Chapter Eleven: Roasting Oneself in an Iron Barrel
In a corner of the city, within an inconspicuous residential building, a rental apartment of just over forty square meters lit up.
Accompanied by the sound of a door closing, a man stepped into the room, slumped down on a simple gray fabric sofa, and stared blankly at the chandelier on the ceiling for a while before sitting up straight and pulling out a sheepskin scroll from his briefcase.
He held the scroll hesitantly for a moment before retracting it back into the briefcase and took out a cigarette and his mobile phone instead. Lighting the cigarette, the low-quality tobacco burned and filled the air with a pungent smell.
As he puffed out smoke, the man unlocked the mobile phone screen, opened the contacts, and flipped through it for a while until he found the name marked as “Adetde Phoenix,” lightly touching the screen to dial a number.
“Ding-ding—!”
After three rings, a heart-wrenching scream echoed from the other end of the line, mixed with the sounds of flesh being crushed. Frowning, the man pulled the phone away from his ear.
“Phoenix, Phoenix, what the hell are you doing?”
Switching the phone to speaker mode, he called out a couple of times, and soon a deep voice that sounded like a beautiful male bass came through.
“Uh, sorry, esteemed president. The subordinates caught a ‘dog’ from the Elders’ Council earlier today, daring to infiltrate the company to steal information. I was just treating him well!”
The person on the other end suddenly yelled at someone off-screen, “Hey, if that dog won’t cooperate, send him to the second experimental department; they happen to need a male sample.”
The man muttered, “…The second experimental department?”
Isn’t the subject of research there supposed to be the daughter of the Emerald Banyan Tree matriarch?
Flashes of the Elders’ Council member came to mind, about to explore the secrets of life with that creature covered in sores, pale and swollen, with organs protruding in ways that defied classification – the man’s face immediately showed a mild discomfort.
“I say, Phoenix…”
Uh, I’m here, esteemed president. Please go on, I’m listening!” “Help me out.”
“As ordered, I am willing to go through fire and water!” Before the man could finish, the voice on the other end shouted, “Black Sun in the sky, tomorrow we will fall!”
“Black Sun in the sky, tomorrow we will fall!”
With the man’s shout, more voices joined in, most likely experimenters from the Black Sun Brothers Tech Society. The man thought, “…”
So, everything he told Lu Ming was the truth. Although he had several confidants, he indeed had no friends. How could one become friends in such a situation?
Those people and that urban legend were too reverent, or rather, they were too afraid of him; they regarded him as one of the world’s most powerful deities, second only to the “Black Sun.”
A god cannot make friends with humans.
But to him, the fear that the Solar Eclipse Society members held towards him was likely akin to him smiling at a high school girl on the street, who would instantly display a mix of physiological discomfort and distaste, frantically calling the police out of fear.
But honestly, why would a nondescript worker be scared of anything?
If Phoenix were willing to help him complete the extra work assigned by his supervisor, rather than discreetly resolving the issues caused by those assignments, he would be quite happy to befriend Phoenix.
Unfortunately, he liked to obey rules – the rules of the company, the rules of society, the rules of the world, all rules. However, Phoenix, though charming, never adhered to the rules.
Because of Phoenix, he had already changed supervisors and project managers twelve times in the past year. Supervisors and project managers were practically consumables.
Adapting was truly troublesome.
When the cult-like cheers on the other end of the line subsided, the man took a deep drag of smoke and finally continued, “Phoenix, remember I told you before about looking for a fiancée for Lu Yibei?”
“Of course, esteemed president!” Phoenix’s voice responded from the other end. “As of now, I have found seven urban legends, thirteen humans, and…”
“And what?”
“And a scrapped tractor,” Phoenix replied with an unusual tone. “Esteemed president, does the Yunshen Machine really not have any psychological issues?”
Lu Ming was certainly after some “M-style perverse marriage fate for his son!”
“Phoenix,” the man sighed silently. “People have the freedom to choose; who knows, maybe Lu Yibei likes scrapped tractors?”
“In that case, I respect him as a real man!” Phoenix exclaimed.
“Me too…” The man opened his mouth, then furrowed his brow, redirecting the topic back on track. “Send over the materials you have about the fiancée candidates for Lu Yibei later, okay?”
“Sure, later on, once I finish the company’s work and carefully pick some candidates.”
“Understood, esteemed president!”
—
In a scenic area of Zhenwu Mountain, in a small basin’s open space, a figure clad in heavy armor, resembling an iron barrel, lay collapsed on the ground, convulsing.
Following the threads of intent, black flames spread from the void, igniting Lu Yibei’s body from the inside out.
The black flames swept through him, silencing the core of the two urban legends and the rampaging Hundred-Armed Giant Power, while the little brother bolted even faster!
A strong sense of weakness continually corroded Lu Yibei’s consciousness, making him feel as though he were bedridden with illness, unable to muster even a hint of energy, feeling lethargic and as if his organs were wailing, as if he might wither away at any moment.
Though the black flames had no temperature, they emanated a sense of d*ath and decay, with spirit energy, bl**d, and even every cell rapidly perishing.
