Chapter 10: Fluctuations of Golden Flame (Part 2)

Yu Zhong said, “We’re almost there. I took the shortest route. Hehe, I discovered this path on my own. If it weren’t for that natural talisman array blocking the opening of the talisman gate, I wouldn’t have bothered to find it. There’s no danger at all.” He said proudly—finding this path wasn’t easy.
Guo Shier nodded, secretly relieved. If he hadn’t met Yu Zhong and had to explore on his own, not to mention any potential dangers, it would have taken a very long time to reach the Golden Flame Well.
The group ate something casually and rested for two hours before setting off again.
The temperature around them gradually rose, and they entered a thin layer of red mist. Yu Zhong said, “Stay close to me. It’s easy to get lost here.”
Guo Shier simply created a virtual talisman chain and attached it to Yu Zhong’s altar. Yu Zhong glanced back and couldn’t help but laugh, “There’s no need to be so cautious, haha.”
Ying Mo and Luo Zhan saw Guo Shier create a virtual talisman chain and also made one, attaching it to Guo Shier’s altar. Yao Yao said happily, “This is a good idea. It saves me from having to keep watching.” She too created a virtual talisman chain and attached it to Luo Zhan’s altar. Wu Jing without hesitation created one as well, trying to attach it to Yao Yao’s altar, but it was blocked by the defensive barrier rising from her altar.
Yao Yao huffed, “Stop fiddling around!”
This remark made everyone sweat. It sounded as if she was accusing them men of being flirtatious. No one knew what to say. Wu Jing said with a pained face, “I’m afraid I’ll get lost… Let me fiddle around just once.”
Yao Yao spat and said, “No fiddling allowed!”
Everyone burst into laughter. These two rivals were really amusing.
Wu Jing wouldn’t give up. He created another virtual talisman chain and said, “Just once, okay?” Yao Yao wasn’t really trying to refuse; she just felt embarrassed. She scolded, “What fiddling? It sounds disgusting. No fiddling!” But this time she didn’t set up a defense, allowing the virtual talisman chain to attach to her altar.
Along the way, the two kept arguing, but the others didn’t feel lonely. Listening to their conversation, smiles appeared on everyone’s faces.
Suddenly, Yu Zhong said, “Watch out! We’re almost there!”
Guo Shier perked up. They had finally reached the Golden Flame Well. The journey had been tough, and although they had gained a lot, failing to find the well had left him frustrated. Thankfully, he met Yu Zhong; otherwise, it would have been difficult to get here.

It was as if breaking through a barrier; the soul trembled slightly, and soon the scenery ahead changed dramatically. The entire view was filled with golden flames, but these flames were peculiar—they weren’t burning flames but rather golden lights that resembled flames, truly unique. Yu Zhong said, “This is the Golden Flame, erupting from beneath the earth…” Guo Shier narrowed his eyes and observed for a while before saying, “The Golden Flame Well… So that’s what it means. Hehe.” The Golden Flame was also a type of flame, but it was an intangible flame of the metal element, yet it took on the form of fire—a truly miraculous thing. It was extremely difficult to collect, but this didn’t stump Guo Shier. He possessed the Metal Fiend and Fire Fiend, as well as the Soul-Stabilizing Cauldron and the All-Absorbing Pearl, all of which could help him gather some Golden Flame. This area of Golden Flame covered a vast expanse, and its radiant light turned the entire world a dazzling gold color. No other professionals could be seen here; only six people sat on the altar, waiting quietly. Yu Zhong said, “It happens to be a rest period. Everyone can rest on the altar. Don’t remove the protection. Although the Golden Flame isn’t very powerful, it can burn the soul. We’ll wait for the fluctuations to begin. Usually, the fluctuations last three days. After three days, we’ll retreat inside the talisman array and come out again after another three days.” Guo Shier asked, “Do the fluctuations occur every three days?” Yu Zhong nodded. “That’s right, every three days. Right now, it’s a rest period, so we just need to wait.” Guo Shier laughed, “With so much Golden Flame here, why don’t you collect some?” Ying Mo and Luo Zhan already knew Guo Shier’s temperament—he was the kind to take everything he could, so the two remained calm, acting as if they hadn’t heard anything. Yu Zhong, Wu Jing, and Yao Yao all showed surprised expressions. Yu Zhong asked, “Can you collect the Golden Flame?” Guo Shier replied, “I can collect a little.” Yu Zhong let out a sigh and shook his head. “I can’t. It’s very hard to collect the Golden Flame.” Guo Shier laughed, “Then I won’t be polite. Hehe.” The All-Absorbing Pearl was released, and countless fine threads were sent into the Golden Flame. Since the Pearl already contained Golden Flame threads, it could absorb some of them as a supplement. After a moment, Guo Shier retracted the Pearl and said with a smile, “Not bad, not bad. A good harvest.” Thanks to its powerful decomposition ability, the Pearl quickly condensed hundreds of Golden Flame threads in the flame, replenishing its own deficiencies.

