Along a quiet pathway through the floral pavilion, two figures walked slowly, one behind the other.
Luo Chen’s gaze remained fixed on the charred footprints Old Monster Netherfire left behind with every step.
The footprints were unmistakable, yet after three paces, they would fade into nothingness as if nothing had ever happened.
Yet Luo Chen knew this was by no means an illusion.
'A mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, completely unable to suppress the true fire within him, letting it leak out unchecked?'
This bizarre thought surfaced in Luo Chen's mind.
As an expert of the Dao of Fire, he could naturally tell that those charred footprints were caused by the leakage of a true fire saturated with somber, deathly qi.
Considering the man's Daoist title—Netherfire—it was obvious that Old Monster Netherfire was also a master of fire arts who had refined some kind of sourceless fire into his source true fire.
The strange part was precisely this: how could a cultivator fail to control his own source true fire?
Unless...
"Huang Sanren, have you discerned anything?"
The old man's raspy voice reached his ears. Luo Chen kept his expression calm and nodded slightly.
The old monster's disheveled state was likely a deliberate display. Had Luo Chen failed to notice even that, he wouldn't have been invited alone to the rear palace.
Old Monster Netherfire gave a bitter chuckle. "Perhaps you think I did this on purpose, but the condition inside my body is actually hanging by a thread."
Luo Chen asked tentatively, "Could it be that the source true fire you refined has turned on its master, Stream Lord?"
"Yes."
A soft hum of acknowledgment, yet heavy with extraordinarily complex emotions.
Old Monster Netherfire let out a sigh and began recounting the past.
"That Mulan Gaoxiong may have had his path in the Dao severed forever, but he still used my severe injury and Shuangliu's demise as stepping stones to re-establish his fearsome reputation.
"The world merely thought Shuangliu and I were incompetent, but how could they know the truth behind it?"
Faced with Netherfire's sudden urge to reminisce, Luo Chen did not interrupt.
He knew of Shuangliu—she must have been the early-stage Nascent Soul Stream Lord whom Mulan Gaoxiong personally slew among his many battle feats.
Even so, in Luo Chen's eyes, Old Monster Netherfire still possessed an immense latent might despite his injuries; for Mulan Gaoxiong to have wounded him so gravely truly bordered on the unbelievable.
Sure enough, Old Monster Netherfire revealed the hidden cause from that year.
"With my strength, even if I could not guarantee absolute victory over Mulan Gaoxiong, holding the upper hand was never in doubt.
"When I learned that Shuangliu had fallen in battle, I personally took to the field, only for the true fire within me to run amok during our clash. I was not defeated by Mulan Gaoxiong—I was defeated by my own hand!
"Now, that strand of Netherfire roams through my entire body, scorching my viscera, burning my apertures, and coiling within my Purple Mansion, seeking to usurp my place!"
Luo Chen's eyelids twitched as he listened, a faint wave of lingering dread rising in his heart.
Indeed, this was virtually identical to his guess.
"Stream Lord, has your source true fire... attained sentience?"
Old Monster Netherfire smiled wryly. "You saw through it indeed. My Netherfire has indeed attained sentience and developed its own consciousness."
Luo Chen was puzzled. "Even if a true fire gains sentience, it should obey its master's will. How could it turn on you? Unless its spirituality..."
A glazed bottle appeared in Old Monster Netherfire's hand.
It was the very bottle containing the Soul Essence!
"In the past, the Soul Refining branch of the Yuan Demon Sect voluntarily handed over the method of refining Soul Essence to the unorthodox factions of the Northern Sea, but they never passed down the technique to utilize it.
"After the demon sect fell, every unorthodox cultivator among us spent their days pondering how to make use of such a wondrous substance.
"I do not know how others went about researching it, but I took a wrong turn back then, attempting to nurture my true fire's spirituality with massive amounts of Soul Essence. This caused the Netherfire I refined to undergo an explosive surge in intellect—to the point where even my own divine soul could no longer suppress it.
