Chapter 120: Acquiring The Legacies

As the Venomous Serpent Queen fell, the battlefield seemed to hold its breath. The Twilight Fangs were thinning, their numbers dwindling as the cultivators pressed their advantage. The Crimson Skywing, its feathers singed and its body battered, let out a final, defiant screech before retreating into the sky. The Ironclad Colossus, its joints weakened and its body riddled with wounds, let out a deafening roar before collapsing to the ground, the earth trembling beneath its weight.

The blood rain continued to fall, but the tide of battle had turned. The cultivators stood victorious, their bodies battered but their spirits unbroken. The Obsidian Waterfall Gate remained intact, its ancient runes flickering faintly as if in acknowledgment of their efforts.

But the victory was bittersweet. The heavens were still weeping, their tears of blood a constant reminder of the chaos that had been unleashed. The battle was far from over, and the consequences of Jiang Feng's actions were only beginning to unfold.

As the cultivators regrouped, their eyes turned toward the gate, their expressions grim. The Obsidian Waterfall Realm was sealed, and no one could enter or leave until the trial was complete. But the blood rain and the demonic beasts were a sign of something that the heavens didn't want to see happening, felt pained about, feared and or want dead, a warning from the heavens that the balance of the world had been disrupted.

Zhen Chen and Lin Moyi exchanged a glance, their expressions heavy with unspoken thoughts. They knew what was at stake, and they knew that the battle they had just fought was only the beginning. The heavens were mourning, and their wrath was far from spent, soon they as Nascent Souls Realm experts might have to face over against their own, they only hoped that the damaged caused inside wasn't too drastic.

As the blood rain continued to fall, the cultivators prepared for the next wave, their resolve unshaken. The Obsidian Waterfall Gate stood as a symbol of their defiance, a testament to their strength and determination to use the gate and its realm to nurture future generations. But deep down, they all knew the truth.

The heavens were not just mourning; they were preparing to act. And when they did, the consequences would be catastrophic, this was just a test run as the ancient records would have it.

It took Jiang Feng and Ji Moran two full weeks to fully heal and restore themselves to their peak conditions. The process was arduous, each day marked by the steady hum of spiritual energy coursing through their bodies, repairing the damage inflicted by their previous battles. Ji Moran, now at the initial stages of the Golden Core realm, focused intently on stabilizing her foundation.

Her Golden Core was a marvel to behold—a frozen orb of ice that radiated an icy spiritual energy. Though it appeared cold, the energy it released burned through her meridians like a relentless flame, a paradoxical blend of frost and fire that demanded her utmost attention.

Jiang Feng, on the other hand, was preoccupied with the tumultuous sea of flames that was his Essence Lake. Spanning an impressive fifteen thousand meters, it churned with blue and yellow flames, each wave of energy threatening to spill over if not carefully controlled. The two of them had only consumed two of the six sunflower seeds they had acquired, leaving four still in Jiang Feng's possession. These seeds were no ordinary treasures; they were imbued with potent energies that could either elevate their cultivation or destroy them if mishandled.

After two more days of relentless focus, the pair finally opened their eyes, their auras radiating newfound strength. Jiang Feng felt the Earth Meridian within him quake and shudder as it absorbed the dual energies of his Skyforge flame and the Golden Crow flame, growing stronger with each passing moment. The other meridians, though active in some ways, remained dormant in others, their powers latent and waiting for the right moment to awaken.

"My Earth Meridian is growing stronger by the day," Jiang Feng murmured, his voice low and contemplative as he rose to his feet. "The others are assisting, but their powers remain dormant for now."

He turned to Ji Moran, who was also standing, her expression serene. Their clothes were still torn and battered, a testament to the battles they had endured. They hadn't yet bothered to change, prioritizing the removal of the lingering poison, water spiritual energy, and lightning essence from their bodies.

"How are you feeling?" Jiang Feng asked, his tone gentle but probing as he approached her.

Ji Moran smiled softly, her eyes reflecting a quiet satisfaction. "I'm feeling great. My Golden Core still requires a significant amount of energy to stabilize fully, but with time, it should come under my control." Her voice carried a note of gratitude, as if she still couldn't believe her fortune. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined she would reach the Golden Core realm so soon.

Back in her family, her cultivation speed had slowed to a crawl, and she had resigned herself to the idea that it might take another century or two to achieve this milestone. The resources within the Obsidian Waterfall Realm, however, had changed everything. They were leagues ahead of anything she had encountered outside, and they had propelled her forward in ways she could never have anticipated.

"That's good to hear," Jiang Feng replied, his gaze thoughtful as he studied her. "You should focus on acquiring more ice-based resources. Your ice-based physique has a strong affinity for them, and they'll help you stabilize your Golden Core faster." He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "Though it's strange—I expected your energy to manifest as more of an icy flame rather than pure, extreme ice."

