Ying Huo was done refining a brief moment later. Tianming asked, âWas it successful?â
âI failed!â Ying Huo sighed.
âYou spicy chicken. Youâre so useless that I canât even look at you,â Tianming said with disdain.
âHaha! Look at that stupid face of yours! I canât wait to see you slapping your own face!â Ying Huo laughed while holding its belly.
âWhat do you mean?â
âI succeeded! Haha!â
âScrew you, idiot!â Tianming slapped Ying Huoâs head and sent it into the mud. Ying Huo had awakened a new ability, Infernal Blaze. Tianming tried getting the bird to give it a try, but the ability couldnât be used for the time being; it needed time to acc.u.mulate. But it could gather all the saint ki in its body into a spark and gather it on the tip of its feather.
âI can tear their bodies apart with Skypiercer Ki and inject a spark of Infernal Blaze into their body before igniting it from inside the body. Itâs definitely a one hit kill!â Ying Huo placed its wings on its waist and laughed, âTianming, can you imagine me injecting the Infernal Blaze into your balls and igniting it? Just how wonderful would that be? Lingâer would wash her face with tears daily if she saw that.â
âHaha. I want to eat fried chicken wings,â Tianming sneered. But he had to admit that Ying Huoâs new ability was terrifying. The only downside was that it needed time to acc.u.mulate. They continued on their journey.
Not long later, the stars began gathering on the Deepstar Formation and formed words.
âWhatâs that?â
âThatâs the top hundred rankings in the Battle of Astral, and itâll show once a day. In the last three days, it can always be seen.â Tianming raised his head. He had defeated three people, so he should have three points now.
The hundredth rank had five points, which belonged to Xuanyuan Cangcang. He got five points together with many others, but they were ranked in sequential order. Then again, this was only the first day.
âThe first rank, Xuanyuan Muxue, has forty-one points? The second only has fourteen points? How can anyone catch up to her?â Ying Huo was speechless.
âMaybe she just happened to defeat opponents on the ranking,â said Tianming.
âWhat about Fang Xingque?â
âThirty-eight.â Tianming found Fang Xingqueâs ranking. He and Ying Huo exchanged a glance before they laughed. The number fitted him well, as thirty-eight also meant bitch.
âNo rush. Letâs go cultivate in the Old Deepstar Path.â Tianming triggered his Deepstar Formation and a middle-aged man appeared roughly thirty breaths later. âDo you want to leave the battlefield for the time being?â
âYes, senior.â
The middle-aged man waved the Star Hooking Rod in his hand and wrapped it around Tianming, then pulled him out of the Deepstar Formation. His voice then echoed out by Tianmingâs ears, âYouâre not allowed to leave for more than four hours. Furthermore, youâll be randomly teleported the next time you enter.â
Tianming appeared in the sky of the Deepstar Formation and returned to the Archaion Sect. After he returned, he headed to the Old Deepstar Path right away. The Number One Pavilion was right along the route to the Earth Branchâs Old Deepstar Path, so he went to take a look at his home. But he couldnât find anyone when he returned home.
âWhy isnât she cleaning up the place? Whereâd she go?â Tianming looked around before he found someone in the hot spring. A woman was showering, and she was naturally Lin Xiaoxiao.
âArggh!!â a girl yelled out.
âWhat the hell are you screaming for? Arenât you wearing clothes?â Tianming stared at her. She was wearing clothes, but not much.
Lin Xiaoxiao fiddled around before she came out with her clothes on and looked at him furiously, âDidnât you say that you werenât coming back for a month? Whatâs the matter? You were eliminated?â
âNope.â Tianming glared at her. âYouâre here as a maid, but youâre staying in my house and even bathing in my hot spring. Iâm outside risking my life, yet youâre enjoying your life here....â
âYou also didnât say that Iâm not allowed to do that!â
Tianming had only come to take a look, and he no longer cared about it, seeing that she had settled down. âIâll be leaving now.â
âYou coming back?â
âNo. Iâm heartbroken that my maid is taking a bath in my hot spring as she wishes!â
âOh.â
Tianming left in the blink of an eye.
âHeâs concerned about you. He must be after your body,â the Archaionfiend suggested.
âYouâre only saying that because you have no idea how beautiful his lover is.â Lin Xiaoxiao curled her lips. She then suddenly thought of someone and asked, âBy the way, whereâs Feiling?â
......n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Tianming came to Oldwind Street after he came out of the Old Deepstar Path.
âBig Sister, Iâll sell back Brightnight. I need money,â Tianming said when he found Jian Xueyi in the Snowrites Sword Pavilion.
âOh? It was seven hundred tribulation crystals, right?â Jian Xueyi was absentminded as she counted seven hundred tribulation crystals.
âFive hundred will do.â Tianming returned two hundred tribulation crystals to her.
âAt least youâre sensible!â Jian Xueyi winked, then continued, âHope you get a good result in the Deepstar Battlefield.â
Jian Xueyi then put Brightnight away. After all, she still had to rely on this wealthy husband.
âThank you, Big Sister.â Tianming observed Jian Xueyi and asked, âWhy do you seem unhappy?â
âMy uncle passed away, and his murderer still hasnât been found,â Jian Xueyi lamented.
âSenior Jian Binghe?â Tianming asked.
