Self-Extinguisher Analysis

After several dozen days of travel, Wang Chuan and Chen Xin finally returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The moment they stepped through the sect gates, Chen Xin said to the exhausted yet still excited Wang Chuan beside him, "Xiao Chuan, you've worked hard in your training lately. Go back to your room and rest first. Remember, balancing work and rest is the best way to cultivate. I'm giving you a day off today, so relax properly."

"Really? That's great! Thank you, Master!" Wang Chuan's eyes instantly lit up, and the exhaustion from his previous training seemed to vanish. He was still a six-year-old child, after all. At the words "day off," he immediately cheered and ran toward his room, his steps as light as a joyful little bird's.

Watching Wang Chuan's receding figure, the gentleness on Chen Xin's face instantly faded, replaced by gravity and urgency. Without wasting another moment, he turned and hurried toward the sect's main hall. The hem of his robe snapped in the wind, and every step carried an unmistakable urgency.

"Feng Zhi, are you here? There's an extremely serious matter that I must discuss with you immediately!" The moment Chen Xin reached the hall entrance, he pushed the door open and strode inside, rare urgency in his voice.

Inside the hall, Ning Fengzhi, the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, sat facing Bone Douluo Gu Rong. Both wore troubled expressions. Hearing Chen Xin's voice, Ning Fengzhi looked up at him and said heavily, "Uncle Jian, you came at just the right time. To be honest, Uncle Gu and I have recently discovered something strange as well. We were just about to speak with you."

"Oh? Could it be that we discovered the same problem?" Chen Xin's heart stirred as he quickly walked over and sat across from them.

Ning Fengzhi nodded and spoke first. "I'll tell you what Uncle Gu and I discovered. Then see whether it matches what you wanted to say." He paused, lightly tapping the table with his fingers. "Uncle Jian, do you remember the woman named Huang Quan whom Xiao Chuan mentioned several times? If Old Bone and I hadn't written down the information related to her earlier, I'm afraid we would have completely forgotten that such a person existed within two days. Even when we deliberately try to recall her, there's only a blur in our minds. We simply can't remember any concrete details."

"That's exactly what I wanted to discuss!" Chen Xin suddenly slapped the table, his tone filled with incredulous shock. "Even I, a Titled Douluo, can't retain memories of her in my mind. As long as I don't deliberately look through the records, I'll completely forget her before long. This is absolutely not normal!"

Ning Fengzhi sighed, his expression growing increasingly grave. "It seems this isn't an individual problem. Rather, memories concerning Huang Quan simply cannot remain in a person's mind for long. Even a Titled Douluo is no exception."

As he spoke, he took a yellowed notebook from his sleeve and opened it to a certain page. "Xiao Chuan mentioned before that Huang Quan once said he had set foot on the same path as her. In fact, Xiao Chuan had inadvertently been dragged into a certain 'abyss,' and she taught him swordsmanship as compensation. And according to my notes, she also said that she was a 'Self-Extinguisher.' At the time, I didn't understand what those three words meant, but now that I think about it, perhaps that is the key."

"A Self-Extinguisher? What exactly does that mean?" Chen Xin and Gu Rong both looked at Ning Fengzhi, their eyes full of urgency as they urged in unison, "Stop keeping us in suspense. Tell us!"

Ning Fengzhi's fingertip rested on the words "Self-Extinguisher" as he slowly explained, "A Self-Extinguisher, as the name implies, is like a shooting star. It streaks across the dark night sky in a brief yet brilliant arc, drawing everyone's gaze, only to burn out in an instant and vanish without a trace, leaving behind nothing but sorrow over the fragility and impermanence of life."

He paused, his tone becoming even heavier. "But Huang Quan's self-extinguishing isn't merely simple self-destruction. She is more like a breeze that leaves no trace. After passing through, it quietly erases every piece of evidence that she ever existed—her memories, the things she left behind, even all information related to her. Like something repeatedly washed away by the current of time, it gradually fades and disappears until not even the slightest trace can be found."

"Once all of this is completely over, the entire world will seem as though she was never born. She is like an illusory bubble, briefly appearing beneath the sunlight before bursting in the blink of an eye, without leaving even a drop of water behind. No one will remember that she ever came, and no one will know where she ultimately went. She will simply 'disappear' from this world in silence, as if she had been nothing more than an illusion from beginning to end."

After hearing Ning Fengzhi's explanation, Chen Xin's face instantly turned pale. He abruptly rose to his feet, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles whitened. His voice was filled with disbelieving pain and unwillingness. "If that is truly the case... then it is far too cruel for my young disciple! He is only six years old! Could it be that one day in the future, every trace he leaves in this world will also vanish as easily as fleeting clouds, just like Huang Quan's? Could even I, a Titled Douluo, be powerless to stop it? No... That is absolutely impossible!"

A teacher for a day, a father for life. Ever since taking Wang Chuan as his personal disciple, Chen Xin had long regarded that sensible and resilient child as his own son. How could he possibly tolerate his child suffering such a tragic fate?

"Uncle Jian, calm down first." Ning Fengzhi hurriedly stood and pressed a hand on Chen Xin's shoulder, soothing him in a steady voice. "There's no use panicking now. What we can do is begin carefully reviewing every ancient text and record in the sect, writing down every possible method we can think of, and adding to the notes every few days to prevent ourselves from forgetting. We still have time. As long as we find a solution before Xiao Chuan truly faces a crisis, it won't be too late."

Gu Rong, beside them, nodded in agreement and added, "Besides, your notes also say that Huang Quan told Xiao Chuan that before he becomes strong enough, she will bear the cost of Drawing the Sword for him. In other words, every time he draws his sword, she is consuming her own existence and accelerating her self-extinguishing. That also means that, at least before Xiao Chuan becomes a Titled Douluo, he will not temporarily be affected by his identity as a Self-Extinguisher. We still have enough time to seek a way to break this."

Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath, his gaze turning firm. "All right, then this will be the arrangement from now on. Chen Xin, Old Bone, the two of you should focus on cultivating and improving your strength, so you can protect Xiao Chuan in the future. As for searching through the texts and finding a solution, leave that to me. After all, I am not only the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but also Xiao Chuan's elder. Keeping him safe is my responsibility."

Chen Xin looked at Ning Fengzhi's resolute eyes, then at the nodding Gu Rong beside him. The agitation in his heart gradually eased somewhat. He slowly sat down and took a deep breath. "All right. We'll do as you say. No matter what price we must pay, we have to protect Xiao Chuan!"