"That is why it mutinied on the battlefield and turned back to consume me!"
Upon receiving this answer, Luo Chen felt enlightened, though his expression conveyed that it had been well within his expectations.
Back then, he had nearly fallen into the same predicament himself.
After all, the greater a true fire's spirituality, the greater the benefits to oneself, whether in pill concoction, artifact crafting, or combat.
Yet in the end, Luo Chen had quelled that urge.
He had continuously suppressed the spirituality of the Wither-Bloom True Fire, waiting until he achieved the Nascent Soul stage before fully unlocking its intellectual growth.
If compared to human intelligence, the spirituality of the current Wither-Bloom True Fire had grown to roughly that of a seven- or eight-year-old child.
Yet its innate might was completely uncompromised.
He could hardly fathom just what level of intellect the Netherfire in Old Monster Netherfire's body had reached after absorbing massive amounts of Soul Essence, to dare turn on its master and even attempt to seize control of his vessel!
Still, what did any of this have to do with pulling him aside for a private chat?
The old monster could not possibly know that, with the aid of the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture, his Wither-Bloom True Fire possessed the ability to devour other sourceless fires.
As if sensing Luo Chen's confusion, Old Monster Netherfire came to a halt.
He turned to face Luo Chen, and an aura abruptly surged forth without warning.
A Nascent Soul domain!
Luo Chen's brows twitched, and he released his own Nascent Soul domain in response.
The two domains drew upon the worldly spiritual energy—both of the fire attribute—clashing tentatively in this small garden.
Overall, Luo Chen was at a disadvantage.
Yet in localized areas, his Senluo Fire Prison was steadily melting away the opposing domain.
Seeing this, Old Monster Netherfire let out a sigh of relief. "Indeed, my eyes did not deceive me. You possess absolute mastery over your source true fire, even reaching a degree of resonance that induces a qualitative transformation in your domain. One can only imagine that your true fire itself possesses an even greater melting potency."
The Nascent Soul domain was released and retracted in an instant.
Luo Chen also withdrew his domain, furrowing his brows. "Stream Lord, what is the meaning of this?"
"It is very simple. I need you to use that source true fire of yours—capable of melting all things—to help me destroy the Netherfire inside me! If this succeeds, this bottle of Soul Essence, condensed from tens of millions of souls, will be your reward!"
Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly. "Stream Lord, you must be joking. Two true fires clashing against each other, with the battlefield being your own body—are you not afraid..."
"They will not clash!"
Old Monster Netherfire shook his head. "When the time comes, I will exert all my strength to suppress the Netherfire's spirituality, allowing your true fire to annihilate it bit by bit. Even if minor damage occurs, it will be well within my tolerance."
Luo Chen parted his lips. Was it really feasible like that?
He had personally experienced the agony of two true fires clashing within one's body:
The Nine Refining Beacon Fire and the Nirvana Holy Fire!
Back then, however, the primary reason was that he lacked the ability to suppress either flame, resulting in the tragic collapse of his physical body.
If Old Monster Netherfire could truly suppress the Netherfire inside him and cooperate seamlessly, then Luo Chen did indeed have the capability to eradicate the Netherfire completely.
Yet that forced him to consider another matter.
Under those circumstances, Old Monster Netherfire would be practically defenseless, laying himself completely bare before Luo Chen.
Life and death, giving and taking, would all be at Luo Chen's whim!
Luo Chen asked hesitantly, "Before today, you and I were complete strangers. Does Stream Lord truly trust me this much?"
To this, Old Monster Netherfire smiled candidly.
"Of course not. I am no naive child with my guard down against strangers. It is not you I trust, but Fellow Daoist Fu."
At that very moment, the gates to the rear palace swung open slowly without any wind.
"After you!"
Luo Chen took a deep breath and stepped into the grand hall.
