"Because of this, you should understand me even more."
Hong Yao's voice suddenly rose as if stimulated, losing its tenderness.
"Yes, we come from the same village, yet our destinies are different. Brother Xiaocao, you know perfectly well that even if you fail this selection, you will only lose one opportunity. But I, I will lose my life!"
Hong Yao spoke word by word, her eyes filled with a chilling malevolence.
"But you still want to possess the Fire Spirit for yourself..." She paused, drew her sword, and sneered, "Then don't blame me for being impolite."
"Swish!"
Spiritual light flashed, and a sword beam struck out from Zhao Xiaocao.
"Hong Yao! You've disappointed me too much!" Zhao Xiaocao clutched his chest, sword in hand, and charged forward again, attacking Hong Yao like a madman.
"Did you think I wasn't prepared for you at all?" Zhao Xiaocao said, his heart filled with grief, but his movements did not cease.
Hong Yao's eyes widened in disbelief. She quickly realized that Zhao Xiaocao was not lying; he had indeed been guarding against her all along!
"Then I don't need to hold back either." Hong Yao counterattacked, refusing to be outdone.
The two immediately became locked in a fierce battle.
Meanwhile, Bai Shengyi sat at the edge of the lava, reclining on a chair conjured by the Qingmeng Vine, with a table also formed by the vine beside her, laden with melon seeds and snacks.
"Marvelous! Truly marvelous!" Bai Shengyi exclaimed while cracking melon seeds, "It's a shame Hong Yao isn't more ruthless. She should have directly pierced Zhao Xiaocao's dantian back then."
After becoming a cultivator, the heart was no longer the greatest weakness.
If the cultivation levels of two people differed greatly, attacking the heart might result in a fatal blow. But if their cultivation was similar, it would merely cause severe injury.
The Qingmeng Vine didn't find it at all outrageous that its master was watching the show while munching on seeds, even aiding the mischief.
It solicitously produced a cup of spiritual tea from its storage pouch. "Master, have some water, don't let your throat get dry."
"Thank you, Little Tengye."
Bai Shengyi did indeed feel a bit parched. After taking a sip of the spiritual tea, she stood up.
"Put things away. It's time for us to get down to business."
She observed that the two of them wouldn't decide the victor anytime soon, so she decided to retrieve the main body of the Fire Spirit first.
Bai Shengyi tapped her toes and leaped into the center of the churning lava. Scarlet lava stars lunged at her like grasping claws. With a wave of her long sleeve, a crimson barrier appeared before her, completely blocking the lava stars.
"Go!"
With a soft command, the crimson barrier transformed into a stream of light, rushing directly into the heart of the lava.
In a short while, it carved out a path for Bai Shengyi that one person could walk through.
"Fortunately, I have the Lieyang Chihuo. Otherwise, today wouldn't have been so smooth."
The Lieyang Chihuo, known as the "Gaze of the Gods," possessed a flame temperature no less than that of the so-called Suixing Divine Fire.
However, as Bai Shengyi spoke, two more flames, one pale white and the other ethereal blue, emerged unwillingly.
It was the Shifang Youhuo and the Longzhuxinghuo!
The two wisps of flame flanked Bai Shengyi, as if saying: Hmph, we are useful too!
"Yes, yes, I know. You're the best." Bai Shengyi chuckled, surprised that they needed to vie for attention. She then looked at the Qingmeng Vine, whose leaves had tentatively extended and then retracted, and added, "Little Tengye is also the best."
The Qingmeng Vine shyly curled its leaves. "Master is the best."
As Bai Shengyi stepped into the center of the lava, a refreshing aura surged directly into her spiritual consciousness, bringing immense comfort and solace!
"This... such potent Wood spiritual energy!" she exclaimed in astonishment.
This was even more concentrated than the Wood spiritual energy the Fire Spirit had previously displayed!
"It's truly miraculous."
Bai Shengyi's gaze was uncontrollably drawn to the emerald green flame before her. A faint premonition washed over her; although she had come to the Green Glory Small World for the Heart of the Divine Wood, this cluster of flames was the true source of her attraction.
"The ancients called Jupiter 'Suixing.' This fire spirit calls itself the Suixing Divine Fire. It possesses the heat of fire, capable of refining all spiritual herbs in the world, and the vitality of wood, able to revitalize the essence of all things. The Suixing Divine Fire is a supreme flame for refining elixirs, known as the Elixir Fire Emperor."
A faint sigh suddenly echoed in her ears.
Bai Shengyi immediately became vigilant. "Who's there?"
She gripped her sword and turned, only to see a somewhat unfamiliar yet familiar phantom.
"It is I. It has been a long time, my friend. Are you well?" The young scholar smiled faintly, his ancient eyes seeming to perceive the world and understand all things.
Bai Shengyi had a good memory, and more importantly, with this appearance, anyone she had met would surely not forget him.
She rummaged through her memories and recognized him.
"Hong Meng Zhi?" Bai Shengyi asked in surprise. "Are you completely awake now?"
After subjugating the Xingluo Dihuan, Hong Meng Zhi had fallen into a deep slumber as per their agreement. Years had passed, and she had thought he wouldn't awaken until she had repaired eighty percent of the paper.
"No, it's just that you repaired a part of the paper, and I sensed its presence here, so I woke up for a moment."
"There's Hong Meng Zhi here too?"
Bai Shengyi was astonished.
She knew that the part Hong Meng Zhi referred to was the moon within the barrier where the ancient Azure Dragon was located, which she had seized in the Huanyu Small Secret Realm. But here, she hadn't sensed any trace of Hong Meng Zhi.
Oh, right, the last time she recognized Hong Meng Zhi, it was the Reincarnation Brush that had reminded her.
Bai Shengyi remained silent for a moment before shamelessly asking, "Then, if you say so, I will find a way to retrieve it."
The young scholar smiled faintly at her, unbothered that she, who claimed to want to complete the paper, couldn't even recognize it. He said gently, "Very well, I also need your help."
The phantom raised a hand and pointed behind the green flame.
"Do you see that white silhouette, my friend? That is one of Hong Meng Zhi's fragments. However, this fragment has been tempered by the divine fire for ages, accumulating its own consciousness. Please be cautious."
As he spoke, the phantom gradually faded. The moment his words fell, his form vanished.
Bai Shengyi hurriedly looked at the main body of Hong Meng Zhi. The paper felt scalding hot, and she couldn't discern anything. Resigned, she put it away.
"Master." After Hong Meng Zhi departed, the Qingmeng Vine dared to extend its leaves. It harbored a deep wariness of the young scholar who had once seen through its true identity.
However, without Bai Shengyi's command, it would not act rashly.
The Qingmeng Vine obediently said, "Little Tengye also sensed the unusual aura from that white silhouette, but it seems to be asleep... Master, be careful!"
Just as Bai Shengyi was about to reach out and retrieve the divine fire's main body, the white silhouette suddenly rolled over and bit Bai Shengyi with lightning speed!
"Hiss..."
Bai Shengyi quickly withdrew her hand and saw that a circle of scorched black had appeared on her fair, lustrous skin.