Pengluo, Go!

With that, under Chu Menglan's stunned gaze, Li Guanqi stepped right out without a shred of protective shielding. Immediately afterward, surges of terrifying, overbearing flames erupted from inside him! Interlaced within the scorching blaze were arcs of deep-purple lightning, making him appear like a god of fire descended into the mortal world. The moment the flames within Li Guanqi emerged, the fire filling the surrounding space was suppressed instantly. As if bowing before an absolute sovereign, the churning flames instantly dulled and lost their luster. Moreover, as the crimson flames surged, they formed platforms of fire that willingly manifested beneath Li Guanqi's feet with every step. Chu Menglan's beautiful eyes widened in utter disbelief as she murmured, "A heavenly flame..." Stroking his beard with a smile, Qi Rongxuan followed closely behind Li Guanqi and chuckled softly. "And he possesses more than just this one." Hearing this, Chu Menglan gasped in shock. "What? More than one?" She stared with growing excitement at Li Guanqi's back. "If... if that's truly the case, this might actually work!" She flashed forward, appearing at Li Guanqi's side. Li Guanqi, however, stared with a grave expression toward the depths of the flames. Upon a massive slab of fire crystal lay a sleeping woman. She appeared to be around the same age as Li Guanqi, her exquisite features marred by tightly furrowed brows. Her eyes were shut tight, her long eyelashes quivering slightly as if she were enduring excruciating agony. She wore a thick robe, yet it could not conceal her striking, voluptuous figure. Fine beads of sweat dotted her straight nose; her lips were pale, dry, and chapped. Her dark hair was strewn messily across the fire crystal, with several damp strands plastered against her forehead, leaving her looking utterly frail. A flash of lightning flared beneath Li Guanqi's feet. In an instant, he appeared beside the woman, raising a hand to unleash a vast surge of fiery power that enveloped the entire fire crystal! Thunder roared and flames howled. The surging chill inside the woman shrank back drastically, like a mouse catching sight of a cat. Her furrowed brow eased slightly, and her rapid, ragged breathing steadied. Yet the hostile power within her still bided its time, relentlessly battering her dantian and spiritual terrace. Chu Menglan spoke in a heavy voice: "As you can see, this poison is supremely yin and frigid. It has penetrated deep into her marrow and soul—truly insidious to the extreme! Alas... ever since Qian'er was poisoned, I mobilized every connection I had, bringing in numerous mighty figures and alchemists. But not one of them could do a thing about this poison; none could purge it from her body." Hearing this, Li Guanqi's brow knitted slightly as he murmured under his breath, "Supremely yin and frigid?" *Boom!* The Purple Dragon Thunder Flame dispersed. And the moment the flames vanished, the cold poison within Su Qian erupted violently! The terrifying power nearly froze her body solid, coating her fair skin in a layer of frost within the blink of an eye. "Ah... ngh..." A pained whimper slipped past Su Qian's lips. Her fingers clawed agonizingly into the fire crystal beneath her; after just two scrapes, her fingernails peeled back entirely. She writhed in agony, her brow contorted, tears suddenly slipping from the corners of her eyes. Pangs of heartache flashed through Chu Menglan's eyes at the sight. She raised a hand, unleashing a torrent of fiery might. Li Guanqi stopped her with a raised hand, saying softly, "Let me." *Whoosh...* *Boom!* Immediately after, an overwhelming torrent of dark nether-flame surged forth! In an instant, the flames formed an enclosed barrier. The chilling aura of the nether realm made even Chu Menglan shiver. As Li Guanqi's realm advanced, the strength of his heavenly flames grew alongside it, to say nothing of the amplification granted by the Heavenly Flame Bead. Li Guanqi closed his eyes, his divine sense billowing forth from his spiritual terrace and sea of consciousness like towering ocean waves. Qi Rongxuan was inwardly astonished, gasping in a low voice, "What immense divine sense! This... this is already comparable to a mighty figure of the Void Refining Realm!" Chu Menglan's gaze narrowed. A divine sense this formidable was scarcely different from her own. Like a gentle stream, the divine sense