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Qi Yuan took two steps closer to Ling Yuling. The distance between them was already quite small, and the fragrance emanating from her made him think of many things.
Sensing his proximity, Ling Yuling instinctively moved aside, putting some space between them.
A faint blush tinged her cheeks, but she couldn't openly reprimand Qi Yuan for his behavior. After all, she was walking around disguised as a man.
Qi Yuan pretended to frown, leaning forward and placing his hands firmly on Ling Yuling's shoulders. He looked at her intently and said, "Brother Ling, why are you pacing around and blushing like a woman? Are you deliberately avoiding me? Or do you plan to keep the secret manual for yourself?"
"Brother Qi, you've misunderstood. My legs were numb just now, so I moved around for a bit."
Ling Yuling's expression briefly showed annoyance before she quickly regained her usual composure.
Qi Yuan chuckled inwardly. There's no way you can outmaneuver me, he thought. I'll make you swallow all the frustration I've endured.
Given the circumstances, Ling Yuling would never voluntarily reveal her true identity. It was a matter of survival. Even if she wanted to recruit Qi Yuan, there wasn't enough trust between them yet.
As long as the Yellow Turban female cultivator wasn't present, Ling Yuling had to rely on maintaining her disguise. If that woman were here, she would undoubtedly prevent Qi Yuan from getting too close to Ling Yuling.
Qi Yuan smiled. "Let's not waste time. Let's go through the Burning God Blue Fire manual together. If we can all cultivate it, make a copy for me."
Ling Yuling nodded slightly, calming the ripples in her heart. She resumed reading the ancient text, her face composed as if Qi Yuan wasn't even there.
Admiring her self-control, Qi Yuan retracted his hands and focused on the manual. He was eager to see whether the Burning God Green Fire was truly as powerful as the Fire God Ancestor claimed.
The two of them quickly finished reading the twenty or so pages.
Ling Yuling's expression revealed her admiration for the Fire God Ancestor. His ability to combine the strengths of various cultivation techniques was remarkable. If he hadn't perished, he could have relied on his Nascent Soul stage cultivation and his self-created Burning God Green Fire to challenge the Star Palace's top cultivators, both righteous and demonic. He might have even carved out his own domain within the Chaos Star Sea.
Qi Yuan, too, was impressed by the Fire God's strength, but doubts lingered in his mind.
According to the manual, those who cultivated the Burning God Green Fire would have their skeletons transformed into a jade-green hue, much like how the Sky-Burn Pill turned bones multicolored.
He glanced at the skeleton sitting cross-legged before them—its entire body was indeed green. If that was the case, didn't it mean that the Fire God Ancestor had successfully cultivated the technique?
Then why was he killed? What could have led to the complete annihilation of the Fire God Sect?
Qi Yuan tore away the fabric on the green skeleton, carefully inspecting it for any hidden markings.
Meanwhile, Ling Yuling made an additional copy of the manual. Seeing Qi Yuan meticulously examine the Fire God's remains, a thoughtful expression crossed her face. She couldn't help but take another look at him.
He was careful, methodical, and quick to notice inconsistencies.
The truth behind the Fire God Ancestor's death, the fate of the Fire God Sect, and the whereabouts of the Nascent Soul cultivator who arrived later—none of it had been fully uncovered.
Ling Yuling's voice, soft yet magnetic, broke the silence. "Brother Qi, have you found anything unusual?"
Qi Yuan ignored her momentarily, carefully extracting three silver needles as thin as a hair from the back of the Fire God's skull. They were not magical weapons, but rather single-use assassination tools—extremely durable but rendered useless after one strike.
Ling Yuling stepped closer, curiosity flashing in her eyes. She leaned toward Qi Yuan and asked, "Is this the weapon that killed the Fire God Ancestor? That means he was assassinated. But who could launch a sneak attack against a Nascent Soul cultivator?"
She crossed her arms, her right hand supporting her left elbow as her fingers brushed against her chin in deep thought.
Qi Yuan examined the needles and said, "It must have been someone he trusted. Otherwise, there's no way a weapon like this could pierce the back of his head."
He set the needles back in place, clapped his hands clean, and accepted the jade slip Ling Yuling handed over. Scanning its contents, he confirmed its accuracy before storing it in his bag.
Ling Yuling smirked. "Brother Qi, do you not trust me either?"
"We've only just met. Why should I trust you?" Qi Yuan responded with a warm smile. "Didn't you just see what happened to the Fire God Ancestor?"
"You…" Ling Yuling felt as if something was stuck in her throat. She sneered. "For someone who just started his cultivation journey, you act far too cautious."
Qi Yuan's smile remained gentle. "My master taught me never to trust others easily. As his disciple, I must always keep that in mind."
Before Ling Yuling could respond, a powerful wave of magical energy surged through the air, followed by a woman's agonized scream.
The Yellow Turban female cultivator!
Ling Yuling's face paled with urgency as she sprinted out of the cave.
Qi Yuan hesitated only for a moment before swiftly securing his two flying centipedes in his spirit beast pouch. Then, like a wisp of smoke, he vanished into the night.
Due to the restrictive formations blocking their spiritual senses, detecting the situation ahead was impossible.
"Aunt Huang…" Ling Yuling shot into the sky, magic surging in her hands, several artifacts hovering at her side, ready to strike.
Qi Yuan moved swiftly, grabbing Ling Yuling before she could act recklessly.
In the sky, the Yellow Turban female cultivator was locked in battle with a monstrous corpse.
The creature's eyes flickered with deep red flames, its movements devoid of consciousness. Its overwhelming aura surpassed the Golden Core stage, exuding the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator.
The female cultivator was covered in wounds, her defensive robes in tatters. Even her life-saving treasure emitted a low wail, clearly on the verge of shattering.
A Nascent Soul-stage ghost corpse?
"Let me go! I have to save Aunt Huang!" Ling Yuling struggled fiercely. As she watched the Yellow Turban cultivator being pushed back, her resistance grew even more frantic.
Pei Ao and the old man in white arrived, their faces darkening at the sight of the monstrous corpse.
The Yellow Turban female cultivator coughed up blood and shouted, "Leave now! This is a Nascent Soul-stage ghost corpse—we can't defeat it! Take this Linglong True Stone and go!"
A streak of light shot toward Ling Yuling. She broke free from Qi Yuan's grasp, caught the stone, and charged forward.
Qi Yuan's eyes narrowed. His magic flared, and in a flash, he dashed after her.
Pei Ao and the old man in white exchanged glances but remained motionless.
The ghost corpse, sensing another attacker, casually released a palm of crimson flame while continuing to chase the Yellow Turban female cultivator.
Ling Yuling's expression changed drastically. She tried to dodge, but against a Nascent Soul corpse, her Golden Core cultivation was no different from an ant's resistance.
The terrifying pressure crushed her, forcing her to cough up blood as she plummeted—straight into Qi Yuan's arms.
He looked up at the crimson flame palm, which loomed over them like an apocalyptic force. In his hand, a brilliant sphere of multicolored light condensed, his magic surging to its peak as he countered the attack.
The battle had just begun.
(End Of Chapter)