"Every blade of grass, every leaf, every grain of sand, every stone." Du Yu murmured softly.

Lying limply on the ground, he was covered by a long dress of flower and leaf, with darkness all around him.

Yet he had no intention of crawling out from under the hem of the skirt to gaze upon the world—for, in this moment, he was everywhere!

"So hot." Du Yu squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his fists.

Endless Demon Breath, carrying threads of Demon Soul, spilled outward, sweeping across all things of the world, perceiving everything around him.

The soft floral leaves upon the skirt, the fissures riddling the scorched earth.

The terror of the Celestial Fire plummeting from the night sky, and those countless Mountain Fire Blade Souls.

Mountain Fire Saber... so sorrowful.

Why?

Why do I feel such grief as well?

Suddenly, Du Yu became aware that he could empathize with the fate of every being in existence.

In this instant, that so-called power of empathy soared to limitless heights!

It turns out, Mountain Fire Saber was not just angry—it should be called "wrathful sorrow."

Beneath that overwhelming rage, lay endless misery and sadness.

All this time, Du Yu had seen inside himself as if from a God's eye—the meridians and acupoints within. Now, for the first time, he looked outward from the God's eye, surveying the world atop the mountain.

Mountain Fire Saber, Master Qing, Rose General Spirit, Lin Chuan, and seventeen seated warriors.

Countless Mountain Fire Blade Souls shredded the Celestial Fire!

They even tore apart that massive fireball, rending it into countless strands of flame.

The fire lines, like a meteor shower of flames, bombarded the scorched earth, blasting one deep pit after another—sand and stones flying, a ceaseless cacophony of explosions.

The fire rain landed upon the body of the Mountain Fire Saber, eliciting a resonant hum.

Falling on Yang Qingqing's head, she caught it with her hand, deliberately drawing the flames onto herself.

The first wave of Celestial Fire transformed into fire rain, bombarding for an eternal span before it at last began to abate.

"Clatter..." The hem of the flower-leaf skirt surged, flower stalks curling around Du Yu's body.

He rolled upward along the long skirt that spilled down like a waterfall, tumbling all the way to the top of the Rose General Spirit's head.

Through Du Yu's God's-eye view, Yang Qingqing had become a figure of living flame, reaching out her hand toward him.

Yang Qingqing looked at Du Yu with tightly shut eyes and said softly, "Come."

She knew that, at least in this moment of advancement, Du Yu could sense everything around him with perfect clarity.

Du Yu harbored no doubts and lifted his hand to clasp the woman's burning palm.

In an instant, the flames upon her flared as if finding a vent, surging madly into Du Yu's body.

The Demon Breath Battle Robe instantly traced with cracks, the sound of splitting relentless and sharp.

Yang Qingqing abruptly released Du Yu's palm, half of her fire left on herself, the other half transferred to her disciple.

She said, "Embrace it, absorb it, become it."

"Crack!"

Obeying his master's command, Du Yu decisively cut off his supply of Demon Breath, and the battle robe shattered with a roar!

His gray sportswear ignited with Celestial Fire in an instant, the fabric turning charred and blackened.

For Master Qing's words, Du Yu never harbored even a sliver of doubt, even though the burning pain was so fierce it felt as if every inch of his skin was being torn apart.

"Mm, mm...." Du Yu bit down on his teeth, but the anguished groans could not be stilled.

Yang Qingqing looked at the suffering Du Yu and murmured softly, "Celestial Fire is your tribulation; it seeks to burn your Demon Soul to nothing.

But now, the Celestial Fire is shredded to lines by the Blade Soul, and I have tempered its strength with my hand.

Now that I call the fire upon you, it is not only your doom, but your opportunity... Hm?"

Yang Qingqing's eyes widened slightly—Du Yu's flames had suddenly vanished?

More precisely, the flames had been merged into Du Yu's very body!

Yang Qingqing had thought her disciple would require a long, arduous time to accept, absorb, and fuse with Celestial Fire, to temper the Demon Soul with it.

Never did she expect Du Yu, with just a few words from her, had already merged the Celestial Fire into his bones!

"Ha." Yang Qingqing couldn't help but shake her head and smile.

