Chapter 4: DrawingFulu Fire (Part 1) Fire (Part 1)

That vortex was drawn up by Qi Wu Zhen’s altar. Initially spinning downward, as the altar rose, the vortex gradually bulged upward, as if being sucked up by it. The flame ball suspended above the vortex also rose, ending up above the altar. When the altar reached great heights, the entire scene was absolutely spectacular.
The hollow formed by the vortex gradually disappeared, but the vortex itself continued to rise, forming a magma cone resembling a small mountain. The magma on the ground was drawn in and rose upward along with the vortex’s rotation.
The entire landscape had completely changed. The nearby volcanoes collapsed under the force of the spinning magma, like small mounds in a flood that vanished with just a gentle wave.
Once the volcanoes were flattened, the magma gushed out even faster and in greater quantities, but it was impossible to see it within the swirling magma flow. The surface of the magma lake seemed to be stirred by an invisible giant hand, with the rumbling sound growing louder and louder.
Strands ofFulu Fire (Part 1) fire were squeezed out of the magma and quickly merged into the flame ball already high in the sky. By this point, the flame ball had a diameter of hundreds of meters, resembling a small sun, emitting blinding light and intense heat waves.
Compared to the flame ball in the air and the magma cone mountain, Qi Wu Zhen in the middle appeared extremely small. Even though her altar had ten layers, it still seemed tiny.
Guo Shier was speechless. Every time he saw Qi Wu Zhen go all out, he felt it was unreal. If he had witnessed this scene in his past life, he would never have believed it was created by humans.
As for Luo Jie, Qi Nan Shan, and the others, including Xian Wu Zong and Lin Hong, they were all stunned into silence. The only one whose expression remained unchanged was Halechi. After all, he was a true expert with an eight-layer altar. Unlike Luo Jie and Qi Nan Shan, who advanced through soul altars, he had broad knowledge and formidable strength, allowing him to understand Qi Wu Zhen’s tactics.
Luo Jie’s knowledge might not be much greater than Guo Shier’s. His rapid advancement had caused him to miss many things, so he needed time to learn slowly.
Qi Nan Shan exclaimed, “It’s fucking incredible!”
Suddenly, Qi Wu Zhen said, “Back off a bit!”
Guo Shier immediately flew away. He never doubted Qi Wu Zhen’s words, knowing that staying put could be life-threatening.
Only after flying more than 2,000 meters did he hover in the air, activating his defenses and even deploying his Umbrella Tower Sacrificial Treasure to enhance protection.

Hundreds of kilometers in every direction were filled with flames and magma, forming a vast sea of fiery red. The waves surged rapidly in one direction, driven by an immense invisible force, giving rise to flame-magma mountains over a thousand meters high. The mountains continued to rise, with the magma on them still moving in the same direction.

Qi Wu Zhen cast spells one after another, unleashing countless virtual talismans that struck the flame balls not far above their heads. The talisman flames drawn from below continued to rush toward the flame balls. As they moved through the air, the talisman flames intertwined with each other, and by the time they reached the flame balls, they had condensed into streams as thick as fists, which were quickly sucked in by the flame balls.

Guo Shier and the others were pushed further and further away by the rolling heat waves. These waves contained countless tiny talisman flames with extreme corrosive power. Even though they were riding on altars, they found it difficult to withstand them.

Ying Mo, Luo Zhan, and Nan You retreated even further. Their strength was weaker, making it hard for them to resist these heat waves filled with tiny talisman flames. As for the three members of the Fire Sect—Xian Wu Zong, Lin Hong, and that Great Sage—they had already retreated to a place out of sight. If they stayed here any longer, they might die in those heat waves.

Only Luo Jie and Qi Nan Shan showed signs of joy. Unconsciously, the two released their black Soul Flames, absorbing the power of the talisman flames to make their own Soul Flames, or black flames, even more powerful.

Wang Ke’er hovered beside Guo Shier and asked, “Shier, is Sister Zhen refining talisman flames?”

Guo Shier shook his head. “I don’t know. Sister Zhen uses a fire-type altar and is better at playing with fire than anyone else. I never expected her to be able to draw so many talisman flames from the underground magma. It’s incredible.”

Wang Ke’er said, “I once visited a secret realm where talisman flames abounded, covering the ground densely… Unfortunately, high-quality purple talisman flames were extremely rare. It took me hundreds of days to collect just seventeen purple talisman flames. If I had Sister Zhen’s ability… I could obtain countless high-quality ones.”

As Qi Wu Zhen refined the countless virtual talismans, the flame ball gradually took on a faint purple glow. Guo Shier narrowed his eyes and said, “It really is purifying purple talisman flames… Look, that flame already has a purple hue!”

