Chapter 263: Another Spirit Energy Devourer
Nightfall arrived quickly, though in the Fire Pill Palace, the difference between night and day was minimal.
The only noticeable changes were a slight drop in temperature and brightness.
Ordinary mortals might not detect such changes, but for cultivators at the Nascent Infant stage or higher, such subtleties were easy to perceive.
Shen Mo finally found what he was looking for—a ruin 300 zhang south of Furnace 11.
The area was protected by a powerful defensive formation, barring any outsider from entering.
"Impressive, he actually found that defensive formation," Third Elder noted with a faint smile.
Seventh Elder snorted coldly. "So what if he found it? Without a Four-Ding Elder Token or higher from the Nine Cycles Pill Dao Sect, he can't get in."
"I discovered that formation twenty years ago during one of my visits here for alchemy," he continued.
"And what came of it? You and I only have Three-Ding Elder Tokens from the Nine Cycles Pill Dao Sect. Neither of us could bypass that formation."
Third Elder nodded in agreement.
Such formations were scattered throughout the Fire Pill Palace, each requiring a corresponding token for access.
Unfortunately, when the Nine Cycles Pill Dao Sect fell, many elders chose to destroy their tokens, resulting in an extreme scarcity of these items.
Even among the ten current elders, none possessed a Five-Ding Elder Token or higher.
The next moment, however, both elders watched in shock as Shen Mo strolled effortlessly through the defensive formation and descended into the underground chamber.
Seventh Elder's expression froze.
Third Elder's face lit up with a mixture of astonishment and amusement before he burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Seventh Elder, we've underestimated Shen Mo."
"He actually has a Four-Ding or higher Elder Token!"
Seventh Elder scowled deeply. "What ridiculous luck! How did he stumble upon such a treasure?"
"When he comes out, I'll personally 'borrow' that token from him."
"A token of that caliber should naturally be in the hands of someone like us to maximize its value. Don't you agree, Third Elder?"
Third Elder neither agreed nor disagreed, maintaining his neutral demeanor as if he hadn't heard the suggestion.
Seventh Elder cursed him inwardly for being such a sly old fox.
Meanwhile, Shen Mo descended into the underground chamber.
The sloping staircase stretched endlessly downward, each step leading him deeper into the earth.
From the direction it led, Shen Mo deduced that it was taking him toward the groundfire source beneath Furnace 11.
As he descended, the temperature steadily increased.
Eventually, even Shen Mo began to feel the intense heat scorching his skin.
He had to channel his spiritual energy to protect himself.
Finally, a vast molten lake came into view.
Waves of immense heat radiated outward, and a blinding light filled his vision.
For a Core Formation stage cultivator, just three breaths in this environment would result in temporary blindness.
Ten breaths would cause permanent blindness, with their eyeballs effectively being cooked.
Shen Mo's gaze moved toward the center of the molten lake.
There, directly beneath Furnace 11, the groundfire source was exposed.
Every time pills were refined in Furnace 11, the groundfire was drawn from this very source.
At the heart of the lake, a small cluster of light burned quietly.
It stood out starkly from the surrounding chaos.
It resembled an infant swaddled in a cradle, peaceful and distinct.
Its glow and heat were unlike the frenzied, destructive energy of the groundfire.
Instead, it was akin to the gentle warmth of a rising sun—calm and soothing, yet imbued with a grandeur that could pierce through the darkest night.
The moment Shen Mo laid eyes on it, he knew what it was.
It was the Solar Essence Flame!
"Solar Essence Flame, born from a strand of solar essence descending to the earth and merging with groundfire," Shen Mo murmured to himself.
"This Solar Essence Flame is clearly still in its infant state—ignorant and without consciousness," Shen Mo thought.
"As long as it encounters a compatible constitution, it will instinctively draw close."
Shen Mo sighed softly.
Ling Yan was truly lucky.
With his Solar Melting Fire Constitution, the Solar Essence Flame would naturally be drawn to him.
