Breaking into the Grandmaster Mansion

"How did it go? How did it go?"

As soon as they left the imperial palace, Su Youqian impatiently asked Liu Chengfeng. It was clear he feared Empress of Qiuchi as a mouse feared a cat.

The usually uninhibited Su Youqian had behaved himself to the letter inside the palace.

"It worked."

"It worked? What conditions did my aunt set?"

Su Youqian knew Empress of Qiuchi too well. She never let go of the hawk until she saw the rabbit.

"Retrieve Separation Fire."

"Retrieve Separation Fire—"

Su Youqian let out a shriek, dragging the last word into a long wail.

"Do you even know what Separation Fire is?"

"Isn't it the flame from the Li Fire River?"

Liu Chengfeng had no idea what Separation Fire really was, but he was still confident he could get it.

"Brother, it's not that simple. To put it nicely, Separation Fire is the flame in the Li Fire River. To put it bluntly, it's the remnant flames of Divine General Lihuo."

"There's no way you can retrieve it."

Su Youqian gave a bitter smile and shook his head.

"You're finished. If you can't retrieve Separation Fire and return empty-handed, my aunt will have your head."

"No one can retrieve it?"

"Not to scare you, but no one has ever managed it since Qiuchi Kingdom was founded. This is the remnant flame of Divine General Lihuo. Though it has never stopped flowing, no one can obtain it."

Su Youqian explained the situation to Liu Chengfeng.

The so-called Separation Fire came from the past, when Divine General Lihuo used his Lihuo Divine Flame to draw down heavenly lightning and condense earthly fire.

In the end, the Spirit Vein Dojo was built, and a small amount of Lihuo Divine Flame remained underground, flowing ceaselessly—even into the Li Fire River.

But no one in Qiuchi Kingdom had ever seen Separation Fire, nor had anyone managed to separate it from the magma or the fire spirit energy.

Empress of Qiuchi had asked Liu Chengfeng to retrieve Separation Fire. It was an impossible task.

"Now that the Ancestral Hall has been activated, Separation Fire has appeared. The Grandmaster Mansion's people will definitely try to get it too. Separation Fire would greatly benefit the Grand Marshal's White Tiger Six Divisions Technique and White Tiger Heart Method. He won't pass up this chance."

"Looks like retrieving Separation Fire won't be easy."

No matter how difficult it was, Liu Chengfeng had to retrieve it.

"Difficult doesn't begin to cover it. Even if you really do manage to get Separation Fire, the Grandmaster Mansion may not let you leave."

"Whatever. I'll get it first, then worry about the rest."

There wasn't much time. Liu Chengfeng headed toward the Grandmaster Mansion.

"You're really going through with it?"

Su Youqian hurried after him.

"What else? Got a better idea?"

Su Youqian grimaced. He didn't have a better idea either. If he had, he wouldn't have gone to plead with his aunt.

"Senior, I'd like to retrieve a little Separation Fire. Could you lend me a hand?"

As they hurried toward the Grandmaster Mansion, Liu Chengfeng asked the Stone Lion for help.

"Hmph. You want to drink in spirit energy."

In Liu Chengfeng's mind, the Stone Lion named its price.

"Fine. Once this is over, I'll draw spirit energy for you, Senior."

Liu Chengfeng agreed at once.

"Bullshit. You're not royalty, so your word means nothing. If I could force spirit energy out, why would I need you?"

The Stone Lion was bound by a restriction and couldn't forcibly absorb spirit energy. Otherwise, it would have done so long ago.

"I can help you."

The Ancient Tree spoke shyly. The Stone Lion fell silent, ignoring Liu Chengfeng.

Liu Chengfeng was delighted. He quickly thanked the Ancient Tree and headed for the Grandmaster Mansion.

As Liu Chengfeng made his way to the Grandmaster Mansion, Empress of Qiuchi also kept her promise.

With Empress of Qiuchi's permission, Lady Chen moved against the Young Sect Leader of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect.

"This is Qiuchi Kingdom's territory. How dare the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect run wild here?"

At Cloud Rising Sect, Lady Chen rose into the sky. With a sweep of her sleeve, howling winds surged like a roaring dragon and rushed toward Ma Xian, the Young Sect Leader of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect.

"Old Matriarch, I'm acting under the Divine Dynasty's decree to seize a criminal."

Standing atop the Golden Gourd, Ma Xian was startled. He swung his blade, sending a thousand-meter blade-light sweeping out and leveling a mountain peak.

Ma Xian was a young prodigy. Even Ye Yitian, a genius in his own right, paled in comparison.

But compared with Lady Chen, he still fell far short. After only a few exchanges, he was driven onto the defensive.

"Get down!"

Lady Chen's sleeves billowed, their blades rolling like a mighty river, and knocked Ma Xian out of the sky.

