CHAPTER 437: CHAPTER 379: FIRE GOD ZHU RONG, SEEKING THE SPIRITUAL TREASURE

The southern expansion strategy was highly successful.

In just two years, the Great Zhou managed to extend its influence into the south.

After all, the Great Zhou was the legitimate ruler. In the past, when the Great Zhou lacked strength, the vassal states had no other choice but to submit to stronger neighbors. Now that the Zhou Army was unmatched, they naturally pledged their allegiance.

Currently, the Nine States are under Great Zhou’s control; four of them are Yuzhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou.

The remaining major states include Jing State and Yangzhou in the south, Liang State in the west and southwest, Yong State in the northwest, and Jizhou in the north.

The south has always been a forbidden area for Great Zhou. Although the vast southern lands remain largely a wilderness, the presence of Chu Country—a large southern power—remains intimidating.

No wonder Chu Country later became so strong. Its development of the southern lands provided the foundation for its nation-building.

Chu Country, Dan Yang.

The Chu people had their hair loose and bodies tattooed, their foreheads adorned with patterns. Wearing traditional Southern Barbarian attire, they were distinct.

The structures in the royal city were decorated with flame and Mystic Bird motifs, and the architectural style bore some resemblance to Haojing. There were even Mystic Iron workshops emitting black smoke.

Inside the palace.

A young man, dressed in a Mystic Robe and bearing flame-patterned tattoos on his face, with Mystic Bird and crimson motifs on his garment, listened intently to his subordinates’ reports. Occasionally, he gave opinions or reprimanded them.

The man’s name was Xiong Ai, a prince of Chu Country.

Xiong Ai was a wise ruler, and in recent years, he had been learning from Great Zhou’s various systems.

He imitated the Great Zhou by setting up six officials of Heaven and Earth. He sent people to steal iron-smelting techniques, and spared no effort in learning various technologies.

No matter how much opposition he faced, Xiong Ai pushed forward with an iron will.

In less than five years, the nation’s strength increased tenfold compared to before the reforms.

The Chu Army abandoned the old battle chariot system and adopted a new structure of cavalry, infantry, and archers.

The Chu Army had grown to a workforce of 200,000 soldiers, exceeding Great Zhou by several thousand—a terrifying display of militarization.

Only a Southern Barbarian power like Chu dared to act so recklessly, unafraid of internal rebellion.

Confident, Xiong Ai deliberated and spoke to the Grand Minister:

"Send word to the Emperor of Zhou: the Zhou Army is forbidden from entering the south, or face war!"

Of course, Xiong Ai didn’t believe he could intimidate the formidable sovereign.

He merely wanted the Zhou Army to initiate an attack on Chu, using it as an excuse to declare himself king and forcibly divide the north and south against the Zhou Family.

Becoming stronger was always Chu Country’s mission.

During the ancestors’ era, they didn’t even have sacrificial offerings and resorted to stealing a cow from their neighbors.

The Grand Minister departed to carry out his orders as Xiong Ai gazed northward, his eyes flickering with an enigmatic flame.

"Come, Ji Man, show me your strength!"

Boom!

Scarlet flames enveloped Xiong Ai’s body, transforming him into something resembling the Fire God, wielding the fire of Heaven and Earth.

Emperor Realm!

In the 24th year of King Mu of Zhou.

The Emperor, citing Chu Country’s unauthorized actions, launched a campaign to conquer Chu.

Within the Sun Jade Carriage’s internal Grotto Heaven.

Song Lin sat facing Ju Mang, with an Azure Dragon coiling beside Ju Mang, radiating Divine Light—clearly in peak condition.

Having absorbed energy from the fourth tripod, Ju Mang successfully advanced to the Mythical Realm, gaining the power of a Primordial Spirit.

"What do you make of the Zhuu Rong deity?"

Song Lin inquired.

"Quick-tempered. You’ll have to defeat him to earn his submission,"

Ju Mang replied.

"It seems battle is inevitable,"

Song Lin sighed.

The personalities of Heavenly Gods were easy to predict, though sometimes stubbornly inflexible.

After years of preparation, the Zhou Army’s momentum became unstoppable; against the organized military, the Jing Man proved entirely unable to resist.

Realizing the formidable strength of their foes, the Chu Army retreated, abandoning all cities while preserving their surviving forces, leaving behind starving civilians to burden the self-proclaimed righteous Zhou Army.

Of course, Song Lin wouldn’t fall for their tricks. Whoever wanted them could have them; once Chu Country was conquered, its resources would far outweigh the cost of any single city or territory.

The two armies strategically advanced and retreated until finally arriving at Dan Yang.

Standing before the city, Xiong Ai gazed across the distance at Song Lin.

