Chapter 129: The Might of the Furnace Fire, the Azure Python!

Chapter 129: The Might of the Furnace Fire, the Azure Python!
Chapter 129: Beast Fire of the Burning Furnace, Ascending to the Top Hundred!

Amidst the chaos of the struggle for the legacy of the Desolate Blood Alchemy Furnace, the winds and clouds over the sea shifted, and within a few days, the rankings saw drastic changes.

"That fisherman named Xianyu Tingyun—his name has vanished from the leaderboard, erased entirely, leaving only a blank space!"
"This... could he have fallen?"
"It must be so. That represents death; only when the body and soul are completely annihilated does the name turn into a void."

Many felt a chill in their hearts. This man, having obtained a legacy from the sea, had seen his rank soar. Not long ago, he was the envy of all throughout the East Sea. Yet in an instant, like a shooting star streaking across the sky, he had fallen! This sight served as a sobering lesson for many hot-headed youths; it was like a bucket of cold water poured over them, or a heavy blow struck straight to the forehead. Obtaining a legacy was incredibly difficult, but possessing an ancient legacy did not mean one was invincible. The sea was treacherous, and the outcome was unpredictable.

"Hmph, how could he have joined the Qianshan Army? After that fisherman obtained the legacy, he took his family and fled to who knows where."

And so, more people died than survived.

"Indeed, perhaps sometimes not rising in rank is not a bad thing. Hiding in the sea, one might soar to the heavens sooner or later."

Bai Yuannian’s gaze suddenly hardened. A partial legacy provided little growth, but a complete legacy was like obtaining hundreds of immortal talismans—a sudden, explosive increase!

"The Desolate Blood Alchemy Furnace... an alchemy legacy. For the Qianshan Army, this would mean a massive boost in strength!"

As the family head, he had been busy and anxious throughout these days.

"Bai Xuan?"

Someone whispered, their voice icy. The Marquis of White Forehead was also present, letting out a cold snort.

"Bai Xuan, rank 103, holds one talisman, obtained the complete mid-grade legacy 'Desolate Blood Alchemy Furnace'!"

"No wonder Bai Xuan’s rank didn't change before; he was busy receiving the legacy!"

Bai Yuannian stood up, his eyes filled with shock and longing. He knew the name Bai Xuan—the greatest genius of the Bai family—but for a moment, he hadn't made the connection. Was the name on the board truly him?

The rules of the Heavenly Ranking had long been deduced: whether by obtaining talismans or receiving legacies, one could increase their rank.

"Hmm?"

His rank had risen too quickly. Almost in an instant, like a meteor, he had surged from the bottom ranks to nearly the top hundred! Among the nine thousand-plus people, many had obtained legacies, but to skyrocket into the top hundred in an instant was extremely rare!

"Bai Xuan is the Whale Hunter?"

Bai Tanlang’s mind buzzed. He had personally handed over that wooden talisman; he knew what it meant. This name could not belong to anyone else. Bai Xuan was the Whale Hunter!

"How old is Bai Xuan?"
"Seventeen? Eighteen? How is it possible... he’s not even twenty?"

"The Whale Hunter is under twenty?" Bai Tanlang’s heart thundered.

"Sixteen. He’s still a few months shy of seventeen," the Marquis of White Forehead laughed. "On this East Sea, such an invincible genius only appears once every few hundred years. And it just so happens... the time for the Great Sea Struggle is now."

He looked up, his eyes filled with hope. One hundred and three was nowhere near the end for Bai Xuan!

...

At this moment, many on the East Sea were gazing up at the ranking board.

"Someone has ascended in an instant, nearly entering the top hundred! His name is Bai Xuan!"
"Bai Xuan... I wonder what his background is."
"I seem to have an impression. The head of the four great families of the Qianshan Army is the Bai family. Could he be the leader of the Qianshan Army?"

Many were looking up, speculating. In the distance, a burly man walked across the sea, his steps creating sonic booms, his speed terrifyingly fast. Behind him, a fleet was engulfed in flames, slowly sinking into the ocean, the entire force annihilated.

"Desolate Blood Alchemy Furnace? Even a Spirit Phase master would struggle to refine that lizard-like desolate beast. It connects to a great subterranean fire vein; its uses are endless."

"Someone must have had an innate Water-Fire Dao Body to obtain this furnace."

"While precious and powerful, it doesn't display much combat prowess. The Whale Hunter? Just a Grandmaster. Go hunt him down and take the furnace!"

Some had already set out, murder in their hearts!

There were three levels of legacies on the Great Struggle leaderboard. The High-Grade was extremely rare and almost never seen; those who obtained them, like the White Gold Killing Technique, could enter the top ten. The Mid-Grade, like the Heavenly Snake Swallowing God Technique or the Desolate Blood Alchemy Furnace, were guarded by powerful legacy spirits that could not be taken by force, requiring trials. The Low-Grade, like Earth Fiend artifacts, were guarded by simple restrictions on islands, appearing and sinking back into the sea.

"No record of slaying strong enemies, only killed a Six-River Grandmaster?"

To these powerhouses, that meant nothing!

...

On the other side, *splash!*

Bai Xuan leapt onto the ship, holding the furnace in his hand, looking at the newcomers.

"One, two, three... quite a few of you. Let's wipe them all out."