Ma Xian was no match for her. He turned and fled, but Lady Chen didn't pursue him, staying behind to guard Cloud Rising Sect.

The fierce battle had been heart-stopping. The might of the Great Dao pressed down on Cloud Rising Sect until it could barely breathe. Ma Xian's defeat and retreat let everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

When Liu Chengfeng and Su Youqian arrived at the Grandmaster Mansion, they didn't charge in right away. They stood on high ground outside and surveyed it from afar.

From a distance, they could see that a formation had been set up over the Li Fire River.

There were three bridges over the river. Ye Yitian and Ye Yiqing each occupied one, while Cheng Nan stood on the middle bridge.

Formations had been laid beneath their feet. They drew magma from the Li Fire River, then separated it through the formations.

The separated magma flowed toward Cheng Nan, who controlled the flames and sifted through it carefully.

A Crystal Ancient Urn sat before Cheng Nan, no larger than a human head. A formation was laid inside it.

The urn was meant to hold Separation Fire.

Yet despite their painstaking work separating the magma, Ye Yitian and the others still hadn't found any Separation Fire.

The Grandmaster Mansion's experts all knew that the magma flowing out of the Ancestral Hall must contain remnant Separation Fire.

But separating it from such an enormous amount of magma was harder than sifting gold dust from a sea of sand.

"Cheng Nan really is Qiuchi Kingdom's finest alchemist. His Fire Controlling and Flame Separating Technique is superb."

From afar, Liu Chengfeng watched Ye Yitian and the others at work.

Ye Yitian and his sister did the rough sorting, then Cheng Nan sifted through it with care. There was no doubt Cheng Nan's fire-control technique surpassed theirs.

When it came to controlling fire and separating flames, no cultivator could match an alchemist or a swordsmith.

They were the true masters of fire.

Even Ye Ziyang had entrusted Cheng Nan with the vital task of extracting Separation Fire.

While Ye Yitian and the others worked, the Grandmaster Mansion's experts guarded every side to prevent interference. The Dragon Ascending Holy Sect's Pan Nuolin was also nearby, watching the show.

Liu Chengfeng opened his Sky Eye and looked at the Li Fire River. Through the Sky Eye, he could see the Separation Fire that others couldn't.

There really was Separation Fire in the river's magma. It was as fine as a strand of hair, fused with the magma, and impossible to separate.

"How are we supposed to get it now? Forget separating Separation Fire—we can't even get past the Grandmaster Mansion's guards."

Looking at the scene before him, Su Youqian was at a loss.

"I'm going in."

Liu Chengfeng charged straight into the Grandmaster Mansion. Instantly, the air turned murderous. The Grandmaster Mansion's experts drew their swords and blades, fixing their eyes on him.

At the slightest command from the city lord, the Grandmaster Mansion's experts would have pounced on him.

"Let's all make peace and fortune, peace and fortune. We're here under His Majesty's orders too."

Su Youqian hurried in behind Liu Chengfeng.

His words kept the Grandmaster Mansion's experts from acting rashly.

"What are you here for?"

Ye Yitian stopped what he was doing and stared coldly at Liu Chengfeng.

"To retrieve Separation Fire."

Liu Chengfeng said it aloud, but his eyes were fixed on Pan Nuolin.

"To retrieve Separation Fire? You? Only someone with a peerless fire-control technique could extract it. Can you do it?"

Cheng Nan sneered and stopped working too, a cruel look in his eyes.

"You can do it? If you could, you wouldn't need me to open the Thunder Fire Divine Tablet."

"You—"

Cheng Nan's face darkened with anger. Bringing it up was like reopening an old wound.

"Separation Fire isn't yours to retrieve. Leave at once."

Ye Yiqing felt uneasy. In her heart, she actually thought Liu Chengfeng might be able to retrieve Separation Fire.

Liu Chengfeng ignored Ye Yiqing and fixed his gaze on Pan Nuolin.

"You're here to seize me?"

Pan Nuolin had only been watching the show. Seeing Liu Chengfeng turn his attention to him, he burst into laughter.

"The road to heaven was open, but you refused to take it. The gates of hell were shut, yet you forced your way in."

"I came as a guest, but you insist on courting death. Fine. I'll take you down first, then apologize to Senior Ye."

"Today, I'll kill you first, then retrieve Separation Fire."

Liu Chengfeng shouted, the Thunder Sound Staff in his hand.

The Dragon Ascending Holy Sect had used Cloud Rising Sect to threaten him. Now he would kill one of their disciples.

"Big words. I'll cut off your hands and feet, then take you to the Divine Dynasty for a living sacrifice."

Pan Nuolin shouted. He shot forward like an arrow, his sword flashing like lightning. The blade split into four, slashing at Liu Chengfeng's hands and feet.

