Meiqiu had just woken up from a nap, his head still groggy. He poked his way out of the spatial dimension and asked Nie Shiyun in a slurred voice where they were going for their next meal.
The two men were at a loss. Nie Shiyun said he would continue forward and told Zhai Bairong to enter the jade pendant to explain the situation to Meiqiu slowly. Zhai Bairong gave an affirmative sound, picked up the bewildered Meiqiu, and went inside.
Nie Shiyun did not dawdle. He summoned his flying sword, stepped onto it, and set off decisively.
He felt a bit of complicated emotion; Duan Mingyu’s luck was truly quite good. If it were anyone else, with such a death-seeking and careless way of doing things, they would have died ten thousand times over. If Qu Zhanmeng or that Deity Transformation ancestor above him were truly determined, and had cast aside their pride to take the field personally, there would be no "later events" to speak of. Yet Duan Mingyu always managed to "coincidentally" avoid a dead end. The fortune of this world was still quite biased toward him.
Nie Shiyun felt that with Duan Mingyu’s luck, he likely wouldn’t be captured by a group of ordinary disciples. In the original novel, the group of five had successfully counter-killed their pursuers and occupied a deserted island to establish their own new sect. However, now that only two remained, Nie Shiyun felt that even if the Heavenly Dao wanted to force the plot back on track, it was somewhat unrealistic.
While he was rushing, the frantically fleeing Rong Lü and Duan Mingyu were one step ahead of him, arriving at the coastal region.
At first, the two were quite cautious and did not disturb anyone. But later, their tracks were exposed, and they had several small skirmishes with the disciples of the Yingyue Sect. Although they ultimately escaped without any life-threatening danger, they were covered in numerous wounds, large and small.
Duan Mingyu felt extremely aggrieved. Originally, by the time the Yingyue Sect’s plan was exposed, he should have known the truth about his physique. Now, however, he was completely in the dark, not even understanding why he was being pursued so relentlessly. The more he thought about it, the more unwilling he felt.
Their supply of Disguise Pills was completely exhausted, and Rong Lü did not dare to rashly enter a town to buy more. Duan Mingyu couldn't help but mutter, "If only Senior Brother were still here," which caused a surge of irritation in Rong Lü’s heart. However, he said nothing, only leading the other man cautiously to their agreed-upon meeting point.
Xu Yehua stood on the shore, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the reefs, feeling restless.
He heard a somewhat uncertain call of "Yehua," and the familiar voice made him turn his head.
"It really is you! That’s wonderful, we’ve successfully met up!" Duan Mingyu said in pleasant surprise.
Rong Lü stood behind him, showing neither joy nor sorrow at Xu Yehua’s appearance. It had been two years since Xu Yehua and Duan Mingyu had parted ways in the secret realm. Although they had stayed in contact in between, this was the first time they were meeting face-to-face.
"What’s wrong? It’s been so long, don’t tell me you don't recognize me?" Duan Mingyu joked, giving a playful smile.
"How could that be? I could forget anyone, but I could never forget you." Xu Yehua curled his lips into a smile, masking the wavering in his expression. It was just that after learning the truth about Duan Mingyu’s physique from Chiyan Cliff, he could no longer look at the person before him with his previous mindset.
By coincidence, the ancestor at the top of Chiyan Cliff happened to have heard of that particular grotto-heaven in the Cold Heaven Secret Realm. That was something from thousands of years ago, and that ancestor had only heard about it from his own predecessors. The outcome of the struggle back then had long since vanished into the dust of time, but the fact that the grotto’s door could only be opened by that cultivator’s Dao companion—a woman with the Heavenly Yin Physique—was an acknowledged fact.
Duan Mingyu’s body chills, the abnormal behavior of the Yingyue Sect and Zhai Bairong, and that feeling of total physical comfort after every dual cultivation session with Duan Mingyu—all of it now had an explanation.
Xu Yehua glanced at Rong Lü and cautiously asked the two about the preceding events. He had thought that Duan Mingyu had escaped so shrewdly this time because he had learned the truth, and he had been prepared to act shocked. To his surprise, Rong Lü and Duan Mingyu knew absolutely nothing.
Xu Yehua had not reported Duan Mingyu’s escape to Chiyan Cliff. Instead, using the excuse that he was in a life-or-death seclusion to reach the Nascent Soul stage, he had slipped out alone.
Firstly, because Duan Mingyu had such a history with him, Xu Yehua felt some hesitation about whether to betray him. Secondly, if it really came to that point, Xu Yehua felt it would be best if he monopolized the credit himself. After successfully reaching the Nascent Soul stage, he would surely regain his position as the number one person at Chiyan Cliff and have a place among the elders from then on.
"I see," Xu Yehua narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on Duan Mingyu. "In that case, what should we do next? Speaking of which, if there’s anywhere that can withstand the Yingyue Sect’s offensive right now, it would be Chiyan Cliff."
