Yaoguang Domain Gate

Shen Ye generously let the Immortal Flame fly toward him. "If you want to comprehend it, then go ahead!"

Crow Daoist carefully cradled the Immortal Flame in his hands. A warmth surged from his palms through all four limbs and every bone, nearly making him moan aloud!

In that single instant, he felt the bottleneck that had plagued him for a thousand years loosen ever so slightly!

Crow Daoist was overjoyed. As expected of the Immortal Flame—it was simply a supreme treasure for someone like him, who cultivated fire-element Dao laws!

Shen Ye said gravely, "You'd better be careful. If you make it angry, I won't be able to save you in time!"

Crow Daoist swallowed. He immediately recalled that this was the Immortal Flame rumored to have burned immortals to death. Yet asking him to give up such a heaven-sent opportunity was utterly impossible. He could only grit his teeth and ask, "What must I do to make Lord Immortal Flame happy?"

Shen Ye smiled. "It's not difficult. You only need to nourish it with your mana every day!"

Crow Daoist's mana nourishment and comprehension of Dao laws were actually beneath notice to the Immortal Flame, but the form of sacrifice helped awaken spiritual intelligence. Quite a few natural totems and incense-fed deities had come into being this way!

Once the Immortal Flame's intelligence improved, the power of its sacrificial feedback to Shen Ye would grow accordingly!

This was equivalent to Crow Daoist offering sacrifices to the Immortal Flame, and then the Immortal Flame offering sacrifices back to him!

Of course, for Crow Daoist, this was absolutely a sure-profit deal!

He only needed to spend some mana and time to comprehend immortal Dao flames. Where else under heaven could he find such a good thing?

Crow Daoist was delighted. "Just that is enough? I will nourish and worship it day and night!"

Seeing Crow Daoist's jubilant expression, Shen Ye rubbed his chin and was already considering whether, once the employment ended, he should have Little Flame split off a subsidiary flame containing one hundred-millionth of its power for the old crow to worship day and night.

Even then, Crow Daoist would have to thank him for it!

After comprehending the Immortal Flame for a while, Crow Daoist reluctantly pulled his mind away from the little fireball. Only then did he remember that he seemed not to have asked about his employer's mission. He hurriedly asked, "Where are we going on this journey?"

At the same time, he prayed incessantly in his heart, The farther, the better. The farther, the better!

Shen Ye calmly spoke four words. "The Extreme Northern Ice Plain!"

This land was vast and boundless. Traveling from the Southern Domain of Eastern Barrens to the Extreme Northern Ice Plain without passing through a Domain Gate—even with a supreme expert like Crow Daoist carrying them and flying at full speed—would take at least half a year.

Although Crow Daoist said he was very willing to be a tool crow, Shen Ye had no desire to waste time. After leaving the Fire Domain, they headed straight for Yaoguang Sacred Land.

There were not many people waiting outside the mountain gate, but each was dressed in lavish splendor and possessed a deep, unfathomable aura, carrying the bearing of "powerhouses." In their respective regions, they could indeed be considered powerful figures.

Although many great sects also had Domain Gates, only Domain Gates at the Sacred Land level could cross two domains.

The difference was, in truth, the difference between making transfers and going directly!

Ordinary impoverished Wheel and Sea cultivators, or Dao Palace Rogue Cultivators with shallow pockets, would choose the Domain Gates of great sects.

Only "powerhouses" like them, mindful of their status and unwilling to mingle with those mud-legged commoners, would choose the Domain Gates of Sacred Lands.

The arrival of the three caused no stir.

After all, everyone here had status and standing. Making a fuss over nothing would be far too beneath them!

After waiting for most of a day, the mountain gates opened wide, and several cultivators emerged. The middle-aged cultivator leading them announced loudly, "Start naming your offers. Before taking out your items, weigh their value in your hearts first. Don't make things awkward for everyone!"

"Rest assured, Deacon Lei. We are not people who do not understand the rules!"

