I Stake My Life on It

After pacifying the disciples, Zhang Nian began to ponder his future. He was no longer alone; only by possessing the strength to contend with Hun Tiandi could he secure a foothold on the continent. Alternatively, he could consider cooperating with the formidable Ancient Clan, but that was not an option for now—the foundation of any partnership relied on both sides being on equal footing.

Perhaps the Storage Rings he had just seized could play a certain role.

But before that...

He looked toward the distant sky. More than three hours had passed since Hun Qing and the other had left. At the speed of a Dou Sheng expert, they should have reached the Soul Hall by now.

Just as Zhang Nian had anticipated, half an hour ago, Hun Qing had brought Gu You to the Corpse Burial Mountain Range, the location of the Human Hall. Hun Miesheng, the Hall Master, was waiting in the main hall for their report. The elders who had gathered there had already departed. In Hun Miesheng's view, sending Gu You alone should have been sufficient for this trip; having Hun Qing accompany him was merely an extra precaution. Of course, there were far fewer Dou Sheng in this world than one might imagine, let alone in a barren place like the Northwest Continent, where even a Dou Zun was considered a monumental figure.

"Whoosh, whoosh~"

Gazing at the mysterious and terrifying hall in the distance, Gu You felt a chill in his heart. He did not want to experience that agony again, and besides, in matters like this, it was better to believe it than to risk it. During the journey, he had quietly probed Hun Qing's intentions, but the man was a complete hothead, relying entirely on his prestigious status without considering the consequences.

Furthermore, Hun Qing believed that over such a distance of ten thousand miles, it was impossible for anyone to control a flame, let alone anything else. To him, Gu You's caution was merely disloyalty to the Soul Hall. Since they had discovered the target and confirmed it was the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, and that the opponent was a Dou Sheng expert, such information should be reported to the Hall Master immediately. Otherwise, if the target were allowed to grow, they would eventually cause trouble for the Soul Hall. It was no exaggeration to say that the strength the opponent currently possessed was already enough to plunge the Soul Hall into danger.

If one is to strike, one must cut the weeds and dig up the roots, acting with swift and decisive action...

Every word resonated with Gu You, yet Hun Qing had not mentioned a single syllable about removing the flame from their bodies.

Damn it... I just hope everything goes as smoothly as expected... But someone at that level has no reason to lie...

Gu You had once suspected that the man was just bluffing, but his reason told him that the look of contempt—the kind that could kill you at any moment—could not be a lie... Thinking of the terror of that flame, Gu You asked himself more than once: was that flame really the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame?

He had seen Heavenly Flames before, but as a Ban Sheng, he hadn't even been able to put up a fight against Hun Qing, a one-star Dou Sheng...

Upon closer reflection, it made sense; after all, this was the third-ranked Heavenly Flame on the ranking list, comparable even to the second-ranked Nihility Devouring Flame.

Entering the gates of the Human Hall and following behind Hun Qing, he felt a trace of trepidation. Upon arriving at the main hall, he saw the Soul Hall Master, Hun Miesheng, sitting upright on the throne that symbolized absolute power.

"You two have returned?"

Hun Miesheng could tell at a glance that the two had been through a battle. Seeing that their Dou Qi was nearly depleted, it was clear they had fought with everything they had. It was not hard to guess that the so-called Dou Sheng expert in the Jia Ma Empire was not a groundless rumor. However, the fact that they had returned alive suggested that the opponent was likely a powerful Ban Sheng, which was why Hun Qing and Gu You had to exhaust themselves to handle the situation.

"That so-called Saint in the Jia Ma Empire is a Ban Sheng?"

Hun Miesheng asked first, his gaze filled with slight doubt, simply because only Hun Qing and Gu You had returned without bringing the person back. Either they had won and killed the person on the spot, or... what about the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame? Could it have escaped? But a newborn, milky-white flame shouldn't be that strong.

"Uh..."

Gu You dared not speak; his heart was in complete disarray. Instead, Hun Qing quickly spoke up to reply:

"Reporting to the Hall Master, we encountered that person in the Jia Ma Empire. His strength is above mine, and his flame..."

The moment he mentioned the flame, a small white spark ignited deep within his heart, and a burning sensation struck him. Gu You, standing behind him, was also slightly stunned. This... it couldn't be... was this a coincidence or??

Gu You was terrified; the reaction of the flame inside his body explained everything. But he was currently in the main hall, with the Hall Master sitting high above, so he dared not make any move. He could only keep glancing at Hun Qing beside him, his eyes conveying the message: Big brother, it's not easy to live a life. I have elders above and children below. Can we not be so stubborn? Life is beautiful, the future is worth looking forward to, why give up on treatment!!

In fact, Zhang Nian had no way to eavesdrop on their conversation through the flame; this was merely a beautiful coincidence. However, a seed of fear had been planted in the hearts of Gu You and Hun Qing. One had to remember that this was the Central Plains; the fact that the opponent could not only control the flame from ten thousand miles away but also know what they were saying through it...

Good heavens, this was no longer a matter of duty... it was possible that the secrets of the Soul Hall could be exposed...

But... if they didn't do this, they wouldn't survive. Hun Qing's initial confidence stemmed from the belief that the opponent couldn't possibly achieve all this, thinking he could return to the clan and ask a powerful expert to force the flame out. Now, it seemed such behavior was nothing more than looking at the sky from the bottom of a well.

If he really did that, he would have to risk his life to pass the information on...

Did he want to die?

Undoubtedly not. He was young and promising, with both talent and strength. His Dou Di bloodline was only slightly lower than Hun Miesheng's, and he was one of the top experts in the Soul Clan. He had a vast future ahead of him; even if he couldn't become a candidate for the Clan Leader, he would at least be an elder.

"Hmph... continue. What about that person's flame?"

Hun Miesheng was curious and interested in the details of their trip, so he urged them on.

"The flame was indeed milky-white, but it was not the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. It was merely a Fallen Heart Flame that had matured to the extreme..."

Hun Qing followed that instinct for survival and told a lie. After all, who would want to die without even their soul remaining if they could live?

Seeing that Hun Qing had suddenly "woken up," Saint Gu You hurriedly took over the conversation:

"Yes, Hall Master. However, neither of us was a match for the opponent. We believe that person's strength must be at the level of a Dou Sheng or higher."

Hun Miesheng glanced at the two of them, feeling that for a brief moment, their demeanor and behavior had been somewhat strange, as if the matter was not as simple as they claimed.

"Truly?"

Gu You hurriedly said: "Yes, I stake my life on it. That flame is not the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. Both Saint Hun Qing and I have seen it; it is indeed milky-white, but when released, it emits a constant, searing heart-fire. It is undoubtedly the Fallen Heart Flame."