Chapter 128
The Phoenix.
A transcendent species, known in many myths and legends as the divine bird, notorious for its strained relations with dragons. It’s said to be immortal, capable of turning continents into seas of fire with a single flap of its wings. Yet, no one has ever witnessed such a creature, relegating it to mere legend.
Yan, through his past and present lives, had neither seen nor heard tales of the Phoenix’s existence.
But then…
[Heart of the Phoenix]
A small glass vial stood before him, its label clearly stating: “Heart of the Phoenix.”
And again.
[That’s it! The genuine article! Grab it without hesitation. It’s the finest thing here, no, even if you combined everything on this floor, it wouldn’t compare!]
Momon, too, was thrilled at the reality of the Phoenix’s heart, escaping his pocket to exclaim loudly.
Yan shook his head vigorously, snapping back to reality.
He then began to deliberate between the Giant King’s Elixir and the Heart of the Phoenix.
‘The Giant King’s Elixir, its powers are known, but the Heart of the Phoenix is a mystery.’
Its potential energy and unknown abilities were enigmas.
Moreover, medicine can be as dangerous as poison; consuming the wrong substance could lead to lifelong consequences.
However.
‘After all, the essence of an elixir lies in its proper absorption.’
Besides, the Heart of the Phoenix, with its fiery nature, is said to incinerate all that is tainted, thus free from toxicity or curses.
Yan reached out decisively.
His hand moved towards the glass wall that housed the Heart of the Phoenix.
Zing.
As Yan extended his hand, the glass wall emitted a light, then, with a whooshing sound, began to slide open in all directions.
Heatwave!
A wave of intense heat emanated from within the glass wall, warming the entire chamber.
Yan’s lips curled into a smile at the hot sensation at his fingertips.
‘This… is certainly authentic.’
Even without touching it, his fingertips felt singed.
Yan immediately wrapped his body in mana and grasped the Heart of the Phoenix.
Despite the mana shield, heat traveled up his palm.
Yan placed the Heart of the Phoenix on his hand and gazed at it.
Thump-thump!
The grotesque heart pulsed as if alive, drawing in the surrounding mana to generate heat.
Fwoosh.
The heat emitted by the Heart of the Phoenix gradually penetrated the mana and began to invade his skin.
“Hmm.”
Yan drew more mana to counter the heat in a tug-of-war.
Fortunately, it wasn’t enough to burn his skin, but it did raise some internal alarms.
Even with his superhuman mana, he could only prevent the heat from breaching his skin…
“Would swallowing this be a disaster?”
Yan furrowed his brow but then shook his head.
The exact abilities and the extent of mana contained were unknown, but one thing was clear.
This alone could be sufficient to complete the transformation.
Yan placed the heart back into the glass vial and walked out of the Imperial Armory, carrying it whole.
Descending below, the Guardian, as before, came down to inspect the glass box Yan carried.
The Guardian’s eyes widened slightly.
“…That is.”
Recognizing the Heart of the Phoenix, surprise flickered in his eyes.
Yan stared back at the Guardian.
“It’s not forbidden, is it?”
The Guardian stroked his chin, letting out a thoughtful hum.
In Yan’s hand was the Heart of the Phoenix.
Originally meant for the fifth floor, its unverified abilities and associated risks had relegated it to the fourth floor for safekeeping.
“Do you understand that greed for an overwhelming artifact can lead to being devoured by it?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s settled. Take it.”
The pass Yan presented for the fourth floor of the Imperial Armory specified that he could take ‘one’ item of his choosing.
Even if the value of the Heart of the Phoenix was immeasurable, if His Imperial Majesty permitted it, the Guardian had no choice but to comply.
As the Guardian readily agreed, Yan internally sighed in relief.
He knew the Guardian wouldn’t object, but still, it was the Heart of the Phoenix.
He could have contacted the Emperor directly, and there was a chance it could be revoked.
‘Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case.’
* * *
Yan’s Fiery Trial
Returning to his quarters, Yan promptly extracted the Heart of the Phoenix from its glass prison. The throbbing organ began to unleash an immense heat, swiftly raising the room’s temperature.
“Can I truly consume this?” he pondered, setting aside its grotesque appearance. The real concern was whether his innards could endure it. Shielding his innards with mana was a task several times more challenging than protecting his skin.
Then, an idea struck him.
Yan fished out Momon, who was wriggling in his pocket, and placed him on the bed. He gazed at Momon with a serious expression.
“Why do you look at me with such impure intentions?” Momon chided.
“If you were well, altering someone’s temperament would be trivial, right?”
“Hmph! Of course. If I were fully restored, I could overhaul that rotten carcass of yours.”
Yan had mastered various arts and the Dragon’s Breath, reaching superhuman status at a young age. His memories from before his regression had been a significant aid, and his physique had become extraordinary due to his Body Strengthening Technique.
