Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 459, Section 467: No matter what lies ahead, I will keep going!

"The third trial, and the most difficult one, is 'Transforming the Flame into Nothingness.'" The old man gave Xu Qinghan a deep look, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "The flame and nothingness are two sides of the same coin. To completely purify nothingness, you must first understand nothingness, and even... to some extent, coexist with nothingness. This is not depravity, but transcendence. You will face the origin of the Lord of Nothingness, and even enter the abyss of nothingness, to find the opportunity for the flame to last forever."

Xu Qinghan's breath hitched. Facing the very essence of the Lord of Nothingness, entering the Abyss of Nothingness? This sounded more terrifying than death. She remembered the pain her senior brother Xu Ran suffered from being corrupted by Nothingness—a torment that penetrated to the very marrow, a torment that even the soul could not escape.

“These three trials are fraught with danger at every step. A slight misstep could lead to utter destruction,” the old man said in a deep voice. “But you have no choice. You are the last hope of the flame, and the last hope of the universe.”

Xu Qinghan clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she felt no pain. She thought of her senior brother Xu Ran's figure disappearing into nothingness, and of all the sacrifices made by Yu Kong, the old man, and the half-fallen for the sake of the torch.

“Senior, I understand.” Xu Qinghan raised her head, her eyes as firm as iron, without a trace of confusion. “I am willing to accept the trial, no matter what lies ahead, I will walk it!”

The old man looked at her, a relieved smile appearing in his eyes.

“Very good.” The old man nodded. “The ancient divine flame within you is powerful, but it is still unstable as this is your first time fusing with it and you have experienced the enormous consumption of igniting the flame. Before you begin the trial, you need to meditate in the Flame Sanctuary for a period of time to completely stabilize your power and learn the knowledge and experience accumulated by the Flame Guardians over the ages.”

In the days that followed, Xu Qinghan began her arduous spiritual practice at the Firewood Shelter.

The old man personally guided her, imparting to her the secrets of the torch. He did not directly instill power, but rather guided Xu Qinghan to perceive and understand it.

She sat cross-legged before the altar, feeling the pulse of the embers—not just flames, but the rhythm of the universe's life force. She was immersed in the ancient ember tomes, which were not paper but orbs of light formed from the power of the embers, recording the origin and evolution of the embers, as well as the bloody and tearful history of countless ember guardians fighting against the Lord of Nothingness.

She saw the distant past, when the flame was first lit and all things in the universe flourished; she also saw the horrific scene of the Lord of Nothingness descending, turning countless stars into death and devouring countless civilizations. She saw the tragic heroism of the guardians of the flame, who sacrificed themselves to ignite the flame with their lives and forge hope with their will.

Each insight deepened Xu Qinghan's understanding of the ancient divine flame, and the ancient divine flame within her became even more intense, as if it resonated with the flame in this sanctuary and merged into one.

She also sought advice from other Flame Guardians, who, though aged, were all seasoned veterans with a wealth of experience. They taught her how to better wield the power of the Flame, how to remain conscious amidst the corrosive influence of nothingness, and how to find hope in dire straits.

Through repeated training, Xu Qinghan's power advanced by leaps and bounds. She was no longer the girl who needed protection, but gradually grew into a true torchbearer. She could clearly feel the surging flame within her, and with each breath, it seemed as if she could draw upon the primordial power of the universe.

However, as her power grew, a deep sorrow lingered in Xu Qinghan's heart. In the quiet of the night, she would always recall the vanished figure of her senior brother Xu Ran, and his words, "The flame... has burned out!"

She knew that her senior brother's sacrifice was both her driving force and her eternal pain. She had to become stronger, strong enough to reverse life and death, strong enough to bring her senior brother back from the void!

Three months later, Xu Qinghan's power had become completely stable, even stronger than before. She could freely draw upon the ancient god's flame, transforming it into various forms, reaching a completely new level in both attack and defense.

The mark of the ancient god's flame between her brows became even more dazzling, radiating a brilliant golden light, like a real star dancing on her forehead.

"Child, you are ready." The old man looked at Xu Qinghan after her transformation, his eyes filled with admiration.