"You’ve arrived at last, Ji Man!"

Xiong Ai’s voice traveled dozens of miles, landing right beside Song Lin.

"Hmph! Traitor and usurper—anyone may claim your execution!"

Swish!

Song Lin charged forward.

The sky was filled with divine swords, while the earth flourished with vitality.

The Divine Swords rained down like a storm, causing grass and trees to grow wildly.

Yet life force was needed for such growth. Song Lin did not supply it directly, so it naturally absorbed from its surroundings.

Within a thousand-mile radius, all vegetation withered, and the vitality of the Southern Barbarians was drained.

In their place, sturdier summoned trees sprouted.

The weakened barbarians, whose vitality had been harvested, were unable to even react before unyielding vines pierced their bodies, roots entangled their ankles, and razor-sharp leaves sliced away their flesh.

One move!

With one move of Spring Wind Transforming Wood, the barbarian army was utterly annihilated.

Meanwhile, a goddess emerged from the Sun Jade Carriage. Standing atop two Azure Dragons, her hair resembled a phoenix bird’s plumage.

The moment the goddess appeared, the world became lively and full of vitality.

"Ju Mang!"

Xiong Ai was struck with horror.

How could even a divine being be aiding them?

Boom!

At that moment, Song Lin descended from the sky, entirely unfazed by the flaming fire-man before him.

The tree roots from the earth below converged into countless Grass Dragons, which zealously pursued and hunted the fleeing Chu Army.

Xiong Ai’s decade-long preparations proved laughable against Song Lin’s overwhelming wisdom from future knowledge.

Not only was the Zhou Army equipped with advanced weaponry, but their modernized military strategies amounted to a crushing, dimension-lowering attack.

"Well done!"

Xiong Ai sneered coldly.

Capturing the king is the key to halting the war.

Though the weakness of the Chu Army was unexpected, with the Emperor in his grasp, Great Zhou could still be forced into ceding territory for peace.

Xiong Ai’s pupils turned golden and vertical, his entire body transforming into a blazing fire-man.

The blood flowing inside him was no ordinary blood but rather the Mi Clan’s Phoenix Blood infused with Zhuu Rong’s Power.

Screech!

In an instant, Xiong Ai transformed into a fire phoenix.

With wings spanning half the sky, countless sulfurous flames rained down, as though intent on reducing the earth to ashes.

"Ju Mang! Tend to the living beneath us,"

Song Lin murmured, chastising the man’s ruthless disregard for life.

He ascended, transforming into the thousand-foot Three-headed and Six-armed dharma body.

One hand wielded the Emperor Sword, another held the Dragon Mansion Jade Gourd, a third controlled the Furnace of Eight Trigrams, and a fourth clutched the Nine Elders Immortal Capital Seal.

The remaining two hands activated the Little Three Emperors Scripture’s divine protection incantation, summoning countless Golden Gates to join Ju Mang in blocking the descending flames.

Simultaneously, the dharma body surged toward the firestorm.

Xiong Ai resolved in his heart.

This man was audacious—truly fearless against the Phoenix True Fire.

Very well, let him be reduced to ashes.

The phoenix opened its mouth and spewed scarlet flames.

The fire transformed into bladed weapons, fire birds, fire crows, fire turtles, fire snakes, and half-man-half-flame Flame Taoist Soldiers, among others.

Phoenix True Fire was among the rarest flames in the world.

Xiong Ai had used this ability to defeat Jingchu’s elites, securing domination over two states.

Song Lin disregarded all, charging straight into the flames.

Initially, he felt the heat almost roasting him alive, but he soon adapted.

The Nine-Transformation Golden Body was incredibly powerful.

Fear curses, restraints, and seals—but fire? Fire was nothing to the tempered physique he possessed.

Song Lin instantly closed the gap to Xiong Ai, discarding his Magic Artifacts, and grabbed the phoenix’s feathers with all six hands, savagely slamming it to the ground.

He descended further, gripping the phoenix’s tail and repeatedly smashing it against the earth.

After fifty or sixty strikes, the phoenix lay bloodied and battered.

Just as Song Lin prepared to finish him off, an ominous premonition overtook him, prompting him to retreat miles away.

Boom!

The phoenix ignited in a catastrophic explosion, leaving behind a mushroom cloud.

A shockwave of heat and sound erupted outward.

"Fall back!"

Ju Mang’s expression turned grim, forming hand gestures that prompted countless mystical trees to sprout into wooden barriers.

Alas, the fire’s power was too overwhelming—it penetrated dozens of wooden walls without losing momentum.

If left unchecked, the Zhou Army on-site would face total annihilation.

Ju Mang clenched his silver teeth as the two Azure Dragons dove underground, prompting two jade trees to sprout from the earth.

