Chapter 97: Refinement

Deep within the cave.

Hong Yun was slowly, in a state akin to subconsciousness, single-mindedly practicing his method of seeding tribulations within his own body.

He did not actively control or manipulate his Cloud Wings, nor did he attempt to employ his aerial techniques.

Yet, he found himself uncontrollably floating midair.

Attached to his Cloud Wings was a dense pair of white bone wings, gently fluttering involuntarily, faint sounds of bones clinking softly echoing.

His expression remained unchanged, but on his back, a silhouette was branded onto his flesh.

It resembled a heart.

It had long since integrated into Hong Yun’s host body, pulsating lightly.

However, Hong Yun’s current state was far from good.

From the outside, a wave of heat seemed to surge and boil around him; his body itself was nearly reduced to a mummified husk.

This was the initial price he paid for bearing that heart.

Looking at his face, his pupils were slightly vacant and listless, his lips trembling faintly.

It seemed he wanted to speak, but found himself unable to open his mouth.

This state appeared frozen in time—fifteen minutes, an hour, a day, ten days passed with no change.

The only sign of life was his eyes gradually regaining some spark and vitality.

Later still, a sound of flowing water unexpectedly arose from within him.

Splash, splash—

In this tranquil environment, nothing disturbed him except for the slow flow of magma below, with bubbles occasionally surfacing.

Splash, splash—

The sound of flowing water grew louder—it was emanating from Hong Yun himself.

His once nearly withered body gradually became plump again, brimming with vitality and sheen.

Moist and vibrant.

As the sound of flowing water continued, it grew increasingly thunderous, transforming into the sensation of a mighty river rushing forward.

In the end, the sound became grand and tumultuous, like roaring ocean waves crashing against jagged rocks.

At this moment, the dense layer of white bones covering the Cloud Wings began to fade away, leaving behind twelve distinct, clearly visible red dots on the pristine wings.

Those were a pair of eyes.

When the wings involuntarily retracted back into Hong Yun’s body, he finally opened his own eyes, which showed little sharpness but were filled with weariness and profound depth.

He spread his hand and made a loose fist, feeling as if clutching a rag, then relaxed his palm once more.

At this moment, sensing the powerful heartbeat within him, a subtle, inexplicable expression flickered across his otherwise impassive face.

Since fusing with that heart, his host body had grown stronger.

Throughout this process, it was as if he had been consumed by blazing fire, tormented by burning desire, besieged by countless restless surges and memories from unknown origins, all forcibly poured into his mind.

Yet, he had withstood them all.

Who was he?

He was Hong Yun, the Ancient Era’s foremost Great Dao Golden Immortal, a fragment of his spirit.

Though the ordeal was arduous, it was not beyond his capacity.

It was time to leave.

He lifted his gaze, seeming able to see clearly beyond the cave’s mouth, then, expressionless, stepped toward the exit.

Though he longed to burst forth from this place and shatter it to pieces, the other party had not placed significant obstacles before him, despite their ill intentions.

Indeed, after merging the fiery heart into his body, he had acquired a chaotic array of memories.

This heart was far more active than the kidney he had previously obtained.

Not only could it disturb the mind and possess a strong autonomous consciousness, but it also had an unwritten condition—or rather, a prerequisite for leaving it within this cave.

It demanded worship.

Or perhaps it was lonely, yearning to find a master.

Among these memories, he uncovered something unusual.

Every hundred years, if this heart failed to find a host capable of mastering it, it must seek out a demon king who had reached the butterfly transformation stage or a human cultivator, to serve as its chosen master.

If the selection succeeded, the chosen would bear a mark, and the heart would return to slumber here.

If the selection failed, all of the candidate’s cultivation, memories, and everything else would vanish like illusions, replaced one by one by the heart's own will.

With the century mark approaching, the Phoenix Clan faced a dilemma: either capture a demon king to satisfy the heart’s demands, or sacrifice one of their own demon kings.

Yet no one knew exactly what conditions qualified as satisfying the heart’s criteria.

If they captured someone who succeeded, it could bring disaster upon the entire clan.

If no suitable candidate was found, they would have no choice but to offer one of their own demon kings to fulfill the heart’s needs.

At that moment, Hong Yun presented himself.

Such matters required mutual consent; since Hong Yun was willing to merge, they eagerly welcomed him.

Moreover, Hong Yun discovered some extraordinary memories deep within the heart.

The imprint within this heart was the secret to surpassing the butterfly transformation stage.

Anyone aspiring to become the sovereign of this realm—the ‘Heaven’ of this world—must come into contact with this mark.

It was a form of recognition and affirmation.

The Phoenix Clan had produced six Demon Emperors in the past, all of whom attained their sovereignty through this path.

Those six bone-headed phoenixes were both restraints and seals, serving as a kind of balance—a contract forged from the remains of the six Demon Emperors.

The highest level of transformation within the Phoenix Clan rivaled the current Demon Emperor tribe’s eight-armed Golden Ape in talent and power; this rare beast was known as the Heartfire Phoenix!

Yet, since the last Demon Emperor of the Phoenix Clan perished, none had reappeared.

As for this imprint...

Hong Yun carefully examined himself and found that, apart from a thicker aura of tribulation energy, there was little else different.

After some contemplation, surprise flickered in his eyes.

He seemed to understand the prerequisite for becoming a Demon Emperor beyond the butterfly transformation stage.

Whether in flesh or spirit, one must be able to contain tribulation energy and gain recognition.

But tribulation energy...

Hong Yun stroked his chin thoughtfully, a subtle, intriguing expression crossing his face.

The tribulation energy within his Judgment Eyes was already abundant—far more than that contained in the kidney or heart he had obtained.

It was just that he had never fully developed it.

At this moment, he walked deliberately, and within a few steps, he reached the cave’s exit.

Casting a brief glance, a trace of amusement stirred in his heart.

Was this exit irreversible? Had it been calculated that he would never emerge alive?