Immortality begins with Swallowing the Stars.

Chapter 15 The Ghost Child

The Black Fire Spirit Root contains mysterious energy; even an ordinary person who consumes it can instantly gain the strength of ten thousand jin and ascend to become a top-tier master in one step.

This mysterious energy is transformed from the fire element power of the surrounding world absorbed by the Black Fire Spirit Root through its roots. It also gives birth to the Crimson Scale Beast, with rare treasures and exotic beasts living together.

However, the red-scaled cubs are fond of eating people, so it is difficult for them to hide their whereabouts each time they are born.

This time, unable to control their nature, they crossed mountains and valleys to reach this "Liang Family Village" and carried off many people.

This also led to his mysterious master, who was temporarily residing in Liangjia Village, running into him. The village elder not only sealed off the entire village but also sent his disciples, including Lu Jing, to search for the Crimson Scale Beast and find out its approximate lair location.

The Liang Aqi that Lu Jing possessed was ambushed and fell off a cliff while searching for traces of the Crimson Scale Beast.

Of course, besides the Blackfire Spirit itself, its most precious quality is that it can produce Blackfire Spirit Fruit.

In the world of "Nine Cauldrons", the acquired stage is the process of refining essence into qi. To enter the innate stage, one must harmonize spirit and qi, which is called refining qi into spirit.

Countless peak martial artists are stuck at the "god" level for their entire lives.

The value of the Blackfire Spirit Fruit lies in its ability to enhance that mysterious and inexplicable 'spirit,' making it easier to enter the Innate Realm.

In terms of rarity and mystery, this Black Fire Spirit Root naturally surpasses the Vermilion Fruit.

The sudden shock made it difficult for Lu Jing to completely conceal his reaction.

However, the cheap master and his fellow disciples did not pay any attention to it, taking it as Lu Jing's surprise at finding traces of the Crimson Scale Beast.

"That beast is very clever. Now that we've found its trail, we must set off as soon as possible. We should leave first thing tomorrow morning, so that Ah Lin and the others don't sacrifice themselves in vain." The man in black had a look of compassion and sorrow on his face.

As Lu Jing joined Liang Hong and the others in comforting their master, he felt a chill in his heart. The "Ah Lin and the others" mentioned by the man in black were also his fellow disciples.

By this point, nearly half of the dozen or so disciples the man in black had taken in had died. Most of them died while chasing after the Crimson Scale Beast, some were discovered by the beast and devoured, and even on the edge of the wilderness, there might be monsters lurking. Every time they crossed the mountains and entered the wilderness, they risked their lives.

"As I told you before, among the spiritual roots and fruits guarded by these Crimson Scale Beasts, the spiritual fruits can only be consumed by masters; those below the Innate Realm will surely die if they consume them. However, the spiritual roots also have miraculous effects on Acquired Realm martial artists, greatly enhancing their physical strength and even allowing them to directly become top-tier experts like the City Lord of Firestone City!"

Before the man in black finished speaking, the disciples around him began to breathe heavily.

Huoshi City was the closest city to Liangjia Village. Before the man in black sealed off the village, Liangjia Village had to go to Huoshi City to exchange goods every month. The lord of Huoshi City was almost a god in the eyes of everyone in the village.

The temptation of becoming a powerful figure like the Lord of Firestone City overnight is naturally considerable.

A hint of disdain flashed in the narrow eyes of the man in black, and then he said, "You were all nominal disciples before. After this, I will select one of you to be my true disciple and bestow upon him spiritual roots so that he may inherit my lineage."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jing felt that Liang Hong's gaze towards him had become even more sinister.

"So that's how it is. You see me as a competitor? No wonder you tried to harm me..." Lu Jingxin realized.

However, Liang Hong was similar to his body, both being third-rate martial artists who had only recently developed internal strength. In the Swallowed Star World, they wouldn't even be considered beginner warriors, so naturally, he didn't take them seriously.

"Right, it's almost time, isn't it?" The man in black glanced at his disciples.

Everyone, including Liang Hong, wore expressions of pain and fear, as if they were recalling some terrifying events that were too painful to revisit.

The man in black chuckled and took out a porcelain bottle: "Eat them all. Rest and recharge tonight. I'll be counting on you tomorrow."

Having said that, he vanished in the blink of an eye, as if it were a gust of wind.

Only Liang Hong and his disciples were left, greedily taking the porcelain bottle, pouring out the pills inside, and swallowing them.

As Lu Jing was speculating in his mind, Liang Hong approached with a half-smile, holding a porcelain bottle containing only one pill left: "Junior brother, did you perhaps hurt your head and forget that the onset time is approaching? The Heavenly Marrow Poison that Master administered will definitely take effect in seven days, causing unbearable suffering. I was worried that you wouldn't be able to return, that the antidote would run out, and that you would be tormented by excruciating pain day and night..."

