บท 255: Burning alive

'It burns!'

This single thought permeated through my mind, filling every last thinking cell of my brain. 

When I first pushed my hand into a flame, it felt like resting it on the overheated radiator heater, stinging but bearable. Yet, after just a few moments, a certain truth became apparent. 

My cultivation reinforced my body, making it more resilient. But it didn't decrease the pain nature could inflict on me by any degree!

The little hair that I had on my hand was long gone, sizzled away in flames. My skin was on fire, ready to evaporate and turn into ashes at any time, exposing my red flesh to the boiling heat. 

'I need to toughen it through,' I forced this thought on myself, gnashing my teeth as I continued my desperate attempts to uncover the truth of the fire. 

I could feel the energy within the blaze. It was there, within reach of my hand...