âYeah. You even met him that day. His corpse was found after the faction battle ended. His life was instantly taken, along with his lifebound beasts. There arenât any clues pointing to the murderer at all,â said Jian Xueyi.
âThe murderer is powerful?â
âYeah. Most importantly, my uncle didnât have any enemies, and he never offended anyone,â Jian Xueyi said with watery eyes.
âThe Archaion Sect is so dangerous? Even someone as powerful as your uncle was killed?â
âYeah.â Jian Xueyi bit her lip and continued, âTianming, my parents said that the other eight divine realms were stirring when Her Eminence returned. Chaos might unfold soon, and we should be concerned about it.â
âWhat do you mean?â
âThe other divine realms were afraid of her when she returned but when they heard she would need to cultivate again to become a god, a war might unfold to kill her to prevent it,â said Jian Xueyi.
âOh, got it.â Tianming pursed his lips together and said, âBig Sister, Iâll be leaving now. I have something else to do.â
âBe careful.â
âAlright!â
Tianming looked at the sky after leaving the Snowrites Sword Pavilion. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before quickening his pace. âIâll kill anyone who wants to touch Lingâer. If the world wants to kill her, Iâll butcher the entire world for her!â
......
At the Heaven Cauldron in the Heaven Branch, Tianming spent five hundred tribulation crystals on a bottle of Hibiscus Spiritwine.
The wine was expensive, and it was definitely the best since he paid five hundred tribulation crystals for it. But it was only a small bottle.
âSenior Ouyang, Iâm here to show respect to you.â Tianming climbed up the Heaven Cauldron and stood before Ouyang Jianwang.
âDonât call me that. Youâre making me seem old. Just call me Big Brother Ouyang.â Ouyang Jianwangâs eyes lit up when he saw the bottle of wine. He naturally knew what kind of wine it was.
âBig Brother Ouyang...â
âHaha, the Hibiscus Spiritwine! Come, letâs enjoy it together,â said Ouyang Jianwang.
âAlright. Iâll pour you a cup.â
âBrat, you really know your manners.â Ouyang Jianwang was floating when he saw the wine. With that, Tianming and Ouyang Jianwang sat on the Heaven Cauldron, drinking.
âGreat wine! How can there not be any good poems? This is a good scene here, so why donât we have a poetry battle?â Ouyang Jianwang chuckled.
âPlease enlighten me.â Tianming cupped his hands together.
Ouyang Jianwang pondered briefly, then recited, âListen carefully. A thousand cups of wine isnât too much when friends meet, drinking as much as you possibly can!â
âGood one!â Tianming started clapping.
âI apologize for embarrassing myself. Come, itâs your turn now,â Ouyang Jianwang said humbly.
âItâs difficult.â Tianming scratched his head and pondered for a long time, then recited, âSeeking him hundreds and thousands of times, try taking two steps if youâre fine.â
âBrilliant! Absolutely brilliant! It looks like youâre pretty talented yourself.â Ouyang Jianwang gulped down a cup of wine. He felt the pressure and swayed his head for a long time before slapping his thigh. âAsking the world what love is, love is when two apes are weeping on two cliffs!â
âBrilliant! Thatâs a brilliant one too!â Tianming exclaimed.
âThank you. Itâs your turn now,â Ouyang Jianwang said proudly.
âThen Iâll be embarrassing myself once more. The birds flying in the sky, flying in their own direction when danger approaches!â
âNot bad. Hereâs one from me: Heaven has aged if it has love, humans die faster if theyâre too affectionate!â Ouyang Jianwang produced poems while shaking his head.
âThe emperor and his mistress remove their war robes, spending the night with hibiscus warming the bed!â Tianming threw out an ultimate poem.
âAsking the emperor about his worries, going to the brothel with eunuchs!â Ouyang Jianwang gave the final one.
âHaha, Big Brother Ouyang is simply a genius. I donât have any more poems that can match yours!â Tianming raised his hands in defeat.
âHaha, youâre pretty talented yourself. Itâs good that you almost tied with me. Youâll surpass me in time!â Ouyang Jianwang said happily and clinked glasses with Tianming again. âGo ahead. What do you need me to do?â
âBig Brother Ouyang, I wish to visit the Archaionfiend Trial.â Tianming raised his head with his eyes blazing.
âThe Archaionfiend Trial? Thatâs where the Trioptic True Dragon Branch tempers their third eye and practices their eye art. Ordinary people wonât be able to endure the Archaionfiend Eyeâs impact,â said Ouyang Jianwang.
âI also have a third eye,â Tianming said, stretching out his left hand. His third eye was mysterious, but there were many mysteries in the nine divine realms. He believed that there was no need for him to keep his third eye a secret with Feiling backing him up.
âHoly shit!â Ouyang Jianwang widened his eyes. âYou scared me there. I thought your anus grew on your hand there.â
His words left Tianming speechless.
âAlright. Seeing that youâre a poetry friend of mine, Iâll submit an application for you to the Tribulation Peak. But youâll probably have to wait some time for the approval. Iâll get Old Yi to inform you when the time comes,â Ouyang Jianwang said with a smile.
Tribulation Peak was an organization that could contend with the three sect masters, and they also supervised the three sect masters.
âThank you, Senior.â
âCall me Big Brother.â
âAlrighty, Big Brother....â