Evil Fire, Yue Yao's Sacrifice

"I'm so hot..."

Li Yuan gritted his teeth, his voice hoarse.

That wicked fire was rampaging through his body, scorching his meridians and devouring his reason.

He could feel that this power came from the World-Destroying Black Dragon—Black King Nidhogg. It was, by nature, a convergence of destruction, evil, and creation.

The moment his martial soul fusion succeeded, that trace of "evil" had taken root as well.

"Hurry and call Mu Sheng!" Yue Yao turned to leave.

"Wait." Long Yuan stepped forward and raised a hand to press Li Yuan's wrist. His soul power probed inside, and his expression darkened.

"Long Yuan, what exactly is wrong with the Lord?" Yue Yao asked.

Long Yuan released his hand, gravity in his eyes. "The black dragon martial soul the Lord fused with contains the ultimate power of evil. That power has merged with the Lord's flesh and blood, and now it's backlashing... This is wicked fire attacking the heart.

"If it isn't guided out at once, at best his meridians will be utterly destroyed. At worst, his mind will be swallowed by wicked thoughts, and he'll become a walking corpse."

Di Jun's gaze sank.

Yue Yao stood where she was, silent for two breaths, then suddenly said, "How does it need to be guided?"

Long Yuan glanced at her. He did not say it outright, but his eyes had already explained everything.

Di Jun turned to look at Yue Yao, weighing his words. "Yue Yao... the Lord's life is at stake. We are all consecrators, and our duty is to protect the Lord's safety. You..."

Before he could finish, Yue Yao had already raised her hand and cut him off.

Her expression was very calm. There was no struggle or hesitation in her eyes.

"I understand."

Yue Yao tilted her head slightly and looked at Di Jun and Long Yuan. "From the day I offered my loyalty, I was prepared to give everything at any time. To share the Lord's worries is my honor."

Di Jun was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Long Yuan patted Di Jun on the shoulder. The two of them said not another word, turned, and strode away.

Their footsteps gradually receded.

The courtyard gate was pulled shut with a soft sound.

Yue Yao turned around and looked at Li Yuan, who was on the ground gritting his teeth in endurance, his whole body burning hot. She slowly stepped forward, the hem of her dress brushing over the wild grass. Her voice was cool and clear as a spring, yet carried a trace of softness too subtle to notice.

"My Lord... forgive my offense."

As her words fell, her immortal dress slipped down, and she slowly bent over, kissing his lips.

Deep within the courtyard, the black clouds gradually dispersed.

The sky above Soto City returned to clarity, as if nothing had ever happened.

Two hours later.

The storm of passion had ceased.

Li Yuan opened his eyes in a daze.

He had had a dream.

In the dream, he had been hungry for several days, and suddenly someone handed him two white flour buns. They were big and soft and fragrant, so delicious that he could not help but cry.

Then he woke up.

Above him were unfamiliar wooden beams. A thin quilt covered his body, and a faint, delicate fragrance drifted in the air.

He propped himself up, his head still a little heavy, and looked down.

His clothes had been changed. His body felt fresh and clean, though his limbs were somewhat sore and weak.

The door was pushed open.

Yue Yao walked in carrying a basin of water. Her steps were half a beat slower than usual, and the sway of her slender waist seemed slightly unpracticed.

On that cool, breathtakingly beautiful face, a blush that had not fully faded showed through her fair, tender skin. A few loose strands of hair at her temples clung to her cheeks.

"My Lord, you're awake?"

Her voice was as clear and moist as ever, only the end of it was faintly unsteady.

Li Yuan looked around, then looked at himself and frowned. "Why am I here? Just now..."

He clearly remembered that he had been in the courtyard awakening his martial soul, innately full soul power at level twenty, and had been feeling delighted. Then a wicked fire had suddenly surged out inside him, burning until his mind went hazy.

After that, everything was blank.

Yue Yao set the basin on the table, her back to him. Her tone was calm, as if she were describing some trivial matter. "My Lord fused with the World-Destroying Black Dragon, and the wicked fire in your body backlashed. You were on the verge of losing control. This subordinate took it upon herself to use her own body as a furnace vessel and guided that wicked energy out for you."

Li Yuan froze completely.

He stared at Yue Yao's back and was silent for a long while.

"...In other words, just now, to save me, you..."

Yue Yao turned around, lowered her eyes slightly, her expression composed.

"My lord, there is no need to take it to heart. Since I have accepted you as my master, this life and this body both belong to you. To be able to share your burdens and resolve your troubles is my honor."

Li Yuan looked at the seriousness in her eyes. His mouth opened, but all at once he did not know what to say.

After a few seconds of silence, he took a deep breath and suppressed his emotions. His tone returned to its usual steadiness. "Since it's already come to this, there's nothing more to say. Go call Di Jun and Long Yuan in."

"Yes."

Yue Yao turned and went out, her steps still a little unsteady.

A moment later, Di Jun and Long Yuan pushed the door open and entered. Their gazes swept over Li Yuan's face, and seeing that his expression was normal and his spirits seemed fine, they visibly let out a breath of relief.

"My lord."

Li Yuan sat cross-legged on the bed, his gaze landing on the two of them. "Let me ask you this. In this state, will it flare up again in the future? If that evil fire suddenly acts up in the middle of a fight, won't I just drop dead on the spot?"

Di Jun glanced at Long Yuan.

Long Yuan stepped forward, his expression serious. "Your concern is entirely justified, my lord. The World-Destroying Black Dragon is a creation-level martial soul, and the evil power contained within it is far beyond ordinary soul power. Right now, your soul power is only at rank twenty. Trying to suppress that power on your own is almost impossible. If you encounter a similar situation again..."

He paused, his tone growing heavier. "Not only might it flare up again, but the next outburst will only be fiercer. If it cannot be resolved in time, you may be completely devoured by evil thoughts. When that happens, my lord, losing all reason and becoming a monster that knows only slaughter is not impossible."

Li Yuan's brows tightened.

So this thing was a ticking time bomb?

"Then how do I suppress it? You must have a way."

Long Yuan glanced at Di Jun. Only after Di Jun gave a slight nod did Long Yuan speak. "There is indeed a method. That evil fire is of an extreme yang nature. If a woman with ultimate ice attributes could dual cultivate with you, my lord, using the power of ice and cold to suppress the yang fire, it could be stabilized for the long term. Once your soul power increases to the point where you can refine that power yourself, there will be no more future worries."

Ice attribute?

Ultimate ice attribute?

Li Yuan leaned against the headboard, his fingers lightly tapping his knee as he ran through the information about Douluo Continent in his mind.

Women with ultimate ice attributes... there were only a few he could count.

Shui Bing'er from Tianshui Academy, with the Ice Phoenix beast martial soul, a top-tier existence among ice-type martial souls. And she was within the Heaven Dou Empire, close enough to reach easily.

There were also two in the Far North. Snow Empress and Ice Empress, true ultimate ice, absurdly powerful.

But one of those two was a seven-hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form, and the other was a four-hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form. They were also far away in the Far North Ice Plains. The distance aside, winning them over was not something that could be done overnight.

"Shui Bing'er," Li Yuan decided directly. "She's close. Let's get through what's in front of us first."

Then he added, "As for the two in the Far North, once things here are settled, we'll find time to make a trip."

Di Jun and Long Yuan exchanged a glance, but neither said much.

Since their lord already had a plan, they only needed to carry it out.

"All right." Li Yuan threw off the covers and got out of bed, then stretched his limbs. "Remember everything that happened today. Now..."

"We're going to Tianshui Academy."