Chapter Fourteen: Training in the Crimson Flame Valley

After resting for a while, Liu Junhuai sat cross-legged and began to practice the Nine Transformations Heart Technique. The Nine Transformations were as follows: First Transformation, Shattered Blade; Second Transformation, Focused Unity; Third Transformation, Breaking the Body; Fourth Transformation, Opening the Mountain; Fifth Transformation, Turning the River; Sixth Transformation, Overturning the Sea; Seventh Transformation, Heaven and Earth Tremble; Eighth Transformation, Breaking the Sky; Ninth Transformation, Entering the Void. Since beginning his cultivation of the Nine Transformations Heart Technique, Liu Junhuai was still some distance from achieving the First Transformation. The meaning of Shattered Blade was the manifestation of true energy force breaking through at various points, marking a fundamental difference from ordinary heart techniques. Unlike regular techniques, where true energy was released toward a target through skill and form, the Nine Transformations added a unique change—either in surface or point—which greatly increased the strike’s power, arriving suddenly and leaving no defense. Yet, each transformation consumed an enormous amount of true energy; even if Liu Junhuai managed to form the First Transformation now, he could only unleash it once, despite having broadened his meridians.

The realm of Shattered Blade meant true energy erupting at multiple points across a surface; advancing further, true energy could be concentrated and erupted along a line, called the Focused Unity realm, making the force even sharper. The highest state of this heart technique could pierce the barrier of the void, reaching the realm of Entering the Void. With each transformation, its power increased dozens of times, making it a divine-level heart technique among internal cultivation arts.

After several cycles of energy circulation, Liu Junhuai found himself surrounded by a faint mist; spiritual energy coursed constantly through his meridians, purified and refined as it entered his dantian. The once grayish energy mass now gleamed with a vaporous radiance. After one hundred and eight cycles—two days later—pure true energy filled his entire body, so much so that every movement seemed to stir a current laced with threads of true energy. Yet, his realm was still stuck at the peak of the sixth stage of Qi Refinement, due to the imbalance of the five elemental spiritual energies within him. If he had a single elemental constitution, his progress would have been much faster.

Possessing all five spiritual roots, his cultivation was much slower than ordinary people, but his foundation was firmer, his reserves and potential far deeper. With complete battle techniques, he could remain undefeated against opponents a stage higher, and easily crush those of the same level.

"Ordinary spiritual energy and spirit stones mostly contain water, wood, and earth attributes; other elements are negligible," Liu Junhuai mused. "Balancing all five attributes will be the day I break through my realm."

He arrived at the Training Chamber and took out several mid-grade spirit stones, then entered the Crimson Flame Valley.

Upon entering, a scorching gale rushed towards him. A winding stone path stretched along the cliff down to the valley floor; two iron chains served as handrails, trembling in the heat, while beyond them, a hazy sea of steam descended into unfathomable depths. Liu Junhuai stepped downward; with each step, the heat seemed to intensify. Before he had taken twenty steps, he was forced to channel true energy to protect himself.

The lower he went, the heavier the air pressure became, and his breathing grew increasingly labored. The concentration of steam increased, blocking his spiritual sense; even when activating his Heavenly Eye, he could only see for a scant thirty feet. Since cultivating the Heavenly Eye, Liu Junhuai’s greatest benefit had been its ability to sense danger—an almost sentient detection that delighted him.

After nearly a hundred steps, resistance suddenly increased, and with each further step, he had to rely on the iron chains for support.

The deeper he descended, the more his legs struggled to move, and true energy surged frantically into his left hand gripping the iron chain. The immense internal energy consumption filled him with dread. As Liu Junhuai struggled onward, he hesitated about whether he could continue this training, uncertain about the distance to the valley floor and the risks, and worried about his rapid depletion of true energy.

In the midst of this fierce internal struggle, his Heavenly Eye detected an entrance to a cave just a few steps ahead around a bend, so he bit his lip and pressed on.

Finally, he reached the cave mouth. He climbed onto the small platform at the entrance with great effort, utterly exhausted, and paid no heed to the scorching heat beneath him.

Crawling into the cave, Liu Junhuai felt as if he had found life at the brink of death. Though the temperature remained high and the air pressure low enough to make breathing difficult, at least the oppressive force was gone. He didn’t doubt his courage to challenge his limits, but his lack of strength made it impossible to continue. He even wondered if the cave, appearing halfway as it did, had been deliberately placed by the creator of this training space.

After a short rest, he suddenly sensed that if this cave truly was part of the creator’s design, it might also offer more opportunities. Thinking this, Liu Junhuai became excited, his fatigue seemed to fade, and he stood up with surprising agility to explore deeper into the cave.

The cave was deep, and his Heavenly Eye could probe inside without obstruction.

Finding no trace of living creatures put Liu Junhuai at ease. The cave was filled with spiritual energy, making his breathing much smoother. The golden orb in his Niwan Palace was instantly attracted to the metallic element in the spiritual energy, spinning wildly on its own. He could see with his naked eye the formation and condensation of golden threads; the concentration of metal element in the spiritual energy was so high that it needed no extraction or refinement, which made Liu Junhuai ecstatic.

After walking several dozen yards, Liu Junhuai suddenly saw, in a recess of the cave wall, a patch of dark green jade. He hurried over and dug out a few pieces. The jade was irregularly shaped, dark brown to deep greenish-brown, its surface smooth with network-like patterns and metallic luster. It was soft enough to be scratched with a fingernail, leaving marks. Its cross-section was layered and could be peeled into thin, flexible sheets.

"This is Essence Gold Stone!" Liu Junhuai was beside himself with joy. Essence Gold Stone was a pure gold and earth attribute spirit stone; when heated, it expanded rapidly, and once expanded, could be absorbed almost without refining. It was also the best spirit stone for forging spiritual sense. The Chronicle of Marvelous Wonders stated that this stone appeared only in the Immortal Realm, and even there, its occurrences were rare and its quantity extremely limited; a piece the size of a fingernail could be exchanged for a divine-grade artifact. To find such a rare cultivation stone here—and in such abundance—left Liu Junhuai nearly breathless with excitement.

Even more thrilling was the companion plant of Essence Gold Stone, the "Dual-Colored Blood-Replenishing Grass," growing nearby, almost ten stalks in all. The grass had five oval leaves, and bore five capsule fruits; it was the main ingredient for heaven-grade Blood Replenishing Pills. Like heavenly treasures, pills were divided into seven grades: Yellow, Profound, Earth, Heaven, Immortal, Divine, and Dao. One could imagine how Liu Junhuai was driven nearly mad by the thought of heaven-grade pills and divine-grade Essence Gold Stone.

The opportunity he had hoped for truly existed. Amidst his overwhelming excitement, Liu Junhuai developed a deep wariness toward the creator of this training space. The immense power of such a being was terrifying. He wondered whether obtaining the Myriad Phenomena Pavilion was a blessing or a curse, what its purpose was, and what price he would pay for acquiring it. Recalling the old immortal who had granted him the Heavenly Eye, Liu Junhuai now felt a fear of living under the gaze of others.