Chapter 9: The Mystery of the Symbolic Flames (Part 2)

As a large amount of flame flowed into the Fire Bird’s body, its size grew again. At this point, Guo Shier didn’t pay much attention to it anymore and let the Fire Bird move on its own. The Fire Bird was also different from before—it could move up to twelve kilometers away from Guo Shier instead of staying around him.

Guo Shier found another pure golden flame and called over his master, asking, “Master, how long do we need to stay here?”

Kumu replied, “What? Can’t you stand staying here?”

Guo Shier said, “No, I’m just asking. Our supplies will only last two to three months. If we want to stay here for a long time, we must find more supplies.”

Kumu nodded. “With all these Symbolic Flames, I estimate it will take at least three to four months to collect them all—maybe even longer. Stay calm here. I’ve visited many secret realms, and I’ve only seen one like this, a small area that still drew large groups of experts to fight over it. This place… is an unimaginable treasure trove!”

He stared at the Fire Bird flying in the distance and said, “This Fire Bird… is too lucky. With so many Symbolic Flames, it will have no problem advancing… The question is how many levels it can reach. This Fire Bird must be an ancient breed, sealed within a symbol, yet it can still evolve… An amazing spirit beast.”

Guo Shier asked, “Master, do we need to collect all the flames?”

Kumu shook his head. “No, we only collect pure flames.”

Guo Shier smiled bitterly. “It’s a pity I can’t collect them.”

Kumu said, “Shier, don’t worry. With our help in condensing Symbolic Flame Beads, it will be enough for you. Also… you can look for Purple Symbol Jade and Black Symbol Jade on the ground. These are very rare materials for creating fire-based symbols.” He took out two palm-sized pieces of Purple Symbol Jade and Black Symbol Jade, saying, “Purple Symbol Jade is the top-tier material for creating fire-based symbols, and Black Symbol Jade is similar. You can try to find them; most are on areas without flames.”

Guo Shier took the two pieces of jade and examined them carefully. Soon, he found the answer through his spiritual inheritance. These two types of jade were materials that only those above the rank of Great Sage could use—they were the highest-grade materials for creating symbols. The information passed down through inheritance was very limited. He understood that he hadn’t reached a certain level yet, so there couldn’t be detailed instructions.

“Do we have to dig them up from the ground?”

Kumu said, “Dig them yourself. There are quite a few jade pieces here. The top-quality ones are just these two—Purple Symbol Jade and Black Symbol Jade. The others are far inferior.”

After saying that, he helped Guo Shier collect the golden flames, then said, “Shier, go and burn some meat first; everyone will be out soon.” Guo Shier nodded in agreement. He knew that his three masters must be exhausted after working hard for two days and nights—even experts at the Saint level could find it hard to keep up. He turned and flew outside, calling for Eagle Demon to use the flames on the ground to boil meat in a large pot.

Zhu Juan arrived first. As soon as he saw Guo Shier, he exclaimed, “Shier, I’m starving!” His face was filled with excitement. Guo Shier knew this guy must have harvested a lot.

Soon after, Monier and Kuumu also returned. Guo Shier smiled and said, “Wait… I’ll roast a bit more meat.”

Monier said, “Honey, just burn something casually. After eating, we still need to go.”

Guo Shier replied, “Let’s rest for a while after eating. Uncle Eagle Demon has already set up the tent. Go take a nap… We have plenty of time, and Uncle Eagle Demon will bring more supplies.”

Zhu Juan spat out a talisman flame orb with a grin and said, “I got a really special flame. Hehe, let everyone take a look.”

The talisman flame orb spun around in the air. Guo Shier noticed that it wasn’t purple or golden yellow but an extremely rare dark black color.

Kuumu stared at it for a long time before sighing, “Fat guy, you’re really lucky!”

Zhu Juan laughed proudly, “I almost missed it. It was hidden between three mixed purple flames, in a space only the size of a palm. That flame was as thin as a chopstick—impossible to spot if you’re not careful.”

Guo Shier asked, “What kind of flame is this? It’s black?”

Zhu Juan replied, “Among talisman beasts, there are mutated talisman beasts; among talisman insects, there are mutated talisman insects. Hehe, this is a mutated talisman flame, what we call an exotic talisman flame. Its power is even greater than that of purple flames! But it’s extremely rare and requires luck, haha! Hahaha!” He sucked it back in and laughed triumphantly.

Kuumu kept a serious expression, seemingly unimpressed. Monier giggled and said, “I also got an exotic talisman flame! Hehe!” She then spat out a talisman flame orb as well. Guo Shier was surprised, “White?”

Monier smiled and said, “This flame area is quite large. I guess there are many mutated talisman flames, but they’re not easy to find. We need time to search slowly.” With that, she put away the white talisman flame orb.

Guo Shier said, “Strange, why didn’t I find any?”

Withered Wood said, “You went to bed at night. This kind of mutated talisman fire… can only be easily identified at night, and there are very few of them. I noticed it at first, but sadly didn’t see any.” His tone carried a hint of regret.

Guo Shier smiled inwardly. His master seemed unconcerned, but his words still revealed his true feelings—he was quite worried after all. He said, “Alright, Master, Master’s wife, and Uncle Fat, let’s eat.” The meal was very simple—just meat boiled in plain water, a little roasted meat, and a few flatbreads.

