Chapter 141
"I can't save you, there's nothing I can do. I've done my best, but I can't even leave your body, so how could I possibly help you out of this predicament? Fine, just give up struggling and wait patiently for those two judges to rescue you. At least until then, I can guarantee you won't die... Here's my advice: just stay put."
Mr. Tail was unusually perfunctory today, saying only a few words before falling silent.
Seeing Huo Huo hugging its own Tail and talking to itself, Sushang and Guinaifen, who were huddled together in fright, were speechless. They thought the judge had lost his mind. Just as the surrounding fog was about to completely envelop the three of them, the fog on the north side suddenly tore apart.
The crimson flames illuminated the darkness that began to the north, like melting ice and snow. The deep black, substantial mist quickly dissipated, replaced by swirling sparks and flashes of light. In an instant, everything returned to normal.
The young man clapped his hands after completing all of this, as if he had just done something extremely simple.
"... Huh? Huo Huo, Sushang, and Guinaifen, how come it's the three of you?"
Against a backdrop of countless dancing crimson flames, a white shadow—the figure etched deep into one's soul—comes into view.
Bai Jun, who resolved the crisis at the last minute, seemed to be smiling at the three stunned girls (with surprised looks).
He swiftly rescued her from danger, offering immediate care and tenderness in his eyes...
The moment Huo Huo was gazed upon by those deep blue eyes, she felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity and an unusual sense of peace. Although this scene had happened more than once before, Huo Huo was always captivated, and her heart began to pound more violently than ever before.
"Lord Bai Jun --!!!"
The next instant, driven solely by instinct and longing, Huo Huo rushed into the other's arms.
She expressed her feelings and conveyed her tenderness for Bai Jun through her actions.
"Hooray, the great hero has finally arrived!"
Mr. Tail nodded as if he had expected this, revealing a vulgar smile that was completely out of character for Suiyang and no different from that of a normal human.
Incidentally, Sushang and Guinaifen, who were huddled together, were completely stunned by the scene before them. If they were to describe it in words, it would probably be a surging mix of confusion, surprise, jealousy, and anger.
"I really misjudged you, you wicked fox with malicious intentions, not just any fox, but a lustful one!!!"
"Aaaaaaah? What are you doing, you fox?!"
... Correction: Now it should only be anger and jealousy.
Chapter 176 was incomprehensible, but deeply impactful.
"What's wrong? Is something bothering you? Or has something else happened? Don't worry, whatever it is, I'm willing to listen..."
Bai Jun's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly softened and gently patted Huo Huo's back.
Feeling the soft presence that rushed into his arms and the trembling petite body, Bai Jun's first thought about this girl, whom he regarded as a younger sister, was that she had encountered something sad, after all, Huo Huo was the type that was a bit too clingy.
"Lord Bai Jun, Lord Bai Jun, Lord Bai Jun..."
As if to pour out all her longing, as if to take revenge on all her resentment, Huo Huo hugged Bai Jun's body tightly, her forehead tilting forward slightly, resting against his broad and solid chest, feeling his reliability and warmth. Huo Huo's eyes were a little intoxicated, and her face quickly flushed red.
"I'd love for you to Huo Huo in me, and I don't mind leaning on you, but if it's just about catching up, now's not the best time, is it?"
No one would dislike such a lovely girl, and no one could bear to refuse their younger sister's request—that's understandable, and Bai Jun is no exception. However, all of this depends on the right atmosphere around them.
After a long period of tempering in (a chaotic environment), Bai Jun is now extremely vigilant about similar atmospheres, able to keenly detect the slightest disturbance. Is this something to be thankful for or something to be ashamed of...?
For example, right now, Bai Jun saw the fire igniting in the eyes of those two people, especially Sushang. If gazes had the power of attack, Huo Huo would probably have been reduced to ashes by now.
This cannot continue, or the situation will inevitably spiral into unimaginable chaos.
Bai Jun trusted his intuition. He reached out and grasped Huo Huo's petite shoulders, ruthlessly pushing the girl in his arms away. He tried his best not to look at her innocent, tearful expression, lest he soften his heart again, and quickly changed the subject:
"Alright, now it's time to get down to business. I've been entrusted by the Shence Mansion to come to Fyxestroll Garden to deal with the damage to the Furnace of Creation. And what about you?"
With his arms crossed over his chest, Bai Jun spent some time calming down the girls who had been making a ruckus. He then questioned them with a sigh about why they were there. Bai Jun had just happened to be passing by when he sensed something unusual and was lucky enough to rescue them; otherwise, the situation might have been much worse.
"... I understand the gist of it. Huo Huo, you came here with the other judges from the Ten Lords Bureau to investigate the situation, I can understand that."
Bai Jun first looked at Huo Huo, and received a nod in response like pounding rice.
