Second Essence Flame Perfection

The moonlight was faint. After a night of hard training on the Training Field, Meng Yuan returned to his dwelling.

He was a little hungry again. But at this moment, Meng Yuan didn't really feel like eating, only because his mind was full of women.

"I don't have many aspirations in this life. Make a little money, get a little power, and sleep with a few more beautiful girls, and I'll be set."

Seeing a faint candlelight in the deep night, Meng Yuan stepped forward and pushed open the door.

He saw that Jiang Tang had changed into new clothes today, with pearls and jade adorning her head, looking exceptionally beautiful under the dim yellow light.

"Brother, I want to sleep with you." Little Jiang Tang's eyes and brows held a hint of spring passion, and then she actually started taking off her clothes.

"This old fox's work is too rough, isn't it? With just this cultivation?" Meng Yuan rubbed his head, borrowing Nie Yannian's evaluation of Great Tail Venerable, then drew his knife and slashed over.

In an instant, his head felt a slight pain, and then he heard a crisp voice, "Little Gelder, I'm here to help you! Ya ya ya!"

Meng Yuan quickly opened his eyes and saw the old fox holding a short sword, already two feet in front of him.

A figure with brown skin and a white belly, carrying a floral cloth bundle on its back, sprinted over, jumped up, and headbutted the old fox.

The old fox was about to hold Xiang Ling down with one hand, but seeing that Meng Yuan had already opened his eyes, a look of horror appeared in her eyes. She clearly hadn't expected Meng Yuan to break free from the secret technique so quickly. She ignored Xiang Ling and gripped the short sword with both hands, stabbing rapidly towards Meng Yuan.

Meng Yuan immediately pulled in his abdomen and retreated, while extending both hands to grab the hilt of the sword.

The old fox's arms were short and she was injured, so Meng Yuan immediately succeeded. He then twisted, taking the old fox's short sword.

"Spare me! Young hero, spare me! I'll give you a Heavenly Secrets Map!" The old fox knew the situation was hopeless and decisively begged for mercy.

Meng Yuan was very curious about what the Heavenly Secrets Map was and also wanted to get one.

But not now.

He got up and straddled the old fox, pressing down on the fox's head with his left hand, and gripping the short sword with the other hand, stabbing fiercely towards the fox's neck.

One stab, two stabs, three stabs, Meng Yuan had forgotten how many times he had stabbed.

He saw that the old fox was deader than dead, her head almost severed from her body.

Only then did Meng Yuan get off the fox and sit on the ground, panting heavily.

Looking to the side, Xiang Ling's eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the old fox's corpse.

"The matchmaker is dead..." It was a while before Xiang Ling reacted.

"Yes, the fox is dead." Meng Yuan wiped the blood that had splashed onto his face and said with a smile, "Are you scared?"

Xiang Ling nodded repeatedly, she was indeed very scared.

"I remember you said your godmother taught you that it's better to live a bad life than die a good one. Then why did you still risk your life to save me just now?" Meng Yuan asked.

Xiang Ling sat down on her butt, thought for a while, and then said, "I don't know either."

"You're not afraid of death?" Meng Yuan asked with a smile.

"I am!" Xiang Ling said very reasonably, "But godmother also said that living is good, and dying is also fine."

"Living is good, and dying is also fine." Meng Yuan repeated the sentence, said nothing more, and went to feel the old fox's corpse again.

Besides the green clothes on her body, this old fox only had a short sword and a wooden staff. The wooden staff also seemed to be an ordinary item, showing how poor she was.

As for the so-called Heavenly Secrets Map, its whereabouts were unknown.

"Do you know the matchmaker's background?" Meng Yuan asked Xiang Ling.

"I don't know." Xiang Ling shook her head and scratched her ears, "The matchmaker was actually quite nice. Sometimes she would even tell us stories about the city!"

"She wasn't a kind person. You should be more careful in the future." Meng Yuan said.

"I have plenty of wits!" Xiang Ling immediately became anxious when she heard the Gelder say she was lacking in wits.

"Yes, yes, you have plenty of wits. Pick up some dry branches, and let's burn the fox." Seeing that he couldn't get any oil or water out of her and didn't want to take her back to cause trouble, Meng Yuan decided to cremate the body.

Xiang Ling was very obedient at this moment and quickly went to find dry branches. Meng Yuan also came to help.

"Your arrows will definitely make good firewood!" Xiang Ling picked up an arrow and happily claimed credit.

