Chapter 123: Absorption! The Polar Mountain Fire Sunflower

Watching Lu Zhe consume the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower," the Medical Elder stood up, retreated a few steps, and descended from the altar.

"How is it?" Oil Old Six asked, walking forward as the Medical Elder approached.

"He has already ingested it. There is nothing more I can do; whether he can absorb and refine this exotic herb depends entirely on his own fortune," the Medical Elder sighed softly, casting a worried look back at the top of the altar.

Patting the Medical Elder on the shoulder, Oil Old Six offered a faint smile of comfort. "Do not worry. Good people are always protected by heaven, and besides, he is a heaven-sent prodigy."

The Medical Elder nodded.

"Very well, it is my turn to play my part," Oil Old Six said, rolling up his sleeves, eager to begin.

"I leave it to you."

"Consider it done."

Oil Old Six walked to the base of the massive altar. After surveying it, he swung his sleeves and rapidly formed a complex set of mystical hand seals. As he chanted, he suddenly struck the ground with his right palm, shouting, "Heavenly Cold Array!"

In an instant, the temperature of the entire ice cellar—especially around the altar—plummeted. The already bone-chilling air turned into a freezing hell where dripping water turned to ice in the blink of an eye.

The Medical Elder swayed as a green flame erupted around him, forming a protective barrier that kept the biting cold at bay.

Oil Old Six stood up, his body swaying slightly; it was clear the massive expenditure of spiritual energy had taken its toll. The Medical Elder hurried forward to support him, asking with concern, "Are you alright, Brother Xuefei?"

Oil Old Six waved his hand to signal he was fine. Suddenly, his body began to shrink at a visible rate. Before long, his once obese, bloated frame transformed into a perfectly proportioned figure. His face underwent a dramatic change as well; the layers of fat vanished, revealing a handsome, dashing face, while his hair grew rapidly until it reached his waist.

Seeing the now-handsome Oil Old Six, the Medical Elder produced a bottle from his sleeve, poured out a pill, and handed it to him. "Brother Xuefei, this is a 'Spirit-Returning Pill.' It will help you recover your spiritual energy quickly."

Oil Old Six nodded, swallowed the pill, and sat cross-legged to meditate and recover his depleted energy.

The Medical Elder stood silently, gazing at the top of the altar with a grave expression.

Time ticked by, second by second...

A quarter of an hour after Lu Zhe consumed the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower," a heart-wrenching scream erupted from the top of the altar. The sound was so agonizing it was enough to make one's heart race and skin crawl. Barely half a breath later, a massive wave of heat swept out from the altar, its intensity so great that it instantly melted portions of the surrounding icy landscape.

Oil Old Six, who had been meditating, jolted awake at the sound of Lu Zhe’s agonizing scream. He scrambled to his feet and looked at the Medical Elder, bewildered. "What is happening?"

The Medical Elder, his eyes never leaving the top of the altar, stood in silence for a long time before replying calmly, "Nothing. He is merely absorbing the exotic herb."

"Absorbing an exotic herb? Why would it cause such agonizing pain?" Oil Old Six asked in confusion.

The Medical Elder sighed. "Brother Xuefei, you have never absorbed an exotic herb, so you do not know. These are rare treasures of heaven and earth; refining them is never easy. Intense pain is inevitable. We can only wait and see."

***

Oil Old Six looked at the pained expression on the Medical Elder’s face and fell silent.

"Ah!"

Lu Zhe’s cry of agony echoed again, followed by another terrifying blast of scorching heat.

"This is bad!" Oil Old Six shouted as he felt the intense temperature. He pushed off the ground, his body launching into the air like an arrow released from a bow. Hovering in mid-air, he looked around in shock; the giant icicles hanging from the ceiling of the cellar had been completely melted by the heat!

"What terrifying power!" Oil Old Six exclaimed inwardly.

"Ah!!"

Lu Zhe screamed again, and a fresh wave of crimson heat radiated outward.

