767 Red Lotus Fire
The mighty Sin Spring Water entirely engulfed the Abyss Red Lotus.

Suddenly, a visage with nine eyes manifested on the water’s surface. Through karma, the face could detect Xu Jingming lurking within his adjacent Heart Realm.

“Hmph, this Wu Ming character has been skulking in the Heart Realm the whole time. He’s still refusing to back down,” Overlord Yandi said, irritation tinging his tone. He had been aware of him all along, but storming the Heart Realm wasn’t an option. This situation irked him.

“Brother Yandi, Wu Ming claims he only wants to observe the blooming of the Abyss Red Lotus. Why should that concern you? So he watches, big deal! See how this standoff has turned out? He’s holed up in the Heart Realm, poised to strike at any time,” warned the figure shaped like a withered tree, communicating telepathically.

“He better stay hidden,” snapped Overlord Yandi. “If he dares to leave the Heart Realm, I’ll pounce immediately. Thinks he can enjoy the blooming of the Abyss Red Lotus undisturbed? Dream on. If he’d humbly offered me a generous gift in the past, maybe if I was in good spirits, I’d have granted him the opportunity. But he offered me nothing; why should I extend him any courtesy?”

“But Brother Yandi, when Overlord Fengke presented you with a gift to secure your alliance… Not only did you accept it, but you also ate his clone,” reminded the withered tree figure.

“As I’ve stated before, it’s all up to my disposition at the time, gift or no gift,” Overlord Yandi retorted.

“I’ve been by your side for so long, yet I can’t predict your whims,” replied the withered tree figure, sounding resigned.

“Your company keeps me in good spirits,” Overlord Yandi conceded.

The withered tree figure chuckled.

Many years prior, the figure had been a sentient tree in the Abyss, while Overlord Yandi was just a river. Each had their own territory, aware of the other but unable to move. They’d grown by devouring passing Abyssal creatures, slowly gaining power.

Over time, as they evolved and stood by each other, they became each other’s most significant presence.

Overlord Yandi’s mercurial temperament isolated him from the other Abyss Overlords, leaving only the withered tree figure able to bear his company. He never unloaded his frustration onto the figure.

“Be alert if I engage Wu Ming later,” Overlord Yandi abruptly warned via telepathic communication.

“Rest assured. I may be weaker than the adversary, but my survival abilities are rock solid,” assured the withered tree figure. “Moreover, from what I’ve foreseen, Wu Ming keeps a strict account of debts and grudges. He won’t strike against me.”

“Don’t place faith in the future!” Overlord Yandi admonished.

Their exchange was interrupted as the Abyss Red Lotus strained its limits and began to unfurl slowly.

Overlord Yandi and the withered tree figure noticed it immediately, being the closest observers.

The lotus is blooming?

Secluded within the Heart Realm, Xu Jingming had cultivated the Nine-leaf Black Lotus Flame, resonating with the Abyss Red Lotus. He sensed its transformation, preparing for its final, perfect bloom.

Now’s my chance. Xu Jingming realized, eyes glinting sharply. In an instant, he fragmented into three duplicates, followed by the materialization of thousands of Black Lotus incarnations, all sculpted from the Black Lotus Fire.

Heart Realm teleportation!

Even though Overlord Yandi’s Sin Spring Water smothered the entire Abyss Red Lotus, obscuring visibility from the Heart Realm, Xu Jingming counted on his heightened intuition. He projected thousands of black lotus incarnations across vast distances, each one materializing at different points on the immense Abyss Red Lotus, but nearly all of them were wiped out instantly, leaving only dozens of incarnations standing. Only then did he command his three clones to execute the teleportation from the Heart Realm!

…

Overlord Yandi had put up with Xu Jingming’s antics for centuries. Now, with the Abyss Red Lotus finally in bloom, he didn’t hold back. Unleashing the full force of the Sin Spring Water, he saturated every conceivable space.

He had to bide his time until the Abyss Red Lotus reached full bloom before he could harvest it.

As Xu Jingming channeled thousands of black lotus incarnations from the Heart Realm, many emerged mere feet away from the Abyss Red Lotus. Some even materialized on the unfurling petals, only to be infiltrated by the ever-pervasive Sin Spring Water. The instant they appeared, they were corrupted and melted away.

Xu Jingming’s physical form could have withstood the onslaught of the Sin Spring Water, but these fragile incarnations, created from mere wisps of Nine-leaf Black Lotus Fire, stood no chance.

Out of the thousands, only a handful of black lotus incarnations successfully infiltrated the Abyss Red Lotus!

Some found their way into the flower bud.

Others teleported into the stem.

Some ended up amongst the lotus seeds.

Success. Satisfied with this minor victory, Xu Jingming promptly directed three clones from the Heart Realm to teleport in. One descended into the Abyss Red Lotus stem, while the other two materialized over the lotus pod within the flower bud.

He’s breached the Abyss Red Lotus? The thought left Overlord Yandi seething with rage and frustration.

He’d made it clear that he wouldn’t permit this intruder to witness the blooming of the Abyss Red Lotus. Yet, the stubborn interloper had forced his way in regardless, and Yandi had been powerless to stop him.

“What can you possibly do now that he’s inside the Abyss Red Lotus? Blow it apart to eliminate him? Remember, he hails from the Heart Realm lineage. Destroying a mere clone won’t have any effect on him,” chided the withered tree figure.
Overlord Yandi fumed. “The Heart Realm lineage is notoriously tough to deal with. He’s actually made it inside the Abyss Red Lotus. No matter. As soon as it reaches full bloom, I’ll pluck and collect it.”

