Chapter 80
Seeing the shocked gaze Xue Mushi directed at her, Yu Sui said softly, "Say whatever you want to say."
Xue Mushi covered his heart, which was still pounding wildly from the rapid descent, and while calming his emotions, asked her, "How did you do that?"
In the past, Xue Mushi wouldn't have asked proactively, and Yu Sui wouldn't have answered.
"Dragon Slaying Cave is two-thirds artificially constructed scenery. You can artificially control the Five Elements Energy gathered inside to achieve terrain alteration. I discovered it by accident." Yu Sui answered. She wasn't lying either, that was indeed the principle.
She just didn't mention that she had done it through Number Mountains.
It was precisely because of this that Yu Sui could move like a fish in water within Dragon Slaying Cave, monitoring everything while also altering terrain for her own use, giving her a great advantage.
Outside Dragon Slaying Cave, she really was just a "normally skilled" First Realm practitioner.
The river channel was wide, curved, and turbulent. The rushing sound of water washed over their ears. Yu Sui walked toward the inner direction of the mountain cliff, away from the riverside noise.
The cave below the cliff was quite shallow. Walking dozens of steps inward led to the end, but fortunately it was relatively spacious and dry inside, and could shelter from rain.
The two came to the cave entrance to take shelter. Xue Mushi said as he walked, "So you know all the transmission points in Dragon Slaying Cave?"
"I do," Yu Sui answered.
Xue Mushi asked again, "Directly causing half a terrain corner to collapse this time, aren't you afraid the Class A Students above will be suspicious?"
Though he also very much wanted to talk with Yu Sui.
"The terrain in Dragon Slaying Cave changes constantly. Military Formations and various technique mechanisms are everywhere. Senior Brothers and Sisters should know this better than us. This kind of accident definitely isn't their first encounter." Yu Sui looked around and moved a reasonably sized stone to sit on.
Xue Mushi followed suit after watching. Hearing Yu Sui's words, he also found them reasonable. When he was looking for a stone, he remembered a scene from the fall and hesitantly turned back to look at Yu Sui: "Your Senior Brother... seems to have fallen down too."
Yu Sui fell silent upon hearing this.
Those falling Class A Students, with their Five Elements Energy restricted and unable to use Nine Schools Arts, reacted very quickly. Judging the situation as certainly fatal, they didn't suffer the torment of cliff death and directly self-destructed their Mechanism Exquisite Hearts.
As for Mei Liangyu chasing over to save her, this was something Yu Sui hadn't expected.
In her imagination, altering terrain to cause collapse, letting other Class A Students fall together, also reduced pressure for Sheng Hao and the others, allowing them to quickly reach the transmission point.
It didn't matter much for her and Xue Mushi to fall down either.
In a certain death situation, eliminating two D-Class disciples wouldn't affect them.
Yu Sui also wouldn't be naive enough to think that her and Xue Mushi's "death" would cause the other Senior Brothers and Sisters to detour to the bottom of the cliff to search.
Their relationships weren't good to that extent.
Like Su Tong and Shi Yuezhen, Xing Chun and Zhongli Shan, they were just naturally friendly to people, plus she was Mei Liangyu's Junior Sister, so there would be some fondness on top of friendliness.
People needed to have self-awareness and clearly understand their position at any time.
So Yu Sui knew she wasn't that important.
But Senior Brother had actually chased after her.
His Wind-Riding Techniques had almost caught up.
Yu Sui's secondary consciousness watched that moving red dot. Senior Brother was truly formidable.
"My Senior Brother is still within Dragon Slaying Cave." Yu Sui lightly raised her eyes. "After we finish talking, I'll go find him, then find Sister Su and the others. Then we'll take the nearest transmission point to rush to Dragon Head."
Provided their identities as World Destroyers possessing Strange Fire weren't exposed.
With a World Destroyer having just died yesterday, Yu Sui and Xue Mushi, both World Destroyers possessing Strange Fire, urgently needed to exchange intelligence with each other.
Because before his death, the young man Yu Xian had collapsed and shouted everything.
Who knew what all Yu Xian had said.
And who could guarantee the next to die wouldn't be her or Xue Mushi.
Dan Kingdom was too far away. Whatever had happened there, Yu Sui at Taiyi Academy's Dragon Slaying Cave knew nothing about it.
Yu Sui didn't even know exactly where Yu Xian had died, which Saints had gone there, how many Thirteenth Realm practitioners there were, or what the Saints at Taiyi Academy might know.
As the irritable man had said, there were too many Saints at Taiyi Academy.
In that moment of resonance, she had only felt the power of Death by a Thousand Cuts from the Legalist School Saint.
