Chapter 201 The First Meeting Collapses

Yu Sui left the Hun Tian Yi Chang and headed towards the outer city.

She tried to avoid crowded places, took a less crowded passage, and quietly left, where she met Xue Mushi on the road outside the academy.

They have been busy with their spiritual practice lately and rarely meet in person, communicating almost entirely through the Wind Listening Ruler.

Xue Mushi arrived at the agreed location first. He stood under the street lamp, the light dim and yellow. This was a small, relatively secluded path, with only this one fork in the road having a street lamp.

Recently, the temperature dropped sharply after nightfall, and the night wind swept past the back of his neck, bringing a chill that made Xue Mushi involuntarily shrink his neck. He felt the strange fire flickering deep within his consciousness, and turning his head in the direction it was pointing, he saw a familiar figure strolling towards him in the misty night.

Yu Sui played with the Wind Listening Ruler in one hand, and after getting closer, she looked up at Xue Mushi. The two walked side by side, heading deeper into the path.

The night fog obscured the streetlights, making it difficult to see the scenery ahead.

"Won't you be alright if you trigger the Fire Spirit Orb by being on the verge of death?" Xue Mushi was still a little worried.

“I can handle it well,” Yu Sui said. “There’s no other way.”

The two walked along the mountain wall. According to Yu Sui, they needed to go to a less populated and remote sea area, far away from the academy and the outer city, to prevent accidents.

Xue Mushi said in a low voice, "You said before that androgynous and eccentric man was already a destroyer of the world before you, which means that they have possessed the strange fire for more than eighteen years."

Yu Sui nodded, quite pleased to see Xue Mushi use his brain to analyze the situation.

"From the previous few conversations I've heard them speak, they seem to be intelligent and cautious people. Moreover, they all disagree with our coming to Taiyi on Gao Tianhao's advice. So they certainly won't believe the announcement issued by the Six Kingdoms' Trust and Incense this time, and they won't voluntarily reveal their identities."

Xue Mushi pondered, "The eccentric man joked that he was hiding in the deep mountains and forests, but I don't know if it's true or not. After all... we can't completely believe what the Destroyer says."

Yu Sui said, "Although we haven't communicated many times, each time has left a deep impression. Both of them are very cautious, and their strength should be above ours. They also seem to have their own plans regarding the strange fire."

"The newcomer is a bit uncertain. He seems to be either being chased or chasing others." Xue Mushi scratched his head and frowned. "His attitude towards the strange fire is also unclear."

Yu Sui said, "Since they are people who live on the edge, they wouldn't be stupid enough to believe the information given by the Six Kingdoms' cigarettes and reveal their identities."

Xue Mushi asked her, "How do you plan to contact them?"

Yu Sui pointed to the Wind Listening Ruler and said, "Rely on this."

Xue Mushi lowered his eyes and shook his head, saying, "Given their level of caution, they definitely won't believe us, and they might not even cooperate with us... because I was just thinking that perhaps not everyone is as desperate as we are to strip away the strange fire."

Yu Sui paused for a moment, then stopped and looked up at Xue Mushi.

The surroundings were shrouded in mist, dark and cold. Zhou Tianhuo, in the form of several palm-sized firebirds, fluttered his wings and flew beside the two, silently dispelling the darkness. The firelight illuminated Xue Mushi's face, and the boy, who usually had a blank expression, was now extremely serious.

He looked at Yu Sui and said softly, "The changes in power brought about by the strange fire should not be something I possess alone."

Yu Sui had already guessed that Xue Mushi was hiding his strength, but so did she. Furthermore, Yu Sui believed that Xue Mushi's hidden ability was related to the strange fire, so she didn't press him for details.

Although the Five Elements Light Core was constantly monitoring Xue Mushi, no abnormalities were detected.

At least Yu Sui can be certain that no one else besides herself has been found to possess the ability to infinitely generate the Five Elements Light Cores.

Yu Sui withdrew his gaze and said, "Their indifference is perhaps only because they haven't found a way to separate the different flames yet."

She paused for a moment, then added, "My desire to separate the strange fire from the strange fire will not change."

Xue Mushi nodded and said, "Me too."

At least on this point, they are on the same side.

Yu Sui chose to do it late at night when everyone was quiet. She couldn't know the situation of the other people, so she could only pray that they were all in a safe place.

The two arrived at a deserted beach. After setting a time, Xue Mushi stayed on the shore while Yu Sui went into the sea.

Yu Sui needs to stay in the water to feel safe.

The last time Yu Sui had just advanced to the Light Core realm, it was also to test whether the method of triggering the Fire Spirit Orb was feasible. Time was tight on the Mechanical Island, and there wasn't enough time to say more.

The timing is perfect.

As long as she has enough light cores, she can repeatedly trigger the Fire Spirit Orb by using the restorative power of her Heavenly Eye's gaze on herself, until she exhausts the remaining six realm light cores.