The jade trees formed a wooden wall, which finally halted the flames.

Song Lin didn’t remain idle. Once the fire was blocked, he orchestrated the Emperor Sword to strike the fire’s core.

With the Five Mountains True Form Map suppressing, it unleashed another deafening blast.

Ju Mang and Song Lin collaborated seamlessly, unleashing Magic Artifacts and Divine Skills to confront the mysterious entity within the flames.

The battle evolved into a pure contest of wood versus fire power. Though wood power was at a disadvantage, Song Lin’s arsenal of mysterious techniques leveled the playing field, resulting in an intense equilibrium.

The ground was scorched into molten lava—like Hell itself—while lush greenery prevailed behind Song Lin and Ju Mang.

The lava and Tree Realm expanded in a relentless tug of war.

"Zhuu Rong, if this continues, all your kin will die!" Song Lin shouted.

The fighting ceased abruptly.

As the flames dissipated, opposite stood a towering barbarian with red brows and hair, massive like a black bear, disheveled hair, covered in flame tattoos, and feet perched atop two dragons.

This man was Zhuu Rong, the Fire God.

Zhuu Rong’s strength was undeniable; their fierce exchanges had reduced hundreds of miles of Chu Territory to ruin.

Zhuu Rong’s crimson eyes locked calmly onto the duo.

"I’ll bury you alive with my kin!"

Zhuu Rong enunciated each word.

He couldn’t fathom Ju Mang siding with Song Lin.

Yet Xiong Ai’s death demanded accountability.

Song Lin ignored Zhuu Rong’s intimidation. The Emperor Seal on his brow glimmered brilliantly as he sneered and said, "Then let’s fight until the last Chu person perishes."

"Emperor?"

Seeing the Emperor Seal on Song Lin’s forehead, Zhuu Rong fell silent.

He understood the significance.

This man was the Heavenly Emperor’s favored successor.

"The King of Chu is but a vassal of Great Zhou. I am not here to destroy his nation; merely to administer minor punishment. If you desire battle, Great Zhou will oblige."

Song Lin refrained from overwhelming aggression, instead asserting his position through Imperial Power.

The King of Chu’s defiance ran counter to celestial righteousness.

Zhuu Rong, though not an Evil God, was revered as the cultural progenitor of Jingchu and had principles to uphold. He would surely reason wisely.

Considering for what felt like an eternity, Zhuu Rong finally relented.

"I surrender!"

With peace established, the south was successfully conquered.

Jing State was secured, leaving Yangzhou—likely requiring the removal of Baiyue remnants.

But that task seemed manageable.

Song Lin convened the vassals. Chu Country’s status was preserved, elevated even from prince to earl, while a new sovereign was instated.

Subsequently, he granted titles to Marquis Countries such as Yongs Country, Sui Country, Quan Country, Jiaoi Country, Yangc Country, and Jingg Country...

A vast array of vassals was established, with academicians from Haojing Academy appointed as Ministers to govern them.

Song Lin conferred upon Zhuu Rong the title of Fire Emperor.

The Zhuu Rong Fire Right Skill became Zhuu Rong’s legacy. When asked about learning this Cultivation Technique, Zhuu Rong cryptically stated it couldn’t be directly taught.

These words shocked Song Lin.

"There is a Fire Pond in Dan Yang. When Xiong Ai bathed in it, he comprehended the technique... Hmm? Why are you sweating?"

"No reason—just hot," Song Lin replied with relief.

Afterward, the Emperor of Zhou resided in the south, immersing himself in cultivating the Fire Right Skill, utilizing the fifth layer of the Qiankun Treasure’s Fiery Fire domain for practice.

Two years passed unnoticed.

Song Lin achieved mastery and emerged from seclusion.

Finally, he comprehended the Zhuu Rong Fire Right Skill.

It was now time to gather Spiritual Treasures and seek talismans.

...

In the Real World, Song Lin emerged from seclusion.

He was no longer enveloped in Wood Energy; instead, his entire being radiated the scorching heat of fire, resembling a fiery sun.

This was the hallmark of entering Zhuu Rong’s fire-path cultivation.

Song Lin had mastered the power of flames. Cultivators of Zhuu Rong’s path must select a specific innate flame.

After much contemplation, Song Lin ultimately chose the Six Ding Divine Fire within the Furnace of Eight Trigrams.

The Six Ding Divine Fire could refine anything, possessing the ability to reshape the world.

His Alchemy Path had stagnated at the Middle Returning Pill level for ages.

If he could fully harness the Six Ding Divine Fire, mastering the Nine-Transformation Great Returning Pill would soon follow.

...

(Vote for Monthly Tickets!)