CHAPTER 121: CHAPTER 73: RED FLAME VENERABLE MASTER

Chapter Seventy-Three

Gu Qingqing looked up and was startled by the sudden appearance of a shadowy figure, taking two steps back.

She cautiously watched the newcomer, her hand quietly reaching for the Mixed Immortal Silk at her waist.

The newcomer was a man. He was dressed in a dark gold brocade robe, with a Purple Gold Crown on his head, tall, handsome, and exuded an imposing aura.

This kind of presence, Gu Qingqing had only felt it once before, when she saw Jun Wu’s father; he surely held a high position for a long time.

"Who are you?" She asked while discreetly retreating.

"I am the one you are looking for, aren’t you here in this Secret Realm for my inheritance?" The man looked at Gu Qingqing with a half-smile, fully noticing her little actions.

Hearing his words, Gu Qingqing was momentarily stunned, looking at him with disbelief.

"You mean, you are the master of this Secret Realm, that Immortal...?" Gu Qingqing’s voice lowered significantly by the end of her sentence.

The man nodded slightly with a smile under Gu Qingqing’s gaze.

"Then, how should I address you?" Gu Qingqing swallowed hard, asking with difficulty.

"I am titled the Red Flame Venerable Master." As he spoke, the man’s expression turned very proud.

"Junior greets the Venerable Master." Gu Qingqing cautiously bestowed a grand salute to him.

The Red Flame Venerable Master stood there, smilingly accepting Gu Qingqing’s salute.

"Little girl, what is your name?" The Red Flame Venerable Master seemed to like Gu Qingqing very much, always looking at her with a smile.

"Junior is Gu Qingqing." The best way to deal with such a bigwig is to be honest, as his cultivation far exceeds hers!

"Gu, Qing, Qing, it’s a good name." The Red Flame Venerable Master softly repeated Gu Qingqing’s name, as if he thought of something, and smiled, "You don’t have to be afraid of me. The one in front of you is just a wisp of my Primordial Spirit, I have already sat in meditation, this Secret Realm is left as an opportunity for the fated ones."

Gu Qingqing’s pupils shook, her eyes widened, looking at the Red Flame Venerable Master in disbelief.

The Red Flame Venerable Master in front of her looked like a living person, she could even feel the occasional powerful pressure emanating from him, yet he was just a wisp of a Primordial Spirit, how powerful must the Red Flame Venerable Master himself be?

A hint of regret flashed in her eyes, such a powerful person, yet he too had sat in meditation, what a pity!

"Little girl, birth, aging, sickness, and death are normal things, even for cultivators. Cultivating to become immortal grants an unparalleled lifespan, but one still faces the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, sitting in meditation is nothing unusual. I only left this wisp of Primordial Spirit due to some unfinished wishes." Though it was just a wisp of his Primordial Spirit, he obviously had his own thoughts. Noticing the regret in Gu Qingqing’s eyes, he somehow felt like discussing these matters with her.

Regarding immortals, it’s not just on the Xuantian Continent, even in the records of Spirit Hidden Mountain, they are rare, mostly legends. Hearing Si Lin and others say, the Sub-immortal Realm has not seen anyone ascend for a millennium, and this is the first time Gu Qingqing has heard that immortals also experience birth, aging, sickness, and death like mortals!

"Little girl, it’s rare for us to have this fate, I also find you pleasant to the eye, but you are not suited for my inheritance, so I will give you something else!" The Red Flame Venerable Master had already understood Gu Qingqing’s physique and cultivation when he first saw her. He regretted that she couldn’t be his successor, as he truly liked this little girl.

Although Gu Qingqing was somewhat expecting to gain an immortal’s inheritance, it was not a strong desire, so she wasn’t too upset at not receiving it. But since the Red Flame Venerable Master offered to give her something else, her eyes lit up. She didn’t refuse, after all, what an Immortal gives would surely be extraordinary, so she eagerly watched the Red Flame Venerable Master.

Amused by Gu Qingqing’s appearance, the smile on the Red Flame Venerable Master’s face never faded.

He approached Gu Qingqing, a trace of red light appeared on his fingertip, which he touched to the center of Gu Qingqing’s forehead. Immediately, a flame-shaped mark appeared at her forehead, looking very beautiful.

