Chapter 79 Roasted Sweet Potatoes: From beginning to end, it was all Zhong Jiuli; she changed...
Bai paused in her jumping motion. She thought she had just heard a woman's voice.
The voice was ethereal and otherworldly, yet it carried an indescribable majesty, as if it were the voice of the Great Dao deep within her consciousness.
"Who's speaking?" Bai also scanned his surroundings warily, trying to find the source of the voice.
"That idiot Immortal Emperor you were just cursing?" The moment the words fell, a slender humanoid creature indeed stepped out from the True Sun Fire ahead.
This person was entirely composed of golden flames, with a graceful outline, and could be identified as a young woman.
Her face was blurred in the firelight, and Bai didn't know if she couldn't see clearly because she couldn't see it herself, or if the other party's divine power was too strong for her to see clearly.
But she could sense that the other party was watching her. It felt like being targeted by a deadly predator. If she weren't currently enveloped in the terrifying true fire of the sun, Bai felt that cold sweat would definitely be dripping down her forehead.
Could Huo Lan be a jinx? She said there was a remnant of an Immortal Emperor here, and it turns out there really is one. Will the other party, in a fit of rage, just rip off her tiger skin and use it as a cushion?
“I have no interest in your tiger skin,” the fire woman said with a light laugh.
Bai Ye felt a shiver run down her spine. How did this person know what she was thinking just now?
No, she wants to try again.
With the sliding kneeling mode activated, Bai was also frantically flattering her in her heart: Sister Flame, you are so beautiful, it must not be because of my nonsense just now. You must have discerning eyes and see that although I talk a lot, I am actually exceptionally talented and a genius that is rare in ten thousand years. So you specially appeared to bestow this Immortal Emperor's inheritance upon me, right?
The woman with flames slowly shook her head. "No."
She spoke with a smile, and every word she uttered made Bai Ye's heart pound. "It's no use saying nice things. I'm a very, very petty and vengeful person. I heard every single word you, you little tiger, said just now."
Bai froze. This woman really knew what she was thinking, but it seemed too late to apologize now.
"So, now, your sister is going to burn you alive!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the entire fire tunnel instantly boiled over.
The already raging fire of the sun became extremely violent, and the terrifying temperature rose exponentially.
The three-legged golden crow that had been circling quietly above let out a sharp cry, its huge wings flapping wildly, and countless balls of golden flames poured down like a torrential rain, landing directly on the spot where Bai Ye was.
"Awoo~~"
Bai let out a miserable howl, this time the scream was 100% genuine and without any pretense.
Extreme heat enveloped her, and streams of fiery heat, like serpents, pierced through her skin, burning through her flesh, bones, and soul.
She felt as if every inch of her skin was emitting a burnt smell, and the spiritual energy in her dantian seemed to have turned into scalding magma, threatening to melt her inside.
"Little tiger, experience the scorching heat of the sun's true fire! If you can't even withstand this first test, you won't have a chance to receive your elder sister's inheritance~"
After saying this, the fiery woman's figure slowly dissipated, merging into the sea of flames. Only Bai Ye was left writhing and screaming in the flames.
Time becomes blurred in extreme pain; it's unclear how much time has passed—perhaps a very long time, or perhaps just a moment.
In short, in her dazed state, when Bai felt she was really going to die here today, she noticed changes in her body.
The omnipresent burning sensation remained intense, but under this devastating heat, her body was also undergoing a silent transformation. Impurities left over from consuming spiritual herbs and medicines during her previous cultivation, which she had never noticed, were forcibly burned away in the flames.
Bai also realized that the other party did not actually want to burn her to death, but rather that her skin was too thick, and the previous flames were not strong enough to burn through it and remove the impurities from her body.
That's why the remnant will of the Immortal Emperor appeared and intensified its power.
"Not too stupid," the woman with the flames murmured to herself.
Bai didn't hear the other person's whisper. The moment she understood, she stopped passively enduring the burning flames and instead actively circulated her cultivation technique, guiding the true fire of the sun through her meridians.
