Chapter 250: Chapter 42: Flame God Palace’s Counterattack
In the Quiet Chamber, Fang Cheng sat cross-legged, circulating his Demon Skill. His mind gradually settled.
He retrieved a transparent, fist-sized Treasure Bead from his storage bag and peered inside.
Inside the Treasure Bead, the top third was filled with fluffy white clouds, and the bottom third was clear water where many fish and shrimp swam about. A small, exquisite painted barge floated on the water’s surface.
With a flash of light, he appeared inside the Water Cloud Bead.
The space within the bead wasn’t large, only about half an acre in size. The air was humid, and a gentle breeze brushed against his face.
On the deck of the painted barge, Mu Xuanyu, whose figure was both graceful and magnificent, sat cross-legged in a corner, completely still.
After Fang Cheng captured her, he had placed seven different restrictions on her, completely sealing her soul, physical body, Magical Power, and Qi Sea.
Even with her Cultivation at the Mid-Life Talisman Stage, she was powerless against Fang Cheng’s seals for the time being.
Just then, Fang Cheng abruptly appeared within the Space Artifact. Mu Xuanyu’s dark brows furrowed, knowing trouble had arrived.
Fang Cheng, meanwhile, sized up the beautiful woman with great interest. He saw that this Elder of the Flame God Palace wore a Profound Gold Long Skirt. Her brows were lightly penciled, her bright eyes were captivating, and she had a dignified and serene temperament.
She was strikingly beautiful, and her figure was voluptuous and graceful. The peaks of her chest traced a magnificent, full curve, like ripened fruit.
A look of appreciation appeared in Fang Cheng’s eyes as he smiled. "I’ve been delayed by other matters these past few days and have neglected you. Please forgive me."
Mu Xuanyu glanced at him and remained silent, her expression one of someone unafraid of death.
Fang Cheng said casually, "If you are willing to hand over your sect’s Profound Fire Scripture, I am willing to let you go."
Mu Xuanyu gave a cold laugh. "The Profound Fire Scripture is the ultimate technique of my Flame God Palace. Even if I die at your hands, I will never reveal a single word."
Fang Cheng laughed heartily. He walked over to Mu Xuanyu, looked down at her, and reached out to lift her snow-white chin. "I have always been one to cherish beautiful women. How could I bear to kill you?"
A mixture of shame and indignation filled Mu Xuanyu. Her beautiful eyes glared at Fang Cheng as she said coldly, "You only act mighty because of that rope Magical Artifact. If we had fought fair and square, how could I have fallen into your hands?"
Fang Cheng clicked his tongue. With a grasping motion of his left hand, a long, black staff appeared in his grasp.
He said lightly, "Do you recognize this staff?"
Mu Xuanyu’s expression froze. Her thoughts raced, and she quickly realized what he meant. "That day... it was you too?!" she exclaimed in astonishment.
Fang Cheng said, "If I had wanted to kill you that day, do you think you could have escaped?"
Mu Xuanyu fell silent, which was a clear admission.
Fang Cheng changed the subject. "Since you’re unwilling to hand over the Profound Fire Scripture, I won’t force you. However, I absolutely will not let you go."
Mu Xuanyu snorted. "I have already been defeated. Kill me or torture me as you please. It’s all up to you."
Fang Cheng smiled. "I’ll give you two other choices. First, you can spend the rest of your life by my side, attending to my daily needs as a concubine and bearing my children."
"Second, if you’re unwilling to serve me, my Lifebound Magical Artifact, the Netherworld Banner, happens to be missing a main soul. In that case, I invite you to take up residence inside it."
As an Elder of the Flame God Palace, Mu Xuanyu was also very familiar with the ultimate techniques of the Yinluo Sect.
Becoming the main soul of a Demonic Magical Artifact meant facing an eternity of imprisonment. As long as the artifact remained, the main soul could not be destroyed.
What awaited her was endless loneliness and torment. Under this prolonged torture, she would eventually go mad, her mind would descend into chaos, and she would become a Yin Soul driven by a frenzy to kill.
Her beautiful eyes flickered, and a look of sorrowful indignation appeared on her gorgeous face.
’If I choose the first path, I’ll lose my reputation and my body.’
’If I choose the second, I’ll lose my freedom.’
She looked at Fang Cheng and said slowly, "If I choose the first option, you must agree to one condition."
Fang Cheng said, "Tell me what it is."
Mu Xuanyu said, "If I become your concubine, this matter must be kept secret, and you cannot make me fight against Cultivators from the Flame God Palace. If you agree, I will submit to you."
Hearing this, Fang Cheng nodded. "I agree to these terms."
A hint of a blush appeared on Mu Xuanyu’s face, her fair cheeks turning slightly red.
With a wave of his hand, Fang Cheng removed six of the restrictions on her, leaving only the one in her soul. This last one allowed him to destroy her soul with but a single thought.
Mu Xuanyu rose to her feet and gave Fang Cheng a deep curtsy, an obedient look on her face.
"Thank you, fellow Cultivator," she said softly.
A Cultivator like her who had reached the Mid-Life Talisman Stage understood better than anyone how difficult the path of Cultivation was, and thus cherished her life all the more.
’If I can use my beauty to trade for a chance at survival, it’s not impossible that I’ll have a chance to advance further in the future.’
’It was just as the saying goes: "So long as the green mountains are there, one need not worry about firewood."’
Fang Cheng studied Mu Xuanyu’s beautiful face and teased, "Sister Mu, you still call me ’fellow Cultivator’?"
Mu Xuanyu’s face flushed with shyness. She bit her red lip and said softly, "Husband."
Fang Cheng’s mood instantly brightened, as if that single word held a kind of magic that put his entire body at ease.
...
On the South Shore of the Abyssal Marsh, deep beneath the lake bed in the pitch-black darkness, there was a palace built from beautiful white jade.
Deep within the palace, inside a Quiet Chamber, stood six large bronze cauldrons, each about ten feet tall. A purplish-black Demon Flame burned within them.
In the firelight, the hall was filled with overlapping, ghostly shadows, resembling a realm of phantoms.
A bald Nun sat cross-legged before the great cauldrons, as still as a statue.
Her expression was icy cold. She was barefoot, and her skin was as white as porcelain, not like that of a living person.
Strange patterns were inscribed on the tops of her feet, shimmering with a spiritual light. They were quite peculiar.
Just as Fang Cheng and Mu Xuanyu were engaged in a... thorough exchange inside the Water Cloud Bead, a man dressed as a scholar appeared outside the Underground Palace.
