The Three days of punishment and cultivation at the Lava temple was more torturous than anything Iris had ever experienced in her both life times.
The pain from being experimented on to turn her into an AI paled in comparison to this very pain.
It was like her vains were being burnt and regathered with every absorption of the dense fire qi even though she tried to only absorb in small quantity.
She couldn't help but wonder how the guardian was able to cultivate here for Seven days!.
On the last day, Iris suddenly had a breakthrough! Not even to the final stage of the green spirit but into the initial stage of the blue spirit!.
During her breakthrough, she couldn't protect her arteries and internal organs, causing her tremendous pain, as the dense fire qi rushed into her. She would have fallen into the lava below if it wasn't for Ye Shan's timely intervention.
They had to split their qi in half, using one part to suspend themselves and The unconscious Iris while also keeping the fire qi from rushing into them for the remaining hours of their punishment.
By the time Ye Shan teleported them back to the foot of the mountain, they were all exhausted both mentally and physically.
"God! What a torture!" Fan Jin yelled weakly.
"I can barely feel my fingers from forming hand seals to suspend ourselves from being dissolved by that Lava" Xiu Mei complained.
"How is she?" Ye Shan asked Fan Jin who was checking on the unconscious Iris.
"She's stable. She should have sustained multiple internal injuries but she seems fine" Fan Jin said.
"But why is she still unconscious?" Xiu Mei asked with a frown.
"She's trying to consolidate her qi" Ye Shan said after probing her with his qi.
"Shall we return?" Fan Jin asked.
"We'll return once little Lan wakes up" Ye Shan replied.
Iris stired later the next morning. It took her longer time to consolidate her qi since she had entered a new spirit level.
"Finally awake?" Xiu Mei teased with a small smirk.
"Hmm" Iris answered simply.
"Let's get back to the pavilion" Ye Shan said and then, he teleported them.
Main while, in the northern side of the continent.
"Lord sovereign, I met the one from the prophesy" a masked servant reported respectfully to the young man on the high seat. The man was the sovereign of the Scarlet sect.
The Scarlet sect was said to practice the dark path of the qi cultivation and were frowned upon by the rest of the cultivation sects.
"Hmm, how certain are you that she is the female from the prophesy?" The sovereign of the Scarlet sect asked.
"She sensed my soul when I was lurking around the mountain foot of the Sage pavilion in my soul travel form" the masked servant hurriedly explained. He was the presence that Iris sensed on the day she and her seniors went down the mountain to celebrate her. His presence disappeared from the mountain foot because, he was never physically there.
"Ah, I see. Only the one from the prophesy can sense the souls of others" The sovereign said and let's out a deranged laughter.
"The out worldly soul is finally here!!" He screamed, his voice laced with pure madness.
In the sage pavilion
"Master, guardian" Iris and her seniors greeted respectfully with a deep bow.
"Ah, Little Lan, you've made a breakthrough I see?" The sovereign of the Sage pavilion said with a fatherly smile.
"Yes master" Iris replied with a small bow.
"You all shouldn't take your guardian's stiffness and harshness to heart. He sent you all to the Lava temple to train you. Your Arteries needed a bit more expansion to enable faster Cultivation speed" The sovereign continued while the guardian Wei Ming, remained stoic although, emotions flashed in his eyes.
"Now it's good that you're all here. I was just about to ask this cub to go fetch you all" the sovereign said, obviously referring to the guardian Wei Ming, as a cub. Wei Ming marely just snorted unwilling to speak, knowing that it would only make his father the sovereign, want to poke more fun at him.
"The fire Qilin contest will begin soon and the four of you, will represent the sage pavilion. You'll probably meet your brother" The sovereign added the last part for Iris before he continued.
"In The past few years, the guardian my son had always taken the first position. This year, he thought he should give it to you four. He believes that one of you will be the winner" though the sovereign said this, his gaze lingered on Iris.
"Only the winner and it can and always be just one person, will receive the blessing of the ancient fire Qilin. The guardian has received this blessings for the past years" the sovereign said.
"When do we depart?" Xiu Mei asked feeling excited about the opportunity to be blessed by the legendary Fire Qilin.
"In a month time." The Sovereign said and gestured for the guardian Wei Ming to continue.
"For the remaining period, you will go into seclusion. None of you are allowed to leave until you breakthrough to the indigo spirit or touch the threshold of the purple spirit" the guardian Wei Ming said unhurriedly as if cultivation was like drinking water or eating.
"Guardian?! You cannot be serious right? We're all blue spirits let's not add the fact that Little Lan just made a breakthrough but one month? One month! To get to the indigo spirit? Or even touch the threshold of the purple spirit? That's too short of a time" Fan Jin complained.
"Do you wish to visit the lava temple again?" Wei Ming the guardian asked simply and that shut Fan Jin up but Xiu Mei continued to grumble in a small voice.
"It's either you stay in seclusion with the best cultivation Chambers at your disposal or you go back to the lava temple" And that, successfully shut both Fan Jin and Xiu Mei up.
"A letter came for you Xu lan" Wei Ming said and handed an unopened letter to Iris.
Iris quickly opened the letter. It was from her younger brother Long Chen. He was now at the final stage of the green spirit and was selected to participate in the fire Qilin contest. He also expressed his joy to be able to reunite with her.
A soft smile graced Iris's lips, softening her features as she read the letter. She could almost imagine her brother chewing on his lips in anticipation to reunite with her. She realized that for the first time, in both life times, she missed someone her younger brother.
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