"There are countless types of innate energy; let’s not even discuss the five elements of innate energy. There are some special innate energies as well, such as the Canglan Energy of your Canglan Sect, but have you heard of refining and stacking water attribute energy, or gold attribute energy? Have you heard of sects like the Ten Thousand Waters Sect or the Ten Thousand Gold Sect, Ten Thousand Earth Sect?"
In the courtyard.
After calming his mind, Zhuang Lie began to instruct Lin Chen.
"Junior has not heard of them."
"This is the unique aspect of innate fire. Although other five elements of energy can also cause changes in the body, none can continually grow the body like innate fire. Do you know why?"
"Junior does not know."
Lin Chen shook his head and looked at Zhuang Lie, waiting for Elder Zhuang to clarify his doubts.
"That is because innate fire not only contains the power of destruction but also the power of rebirth, burning all to give birth to the new..."
Zhuang Lie stroked his beard and smiled: "You’ve heard of being reborn in fire, but have you heard of being reborn in water or earth?"
"No, bathing in water is drowning, and bathing in earth is burial."
"Hahaha." Zhuang Lie burst into laughter at Lin Chen’s response:
"Indeed, that is the reason; this is the unique aspect of innate fire, and it is why cultivation techniques like the Inextinguishable Divine Face Technique are born. In my Ten Thousand Flames Sect, there are several such cultivation techniques, even stronger ones."
Upon hearing Elder Zhuang’s words, Lin Chen smiled slightly; this Elder Zhuang never misses a chance to entice him.
Seeing Lin Chen not taking the bait, Zhuang Lie didn’t mind and continued: "Gold, wood, water, and earth energy more often stack or enhance the body, building upon the existing framework, but innate fire alone can destroy the body and then continually restructure it...the difference is extraordinary."
Lin Chen nodded; he understood Elder Zhuang’s point.
It’s like building a house; the five elements’ innate energy of gold, wood, water, and earth add layers on the existing foundation. The structure can keep growing taller, but it’s always limited by the foundation.
Only innate fire can reforge the foundation along with the structure, effectively removing the ceiling.
In the early stages, the difference might not be obvious, as an ordinary foundation can bear five, ten, or even dozens of floors, but when it comes to hundreds or even thousands of floors, only reforging the foundation with innate fire can achieve that.
"Do you know how many types of innate fires are there in the entire Flame Dynasty?"
"Over a hundred types, I’d guess."
Lin Chen had read the Jade Scrolls regarding innate fire in the sect, where hundreds of types of innate fire were recorded.
"Wrong, it’s tens of thousands!"
Seeing the shock in Lin Chen’s eyes, Zhuang Lie smiled and said, "Did you think my Ten Thousand Flames Sect included ’ten thousand flames’ in its name just because it sounds pleasant?"
"Thousands of types of innate fire, senior, you must be joking."
Lin Chen still couldn’t believe it. Even though Canglan Sect doesn’t majorly practice fire attribute techniques, it stands as one of the super sects and is unrivaled in information.
If the Flame Dynasty had tens of thousands of types of innate fire, it shouldn’t be plausible that Canglan Sect’s records would only have hundreds.
"This is the second fact about innate fire that I want to share with you."
Zhuang Lie understood Lin Chen’s skepticism and explained: "Innate fire is divided into three types: mother fire, mutant fire, and child fire."
"What we call mother fire is naturally born from heaven and earth. The Li Fire you refined belongs to mother fire, but the Golden Crow Radiance Flame does not. The Golden Crow Radiance Flame is a mutant fire."
"The Golden Crow Radiance Flame is a mutant fire?"
"The Golden Crow Radiance Flame is formed from the essence of the deceased Golden Crow rather than a natural occurrence. This type, appearing for certain reasons, we in our sect collectively call mutant fire, and Purple Nightmare Erosion Flame also belongs to mutant fire."
"Your master told the old man that initially, you chose the Golden Crow Radiance Flame over the Purple Nightmare Erosion Flame as your innate fire."
Seeing Lin Chen’s puzzle, Zhuang Lie explained why he brought up the Purple Nightmare Erosion Flame.
"The Purple Nightmare Erosion Flame contains toxic mist because it originates in the Black Water Pond, where the innate purple flame, a mother fire, exists beneath. The innate purple flame continually contacts the toxic mist in the pond and eventually becomes the Purple Nightmare Erosion Flame."
"As for child fire, it’s formed by combining several mother fires or mutant fires, creating a new type of innate fire. This could be two, three, or even more... In terms of power, child fire is the strongest."
"Junior understands."
Upon hearing Elder Zhuang’s explanation, Lin Chen realized why this Elder Zhuang claimed there are tens of thousands of fires; these must largely refer to child fires.
It’s a matter of mathematical permutations and combinations.
Hundreds of mother fires, combined with some mutant fires, generate new child fires through various combinations, yielding a staggering number.
"Mother fires have unique properties and even repel each other; the Inextinguishable Divine Face Technique you practice, the further it goes, the harder it will become to absorb other innate fires. But if you choose child fire, you can select those that don’t repel the innate fire within you, or even cultivate one suited for you. I say without modesty, our Ten Thousand Flames Sect can guarantee your safe absorption of five types of innate fire."
"Besides our Ten Thousand Flames Sect, no other sect in the Flame Dynasty can achieve this. In maneuvering and nurturing innate fire, no sect can compare with our Ten Thousand Flames Sect."