Fire Spirit Race, Qi Miaoxuan

Yu Shijiu looked at the Poison Bead in Yu Shier's hand and asked doubtfully, "Why don't you go in and find the clan leader yourself?"

Yu Shier said, "That Long Life Being, I can sense it, and it can sense me. If I enter the He Xu now, it would be like paving the way for them.

Yu Shijiu, you don't need to doubt my identity. I am Yu Shier. I not only know that the He Xu is currently in Dongsha Valley, but I also know that the Fire God is hidden in the volcano in Mirage Sand Valley outside the He Xu. I also know that one can enter the He Xu Ruins through a Space Crack.

If I had any ulterior motives, the Fire Spirit Race would have been gone long ago. Also, go back and tell the clan leader you saw me, and he will understand everything."

"The clan leader knows about your existence?" Yu Shijiu asked doubtfully.

Yu Shier said, "I find opportunities to meet the Guardians of the Fire Spirit Race throughout the generations. However, only the Guardians and the clan leader know. The reason you don't know is because you are too young, and they were worried you couldn't keep a secret, so they never told you."

Yu Shijiu looked at Yu Shier and was silent for a while. He slowly reached out, took the Poison Bead from Yu Shier's hand, and asked, "Are there any requirements to use this thing?"

Yu Shier said, "No, you just need to put it into the eye of the Void Array."

Yu Shijiu nodded slightly, put the Poison Bead into the pocket of his belt, and asked, "By the way, how did you recognize that my sword was passed down from Great Hero Gu?"

Yu Shier said, "I have interacted with Gu Mo and seen him fight many times. I am more familiar with his sword than you are."

"So that's how it is," Yu Shijiu asked again, "I still have a question. Although people of our Fire Spirit Race have long lifespans, most only live to be one hundred and thirty or forty years old, with the oldest reaching one hundred and eighty. How did you manage to live for nearly four hundred years?"

Yu Shier said, "Because I am no longer human. Your cultivation is not high enough. When you reach the Ascension Realm, you will know. If you want to live for a few more centuries, there are many ways. My physical body died long ago. What is alive now is just a Nascent Soul that has found a vessel!"

Yu Shijiu exclaimed in surprise, "Is the Ascension Realm real?"

Yu Shier said, "You are the current Guardian of the Fire Spirit Race. Your innate talent and potential are the same as mine back then. Moreover, your talent in cultivation far surpasses mine. My talent is in medicine, and even I could cultivate to the Ascension Realm. You naturally can too."

Yu Shijiu was silent for a while and said, "Alright, let it be. Let me leave. I'll go back to see the clan leader now."

Yu Shier waved his hand, and the domain formed by the black mist gradually dispersed.

Yu Shijiu mounted his horse, then suddenly thought of something. He quickly turned his head and asked, "Three years ago, Shatuo Temple in Shatuo City was burned down, and Pure Sky Dharma Master was killed. I've been investigating for three years with no clues. Was it you?"

Yu Shier readily admitted, "It was me. You did a very, very foolish thing. The first rule of a Guardian is to kill anyone who knows the secrets of the Fire Spirit Race immediately. But you made friends with them. You are truly foolish."

Yu Shijiu said angrily, "Pure Sky Dharma Master was different. He was always helping me. You shouldn't have killed him!"

Yu Shier said in a deep voice, "You are still being foolish. Don't gamble on humanity, Yu Shijiu. Your actions are gambling the entire Fire Spirit Race on one person's humanity. You are truly too selfish!"

Yu Shijiu clenched his fists tightly.

Yu Shier continued, "If you want to avenge your friend, I welcome it. Of course, the prerequisite is that you must be able to defeat me. You can't win in an argument, and you're not strong enough in a fight. Why are you still looking at me? Go do your work!"

Yu Shijiu didn't say anything more and quickly rode away on his horse.

Yu Shier watched Yu Shijiu's receding figure and let out a light laugh, "This foolish kid. Fire Spirit Race, oh Fire Spirit Race, it's truly a miracle that you've survived until now. I've truly put in a lot of effort for you!"

In the early morning, the red sun rose, crushing over the sand dunes and sword ridges. Ten thousand grains of sand, like locusts passing through, wove a silver net in the morning light.