"..." Meng Yuan flicked her head and then took her to find all the arrows.

The two of them worked for a long time before they finally got the fire going.

The smell of burning flesh came, and Meng Yuan and Xiang Ling didn't avoid it. The former was reflecting on the gains and losses of this fight, while the latter didn't know what she was thinking.

"When Wolf One ate my godmother, he also burned her like this." Xiang Ling cried, "Godmother said that eating raw meat is beastly, and eating cooked meat is demonic. She told Wolf One to burn it cooked before eating."

"..." Meng Yuan covered his forehead. For a moment, he really couldn't understand what was in Xiang Ling's godmother's head.

"Do you want to eat?" Xiang Ling asked.

Meng Yuan was indeed a little hungry, but he really had no appetite at all, so he shook his head.

"I don't eat either." Xiang Ling wiped her tears with her floral headscarf and muttered, "Little Gelder, can you read and write?"

"I've learned a few words." Meng Yuan said.

"Then can you write my name?" Xiang Ling asked curiously.

Meng Yuan immediately pulled out a branch and started writing on the ground.

Xiang Ling leaned over to watch from the opposite side, her eyes wide and round, "This is my name?"

"It's upside down, look from my side." Meng Yuan pinched Xiang Ling's nape and lifted her in front of him.

"Ah! My name is so pretty!" Xiang Ling had just been crying, but now, after a sniffle, she bounced and jumped, happily saying, "Write my godmother's name too."

"What's your godmother's name?" Meng Yuan asked.

"My godmother is called Flower Granny!" Xiang Ling said loudly.

Meng Yuan then wrote Flower Granny's name on the ground.

Xiang Ling looked carefully, even using her little paws to trace it.

Seeing her like this, Meng Yuan took out the old fox's short sword and carved their mother and daughter's names on a small stone. "This way, the writing won't be blown away by the wind."

"Little Gelder, you're so nice!" Xiang Ling was very happy, holding the small stone in her hand, and then untied the bundle on her back.

"I haven't given you this yet," Xiang Ling took out a small Green Fruit.

Meng Yuan took the Green Fruit, which he had fought desperately for, and examined it closely in his hand.

The fruit was only about the size of a thumb pad, a faint green with a hint of crimson. When sniffed closely, there was a subtle fragrance.

Xiang Ling hid the small stone in her bundle and carefully tied it around her neck, showing how much she treasured it.

"Eat it quickly!" Xiang Ling held another Green Fruit and said seriously, "Godmother said that you have to eat it quickly after picking it, or it won't taste good after a few days."

"Didn't you say it could be taken as a dowry? Why do you have to eat it after picking?" Meng Yuan had originally planned to eat it after his Essence Flame was complete this time.

"I didn't say I had to pick it to take as a dowry, I can take it as a dowry without picking it!" Xiang Ling tilted her head, looking like she was looking at an idiot.

"..." Meng Yuan rubbed his temples, not knowing what to say.

"I'll eat it too, I guess." Xiang Ling's tone became sad again. "Godmother originally gave me an idea to eat it in front of my prospective husband to show off my family wealth. But eating it in front of you..."

She turned her back and started eating with a crunching sound.

Seeing this, Meng Yuan no longer hesitated and swallowed it immediately.

Before he could chew it thoroughly, it had already entered his abdomen.

For a moment, Meng Yuan only felt the Lower Thirty-Three Heavens tremble slightly, a burning sensation in his Dantian, and his various acupoints seemed to have enlarged slightly.

His whole body was slightly hot. With a slight thought, he saw that most of the nutrients from the Green Fruit were absorbed by the Essence Flame.

The Essence Flame immediately surged, and in just a few breaths, it had already enveloped his entire body, clearly reaching completion.

Meng Yuan felt that at this moment, as long as he willed it, the Essence Flame would immediately release its power and temper his body again.

However, now was clearly not the right time. And... looking at Xiang Ling again, the little fellow was steaming all over, swaying unsteadily.

This was clearly because the medicinal effect of the Green Fruit was too strong, and Xiang Ling's small body couldn't absorb so much medicinal effect at once.

"Xiang Ling?" Meng Yuan pinched Xiang Ling's nape and lifted her up.

"Huh?" Xiang Ling was groggy, her eyes hazy. "I'm very hot and want to sleep."

Meng Yuan said no more, stuffed her into his clothes, put on his short sword and long saber, and carried his long bow and quiver. He then went down the mountain.