Chapter 1450: The Great Sun Flame Body Tempering
Li Fan was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with delight.
“If anyone else had said that to me, I’d have thought they’d been locked in the Black Prison for too long and were just spouting nonsense. But hearing it from you, Brother Nangong...”
“I feel completely fearless!”
Nangong Hongzhao said nothing in response to Li Fan’s compliment, but the faint, almost imperceptible smile that touched his lips betrayed his true feelings.
This initial conversation was the spark that kindled a growing friendship between Li Fan and Nangong Hongzhao.
Li Fan quietly inquired about the Nangong family, gathering bits of information that, while not top secret, were certainly unknown to anyone below a certain echelon in Shuo Xinghai society.
For instance, he learned why Nangong Fusheng’s name meant "Reviving the Saint." It was because before him, the Nangong family had indeed produced a figure worthy of the title—a man named Nangong Fushèng, the "Blessed Saint." One of his greatest achievements was the initial creation of the Dao Net, a shield that protected all people. The Blessed Saint had long since vanished from the world, with the Reviving Saint now acting in his stead.
He also learned that the Nangong family possessed a supreme treasure, said to have been acquired during the siege and capture of a Nameless True Immortal. It was the immortal’s very own clothing. The material was priceless, but the true marvel was its divine effect. The garment was a manifestation of the Nameless True Immortal’s fused Dao, forcibly stripped from him after his capture. If a cultivator was fortunate enough to wear it and could withstand its power, they would feel as if they had plunged into an ocean of Dao, completely surrounded by its essence. Their efficiency in comprehending that specific Dao would surpass even what was possible within the Dao Net itself. The only drawback was that this incredible boost was limited to the specific path of that particular Nameless True Immortal.
...
Among this new batch of Immortal Hunt recruits, most hailed from prestigious backgrounds, and none was willing to submit to another. Individuals like Ma Tiande, who ranked near the top of the assessment yet remained exceptionally humble, were few and far between.
“This man is worth getting to know,” Nangong Hongzhao thought to himself.
The days passed in a stream of conversation between the two.
As if to prove Nangong Hongzhao’s prediction, after a full ninety days of confinement, they were finally released from the Black Prison.
“Your every word and action within the Black Prison has been recorded.”
“This was the final part of your induction test.”
“The previous rankings have been slightly adjusted.”
“Your official appointments as members of the Immortal Hunt will be based on the new list.”
“For now, go and rest. Await further notice.”
As they were released, this was the explanation the new recruits received.
Some were unable to contain their joy, thankful that they had maintained their composure. Others wore shifting expressions, filled with regret.
Of course, true prodigies like Nangong Hongzhao, Dao Yuan, and Jin Changyue were clearly not fooled by such a ploy.
Jin Changyue let out a cold snort, and the three longswords on her back hummed in a unified, ferocious cry. It took her a considerable effort to rein in the overflowing killing intent.
Nangong Hongzhao and Li Fan exchanged a silent glance before quietly departing together.
They went to Nangong’s private residence, a courtyard carved out within the Immortal Hunt organization itself. The organization existed entirely within the Dao Net, with no physical presence in the real world. This courtyard was also a manifestation of the Dao Net’s power. Its size would expand with the owner’s authority, and its appearance could be altered at will, according to the owner’s thoughts.
Because it was formed from the power of the Dao Net, residing within it allowed one to constantly perceive its energies. The efficiency of cultivation here was countless times greater than in the outside star sea.
At Nangong Hongzhao’s command, the courtyard instantly transformed into a winding cavern. Li Fan followed him deep into its recesses, where they arrived at a vast, open chamber with a pool of incandescent magma bubbling below.
“Congratulations, brother. Your rank has risen again, placing you in the top three. I imagine you’ll be entrusted with great responsibility,” Nangong Hongzhao said with a teasing smile. As he spoke, he leaped down, plunging into the molten rock.
Submerged in the magma, which radiated an extreme heat, Nangong Hongzhao actually let out a low groan of pleasure.
“I never would have guessed you had such... tastes, Brother Nangong,” Li Fan remarked, peering down without any intention of following.
Unlike the illusions manifested in the residential spaces of the Tianxuan Mirror, everything in this Dao Net courtyard was real. Like all things in the universe, it was a manifestation of the Great Dao.
The cultivators of Shuo Xinghai focused solely on comprehending the Dao Net, often neglecting their physical cultivation.
And “Ma Tiande,” quite clearly, did not possess the physical resilience to survive in such scorching lava.
“Hehe, you don’t understand. This is Great Sunflame Magma. In theory, you could only produce a single drop of this by causing the suns of ninety-nine cultivation worlds to collectively collapse, then refining the result with the power of the great yin.”
