I Outworked the Entire Cultivation World

Chapter 168: Chapter 142: (Modified) Earth Evil Fire

In the cave of Purgatory Mountain, Jiang Yuebai paced back and forth.

”Wasn’t Qing Nangzi the savior of you and my master? Why would he plot against you, and for what reason?”

Zhao Fuyi, with most of her injuries healed, shifted slightly, ”How do you know about Qing Nangzi? Did Lii Jiuchuan tell you?”

”My master is not the kind of person who can’t keep a secret. It was the Supreme Elder who, after getting drunk, insisted on telling me. She said everything, even things that should and shouldn’t be said.”

Zhao Fuyi frowned, ”I suspect that beneath the center of the Land of Azure Flame, under the Divine Silence Ridge, there is... an Old Ancestor of the Ghost Clan suppressed by the Heavenly Calamity, wanting to... possess me.”

Jiang Yuebai suddenly realized, ”So this whole thing was aimed at you? Are we Foundation Establishment Disciples all just unlucky victims?”

Zhao Fuyi looked at Jiang Yuebai, hesitated to speak, then after struggling for a while, pulled out a Four-Sided Jade Plate from her apparel.

”Pour your Divine Sense and Spiritual Energy into the Four Symbols Plate.”

Jiang Yuebai took the Jade Plate for inspection, finding intricate star-like dots connected by confusing lines, somewhat familiar.

”What is this? Why should I inject my Divine Sense and Spiritual Energy?”

”Just do as you’re told!” Zhao Fuyi ordered coldly.

Jiang Yuebai’s face fell, ”True Monarch Fuyi, do you understand the situation? I don’t consider myself your enemy, but neither are we on friendly terms. I am cautious by nature, and unless you clearly explain its purpose, don’t expect me to comply.”

”You!” Zhao Fuyi’s chest heaved, her face showing displeasure. Her authority within the sect was significant—even Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the same generation didn’t dare speak to her like this.

Yet, given the circumstances, she had no choice but to relent.

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Fuyi turned her head and explained in a low voice, ”This is the Main Array Plate of the Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Array. My Dantian is sealed, and my Divine Soul is damaged. You need to activate the Main Array Plate so that the array devices at the eight array points will react, signaling that I am safe, and that the mission continues.”

”Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Array?”

Instinctively, Jiang Yuebai touched the storage bracelet on her wrist. Wasn’t that one of the Array Dao inheritances she obtained from the sect library, from Ancestor Lu Xingyun?

”This is one of the nine famous grand arrays of the Ancestor in his time. It’s a pity I never received the Ancestor’s Array Dao inheritance and have been exploring on my own till now. I still need assistance from eight array points to array the formation.”

Jiang Yuebai was speechless, ”At a time like this, you’re not thinking about survival, but still trying to array a formation?”

”Only by propping up the Four Symbols Great Array inside Divine Silence Ridge can we let outsiders in and completely resolve the hidden threats!” Zhao Fuyi’s stance was firm. ℴ

Jiang Yuebai angrily declared, ”But the real situation in the Land of Azure Flame is clearly different from previous reconnaissance. Who knows if the arraying plan has been leaked, and whether all the array points are already ambushed by Evil Cultivators of the Three Elements Sect, waiting for people to walk into a trap?”

Zhao Fuyi looked at Jiang Yuebai with a self-deprecating sneer, ”I know there are grudges between you, your master, and me. You all wouldn’t believe me, so just leave. If you can inform others, have everyone retreat. I’ll find my own way to array the formation. At worst, I’ll self-destruct my Nascent Soul and perish together with those remnants of the Ghost Clan in the Earth Evil Fire Sea. It doesn’t matter in this life.”

Earth Evil Fire?

Jiang Yuebai’s ears perked up. Wasn’t Earth Evil Fire just Spiritual Fire?

She remembered it being recorded that Earth Evil Fire was domineering and fierce, categorized as Yin Fire. Besides fire’s properties, it specially burns the Divine Soul and corrodes the mind. Cultivators below the Golden Core could be burned into mindless Evil Corpses directly.

And cultivators above Golden Core who came into contact with Earth Evil Fire would have their Divine Souls severely damaged, plagued by Evil Qi and breeding Heart Demons.