Yu Zhong shook his head in disappointment. He had thought Guo Shier could collect a large amount of Golden Flame, but only a tiny amount was gathered. He said, “Your sacrificial artifact is quite unique—it can condense flames into threads… Uh, this isn’t an offensive artifact; it seems more like one for decomposition…” His eyes were sharp; he immediately recognized the function of the Jiebaina Pearl.

Guo Shier smiled slightly. Without explaining further, he released the Soul-Calming Cauldron. Yu Zhong knew well about the extraordinary power of the Soul-Calming Cauldron, so his gaze narrowed as he asked, “Can this also collect Golden Flame?”

Guo Shier replied, “How can we know unless we try?”

Wu Jing and Yao Yao stared curiously at the Soul-Calming Cauldron. Yu Zhong understood its power—it could intimidate Spirit Beasts and even be released to fight enemies. Its unique appearance was unforgettable, and having suffered from it before, he would never forget it.

The Soul-Calming Cauldron was only the size of a palm and hung above Guo Shier’s head. This time, instead of enlarging it, he conjured a series of virtual talismans. The Soul-Calming Cauldron flew out and plunged straight into the Golden Flame. Guo Shier gave a soft command, “Start!”

Everyone watched intently, barely seeing the Cauldron swirl with countless colored lights as it absorbed a vast amount of Golden Flame in an instant. Guo Shier smiled and said, “Good luck!” It was more than just good luck—in that single moment, a large amount of Golden Flame flowed into the Cauldron, mixing with the Golden Fiendfire and the Fiendfire, causing the Cauldron to glow with golden light.

Guo Shier was secretly amazed by the effect of the Golden Flame. The entire Cauldron was slowly absorbing it, and he noticed it becoming even more solid. His heart stirred, and he immediately sent out more virtual talismans to begin refining it. Even the old master Shuai was shocked. He asked, “Are you refining the Soul-Calming Cauldron?”

Guo Shier’s soul trembled slightly as he replied, “Yes. This kind of Golden Flame can affect the Cauldron’s structure. I’m trying to refine it.”

The old master Shuai said, “I’ll assist you.”

The two conjured virtual talismans together to carry out the refinement. As for using sacrificial offerings, it was simple—the Soul-Calming Cauldron contained countless Spirit Beasts that could be chosen at any time.

Seeing the old master Shuai’s upper body exposed as he worked with Guo Shier to refine the Cauldron, Wu Jing and Yao Yao showed extreme envy on their faces. Yao Yao couldn’t help but whisper, “Sacrificial spirits… There are actually sacrificial spirits…”

Guo Shier found that after being refined by the Golden Flame, the space inside the Soul Calming Cauldron had grown wildly again. Within just over ten minutes, the space inside it had more than doubled. What was once nearly a million Spirit Beasts living there, causing slight overcrowding, was now more than sufficient. The space used for storing items inside the Cauldron had also doubled, much to the joy of the old man.

Under the influence of the Golden Flame, the Golden Fiend and the Fire Fiend inside the Cauldron gradually became purer. Even more strangely, the Fiend Soul Beasts began to mutate as well. After absorbing the Golden Flame, they began to glow, with runes flashing across their bodies as they started to absorb the Golden Flame rapidly.

Guo Shier was overjoyed. He had always wanted to expand the space of the Soul Calming Cauldron and had used countless precious materials with little success. Unexpectedly, after being refined by the Golden Flame, the entire space inside the Cauldron had more than doubled, leaving him extremely delighted.