The moment he entered, a plump old man holding a yellowed bronze mirror came into view.
Upon seeing this person, Luo Chen could not help smiling.
The old man looked at Luo Chen and also offered a cheerful Daoist bow.
"Fu Chaosheng of the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance greets Fellow Daoist Luo Chen!"
He placed particular emphasis on the name "Luo Chen."
Luo Chen's heart gave a slight pause before he returned the greeting. "Loose cultivator Luo Chen greets Fellow Daoist Fu."
Once the two had greeted each other, Old Monster Netherfire spoke up: "Elder Fu is the mediator for this Righteous-Demonic Truce Conference, overseeing the reconciliation in the name of the Central Plains' Tianyuan Dao Sect. With the reputation of a sacred ground and the credibility of the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance, and with him as our guarantor, you need not worry that I will harm you while you heal me, nor do I have to fear you striking from the shadows. Unless, of course, either of us no longer wishes to walk this cultivation world.
"Huang Sanren, what do you say?"
Luo Chen glanced at Fu Chaosheng, who nodded with a beaming smile.
"In that case, this Sanren shall give it his best effort!"
"Good!"
Old Monster Netherfire waved his hand, and the glazed bottle flew into Fu Chaosheng's grasp.
The intent went without saying:
As long as the matter succeeded, Luo Chen could simply collect his reward from Fu Chaosheng.
With the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance's reputation for trading across all five continents, they certainly would not embezzle such an item.
Luo Chen inquired about the timing of the treatment.
Old Monster Netherfire appeared impatient—no day was better than today, so they would proceed immediately.
Luo Chen naturally had no objections; the sooner it was finished, the sooner he would receive the Soul Essence.
As for the gathering still underway in Guiyuan Palace, neither of them had any interest left in it.
Fu Chaosheng spoke only a few brief words before falling silent. However, his small, squinted eyes lingered on Luo Chen, swirling with evident curiosity and amusement.
...
Inside a quiet secret chamber.
The old man sat cross-legged, his mind elsewhere, resembling a walking corpse.
It was clear that his entire focus had merged into the Nascent Soul within his Purple Mansion, striving with all his might to suppress the Netherfire's consciousness.
Standing nearby, Luo Chen released the Wither-Bloom True Fire with a thought.
A cyan-gold flame tree spread its branches, slowly enveloping the old man.
"Is this the Netherfire?"
When one of the flame tree's branches drew out a wisp of deathly pale fire, Luo Chen examined it with great caution.
Deathly intent permeated the flame, within which countless undead spirits and resentful souls seemed to wail without end.
Luo Chen's expression turned solemn; he had never imagined anyone could elevate ordinary ghost fire to such a level.
Indeed, while "Netherfire" sounded exotic, it was actually far from rare in the cultivation world.
In essence, it was simply ghost fire formed from the souls and flesh of deceased creatures.
In terms of intrinsic grade, it was inferior even to man-made Qingyang Demonic Fire.
Yet Old Monster Netherfire had used his immense capability and boundless resources to forcefully elevate this fire to the fourth rank.
He had even poured in massive amounts of Soul Essence to bolster its spirituality!
By Luo Chen's assessment, this flame was not at all inferior to most fourth-rank sourceless fires he had seen in Blazing Purgatory; it simply had not yet taken physical form.
Unshaped, yet sentient—no wonder the Netherfire had turned against its master and sought to usurp his body.
Pulling up seedlings to help them grow never ended well.
Luo Chen shook his head and circulated the Wither-Bloom True Fire to completely melt and extinguish the wisp of Netherfire in his hand.
Just as he was about to proceed, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
'Why destroy it when I can devour it?'
With that thought, Luo Chen's heart stirred.
A Netherfire of such quality was exceedingly rare in the world; destroying it outright would be a terrible waste.
If he could devour it, it might allow his Wither-Bloom True Fire to take another step forward.
Moreover, doing so would inflict no damage on Old Monster Netherfire's body—the old man would even have to thank him.