"This is my mark. What is here in this Secret Realm is only a part of my collection, primarily for finding a successor to my inheritance. When you reach the Immortal Realm, you can use this mark to open my real collection, and with this mark, it can shield you from an Immortal Monarch Level attack once, but it requires your active awakening. The method has already been engraved in your mind." The Red Flame Venerable Master said nonchalantly, looking at Gu Qingqing.

Upon hearing his words, the hand Gu Qingqing was using to touch her forehead froze!

She didn’t expect the Red Flame Venerable Master to be so generous. An Immortal Secret Realm was already coveted by many, and now the Venerable Master gave her all his treasures, it seemed a bit extravagant.

"Venerable Master, this," Gu Qingqing pointed to her forehead, "Isn’t this too precious?"

"Whether it’s precious or not is for me to decide," the Red Flame Venerable Master raised an eyebrow, "Didn’t I tell you? I find you very pleasing to the eye!"

Gu Qingqing didn’t expect the Red Flame Venerable Master to be so straightforward, so she quietly lowered her hand and showed him a sweet smile.

"Alright, you little girl, come with me to see how those who barged in here fare, and help me choose a successor!" Gu Qingqing’s smile was so sweet that the Red Flame Venerable Master couldn’t help but smile as he turned around.

Hearing this, Gu Qingqing, filled with curiosity, followed behind the Red Flame Venerable Master.

...

When Gu Qingqing met the Red Flame Venerable Master’s Primordial Spirit, those exploring the palace were also taken to different places.

Si Lin was brought into a place like a Sword Tomb, where countless swords lay before him, each appearing powerful, exuding strong auras; as an Innate Sword Body, he felt very excited in this place.

The swords, sensing his presence, also became very excited, trembling, wanting to emerge from the ground.

Si Lin stood at the entrance, refraining from acting rashly, suppressing the urge to rush forward, calmly observing the swords before him.

He saw the legendary Ten Great Immortal Swords, each one filled him with longing.

Seeing him staying still, an ancient voice suddenly sounded in his ear.

"You possess the Innate Sword Body, having an Immortal Sword can help you find your path faster, why haven’t you moved?"

"Who are you?" Si Lin furrowed his brow, looking around warily.

"I am your inner heart!" The ancient voice spoke again, "You clearly long for those Immortal Swords, why not go forward? As long as you step forward, those Immortal Swords will be yours!"

"My inner self?" Si Lin’s lips curled into a mocking smile, his eyes full of coldness. "If you are indeed my inner self, then tell me, what is my path?"

"You are a Sword Cultivator, naturally it is the Heartless Path!" the aged voice said without hesitation.

Upon hearing this, Si Lin’s expression grew even colder. He glanced at the Sword Tomb not far away, sat cross-legged on the ground directly, closed his eyes, and began cultivating, ignoring those famous swords.

"What are you doing? You should go get an Immortal Sword, that way your cultivation will be stronger. Don’t you want to become the world’s number one Sword Cultivator?" Seeing Si Lin not even looking at the swords, the aged voice shouted in frustration.

Si Lin turned a deaf ear; he already knew that everything in front of him was an illusion. If he really took one of the swords here, nothing good would come of it!

Seeing Si Lin like this, the aged voice immediately panicked and persistently tried to tempt him by Si Lin’s ear. Unfortunately, Si Lin, now like a monk detached from worldly desires, was completely immune to its temptation. After shouting for a while and seeing Si Lin still ignoring it, it unwillingly disappeared!

...

After Mu Chen fell into that lotus pond, he was confined to a place full of darkness. He didn’t know how long it took, but he was transferred to another place. When he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a room.

In front of him was a glowing Alchemy Furnace. Its intense light hurt his eyes, just as he emerged from the darkness. After adjusting, he realized it was the inherent glow of an Immortal Artifact; this was an Immortal Rank Alchemy Furnace, and his eyes widened with amazement.

The Alchemy Furnace he currently used was obtained when he received the Elixir heritage, a Sub-Immortal Artifact. Among all the furnaces in the Sub-immortal Realm, it was considered the best in quality!

