Chapter 97: The Baptism of Sacred Fire

As time passed, a sense of melancholy settled over him. The harshness of time and the difficulty of achieving immortality weighed heavily on his mind. In his low spirits, however, he had an unexpected breakthrough, triggering a surge in his comprehension. He inadvertently unlocked a profound understanding of time, gaining insight into the Dao of Time.

It was a pleasant surprise.

The Dao of Time, although only a fragment, was still an immensely valuable path—far surpassing the ordinary paths of cultivation.

This fragment of the Dao of Time was what Lin Jiufeng had long sought to understand but had been unable to grasp until now. It was a human Dao that he had long wished to comprehend.

Without hesitation, he accepted it.

In the next moment, a green energy appeared in Lin Jiufeng's sea of consciousness and transformed into a clock, ticking with a rhythmic sound.

Lin Jiufeng immediately understood how to wield this fragment of the Dao of Time.

This fragment allowed him to speed up or slow down time within a certain range by a factor of ten.

That was all.

It had no offensive capability.

However, for Lin Jiufeng, the value of this Dao of Time was immense.

He could now accelerate or decelerate time around him, gaining ten times the amount of time that others had, giving him a significant advantage to cultivate, create techniques, and improve himself.

"The Dao of Time is indeed remarkable. Even a fragment has such powerful effects. If I had the complete Dao of Time, I would be truly invincible," Lin Jiufeng reflected inwardly.

While he was contemplating the Dao of Time, the voice of the Sacred Beast Kirin broke through his thoughts. "My parents are not here, so I should leave now."

Lin Jiufeng put aside his thoughts of the Dao of Time and looked at Kirin. "Aren't you going to take the Fallen Immortal Mausoleum with you?"

Kirin shook his head. "The Fallen Immortal Mausoleum was summoned by my father. His power far exceeds mine, so this mausoleum isn't something I can take. Besides, as my strength increases, I'll be able to summon the Fallen Immortal Mausoleum myself. It's better to leave it here in the human realm."

Lin Jiufeng immediately turned his attention to the Heavenly Well. "What about this? Will you leave it here too?"

Kirin nodded slowly. "This is a replica of the ancient artifact, the Heavenly Well. It only has the ability to lead to other worlds in one direction, so taking it with me would be pointless."

"You could use it to enter the Dimensional Battlefield," Lin Jiufeng suggested immediately.

"I'd rather break through on my own and tear down the barriers between worlds to enter the Dimensional Battlefield," Kirin declined.

Lin Jiufeng didn't ask further but looked at the Heavenly Well, wondering if it might indeed be able to reach the Dimensional Battlefield.

Kirin sensed his thoughts and immediately spoke. "The Dimensional Battlefield isn't a complete world, so the replica of the Heavenly Well can't reach it. And to reach the Heavenly Realm, one must endure the pressure of two worlds. Even with our physical strength, it would be difficult to withstand, and we'd easily be torn apart. So don't think you can use the Heavenly Well to ascend to the heavens in one step."

Lin Jiufeng sighed. "That's truly unfortunate."

Kirin suddenly looked at Lin Jiufeng seriously, his expression sincere. "You didn't gain anything this time. Consider it a debt of gratitude from me. If you need anything in the future, just say the word, and I'll do whatever it takes, even at the cost of my life."

Lin Jiufeng smiled and patted Kirin's fur playfully. "Aren't we friends? Friends don't need to be so formal."

Kirin burst into laughter, nodding. "Yes, from now on, you are my first friend."

"As my first friend, I'll give you a great gift," Kirin suddenly said, spitting out a burst of flames toward Lin Jiufeng. The flames were a deep blue, burning fiercely—his innate Sacred Fire, the Kirin Sacred Fire.

The Kirin Sacred Fire surrounded Lin Jiufeng, not damaging his clothes, but instead entering his skin and bones, traveling through his limbs, starting to scorch him.

Lin Jiufeng was stunned. Kirin was baptizing him with the Kirin Clan's sacred fire, purging impurities from his body and strengthening his physique, making it more robust.

This was a privilege not everyone could enjoy.

Even though Kirin possessed the Sacred Fire, using it to cleanse someone from the inside out was a tremendous drain on his energy.

Other Kirins might go their entire lives without using their Sacred Fire to baptize someone else.

That's why Kirin called it a grand gift.

Lin Jiufeng felt a deep gratitude toward Kirin, though he couldn't speak at the moment. The Kirin Sacred Fire was burning through his body, purging the impurities in his flesh, strengthening his bones, and refining his internal organs.

Lin Jiufeng's body was undergoing a transformation, generating boundless strength.

Previously, his strength had only amounted to the power of a Demon God, a result of his arduous ten years of cultivation through the Divine Demon Body Refining Method.

Now, with the baptism of Kirin's Sacred Fire, Lin Jiufeng's strength had surged to the power of two Demon Gods.

This was not to say that he had gained the power of ancient Demon Gods, but it was a way of describing the sheer magnitude of his strength.

Kirin continued to baptize Lin Jiufeng with the Sacred Fire, and soon Lin Jiufeng's bones and flesh had been completely refined. His body felt lighter, his muscles and organs revitalized, and his bones became as smooth and pristine as white jade.

When the final bone was cleansed, Kirin stopped, breathing heavily and exhausted. His fur drooped, and he seemed weak.

Using the Kirin Sacred Fire to baptize someone was an incredibly taxing process.

Afterward, Kirin would need a long time to recover.

Lin Jiufeng looked at Kirin with concern. "You're really weak now. Come back with me to the Yuhua Sect. The spiritual energy there is rich, and I'll protect you. It's safe. Plus, we can discuss cultivation and exchange insights."

Kirin thought for a moment, then gently nodded in agreement to go to the Yuhua Sect.

At this moment, Kirin was indeed too weak. He hadn't expected that using the Sacred Fire to baptize someone would deplete so much of his vitality.

Lin Jiufeng summoned the winds with his great power, lifting himself and Kirin from the Fallen Immortal Mausoleum, soaring into the sky and quickly disappearing into the extreme northern ice fields.

Two days later, Lin Jiufeng and Kirin landed in front of the Yuhua Sect's Scripture Pavilion.

The white fox sensed Lin Jiufeng's presence and immediately rushed out. However, when she saw Kirin's weakened state, she was stunned. "What happened? Is he injured?"

Lin Jiufeng shook his head and helped Kirin into a study room to rest, then closed the door behind him and explained to the white fox in a soft voice.

The white fox was shocked when she heard the explanation. "The Kirin Clan's Sacred Fire baptism is the highest honor they can offer. Only those with a bond of life and death are allowed to receive it. What did you do?"

Lin Jiufeng shook his head. He really hadn't done anything.

"Maybe… I treated Kirin as a friend," Lin Jiufeng mused. That seemed to be the only plausible explanation.

Kirin had a tragic past, abandoned at birth, forced to absorb the essence of the sun and moon for six thousand years to break free from his seal. He was relentlessly hunted by the Supreme Daoists, barely escaping death, and had only enjoyed a few years of peace.

He had no friends. No one had ever treated him kindly.

So when Lin Jiufeng called him a friend, Kirin had been overjoyed.

To express his gratitude for Lin Jiufeng's friendship, he had given him the greatest gift he could offer: the Kirin Clan's Sacred Fire baptism.