Xu Qinghan stood up and bowed deeply to the old man and the other guardians of the torch: "Thank you for your teachings, seniors. I will remember them in my heart."

“There’s no need for that.” The old man helped her up. “The hope of the torch rests on you. Now, it’s time to begin your first trial—the reunion of the torch.”

He walked to the altar, raised his hand and waved it. The fire on the altar suddenly leaped, emitting a golden light that condensed into an ancient star map in the air.

The star map is dotted with countless dense points of light, some blazing, some dim, and some even shrouded in the dark void.

"These points of light are the sparks of fire scattered throughout the universe," the old man said, pointing to the star map. "Most of them are located in areas that have been corrupted by the Lord of Nothingness, or even suppressed by the power of Nothingness. What you need to do is find them, awaken them, and bring them back to merge into your ancient divine fire."

Xu Qinghan's gaze swept across the star map, and she saw many familiar names. These were ancient civilizations that she had read about in ancient books, ruins that had been breached by the Lord of Nothingness, and territories that the Flame of Fire had once protected.

"Our first target is the closest and most deeply corrupted spark of life to us—the 'Silent Star Core'." The old man pointed to a dim point of light shrouded in dense void energy on the star map. "The Silent Star Core was once a vibrant planet teeming with life, and one of the original birthplaces of the spark. But in the distant past, it was completely corrupted by the Lord of Nothingness, and the spark was suppressed deep within the core, transforming into a 'dead star' enveloped in nothingness."

"The Lord of Nothingness has laid down many seals there, and even sent powerful pioneers to guard it, to prevent the embers from reigniting." A trace of solemnity flashed in the old man's eyes. "That place is one of the areas where the Lord of Nothingness's power is most concentrated, and it is also the first hurdle you will face."

Xu Qinghan's heart clenched. The core of the desolate star, the birthplace of the flame that had been completely corrupted by the Lord of Nothingness? What a perilous place that must be.

"Child, are you ready?" the old man asked.

Xu Qinghan took a deep breath, her eyes shining with determination: "I'm ready!"

The old man nodded, then looked at the other guardians of the torch.

"Gentlemen, the hope of the torch will once again embark on its journey." The old man's voice was loud and clear, echoing through the valley. "We will reactivate the Torch Network to protect those who ignite the torch!"

"May the flame burn eternally!" Hundreds of aged figures responded in unison. They sat cross-legged around the altar, their bodies radiating a faint but tenacious power of the flame, which intertwined with the flames on the altar, forming an ancient resonance.

Xu Qinghan felt this power and was deeply moved. She knew that she was not alone; the entire Spark Network was fighting for her.

The old man raised his hand and waved, and a golden light shot out from the altar, landing at Xu Qinghan's feet and forming an ancient teleportation array.

"Go, child," the old man said kindly. "Remember, as long as the flame burns, hope endures."

Xu Qinghan bowed to the old man and all the guardians again, and then resolutely stepped into the teleportation array.

Golden light enveloped her instantly, and the next moment, she disappeared into the Firewood Sanctuary.

When Xu Qinghan opened her eyes again, she found herself in a desolate starry sky. As far as the eye could see, there was only endless darkness and cold. There was no starlight, no sign of life, only the occasional drifting cosmic dust, and a distant, enormous planet emanating a dense aura of nothingness.

That planet was the core of a dormant star.

It was once a beautiful planet inhabited by life, but now it is shrouded in a dark void, its surface covered with huge cracks and charred marks, like a cursed eyeball, radiating a suffocating pressure in the darkness.

Xu Qinghan felt the terrifying aura emanating from the core of the desolate star. That power of nothingness was more intense and purer than what she had felt on the ancient battlefield in the starry sky, as if it could devour all life.

"This is... the core of the Annihilation Star." Xu Qinghan murmured softly. The ancient god's flame within her body began to pulsate violently, as if sensing a shared aura, and also as if sensing a threat from the void.

Without the slightest hesitation, she transformed into a golden streak of light and rushed straight toward the core of the desolate star.

The closer she got, the stronger the power of nothingness became, even beginning to erode her protective barrier of ancient divine fire. Xu Qinghan gritted her teeth and used all her strength to circulate the ancient divine fire, dispelling the nothingness that tried to entangle her.