Even though he was mentally prepared, Bai couldn't help but groan when the scorching flames passed through his meridians. The pain seemed to be magnified several times over. This time, even his soul screamed in agony as the flames burned him.
However, those who can endure inhuman suffering will naturally reap extraordinary rewards. Meridians scorched by true fire become wider and more resilient, and the power they can bear will undoubtedly be even more immense.
Bai also used fire as a hammer and his body as a sword, tempering himself in this world constructed of flames, and finally achieving nirvana.
After a long while, the raging true fire of the sun in the fiery passage gradually died down. In the center of the passage, a charred and shriveled figure, resembling a mummy, slowly emerged.
She sat motionless in the fiery passage, as if she had long since lost all life.
Suddenly, the charred head twitched slightly. Bai tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids had already been melted and stuck together by the real fire.
After several attempts, a snapping sound was heard, and several pieces of charred old skin were torn off, revealing a pair of eyes as bright as the rising sun.
Bai looked down at his body, forced a smile, and managed to manage a weak one.
"It really does look like a roasted sweet potato," she muttered to herself, propping herself up on her knees as she stood up.
As she stood up, the charred sweet potato skin immediately cracked and peeled off, revealing new, fair skin beneath, as if flames were still dancing on it, glowing with a pale golden light.
Looking at his own fair, glowing skin, so smooth that not a single pore could be seen, Bai felt that if he could travel back to the modern era, he could definitely shoot a skincare product commercial.
She doesn't need to say anything; just standing there is the best interpretation of the product.
She earned a million from filming the commercial and then quickly retired from the entertainment industry. A million was enough to buy a small house in her hometown. From then on, she relied on her lightning speed to deliver food, crushing her competitors.
With the help of these random thoughts in his mind, Bai endured the pain of peeling his skin and put on his clothes with trembling hands.
After getting dressed, she grimaced and walked through the long, fiery passage with her little face scrunched up like a bitter gourd.
The moment she stepped onto the Sun Star, Bai Ye's figure was enveloped in dazzling golden light. She looked around and saw nothing but a huge golden mirror.
The person who appeared in the mirror was very familiar to her; it was Huo Lan, who had been bothering her all the way.
The situation on Huolan's side was terrible; countless silver-white humanoid monsters surged towards her like a tide.
These monstrous beasts were so fast that they could only be seen as blurry afterimages. Even being cut in half didn't seem to affect their movements. In contrast, Huo Lan was covered in blood, and each attack from the beasts tore off a large chunk of flesh from her body.
Bai was shocked by what she saw. She wanted to rush over to help, but an invisible rule in this space locked her in, making her only a bystander watching Huo Lan fight.
Huo Lan's situation was critical; her twin swords had been shattered and broken, and the demonic beasts were still charging forward relentlessly.
Covered in blood, she flung her longsword away from the horde of beasts, and with a flash of light, a longbow appeared in her palm.
Bai also stared wide-eyed at the person in the mirror, watching her endure the excruciating pain, pull back the bowstring, and unleash an arrow of law that instantly annihilated a swarm of silver-white demonic beasts.
This arrow not only forcefully created an escape route, but also acted like a sharp blade, cleaving through the fog in Bai Ye's heart.
Why is Huolan inexplicably clinging to her?
Why does the other person always flirt with her?
Why was she inexplicably attracted to him?
Because she is Zhong Jiuli.
Everything became clear. There was never any Huo Lan. From beginning to end, it was all Zhong Jiuli's disguise. She came to her with a different identity, seduced her, and watched her panic.
Anger surged in his heart, but he was even more worried about Zhong Jiuli's safety.
The escape route created by that arrow lasted only a moment before it was filled with even more silver-white monsters. Zhong Jiuli's figure was once again submerged by the silver beast tide and completely disappeared from the mirror.
Bai could only see endless demonic beasts rushing towards Zhong Jiuli like a tidal wave.