But now, facing an Immortal Rank Alchemy Furnace, he couldn’t stay calm!

Just as Sword Cultivators love collecting swords, and Music Cultivators love collecting instruments, Elixir Cultivators also love collecting Alchemy Furnaces. No Alchemist can refuse an Immortal Rank Alchemy Furnace!

Reluctantly taking his gaze off the furnace, he was again stunned by the shelf full of books beside him.

He walked to a bookshelf and picked out a book, discovering it was about the fifth-tier Elixir, the Spirit Cleansing Pill. While the Spirit Cleansing Pill is a fifth-tier elixir, its effects are better than a sixth-tier elixir. Its main function is to cleanse impurities from one’s Spiritual Power, making it purer.

Imagine if two people had equal cultivation levels and similar cultivation techniques, but one person’s Spiritual Power is more pure and solid. In a competition, naturally, they would last longer and be more powerful!

So the Spirit Cleansing Pill has always been in a state of demand exceeding supply!

The book in his hand, though thin, contained various Elixir Recipes for the Spirit Cleansing Pill, including many he had never heard of, but after calculating, he found them feasible. For an Elixir enthusiast like him, it was irresistible!

He discovered this room was practically tailor-made for him, perfect for an Elixir Cultivator like him, but he knew it couldn’t be that simple!

Exerting all his effort to tear his gaze away from the book, he put it back at a distance, stepped back two paces, and took a deep breath to calm himself down.

As his eyes glanced over the adjacent bookshelves, he could already imagine they also contained books about Alchemy, probably featuring different Elixir Recipes like the previous one, but he dared not touch them again!

He hadn’t forgotten he was in a Secret Realm earlier, and matters related to Secret Realms often have a test purpose. Now given such a great place, who knows if it’s a test, and if he can’t control himself, who knows what might happen!

Thus, he forced himself to calm down and simply sat on the ground, closing his eyes to cultivate. Only this way could he ignore the surrounding temptations!

...

Nan Hua was originally with Si Lin, searching for Gu Qingqing’s traces. In an instant, Si Lin disappeared, and while he was still in shock, he too was whisked away. When he opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a white fog.

As an Array Master, he sensed immediately that something was wrong. There were arrays here, and not just one, but a chain array.

His competitive spirit was ignited, he closed his eyes, and began sensing the arrays’ conditions.

The first he discovered was a Soul-locking Array, a rather sinister array usually used by Evil Cultivators. The soul of anyone entering would be continuously tempered, and if not escaped within forty-nine days, the soul would be refined, becoming a great supplement for the Evil Cultivator.

This array was too simple for Nan Hua, who soon found the key point, and with a fan swipe, the array was undone.

The second array was a Killing Array. Compared to the Soul-locking Array, it was slightly better. Various attack methods would emerge within, and if the array couldn’t be broken, one would die from exhaustion or injuries.

This array was also straightforward for Nan Hua. Before the second wave of attacks arrived, he found a solution and successfully broke it!

The third array was an Illusion Array, targeting the desires of one’s inner self.

What appeared before Nan Hua were faces familiar yet strange. Familiar because these people had once been part of his life and held a place in it, strange because most of them had long passed away, unseen for many years!

Seeing these people, his gaze remained calm, uninterfered.

Until a face of Gu Qingqing appeared among them, no, to be accurate, the face of a grown-up Gu Qingqing!

This touched Nan Hua’s bottom line. He closed his eyes and forcefully swung the fan in his hand, causing all appearing faces to vanish, and the Illusion Array was broken.

The fourth array then emerged.

...

When Rong Ye awoke, the sky was dark, and it was raining heavily. He stood in a dense forest, and the rain didn’t wet him. While he was puzzled, a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, revealing a familiar face—his ten-year-old self!

Immediately, behind ’him’ were two faces he remembered vividly—his parents.

In an instant, he understood what time this was!

The day he wanted to forget but could never forget!

On this day, he lost his parents, falling from the esteemed Young Master of the Rong Family to a waste less than a servant, ridiculed by all!

The scene continued before him, and watching again his parents die protecting him, his hands clenched tightly into fists, unfeeling even as nails pierced his palms!