Chapter 26: Cold Sha and Earth Fire

"You have a spirit beast? Who? Why didn't I see it?" The green-clad girl looked around, but felt a bit angry inside. She was a Wanxiang great demon, and had only wanted to settle down in the Yaolian Mountain area because she was tired of wandering alone.

After being pursued by the Longjing great demon, Ji Ning's sudden appearance—especially the bond they had shared in the past—made her want to travel the world with him.

Unexpectedly, this Ji boy didn't appreciate it!

"It's Uncle Bai," Ji Ning said. "Uncle Bai followed my father before, and after my father died, he has been following me. The reason he hasn't come now is that I'm undergoing the Yinglong Guard assessment, which doesn't allow bringing spirit beasts into Yushan Great Wasteland."

"Oh." The green-clad girl nodded but said nothing.

Ji Ning smiled. "Although I already have a spirit beast, since you insist on following me, I'll reluctantly take you in."

"What do you mean 'reluctantly'!" The green-clad girl glared.

"Alright, let's leave first." Ji Ning looked at the cracked wilderness around them. "The commotion from our fight might attract other monsters."

Mu Zishuo and Qingqing both nodded.

Then a dragon-headed warship appeared out of nowhere, and the three leaped aboard.

At their level, they could already fly through the air, but flying was far slower than controlling a magic treasure... and controlling a magic treasure wasn't as easy as riding a puppet warship.

...

Whoosh!

The dragon-headed warship flew through the clouds, and Ji Ning used a spirit beast talisman. The green-clad girl willingly became his spirit beast.

On the warship, Ji Ning looked at the green-clad girl beside him. "I'll call you Xiaoqing."

"Fine." The green-clad girl nodded. "From today on, I'll be called Ji Qingqing. How about that?"

Ji Ning was taken aback.

Mu Zishuo teased, "In the tribe where I grew up, some women without surnames would take their husband's surname after marriage."

"Ji Ning, your junior apprentice-brother is too mischievous! I'm older than your grandmother!" Qingqing glared.

Ji Ning laughed. "Alright, alright. You can be Ji Qingqing. From now on, you'll follow me... If one day you don't want to, just tell me, and I'll set you free."

Influenced by his father Ji Yichuan, Ji Ning treated spirit beasts like siblings. He would never force a spirit beast to die or enslave it.

"Anyway, you saved my life, so I'm sticking with you from now on." Qingqing pouted. "And you're growing even faster than me... I want to see what you'll become."

"Xiaoqing, what happened to you after the Dongshan Marsh battle? How did you end up here?" Ji Ning asked.

Mu Zishuo listened as well.

Qingqing said, "After I comprehended Void Teleportation and escaped from Tiemu Zhan, I quickly left Yanshan and began wandering. Using my talent for teleportation, I found some rare fruits and spiritual essences and soon reached the Zifu stage. Then I went to White Dragon Mountain, drawn by its reputation."

"White Dragon Mountain?" Ji Ning was startled. "The White Dragon Immortal?"

Among humans, besides the strongest Anchan Beishan clan and the Yinglong Guard, there were eight major powers: Black-White College, Fissure Sword Sect, Hundred Flowers Fairyland, Donghe clan, Lielong clan, Mulan clan, Heavenly Saint Sect, and Blood God Sect.

These were human powers.

The demon race also had great figures, some demon immortals, etc. The White Dragon Immortal was one of the more famous. She was a female dragon with immense power, teaching without discrimination, accepting almost anyone who came. She had trained many powerful demon experts, even producing Earth Immortals and Sanxians.

"At White Dragon Mountain, I was highly valued and given techniques." Qingqing said. "After training there for a few years, I reached the Zifu perfection. Then my sect sent me out to wander, saying that the Kongqing Snake clan only grows rapidly through constant adventure. They sent me to Yushan Great Wasteland. I've been here over three years, advancing from Zifu perfection to Wanxiang middle stage."

Ji Ning quickly asked, "What level is your Wanxiang Dharma form?"

"I'm valued by the sect, so naturally it's a bright moon hanging high." Qingqing said confidently.

Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo exchanged glances, secretly amazed.

Over three years...

From Zifu perfection to Wanxiang middle stage, Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo knew how much elemental energy was needed. Ji Ning had refined over two thousand catties of liquid essence and was only at Wanxiang early stage.

"How many adventures have you had in Yushan Great Wasteland?" Ji Ning asked.

"Seven or eight times." Qingqing said casually, then her eyes lit up. "Oh, I've used up all the edible and drinkable things. But there are two places that might be very useful to you."

"Where?" Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo became expectant.

Adventures?

Apart from the narrow escape at the Water Mansion when he was young, he hadn't had any real adventures.

"I found a Cold Sha vein and an Earth Fire vein." Qingqing said.

"Cold Sha vein? And Earth Fire vein?" Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo's eyes burned with intensity. They spoke in unison, "Where?"

What is Cold Sha? What is Earth Fire?

After Pangu created the world, many natural forces naturally emerged.

Such as water, fire, thunder, light, etc.