Everyone ate quickly, including Guo Shier, who devoured his food in no time, while Monier was slightly more polite.

They finished eating soon. Withered Wood said, “If you want to rest, Shier has already set up tents. I won’t rest; I’ll continue collecting.” With that, he flew away.

Zhu Juan said with a smile, “Monier, did you notice? There’s more wood than before!”

Monier patted Guo Shier’s head and said affectionately, “It’s all because of our little treasure.”

Guo Shier said, “Master’s wife, you should rest. Uncle Fat, will you rest or keep collecting?”

Zhu Juan replied, “How could I sleep? Such treasures aren’t found every day. If I don’t seize the chance to collect them, I’d be letting myself down… Hehe, you guys rest. I’m off!” He also flew away.

Monier said, “Two fools… Little treasure, Master’s wife is going to sleep for a while. Do you want to rest too?”

Guo Shier said, “I slept last night, so I’m not tired now. Uncle Eagle Demon, help me later. We’ll go dig for talisman jade.”

Monier also knew about the talisman jade. She stretched lazily and said, “I’m going to sleep for a while. Little treasure, go dig. But be careful of the flames underground; don’t get burned.”

Guo Shier and Eagle Demon watched as Monier entered the tent. Eagle Demon asked, “Shier, what kind of talisman jade?”

Guo Shier took out the two pieces of talisman jade given to him by Withered Wood and said, “One is purple talisman jade, and the other is black talisman jade. We mainly dig for these two. Uncle Eagle Demon, you’re strong—you dig, and I’ll sort them.”

Eagle Demon, who was bored anyway, laughed and said, “I’m good at this. Hehe, I remember when we left yesterday, I saw an area without flames. There should be plenty of this there.”

Guo Shier glanced at the firebirds flying in the distance and said, “Okay, let’s go take a look.”

The ground here had completely turned into glassy material, with countless holes in it, and the flames had vanished entirely. Eagle Demon said, “It’s this place. Look… this ground must be made of Purple Talisman Jade, right?”
Guo Shier smiled and said, “Yes, I think so. Let’s dig it out. Hehe, it’s quite a large piece!”
A round piece of purple jade the size of a washbasin appeared on the ground, like a stone eye, emitting a faint purple glow. Eagle Demon took out his talisman sword and swung it at the purple jade. Guo Shier quickly stopped him, saying, “Uncle Eagle Demon, you can’t dig like this. Here, use this.” He handed over an axe and said, “Dig along the edges.”
This axe had been made by someone two years ago when they were at the Northern Talisman Sect, originally intended for digging materials for making talismans. It was engraved with talisman patterns, making it sharper and heavier.
Bang!
Eagle Demon swung the axe forcefully, smashing a large piece of rock with one swing. Guo Shier kept saying, “Use less force. Be careful not to shatter the Purple Talisman Jade.”
Eagle Demon replied irritably, “I’m already being careful. My strength is just too great… It’s okay, let me try again.” He controlled his strength and slowly struck, first digging a circular groove before gradually uncovering the Purple Talisman Jade.
Guo Shier said, “I’ll go look over there.”
The two of them dug hard for a while and soon cleared all the Purple Talisman Jade and Black Talisman Jade from the ground. As for the talisman jade underground, there was nothing they could do—after all, they weren’t professionals at digging rocks.
They moved to another spot to continue digging. Suddenly, a sense of joy surged into their souls. Guo Shier looked up abruptly and saw the Fire Bird circling in the distance, extremely happy. Inspired, he quickly flew toward it. At the same time, after circling once, the Fire Bird dived downward, and a faint emerald-green flame could be seen being sucked into its beak.
Guo Shier realized what had happened and felt frustrated. He was almost certain it was a mutated talisman flame.
Indeed, the Fire Bird had absorbed an emerald-green mutated talisman flame. As soon as it took it in, its body began to change rapidly. It had already swallowed countless flames, but this mutated talisman flame was by far the most powerful.
From the Fire Bird’s cries, Guo Shier could hear its excitement and pain—those mixed emotions surged into his soul.
The Fire Bird had transformed into a giant bird. According to Guo Shier’s estimate, its length was at least four meters, not including its newly grown long tail feathers, which looked exceptionally beautiful and majestic.

Colorful feathers unfurled as the firebird let out a pained cry, with countless tiny runes appearing on its body. It flew out amidst the sparks, its body now fully solidified. Guo Shier also didn’t know what kind of bird this was—it wasn’t like an eagle nor an ordinary bird, but somewhat resembled the phoenix from legends in his past life.
The evolution of the firebird caused quite a stir; Kuumu, Zhu Juan, and Monier were all disturbed and flew over. Monier looked at the firebird in surprise and asked, “Baby, what’s wrong with this firebird?”
Kuumu replied indifferently, “It’s… mutating!”
Suddenly, the firebird let out a shrill cry, and the flames around it surged violently, forcing everyone to fly higher in panic. Zhu Juan cursed, “Damn it… what the hell is going on?”
Yet Kuumu showed a hint of excitement on his face, his gaze fixed intently on the firebird.