In the previous two resonances, the dying World Destroyers had either resigned themselves to fate with few words, or discussed matters related to Strange Fire. Someone like Yu Xian, who despairingly collapsed and even betrayed Strange Fire information in exchange for survival, was a first.
This showed that World Destroyers weren't on a unified front either.
Yu Sui had hidden Strange Fire for 18 years, never revealing even half a word to Zhongli Que. For her, the threats from Agricultural School Breath Soil, Lady Su, and Nangong Ming were far less than the existence of Strange Fire.
Before Strange Fire was exposed, she had only a few enemies.
After Strange Fire was exposed, everyone on Xuangu Continent would be her enemy.
Xue Mushi felt somewhat admiring in his heart. He thought Yu Sui was very thoughtful. When he first came to the academy, he'd heard plenty of talk about how the Qingyang Princess wasn't smart and was an ordinary person. Looking now, she truly deserved to be someone who had hidden Strange Fire for 18 years.
Yu Sui blinked, her gaze following Xue Mushi as he searched for stones. He bent down to lift a rock and came to sit across from Yu Sui.
In the twilight, Xue Mushi looked up at Yu Sui's clear, bright eyes. When they looked at each other, they could see their own reflections in each other's eyes.
Free of any disguise, only a few traces of curious calm remained.
A very wonderful feeling.
In this vast world, they shared the same secret.
An unknown, unspoken, tormented secret.
The sunset's afterglow scattered on the mountain walls and fell at the cave entrance, but coincidentally couldn't illuminate their position.
"Can you sense it?" Xue Mushi asked first. "The flame in the depths of my consciousness."
From here, the two naturally began discussing Strange Fire.
Yu Sui shook her head while observing the flame in the depths of her own consciousness, saying in a low voice, "Usually it can't be sensed. Only yesterday when the fire spirit orb appeared could I detect it."
Xue Mushi asked, "Fire spirit orb?"
"When a World Destroyer dies, others possessing Strange Fire experience death resonance." Yu Sui gestured with her hand. "At that time, a small black dot appears in the Strange Fire. The previous elder who died said so."
The fire spirit orb currently only appeared when a World Destroyer died, as if alerting them. It was unknown whether it had other meanings or functions.
Xue Mushi suddenly understood, resolving one confusion. He paused, then said, "From yesterday's conversation, I could guess that you've had Strange Fire since 18 years ago?"
Yu Sui made a soft sound of agreement.
Xue Mushi stared at her in amazement. Just the speculation had already made him feel incredible. Yu Sui's personal confirmation shocked him even more.
How was this possible?
This was even more shocking than the moment Strange Fire suddenly descended upon him.
"When you were little... how did you hide it?" Xue Mushi couldn't help but ask.
Yu Sui smiled slightly: "Just don't tell anyone."
Xue Mushi found it incredible, a trace of awe growing in his heart toward Yu Sui.
If it was 18 years, that meant from childhood, when she was three or four, five or six years old, knowing nothing about this world and utterly confused, how could she hide the secret of Strange Fire?
When she was suffering from Strange Fire's burning, wouldn't she tell her parents?
"Speaking of which, I'm curious whether Strange Fire immediately chooses a new World Destroyer after one dies, or if there's an interval." Yu Sui leaned forward, elbows on her knees, palms supporting her cheeks, naturally changing the topic. "Five years ago in summer, a World Destroyer died at Taiyi Academy's Five Elements Water Field. At that time there were already me, the androgynous one, the talkative hot-tempered man, the confused young man, and the relatively gentle elder. The elder died, so you should have inherited Strange Fire after the elder. When were you chosen by Strange Fire?"
Darkness swallowed heaven and earth as twilight faded. In the deep mountain cliff bottom without light, everything around became dim.
The moment Yu Sui ignited Celestial Fire, Xue Mushi said in a low voice, "I was chosen in winter of the same year."
So Strange Fire didn't immediately choose a new unlucky person.
Xue Mushi also couldn't forget that winter five years ago.
Yu Sui asked, "Under what circumstances?"
Xue Mushi lowered his eyelashes and recalled, "It was snowing that day, with snow accumulated on the ground. Because I didn't want to disturb her cultivation, I waited outside the Astrology Tower..."
Yu Sui interrupted, "Who is she?"
Xue Mushi slowly raised his eyes and said calmly, "My fiancée."
His fiancée, the Yin-Yang School Saint Maiden of Taiyuan Kingdom, Tu Miaoyi.
Each of the six kingdoms had their own prosperous schools. In Taiyuan Kingdom, the Yin-Yang School's status was obviously higher than other schools. The Yin-Yang School served the royal family and could participate in political reforms. Though originating from the Yin-Yang School, they belonged to a separate power.