“And yet now, through the profound and unfathomable power of the Dao Net, all the countless, tedious steps in between are skipped, creating it from nothing! This is a treasure that in the past, only a True Immortal was worthy of enjoying. Now, we mere mortals can indulge in it freely!”
As he spoke, Nangong Hongzhao scooped up a drop of the Great Sunflame Magma in his palm.
Li Fan watched as the viscous, crimson liquid slowly seeped into Nangong Hongzhao’s body through every pore.
His skin turned a bright red, as if he had been set ablaze.
But Nangong Hongzhao seemed completely unbothered. He even took a hearty swig of it.
Li Fan’s eyes narrowed instantly.
Even from a distance, he could sense the terrifying destructive power of this so-called Great Sunflame Magma. That pool Nangong Hongzhao was using as a bathtub could probably reduce the entire Xuanhuang Realm to cinders.
“Even if my true body were here, without spiritual energy to protect myself, I’d be turned to ash in an instant. Yet Nangong Hongzhao can withstand it with nothing but his physical form...”
Li Fan suddenly recalled the moment when an enraged Nangong Fusheng had sent Nangong Hongzhao flying with a single slap. When Nangong Fusheng appeared, the surrounding starry sky had roiled as if caught in a violent tsunami. He clearly hadn't held back with that slap. A blow of such magnitude would have severely injured even a True Immortal.
Yet Nangong Hongzhao had been perfectly fine, able to follow him back at incredible speed.
“A body tempering method,” Li Fan mused, a thoughtful look on his face.
Nangong Hongzhao’s next words confirmed his suspicion. “In Shuo Xinghai, the power of the Dao Net is supreme.”
“It is such a magnificent, grand creation, allowing mortals to command the Great Dao of heaven and earth just as the immortals of old once did. However, compared to immortals, we mortals are still far too insignificant. We are like children wielding sharp blades; we are more likely to harm ourselves than our enemies. And since the Council has explicitly forbidden immortal cultivation methods, we needed another way...”
Nangong Hongzhao took a deep breath, and every pore on his body opened wide, like a thousand crimson mouths, inhaling the entire pool of Great Sunflame Magma into his body.
“Incredible!”
By now, Nangong Hongzhao’s face was completely flushed red.
He grunted, exhaling a long, searing breath. Not a trace of spiritual energy fluctuated from his body; he was digesting the Great Sunflame Magma purely through a series of impossibly fast physical vibrations.
His complexion slowly returned to normal as he leaped up to stand beside Li Fan. Only then did he continue, “Dao Yuan, Jin Changyue, and the others—every single one of them has a unique body tempering method, just like me. Don't let their outwardly frail appearances fool you!”
“This is the greatest difference between the prestigious families of Shuo Xinghai and commoners like yourself, brother.”
Nangong Hongzhao clapped Li Fan on the shoulder, his tone full of meaning.
“We use our bodies as anchors, nailing ourselves into the Dao Net. The stronger the body is forged, the more strings of the Dao Net it can bear. Dao Yuan and the others have undergone special training since childhood; their bodies have been tempered a thousand times over. But someone like you, Brother Ma...”
“Even if you can now call upon the Dao Net’s power to some extent, you have to figure out the most effective materials and methods for tempering your body all by yourself, without injuring yourself in the process. How could your solitary exploration ever compare to our millennia of inherited legacy?”
Nangong Hongzhao had made his point crystal clear. How could Li Fan fail to understand his meaning?
Bowing deeply, Li Fan’s expression was grave. “I ask Brother Nangong to teach me. Whether I succeed or fail, I will be sure to repay you handsomely in the future. Whatever you command, I will not hesitate to carry it out!”
Nangong Hongzhao helped Li Fan up. “Brother, we get along so well. Don’t say such things. However, it’s not that I’m being difficult, but you must understand that every single body tempering technique available today has been deduced to its absolute limit, tested with countless lives. They are indeed immensely precious.”
Li Fan nodded. “I understand that.”
“We spoke at length in the Black Prison, so I have a good grasp of your situation. You’ve already passed the prime age for body tempering. With ordinary methods, you would achieve greatly diminished results even with several times the effort. However, your advantage lies in your unparalleled understanding of the Dao Net. Therefore...”
Nangong Hongzhao looked Li Fan up and down once more before saying softly, “This technique, the[Great Dao Befalling Body Art], is perfectly suited for you!”
Before Nangong Hongzhao could finish, Li Fan raised a hand to stop him.
His expression turned somewhat solemn as he asked quietly, “A thought just occurred to me. This body tempering method is so valuable. If you teach it to me in private, Brother Nangong...”