Pan Nuolin was at the first Jieyin stage and cultivated the Lightning Chasing Heart Method. When he used it, lightning wrapped around him.

The Light Chasing Sword flashed out, chasing the light like lightning at tremendous speed.

Both Pan Nuolin's heart method and technique were low-grade Sage Scrolls.

His speed reached twenty thousand li a day, and his strength reached two hundred thousand jin.

His swift, fierce sword slashed straight for Liu Chengfeng's limbs. By the time it roared, it had already reached Liu Chengfeng.

What a fast sword, what a fierce sword!

"Break!"

Liu Chengfeng let out a long howl. Five strikes of Earth Splitting, his blood energy erupting as his heart method surged, came one after another in a seamless sequence.

The five strikes merged as one, exploding with five times the force. As they crashed down, the air burst apart, and the Thunder Sound Staff howled like thunder.

Staff struck sword. Each strike caught up with the one before it, booming as sparks flew.

Liu Chengfeng pushed his speed and strength to the limit. Each strike stacked madly on the last, bringing his strength level with Pan Nuolin's, while his speed was no less impressive.

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than twenty blows. Pan Nuolin's sword flashed like a streak of light, his sword strikes ferocious, yet Liu Chengfeng's staff swept over him.

The Grandmaster Mansion's experts watched, dumbfounded. A Treasure Mountain expert facing a Jieyin expert should have been crushed.

Yet Liu Chengfeng and Pan Nuolin were evenly matched. It was outrageous.

Liu Chengfeng's disadvantage was his weapon. The Thunder Sound Staff was good, but it was far inferior to the Light Chasing Sword, forged from Vein Gold.

After more than twenty exchanges, the Thunder Sound Staff was battered with dents. If they kept fighting, it would surely break.

"Die!"

Liu Chengfeng let out a long howl. The Golden Dragon Heart Method surged to its limit, and a Dragon Scale manifestation shielded him as his sword body blazed.

As he howled, he opened his mouth and spat out Sword Qi, its radiance flaring. The Thunder Sound Staff in his hand came crashing down in a frenzy, unleashing Mountain Staff, River Staff, and Thunder Staff in a torrent.

Pan Nuolin was shocked. His sword split into a hundred blades, forming layer upon layer of sword screens. Origin Mud appeared, shielding his entire body.

The Flying Rosy Cloud Gold Sword Technique and Nine Water Sword Pellet shot out at once, piercing through the sword screens. When the sword's momentum finally ran out, the Thunder Staff was already crashing down in a relentless torrent, pounding Pan Nuolin.

Even with Origin Mud protecting him, Pan Nuolin was still sent flying by the Thunder Sound Staff, vomiting blood.

"I'm going to kill you!"

Liu Chengfeng chased after him in a few strides and let out another long howl. The Nine Water Sword Pellets flew again, their silver swords thirsting for blood.

"Don't you dare!"

Ye Yiqing, who was closest, shouted and rushed to save him.

Ye Yiqing's sword blossomed like a peacock spreading its tail. Flames surged like a firebird ascending into the sky. Her sweeping fan of swords blocked the silver swords and shattered them to the ground.

The Nine Water Silver Swords were special. Even when shattered and scattered, they would return to Liu Chengfeng's body.

Though both were at the first Jieyin stage, Ye Yiqing was far stronger than Pan Nuolin.

The Ye Clan's Fierce Beast Heart Method was a mid-grade Sage Scroll, while the Four Fierce Beasts Technique was a high-grade Sage Scroll.

Even though the Peacock Sword in Ye Yiqing's hand had only been forged from low-grade Vein Gold, it still let her suppress Pan Nuolin.

Ye Yiqing had devoted herself to the Fierce Bird aspect of the Four Fierce Beasts Technique. Her fire essence was so potent that one sword strike was enough to shatter the silver swords.

"Again!"

Liu Chengfeng howled. The Blood Sea churned, divine blood roared, blood energy surged without end, and spirit energy rushed forth ceaselessly.

His body was a Treasure Mountain, his aura a Mad Dragon. His sword body blazed, and Sword Qi erupted.

The two Innate Heart Methods of the Blood Sea and Treasure Mountain surged to their limits, making Liu Chengfeng's blood energy and body erupt with power.

His blood energy raged, his strength soared, and his body surged with power as his sword body shone.

As he opened his mouth and howled, the air split again and again. Cold flashes filled the air as one silver sword after another shot out in an endless torrent, hurtling toward Ye Yiqing.

"Break!"

Ye Yiqing was startled and cried out. Her sword blossomed like a peacock spreading its tail, one strike following another, each as heavy as a mountain as flames roared.

Ye Yiqing had already formed a Sword Mountain. When the flames erupted, they were like a volcano exploding.

She meant to use this Sword Mountain to hold back the endless torrent of silver swords Liu Chengfeng was sending her way.