Chapter 50: Deep Blue Flame
Ten days was but a fleeting moment in a demon’s lifespan.
Liuzhu didn’t agree with this statement before; ten days was actually very long. But now he didn’t think so. Ten days—it was too fast!!!
“Junior Brother Liuzhu, today is the tenth day. Have you still not succeeded in refining it?”
Zhao Sihai arrived outside the training room with a plate of chestnuts freshly stir-fried by Zongzi. At the door, he felt a scorching heatwave and immediately retreated two steps to avoid the heat.
“Ahhh! It’s already the tenth day! Move for me, quickly!” After an agitated roar, the heat of the orange-red fire rose another notch.
Zhao Sihai looked at the figure in the flames with pity. Out of the corner of his eye, a patch of ink-black hem entered his vision. He turned his head and greeted respectfully, “Temple Master.”
He looked left and right again. No scorpion or other insect figures. His heart settled a bit.
“En.” Yun Wuxiang responded casually. The voice wasn’t loud, but it landed in Liuzhu’s ears like thunder.
“Shifu, please wait a little longer. I’m almost there!” Liuzhu was frantic. He really was just a little bit away.
Judging the degree of material refinement was instinct for a Flame Demon. He could feel that as long as the flame temperature was just a little higher, he could extract the original materials of the bronze mirror. It was just that little bit—a difference as tiny as a fingernail gap.
[Ah-Yan!]
[It can’t go any higher! The current temperature is already the limit your body can withstand!]
[Synchronize.]
Synchronization was a way to increase compatibility between a Flame Demon and their companion fire.
The higher the synchronization rate, the less damage using the companion fire caused. The lowest compatibility rate between others and their companion fires was eighty percent. After synchronization, it could infinitely approach one hundred percent.
However, Liuzhu and Ah-Yan didn’t even have ten percent.
[I can’t synchronize with you! Your compatibility with me sucks! Who has such bad compatibility with their own companion fire! You piece of trash!]
Footsteps approached slowly. A crimson blade rested on his shoulder from behind, the sharp edge pressing against his neck. Wisps of baleful energy overflowed from the blade. A cold, ruthless voice rang from above: “Time is up.”
Liuzhu’s pupils constricted instantly. The flame on his head stiffened into a straight line, looking like a fake fire.
[Holy shit! He’s really doing it! Dodge quickly!]
The sharp blade pierced flesh and blood. Pain brought the signal of death.
In the depths of Liuzhu’s eyes, besides fear, there was overflowing confusion and sadness.
He really did it.
Why?
He fed me so many Demon Fruits and Demon Flames. Doesn’t he need to squeeze out my remaining value to break even before killing me?
It hurts so much!
Liuzhu thought he was screaming loudly, but in reality, he opened his mouth without emitting a sound.
Why?
Liuzhu struggled to turn his head to look at Yun Wuxiang. He wanted to see that person’s expression.
He saw a pair of transparent, pure red eyes, devoid of ripples—terrifyingly cold.
[Ah-Yan…]
[Hold on for me! No, synchronize with me quickly! I’m going to fuck him up!]
[I… am so sad… The Demon Realm… really doesn’t have a single good demon.]
[Ahhh! Are you an idiot?!]
Outside the door, Zhao Sihai, who had just put a chestnut in his mouth, was equally startled. He really did it?!
Immediately after, a terrifying heat erupted instantly. Zhao Sihai’s danger sense screamed frantically to get away—staying put meant death! His body instinctively circulated his technique, but his empty dantian couldn’t mobilize a shred of power.
The terrifying heat in front of him suddenly vanished. Outside the training room, a barrier sealed the heat inside. A deep blue flame danced within the door.
The deep blue flame appeared for only an instant, disappearing quickly as if it were just an illusion.
Yun Wuxiang walked out of the room carrying a figure, handing the unconscious little Flame Demon to Zhao Sihai. “Take him to the room. When he wakes up, tell him…”
“You passed. Congratulations on officially becoming a disciple of Qingdi Temple.”
Zhao Sihai said to Liuzhu, who woke up with a bewildered face, “The Temple Master knew long ago that after eating delicious food for a few days, your thoughts would wander. You’d think his threat to kill you was just intimidation and hold onto the lucky thought that you wouldn’t die even if you failed the order.”