Because of their high status, many privileges, and strong power, Yin-Yang School disciples from various kingdoms aspired to Taiyuan. Many disciples looked up to the Yin-Yang School powerhouses of Taiyuan Kingdom.
Such organizations existed in abundance across all six kingdoms of Xuangu Continent.
Coming from the same school yet killing each other was countless.
Tu Miaoyi and Xue Mushi had grown up together since childhood.
The two children knew each other inside and out.
Tu Miaoyi had exceptional talent in cultivation. Yin-Yang curses that others needed three to five months to comprehend, she could learn just by looking once. She had never been proud or complacent, with stable temperament.
Fourteen-year-old Tu Miaoyi studied curse marks and curse formulas daily, and also had to learn "military" and "political" arts with the High Priests and Life Ministers. In the future, she wouldn't just be the Yin-Yang School's Saint Maiden, but also needed to understand political struggles.
Xue Mushi didn't study Yin-Yang arts, but like Yu Sui, he would attend the National Academy. Later, Tu Miaoyi would teach him the basics of other schools' Nine Schools Arts.
They met almost daily.
Xue Mushi had known since childhood that he was inferior to Tu Miaoyi. He often heard others mock him behind his back, openly and secretly saying he wasn't worthy of Tu Miaoyi.
He truly was inferior.
Having heard it often, Xue Mushi would only think those people were right. I really am unworthy, which made him increasingly self-deprecating.
That day he heard people say that if Tu Miaoyi married him according to their engagement in the future, she would be very pitiful and looked down upon. Her useless husband would often be mentioned, becoming a shame that would make Tu Miaoyi unable to hold her head up in Taiyuan, accompanying her for life.
She clearly deserved better.
Fourteen-year-old Xue Mushi felt stifled hearing this. He also didn't want Tu Miaoyi to live poorly or have those people constantly use him as a topic to mock Tu Miaoyi.
Heavy snow fell in Taiyuan Kingdom's capital. Xue Mushi waited alone in the snowy ground outside the Astrology Tower. The falling snow was deep, surrounding the pond shore with thick snow, yet the water remained clear without freezing. Red fish in the pond leisurely shuttled back and forth among the green lotus leaves.
Xue Mushi looked down, pressing his brow, appearing troubled and sad.
Originally on this day, he had come to tell Tu Miaoyi not to marry him, that they should dissolve their engagement. Even though this was an imperially granted engagement, as long as both of them agreed to dissolve it, given His Majesty's fondness for the Saint Maiden and the Xue family's influence, His Majesty wouldn't obstruct them.
Unfortunately, while he was waiting, Strange Fire arrived first.
The falling fine snow dust turned into sparks in that instant. The red swimming fish in the water reflected in the young man's dark pupils also transformed into clusters of flames, like the whispered murmurs of evil spirits ringing in his ears.
Countless memories and images were forcibly transmitted into the depths of his mind.
The young man saw the world devoured by Strange Fire, saw five twisted figures in the firelight.
When Xue Mushi knelt on the ground under pressure, Tu Miaoyi, who had come out of the Astrology Tower, was running toward him with a smile, the girl calling his name in a crisp voice. But when she approached, she saw his trembling eyes.
On that winter day, Strange Fire descended upon him without warning.
……
"When I was waiting for Miaoyi, it suddenly descended. I don't know why it chose me either," Xue Mushi said in a low voice.
But Yu Sui asked, "Your fiancée... former fiancée also knows about you having Strange Fire?"
Xue Mushi pressed his lips together and didn't answer immediately.
Yu Sui saw his reaction and had already confirmed it in her heart, but continued asking, "You told her at the time?"
Xue Mushi nodded silently.
Fourteen-year-old him had instead regarded Tu Miaoyi as the most trusted person, and on that same day, told her what had happened to him.
Even if he didn't say it, with Tu Miaoyi's intelligence, she would discover it sooner or later.
They were too familiar, too intimate, and the impact Strange Fire brought to Xue Mushi couldn't be hidden from Tu Miaoyi.
Xue Mushi looked back at Yu Sui somewhat awkwardly and said slowly, "At that time I didn't know how serious it was, and I trusted her most, so I'm very shocked at how you managed to hide it from childhood."
Though he didn't answer directly, it was close enough.
But Yu Sui blinked lightly, her heartbeat and breathing seeming to slow for a moment.
So Xue Mushi's situation was completely different from hers.
"She didn't tell others?" Yu Sui asked.
Xue Mushi shook his head.
