249 - Elasia Saga

As Fu Yan stood there, bearing the torment of karmic fire, her eyes widened in shock as she stared at the power of rules circulating on Little Medicine Dumpling. Even in her blazing eyes, there were threads of perplexity and incomprehension. “How... how can this be?” Fu Yan managed to speak with difficulty, murmuring to herself. It was only at this moment that her mind suddenly cleared up. Seeing the golden incantation glowing, everything seemed to make sense. From the very beginning, Fu Yan found it odd that Little Medicine Dumpling, with its small body and seemingly no inherent power, could consume various spiritual herbs as if they were regular food, without needing to digest the medicinal effects. This was astonishing no matter how one looked at it. Normally, even a moderately powerful spirit beast would have transformed after receiving years of spiritual herbs from Fu Yan, just like the black dragon Fu Juan, who took less than a decade from birth to transformation. But decades had passed, and Little Medicine Dumpling showed no signs of transformation. It was only by sensing the location of celestial treasures that it set itself apart from ordinary animals. Moreover, when controlling Mo Ling just moments ago, Little Medicine Dumpling seemed quite versed in using the power of rules, intentionally signaling to Fu Yan. Without its guidance, Fu Yan admitted she wouldn’t have thought of using the power of rules to control Mo Ling. As it turns out, at some unknown time, Little Medicine Dumpling had been endowed with a power of rules on its body, with its own strength thoroughly sealed. That’s why it always presented as so unremarkable. Perhaps Little Medicine Dumpling chose to stay by Fu Yan’s side not solely because it was fond of her or greedy, but because it sensed the existence of the power of rules within her. At that time, she was still too weak and couldn’t harness that power. Little Medicine Dumpling likely intended to wait until she grew stronger to help it lift the seal of rules on its body. But who had originally imposed this seal of rules on Little Medicine Dumpling? “Chirp chirp…” As Fu Yan endured the karmic fire and fell into thought, Little Medicine Dumpling perched on her moved slightly, tilting its small head as if scrutinizing her. “Ugh… ugh…” After a short while, the karmic fire within Fu Yan intensified. Her entire body began trembling as if her soul might be consumed by the flames. At that moment, she couldn’t dwell on the secrets of Little Medicine Dumpling any longer. Instinctively, she curled up within the crimson lotus, feeling as if every inch of her being was burning, the pain penetrating to the marrow. But just as this thought brought her some calm, the inferno once again consumed her sanity, locking her in endless torment as she groaned in agony. "Whoosh—" Meanwhile, the giant red lotus beneath finally closed up, enveloping the entire space in darkness. The golden symbols on Little Medicine Dumpling faded from sight, leaving no trace of light. Little Medicine Dumpling, a snow-white figure, hesitated for a moment before stepping cautiously onto Fu Yan’s face. Soon, its tiny paws rested on the tip of her nose. “Chirp…” It called softly, fixating its gaze on the center of Fu Yan’s brow, where a flame seemed to flicker faintly. Having resolved itself, Little Medicine Dumpling lowered its head, stopping just a millimeter away from the flame at her brow. In the next instant, a surge of flame burst from Fu Yan’s brow, and Little Medicine Dumpling opened its mouth wide to swallow the entire karmic fire. “Buzz—” In the darkness, the golden script on Little Medicine Dumpling’s body glowed once more, a flash of gold sweeping through. Yet, its actions didn’t stop, continuing to draw in the karmic fire from Fu Yan. Quickly, alongside the golden glow of the power of rules within it, the fire-red glow of the karmic fire began swirling around it. “Chirp…” Amidst her hazy consciousness, Fu Yan felt the intensity of the karmic fire within her diminish, but she remained tense, unable to relax. Outside the forbidden ground stood Bai Yue Li and a few others, unable to see Fu Yan or Little Medicine Dumpling since the lotus enveloped them. They had no idea what unfolded inside. “What do we do now?” Fu Juan asked, somewhat at a loss. Bai Yue Li raised her hand slightly, hesitated, then let it drop, her gaze locked on the red lotus below, full of worry yet still retaining her sense. Seeing this, Lu Xiao Wen breathed a sigh of relief, fearing Bai Yue Li might impulsively try to break the barrier. “Fu Yan always manages to avert danger at the last moment,” Lu Xiao Wen said, trying to sound confident. “Even the karmic fire calamity shouldn’t be beyond her.” “That little spirit beast can break through the barrier of karmic fire, suggesting it’s not ordinary,” he added. Beside him, Fu Juan hesitated upon hearing this. Just then, Mo