Daydreaming

Hearing that it was not the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, Hun Miesheng shook his head; if it were merely the Fallen Heart Flame, there was no need to make a fuss. In fact, the people of the Soul Hall possessed information regarding various Heavenly Flames across the continent, but flames ranked as low as the Fallen Heart Flame were not worth mobilizing for. Seeing the two return safe and sound, he had already weighed the situation in his heart. According to what Gu You said, since they had lost the fight, the opponent's strength was beyond doubt. However, since they were not injured, it was clear that the opponent knew they were from the Soul Hall and had held back; otherwise, how could one easily escape a battle between Dou Sheng experts?

However, Gu You's demeanor and tone while speaking seemed quite hurried, perhaps a bit too impatient, as if he were desperate to make him believe the flame was the Fallen Heart Flame. Was it because he had sensed suspicion in his own words, or was it something else?

Hun Miesheng looked at Hun Qing, who was standing silently to the side, and said, "Hun Qing, you tell me what happened from start to finish. I see your Dou Qi is unstable, as if you have been through a great battle, yet you bear no injuries."

"I could not gauge that person's strength. During the fight, it was as if an old man were playing with a child. However, I did see a pair of golden wings on his back. They did not look like Dou Qi wings, but rather a flight Dou Skill. The speed was incredibly fast, silent and traceless. Logically speaking, I have reached the Dou Sheng realm, and my control over space and sensitivity to sound have reached an extremely high level, but..."

As he spoke, Hun Qing could not help but recall the scene of the previous battle, and a sense of distress washed over him. From beginning to end, the opponent had only used the flame in his hand and the wings on his back; he hadn't even unleashed a single attack Dou Skill... and yet, the two of them had been defeated in such a muddled fashion.

"Is he truly as formidable as you say?" Hun Miesheng felt a drum beating in his heart. According to Hun Qing, the opponent was either an expert from a major clan like their own or someone with heaven-defying luck. But why was such a person completely unknown? Thinking of this, he asked the two, "Did you inquire about that person's background?"

"Yes, the locals in the Jia Ma Empire claim that when he arrived, he called himself the Qinglian Saint." Gu You quickly took over the conversation, fearing that Hun Miesheng might take an interest in the Dou Sheng of the Jia Ma Empire. If more people from the Soul Hall appeared, the two of them would likely lose their lives on the spot. No, once they survived today, they had to find a way to remove the flame from their bodies as soon as possible.

"If this flame really is the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame... then I can only find a flame with a relatively higher ranking to counter it..."

Gu You calculated secretly in his heart. After all, the flame inside him was only a projection; he figured that a flame with a slightly higher ranking should be able to handle it.

"The Qinglian Saint, is it..."

Hun Miesheng recalled the information in his mind. At least for the past few decades, he had never heard of such a person in the Central Plains. Could this so-called Qinglian Saint be a figure from some hidden clan?

Seeing that the two had spilled everything, he weighed the situation. If it were truly just for a Fallen Heart Flame, there was no need to harbor a grudge against a powerful Dou Sheng. That person had not harmed Gu You or Hun Qing, which was giving the Soul Hall enough face. Since that was the case, let it be.

Thinking about it, according to what Lord Nihility Devouring Flame had said, these Heavenly Flames were products of heaven and earth. Flames ranked as high as that one were unique in the world. By that logic, the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame was only one rank lower than the Nihility Devouring Flame. According to rumors, the last owner of the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, the Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint, had sealed the flame away. As for the location, everyone had been searching for years. Dou Sheng experts could open up their own spaces, so finding it was no easy task, let alone one belonging to a great power like the Purifying Demonic Lotus Saint.

"Since that is the case, let this matter rest. You two should focus on the important affairs of the clan. The task of capturing souls must also be distributed. Remember not to let anyone discover any clues; if the clan leader's plan is delayed, everyone will be punished."

After saying this, Hun Miesheng transformed into a cloud of black mist right before their eyes and vanished rapidly.

"Phew..."

Gu You sighed. The reaction of the white flame inside his body just now had left him terrified, and he believed Hun Qing had felt it too; he could tell by the look on the other's face.

"Did you also just..."

"Yes..."

Hun Qing's voice was trembling. In that instant, he could clearly feel the shivering from the depths of his soul. If he had to experience that scorching again, he had no doubt he would perish on the spot.

"So, what do we do now..."

Gu You's question hit the nail on the head. Indeed, they had already lied, and it would be difficult to tell the truth now. The discrepancy between their stories was too great, and even if they had a reason for contradicting themselves, they would be branded as disloyal. For the sake of their own futures, the two were now firmly tied together on the same rope.

"Sigh... although the situation is set, I don't want to be controlled by others. Let's first find a way to remove the flame from our bodies. As for what comes next, we had better get our stories straight."

At this moment, Hun Qing also began to rack his clever little brain.

Far away, thousands of miles away, Zhang Nian did not think so much. He had simply reminded them when he felt it was necessary; perhaps it was the right choice.

After simply waking up the Nanming Li Fire, Zhang Nian returned to his room. He first glanced at Yao Ye in the cultivation chamber; she was progressing very quickly. Perhaps digesting medicinal power really did have something to do with aptitude. At this moment, Yao Ye's strength had already broken through to a nine-star Dou King. At this rate, she might wake up before Ya Fei.

Sitting upright on a rattan chair, he flipped his palm, and with a ripple in space, two black Storage Rings appeared in his hand. Ever since he broke through to the Dou Sheng realm, Zhang Nian had placed all his belongings into his personal space, so he no longer had to worry about his assets disappearing.

With a thought, the internal space of the Storage Ring appeared before Zhang Nian's eyes. It felt like watching a 3D movie; all the items were vivid and three-dimensional.

"Phew, not bad. The wealth of a Ban Sheng is quite considerable. There are ten eighth-grade medicinal pills and dozens of seventh-grade ones. That old thing should have hidden quite a bit more, but it doesn't matter."

He flipped through them casually and turned his head to look at Hun Qing's Storage Ring. A crimson medicinal pill inside caught Zhang Nian's attention. After sensing it carefully, good heavens, a Ninth-Grade Treasure Pill?

Zhang Nian became excited. According to the multiplier, he believed that even if it reached over ten thousand times after opening up intimacy later, it would still require the pill itself to reach a certain grade to return a Di-grade medicinal pill. After all, the difference between the ninth grade and the Di grade was not the level of the alchemist, but that wisp of Source Qi of the Emperor that had not appeared in the Dou Qi Continent for thousands of years.