Fire Has a Master, the Third Chaos Demon God!
Linjiang City First Hospital.
Afternoon sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting a patchwork of light and shadow across the hospital bed.
Gu Xi was leaning against her pillow, reading a book, her long black hair spilling behind her shoulders.
Hearing the door open, the girl looked up, and her previously serene features instantly came to life.
"Brother!"
She set the book aside and opened her arms to him, her bright eyes full of laughter. Clearly, she had been waiting for a while.
Gu An walked over to the bed and deliberately pretended not to understand.
"What, are you asking me for candy again today?"
"Of course not."
Gu Xi gave a soft huff but refused to lower her arms. Instead, she tilted her face up slightly, plainly intent on waiting for him to come over.
Amused, Gu An had no choice but to bend down and gently draw her into his arms.
Gu Xi contentedly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her cheek against her brother's shoulder. Only after a while did she reluctantly let go.
"You're back so early today, Brother."
"There wasn't much going on at school, so I came over early."
"Really?"
The girl drew out the word, pulling back a little and tilting her face up to study him closely.
"But why do I get the feeling you're very happy today, Brother?"
"Is it that obvious?"
The girl gave a soft huff. "You've never been able to hide what's on your mind from me, Brother. Not since we were little."
Gu An couldn't help laughing when he heard that.
"Then why don't you guess what good thing happened to me today?"
The girl thought seriously for a moment. "Could it be... you met a pretty big sister at school, Brother?"
"..."
The smile on Gu An's face stiffened. "You little rascal, why do you think about this kind of thing all day?"
"Because you're already eighteen, Brother."
"And you're so handsome and get good grades," the girl murmured. "Wouldn't it be strange if no girls liked you?"
"Student Gu Xi, have you forgotten you're still in the hospital?"
"Being in the hospital doesn't stop me from caring about you."
She said it with such seriousness that Gu An didn't know how to argue.
He simply sat down beside the bed and picked up the examination records from the bedside table.
After two days of treatment, Gu Xi's vital signs had all stabilized for the time being.
Although she was still weak, at least there were no signs of further deterioration.
Somewhat relieved, Gu An briefly told her what had happened at school that day.
Of course, there was no need to go into too much detail about the part where he had stepped on Tang Xiaosan.
"So you sparred with a classmate and won two portions of Creation Origin, Brother?"
Gu Xi's eyes widened slightly.
"Two portions... doesn't that make a hundred and thirty-six thousand star coins?"
"That was quick."
"Of course!"
The girl puffed out her chest proudly, then looked at him with a hint of suspicion.
"But, Brother, why would that classmate be willing to bet so much money against you?"
"Maybe he's just rich."
Gu An thought for a moment, then added another sentence.
"And he's pretty helpful. He knew I was short on Origin lately and insisted on bringing it right to my door."
Gu Xi stared at him for a moment, then couldn't help bursting into laughter.
"Who's helpful like that?"
"Who knows?"
Gu An shrugged, looking as though he were innocent himself.
The girl laughed for a while, then suddenly fell quiet and gently tugged on his sleeve.
"Brother."
"Hmm?"
"You don't have to work so hard, really."
She lowered her head to look at her hands, her voice growing softer.
"Am I not already much better? The doctor said that as long as I get plenty of rest, there won't be any problems for now."
"You don't have to deal with school every day and look for ways to make money everywhere for my sake."
Gu An looked at her and reached out to gently ruffle her hair.
"What are you thinking? I won those two portions of Origin with my own abilities. It's not like I went out and did backbreaking labor."
"But..."
"Besides, your brother is going to become a powerful creator someday. What are these few resources worth?"
As he spoke, Gu An deliberately put on an air of complete confidence.
"Once I make it big, you can buy as much peach candy as you want. I guarantee you'll eat it until you're sick of it."
"No way!"
Gu Xi immediately shook her head and corrected him earnestly. "Peach candy is delicious. I'd never get sick of it."
"All right, all right. Whatever you say."
Gu An didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The siblings chatted for a long while longer. Only when the dusk outside the window had deepened did Gu Xi rub her eyes, growing sleepy.
She was weak now, and her spirits were far lower than usual.
Seeing this, Gu An helped her lie back down and placed the unfinished book on the bedside table.
Only then did Gu Xi let go and close her eyes in peace.
Gu An sat beside her and waited until her breathing gradually steadied before tucking in the corners of her blanket.
Night deepened outside, and the city lights came on one by one.
In the hospital room, only the soft, rhythmic sounds of the monitor remained.
Gu An sat down in the caregiver's chair and made sure his sister was fast asleep before sinking his consciousness into his natal world.
Chaos stretched vast and boundless, the primordial expanse not yet divided.
The long river of time ran across the void, the ages flowing onward without end.
The boundless void unfolded layer upon layer, each of the many great Daos dwelling in its own place.
Deep within Chaos, the Thirty-Six-Rank Chaos Green Lotus bore the primordial expanse. Pangu still slept within its lotus heart, while Dao patterns of world-opening faintly rose and sank around him.
Gu An's consciousness swept across the Innate Dao Domains, finally coming to rest above a sea of crimson fire.
Since he had invested four portions of Origin last time, the great Daos of water and fire, yin and yang, and the five elements had manifested one after another.
Among them, the great Dao of fire had formed a magnificent Dao Domain, where innate divine flames burned without end.
Deep within that sea of fire, an ancient innate will had also gradually taken shape as the great Dao evolved.
Gu An focused on sensing it for a moment and already had a plan in mind.
The gestation of an innate demon god could not be accomplished in a single step. Now that the foundation of the great Dao of fire had been laid and was being nourished by Origin, there was hope that the moment of its true birth would arrive.
He hesitated no longer. With a thought, he cast both portions of ordinary Creation Origin into Chaos.
Boom!
The pure power of Origin scattered into a vast expanse of innate energy, flowing in every direction. Wherever it passed, the patterns of the great Daos gradually brightened.
The changes in the Fire Domain were especially striking.
Countless strands of innate divine flame rose from Chaos.
Crimson Dao patterns crisscrossed and intertwined, while the energy of fire, once scattered throughout the entire Dao Domain, gradually gathered toward the center.
As the Origin continued to merge into it, the long-gestating innate will finally crossed the last threshold.
In an instant, the countless divine flames in the sea of fire all drew inward.
The crimson radiance that had illuminated the boundless Chaos now converged in a single place, vaguely taking the form of a figure.
No one knew how much time passed.
A Daoist clad in crimson robes walked slowly out of the depths of the sea of fire.
His red hair hung to his shoulders, and his face was handsome yet archaic.
An innate fire pattern shone brightly between his brows, and upon his wide Daoist robes, countless divine flames seemed to flow, flare, and fade.
The Daoist stood in Chaos without a trace of flame or smoke around him, yet the entire Fire Domain fell still.
Countless fire Dao patterns flowed according to his will. Innate divine flames were born or extinguished, all at a single thought from him.
Fire had a master; all flames paid homage to their source.
One of the three thousand innate Chaos Demon Gods, the Demon God of Fire, Chi Li!