Battle Through The Heavens : I Am The Thunder Emperor

Chapter 161: The Peak of the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder

In the bright, scorching cave, a wave of heat washed over the young man's face.

"Haha, don't worry, Snake Lord. I'm always confident in myself, and I won't forget my promise to you."

Hearing the Snake Lord's words, Mu Yu's handsome face broke into a confident smile. He raised the hand holding the fire seed and, after a brief hesitation, threw it into his open mouth.

As soon as the red fire seed entered his mouth, Mu Yu clamped his lips shut. Instantly, a sensation like boiling water surged down his throat and into his body, causing his hands to clench tightly as veins bulged.

Enduring the searing pain that spread throughout his body, Mu Yu slowly closed his eyes, focusing inward.

As his consciousness delved into his body, a foggy, hazy internal landscape appeared in Mu Yu's mind.

The red fire seed that had entered his body had already broken down into tiny threads of crimson flame. These flames, filled with terrifying energy, were rampaging through his meridians, burning everything in their path.

Within the meridians, the crimson flames ran wild, and in just a few minutes, Mu Yu's insides were nearly destroyed.

Seeing this, Mu Yu quickly summoned the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder, using its lightning power to form a thin barrier between the crimson flames and his meridians.

With the protection of the lightning shield, although Mu Yu's body was still being ravaged by the terrifying Heavenly Flame, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

However, the lightning shield began to falter under the relentless assault of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame.

Just as the shield was on the verge of collapse, the Snake Lord's deep voice suddenly rang out: "My bloodline power was also evolved through the use of a Heavenly Flame, so it can resist some of the flame's corrosion. I'll lend it to you today."

With that, the Snake Lord quickly formed a hand seal, and a mysterious golden-purple light emanated from his body, eventually settling over Mu Yu.

Nodding gratefully at the Snake Lord, Mu Yu closed his eyes. Suddenly, a strange sensation flowed from the top of his head down into his body.

As the golden-purple light entered his body, Mu Yu felt the intense heat and searing pain subside significantly.

The light flowed through his meridians, spreading throughout his body. Everywhere it passed, a thin golden-purple membrane formed over his meridians and bones.

This membrane effectively neutralized the intense heat caused by the Heavenly Flame. The sudden relief made Mu Yu exhale deeply.

With the golden-purple membrane covering all the crucial areas of his body, Mu Yu cautiously attempted to control a thread of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame that was running wild in his meridians.

However, as soon as he made contact with the flame, Mu Yu frowned slightly. The energy of this Heavenly Flame was naturally extremely violent. Even though the Ten Thousand Beast Flame was ranked near the bottom of the Heavenly Flame list, it was still not easy to control.

Fortunately, Mu Yu had anticipated this. In terms of raw power, the Skyfire Thunder was just as fierce as the Heavenly Flame, and having mastered twelve types of Skyfire in his previous life, Mu Yu was confident and patient enough to tame the flame.

After his first failed attempt, Mu Yu didn't give up. He continued to drive his will, persistently trying to control the flame.

After countless failed attempts, Mu Yu's calm expression finally showed a slight change.

Steadying his mind, Mu Yu was pleasantly surprised to find that the thread of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame in his meridians was beginning to follow the path he was guiding it along.

Noticing this, Mu Yu's spirits lifted, and he carefully controlled the small thread of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, guiding it along his meridian path.

Within his battered meridians, the small crimson flame slowly flowed, interacting with the lightning shield along the way, dissolving and absorbing it.

When Mu Yu finally gathered all the scattered flames into one place, the crimson flames began to merge, eventually forming a small red fire core.

Looking at the fire core that had reappeared, Mu Yu gritted his teeth, suppressing the waves of pain coming from his meridians, and continued guiding the fire core along the path.

As the red fire core flowed out of a major meridian, it completed a full cycle. At that moment, Mu Yu could clearly feel a deeper connection between his mind and the Ten Thousand Beast Flame.

Inside his body, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder in his energy vortex suddenly surged. Like a ravenous wolf, under Mu Yu's command, threads of red lightning flowed out from the vortex, wrapping around the fire core and devouring it.

Although the red fire core, now tamed by Mu Yu, resisted the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder's devouring, it was powerless against Mu Yu's intervention and was quickly overwhelmed and consumed.

Each time a portion of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame was tamed, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder opened its gaping maw, turning it into its nourishment.

As it devoured more and more of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder's aura grew increasingly powerful, like a divine beast slowly awakening from a long slumber, regaining its ancient glory.

Though the process of recovery was slow, the steady influx of the Heavenly Flame provided a constant source of power. Soon, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder had devoured enough of the flame to reach maturity.

Seeing this, Mu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, quietly praising his own plan.

If he hadn't acted as the mediator, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder would have faced numerous setbacks and challenges in trying to devour the Ten Thousand Beast Flame directly, possibly even failing.

After all, as two of the most powerful natural forces, the Heavenly Flame and the Skyfire were nearly equal in rank. If left to devour the Heavenly Flame unchecked, the ensuing struggle might have been too much even for the Snake Lord to suppress.

However, just as Mu Yu was feeling satisfied, an unexpected twist occurred.

As the Ten Thousand Beast Flame was gradually devoured by the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder, it seemed to sense impending doom. The flame, which had calmed somewhat after completing a cycle, suddenly flared up again, becoming more violent.

Crimson flames surged, scorching Mu Yu's meridians through the protective golden-purple membrane. Wherever the flames passed, his meridians were severely damaged, as if they had been grievously wounded.

Through this process of devouring the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, Mu Yu truly realized its terrifying power. Even though the devouring was not yet complete, his body had already been ravaged.

