The Crimson Flame Altar
A colossal, seemingly indestructible altar trembled violently. Both the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox and Xiao Hui, standing on the third level of the Crimson Flame Altar, were jolted to the side by the sudden, immense force. Yet, as they were spiritual beasts, they quickly regained their balance.
In the deep darkness ahead, a dark red light gradually grew brighter, faintly revealing the figure of Ghost Li.
The Crimson Flame Chain bound around the waist of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox began to glow, transitioning from a deep, dark red to a vivid, almost fiery color. From afar, it seemed as if fine streams of flame were burning within the strange metallic chain.
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox let out a low groan, a hint of pain in its eyes. Xiao Hui, standing beside it, looked at the fox and then turned his gaze towards the shadowy figure in the darkness.
The dark red light intensified, illuminating the stone platform in front of Ghost Li. The Crimson Flame Mirror was placed upon the stone, and there was a sense of silent, furious screams, as if filled with both anger and rage!
The ancient flame totem in the center of the Crimson Flame Mirror slowly flickered, like a flame burning fiercely!
*Boom!*
Suddenly, a loud rumble echoed from beneath them. In an instant, a searing heat surged upward from the Crimson Flame Altar, transforming the previously cold third level into a realm of blazing fire.
Surrounding chunks of ice began to melt and disintegrate. The crystals, once glowing with a beautiful, ethereal blue, continued to shine even as they vanished, casting an eerie, flickering light.
The entire space was a rare, mesmerizing spectacle, filled with the roar of the heat and the silent, graceful dance of the melting ice. Xiao Hui turned his head, blinking his three eyes and grinning, his gaze fixed on the scene. The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, however, paid no attention to the marvels of heat and cold behind it, its eyes fixed solely on Ghost Li in the red light.
As the strange light from the flame totem grew brighter, the massive Crimson Flame Chain began to emit a cracking sound. The chain itself shone more brightly, as if it were about to ignite. At the same time, the pain in the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s eyes intensified, and even the fur around its waist, where the chain was bound, began to turn yellowish and charred.
The temperature rose higher and higher. A great roaring sound began to emanate from the altar, sounding like the tumultuous, surging magma of a volcano.
Amidst the rumbling and the flashing of strange lights, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox suddenly shuddered. Its head jerked sharply, breaking its gaze from Ghost Li and turning to look behind.
From a distant place, beyond the turbulent, magnificent clamor, a long, angry howl echoed, filled with fury and astonishment, rapidly approaching!
The expression on the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox changed drastically, its eyes filled with anxiety. It whirled around, about to say something…
*Boom!*
A muffled sound erupted at that moment.
The stone platform in front of Ghost Li, under the mysterious power of the Crimson Flame Mirror, emitted a deep, reluctant rumble as it slowly sank downward. The Crimson Flame Mirror, too, floated up from the platform, hovering in mid-air, radiating a pure, red light.
As the platform descended, the surrounding stone walls began to tremble, deep cracks appearing one after another. The deeply embedded Crimson Flame Chain also started to shake, growing increasingly violent. When the seventh crack appeared, a resounding boom filled the air. The once invincible chain, now like a lifeless snake, lost all its luster and fell from the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s waist, clattering to the ground.
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, amidst the chaos of ice and fire, light and darkness, let out a long, mournful howl!
The sound, sharp and far-reaching, melded with the angry roar of the volcanic eruption, rising high and unceasing!
In that instant, as if provoked by the raging flames, the surging heat beneath their feet roared, the ground beneath them rumbled, and the solid stone plates cracked.
Ghost Li grabbed the Crimson Flame Mirror and stowed it away, turning to walk back. Xiao Hui chirped twice and leapt onto his shoulder.
White smoke rapidly gathered around the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, thickening instantly and enveloping its white fox body. Moments later, a strange rustling sound emerged, and amidst the ever-increasing heat, the smoke gradually revealed a human form.
Her hands, pale as jade, glowed faintly transparent under the intense heat, as if blood flowed gently within. Her smooth, flawless shoulders undulated softly, like gentle peaks in this violent world, so mysterious and out of place.
Ghost Li could not make out the features of the woman, nor did he have the time to do so.
Like a dormant volcano finally erupting, the earth beneath them shook violently, everything collapsing, the air scorching hot, even the breath turning to flame.
A tremendous roar boomed from deep within the earth, the already fragile stone slabs crumbling and falling. A green light flashed, and Ghost Li, with a stern expression, leaped into the air. From the white mist surrounding the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, her voice came:
“Up there!”
Without a second thought, Ghost Li flew upwards. As expected, moments later, the hard stone ceiling above began to crumble and fall. Ghost Li dodged through the falling debris, while Xiao Hui clung tightly to his clothes, chattering. The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, enveloped in a cloud of white mist, followed Ghost Li skyward.
Below, the searing magma burst through all obstacles, forming a gigantic pillar of fire that chased them.
