Mercury Takes Flight

Whoosh!

As soon as the flames rushed in, the temperature in the hall immediately rose, sending waves of heat through the room!

"What happened?"

The Confucian scholars gathered here, though their Literary Thought had greatly improved, were ultimately lacking in character. They were like children wielding a hammer; even if they could injure people, they would still panic when attacked.

As everyone panicked, the flames had already taken over a corner of the hall, spinning and forming a vortex of fire!

The vortex emanated a chaotic and disordered atmosphere, like a gentle breeze that swept across the entire hall in an instant. But the breeze did not carry a refreshing coolness; instead, it contained faint wails and pain, as well as a strong sense of resentment!

As the wind swept through the crowd, the scholars' Literary Thought, which had been flowing freely, were suddenly disturbed by the external influence, becoming chaotic. A look of bewilderment appeared on their faces, and some even had their eyes rolled back, unable to distinguish east from west, feeling as if they were trapped in a cage, and their hearts filled with anxiety.

At that moment, a voice suddenly resounded from the depths of their consciousness.

"Keep your heart calm, let your thoughts burn like fire; let the fire extinguish the water! Calm down completely!"

The voice originated from Sun Yong, but he did not speak. Instead, he transmitted the words directly to everyone's hearts through a mental connection. These words were like a clear spring, dispelling their restlessness and freeing them from their confusion.

However, the vortex of flames occupying a corner of the hall rapidly expanded in a short period of time, and the chaotic thoughts it emitted became increasingly disordered. Although many Confucian scholars were no longer dazed, they could still feel the temperature changes and see the ever-expanding flames! They were filled with unease.

"Young Master, please extinguish that flame, inside..." Zhou Meng, who was standing at the back, stepped forward and said in a low voice.

Sun Yong's expression was solemn. "I naturally know that, but accumulating strength takes time. You and Huang Xun go first and suppress it!"

Noticing Sun Yong's expression, Zhou Meng had a slightly ominous feeling. However, he dared not say anything. After respectfully bowing, he and Huang Xun transformed into two streaks of light and flew away like bolts of lightning, each releasing their Literary Thought and will to suppress the flames.

The moment they came into contact with the flames, a strange tremor rose within them.

"This is..." Huang Xun's thoughts transmitted over.

Zhou Meng sighed and recalled, "These are the flames formed after the souls of the people who were sent out were consumed by their burning thoughts."

The thought transmitted by Huang Xun trembled slightly, "The burning was so thorough, and several people were burning their thoughts at the same time, it couldn't have been their intention. So..."

"These matters are not for us to comment on. After all, you and I are merely retainers. Let us simply follow orders!"

As Zhou Meng's thought descended, the two souls spun in mid-air, their will expanding. They suppressed the flame vortex, restraining its spread and even showing a tendency to suppress it!

In the distance, Sun Yong gazed at the flames, his heart churning with turmoil!

"After those chess pieces ignited my thoughts, I withdrew my consciousness, leaving one chess piece behind for surveillance. However, due to misjudging the power of the flames, that person was also affected and burned. So I don't know what happened after that. I wanted to send someone else, but before I could give the order, how come the Thoughtfire have now spread here? This place is still quite a distance from where Qiu Yan is, could it be..."

His expression shifted between light and dark.

"However, since the vortex of flames has appeared here, Qiu Yan is very likely hiding behind it. But since he is a soul, he dares not approach the Thought Fire. So he must be using a diversionary tactic! Once the Thoughtfire are extinguished, he may make his move immediately!"

Thinking of this, Sun Yong felt he had considered all the possible scenarios. Then he looked around, his gaze sweeping across the various parts of the hall.

The edges of the spacious hall are shaped like the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), with eight gates.

"Which Daoist Sect will he come out from?"

Zhan Fang and the others were controlled by Sun Yong, who forcibly burned their thoughts. This flame was deadly to all consciousness, so Sun Yong decisively withdrew his own consciousness.

Unexpectedly, after the flames exploded, one of the people hiding underground, who had received his order, was also accidentally burned by the flames, his soul exploded, and his mind fell into chaos, thus causing Sun Yong to lose control of the situation.

However, from the moment Zhan Fang and the others attacked Qiu Yan until now, only a few breaths had passed, yet Sun Yong never expected that the vortex of flames would actually arrive at the door and surge into the hall!

"It seems your plan has flaws after all. You thought it was foolproof, but it was nothing but wishful thinking..."

At this moment, the aged voice came again; it was the Elder Beiming who spoke.

"You sent people out to attack Young Qiu Yan, didn't you? There are six people in this cave who have cultivated Literary Heart, two of whom are your subordinates. Those Confucian scholars you control are no less talented than me in terms of their Literary Thought prowess. The disparity in strength is obvious. The only two who can truly pose a threat to you are my young master and Young Master Qiu!"

At this moment, the black aura surrounding the old man had thinned considerably, and his spirit seemed even stronger than before the sneak attack. His voice was full of vigor. "The Sun Household must have made some arrangements in this Book Mountain many years ago. Otherwise, with your abilities, you wouldn't even be able to find this place, let alone get in, let alone control the hall!"