“Won’t Elder Fusheng punish you for it?”
“If that is the case, then please forgive me, but I absolutely cannot accept it.”
Seeing Li Fan’s earnest sincerity, which was clearly not a refusal out of politeness, Nangong Hongzhao was momentarily stunned.
He quickly recovered and waved his hand. “No need to worry. While the technique is precious, its secrecy level is not that high. I am only teaching it to you; my great-uncle will certainly not punish me.”
“Now, listen closely...”
The cavern manifested by the Dao Net courtyard quietly sealed itself off. Within, Nangong Hongzhao imparted the entirety of the Great Dao Befalling Body Art.
With Li Fan’s vast experience, he quickly grasped the principles of the technique.
Without a doubt, it bore the shadow of immortal cultivation arts.
The technique involved visualizing the Great Dao of the world as a net, pressing down upon one’s own body and using its immense weight to temper the flesh.
During this tempering process, not only would one’s physical strength increase, but their intimacy with and comprehension of the Great Dao would also deepen.
Just as Nangong Hongzhao had said, it was an incredibly mystical and precious body tempering art.
However, it had its flaws.
Namely, the difficulty of cultivation was absurdly high.
To be able to visualize the Great Dao befalling the body, one’s comprehension of it must already be at an extremely advanced stage, perhaps even surpassing that of many immortals.
With such a profound familiarity with the Dao, one could simply merge with it directly and ascend to become Nameless.
Why would anyone bother to slowly temper their physical body? It was like putting the cart before the horse.
“Only in a place like Shuo Xinghai, under the shroud of the Dao Net, could such a strange, distorted technique be born.”
“For one, by replacing the formless Great Dao of heaven and earth with the tangible Dao Net, the threshold for cultivation is lowered significantly.”
“And second, Shuo Xinghai is a gathering of survivors from the Immortal Realm and the lower star seas after the Dao Annihilation Calamity. True Immortals, and even Nameless True Immortals, convened here. Only such a confluence of minds could have deduced this Great Dao Befalling Body Art...”
A thousand thoughts surged through Li Fan’s mind, but they did not stop him from beginning to practice the body tempering technique.
Being already within the Dao Net, he could naturally skip the complex initial process of visualizing the Dao strings descending upon him.
Suddenly, he felt as if countless mountains were crashing down on his body.
Li Fan collapsed pathetically to the ground as blood sprayed from every pore on his body.
It nearly splattered onto Nangong Hongzhao, who was watching from the side, but he managed to block it in time.
The corner of Nangong Hongzhao’s mouth twitched.
Li Fan struggled up from the ground, cleaned himself of his wretched state, and bowed his head weakly to Nangong Hongzhao. “My apologies for the pathetic display, Brother Nangong. I never expected this body tempering method to be so arduous.”
Nangong Hongzhao offered some words of comfort. “Brother Ma, you must remember to proceed gradually and not be greedy. But it’s normal to suffer a bit.”
“The hardships I endured in my youth were a hundred times worse than what you feel now!”
“Brother Ma, although I have taught you the Great Dao Befalling Body Art, I cannot tell you the specific details of its cultivation, nor can I share my insights or experiences.”
“You must explore everything on your own.”
Li Fan clasped his fists. “To receive such a divine art is already a great kindness. How could I dare hope for more!”
“I shall not disturb you any longer today, Brother Nangong. I will return to my own courtyard to cultivate.”
After a few more pleasantries, Li Fan bid farewell to Nangong Hongzhao and returned to his own courtyard.
Although his official position was higher than Nangong Hongzhao’s, the area of his courtyard was actually slightly smaller.
Li Fan paid it no mind, transforming his courtyard into the peak of Mount Xie Li.
He sat down cross-legged and began to formally cultivate the Great Dao Befalling Body Art.
His pathetic display in front of Nangong Hongzhao had, of course, been an act. It was merely an excuse to leave.
With his incredibly fine perception of the Dao, the speed at which he could cultivate this art would far exceed Nangong’s wildest imagination.
Furthermore, Li Fan had no intention of simply following the instructions like a manual.
At his current level, he already possessed the ability to modify techniques to suit his own unique circumstances.
“The Great Dao befalls the body.”
“And within my mind, a projection of the Great Dao has already manifested.”
“Therefore...”
“I have no need for the Great Dao of heaven and earth to descend. Within the void of my thoughts alone, the Dao strings can shift from illusory to real. I can use the pressure of the Dao to temper my flesh.”
Li Fan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and the miniature Dao Net within his divine sense began to emit a faint glow.
(End of Chapter)
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