Chapter 740 - 667: Ascend to the Peak 66
When she returned to the Wuji Sect, Shuangshuang first took Feiyu to pay respects to her master, Ling Wuchen. To be honest, after being away for so long, Shuangshuang really missed her master Ling Wuchen.
She had no father, and although her second master, Si Kaojing, treated her well, it was because of her parents. Shuangshuang felt close to Si Kaojing, but emotionally, there was still a slight gap compared to her master, Ling Wuchen.
Because Ling Wuchen’s care for her was not because of anyone else, but because she was his disciple. He cared for her like a father, constantly guiding her, teaching and enlightening her.
Emotionally, Shuangshuang already considered Ling Wuchen as her father, a bond closer than her own parents whom she never met. Seeing Ling Wuchen right now, Shuangshuang felt happiness from the bottom of her heart.
Ling Wuchen naturally was also delighted by Shuangshuang’s return. Knowing that Shuangshuang loved to eat, he had specially gathered some delicacies during this period, just waiting for Shuangshuang to return and enjoy.
Out of courtesy, Shuangshuang also took Feiyu to meet Ling Wuchen. For the sake of his beloved disciple, Ling Wuchen as an elder prepared a generous gift for Feiyu, making Feiyu feel flattered.
After returning to the sect, Shuangshuang originally planned to enter closed-door cultivation with Feiyu and Fei Hu for a while, then head to the Heaven-Reaching Road for training. However, after a few days in seclusion, Shuangshuang couldn’t stay put. The reason was simple; cultivation isn’t something that can be done behind closed doors.
Simply cultivating in seclusion without any experience doesn’t lead to growth in one’s cultivation. Her heart realm was not up to par. In her previous life and this one, Shuangshuang hadn’t gained much experience. Although she was reborn, her heart realm hadn’t improved much. As for Feiyu, his heart realm was even less developed than Shuangshuang’s.
Having no choice, Shuangshuang dragged Feiyu along with Fei Hu straight to the mission exchange hall of the Wuji Sect, planning to find a task to venture out, earn some sect Contribution Points, and train themselves in the process.
The sect missions also have levels. The warrior level is the minimum requirement for accepting tasks. What level of cultivation one reaches dictates what level of task can be accepted. Although Shuangshuang had the strength of a Great Martial Artist level, her cultivation was still at the Martial Master level, so she couldn’t accept tasks beyond her level.
Shuangshuang searched for a long time and finally found a relatively thrilling mission: heading to Feiyan Ridge to pick a kind of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Medicine. The reward was quite generous, as the location where the Spiritual Medicine grew was dangerous, at the mouth of a volcano with churning lava, surrounded by powerful Companion Magical Beasts.
As long as one takes on the mission, the person who released the task would furnish, free of charge, a Magic Robe that could resist volcanic lava. This Magic Robe wasn’t just one piece of clothing, but ten sets in total, for the taskers to change. It was feared that the Spiritual Medicine wasn’t mature yet, necessitating a long stay. The robe couldn’t withstand the heat of the lava and might be damaged.
Shuangshuang accepted this task because it was said to be issued for Martial Masters, but actually, it was for those at the Half-step Great Martial Master level. Even newly-promoted Great Martial Masters could accept it. This was the highest level mission Shuangshuang could find for someone with Martial Master level cultivation.
Before setting off, Shuangshuang took Fei Hu and Feiyu to the Artifact Refining Peak to custom-make ten sets of Magic Robes better than the ones provided by the task issuer, regardless of cost. Going to such a dangerous place, one couldn’t skimp on protection.
Shuangshuang spent twenty thousand Spiritual Pearls on this equipment, using up a quarter of the reward. Adding some subsequent expenses, if half of the reward could land in her hands, it would be generous. However, Shuangshuang wasn’t aiming for the mission’s reward, so she didn’t mind.
Feiyan Ridge is named for its resemblance from afar to a flying goose with outspread wings, with the area’s active volcanic lava situated at the goose’s throat.
Still setting off on the Cloud Magic Artifact, Shuangshuang and Feiyu quickly arrived at the place. The local terrain was also unique, with a huge volcanic vent soaring skyward, the lava inside boiling but not erupting even once in hundreds of years.
Amidst that lava center, remarkably, there is a flat stone platform. Even more strangely, on this platform grow dense, blood-red plants emerging from the rocks.
The flowers of these plants are the size of bowls, vividly red, covering the stone platform. This was the target of Shuangshuang’s mission, the appearance of Flame Fruit flowers.
The blooming period of the Flame Fruit is long. Initially, when blooming, it is white, continually absorbing the eruptive energy from the surrounding rolling lava. As the energy is absorbed, the petals of the Flame Fruit will gradually turn red. When the petals become a bright red color, it indicates sufficient energy has been absorbed.
Once the energy is sufficient, the Flame Fruit will begin to bear fruits. During fruiting, the energy from the flower’s tip will slowly enter the fruit, and the Flame Fruit will mature in a few days.
As the Flame Fruit matures, the color on the flower’s bud will gradually fade. This is due to the energy in the petals entering the fruit. When the Flame Fruit is fully matured, the petals that have turned back to white will fall off. That is the time to harvest the fully matured Flame Fruit.
Flame Fruit is a high-quality Spiritual Medicine. Although it is a fruit, it is not a Spirit Fruit and cannot be eaten directly. It must be processed through Alchemy to remove the explosive energy from the fruit, leaving only the gentle energy of the Flame Fruit that humans can absorb in the Elixir.
Harvesting Flame Fruit isn’t easy. Fei Hu is entirely covered in fur, and the only places it can dissipate heat are the soles of its feet, its nose, and tongue. Compared to humans, it fears heat more and instinctively dislikes such air full of heatwaves; it’s just too hot.
Unwilling to let Fei Hu suffer such unnecessary torment, Shuangshuang left Fei Hu outside, equipping it with a Magic Robe. This robe not only shields from the harm of volcanic lava but also insulates against heat. Although wearing a piece of clothing, Fei Hu immediately felt much cooler.
Shuangshuang and Feiyu donned their prepared protective Magic Robes and cautiously leaped into the volcano’s mouth. To avoid other weapons being melted by the lava, Shuangshuang directly took out the Thousand Silk Entanglement.
During the descent, Shuangshuang and Feiyu did not encounter any attacks, both safely landing on the platform filled with Flame Flowers.
Shuangshuang first inspected these Flame Flowers to see whether any were mature or beginning to mature, finding none mature yet. However, a few were close to maturity. After estimating the Flame Fruit’s approximate maturity time, Shuangshuang left.
Staying in magma waiting for the Flame Fruit to mature wasn’t something Shuangshuang planned to do. Previously, Shuangshuang had checked that the fastest maturing Flame Fruit would take at least a month.
Flame Fruit has Companion Magical Beasts, but these magical beasts usually remain asleep, only awakening and gathering around the Flame Fruit when it is about to mature to protect it from being picked. Once the Flame Fruit matures, the Companion Magical Beasts would swallow the Flame Fruit to enhance their strength.