"…?" Huo Lie was completely baffled upon hearing that. How had Jin Yun investigated Elder Wu to uncover something like this?
He had no idea.
"You're a monster, the kind one should be as careful as possible around."
"I'm not like that." Jin Yun shook his head from side to side. "I'm just sensitive to people. For example, you…"
He pointed his finger at Huo Lie.
"You're a magnet for trouble, especially with that pressure-cooker temper of yours, ready to explode at any moment. And when that happens—"
"Don't talk about me! Especially when you're even worse, damn it!" Huo Lie defended himself.
"See? You're already about to lose control." Jin Yun chuckled lightly.
Huo Lie turned red with rage, and his body started emitting flames.
"Enough joking. Shall we go hunting?"
"Let's go, idiot." Huo Lie's face returned to normal.
"I'm testing a new type of aura. I wouldn't recommend getting too close to me. I'm going to enter a berserk state" Jin Yun warned.
Ever since he obtained Blood Qi, his root had become more bloodthirsty and sharper.
If he drew his sword, he knew something inside him would change.
"I can defend myself. I'm confident I can neutralize you" Huo Lie said, full of confidence.
"Rich bastard" Jin Yun cursed.
Huo Lie was the young master of the Huo Clan, one of the five dominant families of the Soul Empire.
His status was incredibly high, especially since he was born with the Red Flame, a Mid-Level Celestial Root.
The clan invested heavily in him. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the richest in the Outer Court, second only to the elders.
'Still below me… I'm at the eighth level of Origin Condensation.' Jin Yun didn't like comparing himself to others.
Mostly because he far surpassed even celestial talents.
"Hehehe!" He laughed.
"What the hell are you thinking, idiot?" Huo Lie frowned.
"I've formed my eighth cyclone, great genius."
"What?" Huo Lie's jaw dropped. "How long have you been cultivating? Three years! Damn it! I'm going to go crazy too! I'll eat fire! Maybe my root will evolve! Yes, that's the plan—devour flames!"
"Tsk!"
Jin Yun disapproved of the idea. "Forget it. The title of 'The Mad Undead' is mine alone!"
"And you wouldn't be able to endure having your body turn into a living flame. Even if you had enough willpower…
Don't forget that your root is celestial. The smallest explosion could completely erase your existence.
I may be abnormal, but the idea of burning to death from the inside… just thinking about it gives me chills."
Huo Lie shivered at Jin Yun's words. "It's better to cultivate peacefully, one step at a time."
"Seems like you have some intelligence after all" Jin Yun praised.
"Let's go. This conversation has gone on long enough."
Without waiting for Huo Lie's response, he had already started walking.
"Wait, idiot." Huo Lie hurried after him. The two headed toward the Fallen Star Forest.
...
The Fallen Star Forest was located beside the Outer Court.
It earned its name because of a massive cliff at its edge.
According to legends, a meteor crashed there over a thousand years ago, and the impact created a huge crater.
Whether that was true or not, no one knew.
But that the forest was famous and one of the most explored in search of treasures—no one doubted that.
Especially hunters, who dreamed of finding the legendary meteorite and scoured the cliff tirelessly.
The Five Elements Sect controlled part of this forest—the eastern region, which bordered their territory.
The purpose? To train disciples.
The forest was home to many monsters, including some extremely dangerous ones.
However, these creatures rarely appeared in the east due to a powerful formation that covered the area and limited their levels.
They didn't dare risk their lives just to devour a few rookie cultivators.
Besides, they feared provoking one of the most powerful sects on the continent.
...
"We're here."
Two figures appeared at the eastern entrance. They were the kind who stood out even from a distance—one due to his unusual hair color, the other because of his striking beauty.
"Idiot, where are we going?" Huo Lie asked. From the start, he had just followed the flow, not understanding Jin Yun's thoughts.
"First, I'll hunt a strong monster to adapt to my current state, then we'll head to the cliff. There's something interesting I want to do."
"It's metal, isn't it?" Huo Lie was sure of it.
"Bingo!"
"Is there anything there for me?" Huo Lie wasn't interested in doing free labor, even if it was voluntary.
"Are you interested in the Crimson Sunflower?" Jin Yun offered a reward.
He needed the help of this cheap rich kid to get what he wanted.
"Deal." Huo Lie agreed immediately, his eyes shining. But after thinking for a moment, he sobered up. "This is life-threatening, isn't it? You being generous is never a good sign."
"Of course. As the wise say: Rewards come from hard work." Jin Yun spoke, placing his hands behind his back.
"Grrr! That's not how the saying goes," Huo Lie rolled his eyes. "What's the price to pay?"
"Invading the Fire Dragon's territory."
"Is the information reliable that we'll find benefits there?"
"Yes, this news came from Sun Lingxin."
"Your number one fan?" Huo Lie raised an eyebrow.
Currently, it was no secret in the sect that a certain elder was obsessed with Jin Yun.
She did everything to help him—trained with him, personally mentored him, and if she was busy, sent another elder in her place.
And most importantly, she always investigated things for Jin Yun.
The most intriguing thing was that no one knew her true identity. In the Outer Court, all the elders respected her.
Many thought she could be a master from one of the main peaks.
But they dismissed that idea—there was no one with the surname Sun as a main peak master. Besides, it would be a huge downgrade in status.
Becoming a bootlicker for an Outer Court disciple.
"Fine."
Jin Yun said nothing.
"I want a fan too, preferably one of unparalleled beauty." Huo Lie daydreamed about the scene.
"For that to happen, the sun would have to rise in the south. Only then would someone admire you" Jin Yun teased, in a good mood.
"You bastard, your only saving grace is that you're good-looking, because your personality is worse than mine" Huo Lie gritted his teeth.
"Hahaha!" Jin Yun couldn't help but laugh at that.
But soon after, he put on a serious expression. "Huo Lie, I'm starting now. I'm not joking about actually attacking you, so prepare a shield in case something happens.
This state will last until I adapt to my new root fused with the Bloodstone."