Seeing that Gu Ze hadn’t recovered for a long time, Immortal Lord Wang Xiao thought he had suddenly attained some enlightenment, so he no longer paid any attention to the two of them and swept his sleeve as he left.
His time was precious, and he did not wish to waste it here any longer.
Li Xunmiao supported Gu Ze and softly asked if there was anything wrong with his body, worried that Wang Xiao had pulled some trick.
Gu Ze used the Cleansing Technique to wash away the filth on his body, shook his head, and his ink-black hair dried quickly, a faint scent of scorched grass and wood filling the air:
“No worries. Senior Wang Xiao lent me a hand to refine the medicinal power within my body and expel the Dan poison.”
“There was no malice. I’m already showing signs of a breakthrough. Junior sister, guard me while I meditate for a while.”
Gu Ze closed his eyes, pondering what Wang Xiao was really planning.
Was it simply for the sake of Immortal Lord Qingquan? Or was it just that he couldn’t stand the stench of inferior pills?
Wang Xiao hadn’t helped the disciples of Songhuo Peak detoxify, nor had he given any warnings.
That made sense—Divine Fire was already within reach. Why waste energy helping your competitors now?
If everything was just a delaying tactic set up by the not-yet-appeared Immortal Lord Fuxu, Wang Xiao would end up losing out on all counts.
Gu Ze recalled the records in the book about Wang Xiao. Although he didn’t have the resounding title of “Strongest Golden Core” like Immortal Lord Qingquan, he still had a chapter of his own.
He revered the Dan Dao as the highest law, regarding all other paths as mere side roads, believing Dan Dao could reach the heavens.
He was an arrogant genius, proud of his talent, but in the end, he stopped at the Golden Core Perfection stage.
His talent was extraordinary, and he worked hard enough, yet he was trapped by his own stubbornness, unable to reach the Nascent Soul.
Immortal Lord Wang Xiao had always wanted to refine a pill that would allow one to break through to Nascent Soul with a single dose, bypassing the tribulation altogether.
This was truly defying the heavens—an idea the Dao of Heaven would never permit, a madness that soared to the sky.
For such an arrogant genius, Biluofeng just happened to have one too.
Now, Gu Ze was even more curious about what kind of clash of Dao paths had erupted between these two Golden Core powerhouses.
Touch.
Close.
Perception.
He still hadn’t completely grasped his Jingmai, now unobstructed after being cleansed, when Gu Ze suddenly sensed an intense gaze upon him.
He still didn’t know where the other party was, but the gaze was icy cold yet reserved.
This was the third time the person had secretly warned him. Gu Ze understood that the other was intentionally signaling him.
The first time was upon entering the secret realm, warning him of dangers within.
The second was a warning that Lin Tianhai was unusual.
The third was after his contact with Wang Xiao—obviously, telling him to be careful of Wang Xiao.
Though Wang Xiao had helped him and seemed harmless, in truth, he was more dangerous than any opponent in the secret realm.
With just his physical body, Wang Xiao could throw a punch that the Ice Dust Mirror couldn’t withstand.
A cultivator at the peak of Qi Refinement was nothing to him—their numbers meant little.
The disciples of Songhuo Peak clearly knew this. Though greed had taken hold of their hearts, they wouldn’t court death by provoking a Golden Core master.
They still had to keep their lives, to offer up to the Golden Core Divine Fire that sought to devour everything in the secret realm.
Even though Wang Xiao had already led his alchemists far away, the Songhuo Peak cultivators lingered for a moment before following.
Gu Ze broke through on the spot. Only when his realm was fully stabilized did he slowly open his eyes.
***
Qi Refinement, Eighth Layer.
In this secret realm, it still wasn’t much to look at.
“Junior sister, let’s go. Let’s see if the Golden Core Divine Fire is destiny or calamity.”
The two looked clear-eyed, moving at full speed. In less than half a day, they caught up with the cultivators ahead. By now, everyone had reached the summit area of Weijin Mountain.
The nearly spent sun baked the scorched earth. There wasn’t a trace of moisture left in the air; any bare skin exposed for a moment would feel a burning pain.
The ground was so hot it warped. Many cultivators’ shoes had already burned away, forcing them to walk barefoot on the searing earth.