Then, he helplessly shifted his gaze to the two energetic girls beside him. "So, what about you two? Are you just simply curious and came here for a test of courage? Or do you have some other hidden reasons that you need to resolve at Fyxestroll Garden?"
To be fair, Bai Jun naturally hoped that nothing had happened between the two, but if that were the case, it would be a huge misunderstanding.
"Yes, it was Little Gui who dragged me here..."
"Sushang!? You betrayed me so casually, even in front of me! You heartless, womanizing bastard!"
As if sensing the faint helplessness in Bai Jun's tone, and not wanting to disappoint her beloved, Sushang trembled and pointed to Guinaifen, who was still trying to find a way to argue, and immediately betrayed her best friend.
Guinaifen clutched her chest, deeply shocked, not because she was saddened by the other person's actions, but because they had cut off her escape route.
Damn it, I should have struck first—that's probably what Guinaifen was thinking. Just then, Bai Jun suddenly asked a question, which distracted her.
"Putting aside other issues for now, Guinaifen, you should have heard about the damage to the Furnace of Creation of the Artisanship Commission before you came here, right?"
"Huh? The Furnace of Creation... I do seem to have seen similar posts online. Bai Jun, why are you asking about this?"
Guinaifen vaguely felt that the "Furnace of Creation" mentioned by Bai Jun sounded familiar. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that she had indeed heard similar terms on the Internet. However, even though she could recall those fragments of Remembrance, Guinaifen still could not understand what Bai Jun meant.
"Sometimes I really wish you guys didn't have such a half-hearted attitude towards things... The Furnace of Creation is a magical artifact specially used by the Artisanship Commission to contain the demons of the Suiyang, but its damage caused the demons of the Suiyang sealed inside to escape and take up residence here. Now the Shence Mansion and the Ten Lords Bureau are ordered to capture them. And I'm quite curious, how did you manage to bypass the military officers and enter the sealed Fyxestroll Garden so casually?"
"We came in from the outer edge of the back mountain... Wait a minute, the demons of Suiyang!? There really are those ghosts and monsters!"
Bai Jun's explanation made Guinaifen's face turn pale with fright. The thought that she was now in such an environment, and might even brush past countless demons and monsters, made Guinaifen tremble all over, and she subconsciously hugged Sushang next to her.
Seeing Guinaifen, who only now realized she was scared, Bai Jun rolled his eyes at her, unsure whether to call her bold or cowardly.
"Then, Lord Bai Jun, for their safety, wouldn't it be better to send them out now?"
Huo Huo gently tugged at Bai Jun's sleeve. After some thought, Bai Jun finally handed over the decision to the two people opposite him. Whether to stay or leave was entirely up to Guinaifen and Sushang.
"Just so you know, ordinary cameras can't capture what Suiyang looks like. If you're looking for a trending topic, then unfortunately you'll be disappointed. But if you still want to stay here, I won't stop you; it'll just mean taking care of two more people."
I want to stay by your side!
"I'm just like Sushang!"
In a split second, without a moment to think, Sushang had already given her answer based entirely on her inner impulse, Guinaifen followed suit, nodding vigorously. Bai Jun said he didn't care; he was confident he could take care of the others and keep them safe. This wasn't blind self-confidence, but simply stating the facts.
Since it was within his ability, he would try his best to fulfill their wishes. Bai Jun nodded in agreement, while Huo Huo beside him snorted as if throwing a tantrum.
Sushang and Guinaifen made a funny face at Huo Huo triumphantly. Huo Huo's lips twitched a few times, and her fists suddenly clenched tightly. Even the Mr. Tail sighed inwardly at how terrifying the battle between women was, that it could actually turn this little coward into this. If she had half the determination she had at work, she probably wouldn't need its help at all.
Bai Jun paid no attention to the thoughts and actions of the people behind him. He took a few steps forward, sensed the direction of the airflow, and quietly rubbed the corner of his lips.
There were no signs of damage to the east, west, south, and north sides, or to the central Furnace of Creation. Just as initially suspected, the current chaos was most likely caused by the leakage and spread of some of the Suiyang energy from the Furnace of Creation last time. After accumulating power for a period of time, it has now reached a level that can cause unrest.
What's interesting is that the Suiyang of this region seem chaotic, but upon closer inspection, one can discover that they share a remarkably similar Suiyang. In other words, they belong to the same Suiyang community.
Ordinary Suiyang are each tainted with the emotions and desires they acquired when possessing a host, and they dislike each other, with none willing to merge with the others—like a person with "multiple personalities" in their head, constantly fighting each other.
However, the above scenario depends on the equal strength of both the Suiyang. A powerful Suiyang can ignore these risks and forcibly devour a weaker Suiyang, making them temporarily submit and become one, thus gaining power far exceeding that of the individual Suiyang, and will not be affected by the multiple personalities, just like the Greater Suiyang "Ignamar".