"She would constantly remind and warn me, telling me not to tell others because it was too dangerous. Even my parents couldn't know." Xue Mushi smiled bitterly. "Actually, the ones I most couldn't tell were my parents. For Taiyuan Kingdom's sake, they wouldn't spare me."
Yu Sui listened in silence.
Xue Mushi's family wasn't as complicated as Nangong Manor. He got along well with his family members, with mutual respect and love.
But what mattered most in their hearts was still Taiyuan Kingdom.
Even if that person was their own biological son, despite reluctance and pain in their hearts, they would have to make a choice.
Xue Mushi also didn't want them to fall into painful decisions.
"Strange Fire is very dangerous. So far, no power has been able to restrain or defeat it." Xue Mushi said in a low voice. "It indeed possesses the ability to destroy Xuangu Continent. Previously dead World Destroyers also brought much trouble to the six kingdoms, burning many people to death. But as long as the World Destroyer dies, Strange Fire won't continue growing and spreading, so currently the best method is to kill the World Destroyer carrying Strange Fire."
Yu Sui lightly lifted her eyelids. With Yin-Yang School Saint Maiden Tu Miaoyi's help, Xue Mushi could openly search for information related to Strange Fire, unlike her who had to sneak around even to read books about Nine Schools Arts.
Tu Miaoyi had noble status. Information about Strange Fire World Destroyers would be actively reported to someone of her standing about this threat to the six kingdoms, keeping her constantly vigilant and carefully responsive.
"The elder who died at Taiyi Academy five years ago you mentioned was named Gao Tianhao, a Taiyuan Kingdom person and also a Thirteenth Realm Ghost Way School practitioner." Xue Mushi looked at Yu Sui and said, "He had traveled across the six kingdoms, moving around collecting information related to Strange Fire, and finally came to Taiyi Academy."
"I heard Gao Tianhao had a good relationship with the Ghost Way Saint's disciple, which is your Senior Brother, Mei Liangyu." Xue Mushi said slowly, "Later people speculated that Gao Tianhao used Mei Liangyu to get close to his Master, Saint Chang Gen, and was ultimately exposed as a World Destroyer by Saint Chang Gen, bringing the 24 Saints of Taiyi Academy to surround and kill him."
Yu Sui was slightly stunned upon hearing this.
She truly didn't know these things.
She didn't even know that the elder Gao Tianhao had a good relationship with Senior Brother Mei Liangyu.
Much less that Gao Tianhao's World Destroyer identity was exposed by Master Saint Chang Gen.
Yu Sui felt a chill down her back for a moment.
Her eyes became bright and dim alternately under the illumination of Celestial Fire.
Xue Mushi felt it necessary to tell Yu Sui these things.
Because she was Saint Chang Gen's disciple. She stayed day and night at Ghost Way Saint Hall, beside a Saint who could make her disappear without a trace at any time.
Before knowing Yu Sui had Strange Fire and after knowing she had Strange Fire, people's attitudes would change with the existence of Strange Fire.
Perhaps they wouldn't immediately kill Yu Sui, perhaps they would compromise after struggling, but they definitely wouldn't stand on Yu Sui's side.
Xue Mushi believed that Yu Sui hiding for these 18 years was absolutely unimaginably difficult and arduous. Her desire not to expose her identity for survival was even stronger than his own.
Yu Sui said softly, "How do you know these things?"
Xue Mushi scratched his head: "Although the outside world rarely hears discussion of Strange Fire-related matters anymore, the six kingdoms have always had organizations closely monitoring Strange Fire's existence. Every dead World Destroyer has their life deeds investigated thoroughly."
"Especially Nine Schools Arts practitioners who value 'national fortune,' that is, Saints. They protect countless lives on Xuangu Continent. Before there are wars, they also protect their own nation's people, being very vigilant toward World Destroyers carrying Strange Fire."
"And World Destroyers must stay far from Technical Arts School practitioners." Xue Mushi's expression became somewhat serious. "There was once a Technical Arts School Saint who could divine the existence of World Destroyers without any warning. That seemed to be the strongest Saint in the Technical Arts School's history of hundreds of years, but ultimately perished together with that World Destroyer."
Regarding World Destroyer matters, the six kingdoms would unify their opinions and begin cooperation.
Even Yan Kingdom wouldn't want World Destroyers to burn everything down with fire. There were still people there harboring hope.
If Yan Kingdom was burned to nothing, it would only benefit the other five kingdoms. When all Yan Kingdom people in the world died, there truly would be no more Yan Kingdom.
"Do you know the identities of the other few people?" Xue Mushi asked.
Yu Sui shook her head: "It's precisely because I don't know that I've never spoken up."
