Fire Marrow Yang Fish, an Expandable Opportunity

Just as expected...

Seeing that the method worked, Lei Jun raised the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo as if he were holding a fishing rod and stepped backward bit by bit.

It was as though an invisible fishing line connected them.

The "swimming fish" thrashed about, still trying to struggle free.

Seeing this, Lei Jun produced the Vermillion Point Brush again.

He did not use the Vermillion Point Brush to draw talismans now; he merely waved it through the air.

It was as if a second invisible fishing line hooked the "swimming fish."

When Lei Jun pulled again, the "swimming fish" finally, unwillingly, was dragged out of the sea of fire.

As the golden light reached him, Lei Jun put away the Vermillion Point Brush and activated a Spirit Gathering Talisman, preparing to store the golden light.

Unexpectedly, his palm suddenly grew hot.

Lei Jun hurriedly flung his hand. The Spirit Gathering Talisman flew out and burned to ash in midair.

The fish-like golden light seized the chance to flee back into the sea of fire.

Lei Jun swung the short rod in his hand and struck.

The golden light immediately slowed, as though it had been stuck to the short rod.

Only then did Lei Jun get the chance to examine this golden light carefully.

The golden light itself was neither a real fish nor a true living creature.

It was a stream of light brimming with spirituality, as though it possessed life and thoughts of its own.

As the stream of light stuck to the short rod, it gradually turned from incorporeal to solid, forming something like an illusory spirit jade.

The jade was translucent, crimson as fire. At its center seemed to flow jade marrow, flashing with golden radiance.

As a whole, it somewhat resembled one half of a Taiji Yin Yang Fish, radiating scorching, pure yang qi.

Fire Marrow Yang Fish.

A realization suddenly arose in Lei Jun's mind.

This was the Fourth Grade Opportunity mentioned by the Supreme Good Fortune Sign.

Looking at the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo holding the Fire Marrow Yang Fish fast, Lei Jun thought, An opportunity alone isn't enough. Only when I can firmly grasp it does it become mine.

For this, he had to thank his master, Yuan Mobai.

The reason he had successfully "fished up" this Fire Marrow Yang Fish today was likely connected to some foundation Yuan Mobai had laid when he opened up the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven.

Both the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo and the Vermillion Point Brush had come from Yuan Mobai.

Relying on these two treasures' innate affinity with the Fire Marrow Yang Fish, Lei Jun had successfully obtained this spirit item.

Of course, if he had not chosen to come to the Yang Mountain Separate Residence this time and had instead remained at the mountain gate, there was no telling whether this Fourth Grade Opportunity would have waited for him.

"The problem now is storing it."

Lei Jun silently circulated his own Magic Power, continuously stimulating the spiritual power of the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo.

The surface of the originally dark and unremarkable Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo began to ripple with faint golden spiritual light. Unlike the fleeting flash when he had swung it earlier, the glow remained lit.

Influenced by the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo's spiritual power, the Fire Marrow Yang Fish transformed back into agile golden light. Yet it did not escape; instead, like a fish knocked into a creel, it was gradually enveloped and stored by the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo.

Lei Jun continuously poured in his own Magic Power to maintain this state and store the Fire Marrow Yang Fish.

While he was busy, Qu Yong, who lay unconscious nearby, slowly awoke.

"What happened just now? Right, it seemed someone ambushed me..."

Qu Yong had just awakened and his mind was still unclear when his scalp suddenly prickled and every hair on his body stood on end. That familiar sensation came again.

"Thud!"

Qu Yong was still trying desperately to open his eyes when a piercing pain exploded at the back of his head. Just like last time, he had been struck by another club!

"Who the hell is it?!"

Qu Yong lay facedown on the ground, darkness swimming before his eyes. Enduring the agonizing pain, he struggled to turn over.

"Thud!"

The back of his head took another blow.

"Urgh..." Qu Yong rolled his eyes and passed out again.

Behind him, Lei Jun lowered the Magic Ruler in his left hand and refocused his attention on the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo in his right.

After working at it for some time, Lei Jun successfully used the short-rod-shaped Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo to store the Fire Marrow Yang Fish.

The Fire Marrow Yang Fish itself could shift between substance and insubstance.

At present, it had transformed into a strand of yang qi essence and temporarily merged into the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo.

Whenever Lei Jun needed it, he could separate it out from the Supreme Purity Golden Bamboo again.

