Chapter 323: Chapter 323: The Source of Confidence
WHOOSH!
In the mountain forest, Ye Xuan shot forward at high speed.
He had to lure Gale away. Dongfang Yanyu and the others had seen Jin Lin’s true form, and Ye Xuan could not let his identity be exposed.
Finally, after flying for several miles, Ye Xuan discovered a valley. His eyes lit up. ’This is a good spot,’ he thought. ’It’s secluded. A perfect place to be Gale’s grave.’
Several miles behind Ye Xuan, Gale was in hot pursuit. Yet no matter how he sped up, he couldn’t seem to close the distance.
’This kid runs fast,’ Gale thought, gritting his teeth. He was a Tier Six Martial Venerable. Even if his opponent was a Tier Five Peak Martial Sect, he should have caught up by now. Yet Ye Xuan remained just out of reach.
’Could he have actually spotted me?’
Gale frowned. Before he could dwell on it, he saw Ye Xuan stop in a valley up ahead. He gave a self-deprecating laugh. ’Looks like I was overthinking things. He’s just a brat. No matter how strong he is, how could he possibly detect me?’
Fearing Ye Xuan would run off again, Elder Gale immediately gave chase, clearly spooked by the boy’s speed.
"Hm?" In the valley, Ye Xuan’s ear twitched. A cold, faint smile touched his lips. ’He’s here?’
He made no move to hide, simply standing in the valley, calm and composed.
Seeing Ye Xuan’s relaxed demeanor, Elder Gale couldn’t help but sneer. ’What’s this kid doing out here all alone? He must not realize his doom is upon him.’
Dozens of breaths later, Elder Gale reached the mouth of the valley. With a flash, his figure streaked inside, landing silently behind Ye Xuan.
"Elder Gale, you’re finally here? I’ve been waiting for you," Ye Xuan said, slowly turning to face him before Gale could speak. A faint smile played on his lips.
Elder Gale’s heart lurched. "What?" he said, his voice cold. "You knew I was coming?"
Ye Xuan smiled faintly. "Whether I knew or not, you’re here now. Does it make a difference?"
For some reason, Ye Xuan’s faint smile filled Elder Gale with a sudden sense of unease. He shook his head, pushing the feeling away. "Brat, do you think I’ll let you go just because you’re putting on an act?" he said coldly. "Now, tell me. Where is the Earth Fire?"
Faced with the temptation of an Earth Fire, Elder Gale would never back down. Besides, he refused to believe Ye Xuan could truly be a threat.
"And what makes you so certain I have an Earth Fire?" Ye Xuan asked lightly.
At this, Elder Gale let out a derisive snort. "Don’t you get it? Whether you have the Earth Fire or not, I’m killing you today. But if you hand it over now, I might consider leaving your corpse intact. Otherwise, I guarantee you’ll suffer a miserable end."
"I see," Ye Xuan said with a nod. "And here I thought you were working off a real clue. Turns out it was just a wild guess."
"Enough nonsense. Hand over the Earth Fire," Elder Gale said grimly.
Ye Xuan maintained his faint smile. "Seeing as you want it so badly, and you even chased me all this way... well, I’d feel bad if I didn’t grant your wish."
Ye Xuan’s words sent a jolt of ecstasy through Elder Gale. "What?" he exclaimed in shock. "You really have an Earth Fire? So Zhou Liang was telling the truth?"
Gale had pursued Ye Xuan alone precisely for the slim chance of an Earth Fire. If he could obtain such a heaven-defying flame, his power would soar. Reaching the Tier Seven Martial King Realm would be well within his grasp.
How could he not be overjoyed at Ye Xuan’s admission?
Ye Xuan remained unperturbed, a smile on his face. "I don’t have an Earth Fire. But I do have a different kind of flame."
As he spoke, Ye Xuan extended his right hand. A ball of ethereal, crimson flame appeared in his palm. It danced and flickered, instantly suffusing the area with a dense fiery aura. The temperature in the entire valley shot up by dozens of degrees.
’What a terrifying flame! If this isn’t an Earth Fire, what is?’ Gale’s eyes lit up, his heart pounding with elation. He stared intently at the flame in Ye Xuan’s hand. Its potent aura far surpassed any fire he had ever witnessed.
Suddenly, his expression froze. ’No, this isn’t an Earth Fire. The aura of an Earth Fire should be tranquil and deep. This flame’s aura... it’s thrumming with life! In this world, only one kind of fire feels alive... Celestial Fire.’
’Could this be a Celestial Fire?!’
’My heavens, how is that possible?!’
Gale’s heart leaped into his throat. He scrutinized the flame in Ye Xuan’s hand. The more he looked, the more it resembled the legends, and the more staggering the implications became.
He stammered, his voice trembling, "That flame in your hand... could it be the legendary Celestial Fire?"