As the calm youth unleashed a bolt of lightning, Bai Xuan channeled his blood energy into the furnace. Although only the size of a human head, the furnace acted like an abyss, a bottomless pit devouring the surging blood energy.

*Rumble!*

Bai Xuan connected with the world, his Blood Energy Source Flow activating, replenishing his strength instantly. The furnace swallowed twelve rivers of blood energy, and along with the vast momentum of heaven and earth, it suddenly shook and spat out a tongue of fire.

The beast head on the furnace opened its maw, spewing a sea of fire that swept across hundreds of meters!

"No!"
"No, no, no! I am a Five-River Grandmaster, I cannot die here!"

Countless people wailed, their expressions changing in terror, but in an instant, the subterranean fire surged, and they were reduced to ash! The red flames, like fresh blood, seemed to make the very space tremble as they swept through everything. An entire fleet turned to dust!

The youth roared, unleashing his most powerful strike. Countless talismans flew out, instantly transforming into thirty-six bolts of lightning. But as the lightning split the fire sea, it only flew a few dozen meters before being incinerated by the flames, exploding into nothingness. The next moment, the youth was consumed by the fire and turned to ash. His expression, in his final moment, held only shock and confusion. Just like that, he died?

*Boom!*

Bai Xuan reached out, and with a pull from the furnace, the hundreds of meters of fire surged back into its maw, and the beast head closed.

*Splash!*

The fire had evaporated hundreds of tons of seawater, and as it cooled, torrential rain poured down over the entire sea area!

On the *Sea-Swallowing*, the crew stood stunned, unable to breathe.

"A single breath of fire destroyed these powerful enemies?" Wan Yongdao’s sword trembled on his back. "Too terrifying! If even a drop of that fire fell, I would be reduced to ash instantly!"

"This furnace is truly terrifying... but the blood energy it consumes is astonishing. A single spray and swallow cost me eighteen rivers of blood energy," Bai Xuan muttered. Even a Great Grandmaster with an ocean of blood energy could not easily wield this furnace.

"Master, my flames are known as the Burning Furnace Beast Fire, intended for alchemy, not primarily for slaughter," the furnace rumbled.

"This isn't considered strong for slaughter?" Bai Xuan was stunned.

"Correct, because these flames require one's Dao Essence to be in harmony with oneself, and blood energy to exceed the 'One Ocean' barrier before they can be used. For a Spirit Phase cultivator, their own Spirit Phase is just as powerful, so they don't need to use it."

The furnace spoke with the intelligence of a living being. "Master, being able to wield these flames at the Blood Refining level with only three rivers of blood energy is a terrifying innate talent, similar to the 'Undying Source Flow' of the Sea God Grass tribe. If a member of that tribe gains consciousness, they can live for a hundred thousand years and become a Pure Yang Demon God!"

"So the name of that ability was 'Undying Source Flow'," Bai Xuan realized.

Bai Xuan reached out, and from the falling rain, three talismans flew into his hand. One was the wooden talisman, unharmed by the fire. The other two were lightning talismans, now cracked and fading.

"The storage bags must have been destroyed," Bai Xuan noted.

"Those storage bags use crude techniques to manage weight; they collapse when burned," the furnace remarked. "True mustard-seed-in-a-gourd techniques fold the heavens and earth; they cannot be damaged by simple five-element spells. There should be such legacies in the sea; Master should seek one."

...

After the battle, the *Sea-Swallowing* crew saw the lightning talismans. Feiyouzi’s eyes went wide.

"This is the True Talisman of the Boundless Thunder Method, a secret teaching of the Xuanzhi Temple! Thunder methods are the most powerful and magnificent of all spells!"

Feiyouzi was ecstatic but pained. "Captain, these talismans are about to shatter! They need someone to bear their true might! Captain, look..."

"If you take these talismans, you will pay for them with your wages," Bai Xuan said calmly.

Feiyouzi knew he couldn't refuse. He had followed the Whale Hunter to gain such benefits. "Deal! Wages? Two hundred years of wages? So be it! Captain, I am willing!"

Bai Xuan tossed the lightning talismans to the disheveled Taoist. He then took the wooden talisman for himself. The front read "Four," the back "One thousand four hundred and seventy."

As he combined it with his own, the two talismans fused into one. The front now read "Five," the back "Ninety-eight"!

"Holding five talismans grants one complete mid-grade legacy. Promotion to rank ninety-eight on the East Sea Heavenly Ranking!"

Bai Xuan looked up at the Great Struggle leaderboard. His rank had finally entered the top hundred.

The vast scroll in the sky shimmered, and a low, cold voice echoed from the talisman: "In the top hundred, you may forcibly enter one High-Grade legacy! But take heed: High-Grade legacies are difficult to enter and exit. Life and death are uncertain. If you perish, all is lost. Choose carefully a legacy that suits your own path!"

...

Across the vast sea, everyone saw the change.

"Someone has entered the top hundred!"
"Sss, he just reached 105, how did he rise again so quickly?"

"He must have killed an enemy. The opponent held four immortal talismans and had slain three strong enemies—yet they were killed in such a short time?"

In the Bai family estate, the Marquis of White Forehead beamed. "Big Brother, look... Bai Xuan has risen again, now rank ninety-eight!"

"I see it," Bai Yuannian said, his expression a mix of relief, bitter laughter, and shock.

"Top hundred? That is far from Bai Xuan’s limit," the Marquis said, filled with excitement and anticipation.