He felt as if he had turned to stone; his mind tried to stop the spell formula, but his body became utterly unresponsive. It was as if his body no longer belonged to him.
“This d*mn feeling, is this the Black Sun Fire Seed?!”
Seeing Zhang Shuo’s appearance after being corrupted by the Pink Fluffy Rabbit, he momentarily forgot that he used to be one of the Solar Eclipse Society members. What a dire situation! What to do now? At this moment, should he chant the Solar Eclipse Society’s slogan and pretend to be a member to deceive his way through?
Realizing that the black flame invading through the threads of intent was indeed the Black Sun Fire Seed he had encountered in the God Realm Prototype, Lu Yibei had such thoughts flash through his mind.
He set out with the intention of fishing for lawbreakers, but instead got ambushed – quite troubling! However, even the thoughts that floated in his mind were soon engulfed by the black flame.
Those thoughts flashed in his mind and were instantly forgotten as if turned to ashes.
In the dark, Lu Yibei entered a bizarre state where his body seemed weightless, transforming into something ghostly or dusty.
He drifted about, ceaselessly, as if drawn toward some presence deep within the darkness.
Soon after, a chaotic and disorderly black sun, emanating an endless creative energy, gradually emerged in the void, countless distorted figures dancing amidst the roaring black flames, wriggling their bodies to an almost imperceptible melody.
Listening to that music, Lu Yibei felt as if he were tempted by the flute of a colorful-clad piper, moving closer, ultimately vanishing like the child lost in the mountains.
As he approached the black sun, his consciousness slowly became lost, when suddenly, a deathly voice, devoid of warning, rang in his ear.
That voice seemed to come from a strange man who whispered something, the content murky, as if praying to some existence or lamenting in resignation.
Lu Yibei strained to catch what the man said, but all he heard was a low rumble. In the next moment, the intent threads that brought the black flames were violently severed.
For a moment, Lu Yibei even felt that his soul might detach from his body due to that powerful pull. “Boom!”
A deafening explosion erupted; the incense altar used for the directional soul-calling spell, the offerings, and the items left by Zhang Shuo suddenly exploded, crushed to dust by a terrifying force, scattering into the air.
In the midst of the roar, Lu Yibei was toppled to the ground by the shockwave, and his body convulsed uncontrollably, black flames flashing across his surface, burning patches appearing on his skin.
The directional soul-calling spell was interrupted, yet the black flames that had already invaded his body did not extinguish but continued to corrode and destroy, causing the little brother immense concern.
The last time the Black Sun Fire Seed entered Lu Yibei’s body, it had already suffered greatly; this time, sensing the aura of the Black Sun Fire Seed, it instinctively thought of hiding alongside several bigwigs.
Would it make the same mistake twice?
Unthinkable! Impossible! It absolutely wouldn’t!
However, the little brother soon realized some things were fated. Just because the bigwigs could evade it didn’t mean it could too. As the black flames spread within Lu Yibei’s body, the two core urban legends and the Hundred-Armed Giant’s power, with no retreat, courageously resisted the flames’ invasion. Yet the Ifrit spirit pattern was engulfed almost instantly as it was surrounded by the black flames.
Then, after a painful struggle and wailing, the little brother suddenly discovered that the black flames seemed to only bring pain and were not enough to destroy it. In fact, after a small amount of fusion, they even granted it some indescribable and subtle changes.
The little brother immediately became jubilant, agitated, and reckless.
You, you, and you, weren’t you the ones who oppressed me before? Not only do you all have to d*e today, but Lu Yibei, this fool of a master, also has to d*e! Get lost!
Thus, by sharing sensory experiences, Lu Yibei had an opportunity to truly feel the uncontrollable spirit pattern after experiencing it through Huasang. The Ifrit spirit pattern, after being suppressed for so long, ultimately mutated in silence—
—
When Lu Yibei began to perform the directional soul-calling spell, the Shuishu Beast did not follow. Instead, it found a soft patch of grass not far away, chose a comfortable position, and lay down quietly, waiting.
Upon hearing the explosion, the Shuishu Beast didn’t take it to heart. It merely lifted its eyelids slightly before continuing to nap, even without moving its body.
Just an explosion, no one’s going to d*e; why panic?
During ritualistic spellcasting or alchemy, explosions were too normal in the eyes of the Shuishu Beast. The Dachunyang Palace disciples, soaking in the Chi Li Hall daily, would cause one or two incidents of coal explosions on average each day; it had long since grown accustomed to it.
But then, it heard a heart-wrenching scream from Lu Yibei, like someone being stabbed eighteen times. The Shuishu Beast thought, “Could he have been injured in the explosion? Ugh, that little cousin is useless!”
It sluggishly got up and followed the direction of Lu Yibei’s scream, leisurely walking over. When it saw Lu Yibei, its robust body stiffened.
Lu Yibei, clad in heavy armor, lay on the ground, convulsing, as thick smoke billowed from the armor’s seams, with glimpses of crimson-black flames bursting out from between the gaps in the armor on his back.