This, then, is the talent of the First Paper Crane Disciple?

Slowly, Yang Qingqing again raised her hand.

Du Yu still kept his eyes tightly closed, yet he understood at heart and reached out, clenching the woman's palm.

"Hu~"

Endless flames spread outward, flowing between the clasped hands, pouring from Yang Qingqing into Du Yu.

The flames on Yang Qingqing's face faded, revealing exquisite features alight with admiration.

"Hoohoo~ Celestial Fire is here again!" Within Du Yu, Little Fen Yang welcomed the incoming fire, diving eagerly in.

This Celestial Fire, born of Heaven's wrath, was meant to burn Du Yu's Demon Soul to ash.

Yet once within Du Yu, it became Little Fen Yang's "bubble bath."

She soared freely within, greedily savoring the purest flame heaven and earth could offer.

After her fill, the mysterious Black Gold Bird carried the Celestial Fire in wild flight through Du Yu's body, refining his frame, circling at length, and finally charging straight toward the Yutang Acupoint.

Little Du Yu was already trapped in a sea of flame, his illusory figure scorched red-hot; and now, Celestial Fire descended once again...

"Little Little Du Yu, come on out~" Little Fen Yang cheered, flying a circle around Little Du Yu and leaving endless flame in her wake.

"Buzz!!!" Suddenly the Mountain Fire Saber began to resonate again, earth-shaking!

In the night sky blanketed by a sea of fire, Celestial Fire crashed down once more—this time not a single mass, but three at once.

Yang Qingqing instinctively pressed her hand down, drawing Du Yu into the Rose General Spirit's body.

Then, with a slight gesture of her hand, Du Yu's figure emerged again from within the flower's leaves.

Yang Qingqing wet her parched lips. She realized now that her disciple was not as fragile as she thought; on the contrary, Du Yu's adaptability far surpassed that of ordinary Great Demon Tamers!

She gazed up at the coming Celestial Punishment and whispered, "Do you still want more?"

Du Yu nodded lightly.

At these words, a faint smile bloomed on Yang Qingqing's face.

The more terrifying the apocalyptic calamity behind them, the more serene and graceful she appeared with her quiet smile.

Like a holy flower blooming in the ruins—forever beautiful to the point of heartbreak.

"Whoosh~ whoosh whoosh!"

Dense Mountain Fire Blade Souls tore the Celestial Fire into a rain of shooting stars.

Yang Qingqing raised her left hand high, as though inviting Heaven itself.

The meteor shower of fire seemed to heed her summons, even welcome her challenge, and plummeted wildly down.

"Hoo!"

"Hoo!" Celestial Fire descended, igniting both Yang Qingqing and the Rose General Spirit at once; master and pet swiftly drew the fire within, nourishing their bodies.

After a long, bitter wait, Du Yu, amid unceasing fire rain, finally felt the Immortal Master take his hand, channeling another half-body's worth of flame into him.

But this time, Du Yu's body did not catch fire?

The Celestial Fire left Yang Qingqing's hand and poured directly inside Du Yu!

This peerless tribulation, which fate had reserved for Du Yu, was thus, under the continual shelter and filtering of Mountain Fire Saber and Yang Qingqing, transformed into sustenance, refining everything—Du Yu's body, his bones, his Demon Soul...

"Hu~"

Two circles of fire suddenly rippled outward!

One after the other, less than a second apart.

Was the Ghostly Firefly Doll advancing to Celestial Level·Peak Stage?

Yes, it must be her.

A rare smile flickered across Du Yu's face.

Of all the Demon Pets within him, only Little You Ying had always accompanied him, step for step, moving in perfect accord with him.

At a thought, the Demon Soul sprawling across the world relayed the faintest whisper.

Though Little You Ying was in the Acupoint Home, threads of Demon Soul were as Du Yu's eyes and hands—he cradled the little one in his arms, sensed her every detail.

"Du Yu! Du Yu! Du Yu!"

Du Yu's expression froze.

Was this Little You Ying's voice calling?

All this time, Little You Ying had always waved her torch, cheering "Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!" in celebration.

Now, with Demon Soul, Du Yu realized at last.

