Shihou panted heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. This battle had drained much of his energy. Although it didn’t last long, it was still a grueling fight.
Indeed, just a moment ago, he had employed various techniques, used his strongest skills, and tapped into the full potential of his physical body. Otherwise, this fight would have lasted at least half a day.
It was evident how terrifying this trial was, requiring Shihou to approach it with such seriousness and use all his strength to win. Such an intense battle was extremely rare.
Since his debut, there had been very few occasions that made him fight so hard.
It may sound simple, but this battle was truly challenging. The black arena had disappeared, and only his heavy breathing echoed in the empty hall. It took a long time for the atmosphere to calm down.
"Truly a trial set by an ancient deity," he said.
Whether it was the ancestors of Xiao Hong or the Fire Kingdom's Saint Emperor, they had all ascended to godhood. Considering this, the arena set up by the ancient gods was indeed incredibly difficult.
For an ordinary person, there was no hope of passing this trial; even a pure-blooded being would fall.
Four massive pillars emitted a glowing light, standing in the ruined arena. They were crimson all over, like towering supports for the heavens, and at this moment, they radiated a truly astonishing fluctuation.
Shihou approached. These were the Four Strikes of the Ancient Vermillion Bird.
Each giant pillar was engraved with a record of a particular strike, exuding an imposing aura that emanated even from a distance, making it hard to breathe.
Shihou stopped in front of the first fiery red pillar, which was surrounded by flames, its red light bursting forth. A Vermillion Bird was depicted in a pose as if striking the ninth heaven.
It was not static but constantly flapping its wings, reaching into the sky and probing the underworld.
Shihou calmed himself and studied it carefully. He was highly talented in cultivation, quickly learning whatever he studied. Common runes and treasures could be used almost instantly upon observation.
However, here, he stood still for a long time, focusing intently, afraid of missing something. His entire mind was absorbed in it.
Thus, Shihou stood for a whole day and night, pondering deeply, before slowly stretching his limbs. His arms spread out like wings, his legs stepped into the void, and his body emitted a domineering aura.
He soared into the air, continually evolving, showcasing the most domineering aspect of the Ancient Vermillion Bird. A tremendous, radiant aura of Yang spread out.
The Ancient Vermillion Bird controlled the essence of fire, capable of burning through the heavens and demons, embodying its malevolent, masculine force.
These Four Strikes did not manifest the divine fire powers, but they expressed an unparalleled dominance, pushing both physical and rune potentials to unimaginable levels.
Even with Shihou’s immense strength and invincible body, unaffected by the Golden Body of the Celestial Sect, he still felt his bones crackling, like beans popping, with rhythmic shivers throughout his body.
If an ordinary person tried this, they would surely be shattered and torn apart. Such a domineering technique would destroy the practitioner before achieving its effect.
Next, Shihou moved to the second giant pillar and pondered there for a long time. The chanting of scriptures filled this area, which surprised him. Looking up, he saw a faint golden light flickering.
“The Divine Palace,” he was astonished. The Holy Emperor's Palace had such an effect, allowing months of cultivation here to equate to just a day or two outside.
It was to be expected; even an ordinary Divine Palace had extraordinary effects, let alone this place, which must be even more remarkable.
With this, Shihou relaxed, no longer worried about missing the peak battle.
The four massive red pillars depicted the law of the Ancient Vermillion Bird. Shihou immersed himself deeply, unable to extricate himself, and fell into a state of intense comprehension.
Sometimes he would stand for several days and nights, then suddenly leap into the air, stretching his body, displaying a fierce and dominating technique as if breaking the heavens to achieve the Dao.
Although only four strikes, they contained vast depth and endless runes. These were relics left by several ancient gods, and even those who reached here would find them hard to fully comprehend.
Shihou was not among them. He grew more excited and spirited, as if this technique was tailor-made for him. The required strong physical support for the technique was no problem for him.
He took out several magical artifacts and tossed them into the air. Then, he soared up, spreading his limbs, agile like a Vermillion Bird, able to strike down the stars from the nine heavens.
"Boom"
The air was filled with explosive sounds. The Four Strikes of the Ancient Vermillion Bird were incredibly powerful, with Yang energy and dominance. His entire body was enveloped in fierce flames and brilliant red light. With a single charge, several artifacts cracked and then exploded, burning into ashes in the void.
A preliminary test revealed astounding power.
After a month of serious contemplation, he had perfected these Four Strikes, thoroughly understanding their profound and mysterious nature. The requirements for the practitioner were extremely high.
Shihou met these requirements. His body was unscathed, as firm as a diamond, and using the Four Strikes of the Ancient Vermillion Bird had no adverse effects on him.
Such a domineering technique was very suitable for decisive battles, fierce and powerful, capable of shaking the heavens and stars.
Without much thought, the ancient Vermillion Bird must have been able to look down upon the nine heavens and ten lands, pluck stars and seize the sun, and destroy great stars without difficulty.
Silently, four stone tablets appeared ahead, completely black, emitting a cold, dim light. There were inscriptions on them, used to test cultivation results.
