Red Flame Crystal

Li Xiaoyu's heart stirred slightly.

He could sense an incredibly pure, explosive power of fire-element Spiritual Energy within the crystal.

More importantly, the instant he saw it, the Immortal-Slaying Gourd at his waist sent him a faint yet unmistakable yearning!

It wanted to eat this thing!

Li Xiaoyu understood at once.

To him, the growth of the Immortal-Slaying Gourd itself mattered more than any external magical treasure.

The gourd was the foundation of his survival!

So, beneath everyone's astonished gaze, Li Xiaoyu reached past the dazzling Six Harmonies Mirror and pointed directly at the unremarkable-looking Red Flame Crystal.

"This disciple chooses this item."

His voice was clear and firm.

The entire hall erupted in an uproar.

"What? He chose that Red Flame Crystal?"

"Has he gone mad? He's turning down the Six Harmonies Mirror for a piece of crafting material?"

"The Red Flame Crystal may be precious, but how could it compare to the Six Harmonies Mirror? What on earth is he thinking?"

No one could understand Li Xiaoyu's choice.

Even Daoist Daoxuan was taken aback, surprise showing on his face.

"Xiaoyu, have you thought this through?"

He couldn't help asking, "The Six Harmonies Mirror is a treasure of our sect. It serves both offense and defense and has countless wondrous uses."

"If you choose it, you'll have the upper hand when you face an enemy in the future."

Li Xiaoyu bowed respectfully to Daoist Daoxuan and answered without servility or arrogance:

"Reporting to you, Sect Leader, this disciple has made up his mind."

"This disciple has recently been studying a special fire-element defensive technique and needs a pure, yang-aligned fire-element spiritual object as its catalyst." "To this disciple, this item is more important than any magical treasure."

He had already prepared his excuse.

The reason was somewhat far-fetched, but it was plausible enough.

Daoist Daoxuan looked at him deeply. A strange glint passed through those eyes that seemed able to see into people's hearts.

He asked no more.

Too many questions would only make him seem petty.

"Very well."

Daoist Daoxuan nodded, a smile of approval on his face.

"Since you've made up your mind, I shall grant your choice."

With a wave of his hand, the disciple in charge solemnly placed the brocade box containing the Red Flame Crystal into Li Xiaoyu's hands.

Li Xiaoyu accepted the box, delighted.

Below the stage, countless disciples watched, still bewildered and regretful.

They thought Li Xiaoyu had traded a watermelon for a sesame seed.

Meanwhile, Qi Hao, who had come in second, was revived in an unattended corner by Dragon Head Peak disciples using medicinal pills.

He slowly came to. The first thing he heard was that, because Li Xiaoyu had passed up the Six Harmonies Mirror, he had luckily received the treasure instead.

"Pfft!"

He felt a sweetness in his throat, spat out another mouthful of blood, and fainted again.

To him, this wasn't an honor, but a tremendous mockery and humiliation!

The awards ceremony ended, and only then did the Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament truly draw to a close.

That night, at Morning Sun Peak.

In Li Xiaoyu's quiet room.

He shut the door, set up a ward, and impatiently opened the brocade box.

The moment the Red Flame Crystal appeared, the temperature in the entire room rose sharply.

He could clearly feel the Immortal-Slaying Gourd at his waist trembling violently, sending out a delighted thought.

"Little one, you must be starving, huh?"

Li Xiaoyu smiled, picked up the Red Flame Crystal, and activated a spell, guiding the fire-element Spiritual Energy within it.

He didn't feed the crystal directly to the gourd. Instead, he carefully drew its immense energy into the gourd, thread by thread.

Humm!

Golden light blazed from the Immortal-Slaying Gourd. A tiny vortex formed at its mouth, greedily devouring the pure fire-element Spiritual Energy.

As the energy continued to pour in, Li Xiaoyu could clearly feel the chaotic space inside the gourd undergoing wondrous changes.

The golden cloud of Geng Metal Qi seemed to grow more solid.

The purple cloud formed from Thunder Power also grew more active.

Even more astonishingly, after absorbing the fire-element Spiritual Energy, a third cloud began to form in the chaotic space—a scarlet cloud of flames, brimming with searing, explosive energy!

Metal, thunder, fire!

Three utterly different sources of power had reached a wondrous balance within the gourd's inner space.

The ancient patterns on the gourd's surface seemed to have grown smoother and more profound as well.

"So that's how it is."

Li Xiaoyu had a vague realization.

This gourd seemed capable of more than merely devouring Spiritual Energy. It could devour the source of power in all things, then evolve it within itself!

Its potential was far greater than he had imagined!

Li Xiaoyu was filled with boundless anticipation.

After the Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament, Li Xiaoyu politely declined all the celebratory banquets and visitors, returning to his reclusive routine.

Each day, aside from meditating to stabilize his newly attained sixth level of the Jade Purity Realm, he studied the Red Flame Crystal and continually used its pure fire-element Spiritual Energy to nourish the Immortal-Slaying Gourd.

He could feel that as the gourd continued to grow, the Spiritual Energy within him was becoming purer and more abundant.

The feeling of steadily increasing strength intoxicated him.

One day, while Li Xiaoyu was practicing sword forms in the courtyard, Shang Zhengliang suddenly came to see him.

"Xiaoyu, come with me to Heaven-Reaching Peak."

Shang Zhengliang looked rather solemn.

Li Xiaoyu's heart stirred. He sheathed his sword and followed his master as they flew toward the main hall of Heaven-Reaching Peak.

He knew something important must have happened.

When they arrived at the solemn Jade Purity Hall, they found Sect Leader Daoist Daoxuan and the Chief Seats of the other six peaks already gathered there.

The atmosphere in the hall was rather tense.

Following his master, Li Xiaoyu respectfully saluted Daoist Daoxuan and the other Chief Seats above.

Daoist Daoxuan looked at him with a warm, approving gaze.

"Junior Nephew Li, there's no need for formalities."

He gestured for Li Xiaoyu to rise, then slowly began, "I summoned you here today because I have an important task to entrust to you."

He paused, his expression turning serious.

"Recently, a spy our sect planted within the Demon Sect sent us a secret report. It says that the Blood Refining Hall, one of the Four Major Demonic Sects, has been unusually active around Kongsang Mountain on the East Sea Coast. It appears to be plotting something."

"Kongsang Mountain has long been a border between the righteous and demonic factions. Beneath it lies the Ancient Bat Cave, once the Blood Refining Hall's main headquarters. The place is exceptionally dangerous."

"To discover the Demon Sect's true intentions, and to temper the hearts of our disciples, I have discussed the matter with the other Chief Seats. We have decided to send the four disciples who performed best in this year's Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament down the mountain together to investigate at Kongsang Mountain."

Daoist Daoxuan's gaze swept across everyone present.

"Li Xiaoyu of Morning Sun Peak."

"Lu Xueqi of Small Bamboo Peak."

"Qi Hao of Dragon Head Peak."

"And Zhang Xiaofan of Big Bamboo Peak."

Daoist Daoxuan slowly recited the four names.