Duan Mingyu felt there was truth in those words. Among the four great sects, the Pinyin Pavilion wouldn't care about the affairs of men like them. Lingfeng Mountain was always solitary and kept to itself. Perhaps Chiyan Cliff was a good place to go.
"No. These great sects might all be in league with each other. I don't feel at ease." Rong Lü’s expression was tense as he decisively refused on Duan Mingyu’s behalf.
"Ah..." Duan Mingyu thought for a moment and felt that seemed to be the case as well, nodding in agreement.
Xu Yehua smiled and gave a casual response, but secretly gritted his teeth. Seeing Rong Lü lower his head to ask Duan Mingyu which direction they should go next, appearing to trust his intuition completely, Xu Yehua couldn't help but feel some disdain. In the past, Duan Mingyu’s intuition was fairly accurate, but in recent years, it hadn't brought them any significant benefits at all.
Duan Mingyu pointed toward the boundless sea and said, "I’ve heard there are many deserted islands in the Eastern Sea. Because the climate is hot, the shrubs and forests are always lush. It should be much more convenient to hide there than on the mainland. Let’s just find a small island and hide."
Rong Lü nodded in agreement. Xu Yehua did not dare to rashly bring up the matter of returning to Chiyan Cliff again, fearing that Rong Lü would become suspicious. He figured he would find an opportunity later to lure Rong Lü away, after which he could easily coax Duan Mingyu to leave.
The three of them, each with their own thoughts, followed the direction Duan Mingyu pointed. They crossed the undulating sea and headed toward a cluster of unremarkable deserted islands several kilometers away.
On one of those deserted islands, it was not as uninhabited as everyone imagined.
"Truly persistent..."
Shen Yan let out a long breath and consumed two Spirit Recovery Pills.
Before him was none other than the legendary Vermilion Bird Strange Fire.
After leaving the Yunqing Pavilion, he had hidden from the pursuit of Zhaohun Valley all the way and successfully arrived at the southeast coastal region mentioned in the rumors. As soon as he entered this vicinity, he felt the surrounding heat was very abnormal. Subsequently, he searched the deserted islands one by one, and to his surprise, he actually stumbled upon the Strange Fire.
He had thought that since no one was competing for it, he would be the one to pick up this great bargain. However, Shen Yan had overlooked the most important point—this Strange Fire itself was extremely powerful.
At the Golden Core stage, he was circling it alone and had nearly been heavily injured by it several times. Moreover, this Strange Fire was different from the fire seeds usually sold on the market; it actually possessed sentience! Shen Yan estimated that it was similar to an adult demonic beast or a young child. If it was at a slight disadvantage, it would flee; once his own momentum weakened slightly, the opponent would seize the chance to counterattack. This tug-of-war had lasted for two or three days, and he was gradually becoming unable to hold on.
Shen Yan stared at the Strange Fire, and the Vermilion Bird Strange Fire also remained warily in place.
Perhaps with his current cultivation, his individual strength was still a bit lacking to take down this Strange Fire.
Having finally encountered such a great opportunity, only to have to give it up voluntarily, Shen Yan couldn't help but feel it was a great pity. But if he continued to stall like this, it might attract the cultivators from Zhaohun Valley who were chasing him. After thinking it over repeatedly, Shen Yan finally wanted to give up. In the end, he felt inevitably disappointed, regretting that he hadn't asked for Nie Shiyun’s communication crystal before, otherwise he could have sold the information to him.
Just as he wanted to retreat, he heard a commotion coming from the bushes far behind him, and even the sound of people talking. The standoff between Shen Yan and the Vermilion Bird Strange Fire was broken.
Having been under attack for several days, the Vermilion Bird Strange Fire was very sensitive. At this moment, as if provoked, it launched a violent attack. Shen Yan was distracted and was swallowed by the terrifyingly powerful firelight. The spirit of the spirit fox summoned from his soul banner also let out a miserable shriek, and for a moment, he was in a quite pathetic state.
"Ah, it’s my spirit fox...!"
Duan Mingyu shouted loudly from a distance.
The three of them had just randomly picked an island to land on to look for a cave to rest in, never expecting to sense the fluctuations of a fight between cultivators. Rong Lü had originally suggested leaving as soon as possible, but Duan Mingyu said he had a premonition that there was something good over there. Upon hearing this, Xu Yehua became energized and persuaded them that since there were three of them, they wouldn't be at a disadvantage, so they should go and check.
After approaching while suppressing their breath, as expected, all three were startled. They quickly identified that the ball of crimson flame was the legendary Strange Fire. Immediately, Xu Yehua felt the trip was worthwhile. He even felt a renewed sense of tenderness toward Duan Mingyu, thinking that if they could take this Strange Fire, he would consider helping Duan Mingyu escape.