She plunged into the atmosphere of the desolate star core, where there was no longer any atmosphere, only an extremely dense void energy that surged towards her like a black tide.

"Om-"

The moment she entered the planet's interior, countless pitch-black void chains shot out from all directions, coiling around her like venomous snakes!
These chains are not physical entities, but are formed from pure nothingness, carrying the power to corrode all things, attempting to completely bind Xu Qinghan.

"Hmph!" Xu Qinghan snorted coldly. She suddenly unleashed the Ancient God's Flame, and a blazing golden flame burst forth from her body, instantly vaporizing those ethereal chains!

However, more chains of nothingness surged forth from the darkness, dense and endless, like a giant net of nothingness, threatening to trap her completely.

At the same time, a series of deep roars came from the depths of the planet, and countless Fallen Ones and Void Hunters rushed out of the darkness, their eyes gleaming with greed and bloodlust, and pounced on Xu Qinghan.

"As expected, this is one of the Void Lord's strongholds!" Xu Qinghan's expression turned solemn. She knew that this was just the beginning.

She concentrated the ancient divine flame into her fists and slammed them forward, unleashing torrents of golden energy that instantly vaporized the onrushing fallen ones.

She moved with lightning speed, weaving through the dense attacks. Every dodge was fraught with danger, and every counterattack contained the power to split mountains and shatter rocks. She was no longer the girl who needed protection, but a torchbearer reborn from the ashes. Each of her attacks carried the purifying power of the flame, dispelling the void.

However, the power of the Lord of Nothingness is too immense, and the number of void creatures within the core of the Annihilation Star, which is the concentration of its power, is beyond imagination.

As Xu Qinghan fought, she sensed the faint embers deep within the core of the desolate star. She knew that was the spark she was searching for.

She must overcome these obstacles, delve into the star's core, and find the suppressed flame.

"Roar!"

Just then, a deafening roar came from the depths of the star core, and a huge figure, carrying a terrifying pressure, rushed out of the darkness.

It was a colossal ethereal beast, its body formed from pure void power, its eyes bloodshot and radiating a bloodthirsty light. It was even larger than the pioneers Xu Qinghan had encountered before, its body crackling with dark lightning, and every step it took caused the entire Desolate Star Core to tremble.

“Void Guardians!” Xu Qinghan’s expression changed drastically. She had seen records of Void Guardians in ancient books; they were one of the most powerful forces under the Lord of Nothingness, responsible for guarding the most important Void Land.

This Void Guardian is more powerful than the Pioneer. Every attack it makes carries the power to destroy everything, and can even distort space and corrode the laws of nature.

"Torchbearer, you will never awaken the flame suppressed by the Lord of Nothingness!" The Void Guardian roared deafeningly, its voice filled with boundless killing intent. It suddenly raised its giant claw and slammed it down at Xu Qinghan.

Wherever the giant claw passed, the void collapsed and the laws were obliterated, as if it wanted to crush Xu Qinghan completely.

Xu Qinghan dared not be negligent. She suddenly unleashed the Ancient God's Flame, and a blazing golden beam of light shot out from her body, directly meeting the Void Guardian's giant claw.

"boom!"

The golden beam of light collided violently with the gigantic claw of nothingness, producing a deafening roar. Terrifying energy fluctuations spread outwards, instantly vaporizing the surrounding void creatures.

Xu Qinghan's body trembled violently as she felt an irresistible force strike her. Her body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the distant rock wall.

"puff!"

She coughed up a mouthful of blood, her face turning deathly pale. The power of the Void Guardian was beyond her imagination.

However, she did not back down. She knew this was a challenge she had to face.

She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, stood up again, and her eyes gleamed with an indomitable fighting spirit.

"The flame...will never be extinguished!" she roared, and the ancient god's flame boiled within her, radiating an even more intense golden light.

She charged towards the Void Guardian, the power of the Flame gathering around her and transforming into golden blades that slashed towards the Void Guardian.

The Void Guardian let out a disdainful snort, raised its giant claws, and engaged Xu Qinghan in fierce combat. The two powerful beings clashed in a brutal battle within the planet corrupted by the Void.

(End of this chapter)