Instead of gathering all its parts to become a powerful and inextinguishable "individual," the Greater Suiyang before them broke down into smaller, weaker parts scattered throughout the area. This seemed like a weakness left for the enemy to exploit one by one, but in Bai Jun's eyes, it was an exceptionally clever move.
The stronger you are, the more you will underestimate your opponents without any scruples... On the contrary, sometimes weakness is the way to survive.
While becoming a unified entity early on grants immense power, it also makes one a prime target for the Ten Lords Bureau's Division, and within days, they will be imprisoned in magical artifacts. Furthermore, by dispersing the entity like this, unless one is an extremely experienced judge, there is a high probability that they will be unable to discern the affiliation of these Suiyang.
If even a portion of the individual Suiyang can survive the pursuit, then like a fire that reignites in the spring breeze, this Greater Suiyang can never be completely captured.
"Let's go, let's hurry up and finish dealing with Suiyang's matter so we can go back and rest."
However, in Bai Jun's eyes, this clumsy technique was like a child playing tricks. Bai Jun didn't even need to investigate the specific location; he could guess the location of the scattered individuals just by feeling. So he took a step and walked towards the northwest side of Fyxestroll Garden.
"Wow, that's amazing! It's a shame I couldn't take a picture to record it, otherwise it would definitely go viral..."
"Are those flickering flames the signs of the Suiyang? How tragic..."
Following Bai Jun and witnessing him capture Suiyang, Guinaifen and Sushang were both stunned and speechless. They saw those ferocious and terrifying flames, which were called Suiyang spirits, rushing towards them with a hungry roar as they smelled the scent of living people.
The result was disastrous. Like eggs smashed against a wall, or water hitting a wall, the flames that launched the attack seemed to hit an invisible wall when they encountered Bai Jun, and were then violently bounced away. Some were even directly shattered into sparks by the scabbard. Huo Huo was responsible for following behind him to collect the Suiyang that had lost their fighting ability.
"Lord Bai Jun is amazing!!!"
Huo Huo had long been aware of Bai Jun's strength and had witnessed his heroic figure many times. Yet, she was still captivated by him every time. Watching him walk at the forefront, effortlessly dealing with the backs of those who Suiyang, Huo Huo's pale green eyes seemed to sparkle, as if she wanted to imprint the most handsome side of her hero into her eyes.
Her innocent eyes were like a small white flower in spring, so delicate and pure that one couldn't bear to taint them.
Bai Jun did not use any special abilities. He didn't even bother to use the "Sun" or the flames containing the power of the Flint Emperor. He simply used his physical strength, and each strike shattered the Suiyang that rushed towards him.
That could no longer be called a battle, nor even a massacre; it was simply a cleanup. The Suiyang that had been gathered over such a long time was now being disposed of in bulk, like unwanted garbage.
As if finally realizing something was wrong, the Suiyang in this area felt a silent fear. They knew that continuing to charge forward was futile, because Bai Jun had not shown the slightest sign of fatigue.
In the face of life and death, in order to gain the strength to struggle and for a final way out, the Suiyang of this region consciously began to merge and converge, gradually fusing into powerful individuals under the goal of "fighting against a formidable enemy." Only in this way could they possibly have a glimmer of hope.
"Wow, it's huge!?"
Looking at the giant made of flames in the distance, even from a great distance, they could feel the burning and stinging sensation on their skin. It was easy to guess that the opponent's strength was exaggerated and could not be compared with the previous Suiyang individual. Guinaifen and Sushang began to worry about Bai Jun, while Huo Huo maintained her previous confidence.
"A mere Suiyang is no match for Lord Bai Jun."
"You talk as if you're so great..."
Her tone was frivolous and confident, as if she were the one who had accomplished these things. A cluster of blue flames slowly emerged from behind Huo Huo, transforming into a round wolf head. It glanced at the fox in front of it, which was pretending to be powerful, and its human-like features were full of disdain.
As expected, Bai Jun's guess was correct. All he needed to do was apply high pressure to them collectively, and driven by instinct, they would temporarily unite into one. However, facing the four-meter-tall fire giant not far away, Bai Jun even showed some dissatisfaction.
"Why is it so small? Judging from the aura I sensed earlier, it should be much larger..."
According to Bai Jun's original prediction, the flames are now only half the size of what was expected, and the remaining portion of the Suiyang energy has not gathered for some reason. Moreover, the fire giant in the distance seems to be driven entirely by instinct, without any corresponding collective consciousness.
Bai Jun suddenly realized that it was possible that the remaining flames were being entangled by the other judges. If this explanation was followed, then everything would make sense.