Wang Ke’er exclaimed, “Wow, it’s really purple…”

Purple ritual fire is an essential item for any practitioner, whether for refining sacrificial treasures or constructing altars. It is indispensable. Using other types of ritual fire not only reduces efficiency but often yields unsatisfactory results. Guo Shier also lacks purple ritual fire now.
Qi Wu Zhen used some unknown method—one after another, purple ritual fires flew out, resembling purple flowers. This form shattered Guo Shier’s preconceptions about purple ritual fire.
As more and more purple ritual fires were drawn out—tens of thousands in total—the flame sphere gradually shrank, from hundreds of meters to dozens of meters, then to seven or eight meters. It no longer appeared purple but emitted a blinding white light.
Qi Wu Zhen chuckled lightly. Her figure and the altar vanished abruptly. The white light lost its support and crashed down, hitting the peak of the rotating magma mountain.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion shattered the entire magma mountain. The rotating force did not dissipate; with the explosion, countless streams of magma sprayed in all directions, some even reaching where Guo Shier and the others were in the air.
The collapsing magma mountain created a wave of magma dozens of meters high, spreading outward in circles. Like a tsunami, this massive wave of magma rapidly destroyed everything in its path, sweeping away everything in its fury.
Seeing the huge magma mountain collapse, Guo Shier and the others immediately teleported away. Everyone knew how deadly it was—there was no way to resist; quick evasion was the only option.
Qi Wu Zhen reappeared not far away, looking pleased. She packed away the altar and flew to Guo Shier’s side, smiling. “I didn’t expect there to be such a huge layer of underground magma here. Hehe, it’s been a great find. It’s hard to find a continent like this unless you’re lucky.”
Within a thousand miles, everything was destroyed by the magma streams, leaving behind a vast sea of magma.
The group moved at great speed and soon left the area covered by the magma sea. Qi Wu Zhen stopped and said, “Shier, I have to go… Ah, by the way, I’ll give these to you.” Aside from Halechi and Wang Keer, as well as the three from the Fire Sect, everyone present received a few purple ritual fires. Guo Shier got a bit more—twelve in total.
With just one glance, Guo Shier knew there were twelve. His eyes widened in surprise: What does this mean?

Qi Wuzhen smiled and blinked, saying, “Remember what I told you before. Come to me when the time comes.” With that, he tore open a space and left. Halechi hurried after him, saying, “Guo Shier, hope we can meet again someday.”
Wang Keer waved his hand and rushed into the crack as well. If they wasted time and the crack closed, it would be disastrous—people would be torn to pieces.
Luo Jie stared at the crack until it disappeared before saying, “That woman… Sigh, I’ve lived all this long for nothing.”
Qi Nanshan laughed and said, “Stop sighing. She’s a being beyond the Ninth-Level Altar—far beyond what we can imagine. Thankfully, she’s not our enemy. Hehe, if she were our enemy, we’d better run away right away.”
Luo Jie nodded. He admitted he wasn’t as good as Qi Wuzhen, but he added, “Don’t worry. Sooner or later, we’ll reach that level too, and it won’t take long!”
Guo Shier knew Luo Jie was right. The Black Talisman people’s progress was astonishing. Their only obstacle to growth was chaotic souls. Once that problem was solved, reaching the Ninth-Level Altar would be easy—though it would require killing many people.
Eagle Demon asked, “Shier, are we going to the Fire Sect?”
Guo Shier replied, “Why go to the Fire Sect? There’s no one there anymore. Master Kumu and Masteress Monier have left, and Dingding hasn’t returned either. Hehe, let’s go back to the Chenxiao Sect. There’s nothing worth staying for here.”
Luo Jie asked, “Why go to the Chenxiao Sect?”
Guo Shier smiled bitterly. “Master, you don’t know. Our North Talisman Sect allied itself with the Chenxiao Sect a long time ago. I led some people from the North Talisman Sect to establish a small family within the Chenxiao Sect.” He sighed. “But I rarely stayed there. I left right after the family was formed. Many years have passed.”
Luo Jie was stunned. He turned to Qi Nanshan and asked, “Nanshan, you never told me this.”
Qi Nanshan smiled bitterly. “I’m not exactly sure about the details either. How about we go to the Chenxiao Sect first? Besides, who are we afraid of now? The Gu Xi Long family was completely destroyed by us. If the Chenxiao Sect dares to cause trouble, hehe, destroying them shouldn’t be hard at all.”
Once, the Chenxiao Sect was like a towering mountain. Standing at its foot, they could only look up at it. But now they had far surpassed it. Looking back, that towering mountain had become just a small mound.

Guo Shier shook his head and said, “I believe… they won’t bully my family.” He knew that Monier’s father was the leader of the Chenxiao Sect. Even if they were dismissive due to their long absence, they would never harm his family. Besides, with the chubby Zhu Juan around, things should be taken care of to some extent.

Playing with the exquisitely delicate purple talisman fire—a purple flower like glass, about the size of a small rice bowl—with layers of flames trapped inside and a slightly warm touch, Guo Shier sent the purple talisman fire to the altar with a thought. The handsome old man exclaimed, “Amazing! The purple talisman fire can be purified to such a degree!”

Guo Shier’s soul trembled slightly. “Twelve of them… given to me by my real sister.”

The handsome old man was stunned, then burst into wild laughter—of course, it was his soul shaking. That laughter almost drove Guo Shier crazy, but he couldn’t explain it, so he could only let the old man mock him.