Without hesitation, Luo Chen immediately circulated the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture. The nature of the Wither-Bloom True Fire shifted, sinking directly into Old Monster Netherfire's body to begin absorbing the scattered fragments of Netherfire spread throughout his flesh.
Time trickled by.
One day, two days...
The gathering in Guiyuan Palace concluded that very evening.
After noticing that Old Monster Netherfire and Huang Sanren had not returned for a long time, everyone understood what was happening.
Among them, Old Ghost Nanqi wore a dark expression, his anger completely unveiled.
Yet Molan Court was ultimately the territory of the Moluo Stream; with his status, he did not dare act brazenly, and could only depart in indignation.
Inside the rear palace of Guiyuan Palace, Fu Chaosheng wiped the bronze mirror in his hand. A lifelike, graceful silhouette was reflected upon its surface; seeing this, the smile at the corners of Fu Chaosheng's eyes grew even broader.
...
The ninth day of treatment arrived silently.
Old Monster Netherfire opened his eyes just as quietly.
Sensing the state of his body, he exhaled a long breath of turbid qi.
His face bore both a relieved smile and a twinge of wistful regret.
With his chronic affliction entirely purged, he only needed to rest and recuperate for a time before he could resume advancing along the Grand Dao.
Yet the Netherfire he had nurtured for centuries was gone without a trace, which left him with profound regret.
"I truly did not misjudge him. That Huang Sanren's attainments in the Dao of Fire are not inferior to mine in the slightest. In just nine days, he completely melted away all of my Netherfire.
"Still, where is he?"
Surprised, Old Monster Netherfire stepped out of the secret chamber.
Fu Chaosheng happened to be waiting outside.
"Let us not disturb him for now. Huang Sanren expended a great deal of energy to treat you and is currently resting at Wanliu Ravine."
"Is that so?" Old Monster Netherfire smiled. "It was indeed troublesome for him. I had intended to thank him in person, but there are urgent matters I must attend to. I shall trouble you to hand over the Soul Essence on my behalf, Fellow Daoist."
"It was a transaction to begin with; there is no need for such ceremony," Fu Chaosheng replied with a chuckle.
After the old monster hurried away, Fu Chaosheng ambled along the winding walkways of the palace complex, eventually arriving at a mountain ravine where countless slender waterfalls converged.
Cascades hung down like curtains of rain.
A Daoist in white robes sat there quietly with his hair unbound.
Surging vitality and somber deathly qi circulated ceaselessly across his form, while cyan-gold flames bristled and danced around him, warping the very void with their heat.
Witnessing this, Fu Chaosheng drew a sharp breath, his previous composure completely shattered.
"Borrowing fire to anchor the soul, spirit communing with heaven and earth!"
At that moment, the Daoist shuddered, drawing all the flames back into his body.
Fu Chaosheng asked in surprise, "Did I disturb you?"
Luo Chen stood up with a furrowed brow, a look of perplexity on his face.
"No, I merely felt that something was lacking."
Fu Chaosheng breathed a sigh of relief. "What a pity, then. I thought you were about to comprehend the true intent of laws."
"How could the power of laws be so easily comprehended? You hold me in too high regard, Fellow Daoist," Luo Chen said with a chuckle.
Fu Chaosheng shook his head. "The power of laws is indeed difficult to comprehend, but this Mountain Sea Realm is an exception. In this realm, spiritual energy is abundant and natural wonders overflow. Powerful desolate beasts can master the power of laws upon reaching maturity, and the comprehension of us humans is by no means inferior. What is more, you, Demonic Lord Qingyang, advanced from the fourth layer of Gold Core to the Nascent Soul stage in a mere century. With such terrifying talent, I would readily believe it if someone said you grasped the rudiments of laws in the early Nascent Soul stage."
With those words, the perplexity vanished from Luo Chen's face.
