Chapter 172: Red Lotus Karmic Fire

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Staff members from the martial arts dojo hurried over.

The reason was simple - Bochang's output had become too intense, exceeding the dojo's capacity to handle it safely.

Additional maintenance fees were required immediately.

Otherwise, they would have no choice but to ask him to leave the dojo.

Bailu, without informing Bochang, swiftly covered all the expenses. After all, the Seat of Divine Foresight would reimburse them later, so there was no need for concern.

Upon receiving the payment, the staff departed at lightning speed.

Uninterrupted, Bochang continued his training.

Drawing upon yesterday's experience, Bochang's progress now soared exponentially. One by one, white lotus blossoms turned crimson, transforming into swaying red flames, each making a fleeting yet dazzling appearance.

After briefly showcasing their brilliance,

they exploded in the next instant, as if reacting to a single glance.

Of course...

these explosions were not due to the red lotuses becoming uncontrollable. Rather, Bochang inadvertently triggered Dragon Blasts repeatedly.

Most of these red lotuses were ignited by the fiery pillars of flame, triggering a chain reaction.

It had been only eight days since Bochang obtained the Dragon Talisman's power, so his lack of proficiency with it was understandable and not surprising.

What Bochang needed to focus on now was enhancing his control over the Dragon Talisman's magic—specifically, achieving precise mastery of its magical energy.

Interestingly enough, the Dragon Talisman's magic was inherently volatile; once released from his body, it would instantly transform into a pillar of flames shooting outward. Even when channeled through the Vow Spear, it caused continuous explosions.

However, upon infusing it with white lotuses, the Dragon Talisman's magic became remarkably stable. Instead of acting erratically, it seamlessly merged with the lotuses to form beautiful red blossoms.

Although the burning red lotuses still exploded occasionally, they did not tremble uncontrollably like the Vow Spear.

Bochang could vaguely surmise the reason behind this transformation. Perhaps...

Because creating white lotuses consumed both his stamina and life force, it resulted in exceptional compatibility between the Dragon Talisman's magic and the lotuses.

In any case, after two hours of intense training,

Bochang finally mastered the fusion skill of Tongue Blossoming Lotus with Dragon Talisman's magic... Too lazy to give it a name, he simply referred to it as "Dragon Talisman Second Rated Power."

Standing still, Bochang took a deep breath...

He gently exhaled.

Dozens of burning red lotuses surged forth, freely expanding and contracting in the air like dancing flame spirits, spinning gracefully...

Tingyun, without using her Diyuan Jasper Jade, quietly observed Bochang's actions.

The sight of these burning red lotuses felt somewhat familiar to Tingyun.

Bochang watched as the red lotuses slowly descended.

Then...

A chain of explosions followed, leaving numerous small craters on the ground, with flames continuing to spread.

"Finally, success." Bochang sighed in relief; this was his third consecutive successful use of the technique.

Just as he had envisioned earlier, the attack range of the red lotuses had significantly decreased.

The attack range of Red Lotus diminished.

Bochang took a deep breath; he could now only propel the Red Lotus up to approximately one hundred meters at most, beyond that, it became impossible.

This also meant that:

When using the Dragon Talisman's power in the future, Bochang wouldn't have to worry about the force traveling too far and inadvertently harming others.

With a maximum range of just one hundred meters, it was well-contained.

Unlike the Dragon Blast, which specializes in explosive destruction, the Red Lotus focuses on burning.

The initial explosion serves merely to release its inner flames, spreading like wildfire, with any contact being difficult to extinguish.

These red flames would persistently burn,

causing substantial damage to anything they touch.

Previously, the Red Lotus had always been instantly destroyed by the Dragon Blast, preventing Bochang from realizing this aspect of its power.

Now that he understood its potential,

the term "Red Lotus Karmic Fire" resonated in his mind.

Moreover...

Bochang could control these flames, directing them towards specific targets or avoiding certain objects, such as innocent humans.

This aligns perfectly with Bochang's desire not to unintentionally harm others.

Of course...

The ability to control flames did not originate from the Dragon Talisman's power. Instead, it stemmed from the Fire attribute Destruction Fate Path that Bochang had previously unlocked. He had even attempted to infuse this strength into the Red Lotus Flower, aiming to enhance his control over the flames.

However, he failed in that endeavor.

Combining three forces proved far more challenging than Bochang anticipated.

Moreover, his fate path powers were still too weak.

Simply controlling the flames he breathed was already quite impressive; expecting more would be unrealistic.

For now, Bochang could only work with what he had. Upgrading his skills would have to wait for another time.

He casually pulled out his phone from his pocket, lit up the screen, and noticed a reply from Welt Yang. The message stated they were on their way...

This confirmed to Bochang that the confrontation with the fake Tingyun was imminent.

Turning around, Bochang saw Tingyun observing him closely.

Although the appearance of Miss Fox, resembling the real Tingyun, hadn't changed at all—even her bushy tail felt incredibly lifelike—

However...

The thought that this Tingyun was an imposter dampened Bochang's interest significantly.

This also highlighted the formidable illusionary abilities of their enemy, clearly not an ordinary adversary.

As a result, Bochang remained cautious, waiting for Welt Yang to return before taking action against Tingyun.

Otherwise, he would have already unleashed his super flashlight on fake Tingyun,

to reveal what kind of monstrous creature lay beneath the disguise.

"I hope the fake Tingyun turns out to be a rather attractive woman," Bochang silently prayed.

If the fake Tingyun were male, it would truly reflect his despairing situation.

After all...

He had intimately touched the fake Tingyun's tail before.

Time slowly passed by.

Around 3 PM.

As the sun began to set towards the west, Welt Yang returned under its blazing rays. It was rumored that he had successfully rescued an undercover agent sent by the Realm-Keeping Commission and dismantled a stronghold of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.

Unfortunately, they only captured minor pawns, with little impact on the overall situation.

For now, Welt Yang's investigation into the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus seemed to have reached a temporary pause.

Seeing him back, Dan Heng felt a sense of relief wash over him.

The presence of Blade was akin to living under constant threat.

Dan Heng couldn't help but feel uneasy around him.

Only when Uncle Yang returned could he truly exhale, knowing his formidable strength provided some reassurance.

Meanwhile, Bochang managed to slip away from the crowd and approached Welt Yang privately, intending to reveal everything about Tingyun's substitution.

"Tingyun was switched... Are you absolutely certain? Could there be some misunderstanding? After all, earlier it might have been Tingyun testing Diting's abilities, so..." Welt Yang still found it hard to believe.

Initially, Bochang wasn't sure either.

However, when the system placed quotation marks around "Tingyun," indicating deception, any doubts vanished. Even if Miss Fox hadn't been replaced during their game of hide-and-seek, she definitely had been by now.

To be honest, Bochang hoped that the switch didn't occur at that time...