Lian practised longer. The sun rose and fell as his sword danced through the sky. He didn't feel tired; instead, a warm comfort rushed through him. The more he understood his sword, the more his Qi replenished itself.
He found himself in a trance-like state, blade flowing from formation to formation.
"Uhuuu…" He finally stopped, taking a deep breath. Everything around him felt calm. There was no sound—only silence. Lian raised the sword and pointed it upwards, then slowly brought it down in a smooth, controlled motion.
When the blade touched the ground, there was a massive explosion that cracked the earth around him. The blast was so strong that it flung him backwards. He crashed into a tree, his back slamming against it.
"Oho—!" He coughed, spitting out blood as the trance snapped.
"What…!" His eyes widened as he looked around.
The area was a disaster. Everything had been reduced to rubble. The power he unleashed was far above the limits of his realm.
"What was that technique? I almost killed myself with my own move. How ridiculous that would've been," he muttered, taking a healing pill.
His hands were torn open and bleeding.
"That skill is way too overpowered… Too bad my body can't keep up," he thought.
"I need a body cultivation technique. But first, I have to get that fire essence." Lian placed the blade into his storage ring and leaped off the cliff. His senses felt sharper than before—he could see hundreds of metres ahead as he moved.
After a few moments, he found himself hitting the ground with a loud thud. Dust rose around him as he staggered back onto his feet. His vision steadied, and he looked around, searching for any trace of the girl's direction.
Just as he scanned the surroundings, he saw the birds fleeing in panic—flapping frantically and shooting up from the southern direction. He could feel the heat coming from there as well, thick and heavy in the air.
That must be where the Fire Essence is.
He rushed towards the south without wasting a breath. As he ran, first-tier spirit beasts burst past him, some even third-tier, but none dared to attack. They simply dashed by as if running from something far greater.
Strange… They're afraid?
The further he went, the hotter it became. Heat waves pulsed through the forest, making his skin sting. Even with his strengthened meridians, he had to stop occasionally to circulate his Qi, but with each step forward, the heat became harder to endure.
Just then, the mark on his body began to absorb the heat, drinking in the fiery energy from the surroundings. The scorching breeze became bearable, his breathing steadied, and the pain faded slightly.
He allowed himself a small breath of relief—
—but before he could relax, a massive ball of flame tore through the air toward him like a meteor, roaring as it descended straight at his face.
He quickly shifted aside, using the new movement art he had just learnt.
The flaming blast brushed past him by a hair's width. He barely survived it.
When his gaze moved upward, he froze.
Up in the sky, two fifth-tier beasts were locked in a furious battle.
"Woah… that's the Firebird fighting against the Huǒshé… why are they—"
Before he could finish speaking, he noticed it. Just below the battlefield, a radiant fire-red flower had bloomed. The Fire Essence Flower. The two creatures were both trying to claim it for themselves.
"They're distracted… Maybe I can sneak in and take it." Lian climbed up onto a tall tree to get a clearer view.
Just then, he saw her again—Huǒ Yànhuā. She was barely standing, her clothes torn and blood staining her arm. The beasts had clearly attacked both her and Lu Yan. What remained of Lu Yan was only bones and ash scattered on the ground.
"So she's from a wealthy clan… if I help her, I might be rewarded," he thought while observing from above.
But he didn't have time to think any further. A crimson fox spirit beast lunged toward her at full speed.
Lian dropped down from the tree like lightning. His blade pierced directly through the beast's skull.
He landed and struck a heroic pose—just like in the stories he once heard.
"Fear not, fair lady," he said calmly. "I am here to save you."
Yànhuā looked at him with suspicion.
"Weren't you just a passerby? What are you doing here again?" she asked coldly.
"How could I leave a girl in danger?" Lian replied, stepping closer. "Let's make a deal. I'll guard you until you recover. Then we go for the Fire Essence together. Half each. Fair?"
Yànhuā narrowed her eyes. "So you came for the essence as well. Considering how I saw you last time, you don't even know how to carry it, do you?"
"Y-Yeah…" Lian said instantly. He truly didn't know such a thing was needed.
She sighed softly. "Fine. But I get two-thirds."
Lian nodded furiously; he knew he wouldn't get another chance.
Her voice still held scepticism, but she sat down and uncorked a small jade bottle of pills. Even without eating them, Lian could feel the rich medicinal Qi radiating from each one.
"Take them," she said, tossing the whole bottle his way. "You have injuries too."
"Are you sure?" Lian asked, catching it.
"Take them. I don't need all of them."
Lian swallowed one pill and instantly felt his Qi surging through his meridians with terrifying purity. His wounds began stitching back together on their own. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
"These are… incredible," he muttered. "I've never had pills this potent."
He glanced at her, unable to hide his surprise.
"Rich families really are something else…" he thought. "Just this bottle alone must be worth fifty essence stones…"
He hid his excitement, maintaining a calm expression on the outside.
After a few moments, Yànhuā stood up, most of her injuries already healed. She walked toward Lian, her steps steady once more.
"I am Yànhuā. Yànhuā Huǒ," she said calmly.
Lian cleared his throat. "I'm—Lian Xing."
"Good. Now that we know each other, let's go claim the Fire Essence."
Without wasting another breath, she leaped forward, heading straight toward the battlefield where the beasts still roared in the distance. Lian followed right behind her, both of them soaring through the trees with swift movement techniques.