enveloped the woman resting upon the fire crystal. From outside to inside, it carefully examined every detail of her condition. Soon, he perceived her dantian, occupied entirely by the cold poison. Practically frozen over in frost, the dantian lay dead and silent, devoid of even a ripple of primal energy. Presumably, in her struggle against the cold poison, she had exhausted every drop of her primal energy. His divine sense probed toward her spiritual terrace, where the situation was even less encouraging—an utter mess. No wonder Su Qian was half-conscious and unable to wake. Her sea of consciousness and spiritual terrace teetered on the verge of shattering. If he didn't act now, any chance of saving her would be lost forever. Li Guanqi took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I cannot claim absolute certainty, but suppressing this cold poison likely requires nothing less than the Yinming Profound Flame. From here on, I do not want anyone disturbing me." Chu Menglan hesitated, only for Li Guanqi's sharp reprimand to ring in her ears. "If we delay any longer, even if she survives, she won't be able to participate in the tournament." Light flashed as Qi Rongxuan raised his hand, producing three jade bottles brimming with spiritual energy. "Use these as you see fit. Little Chu, let's wait outside for now." In the end, Chu Menglan agreed with a nod. Before leaving, she turned to Li Guanqi and inclined her head slightly. "If you can save Qian'er, my Xuanfeng Palace will owe you a favor." Li Guanqi paid the offer no mind. He raised his hand, sealing off the entire space within the Yinming Profound Flame. Looking at the woman before him, Li Guanqi took a deep breath to calm his mind. *Boom!* Boundless pitch-black flames suddenly bored into the woman's body through her seven orifices. Her body arched abruptly, going stiff and taut. "Pengluo!!" A large white radish materialized on Li Guanqi's shoulder. Taking in the sight, its eyes went wide as it exclaimed, "So big!!" "Uh... Master, what are you doing?" Li Guanqi rolled his eyes at him. Under the guidance of his divine sense, the flames frantically refined away the cold poison inside the woman. The flames coursed through all her meridians, driving the cold poison toward her dantian. Li Guanqi spoke at rapid speed: "If I remember correctly, your spirit fluid can heal injuries, right?" Pengluo gave a violent shudder and clutched its body warily. "What do you want?" "Once I refine the cold poison out of her body, feed her some of your spirit fluid." "No! Not a chance!" "Will you give it or not?" "Well... it's not entirely out of the question..." "Unless you let me... *cough cough*, cop a feel." Noticing the gleam in Pengluo's eyes, the corners of Li Guanqi's mouth twitched. Li Guanqi shrugged. "Suit yourself. She's aware of everything happening right now. When she wakes up and beats you senseless, don't look to me for help." The moment the words left his mouth, Pengluo sprang up and stood atop Li Guanqi's head, proclaiming with fiery passion: "With such a golden opportunity right before my eyes... I'll take the beating later!" Li Guanqi sighed. He had no idea how a spirit creature could be so lecherous. Focusing all his concentration, he began refining the cold poison in Su Qian's body. Soon, the cold poison within her was rapidly refined away, and the tension between her brows relaxed considerably. After who knew how long, Li Guanqi barked in a low voice, "Pengluo, go!!" Swallowing a mouthful of drool, Pengluo leaped forward, landing squarely between the woman's twin peaks—only to bounce right back up. Pengluo's eyes rolled back, drool dribbling from the corner of its mouth, a thoroughly wretched, lecherous grin on its face... *Bam!* Li Guanqi sent it flying with a kick, cursing in exasperation, "I told you to get in there so you'd give up some spirit fluid! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Pengluo scrambled out of the flames covered in soot, jogging over with a fawning expression. "Oh, oh, oh! So that's what you meant... Coming, coming!" With a sharp *snap*, it broke off its own arm and shoved it straight into Su Qian's mouth. The jade-white arm dissolved into a stream of milky-white spirit fluid, flowing into the woman's mouth. Light flickered at the stump of Pengluo's severed arm, and within the blink of an eye, a new arm sprouted in its place, though its aura grew noticeably weaker.