Liuzhu lowered his head. That was right; that was exactly what he thought.
Thinking he wouldn’t die, he hadn’t truly pushed himself to the limit, which was why he was always just that little bit short.
Zhao Sihai said softly, “The Temple Master didn’t intend to take your life with that sword strike. He was just scaring you. Otherwise, could you have stimulated your potential so smoothly?”
[Pah! So I have to thank that guy?]
Zhao Sihai: “After you succeeded, the Temple Master healed your wound immediately. He isn’t a cold-blooded, heartless demon.”
[Liar! Full of lies! If he’s not cold-blooded, are there cold-blooded people in this world?]
“The Temple Master is helpless too. He can’t be too good to you.” Zhao Sihai sighed and shook his head, looking as if “our Temple Master has deep difficulties.”
Liuzhu raised his head slightly, looking at Zhao Sihai with one eye through his hair, curiosity flickering in his gaze.
[He’s helpless? Who would believe such absurd words! He’s the biggest in this Daoist temple; everyone listens to him. Does he think I can’t see that?]
“Why?” Liuzhu asked.
Ah-Yan bristled: [Do you really believe his words, you idiot?! This human is full of nonsense; he’s just fooling you!]
[Ah-Yan, don’t rush. Let’s listen first. After all, I’m still alive and can’t leave here for now. If he’s willing to lie to me, he won’t kill me anytime soon.]
That sword strike to the chest had left some trauma after all.
Zhao Sihai lowered his voice, speaking as if revealing a big secret. “Do you remember the man with five small moles under his eye by the Temple Master’s side?”
Liuzhu nodded. “I remember he’s always adding food to the Temple Master’s bowl, just like Senior Brother Zhao.”
“Cough, cough, cough…” Zhao Sihai coughed with a strange expression. “I am different from him. That guy is called Song Yilou. He fancies the Temple Master.”
[No wonder he’s such a lackey.]
Liuzhu raised his head completely, eyes full of gossip. “He actually… What about the Temple Master? Does Shifu like that Song Yilou too?”
Zhao Sihai shook his head. “Not sure. That’s not something we should probe into.”
“Senior Brother gives you a piece of advice: absolutely do not get involved in the matters between the two of them. Stay far away from Song Yilou normally. The Temple Master said killing you was just to stimulate your potential, but that guy will really kill you.”
Liuzhu was puzzled. “Doesn’t he fancy the Temple Master? I am the Temple Master’s disciple. Killing me—isn’t that provoking Shifu?”
Just like those Great Demons didn’t care much about their subordinates, but if a subordinate was killed by another Great Demon, it was a provocation.
Song Yilou liked Shifu, so why provoke him?
[Killing a little piece of trash like you counts as provocation?]
Is that so? Because I’m unimportant, it doesn’t matter if I’m killed? Liuzhu looked at Zhao Sihai, waiting for his reply.
The reason Zhao Sihai gave wasn’t any of the ones he or Ah-Yan imagined.
“That is a madman. He doesn’t like others occupying the Temple Master’s attention. A few days ago, just because the Temple Master greeted me one extra time, that madman put deadly poison in my food for three days straight.”
Recalling the scene of poking every food item with the poison-testing jade needle and watching it turn black over the past few days, Zhao Sihai’s disgust and wariness toward Song Yilou arose spontaneously, requiring no acting.
He looked at Liuzhu. “If the Temple Master cares too much about you…” He left the sentence unfinished, adding meaningfully, “The Temple Master specifically asked me to watch over you. If he came himself, you would be in bad luck.”
Seeing Liuzhu’s shocked expression, Zhao Sihai knew his goal was achieved.
“If you really encounter him in private, there is a way to guarantee you live safely.”
Liuzhu: “What way?”
A look of genuine stomach pain appeared in Zhao Sihai’s fake performance, his features twisting slightly for a moment. “Praise him and the Temple Master as a perfect match.”
