Shi Hao gasped heavily, his chest heaving violently. This battle had drained much of his energy. Though it hadn’t lasted long, it was undoubtedly a grueling fight. Just moments ago, he had employed every means at his disposal, unleashing his most formidable techniques and pushing his physical limits to the extreme. Otherwise, the battle would have dragged on for at least half a day.
The sheer terror of this trial was evident—forcing Shi Hao to treat it with such gravity and summon his true fury to emerge victorious was an exceedingly rare occurrence. Since his debut, the number of times he had been pushed to such extremes could be counted on one hand!
Though it might sound simple, this battle had been anything but easy. The black colosseum had vanished, leaving only the vast hall and the sound of his ragged breathing, which took a long while to settle.
“As expected of a trial set by the ancient gods!” he murmured.
Both the ancestors of Little Rascal and the Sacred Emperor of the Fire Nation had ascended to godhood. Upon reflection, it made sense that a colosseum left behind by deities of antiquity would be this formidable. An ordinary person would stand no chance of passing—even a pure-blooded creature would perish here!
Four massive crimson pillars stood amidst the ruins of the colosseum, glowing with an astonishing aura, as if they were the very pillars holding up the heavens. Shi Hao approached them—this was the **Four Strikes of the Primordial Vermilion Bird**!
Each towering pillar bore an inscription of a single strike, exuding an overwhelming divine might that suffocated anyone who drew near. Shi Hao halted before the first pillar, wreathed in flames and pulsing with scarlet light. Upon it, a Vermilion Bird was depicted in motion—soaring to strike the heavens above and the abyss below.
It was not a static image. The bird continuously beat its wings, ascending to the skies and diving into the underworld. Shi Hao calmed his mind and studied it intently. Though he was a prodigy in cultivation, capable of mastering most glyphs and treasures at a glance, here he remained motionless for a long time, absorbing every detail lest he miss something crucial.
An entire day and night passed before he finally moved, slowly stretching his limbs. His arms spread like wings, his feet stepped upon the void, and his body erupted with an indomitable aura.
He soared into the air, embodying the most ferocious aspects of the Primordial Vermilion Bird. A blazing, overwhelming dominance radiated from him—this was the essence of the Vermilion Bird, a being that commanded fire essence, capable of incinerating gods and demons alike.
These four strikes did not focus on fire-based divine abilities but instead embodied an unrivaled supremacy, pushing the limits of flesh and glyphs to unimaginable heights. Even someone as formidable as Shi Hao—whose physique was peerless, unyielding even against the Golden Body of the Sky-Mending Sect—felt his bones crackling like frying beans, his entire body trembling rhythmically.
An ordinary person would have been torn apart, their body shattered beyond repair. To wield such heaven-defying techniques, one must first endure destruction.
Next, Shi Hao approached the second pillar, immersing himself in its mysteries. The sound of scripture chanting echoed in the air, startling him. He looked up to see a faint golden glow shimmering above.
“A divine sanctuary…” he murmured in astonishment.
The Sacred Emperor’s Palace had this effect—spending months here might equate to only a day or two in the outside world. It made sense; even ordinary divine sanctuaries had miraculous properties, let alone this place.
Relieved, Shi Hao no longer worried about missing the grand battle awaiting him.
The four colossal crimson pillars embodied the techniques of the Primordial Vermilion Bird, and Shi Hao lost himself in their depths, sometimes standing motionless for days before suddenly bursting into motion, unleashing a fierce and domineering combat art that seemed capable of shattering the heavens.
Only four strikes, yet they contained boundless profundity—an endless array of glyphs left behind by ancient deities. Few who reached this place could comprehend them fully.
But Shi Hao was an exception. The more he studied, the more exhilarated he became. This technique seemed tailor-made for him, demanding a physique so robust that it posed no challenge to him.
He retrieved several artifacts and hurled them into the air before leaping up himself, his movements as swift and precise as a Vermilion Bird striking down stars from the sky.
*Boom!*
The artifacts shattered midair, incinerated into ash by the sheer force of the strikes. The Primordial Vermilion Bird’s techniques were devastating—unyielding, overwhelming, and wreathed in flames.
