C16 Sunroot

Hu Nao let out a thunderous roar, driving back the Fury-Clawed Lion. He couldn't help but marvel at the "Dragon-Elephant Divine Might" as a truly unparalleled martial art. Having only mastered the Two Dragons and Two Elephants, he was already formidable. He wondered, with a sense of anticipation, how mighty he would become once he achieved the Nine Dragons and Nine Elephants.

Engrossed in the thrill of battle yet still craving more, Hu Nao seized the moment while the Fury-Clawed Lion was stunned and launched an offensive. Springing into the air with a powerful leap, he was still aloft when he executed the Phoenixfire Palm's opening technique, the Dawnbreaker.

The Dawnbreaker, as the initial move of the Phoenixfire Palm, involved swift, unpredictable chops and slashes. It was incredibly fast, exuding a masculine energy, like a colossal sword cleaving through the sky with a domineering and piercing force.

The Fury-Clawed Lion, being a spirit animal, possessed great intelligence and relished the prospect of close-quarters combat with Hu Nao. Its massive frame and thick hide could easily shrug off a blow from Hu Nao, but Hu Nao would not fare well under its powerful strikes. Seeing Hu Nao seemingly on a path to self-destruction filled the lion with glee. A fierce glint of murderous intent flashed in its eyes as it opened its maw, revealing its sharp fangs, and lunged at Hu Nao, intent on devouring him whole.

A pungent stench of blood mixed with the searing heat of flames assaulted Hu Nao's senses. Having previously been scorched nearly to death by a dark gold feather, he was no stranger to heat. However, the reek of blood turned his stomach, and he steeled himself against the revulsion.

Still suspended in midair, Hu Nao twisted his body to avoid the Fury-Clawed Lion's gaping jaws and delivered a fierce palm strike to the left side of its face.

Under normal circumstances, the Fury-Clawed Lion's thick hide and dense fur were nearly impervious to attack. But the Dawnbreaker was no ordinary strike; it could cleave through darkness and light, severing time and space, tapping into the mysteries of creation and the essence of the universe. Such a force was not something mere flesh and blood could withstand.

The grisly sound of bones shattering filled the air as Hu Nao ruthlessly pummeled half of the Fury-Clawed Lion's face into a bloody mess. Crimson blood sprayed out in a macabre yet hauntingly beautiful display.

Overwhelmed by the severe pain, the Fury-Clawed Lion's head buzzed, leaving it reeling with dizziness. Unable to withstand the agony, it let out a pained howl and collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Blood-soaked but unfazed, Hu Nao landed and immediately leaped onto the lion's neck. His palms, sharp as blades, relentlessly struck at the back of its head.

The Fury-Clawed Lion's breaths grew fainter, its large eyes losing focus until its eyelids closed, and its head lolled to one side in a final, reluctant surrender to death. The flames that once enveloped it flickered out, extinguishing its life as swiftly as a snuffed-out candle.

Recognizing the lion's pure bloodline and its status as a superior spirit animal, Hu Nao knew its body was a treasure trove. He swiftly retrieved a sword from his storage bracelet and began to expertly dissect the carcass. Soon, he had harvested its fur, teeth, and even the bones from its vital parts, arranging them into a sizable pile. His work culminated in the extraction of a fist-sized, faintly glowing crystal nucleus from deep within the lion's belly, marking the end of his meticulous labor.

Nearby, Nan Xi watched, momentarily stunned, until Hu Nao finished. She hesitantly spoke, "Young Master, how are you so adept at this? If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a seasoned expert, not someone on their first training expedition."

Hu Nao's smile was tinged with complexity and a hint of melancholy. Though he had never ventured out before, his longing for martial prowess and adventures through the Northlands had led him to devour countless books, including those on dissecting spirit animal corpses for profit.

Noticing his somber mood, Nan Xi quickly shifted the conversation. She gestured to the amassed materials and said cheerfully, "Young Master, the Fury-Clawed Lion's fur can be crafted into armor, its teeth into weapons, and its bones into pills. That crystal nucleus you hold, saturated with its life essence, is an exceptional pill-making ingredient. It could fetch several hundred thousand Spirit Coins. Now, all these riches are yours."

"Yes, I've got it!"

Hu Nao, who had spent money frivolously all his life without ever earning any, felt his spirits lift as he fiddled with the Fury-Clawed Lion's crystal nucleus, unable to put it down. Eventually, he carefully placed it into his storage bracelet, along with the other materials.

Even after the Fury-Clawed Lion's demise, its cave continued to emit bursts of heat. Sensing something amiss, Hu Nao retrieved the Wheel of Fate from his bracelet and saw the needle pointing to the word "fortune," signaling impending good luck. Eagerly, he and Nan Xi ventured inside to explore.

The cave was vast, resembling a city gate, and the deeper they went, the hotter it got. Hu Nao, once severely burned by a dark gold feather, now found the heat trivial and easily bearable. Nan Xi, with her formidable Ninth Heaven Body Tempering and perfect Harmony of Body, Mind, and Spirit, was even less concerned.

At the cave's end lay an awe-inspiring chasm deep within the mountain. At its heart was a magma pool over thirty feet across, with fiery red lava bubbling and emitting intense heat. In the center of this pool grew a radiant, red, and translucent ginseng as thick as an adult's arm, its roots swaying and surrounded by a captivating red glow.

