Archfiend

Angel and Xu Yangyi were both Marquises. They soon returned to the hotel, and Xu Yangyi discovered a very grim matter.

There was only one bed!

“Identification.” He extended his hand and stared at Angel expressionlessly.

A strange red flushed over Angel’s face. “So soon to tie the knot… I’m still not ready yet…”

“I want to open a room!” Xu Yangyi nearly spat these words from in between gritted teeth.

“Open a room?!” Angel pricked up like a pincushion and said in shock, “With who?”

“I’m getting one for you!”

“Husband… you… I thought you were a reserved person…” Angel was bashful.

Xu Yangyi looked up and made a long sigh. He completely gave up on interacting with Angel. “My room only has one bed, so I’m opening another one for you.”

“No!” Angel immediately refused, “What husband and wife sleeps separately?”

“Whatever you want.” Xu Yangyi really had no energy to explain. He waved his hand, activated a cleansing technique, and lied down on the bed. Soon after he collapsed, Angel quickly jumped on.

Xu Yangyi didn’t feel like paying attention to her. Did she really think he was impotent? If she jumped again, he would carefully punish her.

However… unless it was absolutely necessary, he really didn’t want to take action against a woman with such a complicated identity.

He closed his eyes. His first order of business was to recollect the two events that had occurred tonight.

The first was the Dream Eater’s manifestation.

The second was that ball of red light. What was it? Marathon?

Dream Eater? His spiritual sense probed his dantian and saw the motionless Dream Eater. After Daomaster Yue’s spiritual sense had entered the boundary field, the Dream Eater had promptly vanished. He didn’t know if it instinctively feared Core Formation cultivators, but due to this he didn’t even know what skills the Dream Eater possessed.

The Eternal Alchemy Canon had stated that the Dream Eater had battle abilities after evolving. But this battle ability… was just to grow four wings? Visual maximization?

The Dream Eater heard his summons and cried out twice. It seemed to be somewhat weak and continued to rest.

“Spud…”

Ignoring Angel, he continued to use Innersight.

“Potato lord…” [1]

“...Xu Yangyi!”

“Shut up!”

In the end, Xu Yangyi couldn’t help but blurt out. He opened his eyes, but found out that Angel was sitting right in front of him. Her watery blue eyes were closely inspecting his face, and she pouted.

“You yelled at me…”

Xu Yangyi felt the veins on his temple throb again.

He did not like people like this. He was indeed not fond of such people who willfully broke the rhythm of his life.

He had his own matters. Regardless of Nanzhou in China or the Holy War soon to arrive, any matter made him feel incredibly solemn. But at this time, this woman had unexpectedly crashed in with a kind of irrefutable disposition.

A disruption in limpid autumn waters.

Was she not beautiful?

No, she was beautiful. Enough to overshadow 90% of movie starlets.

Nonetheless, he just didn’t like her.

Angel pursed her lips and watched the undisguised emotions on his face. Calmly, she turned around.

Peace fell. Xu Yangyi sighed in his heart. He didn’t pay attention to Angel. Instead, he traced his storage ring, and the object called Marathon flew out.

He quietly cast his senses. As expected, as soon as the light appeared, his qi began to churn again. Spiritual energy vigorously bubbled into him.

“How is this possible?” He doubtfully fiddled with the orb of red light, and discovered that a seal was on the object inside. He wasn’t able to undo it. “Whatever amount of qi I use is from what’s left in my body. It can only leave. There’s no way for me to absorb. I can only use Qi Replenishment Pills to fill the gap, but I can’t advance any further. But why can I absorb qi now?”

He looked for a very long time. At his side, Angel finally turned her head around and fixed him with her eyes.

Xu Yangyi chose to ignore her.

He looked again.

And ignored again.

A few good seconds passed, and Angel pursed her lips. “I know what that is.”

“What?” Xu Yangyi raised his head in surprise.

Angel immediately sat at his side and lifted up her swan-like neck. “Kiss me.”