In that instant, anger and panic overwhelmed Bai Ye. She roared madly, "Come out! Come out here! I don't want the inheritance anymore! Let me out right now! I need to save her!!"
Her roar echoed in the space, but no one paid attention to her anger, except for the mirror that was still dutifully showing Zhong Jiuli's miserable state.
Bright red blood spilled from the beasts, and Zhong Jiuli appeared to have been torn apart and eaten.
"Ah!!!" A roar like that of a wild beast rang out, and golden flames shot out from Bai Ye's eyes. Her whole body was like a torch that had been lit, and the blazing light overwhelmed everything.
She ignited the entire space, and the golden light that filled the starry sky surged towards Bai Ye. The tyrannical energy rampaged through her body, almost bursting her apart.
The golden light engulfed Bai Ye's body, her outline became almost blurred, she lost her human form, and completely transformed into a golden sun.
In this intense burning, the restraints that had been suppressing her finally collapsed. The moment Bai gained her freedom, she transformed into a golden flame and crashed into the mirror with an almost resolute attitude.
"Is she inside?"
"Bang!"
A crash was heard.
"It was you! You trapped her inside and released those monsters to attack her."
"Bang bang bang!"
The excessive power destroyed Bai Ye's sanity, turning her into a crazed monster, with only the most violent killing intent remaining in her mind.
Destroy! Destroy all of this!
Destroy this world that harms Zhong Jiuli, and burn this entire star field to ashes!
On the other side.
Huo Lan also stood in front of the mirror. The scene reflected in the mirror made her grit her teeth in hatred.
That heartless, stinky tiger had a stunningly beautiful woman with a graceful figure and watery eyes nestled to its left, and a charming young girl serving it wine and meat to its right.
His carefree and flirtatious manner, with women on both sides, was enough to make her so angry she wanted to vomit blood.
Just as anger was about to overwhelm her, Huo Lan suddenly came to her senses.
No, that stinky tiger wouldn't have the guts to hug two women at once. Even though I'm being so proactive, she doesn't dare to hug me. How could she be hugging other women here?
Moreover, they are currently in this endless star field, where would they find a woman to hug them?
"Is this a test you gave me?" Huo Lan raised her hand to touch the mirror and murmured.
The moment my palm touched the mirror, it felt as if the mirror beneath my palm had been struck by something heavy.
Huo Lan frowned slightly. If that brainless, foolish tiger were to be misled by the image in the mirror, it would definitely choose the stupidest and most reckless way to break the deadlock, such as attacking the mirror.
They might be separated by only a mirror. The guy is on the other side, desperately trying to get to her.
These thoughts flashed through Huo Lan's mind quickly, and she made a decision in an instant.
Silver light flickered on her palm, which was pressed against the mirror. As she pressed down, spiritual power surged out, and the mirror flashed, absorbing her attack completely.
"Can it absorb my attack?" Huo Lan was surprised for a moment, but quickly calmed down.
The little tiger's cultivation level was far lower than hers, yet it was able to cause the mirror to vibrate. The key issue was definitely not the difference in strength.
That is, the other link in the test of inheritance?
"The scene in the mirror wants to make me angry. Do you want me to lose my mind?" Huo Lan looked around the space flowing with moonlight, seemingly lost in thought.
"You want me to activate the Yin energy here?"
Huo Lan understood the key point and immediately sat cross-legged to circulate her energy. Countless silver rays of light surged in from all directions and entered her body.
Her radiance grew ever brighter, and under the silvery glow, her skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade, every strand of hair seemed to glow, and she was like a bright, clear moon, her radiance so vast that it engulfed the entire space.
The remnant spirit of the Immortal Emperor, hidden in the shadows, witnessed everything and couldn't help but chuckle. These two were truly polar opposites; one was as reckless as a ball of fire, while the other was incredibly calm, and even the illusion specifically designed for her was ineffective.
Seeing that both of their star cores had been lit up and the power of the moon and sun had entered their bodies, the remnant will of the Immortal Emperor stopped paying attention and let the two explore on their own.