Jiang Yuebai’s eyes darted; although fierce, Earth Evil Fire was challenging to control, yet given the current scenario of the Land of Azure Flame, filled with Evil Corpses, perhaps the Earth Evil Fire was the only Spiritual Fire she could acquire.

Initially, she thought about taking Zhao Fuyi out first, and if others didn’t receive the Main Array Plate’s signal, seeing the change here might abandon their mission, reducing unnecessary casualties. But now, with the Array Map in her hand and Earth Evil Fire ahead, it seemed like the Heavenly Dao was pushing her to forge ahead.

Regardless, she couldn’t give up on the Earth Evil Fire, but couldn’t allow too many to sacrifice for it either.

With this in mind, Jiang Yuebai clutched the storage bracelet containing the Array Map, intentionally composing her face, pretending to be righteous and bold, not wanting to be seen as inferior in front of the disapproving Zhao Fuyi.

”True Monarch Fuyi, you’ve underestimated me before because you don’t understand me. Though not friendly with you, I would never abandon someone in peril. If you insist on arraying the formation, I’ll accompany you on this venture.”

Zhao Fuyi turned to fix her eyes on Jiang Yuebai, her gaze intense, then sneered a moment later.

”You want the Earth Evil Fire.”

”Nonsense!” Jiang Yuebai jumped in denial, then pulled out the ’Four Symbols Eight Trigrams Map’ from her bracelet and tossed it before Zhao Fuyi.

”Take a look, see if there’s a way to array without relying on the eight array points.”

Without the Array Map, Jiang Yuebai wouldn’t dare take such a risk.

Zhao Fuyi, puzzled, raised an eyebrow and scanned Jiang Yuebai before receiving the thick Beast Skin Scroll. Upon opening it, she abruptly sat up, eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

”How do you have this map? It’s impossible; my Array Dao attainments, honed since childhood, cannot be wielded lower than yours. The Enlightenment Jade at the library’s top was personally left by the Ancestor. I’ve visited over a dozen times and never obtained this map—how could you get it in just one visit?”

At this moment, Zhao Fuyi felt as if something she took pride in had been relentlessly shattered.

And the one delivering this slap was none other than the Ancestor himself!

Feigning a face of helplessness, Jiang Yuebai said, ”I didn’t want it either. Desired Talisman Dao or Alchemy Dao, or even Artifact Refining inheritance would do, but they gave me this map instead.”

”You! Ungrateful wretch!” Zhao Fuyi angrily rebuked, holding the Beast Skin tightly, seeing it as a treasure.

Jiang Yuebai opened her mouth, then closed it again, fearing she might provoke Zhao Fuyi into spitting blood.

”I don’t care whether you can accept it. Quickly study this map, finish and return it, don’t think of pocketing it. I’ll go outside to check whether the search party has left, and take these pills, eat them or not as you wish.”

Jiang Yuebai left behind the Awakening God Elixir and the Green Wave Soul Cleansing Elixir, then turned and left the cave.

Spreading the Wind Net, besides the Fire Qilin Beast, there were no other anomalies; the search party had evidently departed.

By the red glow from the rocks, Jiang Yuebai looked at the map given by Lii Jiuchuan, locating the position of Divine Silence Ridge.

According to the map’s markings, Divine Silence Ridge housed a volcano and an abandoned mine, surrounded by Fire-Eating Beetles and various fire-loving mystical beasts, packed with danger.

Divine Silence Ridge was 1,300 miles northwest of Purgatory Mountain. She could easily fly there alone, but bringing Zhao Fuyi would prove difficult.

”Perhaps... there’s a way through the search party.”

*

At the same time, beneath the volcano of Divine Silence Ridge.

A young girl in her teens, draped in a black robe, walked barefoot up the obsidian steps, reaching the center of the altar.

Below the altar, dark red Earth Evil Fire burned fiercely.

Three black-robed cultivators knelt at the altar’s edge, representing the Ghost Clan’s Corpse Vein, Bone Vein, and Soul Vein.

The girl pulled down her hood, revealing a bright and delicate face, incongruous with the devout smile she wore, none other than the previously missing Lin Suwan from the Heavenly Interence Sect.

”No more waiting, awaken the Blood Smoke Ancestor with me first. After nine days, once the Ancestor and my Divine Soul merge, we’ll go after Zhao Fuyi!”