The firebird that Zhou Tianhuo transformed into followed Yu Sui into the deep sea, leaving behind several beams of light. The sea was dark at night, and the unknown dangers filled people with fear.

The moment Yu Sui shattered her light core, she closed her eyes. In the depths of her dark consciousness, a bright flame illuminated her soul.

The excruciating pain in their chests simultaneously struck the other four Destroyers; the agony of their shattered light cores caused them to lose the strength to support their bodies for a brief moment.

Although Xue Mushi was prepared, he still knelt down against the mountain wall, sweating profusely, and couldn't help but grit his teeth, muttering to himself, "It really hurts."

Gongsun Qi, leading his warhorse along a country path, was struck by the pain of his shattered light core, his body buckling and him kneeling on one knee. Alan, who had been humming a song on horseback, saw this and leaned down, calling out to the man, "Father?"

Gongsun Qi frowned, sweat instantly covering his entire body. He forced a wave to Alan, indicating that he was alright.

For some reason, Gongsun Qi had a premonition that no one would die this time either.

It's probably that same little girl from last time.

The Han family is the head of the household, and the Wei Court is located there.

Han Lian's body was placed in the coffin. Han Ziyang returned without saying a word. Nangong Ming and Madam Han were not in a hurry. They first dealt with the matter of the clan leader being poisoned, and only let Han Bing accompany him.

Han Ziyang was originally standing in the room, silently gazing at the person in the coffin. When the Fire Spirit Ball came into contact with him, his already severely injured and weak body could no longer support him, and he fell to the ground, covered in sweat.

A loud thud came from inside the house. Han Bing, who was standing outside the door, turned around but did not go in. He simply raised his hand and knocked on the door, asking, "I'll have someone from the medical family come over."

Inside the room, Han Ziyang felt that he was the one who was going to die this time.

He took a deep breath, his fingers gripping the ground tightly, his fingertips turning white from the force. After a moment, Han Ziyang said, "No need."

Upon hearing this, Han Bing tried to open the door and come in, but Han Ziyang used all his strength to seal the door shut.

Seeing that he had sealed the door with magic inside, Han Bing did not force his way in.

Han Bing had already guessed to some extent what the relationship was between the living and the dead people in the house.

Han Ziyang gasped for breath, the suffocating feeling of impending death coming and going. He clutched his chest, which was throbbing with pain, and managed to roll over on the ground, facing the roof.

Within the shared consciousness of the Destroyer, a man's somber voice rang out: "It's...you again?"

Gongsun Qi and Han Ziyang heard Yu Sui reply in a light, airy tone, "It's me."

It really was her.

Gongsun Qi asked, "You triggered the Fire Spirit Orb by being on the verge of death?"

They really aren't afraid of death.

When Yu Sui heard the question from the androgynous person, she answered honestly: "That's right. Last time I was just testing whether it could be triggered. This time I can confirm that this method is indeed effective."

Han Ziyang said coldly, "I don't really want to share this misfortune with you. Now, it's either you or me who dies."

Yu Sui was a little surprised: "Excuse me, are you killing someone again this time?"

Han Ziyang struggled to turn his eyes to scan the figure behind the door, suppressing his agitation as he said, "Get to the point."

The others tacitly waited quietly for Yu Sui to speak.

"You've all seen the message sent by the Six Kingdoms' Messages tonight, haven't you?" Yu Sui said briefly. "I'm in Taiyi, and I've also been in contact with the people from Shuizhou. They are indeed researching ways to eliminate the Strange Fire."

Yu Sui told them what had happened on the mechanical island, mainly revealing that Shui Zhou was artificially creating a sea eye to search for the Ruins of Return.

She said, "The Six Kingdoms' Beacon of Smoke says that Shui Zhou has found a way to eliminate the Strange Fire, but Shui Zhou has not found the Eye of Return to Nothingness, nor is it certain that Return to Nothingness can eliminate the Strange Fire..."

Before she could finish speaking, a sneer rang out, and the man said in a nonchalant tone, "Little girl, if you started this conversation because you were afraid we would reveal our identities to the Six Kingdoms and go to our deaths on the water boat, then we can end it now."

Gongsun Qi said, "No one should be that stupid."

Han Ziyang sneered, "Anyway, that idiot won't be me."

Hearing their firm resolve, Xue Mushi felt a strange sense of relief.

"Alright, they all promised they wouldn't do anything so stupid, just finish this already." The man said, both in pain and irritable. "Doesn't it hurt to have your light core shattered? How many light cores do you have to afford to act like this?"

Upon hearing this, Xue Mushi's mind went blank for a moment; something flashed through his mind, but he couldn't quite grasp it.

Yu Sui replied, "I obtained the fragment of the Floating Pagoda."

Gongsun Qi and Han Ziyang both twitched upon hearing this.

