Chapter 25: The Xiao Family Ancestral Graves

The passage was deep and labyrinthine, with Mu Feng and the fatty moving one after another, pressing forward into the depths of the earth. The further they ventured, the colder the surroundings became.

"Fairy, is there really a divine fire in here? Why is it getting colder and colder?" Mu Feng asked, feeling somewhat perplexed. His physical body was already top-tier for the Spirit Entry Realm, yet he could still feel wisps of biting chill. As for the fatty beside him, he was already shivering uncontrollably, puffing warm air into his hands.

"You brat, don't doubt this fairy's discernment," the fairy replied, though she sounded a bit puzzled herself. "Still, it is strange—why would it be this cold inside?"

Just then, the two men came to a sudden halt. Looking up, they saw a massive stone gate ahead, engraved with two vivid, lifelike beasts.

"This is..." Mu Feng’s brow furrowed at the sight of the carvings. These were tomb-guarding beasts, used only in the burial grounds of great noble clans. He had seen similar ones before when visiting his own clan's ancestral mausoleum.

The fatty, unable to wait any longer, threw his weight against the gate and pushed with all his might.

*Rumble!*

A heavy vibration shook the chamber, dislodging a shower of stone fragments. As the gate swung open, dozens of flames ignited behind it, illuminating the scene before Mu Feng. Rows of coffins lay quietly within the burial chamber.

"This is... the Xiao family's ancestral tomb?" Mu Feng exclaimed in surprise. So, the so-called Xiao family forbidden ground was actually their ancestral graveyard. If so, where did the Xiao family’s heritage originate?

Scanning the chamber, he saw nothing but the coffins and a solitary figure seated upright in the center. Though the figure had long since perished, the body had not decayed. Instead, through the passage of time, it had withered into a dry corpse. What shocked Mu Feng was that despite the lack of life, the corpse continued to radiate a constant, chilling Yin energy.

"What is going on here?" Mu Feng asked.

"One can preserve their physical body from decay for a thousand years after reaching a certain realm, but the spiritual fluctuation from this corpse is only at the Spirit Wheel Realm," the fairy noted. "There must be something here protecting the body."

*Spirit Wheel Realm.* Hearing this, Mu Feng was stunned. That was a terrifying level of power, far beyond the Heaven and Earth Realm—a stage where a martial artist truly transcends the mundane.

"The Xiao family ancestors must have had their glory days," Mu Feng remarked with a sigh. The Mu family was quite different. His father had once been the most promising candidate in the Mu family to reach the Spirit Wheel Realm. Before the age of forty, he had reached the peak of the Profound Yellow Realm, arguably the greatest powerhouse in Yuanzhou City.

"This is... Fire Spirit Stone!" the fatty suddenly cried out in delight. Following his gaze, Mu Feng saw countless crimson stones, emitting a crystalline glow, scattered behind the corpse. The fatty pulled a shovel from out of nowhere and began frantically digging at the wall. In no time, he had chiseled away all the Fire Spirit Stones.

"Big Brother, I owe this haul to you. These are yours," the fatty said, placing a cloth bag before Mu Feng with a look of gratitude. Mu Feng did not refuse the gesture. Fire Spirit Stones were rare treasures infused with fire-attribute spiritual energy; even if he didn't use them, he could trade them for something useful with Yu Linglong.

Looking at the stones, Mu Feng felt a faint intuition that the divine fire was nearby. *Could it be... the corpse itself?*

He stepped forward, intent on investigating.

"Big Brother, what are you doing?" the fatty asked, puzzled as he watched Mu Feng stare unblinkingly at the corpse.

"Doing a good deed," Mu Feng replied. He reached out, grabbed the corpse’s head, and crushed it with a sudden burst of strength.

In an instant, a deep purple flame surged into the air, breaking free from the corpse and lashing out toward them.

"Get back!" Mu Feng grabbed the fatty and dodged to the side. The flames whipped past them, but they felt no heat—only an intense, piercing cold.

"What kind of fire is this? Why is it so cold!" the fatty shivered, wrapping his arms around himself.

Mu Feng was equally bewildered; he had never encountered such a peculiar flame.

"This is the Taixu Purple Flame. I never expected a small family like the Xiao clan to be keeping such a fire," the fairy remarked, sounding surprised.

"Keeping it? You mean the Xiao family raised this fire?"

"Yes," the fairy nodded. "A true Taixu Purple Flame could turn a hundred-mile radius into a frozen wasteland just by flaring up. Let alone the Spirit Entry Realm, even a master at the Spirit Wheel Realm couldn't tame it. The Xiao ancestor must have been lucky enough to find a seedling of the flame and nurtured it with his own body for a thousand years to reach this state."

Watching the Taixu Purple Flame hovering in the air, greed ignited in Mu Feng’s eyes. If he could refine this flame, wouldn't he finally be able to craft Grade One medicinal pills?

"Fairy, is this Taixu Purple Flame powerful?"

"Powerful? It’s legendary—this was the signature flame of that fellow, the Martial Ancestor Tiancan."

*Martial Ancestor Tiancan.* The name alone sounded formidable. Mu Feng couldn't help but lick his lips.

"Brat, what are you planning?" the fairy asked, her voice tinged with caution.

"What else? I’m going to refine it!"

With that, Mu Feng raised his hand and channeled his spiritual power, drawing the Taixu Purple Flame toward him. The fairy’s face went deathly pale.

"Are you insane? To refine a divine fire of this grade, you need at least the Profound Yellow Realm! You are walking to your death!" She had assumed it was just an ordinary divine fire that Mu Feng could handle, but a fire of this level could easily reduce him to ash.

"I can't wait that long! There's only a month left until the Taichu Martial Academy assessment. If I want to get stronger, I can't let this opportunity pass!" Mu Feng grabbed the Taixu Purple Flame and began to refine it instantly.

*Boom!*

Flames engulfed Mu Feng’s entire body, leaving the fatty stunned and frozen in place. He hadn't even realized what was happening before Mu Feng was swallowed by the fire.

"Fatty, guard me!" Mu Feng’s low voice commanded. The fatty finally snapped out of his daze and scrambled toward the gate, terrified that any outside interference might disturb Mu Feng.

The next moment, a wave of cold pierced through Mu Feng’s skin, flesh, and deep into his marrow. The chill, radiating from the inside out, made him feel as if he had fallen into a glacial abyss. He couldn't even shiver; he was frozen stiff.

*No, I must fight this fire with everything I have, or I’ll be frozen to death before I can refine it!* Mu Feng’s expression shifted, and he desperately pushed his body-refining technique.

Instantly, a surge of blood energy erupted within him, flooding his limbs and bones. Fierce spiritual power radiated outward. Watching from the gate, the fatty couldn't help but gasp. "As expected of Big Brother—so ruthless in his methods, even his cultivation is a dance on the edge of life and death." He realized that while his own cultivation realm was higher, he didn't possess a fraction of Mu Feng’s grit or fighting spirit. "I have to stick with Big Brother. When I get back, I’ll find Sect Master Duan and make sure Big Brother gets into the Taichu Martial Academy."

*Boom!*

A surge of dark, chilling power exploded from Mu Feng’s body, knocking the fatty back a dozen steps. The energy ripple spread for miles, startling countless beasts. Feeling this cold, oppressive aura, a deep, low roar echoed from somewhere in the pitch-black darkness beyond.