After absorbing the Yin energy, Huo Lan stood up and came to the mirror again. This time, she mobilized the Yin energy in her body and struck the mirror with her palm.
A very faint "crack" sound was heard, and the invisible mirror cracked from the impact.
"So that's how it is. You need the power of the sun and the power of the moon to break through?" Huo Lan guessed the truth. She waited in front of the mirror, and when Bai Ye struck again, she also attacked the mirror.
Bai, who was busy bumping into the mirror, only heard a snap. The indestructible obstacle in front of her disappeared. She couldn't stop in time and crashed into an unfamiliar space like an arrow.
Huo Lan saw a ball of blazing fire fly past her and instinctively dodged to the side. When she saw that the firelight was engulfing Bai Ye, who looked like a madwoman, she quickly flew forward and grabbed her.
The immense impact sent her spinning several times in the air before she regained her balance.
Bai, who had lost her mind, realized that someone was holding her. She roared angrily, "Let me go!"
Huo Lan lowered her eyes, looking at the little tiger burning wildly in her arms, raised her finger and pointed it at Bai Ye's brow, and the power of Taiyin surged out wildly.
Bai, who was in a rage, gradually calmed down. When she saw that Huo Lan was unharmed, she hugged the woman in front of her tightly and cried loudly as if she had survived a disaster.
Her voice was hoarse and filled with extreme grievance, "Wow, Zhong Jiuli, I just saw you being eaten by a monster, waaaaah, I was so worried about you, waaaah."
Huo Lan felt the dampness on her neck, her heart softening. Helplessly, she raised her hand and gently stroked her back.
She knew that this silly tiger's brain only operated in the simplest way.
"Why did you lie to me? You have no idea how much I've suffered these past few days, constantly worried that I've let you down," Bai Ye cried as she accused him.
Huo Lan lowered her voice and whispered in Bai Ye's ear, "Fellow Daoist Bai, I don't mind if you cry in my arms, but if your partner finds out, won't he come after me one day?"
"Hiccup~" Bai also sobbed and looked up at her with wet eyes, "You're still pretending. I saw it all. You are Zhong Jiuli."
"What did you see?" Huo Lan asked, feigning ignorance.
"In that mirror, you were surrounded by monsters, and then you used a longbow. Don't try to fool me, I recognized your bow and arrow at a glance." Bai Ye was still hiccuping as he spoke.
"I see." Huo Lan nodded as if in realization, then asked, "Does Fellow Daoist Bai know what I just saw in the mirror?"
Bai shook his head blankly, "Did you also see me being attacked by monsters?"
"That's not the case. I saw Fellow Daoist Bai with two women on his left and right, having a great time. Do you think what I saw was real or fake?"
"Huh?" Bai was completely stunned. The thoughts he had finally managed to sort out were now a jumbled mess again.
"So what you see is all fake. I'm just a lowly mercenary captain, how can I compare to your Daoist partner? Now, Fellow Daoist Bai, are you still going to hold me?"
Bai looked at Huo Lan suspiciously; this woman was lying to her again.
"Heh~" Huo Lan laughed self-deprecatingly, "I knew it. Fellow Daoist Bai's anxiety wasn't for me, and he only hugged me because he mistook me for another woman."
Bai shook his head: "No. Even if you were in danger, I would find a way to save you."
"Thank you so much for your blessings, Fellow Daoist Bai."
“I didn’t mean to curse you into danger,” Bai said, organizing his thoughts. “I mean, we’re friends, and if you’re in danger, I’ll be just as worried.”
Huo Lan quickly replied, "But you won't cry for me, right? Like just now, with snot and tears all over your face."
Bai also awkwardly rolled up her sleeves to wipe her face. She didn't want to discuss this topic with Huo Lan anymore. Her head was still a little dizzy and her thoughts were too chaotic. She needed to sort them out.
She looked around and changed the subject, asking, "Where are we?"
