chsdbacks Chapter 233 Controlling Power
Chapter 233 Controlling Power
Nie Lingfeng was not discouraged. He knew that this was like trying to communicate with a sleeping ancient mythical beast, requiring patience, sincerity, and even more so... understanding.
He no longer tried to "touch" it, but instead immersed his consciousness in the dark golden light, trying to "feel" the "meaning" it contained.
Heavy...bearing...vitality...stable...majestic...protecting...
He recalled the legends and descriptions of the Qilin from his memory—a benevolent beast, auspicious, a symbol of peace and longevity, in charge of the land and life, with the ability to suppress evil spirits and bring blessings…
He recalled the feeling he had when he fused with the Qilin marrow—that warm, mellow energy that seemed capable of healing all wounds and bestowing endless vitality…
He recalled the special affinity he felt for the earth's ley lines in the "Mother Earth Spring," and the subtle resonance between it and this "Qilin Star Body"...
Gradually, a strange feeling arose.
It is no longer a brutal exchange of energy, but a more subtle resonance, as if on a "frequency".
Nie Lingfeng felt that his understanding and recognition of the concepts of "earth", "life", "stability" and "protection" seemed to be subtly in sync with the "essence" fluctuations emanating from the dark gold "constant star".
Then, he "saw" that the light flowing slowly across the surface of that huge dark gold "star" fluctuate in an extremely subtle, almost imperceptible way.
Immediately afterwards, a warm, dark golden energy stream, thinner than a hair yet extremely pure and refined, separated from the surface of the "star." As if receiving some kind of silent "invitation," it slowly and automatically flowed into Nie Lingfeng's consciousness, and then, guided by his consciousness, flowed into the meridians within his body that had been initially repaired and consolidated.
This trace of energy was completely different from the violent, scorching, and laboriously suppressed feeling he had experienced when forcibly drawing upon the power of the Qilin. It was gentle, mellow, and carried an earth-like inclusiveness and vitality. As soon as it entered his meridians, it naturally and perfectly merged with his own blood and internal energy, flowing slowly. Wherever it passed, the meridians seemed to be coated with an invisible, tough "protective film," becoming more stable and unobstructed. Even his blood and energy seemed to become more vigorous and condensed.
Success! It wasn't a forced extraction, but rather an initial "resonance" and "guidance"!
A surge of indescribable joy and enlightenment welled up within Nie Lingfeng. Although the power he had channeled was negligible, it represented a correct beginning! He had found the correct "frequency" to "communicate" with the power of the Qilin! Next, through continuous experience and refinement, he would deepen his understanding of this "frequency" and the "essence" of the Qilin, thereby enabling him to guide and control more and purer Qilin power, and ultimately, even integrate its true "profound meaning" into himself!
He stopped being greedy and guided that gentle dark gold energy to complete several cycles within his body. After fully experiencing, absorbing, and integrating it, he slowly withdrew from the state of introspection.
I opened my eyes to find the sun high in the sky. The sunlight was even more intense, streaming through the skylight and casting bright dappled patterns inside. The air was filled with the rich, sun-warmed scent of grass, trees, and earth—the very essence of a rainforest midday.
"Well……"
A soft, sleepy murmur came from the bamboo bed.
Nie Lingfeng turned his head and saw that Chen Duo had woken up at some point. She was rubbing her sleepy eyes with her little hands, her bright green eyes looking around in a daze, as if trying to figure out where she was. When she saw Nie Lingfeng, her eyes lit up, and a reassuring, soft smile appeared on her little face.
"Nie Lingfeng..." she called softly, her voice still hoarse and soft from just waking up.
"Awake?" Nie Lingfeng got up and walked over, sitting down beside her. He naturally reached out to feel her forehead; her temperature was normal. "How are you feeling? Still uncomfortable?"
Chen Duo shook her head, propped herself up to sit, looked down at her clean clothes (a simple light blue coarse cloth dress prepared by Azan Ki), and stretched her limbs. A curious expression appeared on her face: "I don't feel uncomfortable anymore. I feel... warm, and I have energy again. It's just... I'm so hungry." She touched her stomach, her eyes fixed longingly on the bowl of cold porridge Azan Ki had left by the fire pit. (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)
Nie Lingfeng chuckled, got up, brought the bowl of porridge over, heated it slightly with his internal energy, and handed it to her: "Eat slowly, be careful it's hot."
Chen Duo took the bowl and ate it slowly, carefully and attentively. She ate the simple porridge as if it were a delicacy, even licking the rim of the bowl clean. After finishing, she licked her lips with lingering satisfaction, then looked up at Nie Lingfeng with bright, expectant eyes: "Nie Lingfeng, are we... at that old man's house? Is he... a good person?"
"Yes, it was Teacher Ajarn Ki who saved us and gave us a place to recover." Nie Lingfeng nodded, feeling much relieved as he looked at Chen Duo's face, which had regained much of its energy. "He also said that when you wake up, he'll teach you how to better control your 'fire'."