Yu Shijiu rode his horse into a gorge named Dongsha Valley. He led his horse forward, walking over piles of loose stones, finally arriving beside a large boulder.

He formed a hand seal and began muttering incantations. A faint green glow emerged from his fingers, quickly surging towards the boulder. In an instant, the boulder actually began to ripple, as if it had turned into flowing water.

Yu Shijiu led his horse and rushed forward quickly, disappearing into it in a flash.

The moment he entered the boulder, the turbulent liquid surface on the boulder's exterior instantly returned to being hard stone.

The next moment, Yu Shijiu appeared in a spacious underground cave. He slowly walked out with his horse and was met by a vast ancient city. Two large characters, "Xū Xū," were emblazoned on the city gate.

The morning light forged the city's outline into gold and iron. The city walls, over thirty feet high, resembled a giant python lying on the ground. The weathered city bricks were layered with billions of sand grains. The weeds growing from the brick seams were coated with salt and frost, as if someone had carved cracks and sword marks onto the bricks over a hundred years.

The city gate was like a beast's gaping maw. The characters "Xū Xū" on the bluestone lintel were blurred by the wind and sand. The bronze-patinated plaque swayed in the wind, making a hoarse sound.

This city was filled with an eerie and dead atmosphere, so quiet that not even the sound of wind could be heard.

However, Yu Shijiu was accustomed to this. He rode his horse into the city and moved forward quickly. The city's streetscape, pavilions, sand piles, withered bones, etc., continuously receded. He circled around the city, back and forth, like a headless fly. But if a master skilled in formations were present, they would surely see that he was galloping in a unique pattern.

Until a certain moment, when Yu Shijiu rode his horse out of a long street, the scene before him suddenly changed. He actually appeared in a picturesque mountain village.

The village, with its green tiles and white walls, stood against the mountain. A babbling stream meandered along the bluestone slab road. Between the crisscrossing fields, farmers worked with hoes and laughed. Children chased butterflies across a stone arch bridge. An elder under the eaves fanned himself and wove bamboo baskets. A few yellow dogs napped under the shade of locust trees. Even the white geese in the stream paddled leisurely, stirring the sky and clouds into broken gold, a scene of peace and harmony.

Yu Shijiu held a relatively high status in the village. Along the way, whether it was elders or children, anyone who encountered Yu Shijiu would respectfully bow and call out, "Divine Envoy."

Soon, Yu Shijiu arrived outside a small courtyard in the village and called out, "Clan Leader, it's Shijiu, I need to see you about something!"

"Bang bang bang!" "Bang bang bang!"

Yu Shijiu knocked forcefully on the door.

Soon, an old man's voice came from inside, "I heard, I heard, don't break down my door!"

When the door opened, a vigorous and healthy old man walked out. His hair was mostly white, but his face had few wrinkles, making him look around sixty years old. In reality, this person was the current clan leader of the Fire Spirit Race, named Yu Tong. He was over a hundred and ten years old, but because the lifespan of the Fire Spirit Race members was generally very long, they aged very slowly.

Yu Tong opened the door and said, "Shijiu, why are you in such a hurry? Isn't it too early for you to be back? Why did you return ahead of schedule?"

Yu Shijiu pushed Yu Tong inside, then closed the door with a backhand, and asked in a low voice, "Clan Leader, do you know Yu Shier?"

Yu Tong was slightly stunned and said, "He came to see you?"

"You really know!" Yu Shijiu exclaimed in surprise.

Yu Tong pulled Yu Shijiu to sit down and said, "Since he came to see you, it means he has approved of you and thinks you have become a qualified Guardian."

"What exactly is going on?" Yu Shijiu asked doubtfully, "Isn't Yu Shier a traitor?"

Yu Tong shook his head and said, "He is not a traitor. He is a hero of our Fire Spirit Race. Back then, everyone thought Yu Shier stole the clan's most precious treasure and fled, causing our Fire Spirit Race to be without a Guardian for a long time.

It wasn't until later, until the Guardian Yu Shisan appeared, that he left the Xu Ruins and went to the outside world. He learned that Yu Shier had been protecting our Fire Spirit Race all along, but there was a powerful enemy, one who had even injured the Fire God, watching us covetously.