The gaping maw of Weijin Mountain lay open, and from a distance, they could see the roiling, blazing magma within.
At the center of the roughly circular lava pool, four or five intertwined pillars of flame rose, twisting together to cradle a three-petaled red flower.
Gu Ze looked at the pulsing, breathing-like lava pillars and immediately understood.
The web-like lava veins crisscrossing Weijin Mountain’s surface were, in truth, the root system of this flower.
This flower was also the source of the poisonous miasma.
“Burning World Flower, Golden Core Supreme Treasure! When this flower matures, it will give birth to World-burning Heavenly Fire. Such a treasure must belong to me!”
The scorching air could not block out Wang Xiao’s delighted laughter.
The supreme treasure was right before him. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be his. Wang Xiao could hardly restrain his joy.
Now, there was only one step left before the Divine Fire was born—waiting for the Burning World Flower to fully mature.
“It’s mine! Mine!” Suddenly, a greedy yet agonized roar erupted from the Songhuo Peak crowd.
Chen Lang’s figure turned into a streak of fiery light, charging into the wave of flame that could devour everything.
His skin already glowed like red-hot coal, translucent to the point his bones and meridians could be seen beneath the flesh.
The instinct to survive told him to flee, but his legs would no longer obey. As soon as Chen Lang regained consciousness and felt the searing pain all over his body, most of his form had already vanished.
A living being.
Silently, his flesh and blood turned to ash, his bones tumbling into the magma pool, leaving behind only a wisp of pure spiritual energy, which was absorbed by the Burning World Flower.
Even his storage pouch at his waist was incinerated, all the materials he had gathered and his pre-secret-realm wealth spilling out.
The thick stems of the Burning World Flower, hidden beneath the magma, squirmed, wrapping up all the spilled materials and dragging them to the bottom of the lava pool.
Chen Lang’s abrupt cries echoed twice, then the mountaintop fell silent once more, not even birds making a sound.
Many cultivators looked at his moth-to-a-flame charge, clarity returning to their eyes as they suddenly snapped awake.
“Something’s wrong! This flower eats people!”
Looking back at the magma pool, they could see countless demon beast bones floating and sinking within. The demon flower had already devoured nearly all the living things in the secret realm.
But it still wasn’t enough.
The three-petaled Burning World Flower trembled, and at this moment, everyone heard its silent, greedy roar.
Some had already grown fearful and planned to flee in panic.
But as soon as they turned around, their bodies were enveloped by a strange floral scent.
Golden, amber-like mist spread, instantly filling the entire mountaintop.
The poisonous miasma deepened again. The Burning World Flower had no intention of letting its hard-earned prey escape.
Those trying to flee all stopped in their tracks, their eyes empty, slowly walking toward the Burning World Flower.
A Golden Core Supreme Treasure could not be picked by just anyone; it was a powerful predator, able to carve out its own place between heaven and earth.
A cultivator muttered:
“Supreme treasure…I…”
“Divine fire belongs to me.”
“As long as I reach that place…”
It wasn’t over yet. The Burning World Flower rotated its petals again. The floral scent spread like a storm, instantly dispersing the protective pill fragrance of the Dan Yin Peak alchemists.
Terror finally filled the alchemists’ eyes.
“Peak Lord! Please, act quickly!”
The alchemists behind cried out, but Wang Xiao opened his arms, breathing in the flower’s fragrance as if it were a welcome.
The alchemists quickly took detoxifying pills, but they couldn’t escape the Burning World Flower’s control, gradually growing dazed, their eyes losing focus as they walked toward the magma pool.
Wang Xiao let the disciples who needed his protection walk past him to their deaths, making no move to stop them.
The smile of accomplishment on his face showed he would never save them.
Gu Ze looked at Wang Xiao’s distant figure, feeling a chill in his heart.
Bringing so many Qi Refinement disciples into the secret realm—wasn’t it to help him get the Divine Fire? Clearly, they were just fodder to feed the fire’s greed.
Cracks.
Everything happening before their eyes was exactly the scene Wang Xiao had hoped for.