The coat that had long since been unable to bear the heat radiating from Lu Yibei hung in mid-air, anxiously fluttering back and forth. The Shuishu Beast thought, “???”
What is this little cousin doing? Roasting himself in an iron barrel? Why is he thinking like this? (This dog is so foolish!)
After a brief moment of shock, the Shuishu Beast cautiously approached, stretched its neck to sniff Lu Yibei, confirming that he wasn’t fully cooked yet. Then it activated spirit energy, conjured a stream of water, enveloped him, and carried him on its back, rushing toward the rear mountain of the Dachunyang Palace to the Moon Gathering Cave.
If he wasn’t fully cooked yet, that old man should still be able to find a way to save him. However, direct contact was out of the question.
At this moment, Lu Yibei’s body was scorching hot, emanating a scent that the Shuishu Beast found repulsive, and even a significant amount of Night Erosion was wafting off him; the Shuishu Beast didn’t want to touch him at all.
Suddenly, it found itself less fond of this little cousin!
—
In the Moon Gathering Cave of the rear mountain of the Dachunyang Palace, the bright moonlight, like mercury, poured through the window and spilled onto the ground. On a small table in a corner of the cave, a golden incense burner in the shape of a beast head exhaled fragrant smoke.
Zhang Hainan meditated in the lotus position on a tatami mat, bathing in the moonlight, calming his mind, and quietly adjusting his spirit energy to its optimal state.
Giving Lu Yibei a weapon was not difficult for him; the Chi Li Hall forged many spirit energy items each year.
It was also not hard to give him a high-quality sword; the number of high-level spirit energy items accumulated by the Dachunyang Palace over the centuries was quite substantial, especially with the development of alchemy technologies in recent years, leading to many fine products produced every year.
However, it was slightly more challenging to gift Lu Yibei with a weapon that would suit him perfectly, which required a Cataclysm Grade spirit energy item – a “Courageous Heart and Harmonious Melody.”
That was a spirit energy item left behind by an extraordinarily talented predecessor from hundreds of years ago, who excelled in both string instruments and swordsmanship. Its function was straightforward: whoever possessed this item could almost achieve unity with any spirit energy item.
This state was not the same as the fusion that occurred after being corrupted and eroded by the Pink Fluffy Rabbit; it represented a higher level of soul resonance and blending.
To put it simply, it is “one with the sword.”
Although sword spirits and weapon souls scarcely existed, if a spirit energy item produced such things, it would not be far from turning into an urban legend.
Yet spirit energy items indeed had different temperaments.
It was like a racing car; only a driver who had gone through long-term adaptation with it would understand every detail of its high-speed operation, achieving the fastest speed.
This temperament usually hides within the item’s spirit energy fluctuations, extremely faint, detectable only through long-term interaction or exceptional sensitivity to spirit energy.
Just like the hard-to-open heart of an iceberg beauty.
The “Courageous Heart and Harmonious Melody” amplifies and visualizes this “temperament,” allowing any spirit user to understand the “temperament” of spirit energy items in an instant, thus completing the adaptation and maximizing their power.
In fact, if it weren’t for the Pink Fluffy Rabbit’s strange powers and its strong targeting toward items, Zhang Hainan could have possibly suppressed it alone with the “Courageous Heart and Harmonious Melody,” combined with the abundant high-level spirit energy items within the Dachunyang Palace.
The “Courageous Heart and Harmonious Melody” could be considered the most powerful “language” translator for items!
If you are willing and can afford the terrifying spirit energy consumption, you can even use the “Courageous Heart and Harmonious Melody” to hear the “sweet nothings” your plastic little person wife has always wanted to tell you but couldn’t.
Zhang Hainan letting Lu Yibei choose for himself was precisely to use the Courageous Heart and Harmonious Melody to help him find a weapon that resonated well with him, ensuring that he could maximize its power as soon as he laid his hands on it.
As Zhang Hainan adjusted his spirit energy, he awaited Lu Yibei’s arrival, time passing little by little.
In the end, he did not wait for Lu Yibei to show up, but instead felt a familiar spirit energy fluctuation intruding into his perception. “That is….” Zhang Hainan suddenly opened his eyes wide, looking out the window with uncertainty, “That guy dares to show up around the Dachunyang Palace? How bold!”
For a moment, Zhang Hainan sensed the spirit energy fluctuation of the current president of the Solar Eclipse Society.
Although he had never directly interacted with that person, as a guardian of the Siye Society, he had indirectly dealt with him numerous times and was quite familiar with his spirit energy fluctuations.
Hmph, it’s better to come at the right time than to come early! Zhang Hainan scoffed inwardly, darkening his face as he slowly rose from the tatami mat.
Although he felt that someone of the Solar Eclipse Society’s caliber would unlikely come personally to the Dachunyang Palace’s vicinity, at this moment, he had just adjusted his spirit energy to its best state, and with the “Courageous Heart and Harmonious Melody” at hand, he felt utterly unafraid even if that person did appear nearby.
If there was an item held by some minor figure that bore the spirit energy fluctuation of that Solar Eclipse president, then it would be even easier to address. Since they were here, they might as well stay!
