A Drop of Blood
It would only make sense that since Nie Qian couldn’t bear the high temperature of the animal bone, Nie Tian shouldn’t be able to either.
Moreover, just as Nie Tian had said, he and the animal bone didn’t have a spirit qi connection. As the temperature of the animal bone had gradually increased, Nie Tian had been forced to let go, which showed that Nie Tian also could also not bear the high temperature.
Right now, the animal bone had absorbed a great deal of flame energy from the Fire Cloud stone and the temperature had reached its peak, such that even she was unable to bear it. However, Nie Tian had actually dared to stretch out his hand to try.
This was sufficient to shock and intrigue her.
What was even more astonishing was that, at this moment, Nie Tian’s finger was pressed against the animal bone and unmoving.
For the first time, Nie Qian felt that there was some part about her nephew and his intentions that she could not decipher.
“Chi Chi!”
Nie Qian looked closely and discovered that at the contact point between Nie Tian and the animal bone, a small fire was shining.
As for Nie Tian, he was spellbound and his eyes actually started to slowly emit an unusual sparkle.
“Could it be that he has discovered something?” Nie Qian softly mumbled to herself and quickly stopped speaking because she was afraid that she would disturb Nie Tian.
The tiny dot of fire was like an extremely small bright red star. Nie Tian could sense that it was clearly flowing from within the animal bone.
He saw that the flames within the animal bone appeared to be voluntarily moving and gathering at a point.
That bright red dot of light got bigger and bigger as the flames gathered, and the internal, interweaving, metameric colours were shining brightly, becoming more and more mysterious.
He gathered all of his spirit qi and tried to discover the secret within.
“Han!”
His mind violently shook and he suddenly discovered that he appeared to have entered a l.u.s.trous and dazzling mysterious land.
The shimmering, red, unknown s.p.a.ce had countless fiery stars shining and intersecting strands of red light which moved and glided lightly as though they were wriggling snakes. They transformed into a different, jumbled picture every second.
Inside the fire stars and in the midst of the twisting and changing red rays of light, some form of the true essence of fire energy seemed to be hiding.
His one thread of consciousness appeared to floating in the mysterious of sea of flames. In this mysterious world of fire, he sensed and understood the meaning and essence of a type of fire energy.
He devoted all of his attention and focus to it.
He didn’t know how much time had pa.s.sed, but he felt that it was as though he had transformed into a fire genie and was soaring in the unknown lands of fire.
That piece of animal bone, which was completely red like a piece of metal, slowly started to become dull and stopped emitting any light.
“Peng!”
The s.p.a.ce of fire, which was shrouded in mystery, actually crumbled and cracked as countless light spots and red strands flew out.
He could see that a drop of bright, red, fresh blood emerged from the cracks, transformed into many fire spots, and spread out to the various corners of the animal bone.
Following that, the fiery lights also extinguished one by one and the animal bone regained its original state.
He regained his consciousness and once again felt the rough contact between his finger and the animal bone.
“Hu!”
He took a deep breath, removed his finger from the animal bone, and continued staring intently and unblinkingly at the animal bone, while saying, “One drop of fresh blood…”
“What?” Nie Qian, who had restrained herself for some time, quickly asked, “What exactly happened? Why did it happen? How come you can bear the high temperature of the animal bone?” She asked a series of questions as though she was shooting bullets.
“I am not too sure myself.” Nie Tian regained his wits and said, “ I also don’t know what happened, but just now I felt that I should touch the animal bone. I touched it and didn’t feel the scorching high temperature but rather… felt the mysterious secret within.”
“Tell me quickly!” Nie Qian was extremely excited.
“It could be that this piece of animal bone has absorbed enough fire energy. There were many fire points gathered inside and they appeared to have formed a very small drop of fresh blood. Inside of that drop of fresh blood appears to be a mysterious, secret land of fire, and in my confusion, I appeared to have entered into that mysterious land of fire and was touring inside.”
“However, that drop of fresh blood doesn’t appear to have totally formed yet.”
“After some time, when the animal bone regained its original state, the drop of fresh blood formed by fire sparks actually separated to become tiny specks of fire and vanished within the animal bone.”
“I have a feeling that the amount of fire energy absorbed by the animal bone is far from sufficient and is not enough to let that tiny drop of fresh blood successfully form.”
“A drop of fresh blood?” Nie Qian had a lot of doubts. “Why would the interior of the animal bone have a drop of fresh blood? That fresh blood, which has not even solidified, is just too weird.”
“I also don’t know what happened.” Nie Tian spread his hands and said.
After some thinking, Nie Qian said, “I don’t have any more Fire Cloud stones but your grandfather should still have some. You wait here, I will go look for grandfather right this moment!”
Upon finishing her words, Nie Qian left straightaway.
