Withering Flowers, Scattered Ashes

"If Old Man's guess is correct, these golden threads should be energy produced by the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking."

At that moment, Xiao Yan's expression was like the third meme in your phone—he stood there stupidly, completely frozen.

The Green Lotus Core Flame had already been hard enough for him to believe, yet now a Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame ranked fourth had appeared. Probably not many people would believe it even if they heard it.

"Teacher..." Xiao Yan clicked his tongue. "Could this person possess the same strength you had back then? ...That's terrifying..."

Yao Chen shook his head. He knew himself well and understood his own strength. Even at his peak, he would not have dared touch any Heavenly Flame ranked among the top five, much less the current Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

"I never expected the tiny Northwest Continent to hide such depths. Truly, tigers and leopards lurk in deep mountains, while qilins lie buried in the fields."

"Then what should we do, Teacher?"

Yao Chen said, "Let's leave the Monster Mountain Range first. This power is extremely similar to the Flame Mantra I taught you, but without confirmation, I cannot be certain."

Xiao Yan had long since turned and fled impatiently. He did not want to stay here and wait for death. The other party was so powerful that a casual slap would probably turn him into minced meat.

Besides, he was not qualified to obtain Heavenly Flames yet, so he simply stopped thinking about it. Staying alive was enough.

Meanwhile, Jiang Cheng's side had completely settled down. As he walked out of the cavern, the violent energy in the sky gradually faded away.

Medusa and Yun Yun appeared there almost simultaneously.

"What happened just now? Why did swallowing a Heavenly Flame cause such a huge disturbance?"

Cai Lin's brows knitted tightly. "If you died, when would This King ever advance to Dou Zong?"

Jiang Cheng replied, "Don't worry. The Green Lotus Core Flame is not worthy of refining me."

As he spoke, two different flames appeared simultaneously in Jiang Cheng's left and right hands. The two women could not help sucking in a breath, staring wide-eyed in disbelief that Mister Jiang Cheng possessed two Heavenly Flames of different attributes.

Was this truly a limit a human could reach?!

"Two Heavenly Flames? Didn't they say an Alchemist could only have one Heavenly Flame within their body?"

"That is only true for ordinary people. They can only possess one Heavenly Flame, but for me, the more the better."

Jiang Cheng shrugged, drawing the Heavenly Flames back into his body before taking out a folding fan and waving it with carefree elegance.

"Ladies, night is drawing near. If we do not admire the lovely sight of moonlit evenings and flower-filled mornings now, we will miss it."

Jiang Cheng smiled faintly. His right foot stepped into the air, and in an instant, he appeared atop Peach Blossom Mountain. With a wave of the folding fan in his hand, peach blossoms across the sky spun freely.

"Using a fan as a sword—is this the Mister's strength?"

Countless petals danced with the wind, forming a perfect landscape painting.

"Flowers wither, ashes scatter, but elegance never goes out of style." Jiang Cheng removed the wine gourd from his waist and tilted his head back, taking two deep gulps.

As peach blossoms covered Green Mountain, the Sword Qi from earlier dissipated as well.

Though the petals had fallen, it was all for the next batch of peaches to grow. In half a month, this place would return to its former beauty.

Yun Yun gently caught a fallen leaf, and deep in her heart, she became greatly interested in the Mister's affairs.

Using a fan as a sword, making peach blossoms rain from the sky without harming the roots or trunks—what kind of control did that require?

Jiang Cheng sat upright within the bamboo pavilion and turned sideways. "Ladies, did you not hear what I said just now?"

The two looked at each other and could only return to the mountain, lifting the wine cups on the table and draining them in one gulp.

"A cup of mellow wine, and home lies ten thousand miles away. Yanran remains unconquered; there is no way to return. Qiang flutes linger as frost blankets the earth. No one sleeps; the general's white hair, the soldiers' tears."

Jiang Cheng sighed softly, gazing up at the dazzling stars. "Yun'er, how long remains until your disciple's Three Year Agreement?"

Yun Yun answered, "Two years."

"Two years... Heh, there will be something worth watching again." Jiang Cheng rested both hands behind his head, then said, "I am a traveler who roams the world. Next, I will continue traveling across the land."

"Mister, you are leaving?" Yun Yun asked with a frown.

"Reading ten million volumes is no match for walking through Green Mountain." Jiang Cheng shrugged. "Sometimes, only by seeing the road beneath your feet clearly can you understand your own shortcomings, just like the people in books."

Jiang Cheng read as he voiced the thoughts in his heart. "But do not worry. I will return soon."

"Then This King will follow you." Queen Medusa crossed her arms and said with interest, "You have yet to fulfill This King's wish to break through to Dou Zong."

Jiang Cheng rubbed his forehead. "After some time, I will refine pills for you. Hai Bodong's Fu Ling Zi Pill can be made as well."

"Relax. I will remain here for another half year before setting off for other places."

Jiang Cheng patted Yun Yun's shoulder. He still had plenty of time, and he could wait for the system's mission while he was at it, then decide where would be best to travel.

The next morning, the Golden Rooster Announces Dawn.

Jiang Cheng, who had been cultivating, slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air. After a night of cultivation, breaking through to Two-Star Dou Saint was already within reach.

Opening the system panel, all of his information came into view.

Name: Jiang Cheng

Age: Twenty-one

Realm: Two-Star Dou Saint

Dou Techniques: Three Thousand Illusions (Earth Tier Intermediate Level), God Slaying Palm (Earth Tier High Level), Green Lotus Sword Qi (Heaven Tier Low Level)

Cultivation Method: Flame Mantra (Earth Tier High Level)

Treasures: Countless

[Experience Points: 35/100]

Jiang Cheng stretched lazily. After breaking through to Dou Saint, he basically no longer needed to sleep every day. Cultivation could replenish depleted spiritual strength.

Queen Medusa had already awakened. Standing in the courtyard, she tossed the grain in her hand into the chicken coop, her voice devoid of emotion.

"You are awake. It is time to refine the pills, isn't it?"

"The medicinal materials for your advancement to Dou Zong have not been gathered, so they cannot be refined yet."

Hearing this, Queen Medusa frowned tightly. "Are you playing me again?"

"I said within a year, but I never said I would restore your strength only days after you arrived. Unless you want another taste of my blood?"

"You!"

Queen Medusa threw all the grain in her hand onto the ground and stomped her feet in anger. "Fine. I hope you will keep your promise. Then what happened back then can be written off."

"I say, can you stop bringing up what happened back then?"

Jiang Cheng glanced at the water vat in the courtyard. "What happened then was truly unintentional. If the Queen continues to nag about it, then I can only resort to that method."

"What method?" An ominous feeling rose in Medusa's heart. "Do you intend to kill This King?"

"That will not be necessary." Jiang Cheng waved his hands repeatedly, pretending to be at a disadvantage. "You just said that you want to break through to Dou Zong, so I can only use the purest method..."

"Huh?" Cai Lin's cherry lips lightly opened.

"Take a bite from my neck."

Cai Lin: "????"