For instance, when Ji Ning achieved his divine body, the supreme 'Taiyin Star' and 'Sun Star' sent down a thread of Taiyin True Water and Sun True Fire, allowing Ji Ning to form his divine body. If that thread of Taiyin True Water and Sun True Fire were used in battle, even an Earth Immortal would likely die upon contact.

Because these were the powers of the supreme stars, so when breaking through to become a先天生灵 (Xiantian lifeform), even immortals could not interrupt or destroy it.

Fire, from low to high, can be divided into human fire, earth fire, sky fire, and true fire.

Human fire is the ordinary fire of the mortal world, the most common.

Earth fire... refers to special flames nurtured by the earth. In theory, a Zifu cultivator could absorb a thread of earth fire into their Zifu to nurture it, but this is too dangerous. Usually, one waits until the Wanxiang level to absorb earth fire and nurture it in the Zifu over a long period.

Earth fire is divided into nine grades, from the lowest ninth grade up to the first grade!

Ninth, eighth, and seventh grades are lower grade. Sixth, fifth, and fourth are middle grade. Third, second, and first are upper grade!

First-grade earth fire represents the pinnacle of earth fire.

In fact, once reaching the upper three grades, one can absorb a thread of 'sky fire' to evolve the earth fire within to the 'sky fire' level.

...

The same applies to water.

Water is also divided into human water, earth water, sky water, and true water. Human water is obviously the most common ordinary water. Earth water is actually 'Cold Sha'.

Whether nurturing earth fire or Cold Sha,

One must find a naturally occurring Earth Fire vein or Cold Sha vein in the earth. By absorbing enough earth fire or Cold Sha into the body and 'planting' it, one can then nurture the earth fire. If no Earth Fire vein or Cold Sha vein is found, there is no other way. These are treasures of nature, encountered only by chance.

"They're both in Yushan Great Wasteland. The Cold Sha vein is closer, the Earth Fire vein farther." Qingqing said directly.

"Qingqing, you're amazing." Mu Zishuo was extremely excited and full of admiration. "We couldn't find even one, and you easily found two."

"Hehe, I often teleport into places you normally can't go and carefully explore... After many explorations, I naturally discovered them." Qingqing said proudly. "In places rarely visited by humans, treasures naturally emerge over time."

Ji Ning quickly asked, "What kind of Cold Sha is it? What kind of Earth Fire?"

Cold Sha and Earth Fire are general terms.

Earth fire can be divided into over a hundred types, such as 'Yin Flame Earth Fire', 'Qing Lei Earth Fire', etc. Even sky fire can be divided into many types, and the awe-inspiring 'true fire' that even immortals fear can be divided into several types.

"I got a book 'Miscellaneous Records of Heavenly Treasures' at White Dragon Mountain, but it only records spirit fruits and herbs, not these earth fires and Cold Sha. You'll know when we go." Qingqing said quickly. "That Cold Sha vein... I estimate it can still be used three to five times. That Earth Fire vein is more dangerous, probably only one or two uses."

Absorbing earth fire to plant it in the body is like taking a seed. A Cold Sha vein cannot withstand many such 'plantings' before it is exhausted.

"I lean toward water and wood, so I'll choose Cold Sha." Mu Zishuo said.

"I cultivate the 'Red Ming Nine Heavens Chart'." Ji Ning smiled. "My body was born from Taiyin True Water and Sun True Fire. I need to absorb both Cold Sha and Earth Fire once."

"Alright, let's go quickly." Qingqing stood by the railing, looked down, then pointed north. "Head that way."

"Okay." Mu Zishuo responded.

The dragon-headed warship immediately headed in the direction Qingqing indicated.

Ji Ning was also looking forward to it.

His divine runes already had the power to control water and fire. If he nurtured earth fire and Cold Sha within, at least the 'Water-Fire Lotus' would greatly increase in power. He would also gain other abilities. When nurtured to strength, earth fire and Cold Sha are no less than a divine ability.

...

While Ji Ning and his group were heading to the Cold Sha vein,

Inside a remote, desolate low mountain peak's belly,

"Hoo."

Dong Yi, dressed in a golden robe, slowly opened his eyes. "Finally fully healed."

"Beihe Zhou and the other five of us joined forces, yet in the end we failed. Thanks to the protective treasure I got from an adventure six years ago, I barely escaped. I wonder if the others are alive or dead." Dong Yi thought to himself. Recalling that battle, he felt both fear and rage.

He had long heard of Ji Ning, knowing he was a monstrous genius, but he never expected that six elite Wanxiang cultivators would end up so miserably.

"That divine sense secret art—I still don't know if it was Ji Ning or Mu Zishuo who used it." Even now, Dong Yi didn't know which of the two had cast the divine sense secret art.

"This mountain belly is extremely hidden, the most secret one I've found. I've been recuperating here for so long, and no one has discovered me." Dong Yi also felt secretly relieved. "It seems there's an underground river below this mountain belly."

Dong Yi moved, following the winding cave entrance down deeper.

Along the underground river, he continued to explore.

Soon he felt increasing heat, and gradually he saw in the distance, deep in an earth fissure, a faint golden-tinged flame, burning hotly.

"An Earth Fire vein!" Dong Yi exclaimed.