The two were in an extremely dark space, like the depths of a lightless universe, surrounded by nothingness and absolute darkness.
The only source of light was probably the faint starlight emanating from the two of them. Bai was surrounded by a pale golden glow, and Huo Lan had a silver halo around her.
Huo Lan turned her gaze into the void and said in a deep voice, "If I am not mistaken, this star field needs us to light it up together."
"Huh? How do I turn it on?"
"The Zhou Tian Star Array," Huo Lan said succinctly.
Bai then understood, "You mean, the two of us are the core of the formation? The Moon and the Sun, with us as the core, give rise to all the stars in the heavens?"
“That’s right.” Huo Lan nodded. “The first step of the Immortal Emperor’s inheritance is to help us comprehend the laws of the stars and lay a foundation. The second step is to draw upon the power of the stars to temper ourselves. Now that we have both lit up our star cores, this should be the final step of the inheritance.”
"Yeah." Bai nodded, his face clearly showing his confusion: "I understand the logic, but I don't know what to do now." "So how do we light it up now?"
"You're so stupid." Huo Lan tapped her head lightly. "You are now the Sun Star, one of the 365 main stars in the celestial sphere, corresponding to the 365 major acupoints in your body."
"Oh, I understand." Bai winced in pain, clutching his head as he sat down cross-legged. "Could you please not hit my head next time? Hitting me like that will make me stupid."
Huo Lan twitched the corner of her mouth. "Fellow Daoist Bai, there's no need to belittle yourself."
Bai closed his eyes and focused on circulating his energy, still pondering the meaning of the phrase "to underestimate oneself."
Before she could figure it out, her mind was already absorbed in cultivation.
Unbeknownst to him, a small sun, slowly rotating and radiating endless light, appeared in his dantian.
Whether it was when she was being roasted by fire or when she was enveloped in golden light, her spiritual power was assimilated by this small sun and transformed into extremely hot golden spiritual power.
She activated her cultivation technique, and the blazing golden spiritual energy began to surge along her meridians. Every time it flowed through a major acupoint, a trace of the sun's primordial power was extracted, attempting to ignite the stars like a spark.
After trying it, Bai realized she had been somewhat presumptuous. Igniting the stars wasn't as simple as just carrying a spark there.
The ignition of each major acupoint is the construction of a brand new star, which requires an enormous amount of energy and cannot be done in a short time.
After a difficult cycle of circulation, Bai let out a long sigh of relief and slowly opened his eyes.
Huo Lan, who was opposite her, had already finished circulating her energy and was sitting quietly in place, staring at her. When she saw her open her eyes, she smiled and praised, "You did a very good job."
Bai Ye's gaze passed over Huo Lan and landed on the boundless starry sky behind her.
There, countless dazzling stars floated, moving slowly in the starry sky according to the arrangement rules of the Zhou Tian Star Array.
A silvery sea of stars descended behind her, its cool, bright light falling upon Huo Lan, making her already striking beauty even more stunning.
Bai turned his head and looked behind him.
In the equally dark void, there were scattered points of light, but compared to Huo Lan's bright galaxy, the starlight she lit seemed somewhat weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.
The gap was too large, and Bai was somewhat discouraged.
Isn't she a genius?
However, Bai quickly cheered up again. In any case, she had lit up the stars, and this darkness was illuminated by her light.
Though its light is faint, it is still a star.
"You are all very good." The voice that had appeared earlier rang in Bai Ye's mind again.
She turned to look at Huolan, who also had a look of shock in her eyes.
"Did you hear that?" they both asked in unison, nodding simultaneously.
"I'm here," the woman's voice rang out once again.
As the words fell, a figure emerged from the void. She was not made of flesh and blood, but rather seemed to be formed from countless stars and Dao runes, with the power of the sun and moon flowing around her.
Her face was hidden in the starlight, only her deep, abyss-like eyes were clearly visible, as if they had come from eternity.
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Author's note: [Hugs] His identity has been revealed, but not completely. That silly tiger is so easy to fool!
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