Yu Zhong watched curiously. He noticed the Cauldron absorbing the Golden Flame, with its color changing slightly. He murmured, “It can really absorb the Golden Flame… and even refine it. Interesting.”

Boom!

A thunderous sound erupted. Yu Zhong’s expression turned serious as he shouted, “The fluctuations are starting! Quickly retrieve the sacred artifact!”

Guo Shier was almost done with the refinement but didn’t have time to retrieve it right away. He said, “Spread out! I need a little more time. It’ll be quick…”

Everyone dispersed along the edge of the Golden Flame, sitting on the altar about ten meters apart, waiting. Guo Shier stepped back slightly and, together with the old man, frantically conjured virtual talismans to refine the Soul Calming Cauldron.

Suddenly, the Golden Flame fluctuated, as if the flames were stirred by a strong wind.

At that moment, Guo Shier finished the refinement. He reached out, trying to retrieve the Soul Calming Cauldron.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Like a heartbeat, the entire expanse of the Golden Flame began to fluctuate rhythmically. Before the Cauldron could fly out of the flame, it was trapped by these fluctuations. Guo Shier cast several more virtual talismans but was shocked to find that he couldn’t retrieve the Cauldron. Panicked, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He urgently said, “Old man… we’re in big trouble!”

Yu Zhong and the others sat upright on the altar, the fluctuations impacting their souls. Yu Zhong understood that as long as they could withstand these impacts, their souls would gradually grow stronger.

Guo Shier and the old man kept conjuring virtual talismans, trying to retrieve the Soul Calming Cauldron. Suddenly, the old man shouted, “Kid, ignore the Cauldron for now! These fluctuations will harm your soul… Be careful!”

Waves of golden flames fluctuated, gradually invading the soul. Guo Shier felt dizzy and dared not continue. Anxiously, he sat down and began to use his soul power to resist the fluctuations.

Shuai Laotou sank straight into the altar. As a soul being, he was even more sensitive to such fluctuations.

The Soul Calming Cauldron rose and fell amidst the golden flames. As the fluctuations grew stronger, it seemed to be resisting this invasion. Neither Guo Shier nor Shuai Laotou knew that there was also a faint fluctuation within the Cauldron—originating from the object taken from the peak of the Great Abyss Bone Mountain. That object had also begun to fluctuate, causing the entire Cauldron to tremble. With each fluctuation, the Cauldron grew larger.

Yu Zhong and the others struggled hard to resist the fluctuations invading their souls, closing their eyes and enduring the pain. Previously, Yu Zhong had explained in detail the special fluctuations of the Golden Flame Well and the methods to defend against them. This was a rare method of soul training that only advanced professionals could endure and benefit from—especially those on the verge of leveling up, as it greatly strengthened their souls.

Guo Shier was also resisting the fluctuations and gradually realizing its benefits. These fluctuations were like a duel between two people, where one improved their strength through constant attack and defense. Unlike the Soul Scripture, which was like training alone, Guo Shier felt the benefits more profoundly. For now, he couldn’t focus on the Soul Calming Cauldron. The golden flame fluctuations also posed dangers; if one couldn’t resist them, their soul would suffer severe damage. That’s why lower-level altar-level professionals couldn’t come here to train.

Guo Shier, Eagle Demon, Luo Zhan, Yu Zhong, Wu Jing, and Yao Yao fought hard to resist the golden flame fluctuations. Among them, Yu Zhong, Wu Jing, and Yao Yao handled it with ease—they hadn’t come here for the first time. Guo Shier’s soul was already exceptionally strong. Although he was a bit flustered at first, after adapting for a while, he was able to fight back effortlessly.

Eagle Demon and Luo Zhan found it slightly difficult, but they weren’t in danger and gradually adapted to the attacks of the golden flame fluctuations.

By the next day, the golden flame fluctuations had become even stronger. Everyone had fully adapted and showed signs of joy as they strived to enhance their soul strength.

Yu Zhong accidentally opened his eyes and saw something unbelievable. A giant cauldron stood amidst the golden flames, over 300 meters tall. The cauldron emitted streams of colored light, and its immense presence made Yu Zhong’s heart pound. He cried out, “This… this is…”

Book 38: Fated Rivals