"My conditions are simple—or rather, there's really only one," Lin Feng said slowly. "First, I'll devour your Golden Crow True Fire and refine it, then return the purified essence to you. This process won't damage your source flame. In fact, it'll help your true fire advance even further."
He paused and met Wu Ming's gaze. "In return, I'll establish a sect centered around fire-attribute Soul Masters in the future. When the time comes, I'll need you to serve as an elder in the Enshrinement Hall."
"A sect?" Wu Ming raised an eyebrow and considered it briefly before nodding decisively. "As long as it isn't evil or demonic, and doesn't go against my principles, I can agree."
"You can rest assured, senior sister," Lin Feng said firmly. "The sect I establish will stand proudly in the light of day. We'll never do anything underhanded or vile."
"Good. That's for the best." Wu Ming seemed satisfied with his answer, and her expression softened.
"Then, before we begin, I'll need a little of your blood as a catalyst." As he spoke, Lin Feng took out a small transparent crystal bottle and handed it to her.
Wu Ming didn't hesitate for a moment. She took the bottle, gathered Soul Power at her fingertip, and made a clean cut across her palm.
Bright red blood immediately welled up, flecked with faint golden specks. Before long, it had filled the small bottle.
She handed it back without changing expression.
"Let's begin here."
Lin Feng put away the bottle and stepped forward. Ice flame silently spread beneath his feet, swiftly solidifying into a broad, sturdy path of ice that extended straight across the distant surface of Sea God Lake.
At the same time, a vast aura far beyond that of an ordinary Soul Ancestor rose from Lin Feng.
One yellow, one purple, followed by two rings of such deep black they seemed like ink...
A Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, with the terrifying configuration of two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings!
"You're only twelve or thirteen, yet you're already a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor—and you have two Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings?!"
Wu Ming had seen many prodigies in the Inner Court, but even she couldn't help covering her mouth with a gasp. Her beautiful eyes brimmed with shock.
Then she suddenly realized. "I remember now... Your name. You're the new personal disciple Dean Yan just took in!"
Wu Ming had only vaguely heard the rumors before and hadn't paid them much attention. But now, seeing this terrifying Soul Ring Configuration with her own eyes and recalling the extraordinary abilities Lin Feng had revealed, she finally understood.
This seemingly handsome and gentle young man was hiding strength and secrets that far exceeded anything she'd first imagined...
"Senior sister may have a noble air and a poor memory, but that's no big deal."
"I'll remember now."
After that, neither of them bothered with more pleasantries. Before long, they were both out over the distant waters of Sea God Lake.
The surrounding waters lay deep and still. As always, the vast moisture and pure natural energy saturated the air here. It was also secluded enough to make an ideal spot for the dangerous and important experiment ahead.
With a thought, the pale, bone-chilling Mystic Ice Spirit Flame surged from Lin Feng's palm and silently seeped into the dark waters below.
"Crack, crackle..."
The faint sound of freezing, enough to set one's teeth on edge, came from beneath the lake's surface.
In a short while, Lin Feng had forcibly carved out a spacious ice cavern several meters beneath the lake.
The ice walls gleamed with a faint blue light. Its smooth entrance led down into a quiet, blue space.
Wu Ming peered into the deep entrance, then turned to Lin Feng and shot him a sidelong glance with her golden eyes. The corners of her lips curled into a teasing smile. "You went to all this trouble to build an ice house, junior... Don't tell me you're planning to hide a beauty away in it? Or is this just to save on hotel costs?"
"How could this humble, chilly den hide a bright and beautiful beauty like you, senior sister? As for money, I'm not short of it. It's just that with the ice and fire both here, it'll be harder for our cultivation to go awry." Lin Feng replied with a mischievous grin.
"Haha." Wu Ming laughed and stepped closer, leaning near Lin Feng's ear as she breathed teasingly, "Who knows? After all... I'm getting more and more pleased with you, junior."
Lin Feng kept smiling, but he'd figured it out in his heart.
Looks like the "Saint" in this "Golden Crow Saintess" was more likely the "leftover" in "leftover woman."
Her bold, straightforward manner did have... a charm all its own.
The two of them descended into the ice cavern.
The space was even more spacious than expected. A soft blue glow radiated from the ice walls, filtering the light from the lakebed into a hazy hue.
Without any preamble, Wu Ming released her Martial Soul with a thought.
A standard Six-Ring Soul Emperor configuration—two yellow, two purple, and two black—appeared around her.
Immediately afterward, a pair of dazzling golden wings unfurled behind her. The blazing Golden Crow True Fire flowed like molten gold, instantly wreathing her entire body.
The scorching heat swept through the cavern, and the simple clothes she wore turned to ash under the terrifying flames.
Lin Feng's breath caught.
Was she really going this far? This senior sister was even more uninhibited than he'd expected.
His gaze fixed on her, and he swallowed instinctively.
Wu Ming's long golden hair fell loose around her shoulders, setting off her lovely face, bright yet spirited.
Beneath her slender neck lay a breathtakingly graceful figure, her skin illuminated by the interplay of her own golden flames and the icy blue glow of the walls. She seemed like a golden work of art, meticulously sculpted with every proportion brought to perfection—so dazzling it was hard to look at, yet impossible to look away from.
"Junior, didn't you get enough of a look on the shore?" Wu Ming seemed quite pleased with his reaction. Far from getting angry, she laughed softly, her voice carrying an unmistakable note of urging and flirtation. "Come on over and devour my true fire. I can't wait to see what kind of surprise you'll give me."
"Senior sister, then... forgive me." Lin Feng steadied himself and put aside his wandering thoughts. He took a few steps toward her until only a single step remained between them, close enough to feel the very different temperatures coming off their bodies.
He focused his mind and silently circulated the Burning Technique, trying to draw out the pure, overbearing Golden Crow True Fire enveloping her.
"You're being so polite and proper. That's not really to my taste, junior." Seeing him act so cautiously, even awkwardly, Wu Ming suddenly gave him a mischievous grin.
Wu Ming reached out on her own and grabbed Lin Feng's uncertain wrist. Then, without giving him a chance to object, she wrapped his arm around her slender waist.
The instant their skin touched, Lin Feng felt an astonishingly smooth, springy warmth in his palm...
"That's more like it." Feeling his hand stiffen and his temperature shoot up, Wu Ming lowered her head and breathed by his ear, her breath as fragrant as an orchid. Her voice held the sly satisfaction of someone who'd gotten her way. "Relax. Your senior sister isn't going to eat you... At least, I'm not in a hurry to eat you just yet."
She slowly lowered herself... In the ice cavern, the frigid and scorching auras began to clash and mingle.
Time slipped by in silence.
One hour, two hours...
"Haa—"
Lin Feng let out a long breath of scorching air and lay sprawled across the ice, drenched in sweat.
Wu Ming had already changed into a fresh, neat outfit. Her golden hair was tied back again, and she looked radiant and refreshed.
She looked down at Lin Feng, who was lying on the ground, and the corners of her lips lifted into a wicked smile.
"Not bad, junior." Her voice was light, her satisfaction unmistakable. "After those few rounds, my Soul Power has increased by two levels, and even my source flame has grown purer. Your method really is amazing."
"I'm glad you benefited, senior sister." Lin Feng replied weakly. This was probably the most passive special cultivation experience he'd ever had.
His own gains were just as astonishing. He had successfully devoured and condensed the source of the Golden Crow True Fire, and his Fire Lotus Martial Soul had successfully gained its fifth Soul Ring. He had officially entered the Soul King realm, with his Soul Power reaching level fifty-three...
Before you continue