"Oh?" Ye Xuan looked up at Elder Gale in surprise. "I didn’t think you’d recognize a Celestial Fire. But you’re right. Not only is it a Celestial Fire, it’s the Endless Molten Flame, ranked third among them all."
The Endless Molten Flame. With Ye Xuan’s confirmation, Elder Gale’s entire body trembled with excitement. Earth Fire and Celestial Fire might sound similar, but the difference between them was as vast as heaven and earth.
Every Celestial Fire in existence was unique, and there were only eighteen in total. Elder Gale had never imagined he would be fortunate enough to see a legendary Celestial Fire in his lifetime—let alone the Endless Molten Flame, ranked third among them all.
A flame of this caliber... Forget about an elder of the Profound Mystery Sect like him; even the supreme titans of the Profound Domain would go into a frenzy to possess it.
"Hahaha! To think that my, Gale’s, luck is this incredible!" Gale was overcome with joy.
It was like chasing Ye Xuan to snatch a gold nugget, only to discover he had stumbled upon an entire mountain of gold.
But soon, a sliver of doubt entered Gale’s mind. He had never seen a Celestial Fire, but he knew they were far too powerful for any ordinary Martial Artist to control. Ye Xuan was just a boy. Even if he had stumbled upon one, how could he possibly have refined and tamed it?
Yet no matter how he looked at it, from every possible angle, the flame in Ye Xuan’s hand seemed to be none other than the legendary Celestial Fire.
A vicious glint flashed in Gale’s eyes. ’Celestial Fire or not, this flame is mine today.’
With that thought, he sneered, "Ye Xuan, if you know what’s good for you, hand over the Celestial Fire. Out of respect for the flame itself, I might even consider letting you live, provided you cooperate."
Ye Xuan couldn’t help but laugh at Gale’s words, his expression remaining as calm and nonchalant as ever. "You’re offering to let me live? Funny, I never said I’d do the same for you."
"What? You think you can kill me just because you have a Celestial Fire?" Gale scoffed. "I, Gale, may not be an Alchemist, but I know a Celestial Fire needs time to mature. Do you really think you can challenge me with a flame you just acquired? That’s just wishful thinking."
Ye Xuan couldn’t be bothered to waste any more words. "Don’t you get it?" he said coolly. "I came here specifically to wait for you. Oh, and by the way, about Luan Hong..."
Before Ye Xuan could finish, Gale’s face fell. "What did you say? You’re the one who killed Luan Hong?"
Luan Hong was one of his most talented disciples, a young man he had raised like a son. That was why the sect had sent him on this mission. He’d never expected Luan Hong to die in the Floating Light Secret Realm. If he had known, he never would have entrusted such a dangerous task to him.
"That’s right. I killed Luan Hong," Ye Xuan confirmed. "And not just him. Ye Fanxing and Bai Qi of your Profound Mystery Sect... I killed them too. Those three idiots, just like you, thought they could stand against me. And now they’re dead. Today, you’ll be joining them."
"You bastard!" Gale’s composed facade vanished in an instant. His eyes turned crimson, his killing intent boiling over. "You little shit," he snarled, his face a mask of cold fury. "I’ve changed my mind. I’m not just going to kill you. I’m going to carve you up piece by piece and make you suffer the worst agony this world has to offer."
As the words left his mouth, a pair of gauntlets materialized on Gale’s hands. He threw a punch, and in an instant, a terrifying wave of Profound Power surged toward Ye Xuan like a tidal wave.
The more he spoke with Ye Xuan, the more unsettled he became. He had to kill the boy now. He refused to believe a mere Tier Four Celestial Martial Artist could possibly escape his grasp.
The overwhelming might of the punch instantly engulfed Ye Xuan.
Just then, a golden shadow suddenly materialized, blocking the attack aimed at Ye Xuan.
KABOOM!
Gale felt as if his fists had slammed into a solid slab of Profound Iron, and the impact sent a numbing shock up his arms.
’What is that thing?’
Gale stumbled back involuntarily, his eyes wide with astonishment as he looked up at the golden shadow that had appeared out of nowhere.
He couldn’t believe his eyes. He blinked, then blinked again, staring intently at the golden figure before him.
It was a Profound Beast, several meters tall. Its entire body was covered in what looked like golden Scale Armor, and its large, bell-like eyes stared at him mockingly. Then, to Gale’s utter horror, the majestic Profound Beast spoke.
"Heh, little guy. Was that supposed to be an attack? It felt more like you were trying to scratch an itch for this Demon King."
As the words fell, an immense pressure, the terrifying aura of a Profound Beast, crashed down on Elder Gale like a mountain.
That terrifying, kingly aura made Gale’s eyes bulge.
"A... A Demon King..."
In that moment, Gale’s mind went completely blank.