"If this continues, the entire ice cellar will melt!" Sweating profusely, Oil Old Six clenched his jaw, his veins bulging as he pressed his palms together. With a roar, a freezing, bone-piercing chill erupted from his body, colliding with the heat from the altar. The sound of hissing filled the air as thick white mist instantly flooded the chamber.

*Whoosh, thud.*

Oil Old Six landed, squatting on the ground and gasping for breath.

The Medical Elder stepped forward to help him up. "Brother Xuefei, are you alright?"

Oil Old Six wiped the sweat from his face and panted, "Truly an exotic herb. The heat it emits is on par with my centuries of practiced icy spiritual energy."

Observing the exhausted Oil Old Six, the Medical Elder pondered for a moment. "Brother Xuefei, rest. I will take over."

Oil Old Six raised an eyebrow, looking at the elder in disbelief. "You? But your spiritual energy is fire-attributed. If you unleash it now, aren't you afraid of melting the entire mountain?"

The Medical Elder waved his hand, signaling him not to worry. "You need not worry about that. I will use my green flames to wrap around the altar and contain the heat within."

"Can you do it?"

"Let us try."

With that, the Medical Elder swung his hands, tracing a circle in the air before thrusting them toward the altar. Two streams of flame shot from his palms, encircling the structure. With another wave, the green flames extended upward and downward, sealing the altar within a glowing, hemispherical barrier.

*Boom.*

A surge of scorching red heat slammed against the barrier, but it was like hitting soft cotton; though it strained against the flames, it failed to break through and was eventually consumed by the green fire.

"Oh, not bad! I didn't know you had this trick up your sleeve," Oil Old Six said, clearly impressed.

***

The Medical Elder looked back at him. "Do not forget, I too have consumed an exotic herb. Mine is ranked fourteenth—far superior to this eighteenth-ranked 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower.' However..."

The Medical Elder trailed off, and Oil Old Six looked at him in alarm, noticing that the elder’s face had turned deathly pale. "Doctor, what is wrong?"

*Cough.*

The Medical Elder spat out a mouthful of blood, clutching his chest. "My herb’s properties are gentle—not as violent as this 'Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower.' Though it ranks higher, it lacks combat utility; I can only hold it back for a while."

*Thud.*

The crimson heat wave slammed into the green barrier again, and once more, the elder’s flames absorbed the impact.

*Cough.*

With the impact, the Medical Elder spat blood again. He wiped his lips and looked at the altar, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Lu Zhe felt as though he were trapped in a sea of fire. Ever since he had consumed the herb, a torrent of heat had begun to flow through his body, making his entire frame burn. At first, the "Cold Water Pill" had helped, but as time went on, the heat became unbearable. The medicinal power of the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower" rampaged through his body like a wild, untamed horse, scorching every inch of his skin and every meridian. Lu Zhe tried his best to control it, but his own spiritual power was like a drop in the ocean compared to the herb's might. He could only watch in agony as the power wreaked havoc within him.

His body was scorching, and the medicinal pool he sat in began to bubble as if it were boiling water.

"Urgh!" Lu Zhe gritted his teeth, his forehead veins throbbing. He clenched his fists, enduring the unimaginable pain. Occasionally, he couldn't help but scream, but he would immediately bite his lip and force himself to hold on.

Pain! Indescribable pain—that was all he felt. It was as if he were sitting in a red-hot iron barrel, being pierced by thousands of burning needles.

*Huff.*

A puff of white steam drifted from his body. Lu Zhe forced himself to look inward, only to be shocked to find his meridians and organs wilting as if they had been drained of all moisture.

Just as he was bewildered, a violent surge of medicinal power forced its way through his shriveled meridians, cruelly expanding them. This was nearly the end of him. Human meridians are fragile, and with the heat of the sunflower, they were already at their breaking point. If not for the support of the Medical Elder’s pill, they would have been reduced to ash long ago. The brutal surge of energy was simply too much.

*Pfft!*

Lu Zhe spat out a large mouthful of blood. Suddenly, the pain seemed to lessen? But why was his consciousness fading?

"This time... I am truly going to die," Lu Zhe thought, as his awareness began to slip into the void.