Shihou’s eyes were bright. Raising his hand, his palm turned red, and a symbol appeared in his palm. He thrust forward with a powerful slap.
"Boom"
The first stone tablet exploded, the second one shattered, the third one broke into pieces, and the fourth one cracked and then collapsed.
These were stardust fragments, refined into tablets by great magic, as hard and indestructible as ancient divine mountains. Yet, with just one slap, they were all destroyed.
According to the inscriptions, these were prepared for the true Vermillion Bird to test results. Without further words, his achievements were complete.
Everything disappeared, even the four pillars were smoothened, and the marks on them vanished completely.
After a few days, Huo Ling’er awoke, her entire aura transcendent. The Holy Emperor’s aura on her head faded and finally flew away, turning into a light rain and disappearing.
Many new methods appeared in Huo Ling’er’s mind, clearly different from before. Even Shui Lingling’s eyes appeared much deeper, and only after a long time did she seem to recover.
“The hall is vast. We should continue forward; there should be more opportunities,” she said, having heard from the Fire Emperor that although everyone’s chances were different, it would not be limited to just this.
“Alright, let’s continue. I hope we can find a true Vermillion Bird bone,” Shihou said.
Huo Ling’er glanced at Shihou. Her clan had Vermillion Bird blood in their veins and had a significant connection with this ancient bird.
She was graceful and elegant, her flowing hair and flawless, tall body made her look even more otherworldly after her recent enlightenment. Her fair body emitted a sacred glow.
The hall was misty, with red clouds swirling. They rushed through large, quiet areas until they entered a dazzling region after a long time.
From afar, they could see a brilliant sight. The hall was no longer dim but a blend of blazing and radiant light, with the sound of water coming from ahead.
“What is this?” Shihou was astonished.
Ahead, the mist cleared, but the glaring light was hard to block, coming from two pits, like the appearance of divine treasures.
Huo Ling’er also exclaimed, as if witnessing the most shocking sight, then became extremely excited, waving her small fists in joy, jumping and shouting, losing her usual composure and grace.
"I didn’t expect we’d find this place. This is the Nirvana Pool. Not everyone who enters has the fortune to encounter it. It is the fundamental source of the Holy Emperor Palace’s great fortune," she said, her eyes glowing with excitement as if she had discovered a priceless treasure.
Shihou noticed a stele with the characters "Nirvana Pool" inscribed on it.
They hurried forward. There were two pools side by side, incredibly bright, with red and golden light bursting together. The pools were filled with magma and also contained plants.
The characters "Nirvana Pool" on the stele alone were enough to make Shihou’s heart tremble.
As they approached and examined them closely, he was astonished. Each pool was about ten feet square, filled with red magma, and surprisingly, golden lotuses were growing in it, exuding a vibrant life force.
“These plants are growing in the magma.”
Each pool contained dozens of these lotuses, filling the magma pools. They were not particularly large but were incredibly brilliant, with golden petals that emitted a sweet fragrance.
Furthermore, the most unique feature was that a red liquid would fall from the void above the pools for a long time, with a faint golden hue.
“Divine substance,” Shihou was moved.
He sensed that the most special aspect of the so-called Nirvana Pool was the liquid falling from the void. It felt somewhat familiar to him.
The divine substance refined from the Yang fish’s essence was golden and had a similar aura, but it was nowhere near as intense. Additionally, this red liquid with a faint golden sheen also had a refreshing fragrance.
It was a purer substance than what he had obtained, far surpassing it.
Of course, the two pools were not entirely filled with this substance; they contained magma. The liquid from the void had mixed into it, diluting it.
“Nirvana essence,” Huo Ling’er said breathlessly, explaining what it was and its origin.
The Ancient Vermillion Bird had once appeared in the wilderness, and this place was a palace where it had undergone Nirvana. This was the origin of the Fire Clan’s sacred ground and the fundamental source of divine substance.
It was all due to the remnants of the essence left after the Ancient Vermillion Bird’s Nirvana. This substance was the Nirvana essence.
Fire Clan ancestors who entered here could soar to great heights thanks to this fire pool. Undergoing Nirvana here resulted in an unimaginable transformation. Once freed from their trials, their cultivation would progress rapidly.
Huo Ling’er, having received the Holy Emperor’s teachings, was naturally shaken to see the Nirvana essence. Unless there were unexpected events, she would follow the same glorious path as the Fire Emperors of the past.
Shihou was also unsettled, his heart churning. The gains from this entry were truly enormous, and he wondered what kind of transformation would follow.
“The Nirvana essence is extremely sacred and cannot be tainted. One must be spotless and pure to enter, and it requires performing an ancient ritual to honor the Ancient Vermillion Bird, or there could be mishaps,” Huo Ling’er warned.
“Spotless and pure, does that mean we need to bathe? Then we should be open and honest, each using a pool for a sacred cleansing,” Shihou asked.
“If your eyes dare to be lecherous again, I’ll dig them out for you,” Huo Ling’er replied fiercely, recalling previous incidents.
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