After over a month of relentless refinement, Shi Hao had mastered the four strikes to perfection. Their complexity was unfathomable, and the demands they placed on the practitioner were extreme.
But Shi Hao met those demands. His unbreakable body, as sturdy as diamond, allowed him to execute the techniques flawlessly without harming himself.
Such a domineering art was perfect for decisive battles—its sheer ferocity could shake the very stars!
Silently, four black steles materialized before him, their surfaces cold and gleaming with inscriptions meant to test his progress.
Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed. His palm burned crimson as a glyph formed within it. With a single strike—
*Boom!*
The first stele exploded. The second shattered. The third split apart. The fourth cracked before collapsing.
These steles were forged from fragments of stars, tempered with immense power to be indestructible and as heavy as ancient divine mountains. Yet, a single strike had annihilated them all.
According to the inscriptions, these were meant for a true Vermilion Bird. No further words were needed—Shi Hao had achieved perfection.
Everything vanished, even the markings on the four pillars fading away.
Days later, Huo Ling’er awoke, her aura transcendent. The Sacred Emperor’s Scripture above her head dimmed before dissipating into motes of light.
Her mind was now filled with profound techniques, and even her eyes seemed deeper, more enigmatic. It took her a long while to fully regain her bearings.
“The palace is vast. We should press forward—there must be more opportunities ahead,” she said, recalling what the Fire Emperor had told her. Though each person’s fortune varied, they had barely scratched the surface.
“Let’s go. Maybe we’ll dig up a true Vermilion Bird’s bone,” Shi Hao quipped.
Huo Ling’er rolled her eyes. Her lineage carried traces of Vermilion Bird blood—this was no joking matter to her.
Her figure was graceful, her long hair flowing, her flawless body now radiating an even more ethereal glow after her enlightenment.
The great hall was shrouded in mist, scarlet mists swirling as they traversed vast, silent regions before finally arriving at a radiant expanse.
Ahead, the mist parted to reveal two glowing pits, their brilliance piercing the haze like divine treasures emerging.
Huo Ling’er gasped in astonishment, then burst into excitement, jumping and cheering like a child.
“We’ve found it! The **Nirvana Pools**! Not everyone who enters this place is fortunate enough to encounter them—they are the very foundation of the Sacred Emperor’s Palace’s greatest blessings!”
Shi Hao spotted a stele nearby, confirming her words.
They hurried forward. The two pools were side by side, one blazing crimson, the other shimmering gold, both filled with molten lava—and something even more astonishing.
Golden lotuses grew within the magma, their petals radiant and fragrant, brimming with life force.
“Plants… growing in lava?”
Each pool held over a dozen of these lotuses, compact yet dazzling. But the most extraordinary feature was the occasional drop of crimson-gold liquid that materialized in the air above and fell into the pools.
“Divine essence!” Shi Hao’s expression shifted.
He sensed it—the true marvel of these Nirvana Pools lay in these droplets, which carried a familiar yet far purer energy than the divine essence he had extracted from the Sunfish.
“Nirvana Nectar!” Huo Ling’er breathed, her voice trembling.
She explained its origins—the Primordial Vermilion Bird had once dwelled in the Barren Lands, using this place as a retreat. It had undergone nirvana here, leaving behind traces of its essence.
This was the foundation of the Fire Clan’s sacred land, the source of their divine blessings. Countless ancestors of the Fire Clan had soared to greatness after bathing in these pools, undergoing unimaginable transformations.
Huo Ling’er, having already obtained the Sacred Emperor’s Scripture, now stood before the Nirvana Nectar—her path to glory was assured. Every Fire Emperor had walked this road.
Shi Hao’s heart surged with anticipation. The gains from this journey had been immense—what kind of metamorphosis awaited him now?
“The Nirvana Nectar is sacred. One must be flawless and pure to enter, and an ancient ritual must be performed to honor the Primordial Vermilion Bird, lest disaster strike,” Huo Ling’er warned.
“Flawless and pure… does that mean we have to bathe first? Then we can enter the pools together for a sacred baptism?” Shi Hao teased.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll gouge your eyes out!” Huo Ling’er snapped, recalling past incidents.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage