Chapter 100: The Ever-Changing Spirit of the Artifact

Within Yan Nanfei’s dantian, where his primordial elixir had long vanished, it now miraculously reappeared—only this time, instead of the pale cyan hue it once bore, it shone with a profound, deep azure. This potent true essence coursed robustly along the meridians throughout his body.

“What is this...?”

Moreover, this deep azure elixir pearl had grown several times larger than before; from the size of a fist, it had now swelled to that of a watermelon. Yan Nanfei gazed upon the enormous orb, feeling waves of oppressive power emanate from it. His heart surged with a mixture of astonishment and delight—astonishment at fearing it might be but a fleeting dream, delight at sensing within it a hint of spiritual vitality. This was surely a harbinger of his impending transcendence beyond the mundane!

“Where has the battle armor gone...?”

After his initial joy, Yan Nanfei calmed himself. Having just lost his cultivation entirely and now experiencing this miraculous return, he sensed something strange was afoot.

He probed his dantian carefully but found no trace of the armor. “Could it have just wandered off after absorbing my primordial elixir? But then why does this new elixir pearl exist, and why is its cohesion far stronger than before? Could it be...?”

His sudden thought startled him. “Could this new elixir pearl have been formed by the Flying Escape Armor absorbing my original one?”

“Not bad, not bad... Looks like my eyesight hasn’t deteriorated!” A childish voice rang out, yet its tone carried an air of worldly wisdom far beyond its years.

“Who… who’s speaking?” Yan Nanfei was startled, looking around anxiously.

“Stop looking. I just praised you, and now you’re making me disdain you!” the voice replied.

“Who exactly are you? Show yourself.” After regaining his elixir, Yan Nanfei’s nerves were frayed; his usual composure and confidence were gone.

“I’m right inside your dantian. Can’t you see me yourself?”

Yan Nanfei immediately focused inward and saw, sitting atop the deep green elixir pearl, a small child no larger than a few inches, with a pair of translucent wings on his back.

The child was strikingly handsome, though small, and perched on the enlarged elixir pearl as if unnoticed.

“From now on, I am yours,” the child declared. “I am the spirit of the Flying Escape Armor. You can call me ‘Hundred Transformations.’ Understand?”

The child spoke with maturity and authority, implying that though Yan Nanfei was the master, from now on he must obey him. The attitude was clearly one of dominance.

“You’re a spirit? Then where is the battle armor?” Yan Nanfei’s composure returned, and he smiled broadly at the spirit within his dantian. He knew that any weapon or armor with a spirit was undoubtedly a divine artifact.

“Have you been stunned by the shock just now? Of course, the armor is right under my tail, you fool!”

“Uh…” Yan Nanfei was defeated; such a spirit showed no respect! “Isn’t this my primordial elixir? How can it be armor? You’re not tricking me, are you?”

Yan Nanfei was amused by Hundred Transformations’ words but patiently played along, cautiously asking.

“Alas... The world only knows the Flying Escape Armor as a rare and precious suit of armor, but who knows that it has no fixed form? It can transform endlessly—armor, weapon, even beast form. In short, anything you can imagine, it can become!”

Yan Nanfei was dumbfounded. Tentatively, he asked, “You mean the Flying Escape Armor has fused with my primordial elixir?”

“Exactly! You finally get it. That’s how the Flying Escape Armor unleashes its greatest power: by merging with its bearer. The best fusion is with the source of energy itself, so it can change shape at will!”

“Should we test its power?” Hundred Transformations’ small eyes gleamed with excitement.

“Better not.”

“You don’t get to decide. Azure Phoenix Transform!” With a shout, Yan Nanfei suddenly felt his body soften, deep azure liquid true essence flowing rapidly through his meridians, melting his bones and flesh.

This liquid essence was like molten lava, assimilating his flesh and bones into a deep azure energy. At the spirit’s command, Yan Nanfei’s form dissolved into a swirling mass of deep blue liquid and then reformed into a majestic azure phoenix, its wings spread as it hovered motionless.

Still dazed, Yan Nanfei was stunned—just like that, he had become a giant bird. It was utterly shocking and unfathomable!

“How did you do this? How can my body be like this?” His voice trembled with genuine excitement.

“Heh heh... Surprised, aren’t you? But you won’t feel excited for long. The true power of the Flying Escape Armor still needs to be discovered by you. I’ve only used its power to temporarily change your form. Your body hasn’t been fully transformed yet. To change shape freely, your flesh must truly fuse with the Flying Escape Armor. Only then will you soar through sky and earth as you wish!”

“What do you mean I won’t feel excited later?” Yan Nanfei sensed hidden danger but curiously flapped his wings to try flying. The moment he did, the azure phoenix shot forward like a streak of light and slammed into an invisible barrier with a loud thud.

The phoenix’s body slid down, crashing to the ground. Yan Nanfei felt his head throb, stars flashing before his eyes, his entire body numb and paralyzed.

“Serves you right... You think the phoenix form is just for show? Any form the Flying Escape Armor takes has real power. It’s late now. Time for you to fully merge with the armor!”

After the spirit spoke, the phoenix’s body convulsed and twisted, reverting to Yan Nanfei’s original form. The huge elixir pearl inside him liquefied under Hundred Transformations’ gentle tapping, flowing through his meridians, permeating his flesh and bones like molten rock, transforming them into deep azure streams before reforming into new bones and flesh that shimmered with a faint azure glow.

Yan Nanfei roared in agony. This was pure melting and remaking of his flesh and bones—a pain beyond what ordinary people could bear.

Compared to Du Qingfeng’s ordeal, Yan Nanfei’s suffering was cruel—but Du Qingfeng had the fortune of a master who sealed his soul, sparing him the torment.

Finally, even Yan Nanfei’s head was melted into a pool of deep azure liquid before being reshaped. He endured this repeated torture, screaming with excruciating pain.

“Hundred... Transform... Make me black out... I can’t take it...” he gasped, having reshaped his head with distorted features, pleading for the spirit to block his senses.

“Endure it. Every previous master of the Flying Escape Armor went through this. Without experiencing the transformation firsthand, how could you unlock its full potential?” the spirit replied coolly, stretching out a small leg and lounging in Yan Nanfei’s dantian, enjoying the anguished cries echoing outside.

Yan Nanfei’s eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched tightly. As his arm gradually liquefied, the sensation was like his entire limb was being crushed, a pain no ordinary man could endure.

Hours passed. He lost consciousness many times, waking between bouts of unbearable agony, only to pass out again. Meanwhile, Hundred Transformations slept leisurely.

Yan Nanfei knew he had to endure. Whenever he felt overwhelmed, he bit his tongue to snap himself awake, keenly observing every inch of change, while a secret technique imprinted itself in his mind.

“Focus on mastering the art of transformation above. Follow the prescribed path to control every aspect of your body’s reconstruction,” Hundred Transformations’ voice echoed within.

Studying the secret technique’s pathways and methods, Yan Nanfei gradually calmed, enduring the pain as he tried to command the deep azure liquid energy to remold his flesh and bones.

Time flew by. Completely immersed in this crimson and white realm, Yan Nanfei devoted himself to his transformation. Outside, ten days passed in a blink.

One day, two uninvited visitors arrived on the desolate island—two young men of ordinary appearance, each with a furry tail coiled behind them.

From their features and physical traits, it was clear they were fox demons, brothers no less.

“Brother, a few days ago, our clan’s younger generation reported that a human martial artist came to this island and then vanished. A small mountain collapsed without cause. Do you think he came for that artifact?”

The younger fox demon voiced his speculation to his elder sibling.

“Very possible. Thousands of years ago, a human cultivator ascended beyond the mortal realm right here on this island, stirring the entire sea region. It was then that the artifact appeared. No one knows why it surfaced on its own—some speculate it sensed something unique about that human and came forth seeking a master before departing.”

The elder fox demon frowned, recalling the ancestral master who had ascended here long ago.

“Is that so? Did that human not claim the artifact back then?”

“No. The situation was chaotic. Powerful demons from nearby islets and native human cultivators all rushed over upon hearing the news. When they saw the artifact in the stranger’s hands, they fought to seize it. The cultivator was gravely injured and on the brink of death when an unknown supreme being appeared and rescued him. The artifact then vanished again. After all the commotion, both humans and demons had to retreat empty-handed.”

The fox demon paused, then continued, “Since then, we’ve placed spies here, constantly watching the island for any sign of the artifact, fearing someone else might take it.”

The tale was clear: the legendary artifact known as the Flying Escape Armor held a mysterious history, entwined with Yan Nanfei’s own fate and the island’s hidden secrets.