Lu Jing, unable to find any useful information from Liang Aqi's fragmented memories, snorted coldly, snatched the porcelain bottle, and swallowed the pills.

"No wonder I felt a strange power in my bone marrow when I was treating my injuries, it turns out I was poisoned!" Lu Jingxin realized, "No wonder this cheap master told us about the Crimson Scale Beast."

Thinking of this, Lu Jing sneered inwardly. The origins of this man in black were a mystery, and his identity was most likely something that couldn't be revealed.

Liang Hong and the others actually hoped to be accepted as personal disciples and obtain the Black Fire Spiritual Root... Heh, I'm afraid that once their cheap master gets his hands on the Black Fire Spiritual Root and the spiritual fruit, he'll kill them to silence them. Even this village will fall under the slaughter. After all, you can't hide the truth forever. Liang Family Village isn't an isolated paradise. Temporarily sealing off the village is just a stopgap measure.

Lu Jingqiang suppressed the sudden chill that rose within him, but still felt a bit doubtful: "Judging from what this cheap master said, he should be a master of the Innate Realm. Why would he need help dealing with a Crimson Scale Cub that hasn't even consumed the Black Fire Spirit Fruit yet? Besides, my so-called disciples are at best third-rate martial artists. What help could they possibly offer?"

……

In a mountain range on the edge of the wilderness, a man dressed in black led eight mountain people dressed as hunters, armed with bows and arrows and long knives, as they carefully searched the mountains.

"Are you sure this is the place?"

The man in black looked down into the narrow, dark valley below. The valley was barren and lifeless, like a dead end.

Liang Hong replied with a mixture of excitement and fear, "Master, it is indeed here. My Ninth Junior Brother and I saw the Crimson Scale Beast run down there with our own eyes."

"Hmm, the fire elemental energy is abundant! There should be no mistake." The man in black closed his eyes and sensed the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

After a while, he opened his eyes, and a raging fire burned within them.

"Ying Mutong! Don't think you've won this time. Sooner or later, I will return to Qinwang City openly and honestly! I will tell those elders... that I, Ying Muyu, am the future of the Ying family, the genius most qualified to cultivate the 'Heavenly Emperor's Divine Mirror'!"

At this moment, Ying Muyu felt as if even the heavens were favoring him.

Severely injured, he barely managed to escape his pursuers and hide in a remote mountain stronghold near the wilderness. He originally intended to recover a bit here before venturing into the wilderness to find rare and precious fruits to heal his injuries, but unexpectedly, he discovered the trail of the Crimson Scale Beast!

The widely circulated claim that mortals who consume the Black Fire Spirit Root immediately gain the strength of ten thousand jin is simply a waste of its potential.

Only martial artists can truly unlock the full potential of the Black Fire Spiritual Root for their bodies, enough to heal their physical injuries.

As for the Blackfire Spirit Fruit, even if he were a Xiantian expert, it would still be of great benefit to him.

Ying Muyu calmed his emotions and turned around, his gaze falling indifferently on the group of disciples behind him.

A bunch of lowly barbarians, do they even deserve to call me master and join my Ying clan?

If it weren't for the fact that the wounds were still severe and unhealed, why would a red-scaled cub need to be so cautious?

"You all stay here and practice the incantation I taught you, locking your breath and concealing your energy. I will lure the Crimson Scale Beast away. After it leaves, you will enter its lair and find the Black Fire Spiritual Root and Black Fire Spiritual Fruit that I described to you! If the fruit is not ripe, remember, do not pick it! When I return, I will reward you accordingly!"

Ying Muyu's gaze seemed to carry a tangible force, pressing down on everyone like a boulder.

Everyone was so frightened that they immediately knelt down. Liang Hong, with a respectful expression, said loudly, "I will obey Master's teachings and dare not be negligent in the slightest!"

"Haha, you are all my good disciples, so I am naturally at ease." Ying Muyu smiled, turned around and leaped, gracefully landing in the secluded valley.

Lu Jing, like his fellow disciples, lay prone on the ground, holding his breath, thinking to himself, "No wonder he trained us disciples; it turns out he has a way to lure away the Crimson Scale Beast..."

Indeed, someone who hides his identity and keeps a low profile like this wouldn't be able to find other experts as helpers, and ordinary people wouldn't gain his trust. Only we, his "disciples" who were personally trained by him, poisoned with the Heavenly Marrow Poison, and whose own strength is not strong, can be trusted.

(End of this chapter)