The colossal Abyss Red Lotus bud had already begun its gradual unfurling process.

Atop the lotus pod, Xu Jingming’s two clones studied the entire Abyss Red Lotus with meticulous scrutiny.

Another clone tapped into the stem, taking in the inner mechanisms of the Abyss Red Lotus.

The intricacies of the entire Abyss Red Lotus are extraordinary. Xu Jingming noted, considering his experience cultivating the Red Lotus Fire to the nine-leaf Black Lotus Realm. He’d spent countless years poring over the Abyss Red Lotus Diagram.

Finally witnessing the true Abyss Red Lotus, a sense of enlightenment washed over him! Past mysteries that had plagued him abruptly fell into place.

The Abyss Red Lotus is akin to a universe, governed by incredibly stringent laws. These laws can effortlessly purify sins, converting them into nourishment to sustain the Abyss Red Lotus, Xu Jingming marveled.

Purification of sins can indeed be achieved with such simplicity.

Xu Jingming set about crafting an Abyss Red Lotus Diagram within his own body. Prior uncertainties faded away.

As per the legacy’s narrative, he needed to observe the Abyss Red Lotus personally to stand a chance of grasping its secrets. This time, Xu Jingming’s understanding clicked into place.

The Abyss Red Lotus Diagram, etched by the Master of the Abyssal Void, had laid out all the intricacies, but it was merely a static representation. The genuine Abyss Red Lotus is teeming with life.

Among the three Heart Realm disciplines Xu Jingming pursued, Red Lotus Fire was the first to be deciphered. However, the psychic weapon and illusory realm disciplines had outpaced it, advancing to the half-step third realm. Red Lotus Fire lagged behind.

But now, everything aligned as he fathomed the crucial elements.

The aura emanating from the Abyss Red Lotus Diagram, taking form within Xu Jingming, expanded in magnitude. The Nine-leaf Black Lotus Fire—previously condensed within his body—melded into the Abyss Red Lotus Diagram, naturally evolving into a blood-red inferno!

The Red Lotus Fire fed on sin to ignite both body and mind. All manner of karma and grievances could be consumed by the flames! When engulfed by the Red Lotus Fire, the effect was a complete Karma Severance!

Red Lotus Fire? Xu Jingming felt a strand of the Red Lotus Fire undergo a transformation within him.

Chi! Chi! Chi!

The Red Lotus Fire blazed within Xu Jingming, his form entirely constituted of Heart Realm Force! As a being with an Abyssal Void body, he possessed a remarkably high energy density. Since the Red Lotus Fire was a manifestation of his own making, he was naturally able to control its intensity, preventing any severe self-destruction.

The Red Lotus Fire holds the power to scorch one’s sins, physical form, mind, and consciousness. With the legacy in his possession, Xu Jingming understood precisely how to wield it.

Against foes, the Red Lotus Fire served as a formidable weapon. Yet, it was also instrumental in achieving Karma Severance.

Moreover, it could foster inner growth.

Indeed, every lineage contributed beneficially to one’s being. The Abyssal Void’s colossal form, the psychic weapon lineage’s high energy density, and the Red Lotus Fire lineage’s ability to internally and externally temper the body by incineration—all played essential roles.

Incinerate the sins and grievances entwined within oneself to achieve a state of emptiness, optimally balancing body and mind.

Burning the physical form could purify it, leading to a more perfect state.

Setting one’s mind and consciousness ablaze also serves as a training method.

Xu Jingming felt a wave of warmth surge through him. Every corner of his being was alight with the Red Lotus Fire.

When directed at enemies, the Red Lotus Fire was a tool of destruction. Yet, the flame that danced within him was gentle, gradually burning away all impurities from his being.

Only a form that can withstand the relentless onslaught of the Red Lotus Fire can reach perfection. Xu Jingming felt his body transform. The Heart Realm Force his body could contain increased, his mental strength purifying further.

Xu Jingming sensed his capabilities enhance. Where he could once sustain two Abyssal Voids simultaneously, he now possessed the capacity to maintain at least three concurrently.

…

The petals of the Abyss Red Lotus gradually unfurled, exposing the two clones of Xu Jingming perched on the enormous lotus pod.

“Finally, we meet.” A face adorned with nine eyes manifested on the surface of the mighty Sin Spring, regarding Xu Jingming with astonishment. That’s because faint, blood-hued flames were rising from the bodies of the two Xu Jingming duplicates.

These flames seemed to seep out from every single pore, setting every inch of him ablaze.

He’s turned entirely elusive to my karmic senses! Overlord Yandi reeled in shock. Aside from confirming he’s alive, I can’t pinpoint any of his clones’ locations.

Karma Severance?

Naturally, Overlord Yandi was aware that certain schools excelled in isolating karma.

For instance, the beast hide space bequeathed by Liu Mangxing, the father of the high-dimensional child, could isolate karma.

Likewise, the Red Lotus Fire, the brainchild of the Master of the Abyssal Void, was proficient at Karma Severance.

With such skills, locking onto an adversary’s location through karma, let alone launching an attack, was incredibly challenging. Though Karma Severance may not be as lethal, it provided immense advantages to its wielder.

I can’t discern the number of clones he possesses, let alone their whereabouts. Overlord Yandi observed the blood-colored flames wreathing Xu Jingming. Could he have mastered the Red Lotus Fire?

Overlord Yandi was in disbelief.

Could it be that he’s harnessed three half-step-third-realm techniques just 34,000 years post his birth? Overlord Yandi felt a shiver run down his spine. I’ve never come across such an aberration before!