C60 He Broke Through the Late Period of Mortal Rank

Seeing Han Feng's surprise, Lord Sun didn't overthink it and explained, "I acquired the Profound Flame Chain from a thief a few years back during one of my travels."

"At that time, I was already a Human Rank Ten-star expert, while he was merely at the Nine-star level. Yet, when he wielded the Profound Flame Chain, it rivaled an upper-class Human Rank martial skill. Had I not had the backing of my powerful faction and practiced superior martial skills, I wouldn't have stood a chance against that thief."

"The Profound Flame Chain is quite peculiar; it's versatile in both offense and defense. Moreover, as the grade of Mortal Fire within a Martial Cultivator's body improves, so does the chain's potency, even surpassing its own inherent level."

"Such capabilities would typically classify it as a high-level martial skill. Surprisingly though, it doesn't require much True Qi, making it accessible to Human Rank One or Two-star Martial Cultivators."

"Generally, more advanced martial skills demand greater amounts of True Qi. Without sufficient True Qi, executing higher-level skills becomes nearly impossible."

"Yet, while it doesn't require copious amounts of True Qi, mastering it is exceptionally challenging, or rather, it demands significant control over one's True Qi."

"Even with less concentrated True Qi, a cultivator can still form the chains. But without precise control, the chains will lack strength."

"Taking all this into account, I've classified it as a top-tier Low-grade Human Rank Martial Skill."

"Had I not already been at the Twelve-star Human Rank, on the cusp of breaking into the Mystic Rank, I might have pursued the cultivation of the Profound Flame Chain myself."

"You certainly have an eye for quality."

Han Feng's eyebrows lifted; he had indeed underestimated the Profound Flame Chain.

Lord Sun then added with a sigh, "After acquiring it, I spent several days studying the chain. Based on my analysis, the Profound Flame Chain you possess is likely only a fragment of the authentic artifact."

"The complete Profound Flame Chain, by its level alone, should be classified among Mystic Rank Martial Skills."

"If you ever get the chance, you should seek out the rest of the Profound Flame Chain Martial Skills. They're likely located in the Xuanwu Mountain Range—that's where I encountered him."

"The Xuanwu Mountain Range?" Han Feng mused. The range was quite a distance from Renzhong City, separated by several cities.

Rumors suggested that the Xuanwu Mountain Range harbored several formidable bandit groups. While Human Rank experts were not exceedingly numerous, there was a significant presence of those at the Nine-star level and above.

It made sense why Lord Sun, despite knowing the value of the Profound Flame Chain, refrained from seeking it out. A misstep could mean death.

Han Feng was eager to explore, but he recognized that the time was not right.

After an extensive conversation with the City Lord, Han Feng bid farewell.

Once Han Feng had departed, Lord Sun gazed in a certain direction with a cold smirk. "Chang family, don't think you can lord over me just because you're aligned with the Mystic Sect. If you truly anger Han Feng, your downfall is assured."

What others didn't realize, Lord Sun did. Han Feng's mother hadn't abandoned him; she was merely waiting for him to demonstrate his potential. Without it, he would face nothing but disgrace among her kin.

But the situation was changing.

Han Feng's mother might seek him out someday soon.

The Mystic Sect was influential, but only in Renzhong City. To the Han family, the Sect was barely worth a glance.

Life for the Han family continued uneventfully, day by day.

Before long, ten days had slipped by.

In that time, Han Feng had solidified his cultivation in the eight main bloodlines and had begun to form Fire Attribute Genuine Qi, advancing to the Late Period of Mortal Rank.

His rapid progress stirred envy in Han Lin, Han Rou, and the rest.

Now at the tail end of Mortal Rank, just one more step would elevate him to Human Rank—a status held by fewer than a thousand in all of Renzhong City.

Days passed, and within the Nine Flames Heavenly Fire Tower, Han Feng's aura surged tumultuously before finally settling into a steady rhythm.

As he opened his eyes, a searing brilliance seemed to burst forth.

With a slight smile, Han Feng remarked, "Nearly half of my Attribute Genuine Qi has been condensed. Now, with about half of my Fire Attribute Genuine Qi, the potency of the mortal fire has significantly increased, rivaling that of a Medium-class mortal fire."

"My cultivation foundation is robust, not like Chang Wenhua's."

"Chang Wenhua has advanced to the late Mortal Rank by heavily relying on pills, which may seem like rapid progress. However, his body has accumulated numerous hidden issues. To break through from Mortal Rank to Human Rank, he'll need more than just level 4 pills."

"Pills above Level-four are in high demand by Human Rank experts. Using them on someone in the Late Period of Mortal Rank is quite wasteful, and I doubt he could absorb even twenty to thirty percent of their efficacy."

After some thought, Han Feng made his way to the third floor of the House of Time to practice the Profound Flame Chain. He had dedicated time to this training every day for the past several days.

"Profound Flame Chain, strike!" Han Feng commanded, and a red chain several meters long shot forth within the House of Time.

The chain was somewhat indistinct, its form barely recognizable as a chain, and its intricate patterns were indiscernible.

The chain vanished quickly.

Han Feng let out a soft sigh. "The Fire Attribute Genuine Qi is still insufficient, and the Internal Strength mixed within makes the chain appear hazy. Its power is only marginally better than a Basic Upper-grade Martial Skill, nowhere near the might of a Lower-grade Human Rank Martial Skill."

"Moreover, it's only a few meters in length, a far cry from the ten to dozens of meters described in the Profound Flame Chain."

"Even a mere moment of attack nearly depletes all the Fire Attribute Genuine Qi in my body."

"A Mortal-rank Martial Cultivator truly can't compare to a Human-rank Martial Cultivator."

But Han Feng quickly brushed off the disappointment with a carefree smile. "I've been too hard on myself. Ordinary Mortal-rank Martial Cultivators don't possess a Martial Skill like mine, nor do they have long-range attacks. Even if I can only unleash the Profound Flame Chain once, I'm confident it's enough to instantly defeat Chang Wenhua."

"Even a novice at the Early Human Rank could suffer severe injuries from my strike if they're not careful!"

This is all thanks to the Nine Flames And Strange Fire Art, which allows me to condense fire attribute Genuine Qi that's far denser than what ordinary Martial Cultivators can achieve. Without it, Han Feng wouldn't have been able to master a Human Rank Martial Skill in the Late Mortal Rank.

Having completed his training session, Han Feng wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced upward. His face suddenly took on a new expression, and in a flash, he ascended to the fourth floor.

Yes, the fourth floor!

The fourth level of the Nine Flames Heavenly Fire Tower is dedicated to cultivation. It's here that one can grow the heavenly Spirit Fruits, using the origin fluid from the All Creatures Fire Cauldron to expedite their ripening.

The cultivation space is currently at level one, featuring just two Spirit Fields suitable for planting Spirit Fruits and Spirit Grass. Right now, two Human Origin Fruits are on the verge of ripeness.

For the past ten-plus days, the origin fluid Han Feng has been using for his cultivation was derived from the petals of the Source Flower. Meanwhile, the origin fluid created from Spirit Stones has been entirely allocated to speeding up the ripening process of the Human Origin Fruits.

On this continent, while Spirit Stones can boost a Martial Cultivator's foundation, they pale in comparison to the heavenly Spirit Fruits.

Thus, even though a considerable amount of Spirit Stones was used to produce the origin fluid, the investment was well justified.

After all, he wouldn't be able to refine such an abundance of origin fluid in a short span of time. Letting it sit unused would be wasteful, so it's better to employ it in nurturing the Spirit Fruits, which can also aid in cultivation.