The entire Incense Valley was instantly engulfed in a red, fiery glow, and all who witnessed it gazed in shock at the towering column of flame.
Even the dark clouds in the sky were pierced by the earth’s might!
Starting from the center of the fire pillar, the black clouds turned to the color of flames, as if the sky itself had become a sea of fire.
Moments later, burning ashes, huge stones, and charred remains rained down from the heavens, some black, some still burning, like a doomsday rain of sorrow!
No one could see Ghost Li or the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox. Even the red-eyed eagles, once patrolling the skies, fled in terror, no longer capable of tracking.
For a moment, the Incense Valley fell silent, the occasional shriek the only sound, even the fish people stunned by the cataclysmic display.
Only at the base of the Crimson Flame Altar, where the fire pillar ended, did a furious, howling voice carry over the distance!
Far away, the enormous, terrifying fire pillar had disappeared, and the earth gradually calmed. In the sky, a giant black hole remained, the clouds around it charred and tinged with a bizarre, golden hue.
After flying a great distance from the Incense Valley, Ghost Li landed on a secluded hilltop, where the trees were dense and provided cover. Even if the people of the Incense Valley tried to track them, it would take a considerable effort. Moreover, the vast area surrounding the Incense Valley made tracking difficult.
He landed, the green light flashing and disappearing, and heard the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox land behind him. Ghost Li stood still, not turning around.
There was no sound behind him either.
After a moment, Ghost Li spoke softly, “Do you need clothes?”
Unexpectedly, the voice behind him took on a soft, coquettish tone: “Yes, thank you, sir.”
Ghost Li took off his outer garment and tossed it behind him, without turning. Xiao Hui, perched on his shoulder, however, kept turning his head, looking back and forth, occasionally scratching his head, clearly puzzled.
The sound of dressing, quiet and clear, echoed in the silent forest, the night sky, illuminated by the strange clouds, gradually darkening once more.
Even from this distance, the night wind carried a hint of intense heat.
“Sir, I’m done,” the woman’s voice said quietly from behind.
Ghost Li did not immediately turn but stood still for a moment before slowly rotating.
A woman, wearing his outer garment, stood gracefully in the night, in front of him, among the trees.
Her figure was slender and elegant, the ill-fitting clothes unable to conceal her beauty. Though the garment was somewhat loose, tied around her, it still revealed glimpses of her pale, enticing skin, shimmering with a mysterious allure in the night.
Her lips were soft, her eyes captivating, her nose delicate, and her eyebrows finely arched. Her face was like a gentle, embracing wave, drawing you in, yet also like a timeless beauty, weathered by time and elements, yet all the more enchanting.
Ghost Li remained silent, then turned his head away after a while.
Xiao Hui, crouched on the ground, looked at his master, who had been staring into the distance since landing, lost in thought.
A pale hand reached out, and Xiao Hui turned, grinning, extending his small monkey paw, the fingers slightly longer than a human’s beneath the gray fur.
The woman, transformed from the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, knelt gently in front of the monkey, her clothes shifting, revealing a faint, alluring glimpse.
She smiled serenely, watching Xiao Hui with interest, then extended her delicate hand, gently taking hold of Xiao Hui’s fingers.
Xiao Hui chirped happily.
Her eyes filled with laughter, she said softly, “I must thank you as well.”
Xiao Hui blinked and nodded vigorously, clearly pleased.
The woman chuckled, picking up Xiao Hui and standing, walking slowly to Ghost Li’s side.
They gazed at the distant mountains, hidden by the night.
“Three hundred years,” she said after a while, “three hundred long years…”
Ghost Li turned to look at her, her gaze fixed on the horizon, Xiao Hui, quiet in her arms, watching him.
From the side, her face, with its gentle curves, seemed to carry a hint of strength.
She remained silent for a long while, then sighed, shaking her head, and turned to Ghost Li, smiling.
Her beauty, like a lily blooming in the dark!
Ghost Li asked, “What do you plan to do now?”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox smiled, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. “Tell me the place where Little Six committed suicide. If I have the chance, I’d like to visit there.”
Ghost Li lowered his head, a flash in his eyes, then said, “It’s near the Northern Void Mulberry Mountain, in a place called Little Pond Town. Ten miles outside the town, there’s a small forest, and in the forest, a cave of black stone. The deepest part of the cave is where it is. It shouldn’t be hard to find.”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox smiled, nodding.
Ghost Li glanced at her, hesitated, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the Crimson Flame Mirror.
In the night, the ancient flame totem on the Crimson Flame Mirror emitted a faint light.
Reflected in the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s eyes, it seemed like two tiny flames.
“This,” Ghost Li looked at the Crimson Flame Mirror in his hand and offered it, “return it to you. It was originally your son’s.”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox was taken aback, looking at him, and slowly took the mirror, playing with it for a moment. “Do you know that this Crimson Flame Mirror is the ultimate treasure of the world, the essence of all fires? If one can truly master its power and combine it with the ‘Eightfold Dark Flame Array’ you saw in the Crimson Flame Altar, it can wield a power to destroy the heavens and the earth.”