“According to Gao Tianhao, there are Heavenly characters on the fragments of the Floating Pagoda, and Heavenly characters can help us extract the strange fire…” Before Yu Sui could finish speaking, the man who had been irritable just moments before turned cold and gloomy, “You’re really young, that’s why you believe these nonsense. If you can come out of Taiyi alive, I’ll consider you lucky.”

Yu Sui calmly said, "I believe I can leave Taiyi alive."

She said, "There are only five World Destroyers. I think we are all the same. Maybe we have different attitudes toward the Strange Fire, but we are all in the same situation in this world."

In that instant, the girl's gentle voice overwhelmed the pain brought on by the near-death experience.

"Since you were able to guess that I had a strange fire since I was a child, then with your wisdom, you can also guess how I have survived until now."

Far to the far north, a man lying half-dead on a bamboo chair in the courtyard narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this.

Yu Sui has devoted all the sincerity he has ever shown to the Destroyer of Worlds.

She softened her tone and said sincerely, "We are the most special beings in this world. We are the only five companions. No one else can understand our situation and experiences."

The man sneered, "What, are you planning to follow that whole 'five people who destroy the world love each other and help each other' nonsense?"

Yu Sui: "..."

She did intend to persuade them in this way, but the old fox ruined the atmosphere the moment he opened his mouth.

Gongsun Qi said, "That's not very realistic."

Han Ziyang urged, "Let's finish this quickly."

“Little girl,” the man in the far north said in a low voice, “I won’t stop you if you want to follow in that old man’s footsteps. I can also applaud you if you want to study the Heavenly Script to find a way to separate the strange fire. But don’t think you can use this to gather the destroyers together. For the sake of our survival, the less information we have, the better.”

Gongsun Qi, holding his sword, turned around and sat on the ground. He was covered in sweat from the pain, and as he moved, beads of sweat dripped onto the ground.

Alan looked at him with a worried expression, but dared not say anything to disturb him.

Gongsun Qi said, "The events in Dan Kingdom have led Shui Zhou to make new discoveries about the World Destroyer. He is right. The less we know about each other, the better. Even if you promise not to tell them, they still have ways to find out from you."

"Furthermore, I have no interest in stripping away the strange fire, but I would advise you to quickly throw away this unlucky thing like the Floating Pagoda fragments."

"I have no interest in the strange fire or in any of you. You don't need to bother telling me about your plans, and you don't need to try to drag me into it. I have my own things to do," Han Ziyang replied even more coldly.

Not all destroyers of the world are like Yu Sui, who regards the stripping away of the strange fire as their life goal, nor do they all despise the existence of strange fire like she does.

For Gongsun Qi and Han Ziyang, the Strange Fire was not the most important thing in their lives. There were many things in this world that were more important than the Strange Fire, and those things occupied all their energy.

Yu Sui opened her eyes in the seawater; she had reached her limit. She ended the empathic conversation and accelerated the slowing power of her Heavenly Eye's repair, warming her cold limbs.

The attitude of these three world destroyers was within her expectations, and Yu Sui didn't expect to reach an agreement on their first conversation. If, as that old fox said, everyone became close and helpful to each other after only a few words, then there would be a problem.

But she still had something to say.

Yu Sui surfaced, and Xue Mushi wiped the sweat from his forehead. Looking down into the sea, he saw Yu Sui emerging from the water, her face covered in water droplets. Her delicate face was bloodless and deathly pale, like a water ghost swimming back to the mortal world from the abyss in the eerie night sea.

Xue Mushi waved to Yu Sui and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"

“I haven’t finished speaking yet.” Yu Sui took a deep breath, looked up at Xue Mushi, and said, “I want to start over.”

Xue Mushi was shocked. Before he could stop her, he saw Yu Sui sink into the sea.

Soon, the familiar, excruciating pain struck their chests without warning, becoming unbearable. The near-death agony returned, causing the three men who had just gotten up to fall back down.

Before they could utter a curse, the girl's gentle yet firm voice rang out: "With the cooperation between the six kingdoms and the Water Boat, there will only be more and more things targeting the World Destroyer in the future. No one can predict how far they will go in their research on the Strange Fire Energy."

"If a master of magic can successfully claim the identity of the destroyer of the world the first time, he will do it again."

"The world destroyer's situation will only become more and more dangerous."

"I know you don't believe me right now, but I will share information about the Water Boat with you."

"I will also provide you with a way to contact me."

"I don't want any more World Destroyers to die, so I will save you, whether it's because of the Strange Fire or other things in life. I will save you when you need help."

Because I also need your strength.

Yu Sui opened her eyes and saw the faint light of the Zhou Tian Fire in the deep sea. Tianmu was doing its best to repair her dying body as quickly as possible.

The feeling of impending death surrounded her, and her whole body was chilled to the bone. Even when she was immersed in seawater, she felt a little warm. Yet, this coldness made Yu Sui feel incredibly safe.

[Author's Note]

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!