Luo Jie said, “Shier, you take charge of the team.”

Guo Shier didn’t refuse. Even when he was still a low-level professional, Luo Jie and the others were used to following his commands. He said, “I have a grand interdimensional talisman that can take us straight to the Chenxiao Sect.” He had several coordinates for the sect, one of which was not far from its outskirts.

Opening the talisman gate, Guo Shier said, “Let’s go home!”

…

In the mountainous area outside the Chenxiao Sect, a small talisman gate appeared, and several people stepped out.

As soon as Guo Shier left the gate, he flew high into the sky. Eagle Demon followed closely behind. He asked, “Is this the outskirts of the Chenxiao Sect?” Guo Shier nodded silently, staring into the distance. “Uncle Eagle Demon, I feel a bit uneasy…” That was probably how he felt—nervous upon returning home.

Eagle Demon smiled and said, “Anyway, we’re finally back.”

Guo Shier said, “Many years have passed… I don’t know what changes there might be.”

Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan also flew up. Luo Zhan and Nan You came out last and followed upward.

Luo Jie asked, “Is this the Chenxiao Sect?”

Guo Shier replied, “This is just the outskirts. Master, Grandpa Nanshan, let’s go!” The group followed him toward the Chenxiao Sect.

Soon, they arrived at the location of the talisman array outside the sect. Guo Shier was surprised to find that no one came to investigate, nor was there any talisman array defense. Muttering to himself, he continued flying forward. A dozen seconds later, they saw the entrance platform of the Chenxiao Sect.

Guo Shier transformed into a red glow, which flickered slightly before appearing above the platform. In horror, he realized that half of the platform had collapsed, and not a single figure was in sight.
Luo Jie noticed Guo Shier’s expression change and asked, “Shier, what’s wrong?”
Eagle Demon said, “Damn it, what happened here?”
Guo Shier summoned his altar and rushed toward the Chenxiao Sect. Qi Nanshan said, “Let’s follow—something might be wrong with the Chenxiao Sect.” They immediately followed. Eagle Demon, Luo Zhan, and Nan You also summoned their altars, while Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan whispered to each other before flying over as well.
The Chenxiao Sect had turned into ruins. Guo Shier went straight to the small valley where his family lived, which was also in ruins, with not a single person in sight. He slowly landed, standing in front of the broken walls, his face pale and unsteady. He muttered to himself, “What’s going on?”
For a moment, Guo Shier was utterly confused, staring at the scene before him at a loss.
Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan quickly circled the Chenxiao Sect before returning. Luo Jie said, “There are no survivors.”
Eagle Demon said, “There are many bones here!” he called out from not far away.
Guo Shier flashed slightly and arrived at a collapsed courtyard. Many white bones were scattered all over the ground. Then Luo Zhan also called out, “There are bones here too!”
Soon, hundreds of bones were found. Guo Shier’s face turned ashen. “Who did this?” He sat on his altar, as if all his strength had been drained. His heart pounded like a drum, his eyes filled with fury, and he was filled with extreme hatred.
Luo Jie asked, “Shier, who are the people in your family?”
Guo Shier’s body turned cold, as if hot oil had been poured over his heart, causing extreme pain. After a long while, he said, “They were all brought here from Beifu Gate… Ah… Ah…” He couldn’t help but scream loudly.
Luo Jie and the others’ expressions changed. People from Beifu Gate? What would happen to Beifu Gate then?
Nan You said, “Shier, calm down…”
Guo Shier put away his altar and paced around, cursing, “I… how can I calm down? Damn it! Damn it!” His eyes were red, as if he were ready to attack anyone.
Nan You shook his head, knowing it was impossible to persuade him at this moment, and stepped aside, staying silent.
Luo Jie said, “Shier, let’s return to Beifu Gate!”

Guo Shier was stunned. If this place couldn’t be saved, then Beifu Gate would also be in trouble. Anxiety began to set in, and he said, “Let’s go back!” With a pale face, he quickly opened the magic gate and stepped inside. Luo Jie and the others followed one after another.

Guo Shier had set Beifu Gate’s coordinates in Luo Jie’s manor.

As soon as he emerged from the magic gate, Guo Shier flew into the air. The sight before him made his heart even colder. Entire Beifu Gate had been destroyed; wild grass and trees covered the ground, hiding the ruined buildings. It was unclear how much time had passed—Beifu Gate was almost completely gone.

Luo Jie and Qi Nanshan came out, both shocked. Like Chenxiao Sect, Beifu Gate had been utterly destroyed, with not a single person in sight.

Nan You stared at the ground for a while before saying, “This place must have been very prosperous once.”

Ying Mo and Luo Zhan’s faces turned ashen. Ying Mo could still hold his ground, but Luo Zhan was trembling all over. Gritting his teeth, he asked, “Who did this?”

The group flew around once before landing back on the ground.

Luo Jie looked grim. He was more composed than Guo Shier. Qi Nanshan tried to comfort him, saying, “Maybe they moved away, or maybe they were taken captive. As long as they’re not dead… we can find a way.”