Chapter 44 - Ling Chen and Yan Fei’s First Meeting
Chapter 44 Ling Chen and Yan Fei’s First Meeting
“Received 67 shock points from Xiao Ding.”
“Received 23 shock points from Xiao Chu.”
“Received 33 shock points from Xiao Yu.”
“Received 18 shock points from Zhang Yang.”
“Received 29 shock points from Xiao Shanshui.”
“Received from…”
……
In the second layer of the Golden Crow Secret Realm, high in the void, Ling Chen couldn’t stop grinning. His shock point log was being flooded once again.
He had never expected that a secret realm with a hundredfold spiritual energy concentration would cause such a dramatic reaction from the Xiao clan. Especially that Xiao clan’s Grand Elder—kneeling to this, kneeling to that, crying and laughing like a madman.
The others weren’t any better—some even sat down cross-legged to cultivate on the spot. In just a short time, Ling Chen had collected a full 200,000 shock points. And to think, it had only cost him 50,000 shock points to create this hundredfold spiritual energy environment. Now his investment had already quadrupled.
And what was more, this return was consistent and sustainable. Given time, it was highly likely to multiply tenfold.
“Father, this magma pool holds many secrets. I plan to explore its depths,” Xiao Yueying walked up to Xiao Ding and said solemnly.
Xiao Ding nodded.
“Be careful. I’ll watch over things here—nothing will go wrong.”
He had already realized that bringing so many guards was pointless. They couldn’t help Xiao Yueying at all. So now, he didn’t want to cause her any trouble either.
“Alright. Father, please stay safe too—and make sure no one gets close to the magma pool,” Xiao Yueying reminded him once more, then turned and walked towards the pool.
As she reached the edge, a burst of divine light suddenly erupted from her body. Endless divine flames surged out, forming a Golden Crow battle robe on her body.
“Master, I’m going in now.”
Xiao Yueying communicated with Yan Fei through divine sense.
Mm. Just follow the aura of the Golden Crow Divine Fire. If necessary, I will protect you, Yan Fei’s voice echoed in Xiao Yueying’s mind.
Though calm and unhurried, it carried absolute confidence.
Splash—
Without further hesitation, Xiao Yueying plunged into the magma pool. Ling Chen caught sight of this with the corner of his eye and couldn’t help but smile.
That three-headed fire python was, of course, his doing. Its purpose was to lure Xiao Yueying into exploring the bottom of the magma pool. There, he had prepared a great gift for her—something powerful enough to double her combat strength and make her invincible at the Core Formation stage. Of course, that was only if she could pass the trial.
……
The crimson magma pool churned and flowed, and the deeper one went, the more terrifying the temperature became. However, Xiao Yueying was a powerful cultivator in the Core Formation realm and was protected by the Golden Crow Battle Garment, rendering her immune to the heat. But the killing intent hidden within the magma pool was not something she could ignore.
Creatures like the three-headed fire pythons that had previously leapt out of the magma were abundant here, often launching surprise attacks on Xiao Yueying. Their bodies were crimson, blending perfectly with the magma, making them extremely difficult to detect.
Xiao Yueying had to devote most of her attention to defense, greatly slowing her advance.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
The magma pool surged violently. Enraged, Xiao Yueying unleashed thunderous attacks, killing the three-headed fire pythons that had ambushed her from both sides. What invigorated her was that the deeper she went, the more abundant the blue flames within the fire pythons became.
This confirmed her suspicion — there were definitely remnants of the Golden Crow Sixth Prince’s natal divine fire at the bottom of the magma pool.
But progressing while constantly fighting was draining, even for someone of Xiao Yueying’s cultivation. Just as she was considering whether to retreat for now, Yan Fei’s voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
“Yueying, go forward at full speed — I’ll handle these fire pythons.”
The moment the words fell, the magma beside her churned, and a stunningly beautiful woman emerged from within — a projection of Yan Fei herself.
“Thank you for your help, Master,” Xiao Yueying said joyfully in gratitude, and immediately channeled her Golden Crow essence to dive deeper underground at full speed.
Yan Fei’s figure was graceful, her beauty peerless. Her eyes were as radiant as the rising sun in the morning mist, always holding an air of unfathomable mystery and serenity. But when her gaze turned sharp, a wave of force would ripple out in the form of a powerful palm strike.
Each time she struck, at least one three-headed fire python would fall. Her movements were clean and precise. What she didn’t know was that her every move had fallen into Ling Chen’s watchful gaze not far away.
This was the first time Ling Chen had seen Yan Fei’s true appearance, and he couldn’t help but size her up. At first glance—stunning!
He had originally thought that Xiao Yueying’s beauty was unrivaled in the world, but upon seeing Yan Fei, that belief was overturned.
Yan Fei possessed an extraordinary, breathtaking beauty—beyond anything words could describe.
Ling Chen could only sigh inwardly, “Even the heavenly maidens of Western Paradise and the Buddhas’ realm pale in comparison.”
At the same time, he noticed that the current Yan Fei was merely a projection of her primordial spirit. She wasn’t one of those ancient cultivators who specialized in cultivating the soul—Rather, she had been forced into a separation of body and spirit.
As a result, her soul was incomplete, and her cultivation had plummeted. There were only two ways to resolve this issue.
The first was to reclaim her physical body and make her soul whole again.
The second was to refine the soul within her primordial spirit into an independent entity, severing the part of the soul still within her body.
But this second method carried tremendous risk. Even a slight mistake could lead to complete annihilation of the soul. Even if it succeeded, the soul would be left with a massive flaw, making further cultivation nearly impossible.
Clearly, this Yan Fei had a story behind her. For reasons unknown, her body had been imprisoned, and only her soul had escaped.
“Interesting… If I get the chance one day, I might as well help you,” Ling Chen murmured softly.
He still remembered the times Yan Fei had assisted him. Without those crucial moments of support, his plans wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. As long as it didn’t cost him too much, he didn’t mind repaying that favor.