Turned out, every cheer, Little You Ying was calling his name...

The Celestial Fire continued to fall.

That night, above the Mountain Fire Saber, the sky was awash with a sea of fire, the rain of flame torrential.

One night—far from enough.

This cataclysm raged for a full seven days.

Below the mountain summit, wave after wave of Demon Tamers came flocking, packed layer upon layer, with army units desperately keeping order.

As the rift in the sky gradually closed, even someone as mighty as Yang Qingqing let out a long breath.

Ordinary Demon Tamers, when gathering Demon Souls, rarely received such "treatment". Celestial Punishment usually lasted three to five days—that's typical.

Either the Demon Tamer died and the Celestial Punishment left satisfied,

Or the Celestial Punishment failed to break through for too long and its fury slowly faded away.

But for some reason, Du Yu's tribulation lasted this long?

"Ha..." Yang Qingqing let out a deep sigh, seeing Du Yu by her side wavering on the verge of collapse. She stretched a vine to wrap him within a leaf cocoon.

Indeed, Du Yu needed to seek the protection of an Immortal Master.

And Yang Qingqing should bring Du Yu to Mountain Fire Saber, seeking shelter from the Divine Weapon's sharp edge.

Without this, the First Paper Crane Disciple might not have survived the calamity at all—he would have perished utterly, nothing left behind.

Seven days before, Du Yu had advanced to Demon Tamer·Peak Stage; at that moment, his condition was at its very best.

But seven days later, Du Yu was like a candle guttering in the wind, ready to snuff out at any moment.

The Celestial Fire was refining Du Yu, even as it consumed every part of him.

Such relentless torment, body and soul, was agony Du Yu had never endured.

His life was already handed into Yang Qingqing's charge.

As to whether he would survive, Du Yu had lost the capacity to care.

"Auntie... I, I..." Lin Chuan stammered forward, words choked, body stiff with fatigue.

Yang Qingqing also was spent, body and soul. She looked at Lin Chuan for seconds before registering what was happening.

She said softly, "Sit here and meditate; I'll speak to Mountain Fire Saber, ask it not to drive you off for now."

Lin Chuan's face twisted with strained awkwardness. "I... I can't hold on, Auntie. I've got to go back, rest a while... Life is important, you see? Is... is that okay?"

Yang Qingqing gazed silently at Lin Chuan, then turned away toward the Mountain Fire Saber without a word.

Lin Chuan staggered to the leaf cocoon wrapped around Du Yu, braced himself on the globe of leaves, and slowly slid down to sit.

"Buzz..."

Mountain Fire Saber trembled gently, seeming very well pleased with the catastrophe; for now, its fury ebbed a little.

In the blazing fire, Yang Qingqing stepped before the Mountain Fire Saber.

She leaned her forehead forward, resting lightly against the scorching blade.

"Thank you for your protection, Mountain Fire," Yang Qingqing murmured softly.

"Buzz."

"Thank you for all you've done. I still remember our promise..."

Seconds later, Yang Qingqing walked free of the fire.

Lin Chuan watched the woman emerge, blinking hard, and quickly called out, "A-Auntie..."

Yang Qingqing: "Sit here and meditate, cultivate."

Lin Chuan's face was anxious. "Auntie..."

Yang Qingqing gave Lin Chuan a cool glance. "I've spoken to Mountain Fire Saber. It will protect you for now.

Not everyone is given a chance to advance. Don't leave regrets for yourself."

Lin Chuan opened his mouth, gratitude toward Yang Qingqing filling his heart.

She was right—not everyone gets the chance for breakthrough. For this, she had advocated on his behalf to Mountain Fire Saber. Yet the problem is...

Lin Chuan raised a hand, pointing to the woman's forehead. "The thread—the Contract Thread."

"Hm?" Yang Qingqing paused mid-step; in her exhausted state, her reaction was sluggish.

She swept her left hand over her forehead, fingers brushing something, plucking up a fine thread between them.

Yang Qingqing stared dazedly for a long while, then turned, tracing the thin flaming thread toward the fire behind her.

She saw this faint, nearly invisible thread stretching, winding all the way into the blazing inferno...

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