To think his body was referred to as ‘rotten’!
Under different circumstances, this would have irked him, but now, he found it reassuring.
Yan, with a smirk, pointed at the Heart of the Phoenix.
“Then you eat this. And help me out.”
Momon, with his innate understanding of mana, could absorb it without waste. And with his vast knowledge, he could transform Yan’s body.
What a risk-free strategy!
But then, Momon shook his skeletal head.
“Sorry, lad, I can’t swallow that.”
“…?”
Momon raised his bony arm.
“Do you not see this body?”
“Ah…”
Yan finally grasped Momon’s point. Momon was essentially a skeleton—no, he was a skeleton. And the heart was fire, which traditionally incinerates the tainted, making it incompatible with the undead Momon. If Momon’s mana had been vast, he might have ignored the compatibility and attempted absorption. But his current mana was but a pinch.
“Indeed, that would’ve been too easy.”
“Eat it already,” Momon urged.
Yan shook his head in resignation and lifted the Heart of the Phoenix.
Sizzle.
The hideous heart’s heat began to burn through the mana layered over his hand. It was less a heart and more a ball of fire.
Yan had once devoured a goblin’s heart with relish, but this…
‘A ball of fire is another matter…’
Ultimately, Yan ceased his hesitation and popped the Heart of the Phoenix into his mouth.
Crunch, crunch!
Each bite brought a peculiar texture, but that wasn’t the issue.
Normally, biting into a heart would release blood, but the Phoenix’s heart was far from normal.
Whoosh!
Yan’s face flushed red-hot. As his teeth dug into the heart, it felt as though flames surged forth. His mouth burned as if scorched.
Yan grimaced and continued to chew the Heart of the Phoenix.
Gulp!
Covering his entire mouth with mana reduced the pain to a mere numbness.
But that was short-lived.
Throb!
A burning pain erupted in his chest, and Yan’s eyes bulged as he began to convulse.
“Quickly assume the lotus position and use the Dragon’s Breath!” Momon bellowed.
Yan clenched his fists, bit down hard, and struggled into the lotus position. The pain of being consumed by flames was intense, but staying still was far more dangerous.
Having assumed the position, Yan commenced the Dragon’s Breath.
The pain was so profound he felt on the verge of losing consciousness.
Hum.
Mana began to seep from the region around his heart, and soon, the sun, moon, and Mercury started their celestial dance.
And then.
Blaze!
A battle between the heat in his chest and his will ensued.
“Argh!”
Yan bit down hard, stifling the screams trying to escape.
Opening his mouth during the absorption of an elixir would result in a loss of vital energy.
Yan had no intention of wasting the hard-earned elixir.
Heat and mana tangled, chasing each other’s tails.
Then, the heat split into a hundred and eight strands, each seeking escape.
The battlefield was Yan’s body; the escape routes were his mana channels.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The heat raced as if to incinerate his entire body, and the mana ferociously pursued, intent on devouring it.
The ensuing pain was Yan’s alone to bear.
His body trembled, then shook violently like a leaf in the wind.
Yan observed his inner self, biting down and maneuvering his mana.
‘Move faster, faster still!’
If only he could catch the wildly sprinting heat within his mana channels, the pain might lessen.
The heat, divided into a hundred and eight strands and moving too swiftly, was difficult to capture with a single strand of mana.
Sweat poured from Yan’s brow.
He maneuvered his mana to absorb the heat, but the rampant heat was overwhelming.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!
Perhaps it was Yan’s desperate wish.
His mana swelled suddenly, rampaging through the mana channels.
The captured heat increased its intensity in defiance but was soon devoured.
With each absorption, the mana grew faster and more ferocious.
And before long.
‘Only one remains.’
One last strand of heat lingered.
But there was a problem. The final strand was trapped at a dead end in the mana channels.
And its location was problematic.
‘The crown of the head…!’
The mana’s ferocity meant that even if it devoured the heat, it wouldn’t stop but would break through the blocked mana channel.
Breaking through the mana channel at the crown could lead to two outcomes.
Success would open the Upper Dantian, laying the foundation for ascending to the next realm.
Failure meant living as an imbecile or dying.
Yan ground his teeth and clenched his fist.
‘Let’s do this.’
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t gamble like this, but he was already riding the tiger.
To dismount now would mean being devoured.
As if accepting Yan’s resolve, the mana became even more ferocious.
And as it charged towards the end of the mana channel.
Bang!
With a sound like his head exploding.
Yan fell backward.
Amidst it all, he thought.
‘I survived.’
The damned Heart of the Phoenix had been tenacious, but he had prevailed.
And, by chance, he had opened the Upper Dantian, just a crack.
With a sense of accomplishment, Yan’s eyes rolled back.
“Rrrgh.”
Foam formed at his mouth.