As he looked at her white jade-like neck, he felt a somewhat dry heat in his lower abdomen. He ruthlessly quelled it and said indifferently, “Sure.”

“Really?”

“But afterwards, everyone’s going to have to go their separate ways.”

“...There’s still going to be a path to walk at that time.”

Xu Yangyi was helpless. He didn’t know how this woman’s ability to bounce back was so strong.

Angel cleared her throat, her voice carrying a touch of graveness he’d never heard before. “This is Marathon.”

“In 490 BC, the Persian Empire’s terrible ruler Darius the First sent the commander Datis to lead an army of a hundred thousand soldiers and a thousand warships of various sizes to start a large-scale war against Greece in a grand and ominous display. Under the command of the outstanding commander Miltiades, Greece mounted a heroic counterattack against the invaders. At first, the Persian Empire had an enormous advantage, but their armies surprisingly collapsed in the little town of Marathon.”

“At that time, in order to spread this information in the nation, Pheidippides, Miltiades’s orderly, took the fires of war that represented victory and ran continuously from Marathon to Athens. As he passed on this information, he took his last breath and died.”

Xu Yangyi’s heart suddenly stirred. He thought of a possibility.

“But, no one knew that these fires of war… never went out. Greece preserved it inside Athen’s most divine temple, and the fire absorbed all of the temple’s power of belief. In past millenia, it has had three names.”

Angel raised three fingers and said seriously, “The first, the Divine Flame of Conviction.”

“The second, Marathon’s Holy Flame.”

“And third… Pheidippides’s Fire.”

“Legend says that it in itself is already a post-celestial fire essence. Each year, it creates ten fist-sized flames. It can instantly complete the refinement of any artifact or holy water, and raise the workmanship to Holy Shadow rank. At the same time, it has a strange effect on cultivators who cultivate certain arcane efforts. In addition, it can restrain any body poisoning. This piece should be a sliver from one of those flames.”

Sudden enlightenment dawned on Xu Yangyi!

So that’s how it was!

That was right. The Eternal Alchemy Canon truly did require the Vermilion Bird Fire’s ignition. Perhaps it could be said… that only a pre-celestial spirit fire like the Vermilion Bird Fire was able to allow Xu Yangyi’s divine alchemy text to display full effect!

However… no one had ever said that other fire seeds were out of the question!

“What’s called pre-celestial is to be born of the heavens and nurtured by the earth. Without any artificial traces, a spirit-object of the world. The number of such things can be counted on one’s fingers. Post-celestial indicates that there are human traces, and many conditions are undergone to create a spirit-object. Still, regardless of either one, both are extremely valuable.” He muttered under his breath as he thought to himself, A post-celestial spirit fire definitely isn’t better than a pre-celestial one. After all… a pre-celestial spirit-object is undying, and exists together with heaven and earth. It even predates the world’s beginning. Even after a million years, there’s only a sliver. However, this fire is still enough to support the Eternal Alchemy Canon to burn for a while.

Although this little spark was far, far lacking, it was still better than nothing.

“How do I unseal it?” he said in a low voice.

“What’s the rush?” Angel rolled her eyes at him. “This little flame is invaluable on America’s cultivation black market. You have a lot to thank father for.”

Xu Yangyi was murmured to himself for a couple seconds and quickly understood why.

“You’re saying… the House of Dracul somehow managed to get some of the Divine Flame of Conviction, but Daomaster Yue knows that I walk the Dao of Pills. And the Dao of Pills needs a good fire,” he mumbled, “Is he afraid I won’t be able to refine the Spirit Forbiddance Pill? So he specifically gave me a helping hand?”

As his thoughts reach this point, he smiled. Perhaps not even Daomaster Yue realized how helpful this spirit flame was to him!

The Holy War was imminent!

And with this ember, he promptly decided on a project he needed to cultivate.

A Thousand Li Invincible!

Once he reached Minor Completion, the full strength of Splitting Air would be exhibited and… so would Dragon’s Form, which he’d never been able to activate!