The Burning World Flower sensed the vitality around it. Its branches, hidden beneath the magma, slowly stretched out, actively attacking the mindless cultivators.
“Senior Wang Xiao, you really don’t care if these people live or die?” Gu Ze unfurled the Ice Dust Mirror, trying to ward off the Burning World Flower’s lashing branches.
But the surging heat was so strong he didn’t dare take it head-on. The hot wind swept over the Ice Dust Mirror’s surface, already leaving cracks everywhere.
Relying on brute force alone, the power far exceeded the Qi Refinement stage. Even a supreme-grade magic treasure could do nothing.
Wang Xiao calmly watched the staggering cultivators, speaking righteously: “Cultivators absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to cultivate. How are they any different from a heavenly treasure nurtured by the world’s essence?”
“Humans are just another material! No different from ingredients for refining pills—maybe even better, since people are everywhere.”
“To bring forth this World-burning Heavenly Fire, their sacrifice is indispensable. In the future, I’ll just train more disciples with all my effort.”
Only when the Burning World Flower has devoured their flesh, blood, and spirit, and Weijin Mountain erupts, will the Divine Fire truly be born.
“Madness.” Li Xunmiao uttered just one word, then her figure flickered as the aura of the Yellow Springs wrapped around her sword. She shot forward like a streak of light.
The aura of the Yellow Springs burst forth, dispersing some of the poisonous miasma, but it was a drop in the ocean.
Li Xunmiao deftly dodged the Burning World Flower’s whipping attacks, her sword sweeping out to cut off several cultivators’ storage pouches, kicking them far away.
The storage pouches were destroyed by the heat, spilling out a great mass of materials, blocking the cultivators’ path.
The Burning World Flower seemed to “smell” the scent of heavenly treasures that could replenish its spiritual energy.
Its branches swept over, slowly dragging the small mountain of materials toward the magma pool.
Wang Xiao flashed forward, landing not far in front of the two.
He didn’t attack, but his mere presence was enough to restrict their movements.
“Why bother? I already said I’d guarantee your safety. Doing nothing is more beneficial to you.” He sighed, as if truly disappointed in their choice.
Gu Ze also quickly pulled out several storage pouches, throwing them in different directions. The masses of spirit ores that exploded out blocked the cultivators’ steps.
Wang Xiao wasn’t angry, and resisting the Burning World Flower’s influence, he flew above the magma pool, slowly landing at the center of the flower.
“It’s just a useless struggle. This Golden Core calamity was already set by cause and effect. You two alone cannot change it.”
He gazed at the mountain of materials, raised his hand, and helped the Burning World Flower absorb them.
A figure squeezed past the obstacles, falling into the magma pool.
But Wang Xiao frowned, staring intently at the figure sinking into the pool, circulating spiritual energy to protect himself.
For someone who could put him on such alert, it couldn’t be just anyone.
Poof—
A ball of fire soared up, and a gigantic conical hammer, trailing a long flaming tail, crashed down at Wang Xiao.
Even though he’d been wary, the power gap between alchemists and weapon forgers was clear.
“Fuxu! I won’t let you off!” His body was deformed by the impact, flung into the magma pool.
The figure shook off a layer of ash that quickly cooled and formed on his body, revealing his true appearance.
Lin Tianhai—no, he should now be called Immortal Lord Fuxu.
At this moment, Fuxu revealed his true face, the features bearing some resemblance to Lin Tianya, the skin burned away, leaving only a perfectly white, round mask.
Gu Ze had long suspected something was off, but never thought a dignified Immortal Lord would really disguise himself as a disciple.
Perhaps, it was all for this sudden attack.
Fuxu landed in the center of the Burning World Flower, glancing back to meet Gu Ze’s gaze from afar.
Even though he wore a mask, Gu Ze couldn’t see where his eyes were.
“Immortal Lord Fuxu, please, save them quickly!” Gu Ze shouted anxiously.
The Burning World Flower seemed to sense the powerful aura of the one standing on its petals, and for a moment dared not move. This gave Gu Ze the chance to stop the mindless cultivators.
But Fuxu did nothing, merely raising his hand to gently stroke the fleshy petals, his tone calm: “My goal is also the Divine Fire. Why do you think… I would save them?”