After a while, Nie Donghai and Nie Qian entered together. Nie Donghai pa.s.sed an even bigger cloth bag full of Fire Cloud stones to Nie Tian and said, “All the Fire Cloud stones I have are in here.”
Fire Cloud stones were only a low grade material, and since the Nie family had been gathering them for years, they naturally had quite a few left over.
However, only those whose bodies had the fire attribute could use the Fire Cloud stones to help them cultivate. Nie Donghai and Nie Qian just happened not to possess the fire attributes, hence they kept a limited number of Fire Cloud stones.
“Try again,” Nie Qian brightly said.
“Ok!” Nie Tian nodded his head.
After that, in front of Nie Donghai and Nie Qian, he once again directed the fire energy in the Fire Cloud stones toward the animal bone.
The animal bone quickly became entirely bright, as the interior shone with such fiery light that the naked eye could also see.
“Let me see!”
The animal bone had absorbed the fire energy of a few Fire Cloud stones. When the flames were still hot, Nie Donghai stretched out his hand and also started to try.
“Ouch!”
A streak of fiery light shot out from the animal bone. Nie Donghai shouted in pain and withdrew his hand with an ugly look on his face.
Even he couldn’t withstand the high temperature of the animal bone and had to give up.
“Just now, you said that Nie Tian could touch it?” He was shocked and couldn’t understand it.
Nie Qian nodded her head. “Yes.”
“Nie Tian, you be careful. Try it and show me.” Nie Donghai strictly said.
“Please wait.” Nie Tian softly shook his head and said, “It appears that we need to wait for some time, just until the fire specks within the animal bone start to congregate. I will then be able to touch the animal bone.”
“Continue to let it absorb the fire energy from the Fire Cloud stones!” Nie Donghai instructed.
“Ok!” Nie Tian took the Fire Cloud stones from the cloth bag, placed them on the animal bone, before he directed the fire energy within the Fire Cloud stones, one by one, into the animal bone.
“Ka Cha!”
One by one, the Fire Cloud stones continually cracked after their fire energy was absorbed and they transformed into normal, grayish-white stones.
Nie Donghai had a weird look on his face and observed the animal bone deeply, while appraising Nie Tian from time to time. His whole face was filled with antic.i.p.ation.
He had always tried to find out if Nie Tian’s body actually had hidden a special cultivation ability, and he also secretly hoped that Nie Tian could one day exhibit his astonishing cultivation talent.
From his point of view, the animal bone may be a breakthrough.
“It is done!”
At this moment, Nie Tian noticed that the sparks of light scattered within the animal bone had once again gathered at a point.
Of course, he stretched his hand out and used his finger to press on the animal bone.
In an instant, it was like his spirit sense had been absorbed into the animal bone.
The abundant fire lights were sparkling in his consciousness and were swiftly gathering, just like hundreds of fire stars gathering at a point.
In the blink of an eye, it appeared that the drop of fresh blood, which had previously disappeared, had once again formed successfully. His spirit sense also entered into the unnamed land of fire once again at this moment.
His face became bewildered and confused, while his eyes started to shine brightly slowly.
“Previously it was like this!” Nie Qian softly said.
Nie Donghai was secretly moved and even his breathing became slightly more hurried, as he appeared to be suppressing the joy in his heart.
Nie Tian’s spirit sense was hovering in the s.p.a.ce of the fiery lights and the intertwining strands of red light and he could feel them sensitively.
This time, he could feel that this mysterious s.p.a.ce appeared to be even bigger than previously and the floating light spots and the intertwining strands of red light, became even more clear and easier for him to catch.
It appeared, that after absorbing enough fire energy, this mysterious unknown s.p.a.ce was hurrying to complete its formation.
Occasionally, from the moving light spots and red strands, he appeared to understand a mysterious fire skill, the true essence of a type of fire energy.
However, even after absorbing the fire energy from Nie Tian’s Fire Cloud stones, the mysterious s.p.a.ce still didn’t completely form.
Even then, while he was understanding the wonders, he could feel that there were still many things lacking.
After some time, that mysterious fire s.p.a.ce, once again broke open and his spirit sense returned to his body.
He could see that the fresh blood which had formed, had once again separated and transformed into bits of light, lying dormant inside the animal bone, while the animal bone slowly regained its original state.
“How did it go?” Nie Donghai solemnly asked.
Nie Tian collected his consciousness, deliberated over the choice of his words and said, “That drop of fresh blood needs more fire energy to form. I can feel that inside that drop of fresh blood, a mysterious fire spirit appears to be hiding. It could also be a secret regarding fire energy.”
“Good!” Nie Dong’s face showed signs of excitement and he said, “I will get you more Fire Cloud stones! During this time, you must pay more attention to the changes in the animal bone and remember any peculiar details!”
“I understand,” Nie Tian said.
……
Translator: Guo
Editor: Zach, Sietse