“Your laugh is really rotten,” Angel scoffed, “There are two more things that father wanted me to tell you.”

“Speak.” Xu Yangyi restrained his smile, treating Angel without additional feelings. He didn’t want to give her unnecessary hope. Moreover, god knows whether she would be carried away by a sudden whim.

“Do you know why you weren’t able to retaliate one bit against Bloody Moon?”

“It’s simple. A quasi Grand Duke can only use a hundredth of a Grand Duke’s might. But for the Throneless rank, they can use a tenth!” Angel said solemnly, “Father told me to tell you… that the Holy War is very dangerous, and… that the true powerhouses will come out in great numbers. You’ll see many species you’ve never even thought of. Their power is completely different.”

“For example… the Black Witches Coven, Dwarves, Elves, Subterranean Dwellers, and even the noble-blooded Dragonmen. These things usually hidden in the darkness will come out this time. For the current you, wanting to reach the top three might be really difficult.”

Xu Yangyi’s gaze flickered.

Not enough…

The him of now was perhaps not enough. But… with the Divine Flame of Conviction, he had the confidence to assail late Foundation Establishment. Plus, the consequence of the Eternal Alchemy Canon’s true activation was it’s most frightening point, not the divine abilities that Ming Guangzong had gathered. On the contrary…

To concoct pills was to cultivate!

“As long as this flame can last for four months, I’m confident enough. The moment I finish refining the Spirit Forbiddance Pill will be when I assail late Foundation Establishment!”

“But that’s under the premise… that the Spirit Forbiddance Pill will definitely be finished. The harder the pill, the faster my cultivation will rise. On top of that, the gains will also be greater.” Cool and collected, he stroked his storage ring. Four months to finish refining the formula outlined on Yue Congrao’s giant scroll. Truly, this was his greatest challenge presently.

As if she saw through his thoughts, Angel pursed her lips and softly laughed. Afterwards, she waved and a pagoda made out of jade appeared in front of him. On the surface, the sun and moon wandered. The tower was so precious that it couldn’t be put into words.

“Flowing Light, Harmonious Splendor?” Xu Yangyi asked in a heavy tone.

“That’s right,” Angel laughed, “It’s a super strange space. Once you enter, time slows down. You should know how precious space-time treasures are in the cultivation world. Storage rings don’t even matter. Wouldn’t you say that my dowry is generous?”

Xu Yangyi didn’t pay any heed to her.

Still, Angel didn’t mind and chuckled, “Darling, do you want to start now? Or some other time?”

The words to begin now were on the tip of Xu Yangyi’s tongue, but he was a little hesitant.

The House of Corvinus still hadn’t met with him, so he wasn’t sure if he had a spot in the Holy War.

With dozens of legendary species of the West, he would test and confirm his Dao and strength during the grand struggle of races between the two apex houses. He absolutely didn’t want to miss this chance!

“No need to worry.” Angel grabbed onto his broad hand. “I’ll help you.”

“Leave the Corvinus to me. I guarantee that I’ll be able to get a position in the Holy War. Even if the amount of spots is really precious to them.”

Xu Yangyi took his hand back and studied her for a good few seconds.

“Can I believe you?”

“A wife has a duty to shoulder tribulation together with her husband, no?” Angel proudly raised her neck. “Watch me! In any case, I’m a Dao Master’s daughter! Most importantly, you’re a master spirit-technician right now! They’ll definitely do you this favor!”

Xu Yangyi nodded. Right now, he didn’t have the mind to see anyone else either.

The Holy War was around the corner. Every single minute was beyond precious.

He took a deep breath and followed Angel’s guide. His body shook and then the view in front of him immediately blurred. He entered the strange space.

1. As mentioned earlier in the story, Xu Yangyi’s name can be “cute-ified”, from Yangyi to Yangyu. Yangyu (洋芋) just happens to mean potato. Angel is making a play on his name.