"One Ice Spirit Fruit!"

"I offer a piece of Silver Star Crystal Essence!"

As the crowd began to move, Shen Ye naturally turned to Crow Daoist. "Do you have any useless junk?"

"I'll look." Crow Daoist did not find this strange. As a descendant of an Immortal King, the things on Shen Ye must naturally all be supreme treasures!

Over the past few days, he had grown familiar with Shen Ye and the others. He had originally wanted to use the chance to guide the two of them to spend more time around the Immortal Flame, but who would have thought that Shen Ye would instead be the one guiding him!

That unfathomably profound foundation and those lofty, overarching pointers made him believe the claim that Shen Ye was a descendant of an Immortal King a few degrees more!

"Found it. This is a Nether Soul Crystal that I nearly succeeded in refining two days ago!" Crow Daoist searched for a while before pulling a jet-black crystal from his person. With some emotion, he said, "Back then, I was truly just a tiny bit away from success. Still, although the refinement failed, it counts as a treasure for these juniors!"

When it was their turn, Crow Daoist casually tossed the Soul Crystal over.

"This is..." Deacon Lei took the Soul Crystal and gave it a brief examination, then let out a heartbroken cry. "Which weapon-refining idiot made this? What a monstrous waste of heavenly gifts!"

Crow Daoist's face darkened. If not for the fact that his employer's business was more important, he would have slapped this shortsighted junior to death!

Suppressing his anger, Crow Daoist asked, "Can we pass now?"

His words reminded the other man. Deacon Lei rushed over, grabbed his shoulders, and shook him continuously. "Tell me quickly—where did you get this Soul Crystal?"

Had it been any other treasure, he would not have lost his composure so badly. But the Nether Soul Crystal could protect the divine soul. For those elders in the Sacred Land stuck at the peak of Dragon Transformation and too afraid to break through, it was precisely the treasure they needed most!

If he could obtain a Nether Soul Crystal, he might even be able to befriend a future Immortal Platform supreme expert!

A dangerous glint appeared in Crow Daoist's eyes. "I stole it!"

"Stole it?" Deacon Lei frowned deeply. "Who did you steal it from? Where did you steal it? Tell me everything from beginning to end. Do not conceal a single detail!"

After saying that, he added, "Don't worry about the force behind that person coming to trouble you. I will settle it for you!"

Crow Daoist sneered. "Then I truly must thank you! The person I robbed seemed to be called Ji Mingkong. As for the location, it was at the Ji Family!"

"The Ji Family? Which Ji Family?" Deacon Lei asked instinctively, never once thinking of the Ji Family among the Ancient Desolate Families.

At that moment, someone behind Deacon Lei revealed a terrified expression. "Ji Mingkong? Could it be that great expert of the Ji Family who fell more than a thousand years ago?"

Deacon Lei's heart skipped a beat. He turned around trembling and asked, "Y-you, what did you say?"

That man said in terror, "Wasn't it mentioned in the sect's records of major events? More than a thousand years ago, the Ji Family joined forces with our Yaoguang Sacred Land to issue a wanted order for a demonic Daoist named Crow Daoist. The reason was that he had killed the mighty Ji Mingkong, but in the end, it was left unresolved!"

Deacon Lei stiffly turned back around. Looking at Crow Daoist's feathered robe woven from crow feathers, he gave a nervous laugh. "H-ha, haha... Senior, you must be joking, right?"

Crow Daoist gave him a "kind" smile and patted his shoulder. "Don't forget—you said you'd help me settle this."

Deacon Lei wore a smile uglier than crying. "I-I might not be able to settle it!"

Crow Daoist's expression changed in an instant. Overwhelming magical power swept across the entire sacred land. "Then don't blame me for losing my temper!"

Shen Ye watched coldly from the side. It seemed that even though I tried my best to suppress Little Flame, Heart Fire still affected him!

Thanks to reader Qian Ding Qing for the 100 donation, and thanks to reader HAJ for the 100 donation.