He turned toward the plump old man. "I believed my disguise was thorough enough. My appearance, my name, and even the aura of my Dharmic power are vastly different from a century ago. How did you recognize me, Elder?"
Fu Chaosheng laughed heartily, revealing the bronze mirror in his hand once more.
"Your disguise was indeed excellent; caught off guard, I certainly would not have recognized you. But that shapeshifted demon beast maidservant of yours—I remember her vividly!"
Upon the bronze mirror, Tianxuan's figure faintly flickered.
"What is this?"
"The True Spirit Mirror! My natal True Artifact, refined as an imitation of a spirit treasure. It can see through illusion and reality, and appraise treasures. Above all, once a demon beast's aura is recorded within it, they have nowhere to hide. This Righteous-Demonic Truce Conference is a paramount affair for the cultivators of the Northern Sea. To prevent shapeshifting Demon Emperors from infiltrating, I naturally keep it active at all times."
Luo Chen looked at the bronze mirror, realizing the truth.
He had already done his utmost to have Tianxuan conceal her whereabouts, fearing that Nascent Soul experts might discover her true form as a Battle Gull and bring unwanted trouble.
Whenever matters arose, he generally dispatched Sang Jinghe to handle them.
He hadn't anticipated that clues would still be exposed.
Still, this was not necessarily a bad thing. His purpose in attending the Truce Conference had included seeking out Fu Chaosheng in the first place.
He wanted to use Fu's connections with the Tianyuan Commerce Alliance to travel to the Central Plains, and from there return to the Eastern Desolation.
Furthermore, the fact that Fu Chaosheng knew the name Luo Chen without connecting it to the incidents back in the Eastern Desolation brought him considerable relief.
It seemed that the rumors regarding his collusion with the demon race had not blown up into an uproar after all.
That made sense; back then, he had merely entered the Gold Core realm. His reputation might have carried some weight in the Jade Cauldron Domain, but across the entire Eastern Desolation, it was negligible.
Moreover, that affair had been relatively confidential; for now, perhaps no outsiders knew of it.
Now that his identity was out in the open, Luo Chen dropped his pretenses and cupped his hands in a formal bow to the elder.
Fu Chaosheng stepped aside to avoid taking the full gesture. "What is the meaning of this?"
Luo Chen straightened up. "Back then, your guidance benefited me immensely. A word of thanks is the least I owe you."
Fu Chaosheng murmured an acknowledgment, then waved his hand dismissively. "A few casual remarks, hardly worth mentioning."
Luo Chen did not see it that way. "Back then, Blood Nightmare Moluo actively sought to recruit me. If not for your kind warning, I might well have walked straight into the demon's den."
"Ah, that..." Fu Chaosheng smiled faintly. In truth, he really had been the first to discover it.
No one else knew that Blood Nightmare Moluo was attempting to unite the three branches and even refining the Yuan Demon disciples under his command into Blood God Children.
Only Fu Chaosheng, aided by the True Spirit Mirror, had caught slight traces of it.
Thus, he had been able to warn Luo Chen back then to avoid the Moluo Stream as much as possible.
"And that was not all," Luo Chen continued. "Whether it was your guidance on cultivation, the treasure you bestowed upon my maidservant, or introducing me to fellow Daoists for exchanges, all of it greatly benefited my subsequent cultivation. That I was able to reach the Nascent Soul realm today is partly thanks to your contribution."
Luo Chen heaped praise upon him. Though speaking the truth, hearing such lavish compliments from a newly ascended Nascent Soul True Person would make anyone feel pleased.
When it came to asking favors, approaching someone you had helped was often difficult, whereas asking someone who had previously aided you tended to be far easier.
The logic seemed counterintuitive, yet that was simply human nature.
What Luo Chen did not expect, however, was that Fu Chaosheng would immediately seize upon the obligation!
"Since you are so grateful, why not do a favor for me?"
Luo Chen was stunned.
Chapter 724