Ji Moran nodded, her smile widening. "It is an icy flame, but I'm not strong enough yet to tap into that aspect of it. As I grow stronger, its nature will shift and evolve." To demonstrate, she extended her hand, and a small ice phoenix materialized above her palm. Its feathers shimmered with an otherworldly beauty, each one a delicate masterpiece of frost and light. The creature radiated an aura of cold elegance, its presence both mesmerizing and intimidating.

Jiang Feng's eyes widened in fascination. "Is that your Spirit Projection? Or is it some kind of technique?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. Based on his knowledge of Spirit Projections, they typically manifested as full entities, not as fragments like the small phoenix before him. Ji Moran's Spirit Projection, he knew, was a large ice phoenix accompanied by a towering ice phoenix tree, a sight far grander than the delicate creature she had just summoned.

The Aetherion Dragon, coiled around Jiang Feng's heart, was not a projection but the soul of the dragon that was bound to him. It couldn't fully manifest until Jiang Feng's body was strong enough to house the complete legacy of the dragon race. Until then, it would continue to infuse his body with draconic blood, strengthening him bit by bit.

His own Spirit Projection, the Gate of Darkness, stemmed from his minor mastery of the Concept of Darkness. For a cultivator at the fifth level of the Essence Condensation realm to possess a Spirit Projection was unheard of—a feat that would likely never be replicated.

Ji Moran glanced down at the ice phoenix, her expression thoughtful. "This is actually the awakened but also weakened form of Lunara Glacies," she explained, her voice tinged with awe. "It seems I've inherited its legacy. The sunflower seed I absorbed helped balance the deficiencies in my body, allowing me to house its power. Just as the sun's flames require balance, so too does the moon's icy flame."

Jiang Feng's eyes widened in amazement yet again. The Lunara Glacies and Solaris Infernum were the ultimate rewards at the end of the trial, reserved for the strongest cultivators. The fact that Ji Moran had already acquired the legacy of the moon flame was nothing short of extraordinary. "But what happens at the end of the trial, then?" he asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and amusement. He wasn't overly concerned with the answer; his primary goal was to secure the resources they needed to grow stronger.

Ji Moran shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. It seems we've already obtained the two legacies. The leaf I acquired was the Phoenix Blood Leaf. I'll need to share some of its energy with you when you attempt to acquire the Golden Crow Legacy. Its flames are too intense and would burn through your body without the cooling influence of the Phoenix Blood Leaf."

Jiang Feng raised an eyebrow, surprised by the depth of her knowledge. "How do you know all this?" he asked.

Ji Moran gestured to the small phoenix perched on her hand. "She told me," she said simply. The phoenix, despite its diminutive size, exuded an air of cold authority, its expression one of disdainful indifference.

Jiang Feng couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly. "Are all powerful spirits like this?" he mused. The Eternal Flame Codex and the Aetherion Dragon shared a similar aloofness, as if they were above the concerns of mere mortals. Now, this tiny phoenix was no different.

Returning to the matter at hand, Jiang Feng frowned slightly. "You mentioned that we've obtained the legacies, but I haven't received mine yet or anything other than breaking through and my Essence lake changing."

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Ji Moran nodded, her expression serious. "She explained that the trials were arranged specifically for us because they sensed the presence of the Caelestis Fornax within you and my Crystal Snow Sovereign Physique, which has yet to fully awaken. You need to absorb the remaining sunflower seeds and then the Sunflower Plant itself. The legacy is hidden within the Sunflower plant. But be warned she said—the Caelestis Fornax will attempt to absorb the solar power, which could cause you to explode if you're not careful. You'll need to keep the two forces separated."

Jiang Feng absorbed this information, his mind racing as he considered the implications, not only that but the name of Ji Moran's physique sounded so bad ass he was shocked for the third time today. The path ahead was fraught with danger, but it was also filled with opportunities for the both of them and the stronger they got the more fortune they could acquire.

With Ji Moran by his side and the legacies of the sun and moon within their grasp, they were poised to achieve greatness—if they could survive the trials that lay ahead. Jiang Feng took a deep breath, his body was filled with infernal energy as he circulated his infernal breathing technique.

"As it stands, I need to attempt one more breakthrough. That should give me enough strength and assurance to at least absorb the Primordial Flesh Pill and begin practicing the Titan Ascendance Art. First, I'll absorb the four sunflower seeds and the sunflower to acquire the Golden Crow Legacy. Then, I'll consume the Primordial Flesh Pill. Once that's done, I should also gain the ability to acquire the Aetherion Dragon Physique," Jiang Feng thought as he turned to face Ji Moran.

"I'll need another two weeks at best. I need to grow stronger and not rely solely on the Gate of Darkness. The more I use it, the more my personality becomes darker, more twisted, and evil." Jiang Feng shook his head, recalling the chilling sensations that overwhelmed him when the gate came into being. An insatiable urge to kill consumed him, and his heart turned cold, devoid of all emotion. He knew he had to tread carefully—power came at a price, and he was unwilling to lose himself entirely to the darkness.