Ling floated over, carrying an incredulous look as it glanced at the red lotus within the forbidden ground, murmuring, “It’s too incredible! Too unbelievable!” Would it ever get its own chance at freedom? After some time had passed, as everyone wore anxious expressions, a massive tremor resonated throughout the Shuanghua Palace ruins. Before anyone could react, a resounding phoenix cry erupted from within the forbidden ground. At the same moment, a pair of enormous wings materialized from the dormant space. The wings, fiery red, resembled blazing flames. Yet the sudden scene seemed ghostly, showing only these wings against the backdrop of darkened sky without revealing the body they belonged to. “What… is this?” Bai Yue Li and Lu Xiao Wen both stopped in their tracks, staring at the sky with disbelief as images flashed across their minds. But while the two were stunned, Fu Juan quickly snapped back and watched the fiery wings, softly murmuring, “Rebirth from the flames…” Lu Xiao Wen shared her surprise, struggling to believe. "Could it be… that little creature that flew inside?" “Buzz—” As soon as he spoke, the sky erupted in a blaze of golden light, swiftly transforming into a colossal chain that wrapped around the fiery wings, binding them tightly. Pained cries echoed across the realm. It struggled against the chains, but the golden restraints only tightened, rendering escape impossible. “The power of… rules?” Lu Xiao Wen finally recognized the source of the golden light, astonishment washing over him. Bai Yue Li paused, quickly realizing the truth. The rebirth through fire belonged to Little Medicine Dumpling, yet it was bound by the power of rules. This… was indeed startling. Moreover, Little Medicine Dumpling’s actions seemed to leverage the karmic fire engulfing Fu Yan for its rebirth, which should lessen Fu Yan's torment. Thinking this, Bai Yue Li’s gaze returned to the red lotus below. The struggle above continued, but soon the fluctuations of the wings grew weaker. With a final heart-wrenching cry, they vanished from sight. The oppressive force of rules dissipated along with it. “It failed,” Bai Yue Li murmured softly to herself. After all, world rules’ power is not easily broken. Even if Little Medicine Dumpling sought rebirth through fire, it couldn’t escape the grasp of the rules. Seeing this, Mo Ling behind them nearly broke into tears. It seemed its suspicions were correct: the power of rules could not be escaped, not unless one possessed overwhelming strength to transcend them. “Rumble!” Just then, the sky above Shuanghua Palace suddenly grew thick with clouds. A bolt of lightning flashed, heralding a torrential downpour that drenched the entire domain. Caught by surprise, Lu Xiao Wen felt rich spiritual energy permeate the air as the rain washed over him, flowing pure spiritual energy through his body. Suddenly, rustling sounds arose from below Shuanghua Palace. As the group glanced downward, they watched in astonishment as the barren mountains began to rapidly bud and bloom. In mere moments, the once bare peaks sprang to life, covered in lush vegetation and spiritual grasses. “This… is a spirit-replenishing rain!” Lu Xiao Wen exclaimed, thrilled by the sight surrounding him. He had previously told Fu Yan that Shuanghua Palace could restore its spiritual energy, but the task was daunting. Now, with this spiritual rain, they wouldn’t have to expend much effort. In no time, after this cleansing rain, Shuanghua Palace would come alive once more. At that moment, Lu Xiao Wen quickly realized something and turned to Bai Yue Li. "Fu Yan succeeded. She truly overcame the Karmic Fire Tribulation, otherwise why would the spiritual rain suddenly fall?" The hellfire, also known as karmic fire, possesses terrifying destructive power. Without a doubt, if Shuanghua Palace was a sacred, blessed land, once Fu Yan underwent her tribulation there, it would have become desolate. Hence, upon successfully overcoming the Karmic Fire Tribulation, a spiritual rain would descend as a gift from the great world. Upon hearing this, Bai Yue Li wasted no time. She immediately darted forward, swiftly flying toward the peak of the forbidden mountain. As she expected, her journey was smooth— the barrier from before had vanished. Fu Juan also snapped back to his senses, hastily following her lead. The duo quickly landed on the peak, now lush with spiritual plants. The massive red lotus of karmic fire had disappeared, leaving only a solitary figure lying quietly on the grass. Bai Yue Li finally allowed herself to relax completely. She stepped forward, approaching slowly and stopping beside the figure. Fu Yan had yet to awaken, but her aura was serene once more. Her long hair spilled around her like a waterfall, and drops of rainwater clung to her long eyelashes, making her resemble a lily emerging from water. Nestled on her shoulder was the small, snow-white creature.