Fortunately, that person was also injured by the Fire God, and Yu Shier, by chance, absorbed the energy of the treasure, allowing him to barely contend with that enemy. For these hundreds of years, Yu Shier has been trying to find a way to deal with that enemy. He even went so far as to test poisons on himself, turning himself into a ghastly, half-human, half-ghost Poison Human."

Yu Shijiu's heart felt heavy. "It's actually true!"

Yu Tong continued, "Our Fire Spirit Race has had a difficult fate since its birth over a thousand years ago. We have been on the brink of extinction several times, and never has a period of peace lasted more than a hundred years.

It wasn't until four hundred years ago, by chance, that we entered these Xu Ruins and Yu Shier appeared, that our clan was able to have hundreds of years of peace. Because our Fire Spirit Race people have always lived in seclusion and are simple-minded, they are easily deceived. And there is only one Guardian for each generation, whose strength is limited, always leading to all sorts of mistakes, causing clan secrets to be exposed and crises to arise.

But for these past three hundred years, with Yu Shier protecting us from the outside, our Fire Spirit Race has been able to remain peaceful for so long."

Yu Shijiu fell silent for a moment, unsure of what to say.

He was furious about Yu Shier killing Pure Sky Dharma Master, but he also knew that Yu Shier had done it for the Fire Spirit Race. He didn't know what to do with this anger and hatred.

After a long while, Yu Shier took out a Poison Bead from his pocket and said, "Yu Shier gave this to me. He said that the Long Life Being who has been watching us covetously for hundreds of years has returned, this time with an army, intending to break through the Void Array.

Yu Shier asked you to place this Poison Bead into the core of the Void Array. Then, he will be able to form a domain, become invincible here, and repel that Long Life Being and his army, helping us overcome this calamity. He also said that he is only a little bit away from helping our Fire Spirit Race remove the curse, allowing us to live like ordinary people from now on."

Yu Tong looked at the Poison Bead and said, "It is acceptable to help Yu Shier repel the enemy, but as for removing the Fire God's Blessing, let's discuss that later!"

"Why?" Yu Shijiu asked in surprise. "Haven't we suffered enough from this curse? For over a thousand years, our clan has lived in hiding for over a thousand years. Although we are long-lived, it is not a good thing, but a torment. To always stay in this place where only our clan members reside, never to interact with outsiders, haven't you had enough of this?"

Yu Tong looked at Yu Shijiu and said, "This is just your idea!"

"No," Yu Shijiu said excitedly, "This is the idea of all of us!"

Yu Tong was silent for a moment and said, "But, this is not the Fire God's idea."

Yu Shijiu was slightly stunned. "What do you mean?"

Yu Tong led Yu Shijiu into the house. Then, he took a wooden box from a container and handed it to Yu Shijiu. "You can open it and take a look. Originally, I should have let you know the truth when you became the Guardian, but you were too young, so I didn't tell you. Since Yu Shier has approved of you, you should know now."

Yu Shijiu opened the wooden box with a face full of doubt. Inside, he saw a piece of jade. He reached out and gently touched it. Instantly, the jade emitted a luster, revealing characters that only members of the Fire Spirit Race could recognize. It was a contract.

A Master-Servant Contract between the Fire God and the Fire Spirit Race, stipulating that the Fire Spirit Race would be the Fire God's slaves for all generations, serving as the Fire God's food.

"What... what is going on?" Yu Shijiu asked. After reading the characters, Yu Shijiu couldn't believe it. "We... we are not the Fire God's believers, but... the Fire God's food? How... how is this possible? Don't we worship and believe in the Fire God? Isn't the Fire God our god? Why are we slaves, like livestock?"

Yu Tong shook his head slightly. "If the Fire God were our god, how could our Fire Spirit Race have faced repeated extinction crises?"

Yu Tong pondered for a moment. "Many years ago, the exact time cannot be ascertained. At that time, a Demonic Beast Fire Kirin appeared in the world. This Fire Kirin was the source of all suffering and disaster in the world.

The Fire Kirin always went out to eat people, and every time it appeared, it brought devastation, accompanied by endless mountain fires, and countless people died tragically. In this situation, our ancestors rallied many Masters to hunt down the Fire Kirin."