She smiled, looking at Ghost Li. “Even knowing this, you return it to me?”
Ghost Li looked at the treasure in her hand, silent for a moment, then slowly turned away, saying softly, “What use do I have for it? What do I gain from destroying the heavens and the earth? What I seek, it cannot give me…”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox watched Ghost Li, her gaze deep and thoughtful.
Suddenly, she laughed, a laugh filled with the sorrow and weariness of three hundred years.
“Well said, well said!”
Ghost Li looked at her, her face full of laughter, yet her eyes were filled with desolation.
“For three hundred years, I was confined in the Crimson Flame Altar, unseen by the sun. How many times did I wonder why I stole this Crimson Flame Mirror? If I had spent these three hundred years happily with my loved ones, how wonderful it would have been…”
She laughed loudly, her face a mix of allure and weariness, then raised her hand and tossed the Crimson Flame Mirror back to Ghost Li.
He caught it, startled. “This was obtained at the cost of your entire clan’s lives. How can you…?”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox’s laughter subsided, her eyes filled with sorrow, her voice low and melancholic. “What use do I have for it?”
Ghost Li tightened his grip on the Crimson Flame Mirror, feeling a warm sensation from it. After a moment, he asked, “You were imprisoned by the Incense Valley for three hundred years. Don’t you want revenge?”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox replied, “I do, of course I do. I’ve thought about it every moment for three hundred years. But now, having escaped, and looking at this vast, free world, I suddenly feel no desire for vengeance.”
She gazed at the expansive world, smiling. “These few hundred years, I wasted foolishly on a useless treasure. Now, I wish to live a peaceful life in this world for a while.”
Ghost Li was silent for a moment, then said, “You may need it in the future. Besides, the Crimson Flame Mirror is still your son’s…”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox smiled. “Little Six? He gave it to you, didn’t he? And…” She studied Ghost Li, then said, “You use the Bloodthirsty Pearl and the Soul Capturer, which are extremely evil, as your treasures. The evil energy has deeply invaded your body. If not for the pure, yang energy of the Crimson Flame Mirror protecting you, you would have lost your mind and succumbed to violence long ago. If I take it, what will happen to you?”
Ghost Li’s body tensed, his pupils contracting, as he looked at the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox.
She smiled. “Don’t look at me like that. As someone who has lived for thousands of years, I know a lot.”
Ghost Li felt a bit awkward, frowning, but finally put the Crimson Flame Mirror away.
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox stroked Xiao Hui’s head, glancing at Ghost Li. “The evil energy has deeply eroded your body. Although your cultivation is profound and the Crimson Flame Mirror suppresses it, the Bloodthirsty Pearl and the Soul Capturer still cause you frequent torment, making you more prone to violence, right?”
Ghost Li, now wary of this thousand-year-old, seductive fox spirit, hesitated but finally nodded.
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox sighed. “It’s a miracle you’ve survived with the Bloodthirsty Pearl and the Soul Capturer. But if you want to continue living in peace, I advise you to get rid of this ultimate evil.”
Ghost Li, expressionless, raised his hand, the dark Cursed Soul appearing, the black staff with faint blood threads lying quietly in his palm.
The familiar, icy sensation, like a part of him, coursed through his body.
“This ultimate evil, as you call it, has saved my life countless times!” Ghost Li said coldly. “You say I must discard it to live in peace, but without it, I would not have survived to this day.”
He looked at the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, his eyes cold. “And you are wrong about one thing.”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox looked at him, smiling. “What is it?”
Ghost Li said, “You say this is the ultimate evil. It is not.”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox frowned. “What do you mean?”
Ghost Li, cold and emotionless, said, “The ultimate evil is not this, but…” He pointed to his heart, saying coldly, “Human hearts!”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox was stunned.
The man, expressionless, turned away. The warm night wind blew from afar, fluttering their clothes. For some reason, his figure seemed particularly lonely.
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox watched him silently, sighing softly, though no one could hear what she said.
As she turned to leave, Ghost Li’s voice rang out from behind her:
“Senior, with your vast knowledge, I have a matter of great importance to ask for your guidance.”
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, surprised, turned back, seeing Ghost Li facing her, his face showing a mixture of agitation, hope, and even a hint of fear.
“What do you want to know?”
“A woman, ten years ago, used her own blood to create a curse, binding it to her soul, and cast a powerful spell. But just as her soul was about to scatter, a magical bell, the Harmonious Bell, trapped one of her souls, keeping her body alive but senseless. With your vast knowledge, is there any way to save her?”
By the end, Ghost Li’s voice trembled slightly.
The Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, her eyes shining with a gentle light, nodded resolutely.
“There is a way!”
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