Chapter 1012: Supreme Yin True Flame

“Silvermoon, you’re awake?” Han Li was momentarily stunned but inwardly delighted, though his voice remained calm as he asked.

“Yes, I just woke up when you entered the hall. These years of recuperation have only allowed me to barely regain consciousness. I’m afraid I won’t be able to assist you in other ways for now,” Silvermoon replied slowly.

“Has your spiritual sense been damaged?”

Though she sounded fine, Han Li faintly sensed something off about Silvermoon’s mood and couldn’t help but frown.

“I’m fine. It’s just that this slumber has restored a small portion of my memories, and I’m still adjusting,” Silvermoon answered with a forced smile.

“Recovered some memories?” Han Li raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Yes. It feels like my past is so distant, as if it belonged to someone else. But most of my memories still elude me.” Silvermoon sighed softly, a hint of sorrow in her voice.

“Remembering some of your past is still a good thing. Perhaps, with time, you’ll recall everything,” Han Li consoled her after a brief silence, his tone indifferent.

“Perhaps,” Silvermoon murmured in a barely audible voice.

“By the way, you said this thing is actually the Yin True Flame? You’re certain?” Han Li abruptly changed the subject, pointing at the object clutched in his other hand, which was wreathed in purple flames.

Within the violet blaze, a small cluster of crimson fire continuously morphed into various miniature birds, darting left and right as if alive, brimming with spirituality.

“I’m not mistaken. This is indeed a condensed essence of Yin Flame. From my memories, this flame is still at its lowest tier. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have suffered such spiritual damage from just a few sword strikes. But it’s fortunate that this is the Yin True Flame and not the Sun Essence Flame. Though both are of extreme cold, this flame has only recently formed and is far weaker than the Violet Netherflame. Otherwise, the Violet Netherflame wouldn’t have been able to contain it. If it were the Sun Essence Flame, even the lowest tier could break free by sacrificing some of its origin power. However, if nurtured to a higher tier, this flame’s power will undoubtedly surpass the Violet Netherflame. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be renowned alongside the Sun Essence Flame as one of the Three Great True Spirit Flames of the human realm,” Silvermoon explained carefully.

“This flame is that formidable? The Three Great True Spirit Flames? I’ve never heard of them before,” Han Li said, eyeing the spiritual fire with skepticism.

After all, this crimson flame merely appeared highly spiritual—it didn’t seem particularly difficult to handle.

“The Three Great True Spirit Flames are something that surfaced in my mind upon seeing this flame. It seems I know quite a few obscure things,” Silvermoon chuckled wryly.

“If it’s something ingrained in your memories, then this flame must be genuine. Since it’s also an extreme cold Yin Flame, do you think my Violet Netherflame can devour and assimilate it?” Han Li’s eyes gleamed with contemplation.

“It should be possible. But rather than having the Violet Netherflame consume it, it would be better to let this flame devour the Violet Netherflame instead. After all, this True Flame already possesses a trace of sentience. Destroying it would be a waste, and its power would diminish significantly,” Silvermoon cautioned.

“Hmm, you make a fair point. But first, I must refine this flame. Its sentience makes refinement more challenging,” Han Li nodded.

“However, Master, it would be best if this flame could also absorb a trace of the Sun Essence Flame. If so, the fusion of Yin and Yang, combined with the Violet Netherflame’s power, would make its might unimaginable. It might truly become capable of burning anything in the human realm,” Silvermoon said with a smile.

“The Sun Essence Flame? If we could capture it, that would be ideal. But as the Great Divination Sage once said, that flame is something no cultivator in this realm can hope to obtain. It’s just wishful thinking,” Han Li frowned, sounding resigned.

“That’s true. But since you’ve obtained the Yin True Flame, which counters and complements the Sun Essence Flame, perhaps you could use it to capture the latter,” Silvermoon suggested hesitantly, though she seemed uncertain.

“We’ll discuss this later. Who knows how long it’ll take to refine the Yin True Flame,” Han Li mused but shook his head.

Silvermoon chuckled lightly and dropped the subject, shifting instead to a reminder: “Master, you’ll need to place restrictions on the Yin True Flame before storing it. Otherwise, it might escape its container at the slightest mishap.”

