Chapter 12: The Emergence of Fire Red Lotus (Part 1)_1

Blue, red, yellow, white, black - the five-colored rays of light merged into an immense whirlwind. Despite feeling no pain, Ji Dong couldn't help but feel a sense of panic. The sensation of not having control over his own destiny was unsettling to anyone. If he truly were just a ten-year-old child, he would probably be paralyzed with fear by now.

Fortunately, he retained memories from his previous life. After a brief bout of panic, Ji Dong quickly calmed himself down. He knew a little bit about psychology and repeatedly gave himself mental suggestions. After all, his life was a second chance, having been thrown into the Five Elements Continent, and now engulfed by the mysterious light radiating from this unidentified scroll, at most, he could die, or perhaps, experience another time-crossing journey.

It felt like only a moment had passed, yet it seemed like eternities. Suddenly, he felt solid ground beneath him. Following that, the five-colored lights surrounding his body began to fade away.

Before Ji Dong had a chance to react, an unparalleled surge of heatwave engulfed his body. The intense heat made Ji Dong feel as if his body was emitting a scent of being charred. Inside his chest, the red and blue specks of light seemed to have been ignited by the scorching energy, their light radiating magnificently. On Ji Dong's forehead, the half-red, half-blue Crown star appeared.

That afternoon, after absorbing two Crystal Crowns, Ji Dong had vaguely sensed the minute Bing and Ding Dual Fire magic powers present in the air. Now however, they appeared unmistakably clear in his mind. Drawn by the two specks of magic power in his chest that belonged to him, he felt that surrounding his body was a series of substantial Bing Fire Magic Power and Ding Fire Magic Power. Their monumental size even surpassed the ones manifested by Xia Tian and Qiu Tian when they unleashed their Yin Yang Crown.

Where on earth was this? Overwhelmed with shock, Ji Dong opened his eyes amidst the heat that felt as if it would melt his body.

A sea of ferocious redness filled his vision. The surrounding air was entirely distorted due to the intense heat. This horrifying temperature infused the very air around him. Through the distorted air, Ji Dong sucked in a breath. The only thought that crossed his mind was the word "fortunate."

What he saw before him was a huge lake of molten lava. From where he stood, he was less than a meter away from the lava lake.

The vast lava lake was boundless as an ocean of flames. It was like a massive cavern, only without an endpoint.

Ji Dong was standing on the edge of this lava lake, within a hollow of a rock cliff. Even though his current position was about a hundred meters away from the lava lake, the blistering heat was making him feel as though he could melt at any moment. The air was unbearably hot, making even breathing difficult. His school uniform started to smell more and more like it was burning, with even his hair and eyebrows starting to curl.

What exactly was that scroll? Opening it had transported him to what felt like a fiery hell. At that moment, with a solid rock cliff wall behind him and the lava lake before him, Ji Dong felt trapped. The distinct feeling of Bing Fire Magic Power and Ding Fire Magic Power in his chest was growing stronger. He didn't even have to consciously sense it, the Bing Fire Element and Ding Fire Element from the outside would enter his body through his skin. Those powerful and pure elements invaded him. His status as a Level One Apprentice of the Bing Ding Dual Fire System wasn't sufficient to absorb these vast, powerful energies.

Ji Dong vaguely felt that if it wasn't for his inherent Fire attribute body, coupled with him being a Level One Apprentice of the Bing Ding Dual Fire System, his body might have already collapsed by now. Still, he kept feeling hotter and hotter, and it wouldn't take long for the rising heat waves from the lava below him to roast him dry.

Ji Dong never regretted his actions. Right now, the thing he most wanted to know was why this was happening. He also felt some melancholy. Just as he thought everything was about to start over and he had finally embarked on the journey in his new identity, this happened.

At that moment, a rich aroma filled his nostrils, a blend of fruit and alcohol rippling around him. Ji Dong suddenly realized that he was still holding the cocktail he had prepared for Yang Bingtian. Alas, under such intense heat, the cocktail was rapidly evaporating, half of it already disappearing into the mist, filling the air with its rich aroma.

He laughed scornfully to himself and brought the glass up to his eyes. No matter what, being able to have a glass of wine he'd prepared himself before death wasn't too terrible, he thought.

Just as he was about to gulp down the remaining beautiful liquor, something strange happened. A faint red light shone at him, making him feel as if his body was suddenly lighter. The heat wave, which was about to roast him dry, disappeared instantly and he couldn't feel the presence of Bing Fire Element and Ding Fire Element in his magic power anymore.

What was even stranger, the remaining half of the cocktail in the glass vanished as the heat disappeared, as if it had been swept away by the red light.

You have got to be kidding me? Not even granting me my last drink before death? Ji Dong was irritated. Looking ahead, he saw that around the hollow where he was standing, there appeared to be a veil of red light. It was this seemingly-thin light that had completely blocked the outside heat, leaving him unaffected. Once the hot temperature disappeared, Ji Dong's mind also became clearer. Staring intently at the red light outside, he found himself dumbfounded at what he saw.

He doubted he would ever forget what he was seeing. In the middle of the lava lake, where countless bubbles were popping up from the immense heat, a colossal jet of lava erupted like a water column. It spurted up until it was level with his body, stopping about twenty meters in front of him. At the top of this column of fire, a fair hand reached out. Its long, slender fingers, smooth as young spring onions, had skin as white as snow. It contrasted sharply with the explosive, surging lava flames surrounding it.