The First Immortal of Destiny

Chapter 608: Chapter 608: Snatching the Spirit Flame_1

”There are five Class IV Fire Monsters guarding the altar. Attempting to steal the Spiritual Fire without alerting them would be tremendously difficult.”

It seems... I can only resort to using the treasure bestowed by Elder Zhu.

In the void, Yang Chengxiong cast his gaze towards the altar of the Fire Spirit tribe, quietly contemplating his next move.

His current cultivation was at the early-stage Golden Core Realm. If he didn’t channel the Mana within his body to activate magic, not even a late-stage Class IV Fire Spirit Powerhouse could detect his presence.

However, once he cast a Spell and spiritual energy fluctuations occurred, it would become impossible to perfectly conceal his form.

The area surrounding the altar was guarded by five Class IV Fire Spirits, their strength comparable to the Golden Core Realm. One was at the late-stage, while the others possessed early or mid-stage Class IV capabilities.

Besides them, there were also a large number of Class III Fire Spirit Guards and over a million low-class fire spirits. These had come to seek refuge from calamity and worship the sacred fire, forming a veritable sea of flames around the altar.

However, the low-class fire spirits didn’t pose a significant threat to Yang Chengxiong, so he paid them little heed.

Instantly, with a mere thought, he rapidly approached the altar.

Under the concealment of his Skill, no Fire-type creature detected his presence, not until he passed through the dense cordon of guards and landed on the altar.

At that very moment, the wards placed by the Fire Spirit tribe on the altar suddenly activated. Chains of flame erupted, weaving a terrifying fiery net that enveloped the entire area.

SIZZLE!

Scorched by the fiery net, Yang Chengxiong could no longer maintain his concealment and was forced out of the void.

His magic robe also caught fire. In the blink of an eye, he became a human torch, billowing black smoke and flames.

However, Zhu Zhao and the other powerhouses of the Sword Alliance had come well-prepared for this expedition. Yang Chengxiong, entrusted with a critical task, had even been gifted numerous potent spiritual items. Even as the licking flames turned his hair and eyebrows to ash, he showed no trace of worry or impatience.

”Rise!”

Yang Chengxiong quickly produced a talisman and activated it with his Mana. It instantly transformed into frigid, dark water that flowed over his entire body, dousing the flames. The residual water light then formed a barrier around him, shielding him from the overwhelming, scorching flame Qi!

”Thief, how dare you covet our tribe’s sacred fire! Die!”

This movement alerted the Class IV Fire Spirits guarding the altar. They immediately reacted, unleashing formidable offensive Spells against Yang Chengxiong.

Although the number and overall strength of the Fire Spirit Powerhouses far surpassed his own, Yang Chengxiong showed not the slightest fear. Unhurriedly, he produced an old, yellowed portrait scroll.

Depicted on the scroll was a middle-aged man with indistinct features, holding a sword and exuding an air of command.

”I respectfully invite Senior to unsheathe his sword!”

Yang Chengxiong chanted reverently while continuously infusing the scroll with his Mana.

HUM!

HUM! HUM!

The portrait scroll vibrated faintly. The man in the painting seemed to come alive, raising the treasured sword in his hand and slowly slashing it out from the scroll.

CLANG!

Accompanied by a sword carillon like the roar of dragons and tigers, several terrifying streams of sword Qi erupted from the scroll, each slashing towards one of the five Fire Spirit Powerhouses.

The sharpness of this sword Qi and the potency of its power had reached the absolute limit beneath the Divine Bridge Realm. None of the Fire-type creatures present—not even the late-stage Class IV Fire Spirit Powerhouse—could withstand this Sword Path assault!

Fire-type Spells shattered one after another, and magic treasures along with spiritual items disintegrated.

The five Fire Spirits attacking Yang Chengxiong were almost instantly bisected by the sword Qi from the scroll, their forms fracturing along with their Spells and flames.