Given the extent of the internal damage, even with healing pills, it would take months of recovery to return to his previous state.

If it weren't for his cultivation of the body-strengthening technique, the Thunder Force Body, which made his body much tougher than an ordinary person's, he might have already been rendered a cripple...

Within his meridians, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder continued to devour the Ten Thousand Beast Flame that Mu Yu fed it, while the flame itself resisted fiercely, pumping out more energy as it was consumed.

As a result, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder's aura rapidly grew, maturing in just a few moments. However, in this cycle of feeding and devouring, Mu Yu's body suffered immense pain and torment.

Inside his meridians, the golden-purple membrane that had been protecting them gradually thinned after prolonged exposure to the Heavenly Flame, eventually becoming nearly transparent and losing its defensive power.

With the membrane gone, the already dire situation inside Mu Yu's body worsened. The intense heat twisted his meridians, causing some of the smaller ones to constrict and block the flow of both the flame and lightning.

Seeing this, Mu Yu quickly channeled his Dou Qi, activating the Thunder Force Body technique, making all thirty lightning patterns on his right arm shine brightly.

Although the Thunder Force Body was primarily an external refining technique and had little effect on his internal organs, the strengthening of his body also made his meridians tougher. Despite the excruciating pain, he could at least ensure his life wasn't in danger.

With all his cards now on the table, Mu Yu gritted his teeth and continued driving the Ten Thousand Beast Flame into the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder.

Only by doing this could he ensure a perfect outcome for his efforts. Otherwise, if the Heavenly Flame retaliated, he might be reduced to ashes on the spot.

"Shh..."

A small tear suddenly appeared on Mu Yu's face, causing blood to flow out and drench half of his face, making him look like a grotesque white-and-red demon.

With his eyes closed, Mu Yu couldn't see how terrifying his appearance had become. He only vaguely felt a sharp pain in his face.

But numb to the pain, Mu Yu didn't stop his plan. He continued focusing on taming the Ten Thousand Beast Flame while the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder devoured it.

Over time, as the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder in his energy vortex absorbed more of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame's essence, it began to emit an aura resembling that of a divine beast awakening from a deep slumber.

As one of the strongest flames in the world, the energy of a Heavenly Flame was incredibly violent and powerful. Compared to it, the ferocity of a magic core's energy was insignificant.

This was why, for millions of years on the Dou Qi Continent, even though many strong warriors had tamed Heavenly Flames, becoming their masters, there had never been anything capable of devouring a Heavenly Flame's energy to evolve.

Mu Yu's attempt to have the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder devour a Heavenly Flame was unprecedented on the Dou Qi Continent. Whether it succeeded or failed, if word got out, it would undoubtedly become a hot topic of discussion.

Even the Snake Lord, who was usually calm and composed, squinted his long, narrow eyes and kept a close watch on the young man, his interest piqued.

Inside Mu Yu's body, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder in his energy vortex continued to grow, becoming more powerful with each bite of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame. The terrifying lightning currents formed a cage of lightning, exuding an overwhelmingly powerful aura.

Now in its mature stage, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder was slowly inching toward its peak. With each bit of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame it consumed, it grew stronger, inching closer to its full power.

Feeling the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder approaching its peak, Mu Yu gritted his teeth through the pain that wracked his body, but a small, satisfied smile tugged at his lips.

When the last bit of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame was drawn out, Mu Yu hesitated slightly before commanding the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder to emerge from the energy vortex. He directed it to engulf the final remnants of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, devouring it completely.

The remaining essence of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame seemed unwilling to be devoured so easily. It began to struggle violently, but against the now nearly fully-restored Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder, it was like a child trying to resist an adult. The powerful lightning consumed it without mercy.

"Chirp!"

At the moment the Ten Thousand Beast Flame was fully devoured, a clear and sharp cry of a Vermilion Bird echoed in Mu Yu's mind. With that cry, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder, now resembling a divine beast waking from ancient times, opened its majestic eyes, and an overwhelming force erupted from within Mu Yu.

The entire cave trembled under the pressure of this force.

"Not good!"

Feeling the cave shake and the protective barrier of soul power nearly collapse under the pressure, the Snake Lord's face tensed. He quickly formed hand seals, releasing a vast amount of energy to stabilize the soul barrier. Only then did his expression relax slightly.

"Has it succeeded? What a terrifying Skyfire Thunder. This aura is probably more powerful than the top fifteen Heavenly Flames on the list," the Snake Lord murmured, recalling the divine gaze of the Vermilion Bird from moments earlier, his expression tinged with awe.

Inside Mu Yu's body, the Vermilion Bird Skyfire Thunder in his energy vortex lived up to its higher rank compared to the Ten Thousand Beast Flame. After fully devouring the chaotic and wild bloodlines of countless beasts contained within the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, it absorbed and refined them, turning them into pure Vermilion Bird power.

The almost numb pain in Mu Yu's head was gradually replaced by a soothing coolness, allowing him to regain some clarity.

In the cave, the Snake Lord watched the severely injured Mu Yu, whose body was almost entirely covered in wounds. He let out a deep sigh of relief, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his face as he nodded approvingly.

In an instant, a blinding red lightning flame burst from Mu Yu's body, enveloping him completely. Within the swirling red lightning, the faint image of a divine Vermilion Bird could be seen, its brilliance dazzling and awe-inspiring. The divine presence emanating from the Vermilion Bird caused all the beasts within dozens of miles to tremble in fear.

Seeing the sudden appearance of the lightning flame Vermilion Bird, the Snake Lord's long, narrow eyes lit up, and he whispered, "What a terrifying little fellow. He actually succeeded in accomplishing something never before seen on the Dou Qi Continent. Remarkable..."

(End of Chapter)

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