That battle was incredibly fierce, but in the end, we were defeated. Just when everyone thought they would die on the spot, the Fire Kirin, during the fight, discovered our ancestor's unique physique. Thus, it actually spoke human tongue and proposed a deal with our ancestor."

At this point, Yu Tong pointed to the jade stone and said, "The deal is this: the Fire God will use our ancestor's special physique to cultivate a Spirit Race. This is because the Spirit Race, both in body and soul, is purer than ordinary people outside.

The Fire God had grown tired of eating people and beasts from the outside world. Although it is a god and doesn't need to eat to replenish its strength, it has desires. Modified Spirit People are more palatable ingredients for the Fire God.

As long as our ancestor agreed to the terms, the Fire Kirin would not go out and harm the human world. Most of the reasons for its appearance in the world were to find delicious food. Once it had a steady supply of sacrifices from the Spirit Race, it could reduce its outings, even disappear entirely, and the disasters in the human world would be averted.

Afterward, to save all the people in the world and to save his companions, our ancestor agreed to the deal without hesitation and signed a contract with the Fire God.

From then on, the Spirit Race was born. We were born with the innate talent of being free from illness, disaster, and injury. Our blood contained pure spiritual energy, but this was only to make the Fire God's meal more delicious.

This is why, after our people die, they are thrown into the Divine Mountain. It's not a return to the embrace of the gods as the village claims; in reality, they are sent to be eaten by the Fire God. For over three hundred years, the Fire God has been sleeping and rarely left the mountain, so there was no need for living sacrifices. In the past, every time the Fire God woke up, it required living people for sacrifice."

After listening, Yu Shijiu asked in confusion, "Then, shouldn't we break the curse? Why are you still hesitating?"

Yu Tong explained, "Because once we break the contract, the Fire God will reappear in the world for its gluttony, and the world will once again be plunged into endless suffering. This goes against our ancestor's will."

Yu Shijiu said gravely, "But we should have the right to choose. Why are we destined from birth to become food for the so-called people of the world? Most importantly, no one is even grateful to us. Instead, our Fire Spirit Race has been persecuted time and time again by the very people we protect!"

Yu Tong sighed, "Yes, that's why I said 'later,' not 'oppose directly.' If it's truly possible, I will let the clansmen choose freely. Those who wish to break it can break it, and those who wish to stay can stay.

Furthermore, besides the greater good of the world, there is another reason: I don't believe Yu Shier can lift the Fire God's blessing. If the attempt fails and angers the Fire God, our Fire Spirit Race will face utter destruction. The Fire God can control the life and death of any Spirit Person with a single thought. It's not that no one in our Spirit Race has tried before, but they all failed."

Yu Shijiu asked, "But Yu Shier said he could lift it?"

"I can't be sure if Yu Shier can truly do it," Yu Tong said. "However, when Yu Shier became a Guardian back then, his innate talent was in medicine. Perhaps there's a chance."

Yu Shijiu waved his hand, "Forget it, let's not talk about this for now. Let's put this Poison Bead into the array core first!"

Yu Tong nodded slightly and led Yu Shijiu outside the village to a high mountain that pierced the clouds. Reaching the summit, they surveyed their surroundings and found they were precisely in the center of an ancient city.

Yu Tong said, "Look carefully. This He Xu City is a grand array, the Void Array. And Mirage Sand Valley, where our Fire Spirit Race lives, appears to be within the city, but in reality, we are outside. It's just that this Void Array exists between reality and illusion, between true and false, that allows us to be both hidden within the He Xu Ruins and exist in the outside world."

As he spoke, Yu Tong began to form hand seals. Streams of unique power emanated from his palms, lifting the Poison Bead and slowly floating towards the void. At a certain moment, an array phantom appeared in the void, enveloping the entire He Xu Ancient City.

The Poison Bead flew into the center of the array, emitting streams of black mist that surged and spread, eventually covering the entire array before gradually disappearing.

"Let's go, down the mountain!"

Yu Tong's face was slightly pale, and he was breathing heavily.

Yu Shijiu quickly went to support Yu Tong as they walked down the mountain, asking, "By the way, Clan Leader, do we have any way to awaken the Fire God? This matter was initiated by that Long Life Being who came to kill the Fire God. We should wake the Fire God to resist that Long Life Being together!"