As he spoke, the black aura around him diminished, and his overall aura gradually increased. "You've already figured out the young master's temperament. You used the Cloud-Mist Starry Sky technique to distract him, and then calmly laid out your plans. Unfortunately, Young Master Qiu's arrival has disrupted your plans."

He paused, and just then, a vortex of flames rose up in the distance behind them, bursting forth with light and heat that transformed into waves of heat that swept over them, causing their clothes to flutter. Only then did Bei Ming say, "The men you sent out should have perished in the Sea of Fire by now, right?"

"Oh? You old codger, why are you suddenly so talkative?" Sun Yong narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. Beneath his feet, on the polished floor, water seemed to flow, swirling and gathering around his feet.

Across from him, Bei Ming strode past Tang Qing: "I haven't said a word, but these old eyes have been scanning the surroundings. Sun Household, if your Sun Household hadn't taken the initiative, with your abilities, you wouldn't have been able to achieve this."

"That's true," Sun Yong said, not angered by the disdain in the other's words. Instead, he nodded and said sincerely, "I, Sun Yong, am of mediocre talent, neither good at literature nor martial arts. The reason I am standing here today is precisely because of the power of my Lineage, so..."

A ruthless glint suddenly flashed in his eyes. He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "For the Sun Household, I will do anything, and I will do it willingly!"

Boom!

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground beneath his feet suddenly cracked, softening like mercury and rapidly rising up from Sun Yong's legs!

Before long, it filled his entire body!

Instantly, Sun Yong's soul solidified, revealing a metallic luster!

"You actually allowed the Ore Mother to enter your body and invade your soul! Don't you know that it will be difficult to separate you in the future?" The Elder Beiming was shocked. Sun Yong's actions were obviously beyond his expectations. He didn't believe that Sun Yong, who came from the Sun-shi, would not know the consequences of doing so!

"Merging with the Ore Mother will cost me nearly half my lifespan, and even make it difficult for my soul to enter the underworld after death, but so what?" Sun Yong laughed. "A true man should be born into this world to wield power and influence. Rather than living a long and mediocre life, it's better to achieve one's goals in a spectacular way!"

As soon as Human Thoughts, the ground beneath his feet rippled like water, surging towards Elder Beiming.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the fluctuations grew larger and larger, and the area affected by them continued to expand. First, they formed waves, and by the time they reached the old man, they had grown to be as high as a wall!

Splash!

The giant wave split into four, encircling the old man!

With walls on all four sides, it's isolated from the outside world, and we're about to have to share a place!

But then, his Literary Thought flew out like a rope from between the four waves. But after flying only a few steps, the ground around him softened and streams of silver water rose up, perfectly round like mercury, revealing an atmosphere of sealing everything off!

The mercury was dense as a forest, while the spirit of Literary Thought moved nimbly through it!

Seeing this, Sun Yong laughed instead, "You old man, as expected of a servant, you really know how to advance and retreat, and you're quite adept at maneuvering! However, with such cowardice, I really don't know how you condensed that Literary Heart." As soon as he said this, it transformed into an aura, sinking into the ground beneath his feet. In an instant, the entire floor of the hall exuded an aura of superiority, suppressing the Literary Thought soul shadow and gaining the upper hand!

That Literary Thought figure, the very embodiment of the Elder Beiming, heard Sun Yong's words and felt the pressure from all around. He replied, "Being cautious and prudent is not a sign of inferiority. Life is a long journey, and from commoners to nobles, from lowly servants to high-ranking officials, everyone walks on thin ice. Even you, who seems devoted to your family, have dared to take such drastic measures, even bringing the Ore Mother into your life. It seems you also face competition within the Sun Household, and everything you've done is to increase your bargaining power!"

This Duan Yi combined with Literary Thought's, greatly boosting Bei Ming's momentum! The Literary Thought's soul suddenly accelerated, breaking free from the interception of several streams of mercury and rushing towards Sun Yong!

"That's right, but do you really think I'm fighting you just to take you down?" Facing the approaching Literary Thought Sihun shadow, Sun Yong sneered, then sank into the ground and disappeared without a trace!

At the same time, Tang Qing, who was already in a state of State of Mind turmoil, suddenly screamed, and silver waves surged around her, engulfing her!

"As expected, it's a diversionary tactic. However, I was never able to save Miss Biao anyway. The only thing I can do is protect myself. If I also fall, and the young master is ambushed by him, I would be beyond redemption..."

Before the Elder Beiming could finish his thought, two tearing sounds suddenly came from afar!

Immediately afterwards, Zhou Meng and Huang Xun's souls flew out, tumbling in the air and screaming in agony!

Then, the vortex of flames exploded with a loud "boom," sparks flew everywhere, and a figure with abundant Yang Qi appeared from it, flying out swiftly, surrounded by thick resentment!

ps: Thank you to "Topsy-turvy111" for your monthly vote!