Shen Yan was also in disguise, so the group did not recognize him immediately. However, Duan Mingyu recognized the appearance of that spirit fox. He instantly remembered the previous grudge and couldn't restrain himself from rushing out of the bushes.
Shen Yan turned his head and saw the three of them, secretly thinking things were bad. He no longer provoked Duan Mingyu as he had last time, but swallowed a pill and prepared to leave.
"Don't run! Give me back my spirit fox!" Duan Mingyu rushed forward, refusing to let go.
Shen Yan cursed under his breath, narrowed his eyes, and said angrily, "It’s already dead! You don't even understand soul-controlling techniques, how can you ask me to return it to you?"
"Then release it and let it rest in peace!"
Before Shen Yan could respond, the Vermilion Bird Strange Fire did not wait. It took this opportunity to spit out a stream of intense flames. Although it had sentience, it was not very smart; it only remembered that the person who had just attacked it was Shen Yan, so its offensive was entirely directed at him. Poor Shen Yan was caught in a pincer attack from both sides and could not escape for a moment, while his injuries grew several degrees heavier.
Xu Yehua and Rong Lü exchanged a glance, reaching a rare consensus. The fewer people who knew about the Strange Fire, the better. If they let Shen Yan go and he brought others back, someone might interfere when they were trying to subdue the fire. Additionally, since he had an old grudge with Duan Mingyu, the two of them had no psychological burden in taking action.
"You guys..." Shen Yan was forced by the various attacks until his throat felt a fishy sweetness, and a trace of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. He cursed inwardly, but he could only accept that his luck was truly too poor.
Pressed by the killing moves of Rong Lü and Xu Yehua in succession, with the Strange Fire also adding an occasional strike from the surroundings, he was forced to say to Duan Mingyu, "Fine! I’ll release your spirit fox to the heavens right now. Tell your two men to stop first."
"Really? Brother Rong Lü, Yehua, wait a moment..." Duan Mingyu only felt that his spirit fox’s life was too bitter to still be driven after death, and he pleaded with Rong Lü and Xu Yehua to stop first, moved by the sentiment.
Shen Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with difficulty, "I’ll release it, and you let me leave."
"Okay." Duan Mingyu nodded. At the same time, Xu Yehua finally slowed his movements impatiently.
Shen Yan sneered in his heart; he didn't think Xu Yehua would actually listen to Duan Mingyu. However, he had faced such dangerous situations alone before, so he did not panic. Instead, he slowly placed one of the soul-summoning banners on the ground, pretending he was about to activate it.
None of them knew how soul-summoning techniques worked in reverse to release a soul, so they watched Shen Yan warily.
Over the vast sea, Nie Shiyun and Zhai Bairong were flying side-by-side on their swords at high speed.
"Do you know which island it is?" Zhai Bairong asked.
"It’s a bit hard to say. Every island looks more or less the same..." Nie Shiyun was also in a bind. He felt he wasn't lacking in anything, but compared to those few in the original work, what he lacked most was perhaps that intuition at critical moments.
Zhai Bairong frowned. He and Nie Shiyun had seen several Yingyue Sect disciples along the way, but he hadn't gone to identify himself. Besides that, they had even bumped into some Zhaohun Valley disciples. After discussing it, the two figured that the people chasing Shen Yan had not given up yet.
The two were without a clue for a moment, circling at a low altitude, trying to select a target to go down and investigate.
"Could it be that people from other sects have already beaten us to it?" Nie Shiyun muttered.
Zhai Bairong felt some self-reproach in his heart. He very much wanted Nie Shiyun to get this Strange Fire, but previously Nie Shiyun hadn't taken it too seriously, dragging him along to enjoy the scenery. He himself had uncharacteristically craved pleasure and had been led to lose his sense of urgency.
Seeing Zhai Bairong’s disappointed expression, Nie Shiyun hurried to deny his previous guess. As long as the key characters were still alive and well, the heavens would never easily give the Strange Fire to some insignificant passerby.
"Eh..." Meiqiu suddenly poked his head out from the jade pendant space.
Nie Shiyun asked in confusion, "Why did you come out?"
Zhai Bairong saw Meiqiu sniffing his nose and looking around, and asked in surprise, "Could it be that you can smell the Strange Fire?"
"Smell... I do smell some scents," Meiqiu himself looked a bit confused. "But it doesn't seem to be that fire thing you guys mentioned. It’s a somewhat familiar scent, it should be human, and there’s the smell of blood..."
As he sniffed, his expression became somewhat uneasy.
Although Meiqiu was a bird and not a canine, Nie Shiyun certainly believed that an animal’s sense of smell was superior to that of humans. He couldn't think of whose scent Meiqiu would remember besides his and Zhai Bairong’s for the time being.
In any case, having a clue right now was better than searching blindly. Zhai Bairong did not hesitate either, telling Meiqiu to hurry and lead the way so they could go and check it out.
***
