Chapter 5811
The most seriously injured disciples were prioritized for treatment at the spirit spring, where disciples with some medical knowledge assisted in cleaning their wounds, administering medicinal pills, and guiding them to absorb the gentle life essence from the spring water. Those with
minor injuries were assigned to guard the edge of the safe zone.
Although the area designated by Kai seemed absolutely safe, years of caution prevented them from being careless.
Some also began carefully collecting the newly sprouted flame spirit herbs, distributing them to suitable disciples to aid in healing, as instructed by Kai.
Shi Yan and Ying Wu recovered the fastest and took the initiative to coordinate and care for the seriously injured.
Ling Shuang was also carefully helped by Ying Wu to sit down on a flat, warm crystal stone beside the spirit spring.
She took the medicinal pills Kai had given her earlier and drank a mouthful of the clear spirit spring water.
She felt a cool and refreshing sensation flow through her limbs, and a tingling, healing sensation came from her burned meridians, making her almost groan with pleasure.
She began to focus on circulating the “Burning Heaven Sword Technique.” The pure and gentle fire elemental energy within the secret realm seeped into her meridians, repairing her injuries with far greater efficiency than outside.
Seeing that everyone had settled down and order was gradually returning, Kai looked up at a towering fiery crystal mountain in the distance, its summit ablaze with the phantom of a golden palace.
At the mountain’s peak, a familiar figure in crimson robes stood alone, his back to the safe zone below, facing the endless sea of fire deeper within the secret realm.
The heatwave ruffled his sleeves, his back revealing a hint of loneliness and desolation.
It was none other than Ling Yan, the Heavenly Fire Sword Master.
With a slight thought, Kai’s figure vanished from his spot.
The next moment, he appeared silently beside Ling Yan, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
Ling Yan’s body trembled almost imperceptibly, but he didn’t turn around, as if he had already anticipated Kai’s arrival. Silence fell
between them for a moment, broken only by the low roar of the fiery world below and the howling of the hot wind.
Silence flowed, yet it wasn’t awkward; rather, it possessed a subtle, unspoken understanding between masters.
After a long while, Ling Yan broke the silence.
His voice was no longer the initial arrogant and cold interrogation, but carried a complex emotion—inquiry,感慨, and a hint of barely concealed weariness.
“Just who…who are you?”
he paused, as if carefully choosing his words, before continuing.
“Seventh Rank of Human Immortal Realm… No, just now when you used your technique, your aura had a momentary sense of perfect harmony and sublimation, clearly indicating that you were on the verge of a breakthrough, far beyond what an ordinary seventh rank cultivator could achieve.”
“Your methods of dispelling, calming, and even controlling the violent fire spirit power here are definitely not from any known cultivation technique passed down in the Tenth Heaven.”
“And that sword strike you displayed outside the canyon… what exactly was that sword intent?”
“I have cultivated swordsmanship for thousands of years, and I believe I have unique insights into both ‘fire’ and ‘sword,’ but I have never seen, and cannot even comprehend, that kind of… realm that seems to transcend the Five Elements and surpass the rules.”
Kai did not directly answer Ling Yan’s series of questions.
His gaze drifted far, fixed on the area he had tamed below, where the figures busily healed.
Then, he looked towards the even more intense and unpredictable depths of the secret realm, asking a question instead of answering.
“Heavenly Fire Sword Master, what is your connection with the Fire Spirit Star Lord and the Blazing Fire Demon Lord? How much do you know about this Blazing Fire Secret Realm?”
Ling Yan’s body stiffened noticeably for a moment, as if Kai’s question had touched upon a secret buried deep within his heart.
He slowly turned his head, scrutinizing Kai’s profile for the first time with an equal and discerning gaze.
This young face was calm and serene, his eyes deep as ancient wells, yet seemingly reflecting the raging flames and the endless starry sky.
Another long silence followed, Ling Yan’s face flashing with struggle, reminiscence, bitterness, and other emotions, finally culminating in a long, heavy sigh, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted.
“Very well… Since you possess the Fire Control Steps, can readily identify the name of the Blazing Fire Demon Lord, and have… such incredible sword intent and methods, there are some things I might as well tell you. Perhaps… this is fate.”
Ling Yan’s gaze turned to the deepest part of the secret realm, the direction where the flames were most vibrant and the energy fluctuations most subtle and terrifying. His voice became ethereal, as if traversing endless time.
“Fire Spirit Star Lord and Blazing Fire Demon Lord…”
he slowly began, each word seemingly carrying the weight of time.
“They are my senior brothers.”
“Senior brothers?” Kai raised an eyebrow.
This answer surprised him greatly. The Fire Spirit Star Lord and Blazing Fire Demon Lord fought each other upon meeting, the kind that was life-or-death. They didn’t seem like fellow disciples at all.
“That’s right.”
Ling Yan nodded, a complex expression of nostalgia and self-mockery on his face.
“That was… a very, very long time ago. So long that the current structure of the Tenth Heaven wasn’t even fully formed yet.”
“Back then, I was just a naive young man wandering the world, living hand to mouth. Because I possessed a faint trace of the Fiery Sun bloodline, I was saved from a near-death experience by a mysterious old man who had traveled here.”
His eyes shone with reverence and warmth.
“That old man, we all respectfully call him Master Yan. He had an ordinary appearance and simple clothes, but he had a pair of eyes that seemed to see through the past and future, and understand the origin of the universe.”
“He saw that although I had mediocre talent, I had a tenacious spirit and a natural affinity and obsession with fire, so he made an exception and took me under his wing.”
“At that time, Master already had two exceptionally talented and brilliant disciples—Eldest Brother Li Jin and Second Brother Huo Ling.”
“Li Jin? Huo Ling?”
Kai repeated softly. These were clearly the real names of the Fire Demon Lord and the Fire Spirit Star Lord before they became famous.