? This sudden thought struck the old man, leaving him shaken.

Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Completely impossible!

And yet… was it truly, utterly impossible? Was it really so?

If it were truly impossible, then how could it be explained that he remained largely unscathed amidst such devastating flames?

Even if his strength had not yet reached False Core, it must be close! After a long while, the elder's expression remained uncertain as he drew this conclusion.

The reason he clung to the belief that Zhou Yi had not yet reached False Core was because Zhou Yi had only revealed a defense capable of withstanding such power, but had not yet displayed offensive might on par with False Core experts.

Wait! Suddenly, the white-haired elder recalled something, and his face froze. That previous arc of blade-light—could that have been a slash at the False Core level?

If that last strike had truly come from him, then…

It was over! It was all over!

This revelation terrified the old man so much that his legs went weak, nearly causing him to collapse to the ground. His expression turned vacant, his face filled with dread and horror.

When the three of them had first arrived and failed to identify the source of that blade-light, they had naively assumed that the person responsible was merely passing by. They had convinced themselves, for various reasons, to ignore the possibility that would cause them so much unease, subconsciously banishing the thought from their minds.

But now, observing Zhou Yi's terrifying resilience, the elder suddenly realized the truth. That blade-light—if it was indeed released by Zhou Yi as he now suspected—then everything made sense!

He truly has the power of a False Core!

The elder stared at Zhou Yi in horror, his face stricken with terror.

...

Zhou Yi clenched his jaw, his features twisted and contorted. The firelight flickered across his face, making him appear all the more frightening, like a demon from the underworld. His skin was red as flame, steaming with heat—it was as if he had been thoroughly cooked.

The instant the steam rose from his body, it was immediately seared away by the omnipresent flames. Beneath his flesh, skin, tendons, muscle, and bone all throbbed with an intense vitality—a single word described it: boiling.

His blood bubbled within his veins, circulating with a scalding heat like molten lava.

Pain radiated unceasingly from his body, his nervous system orchestrating every sensation and emotion—joy, anger, sorrow, delight. Yet now, aside from agony, no other feeling remained.

Though his body was like a prawn roasted in oil, Zhou Yi’s mind and focus were elsewhere. In the depths of his consciousness, a shadowy black figure stood suspended in a twisted space. Red flames occasionally flickered forth—intense pain manifesting as fire within his awareness, the mind’s response made tangible.

His attribute panel magnified before him, spreading out like a movie screen. Each word was the size of a fist, and behind each datum was a number, representing his current physical condition.

Some numbers remained still, others spun wildly, flickering like the digits on a stopwatch.

Name: Zhou Yi

Spirit: 19

Body: 121

Qi: 20,000

Intent: Mountain Intent

Cell Count: 9,999 (Second Metamorphosis)

Energy: 4,500

Martial Skill: Mountain-Backing Blade 9/100

Mountain-Backing Heart Technique, Fifth Layer (Blue Mountain Realm) 0/100

The energy value leapt most frantically, while the body value ticked up more slowly.

One had to admit, that fan wielded by Xue Kai was truly formidable—its flames overwhelming in both power and speed. Zhou Yi had been prepared and vigilant from the moment it appeared, but even so, his precautions had failed to protect him.

With a single wave, fire erupted—no sooner had the flame burst forth than it had enveloped him, instantly roasting his flesh.

Were it not for the strength of his primordial soul, Zhou Yi’s awareness would not have responded in time at that critical moment. He diverted all remaining energy to reinforce his body, extending his survival by a thread.

Then, he summoned his innate true intent, gathering it into his palm. His inner force surged, channeling into his hand in a heartbeat. All his strength empowered the Mountain-Backing Blade Technique. With innate true intent, the blade technique, and two centuries' worth of refined internal energy, he forged a blade aura to contend with the flames.

Fortunately, his inner force was not only abundant but of the highest quality. His innate intent was pure, the blade technique had been honed to instinct, and his body was tough, his meridians resilient enough to withstand the strain. Only thus could he barely hold his own against the inferno.

Most crucial of all, the flames were powerful enough that, in their struggle with his blade aura, they ceaselessly fused into his body, subjecting him to relentless burning.

Even so, Zhou Yi should not have lasted long. But he had a golden finger—this endless, punishing fire continuously tempered his body, generating immense kinetic energy, which translated into raw power!

With energy at his disposal, everything found a center of equilibrium.

Whenever his body reached its limit, Zhou Yi promptly converted energy to reinforce his physical strength, granting himself a surge of vitality—enough to keep going a while longer. Thus, he could persist.

What gratified Zhou Yi most was that the flames’ sheer intensity forced his body’s potential to its utmost, causing energy to accumulate faster than the pain he suffered.

Now, his body was like a lump of iron surrounded by blazing fire. As long as the iron did not melt, the flames would burn away all impurities, making it stronger and tougher.

And right now, was this iron in any danger of melting?

Staring at the rapidly climbing energy on his attribute panel, Zhou Yi grinned with delight.

It was pain and joy intermingled!

His golden finger, the solid foundation built over four years, the great fortune gained in his breakthrough, and his own unyielding nature—all these combined enabled him to find a balance in the face of mortal peril, to turn disaster into blessing, and seize the immense good fortune hidden within dire straits.