Xue Mushi couldn't help but recall yesterday's Death by a Thousand Cuts experience, unconsciously reaching up to touch his neck, his back growing cold: "But listening to that hot-tempered man, even if we don't speak up, he can still sense our existence."
"Perhaps because the time for Strange Fire to choose a new World Destroyer won't exceed one year, so he could determine the exact timing. Or maybe during death resonance, five World Destroyers will definitely gather." Yu Sui frowned in analysis. "If it's his personal ability, then we can only pray he won't be like yesterday's dead young man, revealing Strange Fire information to others."
"Thinking about it this way, what exactly did that person say yesterday?" Xue Mushi said gloomily. "At least I'd never heard of death resonance when I previously inquired about Strange Fire. Perhaps that's what he revealed."
"If it's death resonance, then it would expose that the five World Destroyers can communicate consciously. Maybe the conversation at that time..." Yu Sui suddenly recalled what the elder Gao Tianhao had said before dying.
Gao Tianhao had spoken of his discoveries at Taiyi Academy, also telling other World Destroyers that to strip away Strange Fire, they should come to Taiyi Academy to find the Heavenly Character Text.
Yesterday's dead young man didn't necessarily have to understand these things. He only needed to tell the Saints word for word, and there would be people to speculate on the meaning.
Yu Sui told Xue Mushi what Gao Tianhao had once said, also confessing, "I wanted to come to Taiyi Academy before, but never found an opportunity. Now that I've come to Taiyi Academy, I do indeed want to find the Heavenly Character Text that Gao Tianhao mentioned, to find a way to escape Strange Fire."
Xue Mushi pressed his lips, fingers lightly rubbing his nose bridge. After hesitating in his heart for a moment, he still spoke up: "Do you know about the Floating Pagoda?"
Yu Sui stared at him without blinking and said softly, "The Floating Pagoda that can lift the six kingdoms' Non-War Pact?"
Though she didn't know what relationship the Floating Pagoda had with Strange Fire, since Xue Mushi mentioned it this way, there must be some connection.
Xue Mushi nodded. Since Yu Sui knew, he saved the explanation and went straight to the point: "The Floating Pagoda scattered into seven pieces, hidden in different places. Taiyuan has one piece, and the Heavenly Character Text that Gao Tianhao was looking for is hidden in the Floating Pagoda."
Yu Sui blinked, her first reaction being, "Gao Tianhao didn't know about the Floating Pagoda's existence?"
"He probably didn't know." Xue Mushi said puzzled. "If Gao Tianhao knew the relationship between the Floating Pagoda and Heavenly Character Text, he would have explained directly. But he only told you about Heavenly Character Text, and the Floating Pagoda matter is indeed secretive. Something like destroying the Non-War Pact, if word got out, there would be plenty of people wanting to obstruct it."
If the Floating Pagoda didn't involve Heavenly Character Text, then it belonged to struggles among the six kingdoms.
Yu Sui asked him, "Have you seen a Floating Pagoda fragment?"
Xue Mushi nodded, gesturing with both hands trying to give Yu Sui a concrete demonstration: "I have. It's like a suspended star. Seeing it gives a very wonderful feeling, like... very tranquil and peaceful, able to stabilize both emotions and power. After my emotions stabilized, I wouldn't be burned by Strange Fire at night either."
Yu Sui's eyelid twitched upon hearing this.
What did that mean?
She slowly sat up straight, slightly widening her eyes to look at Xue Mushi.
At this moment the sky had darkened, entering nighttime, and Strange Fire was still burning her skin.
"Is Strange Fire's burning after nightfall related to personal emotions?" Yu Sui asked softly.
"I've done experiments. It's indeed so. Two years ago, I was still emotionally unstable due to Strange Fire's existence, occasionally having extreme thoughts. At that time, every night I would be burned by Strange Fire until I calmed down, then it would ease somewhat."
Xue Mushi said honestly, "I've read records about World Destroyers. Many World Destroyers are tempted by Strange Fire and thus use it, but once they use Strange Fire, they themselves are devoured and killed by Strange Fire."
"If you emotionally resonate with Strange Fire and want to destroy the world, the time you're burned by Strange Fire also becomes longer."
Yu Sui gathered her hands into her sleeves, fingers curling. When she lowered her head, a strand of hair at her temple slipped down, quickly swept behind her ear as she raised her hand, laughing softly, "So that's how it is."
All these years, her emotions had been hovering at the critical point.
Strange Fire had sensed this too, so it worked hard to tempt her.
For Strange Fire, making Yu Sui collapse and thus destroy the world was just a little bit away.