Chapter 50: Not Hot Enough? Just Turn Up the Heat
The term “Buddhist Fire Heart-Burning” naturally refers to a flame far beyond ordinary fire.
The various flames frequently appearing in xuanhuan novels—such as the Samadhi True Fire, Xuanming Li Fire, Bone Chilling Spirit, and others—are all extraordinary. They all operate on the same principle.
While this Buddhist Fire may not rival the legendary flames of myth, it far surpasses the mundane fires kindled by woodcutters. It’s collectively generated by the Duyun Temple’s cultivated monks, channeling their spiritual power.
Whoosh!
Ten monks encircled a pill furnace, their hands clasped in prayer as they chanted scriptures and Buddhist mantras. Their combined spiritual power converged beneath the furnace, forming a pale, ethereal flame.
This was the so-called Buddhist Fire—impressive in name but utterly unimpressive to true cultivators who have reached higher realms.
For ordinary mortals, however, the flame’s heat was unbearable. Chen Hao, watching from a distance, could feel the scorching heatwaves and instinctively retreated several steps.
Sizzle…
Concern flickered in Chen Hao’s eyes. Though Suisui had said she was fine, he couldn’t help but worry. This didn’t feel like a magical duel; it felt more like torture.
The sight reminded Chen Hao of an ancient Greek torture device—the “Brazen Bull”—except the bull had been replaced by a massive pill furnace.
“……”
“Amitabha Buddha!”
“Namo Ratna Trayaya…”
“Namo Arya…”
“Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva…”
Old Monk Fayun sat upright within the pill furnace. As the Buddhist Fire ignited, he began chanting the Great Compassion Mantra, simultaneously channeling his spiritual power to resist the searing heat.
If directly exposed to the Buddhist Fire, Old Monk Fayun likely wouldn’t have lasted long. But being confined within the pill furnace significantly improved his chances. The furnace’s interior was dry, and as long as he could endure the searing heat radiating from the copper walls beneath his buttocks and the stifling air, he could endure for some time.
Of course, “some time” was relative. Whether he could endure for even two hours remained to be seen.
While chanting the scriptures, Old Monk Fayun secretly hoped that Suisui would give up before he did.
Meanwhile, on Suisui’s side…
“This temperature…”
“I really don’t feel anything at all!”
Suisui was currently floating in the exact center of the pill furnace, lying on her side with a disappointed expression. She had initially thought this so-called Buddhist Fire Heart-Burning might be interesting, but now she was left saying the same thing: “Is that all there is?”
Why was she floating in the middle, you ask?
Because the pill furnace was rather dirty, pitch-black inside. After all, it was a furnace used for refining medicinal pills—it would be miraculous if it were clean. Suisui had no intention of getting her clothes soiled.
“Time’s almost up, it seems. Suisui doesn’t want to waste any more time; Papa has important matters tomorrow.”
“The Old Monk looks like he’s about to give out too. Let this young lady add some fuel to the fire for you!”
Snap!
After more than half an hour, Suisui had sensed nothing new and decided to end this tedious contest as quickly as possible.
With a snap of her fingers, a ghostly blue flame appeared in her palm. Though seemingly ordinary, this was actually the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Clan’s innate flame, known as the Celestial Fox Spirit Fire.
Although Suisui’s power hadn’t yet reached its peak, the might of the Celestial Fox Spirit Fire was already extraordinary, utterly surpassing the combined efforts of the ten monks beneath the pill furnace in producing Buddhist Fire. The two were worlds apart, incomparable.
“Go!”
Suisui aimed to intensify the flames, channeling Celestial Fox Spirit Fire into the bases of both pill furnaces.
“Whoa!”
“Hot, so hot!”
“Retreat now!”
The monks were initially stunned by the sudden transformation of the flames into a ghostly blue. But when the suffocating heat surged forth, they scattered in terror, retreating far from the furnaces. They stared in bewildered panic at the raging Celestial Fox Spirit Fire beneath the pill furnaces, utterly baffled by what had just occurred.
“A-Abbot!”
After a moment, the monks regained their senses and realized Old Monk Fayun was still trapped inside the pill furnace. Under such intense heat, even his formidable cultivation might not withstand it.
“!”
Inside the pill furnace, Old Monk Fayun immediately sensed the drastic temperature change. His heart jolted with alarm as he wondered why the Buddhist Fire had suddenly become so scorching—far beyond his expectations. Beads of sweat streamed down his forehead, only to evaporate instantly.
Inside the pill furnace, it was now like a steamer. Each breath scorched Fayun’s throat, an agony no ordinary person could endure.
“Old Monk, give up! If you don’t, you might die in there!”
Just as Old Monk Fayun was nearing his breaking point, Suisui’s voice echoed in his ears through telepathy.
Fayun understood why the temperature had suddenly spiked—Suisui was behind it. He couldn’t help but marvel at the seemingly petite Suisui’s awe-inspiring power, a realm he could only look up to.
Perhaps it was Suisui’s words that steeled Fayun’s resolve. This was his last chance. Without the demon core, he could only eke out a few more years before his life force waned, his body returning to dust.
Better to gamble it all now, he thought. There might still be a chance to advance my cultivation.
With renewed resolve, Old Monk Fayun stilled his mind, chanted Buddhist scriptures aloud, and gradually entered a meditative state.
Unbeknownst even to himself, his spiritual power began to transform during this process. Rather than simply resisting the extreme heat, it formed a circulating flow within his body, achieving a far more effective equilibrium.
“Oh? This is quite interesting!”
Even inside the nearby pill furnace, Suisui could sense the changes within Old Monk Fayun’s body. She never expected him to break through his limits under such pressure.
This indirectly confirmed that the Buddhist Fire Heart-Burning was indeed a cultivation method, though it was useless if the flames weren’t powerful enough.
Although Old Monk Fayun had achieved a breakthrough in the heat of battle, it was unstable. He could only hold on for another five minutes at most. If he didn’t emerge by then, he would surely perish.
Crack—shatter!
Boom!
Just then, hairline cracks appeared on the surface of the pill furnace, rapidly spreading until the entire vessel shattered completely.
Clearly, a pill furnace of this caliber couldn’t withstand Suisui’s Celestial Fox Spirit Fire. Once it reached its critical limit, it was destined to shatter.
Old Monk Fayun tumbled out, covered in soot and dust. Fortunately, Suisui immediately retracted her Celestial Fox Spirit Fire; otherwise, being roasted directly by its flames would have left him either dead or crippled.
Now, Old Monk Fayun looked utterly disheveled, his cassock tattered and torn, his face blackened. A hint of resignation flickered in his eyes as he addressed the composed Suisui: “Yes, this old monk has lost!”
“Little Benefactor’s divine power has earned my complete surrender!”
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