“Of course, I’m well aware!” Han Li grinned and suddenly tossed the violet flames into the air.

A cluster of purple fire, cradling the Yin Flame, floated gently above his head.

Then, his fingers flicked rapidly, releasing thin arcs of lightning that swiftly wove around the flames, encasing them in a fist-sized golden sphere that gleamed brilliantly.

Silvermoon seemed to chuckle softly.

This method was nearly identical to how Han Li had once imprisoned the Dry Blue Iceflame. But now, with his current cultivation, his technique was far more refined.

Han Li then retrieved a crimson jade box and placed the golden sphere inside. His gaze then shifted to the massive cauldron encased in ice.

“An extreme Yin flame like this should naturally arise in frigid regions. Yet it emerged from this cauldron—how peculiar. Could it be that whatever was forged here was of extreme cold, leading to the birth of this flame through the balance of Yin and Yang?” Han Li stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Silvermoon remained silent, evidently finding it strange as well.

After a moment, Han Li stopped pondering and stepped forward to the frozen cauldron.

With a flick of his sleeve, a thick bolt of lightning struck the ice, instantly spreading into a golden net that covered its surface.

A crackling flash later, the massive ice shattered into fragments, revealing the now-quiet cauldron.

Han Li observed the motionless cauldron, then, with a faint glow of cyan light, levitated to hover about ten feet above it.

Despite the flight-restriction formations in the area, Han Li’s mid-Nascent Soul cultivation allowed him to defy them briefly.

The red light inside the cauldron had vanished, revealing its contents clearly. Han Li’s expression flickered slightly before he reached out with a hand.

With a *whoosh*, a translucent, fist-sized object flew out and landed in his palm. Warm like jade yet slightly elastic to the touch, it was unlike anything he’d seen before.

“What is this?” Han Li frowned.

“Master, there’s no need to overthink it. After tens of thousands of years of forging, whatever material this was has surely transformed into something unrecognizable. But the Yin True Flame’s birth must be linked to it—it was certainly no ordinary item,” Silvermoon remarked dismissively.

“Fair point. I’ll study its uses when I have time,” Han Li chuckled in realization.

A flash of cyan light later, the object vanished into his storage pouch.

After confirming nothing else remained in the cauldron, Han Li formed a hand seal and sent a red incantation downward.

The cauldron trembled violently before shrinking rapidly amid a crimson glow, soon becoming a miniature version only half a foot tall. A clear, resonant chime echoed from it.

The distant lid flew over on its own, shrinking to fit snugly atop the cauldron.

Once whole, the chime grew louder, brimming with joy.

Impressed by its sentience, Han Li waved his sleeve, summoning a cyan mist that enveloped the cauldron and brought it to his palm.

He examined the vermilion cauldron closely, his satisfaction growing.

Suddenly, he formed another seal and lightly tapped the cauldron.

A radiant red light burst forth as the lid opened slightly, releasing countless fist-sized firebirds—ugly, crimson creatures that were none other than extreme Yang Fire Crows.

Spitting flames, the crows darted around the hall under Han Li’s control, clustering and dispersing with remarkable agility.

These were manifestations of the earthfire essence the cauldron had accumulated over millennia, each as potent as a true fire-attribute spirit beast.

After testing the cauldron’s abilities, Han Li stored it away, pleased to have gained another formidable weapon.

Though the Three Flames Fan’s power surpassed the cauldron’s, its massive mana consumption made Han Li reluctant to use it often.

He then thoroughly searched the hall but found nothing else of note.

As he prepared to leave, his gaze lingered on the dozen fiery pillars. On a whim, he summoned flying swords and severed all the dragon-carved pillars at their bases, collecting the massive structures without hesitation.

Though not sentient like the cauldron, these pillars had absorbed terrifying amounts of fire essence over the years, making them extraordinary materials or artifacts.

After one final sweep, Han Li exited the hall with a smile, ready to explore the remaining structures.

Unfortunately, his luck seemed spent after the Hall of Spirit Refinement. Aside from a few mundane forging jade slips in an inconspicuous pavilion, he found nothing else of value in the Forging Spirit Hall.