With the outside situation still unknown, Lei Jun was in no hurry to refine the Fire Marrow Yang Fish. He would make plans after the situation stabilized.

"I remember the treasure Chen Yi received from Eldest Senior Brother also came from the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven. It was called Fire Marrow Essence?"

Lei Jun raised an eyebrow. "Fire Marrow Essence, Fire Marrow Yang Fish..."

If Chen Yi had also come to the Yang Mountain Separate Residence and entered the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven, then with everyone "fishing" together, it would have been hard to say whose fishing gear and bait were better.

From that perspective, Chen Yi had originally stood a good chance at this Supreme Good Fortune Sign and Fourth Grade Opportunity as well.

But regarding the vortex of factional alignments within the Celestial Master Mansion, he had chosen to play both sides rather than stay out of it like Lei Jun. As a result, he had missed this opportunity in the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven.

It could not necessarily be said that Chen Yi had chosen wrongly. For one thing, every man had his own ambitions; for another, before Chen Yi stepped on a mine, playing both sides had earned him some benefits.

Still, through this incident, Lei Jun guessed that Chen Yi's unusual trait might lie in gathering information or making on-the-spot detections, rather than foreseeing information.

Unless Elder Yao confining him in "solitary" this time had also been part of his plan, with some other scheme in mind.

Lei Jun shook his head and reined in his wandering thoughts.

He put away the short rod, disposed of the Magic Ruler taken from the Yellow Heaven Path disciple, then picked up the twice-unconscious Qu Yong and headed for the Cave Heaven's entrance.

The Cave Heaven entrance remained blocked by surging earthfire, sealing off the inside from the outside.

Lei Jun was not in a hurry. He tossed Qu Yong aside, applied another Plague Talisman to himself, then silently practiced his breathing and cultivation.

After a while, Qu Yong finally slowly woke up again.

Before his mind had cleared, his body instinctively made a motion to cover his head.

"Senior Brother Qu?"

Hearing the voice, Qu Yong froze. Only after quite some time did he come back to himself and turn to look. Under the firelight, Lei Jun still appeared pale and weak.

"Lei... Junior Brother Lei?" Qu Yong sat up, clutching his head. He looked around, then immediately cried out in pain and hugged the back of his head.

Lei Jun said, "Senior Brother Qu, don't move yet. The back of your head is injured. I didn't bring suitable medicine powder with me, so I could only bandage it simply for you."

Qu Yong covered the back of his head. "Right... right, someone ambushed me and hit me on the head!"

Lei Jun's expression did not change. "When I arrived, Senior Brother Qu, you were already lying on the ground. Those two Yellow Heaven Path fiends were behind you. Fortunately, your life was not in danger."

"Two... right, it was those two who ambushed me together! Otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen for it. I had prepared a Golden Barrier Talisman in advance!"

Qu Yong touched the back of his head. Three swollen lumps had risen there outright!

The three marks were long and narrow, like three ridges.

This was simply outrageous!

Recalling that one of the two Yellow Heaven Path disciples had held a Magic Ruler, Qu Yong identified the direct culprit and was so furious that smoke seemed ready to pour from his seven orifices.

"Those two fiends were about to attack you as well, so I hurried to stop them."

Lei Jun continued from the side, "But I was no match for two opponents alone. Fortunately, I used the earthfire within the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven to kill them both."

Qu Yong breathed a sigh of relief, then looked around again. "I passed out. You carried me here?"

Lei Jun nodded. "The fire is weaker here, making it easier for me to look after you."

Qu Yong felt somewhat embarrassed. "Junior Brother Lei, it's all thanks to you. Otherwise, even if the fiends hadn't killed me, I would have burned to death."

Lei Jun said, "Senior Brother Qu, you're too polite. We are Fellow Disciples."

As the two spoke, the blaze within the Cave Heaven's Underground Palace gradually changed once more.

As the earthfire near the Cave Heaven entrance receded, others finally entered the Profound Yang Grotto-heaven from outside.

Lei Jun and Qu Yong looked over together. The newcomers were not Yellow Heaven Path enemies, but Fellow Disciples from the Celestial Master Mansion.

"Are you two all right?"

The leading man wore a Deep Red Taoist Robe. Stern and unsmiling, he was Li Xuan, the eldest son of Elder Ziyang and an Ordinance Disciple of the Celestial Master Mansion.