He could subdue it effortlessly, without enduring the searing pain that Shen Mo had suffered when taming the Azure Lotus Heart Flame.
Shen Mo took a deep breath, and blue flames surged around his feet.
With steady steps, he walked directly onto the surface of the molten lake.
The Azure Lotus Heart Flame supported his every step, allowing him to stride across the lake of fire.
At this moment, Shen Mo seemed like a wanderer of flames, untouched by the raging inferno around him.
After about ten breaths, he arrived at the center of the molten lake.
The small, quietly burning Solar Essence Flame, no larger than a palm, seemed to sense his presence.
It instinctively floated closer to him.
Within Shen Mo's body, the Azure Lotus Heart Flame stirred.
In an instant, it expanded into a massive lotus of blue fire, spanning thirty zhang and burning fiercely.
The surrounding groundfire was completely consumed by the Azure Lotus Heart Flame, leaving a vacuum of fire.
Even the groundfire being drawn into the furnace above vanished without a trace.
In comparison, the tiny, palm-sized Solar Essence Flame seemed almost insignificant, the contrast both striking and amusing.
Shen Mo attempted to withdraw the Azure Lotus Heart Flame, but it resisted his command.
"It seems that this reaction is inevitable when two different Heavenly Flames meet," Shen Mo mused.
"After all, they are divine creations of heaven and earth, exceedingly rare across the ages."
After a moment of contemplation, Shen Mo decided to let them interact without interference.
To his surprise, the small Solar Essence Flame showed no fear of the mighty Azure Lotus Heart Flame.
Instead, it boldly approached and gently made contact.
It was like a large, confident boy meeting a curious infant for the first time.
The moment they touched, Shen Mo, through the Azure Lotus Heart Flame, felt a faint, fragile consciousness—innocent and untainted, like a blank sheet of paper.
"So, this is the Solar Essence Flame," Shen Mo murmured.
"In terms of consciousness, it surpasses the Azure Lotus Heart Flame."
"When I tamed the Azure Lotus Heart Flame, it acted purely on instinct, without any awareness."
"But despite being so small, the Solar Essence Flame already has self-awareness.
If it continues to grow, it might even develop intelligence akin to that of a human."
Deep in thought, Shen Mo extended his hand toward the Solar Essence Flame.
The little flame hesitated for a moment before gently making contact.
In an instant, Shen Mo felt a connection form between him and the young, naive consciousness.
The Solar Essence Flame seemed to sense that it had found a compatible host.
It joyfully flickered, then leapt into Shen Mo's mouth, traveling downward until it reached his dantian.
To his surprise, Shen Mo felt no pain.
Curious, he immediately examined his dantian with his spiritual senses.
Inside his dantian, at the bottom, stretched an endless sea of spiritual energy, vast and boundless.
Above this sea rested a solid Dao Platform.
Atop the Dao Platform, the Azure Lotus Heart Flame burned fiercely, and now, beside it, the Solar Essence Flame glowed softly.
Shen Mo noticed the Azure Lotus Heart Flame grudgingly shift to make room for the newcomer, clearly reluctant but compliant.
Above the two flames, a small figure sat cross-legged, wearing a golden pill crown and with its eyes tightly shut—the Nascent Soul.
Nearby were a black helmet, chest armor, and right arm piece—the Demonic Armor. Beside the armor lay the Grass Sword Manual and the Root Sword Manual.
The spiritual energy from the sea constantly rose to nourish the Demonic Armor and the sword manuals.
However, a significant portion was also being consumed by the Azure Lotus Heart Flame and the Solar Essence Flame.
In just a brief moment, Shen Mo felt that the Solar Essence Flame had absorbed nearly ten percent of his spiritual energy.
"The Solar Essence Flame is clearly still in its developmental stage, yet its appetite for spiritual energy rivals that of the fully matured Azure Lotus Heart Flame," Shen Mo thought with a mix of exasperation and amusement.
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