"Sunroot!"

Both Hu Nao and Nan Xi instantly recognized the ginseng and exclaimed in delight.

Ginseng is a restorative; a hundred-year-old specimen is rare, a thousand-year-old one is exceedingly precious, but only those that have lived for ten thousand years evolve into Spiritroot, absorbing the divine force of nature, the essence of the sun and moon, and amassing formidable energy.

While most ginseng prefers the cold, there are exceptions like the Sunroot before them, thriving in high temperatures, often found near volcanic vents, drawing from the lava's warmth and embodying a pure essence of fire.

The Sunroot possessed unique attributes and was considered a premium specimen among millennia-old Spiritroots. Its emergence was bound to incite a frenzied competition among powerful experts.

Lately, Hu Nao's martial arts prowess had surged dramatically, thanks primarily to the fire energy within the dark gold feather. However, he was uncertain about how much energy remained and what he would do if it ran out. As fate would have it, he stumbled upon the Sunroot while grappling with this concern.

"I've struck gold!" Hu Nao exclaimed with excitement, ready to claim the Sunroot.

Nan Xi quickly intervened, "Young Master, please allow me to handle this."

The lava pool spanned over a hundred feet across—not exactly small—and its dangers were unknown. She didn't want Hu Nao to risk his safety.

Hu Nao shot her a fierce look. "What do you take me for, a weakling who hides behind a woman at the first sign of danger? The Wheel of Fate shows no threat, and even if it did, I should be the one to face it, with you supporting from behind."

Nan Xi pouted slightly.

He clearly cared, so why did he have to be so gruff?

The Young Master could be so contrary.

Hu Nao thrust the Wheel of Fate into Nan Xi's hands, took a deep breath, and charged forward. Approaching the lava pool's edge, he leapt into the air like a diving bird, reaching for the Sunroot.

The scorching heat was nearly unbearable, as if it could steam a person alive. Hu Nao felt the heat but managed to withstand it. Midway across the pool, he snatched the Sunroot and continued his forward momentum.

His Sixth Heaven Body Tempering cultivation granted him formidable explosive strength. With a single bound, he soared dozens of meters, easily clearing the lava pool.

Swoosh!

Hu Nao landed at the edge of the pool.

The Sunroot, brimming with pure fire energy, felt only pleasantly warm in his grasp, not scalding in the slightest. The energy was evidently mild and posed no threat to the human body.

I've struck it rich!

Hu Nao was ecstatic.

With this Spiritroot, he was certain he could ascend from the Sixth Heaven to the Seventh Heaven.

He was now significantly closer to defeating that scoundrel, Qin Feng.

Yet, as he gazed at Nan Xi across the lava pool, a thought struck him. He circled around to her side and presented the sparkling Sunroot, saying, "The energy within this is incredibly pure and mild. It requires no special technique; you can simply consume it. You go first, and I'll use what's left."

"Ah?"

Nan Xi was taken aback. She hadn't anticipated that Hu Nao would offer her the Sunroot first, especially after he had risked so much to obtain it.

It pained Hu Nao to part with it. He wouldn't have been so generous with anyone else, not for all the world. But he insisted, "Quality steel is best used where it counts. If you consume this root, you're sure to achieve Spirit Speak. At best, I'll only reach the Seventh Heaven of Body Tempering, which is nothing compared to the benefits you'll reap. Don't be shy; we're out here to train, and in the end, strength is all that matters."

Nan Xi considered this and accepted the Sunroot, speaking softly, "Young Master, I..."

The heat from the lava pool flushed her cheeks and brought tears to her eyes. She gazed at Hu Nao, lost for words, with a thousand thoughts racing through her mind. Yet she said nothing, and a single tear rolled gently down her face.

"Don't cry, don't cry. Focus on your breakthrough," Hu Nao urged, dabbing at Nan Xi's tears.

"Okay," Nan Xi murmured, then sat down cross-legged, took a tendril of the Spiritroot, and popped it into her mouth.

Despite being just a tendril, the energy it contained was immense. Instantly, her aura sharpened, resonating with the surrounding space and causing visible ripples in the air.

Nan Xi then began to eat the thick Spiritroot, while Hu Nao looked on, licking his lips, saliva nearly escaping. He grumbled, "Eat sparingly, will you? Leave some scraps for me!"

"Hehe, thank you, young master," Nan Xi said, her tears giving way to a sweet smile as she savored the treat.

"What in the world? Crying one minute, laughing the next," Hu Nao remarked with a sneer.

Soon after, Nan Xi tossed the remaining piece of the Spiritroot to Hu Nao. "Young master, I've had enough!"

"Don't mention it!" Hu Nao replied, catching it, though he still seemed concerned for her.

"The power within the Sunroot is overwhelming. I truly have had my fill!"

Nan Xi closed her eyes, her delicate lips whispering softly, "The spirit conceals itself within the heavens and earth, the heart feels the spirit, and the body absorbs the spirit. This is Spirit Speak..."

The space around her began to pulse more intensely, and a small vortex formed behind her, slowly spinning.

Simultaneously, streams of divine force flowed into Nan Xi's body.

Hu Nao watched Nan Xi's breakthrough with keen interest, gaining a newfound understanding of Spirit Speak and its profound mysteries.