The most powerful among them, a late-stage Class IV Fire-type creature, relying on its formidable strength and superior techniques, only had the lower half of its body destroyed.

Dragging its upper half, which spewed flames, it swiftly plunged into the volcanic magma. Simultaneously, it commanded the other Class III Fire Spirit guards to engage the enemy and sent a subordinate to notify the clan’s powerhouses about the sudden turn of events here!

The remaining four Fire Spirits met a less fortunate fate; all were slain by the sword Qi from the scroll, perishing on the spot.

Their remains transformed into clusters of ordinary, insensate flames. Although their power was still comparable to Earthly Fire, their souls had been annihilated, and they had lost their most precious spiritual nature and life force.

At this point, the Ancestral Master Scroll seemed to have exhausted its power, reverting to an ordinary, unremarkable state.

Under the searing heat of the surrounding flames, its edges were even slightly scorched and curled.

Yang Chengxiong immediately protected the scroll with magic, carefully stowed it away, and placed it into his Universe Bag.

Strictly speaking, this Ancestral Master Scroll was not a formidable magic treasure but a portrait of the Taiyi Sword Alliance’s first-generation Ancestral Master. It had been enshrined and worshipped in the Ancestor Hall for countless years.

This first-generation Ancestral Master had also cultivated to the Divine Bridge Realm. However, eroded by the vastness of time, he had long since exhausted his lifespan and passed away. His portrait, in contrast, through constant worship over many years, became imbued with the sword intent of countless Sword Alliance disciples, thereby developing a hint of miraculous power. When fully activated, it could emit sword Qi capable of slaying foes, its might comparable to a single-use, spiritual-level magic treasure.

After this use, it would require another century of worship to restore its former power. If not for Elder Zhu Zhao’s considerable influence within the Taiyi Sword Alliance, there would have been no way to borrow this scroll.

After safely stowing the Ancestral Master Scroll, Yang Chengxiong quickly cast a series of Spells to block the attacks of the numerous Fire Spirits.

He then produced a treasured cauldron the size of a human head. Forming hand seals and chanting incantations, he activated its power to collect the Samadhi True Fire suspended in the center of the altar!

This flame was quite peculiar. At first glance, it appeared multicolored, constantly shifting through various hues.

However, upon closer inspection, one would realize it possessed none of the common flame colors seen in the world; rather, it resembled a formless, colorless wisp of Immortal Spirit Qi.

Bathed in the spirit light emanating from the treasured cauldron, the Samadhi True Fire slowly ascended, drawn into the cauldron along the beam of light.

The next instant, Yang Chengxiong smiled triumphantly. No longer bothering with the attacking Fire Spirit guards, he activated his Concealment Skill and vanished into the void!

「...」

At this moment, the top powerhouses of the Fire Spirit clan were locked in a fierce battle with Zhu Zhao and other Sword Alliance cultivators!

In the fierce battle, two early-stage Golden Core Realm cultivators from the Sword Alliance had their Dao Bodies incinerated. However, Zhu Zhao managed to save their souls. Although they could no longer advance on the Immortal Path, their lives were preserved. They could switch to other cultivation methods and live out their remaining lifespans.

The number of fallen Fire-type creatures, however, was far greater.

Among them, three Class IV powerhouses alone had perished, along with dozens of Class III powerhouses. The Sword Alliance cultivators forcibly seized their corpses. Some could serve as top-grade materials for Alchemy and Forge, while others, after refining, could become Earthly Fire.

Just then, a streak of firelight, like a meteor, shot across the battlefield and merged into the body of the peak Class IV humanoid Fire Spirit.

BOOM! In an instant, the flames on its body surged wildly, transforming it into a fiery giant a thousand feet tall.

”Despicable scoundrels! You actually sent someone to steal our clan’s sacred fire!”

”If I don’t grind you all to ash, this fury in my heart will never be quenched! Die, all of you!”

As it roared these curses, endless waves of ferocious fire erupted from its body, instantly transforming the surrounding thousands of miles into a Blazing Hell.