Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Essence of Fire

Perhaps miracles have always favored Leng Bingyan. Just after obtaining the Earth Essence, he dissected the golden giant ape and, to his delight, discovered a golden inner core. Drawing on his previous experience, Bingyan didn’t hesitate to absorb it; the surging energy and the joyous acquisition of the Metal Essence came with surprising ease.

Upon inner inspection, he saw that the golden core in his dantian had grown larger—almost the size of an egg—and, around it, another ring of golden mist had formed, unmistakably the Metal Essence.

At this moment, Leng Bingyan felt such elation that he wanted to laugh even in his dreams. He longed to shout, “Heavens, you haven’t abandoned me after all!”

Savoring some fragrant snake meat from his storage ring, Bingyan left the “chaotic burial mound” and found a tranquil spot filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, where he indulged in a restful sleep.

Yet, in the days that followed, his luck did not hold. For more than ten days, he wandered the forest. Encounters with small animals were manageable, but stumbling upon a wolf pack was another matter. Unfortunately, Bingyan faced wolf packs more than once in those days. Remembering the battles against hundreds of wolves sent a chill through his heart, prompting him to lament, “Heavens, you have abandoned me after all!”

During these days, his body bore wound after wound, each bleeding profusely. Fortunately, the Lingyu Violet Qi within him accelerated his recovery to an astonishing degree.

What truly tormented him, however, were the swarms of mosquitoes at night. Drawn by the scent of blood from his wounds, they descended in droves. Fending off these bloodthirsty pests kept him thoroughly occupied. Perhaps because he transformed into a woman at night, Bingyan was especially troubled by the mosquitoes, and with nowhere to bathe, one can only imagine how he endured those days.

Yet there were benefits as well; at the very least, his power grew more solid through these ongoing skirmishes with nature. There was no way to avoid it—he constantly maintained an energy shield for defense, his true essence and Lingyu Violet Qi circulating without pause. His control grew ever more deft, and consolidation came naturally.

Chewing absentmindedly on a piece of snake meat, Bingyan sat shrouded in a faint violet glow, the blue sword always clasped in his arms.

One might ask: why always snake meat? Was there nothing else to eat? The answer was simple: he loved the taste of snake meat! Besides, what else was there? Scorpions? Absolutely not. The tough, metallic flesh of the golden giant ape? He had no appetite for metal. As for the wolves, he was too busy fleeing to think of eating them.

God had given him feet to stand tall, yet all he had learned was how to run; a straight back for resilience, yet all he had mastered was swagger.

With a sigh, Bingyan lamented his recent days of utter misery.

Just as he was sighing aloud, the world around him transformed. The sky, the trees, the earth suddenly cracked open and, in an instant, dissolved into countless sparks before vanishing without a trace.

In their place arose a world of scarlet flames—a shift as dramatic as the changing of backdrops on a stage, yet far more real. In the blink of an eye, a wave of searing heat surged toward him.

Is this the Fire Essence? Bingyan was startled, but more than that, he was overjoyed. Finally, no more aimless wandering—this was a clear sign that a new opportunity had arrived. It seemed the chance for the Fire Essence was at hand.

A roar—fierce and majestic—echoed from afar, making Bingyan shrink back instinctively. What a powerful aura! He wondered if he could possibly overcome such strength. Yet there was no doubt that the owner of that voice possessed the Fire Essence. The Wood, Earth, and Metal Essences within him began to circulate rapidly, clearly sensing the presence of the Fire Essence.

Even as joy surged within him, Bingyan hesitated, but in the end, he steeled himself and pressed on.

Grasping his blue sword, he strode toward the source of the sound. He crossed a low hill—no, it was more like a small volcano, for this world had become dominated by fire. The once lush forests had vanished, and the scorched hills smoked under the blazing heat.

“It’s scorching!” Bingyan complained, swinging his blue sword in discomfort.

After passing a few more small volcanoes, what did he see? His eyes widened in shock—a lion, its entire body aflame, a magnificent red Fire Lion!

The moment Bingyan saw the lion, the Fire Lion saw him too. With a thunderous roar that shook the heavens, the beast announced its anger. Perhaps it felt its dignity was being challenged—what was it, after all, but the mighty Fire Lion King, the absolute ruler of this fiery realm? For a lowly human to stare at it so brazenly was an unforgivable insult.

In truth, Bingyan had been stunned into inaction by the Fire Lion King’s roar, which the beast mistook for fearlessness. In short, the Fire Lion King had misunderstood him.

No matter. They were destined to clash swords; whether the tension arose sooner or later made little difference. In fact, the confrontation jolted Bingyan to full alertness, and he prepared himself, sword in hand, to charge at the Fire Lion King.

In a flash of lightning and thunder, red and violet afterimages intertwined. In just a few moments, Bingyan felt his strength rapidly draining. He paused, then exclaimed in admiration, “Truly worthy of being the Fire Essence’s Lion King—so domineering, so terrifying.”

But he did not back down. This was exactly what he wanted—only when pushed to the brink could his potential be fully unleashed. With this realization, a fierce passion surged within him, dissolving his tension and confusion.

He faced the Fire Lion King, let his Lingyu Violet Qi flow outward, and raised his sword, now radiating an eerie violet light. The blade shone with dazzling brilliance, sweeping away the sea of fire that surrounded the Lion King.

Seizing the moment, Bingyan’s hand transformed into a claw, eerie violet light enveloping it, occasionally flickering with green, yellow, and golden hues. With unstoppable force, he struck at the Fire Lion King’s unprotected side.

The blow landed. The Lion King let out a pained roar and tumbled several meters away, turning its blood-red eyes on Bingyan with fury before leaping back at him.

Bingyan dodged aside just in time, the attack missing him by a hair’s breadth. In the same instant, the blue sword in his hand began to tremble, launching itself straight at the Lion King.

At that moment, the blue sword seemed to possess a will of its own, emitting a gleeful hum as if it had found its prey. It slipped from Bingyan’s grasp, hovered in the air for a split second, then shot forward with blinding speed. Bingyan could only marvel—what kind of treasure was this blue sword, to possess such extraordinary power?

The Fire Lion King, still mid-leap, had no way to evade.

Inevitably, the blue sword pierced straight through, ending the once-invincible Fire Lion King with a single strike.

Bingyan was momentarily stunned; he hadn’t expected the formidable Lion King to be so helpless before the sentient blue sword. Then, joy filled his heart—at the very least, he now possessed the Lion King’s inner core and the Fire Essence within.

After a brief rest, he began to absorb it, reveling in the exhilaration.

Once again, his golden core grew larger, now encircled by a ring of red mist.