"Teach me how to control 'fire'?" Chen Duo's eyes lit up even more, and she immediately sat up straight, looking very serious, as if to say, "I'm serious, teach me quickly." (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
Seeing Chen Duo's eager and studious demeanor, Nie Lingfeng smiled inwardly, a sense of responsibility rising within him. Azanji was right; Chen Duo's Phoenix True Fire possessed immense potential, but previously it had been entirely instinctive, resulting in crude control—last night's loss of control was proof of this. Moreover, her pure phoenix bloodline, in this chaotic world, was both a talent and a potential target for covetousness. He had to help her master this power as soon as possible, both for self-protection and for better control, preventing exposure.
"Alright, let's begin." Nie Lingfeng sat down cross-legged opposite Chen Duo, his expression becoming serious. "However, before I teach you how to control 'fire,' we need to understand what your 'fire' is."
Chen Duo tilted her head, somewhat puzzled: "'Fire' is 'fire,' warm and bright, and it can burn away smelly things."
"That's right, it can burn away 'stinky things' because it's pure, fiery, and represents light, purification, and life," Nie Lingfeng guided. "Your 'fire' isn't ordinary fire; it's the true fire of the phoenix, the power of the divine bird, the phoenix. It's proud and sensitive, only willing to listen to those who truly understand and respect it, and whose hearts are pure."
Chen Duo seemed to understand, but the phrase "pure heart" made her think about it seriously for a moment, and then she nodded: "I... am not bad. I don't like stinky things, and I don't want to burn good people. My 'fire' only burns bad guys."
"Yes, that's the key," Nie Lingfeng praised. "Your heart determines who your 'fire' will burn. But sometimes, your 'fire' is too hasty, or you're too angry or too scared, and it will disobey you, run out on its own, and might even hurt yourself, or... burn something it shouldn't burn. Like last night, you were very worried about me and very angry at that stinky thing for attacking, so your 'fire' rushed out to save me. Although you did a good job, it almost hurt you and almost got discovered by others, right?"
Recalling the danger and loss of control last night, Chen Duo's face tightened, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes! It was disobedient! It ran around! It almost caused trouble!"
"So, we must learn to make it obey us." Nie Lingfeng stretched out his hand, palm up, and with a slight thought, a faint yet exceptionally refined and gentle dark golden flame slowly rose in his palm, transforming into a small, budding lotus flower of fire, burning quietly without emitting any heat. "You see, this is my 'fire.' I can make it come out when I want it to; I can make it become whatever I want it to; I can make it go back when I want it to. Because I understand it, respect it, and can control my emotions and thoughts to guide it, instead of being led astray by it."
Chen Duo gazed at the exquisite, serene, seemingly alive flame lotus in Nie Lingfeng's palm, her emerald eyes filled with amazement and longing. She reached out her small hand, as if wanting to touch it, but hesitated, and whispered, "Can...can I make my 'fire' like that too?"
"Of course you can," Nie Lingfeng said confidently. "However, it requires practice and patience. Let's start with the simplest thing—feel your 'fire' and 'talk' to it."
In the following time, in this tranquil bamboo hut in the rainforest, Nie Lingfeng began Chen Duo's "special training." He taught her how to calm her mind, introspect, and feel the presence and flow of the warm true fire within her; he taught her how to use calm and gentle intentions to "soothe" the somewhat "naughty" and "impatient" flame, rather than forcibly "commanding" or "suppressing" it; he taught her the simplest techniques for controlling the output and form of the true fire—for example, transforming the flame at her fingertips from a cluster of flames into a thinner, brighter "fire needle," or maintaining the flame in her palm at a constant, warm but not scalding temperature...
Chen Duo studied very diligently. Although some parts were still abstract and obscure to her, she possessed an amazing intuition and a natural affinity for fire. Moreover, she was simple-minded and had few distractions. Once she grasped the key points, her progress surprised even Nie Lingfeng. In less than an afternoon, she could barely control the flame at her fingertips, making it flicker, brighten, and dim according to her will. Although she couldn't yet shape it as precisely as Nie Lingfeng, at least the flame no longer would suddenly burst out with a "bang" or uncontrollably burn her like before.
"Yes, that's it. Slow down, don't rush..." Nie Lingfeng patiently instructed, looking at Chen Duo's focused, tense little face as she tried to control the small golden flame at her fingertips. He felt both gratified and tender.
Sunlight streamed in through the skylight, casting a warm golden glow on the two figures. Inside the bamboo house, only Chen Duo's occasional soft gasps of surprise due to loss of control and Nie Lingfeng's gentle guidance could be heard. Outside, the clamor of the rainforest continued, yet it seemed like a distant background noise.
In this safe and secluded house, time seems to slow down, becoming nourishment, sedimentation, and growth.
And their new path to power and control quietly began in this tranquil green space.