Liuzhu: “Huh? Senior Brother Zhao…”
“Don’t ask me how I know.” Zhao Sihai showed a look of refusal. He took out the copper mirror and placed it in Liuzhu’s hand, changing the topic. “Congratulations on successfully reaching the refining standard. Now, strive to refine the entire copper mirror completely soon.”
Liuzhu looked down. A dazzling pink-purple crystal speck appeared on the bronze mirror, the size of a grain of sand. If not for a demon’s excellent eyesight, it wouldn’t be visible at all.
Refining the entire copper mirror… how long would that take?
[Ah-Yan, I seem to be safe from death for a long time.]
[Correct.]
[But why can’t I feel happy?]
[Same here.]
…
[Host, that is a Dao Venerable reincarnation. Giving him a stab directly—aren’t you afraid he’ll hold a grudge against you in the future?]
[A Dao Venerable shouldn’t be a fool.] Yun Wuxiang calmly flipped through the ancient formation book in his hand.
[Even if he truly holds a grudge, that’s a matter for the future. Right now, I need him to stimulate the power in his body as soon as possible.]
There were many ways to stimulate it; this was undoubtedly the fastest.
The secret realm was about to open. Yun Wuxiang needed to increase his side’s winning rate in the shortest time possible.
Stabbing had to be done by Yun Wuxiang himself. Zhao Sihai had no ability to protect himself, and he didn’t trust Song Yilou at all.
[What is that blue flame? Is it in your database?]
Yun Wuxiang had now unlocked a new use for the System: as an other-worldly version of Baidu search. Just search for whatever he didn’t recognize—convenient and fast.
As long as it didn’t involve the basic information of the World Consciousness, most of the time, corresponding data could be found in 3339’s database.
Like now: [Natal Ancient Glow Fire. It changes color according to the host’s mood. Blue is sadness, black is despair. The flame Liuzhu stimulated is deep blue. Host, you broke his heart.]
Sadness, despair—only these two emotions? So unaggressive?
Yun Wuxiang put down the book and brought the teacup beside him to his lips. Just as he was about to drink, he sensed something strange.
Looking down at a tea leaf floating in the tea, he put down the cup, reached behind the teapot, pulled out a black scorpion by the tail, and threw it onto the chair opposite.
“Song Yilou, what did you put in my tea again?”
The black scorpion turned into a human, sitting on the chair with his legs crossed. “Tea leaves. I dug them out from a secret chamber. I felt the demonic energy was very pure—definitely good stuff!”
Yun Wuxiang: “One Leaf Three Thousand. A sip equals three thousand years of cultivation. Indeed good stuff.”
Song Yilou looked at the teacup. “Three thousand years. Why doesn’t the Temple Master drink it?”
Yun Wuxiang pulled the corner of his mouth into a smile looking down on an illiterate. “These three thousand years of cultivation require three hundred years to refine.”
The secret realm would open in less than three months. Where would he get three hundred years to refine this cultivation?
Song Yilou blinked, blinked again, and tilted his head. “Eh, is that so?”
Yun Wuxiang’s fingers twitched. Finally unable to hold back, he smashed a sword toward someone’s head. After it was nimbly dodged, he changed the angle and continued.
The two fought in the room for a while, ending with Song Yilou rolled into a dumpling and tied to the chair.
Only this one chair remained intact in the room.
After trapping him, Yun Wuxiang raised his hand, used a talisman to transform into a new chair, sat down again, and continued studying the formation.
After struggling for a while, Song Yilou freed one arm. He stared at Yun Wuxiang for a long time. After a period of silence, he suddenly asked, “Temple Master, is there anything you like?”
Yun Wuxiang raised his eyes. “Why ask this?”
“Is there?” Song Yilou asked again. “No? Really nothing?”
Yun Wuxiang perfunctorily said, “I like quiet.”
“Liar.” Song Yilou said with certainty, “You don’t like quiet at all.”
“Temple Master, humans have things they like, and demons have heavier desires. What about you?” Song Yilou hopped and inched closer to Yun Wuxiang with the chair. “I watch you every day, yet I’ve never seen you interested in anything.”
“Demons are heavy with desire. Temple Master, even your desires have been suppressed. Do you still feel you don’t need to eliminate Yun Xinyang’s influence?”
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