Yu Tong shook his head. "Our clan has no way to contact the Fire God. And the Divine Mountain is underground. You know what the situation is like down there; it's impossible for anyone to get in."

Yu Shijiu's expression grew grave.

(He) Yu Tong patted (he) Yu Shijiu on the shoulder and said, "We are slaves of the Fire God. If it lives, we live. If it dies, we die. Protecting it is our mission. There's no need for complaints. The moment our ancestors chose to make a deal with the Fire God for the sake of all people, it was already predestined. Moreover, that deal was also a chance for our ancestors to survive. Without that deal, how would we exist today?"

Mobei, military camp.

A swirl of yellow sand rose in the distance, accompanied by hoofbeats. Several messenger soldiers galloped over quickly, holding urgent command tokens. Immediately, the soldiers in the camp parted ways, allowing the messengers to ride their horses directly to the central military tent.

"Reporting to General Ye, the target has been found!"

Ye Jinglan, Gu Mo, and Qi Miaoxuan, who were drinking tea in the camp, all looked up.

Immediately, Ye Jinglan quickly got up and walked out. Qi Miaoxuan, however, was lying on his chair and said, "It's been so long, they finally found it. If they hadn't found it soon, it would be almost New Year's!"

Gu Mo smiled slightly. He had been in Mobei for seven or eight days, and it was already the latter half of the twelfth lunar month. Indeed, New Year's was just a few days away. He had already planned that if they still hadn't found it by then, he would fly back to Linjiang on New Year's Eve to spend the holiday with his sister, and then return.

"But, do you celebrate New Year's too?" Gu Mo asked doubtfully.

Qi Miaoxuan rolled his eyes and said, "I'm not a pig being fattened for New Year's, why can't I celebrate it?" Then, Qi Miaoxuan suddenly asked, "Gu Mo, are you really not interested in the power of the Fire Kirin? I'm serious. If you want it, I can really help you. I promise not to interfere, and you can obtain the Kirin's power with peace of mind!"

Gu Mo waved his hand and said, "The more you say that, the less I dare to accept it."

Qi Miaoxuan was puzzled, "Then what are you after?"

"I've said it before, the Fire Kirin is a wanted criminal, and Ye Jinglan is my friend. It's that simple," Gu Mo said.

Qi Miaoxuan stopped talking, but his expression clearly showed, "Do you think I believe you?"

Gu Mo didn't offer further explanation.

After a while, Ye Jinglan came in and said, "We found a clue to the He Xu Ruins in Dongsha Valley. I've already given orders for the Diviners to set up the formation, and the army here is also preparing to depart. Once we arrive, we'll set up the formation immediately, and we'll definitely be able to bring out the He Xu Ruins."

Qi Miaoxuan immediately stood up and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Gu Mo suddenly spoke, "Actually, there's one thing I haven't figured out yet."

"What is it?" Ye Jinglan asked.

Gu Mo said, "According to what Old Qi said, the Dao Protector of the Fire Spirit Race is the Plague God, and he's been guarding the He Xu Ruins for so many years. With his abilities, wouldn't it be easy to stop this by releasing poison? If the army gets infected, they won't be able to find the He Xu Ruins anymore."

Qi Miaoxuan waved his hand and said, "Do you think my medical skill is for show? If it can release poison, I can cure it. Moreover, once it releases poison, I can sense its location. Without the assistance of the great formation in the He Xu Ruins, it's no match for me. Don't think that I've been avoiding it most of the time these years; it's not that I fear it, but that I have special reasons for not wanting to fight it to the death. Moreover, with the army here now, if it dares to make any moves outside, it's truly asking for death!"

Gu Mo chuckled, "I'm really curious, just how strong are you, you old guy?"

"Old Arms and Legs here, can't beat you young people!" Qi Miaoxuan said with a smile, waving his hand, and then strode out.

Afterward, Gu Mo and Ye Jinglan followed closely.

Ye Jinglan transmitted his voice, "What? Did you find anything strange about Old Qi?"

Gu Mo transmitted his voice, "I didn't notice anything wrong, he's very normal. But it's precisely because he's too normal that I find him abnormal. Can an Old Undying who has lived for hundreds or thousands of years still think like a normal person?"