Before Bai Jun could expand his perception range to confirm his guess, the fire giant roared and strode over from a distance, closing the distance in an instant. The scorching heat of the flames became even more intense, to the point that it would be painful for an ordinary person to breathe, and the dazzling firelight was so intense that Guinaifen and Sushang had to squint.
As the earth-shattering roar resounded, the outcome remained unchanged.
Indeed, nothing had changed. Even as countless weak Suiyang coalesced into an exceptionally powerful entity, it remained exactly the same as before. The flames, strong enough to scorch the eyes, transformed into drifting sparks, which instantly, in a flash, became scattered embers and vanished from sight.
Bai Jun maintained the motion of drawing his sword from its sheath, and sighed amidst the crimson firelight.
Why are you yelling so loudly?
Chapter 177 Sister, your waist is so thin!
"That's amazing..."
Gazing at the silver figure amidst the swirling flames, Guinaifen, who was gaining a clear understanding of Bai Jun's strength for the first time, gaped in astonishment, her beautiful eyes filled with shock, and subconsciously uttered her true feelings.
Sushang wasn't much better off; her pale golden eyes, reflecting only Bai Jun's figure, seemed to sparkle.
Although she already knew that Bai Jun was strong, she still couldn't have predicted that he would be this powerful. The fire giant, which she could feel the terrifying temperature and pressure from a great distance and which was baring its fangs and claws, couldn't even last a single blow in Bai Jun's hands.
As for Huo Huo, she consciously carried the "Moonlight Gourd," a magical artifact used by the Artisanship Commission to imprison and control the Suiyang, and rushed to Bai Jun's side to handle the aftermath. As the artifact was activated, the scattered Suiyang poured into the Moonlight Gourd in her hand.
Huo Huo could feel the terrifying aura emanating from the Suiyang that was surging into her palm. The bottle of the magic artifact seemed to be trembling slightly. They would probably never forget what happened today, and that silver-haired youth who was as strong as a ghost.
After finishing all this, Bai Jun did not stop. Instead, he randomly found a high slope, freeing his long-suppressed perception and expanding the scope of his intuition.
"As expected... the fight over there is really intense. You guys need to catch up quickly, or you'll be in trouble if you fall behind."
Just as he had guessed, the portion of the Suiyang who failed to gather had been separated from the battlefield and remained in the direction of Verdant Hill Terrace in the southeast. As his line of sight gradually extended, Bai Jun quickly locked onto that area.
After briefly mentioning it, Bai Jun immediately set off for Verdant Hill Terrace. The three of them, having come to their senses, first looked at each other in silence, and then hurriedly followed in the direction of Bai Jun's back.
Crunch--
The broken branches swayed in the wind, and although the fragile sound was faint, it was quite noticeable in the deathly silent forest. The faint smell of blood was also carried away by the strong wind mixed with the darkness.
The battle in the southeast region had been raging for an unknown amount of time. Most of the surrounding trees had been affected and destroyed. A series of thunderous roars resounded as the judges and the boiling, expanding Suiyang clashed fiercely. With each step, the lush forest was transformed into a desolate battlefield.
"The seventh one, and with that, the Suiyang in this area will be completely cleared."
With the final, agonizing scream of the last Suiyang shattering, Xue Yi expressionlessly pulled out the Demon-Breaking Awl, which was deeply embedded in the ground. Then, she took out a magical artifact prepared by the Ten Lords Bureau and collected the Suiyang fragments into it, calmly announcing the end of the work in this area.
This kind of work must have been repeated countless times in the past, but today's situation is slightly different from the past.
There are far too many of these wandering, scattered Suiyang around.
This situation is unprecedented for the timid Suiyang. In the past, even spending an entire night would not be enough to catch one or two escaped Suiyang. But today, in less than half an hour, Xue Yi has already captured seven Suiyang, and this number is likely to continue to be broken.
It wasn't just the numbers; the cunning Suiyang, who used to only dare to hide everywhere, actually dared to take the initiative to attack the judge today, and its irritability was far more exaggerated than before.
"Sister, I have a feeling that something is off about today, no, it's even a bit eerie."
"I feel the same way."
Hanya slowly walked over from the other side of the area where the battle situation was being assessed. Xue Yi Robe nodded calmly, confirming Hanya's speculation with her judge's intuition.
The strategy of defeating them one by one has now been successfully completed. The two returned to Verdant Hill Terrace together and trapped Suiyang in Moonlight Gourd into the Form-Binding Evil-Warding Formation. The farce of tonight should have ended there... However, their years of experience have taught them that things are far from that simple.
The Suiyang in this area has undoubtedly gone berserk. The azure flames have been amplified dramatically, and some of the Suiyang can even ignore the restraint of magical artifacts and directly invade and possess the bodies of the Netherworld Messengers, clearly being drawn by some kind of force.