55: Chapter 55 I feel that the spark and you are not meant to be.

If that's the case...

Mo Zixing watched the two people on the edge of the Earth Fire Pool, their swords drawn and bows bent, and made a decision in his heart.

He lowered his voice and said:

"Elder, I'll go out and handle this first. You just stay here and keep an eye on the situation for me."

Hearing this, Liu Qingyan turned her head slightly, her eyes filled with obvious surprise.

She scanned Mo Zixing from head to toe, her tone carrying a hint of disapproval:

"That girl has been hesitating to act until now; it seems her strength isn't very high."

"However, this Song Cheng—I met him once last year. At that time, he was already at the Qi Refinement Ninth Level."

"A year has passed; at the very least, he should be at the Foundation Establishment Layer 1 or 2."

"You've only been in the inner Sect for a few days, and your cultivation is still in the Qi Refinement Stage. Are you sure you want to face him alone?"

Only then did Mo Zixing realize.

He hadn't mentioned his Foundation Establishment Breakthrough to Liu Qingyan at all.

In her eyes, he was still in the Qi Refinement Stage and couldn't possibly be a match for a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.

But that was fine; it was the perfect time to give her a little 'Genius shock.'

With the [Legacy] trait active, she wouldn't harbor thoughts of harming him just because he progressed too quickly.

By showing even greater potential, he would instead be valued more highly.

Mo Zixing winked at Liu Qingyan:

"Don't worry, Elder. I know what I'm doing."

Seeing his confident expression, Liu Qingyan swallowed the words she had intended to say:

"Fine, I'll watch from here."

"If you really can't handle it, just give me a shout."

"Will do."

Mo Zixing flexed his wrists and turned his gaze back to the edge of the Earth Fire Pool.

By the Earth Fire Pool.

Seeing that Hu Jiuying only dared to glare at him without making any move to stop him, the last bit of concern in Song Cheng's heart completely vanished.

He let out a sneer and strode toward the edge of the Earth Fire Pool with his head held high.

His Natal Spiritual Fire followed his hand, reaching into the churning Earth Fire Pool.

The companion spirit fire at the bottom of the pool was drawn by the specific fire-attribute aura and slowly floated to the surface of the magma. The lotus-seed-sized fire seed danced gently within the waves of fire.

Success!

A flash of excitement crossed Song Cheng's eyes. He glanced back at Hu Jiuying, who was trembling with rage, and made no effort to hide the arrogance and contempt on his face:

"A Loose Cultivator is just a Loose Cultivator. With no background and no strength, do you think you're worthy of guarding a Heaven And Earth Treasure?"

"But if you join our Qingyun Sect, I might consider showing you the ropes."

He assumed Hu Jiuying was exactly what she claimed to be—a wild Cultivator without a background.

And the reason she didn't dare to act was that she was intimidated by his title as a Core Disciple of the Qingyun Sect.

Hu Jiuying bit her lower lip with her sharp canines, her fox ears hidden in her hair twitching repeatedly in anger.

She had guarded this Earth Fire Pool until now, waiting for this companion spirit fire to mature.

This fire seed was extremely important to her.

If her demonic power leaked and disturbed the juvenile fire seed, all her efforts would be in vain.

It wasn't that she didn't dare to fight; she couldn't.

Song Cheng, unaware, continued to channel his fire spiritual power.

It looked as though he was about to tuck that companion spirit fire into his pocket.

A lazy voice drifted over from the entrance of the passage:

"You say a Loose Cultivator doesn't deserve respect, but what about those with a Sect and a faction?"

Song Cheng's hand froze mid-air, and his expression instantly darkened.

Hu Jiuying pursed her lips and backed away slightly, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the newcomer.

Mo Zixing walked out slowly, his pace leisurely as he headed straight for the edge of the Earth Fire Pool.

His gaze swept over the dancing companion spirit fire, glanced at Hu Jiuying beside it, and finally landed on the ashen-faced Song Cheng:

"Opportunities naturally belong to those destined for them."

"As for this companion spirit fire, I personally feel that it has no destiny with you."

As the words fell.

Mo Zixing no longer held back, releasing his Foundation Establishment Third Level cultivation without reservation.

In the shadows, Liu Qingyan's expression froze.

She never expected this.

This youth, who only had a Qi Refinement Stage cultivation a few days ago, had quietly broken through to the Foundation Establishment Third Level!

The heart she had been holding in suspense finally settled, and she even felt a bit of luck for having found such a treasure.

She really hadn't misjudged him.

By the Earth Fire Pool.

Feeling that powerful pressure, Song Cheng's face turned ugly.

He instinctively took half a step back.

He himself had only just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Stage 2.

He thought that in the outer regions of the Domain of Blazing Flame, aside from a few individuals, no one could suppress him.

Never did he expect a Foundation Establishment Third Level fellow to suddenly appear out of nowhere.

How could he win this?

He began to have second thoughts, but when his gaze swept over the companion spirit fire within arm's reach, greed overcame his wariness.

He had worked hard to find this fire seed; how could he be willing to just hand it over?

With his mind racing, the ashen look on Song Cheng's face faded, replaced by a smile.

He cupped his hands and bowed to Mo Zixing, his tone very respectful:

"I do not know which Sect Your Excellency hails from, but I failed to recognize a great figure. Please forgive my offense."

"This companion spirit fire was originally masterless; naturally, it belongs to the most capable."

As Song Cheng spoke, he extended a hand as if to offer the companion spirit fire, stepping closer as he said:

"Since my strength is inferior to Your Excellency's, I shall forfeit it. This way, we can build a good relationship for the future. What do you think?"

Mo Zixing raised an eyebrow.

Wait.

Buddy, your face-changing speed is a bit too fast.

It's hard to believe.

Moreover, Song Cheng's footsteps were light and his center of gravity was leaning forward.

It was obvious he intended to launch a sneak attack.

This little trick couldn't fool him.

Sure enough, the moment he walked in front of Mo Zixing.

A fierce light erupted in Song Cheng's eyes, and his other hand, which had been hanging at his side, suddenly snapped upward.

A wave of fire, condensing his entire cultivation, slammed violently toward Mo Zixing's face!

"Despicable."

Hu Jiuying, watching from the side, couldn't stand it and let out a low shout.

But Mo Zixing seemed to have anticipated it long ago.

Before the fire wave could even strike, he had already exploded his spiritual power underfoot, easily dodging the direct impact of the fire wave.

A flash of approval crossed Liu Qingyan's eyes.

She had been ready to intervene at any moment, but she hadn't expected this child to be so meticulous.

Mo Zixing jumped to the side, his expression becoming serious.

Since they had already dropped all pretenses and started fighting.

Then he had to pull up the grass by its roots.

This Song Cheng didn't have any life-saving traits.

So there was no burden in finishing him off.

Letting a tiger back to the mountain would only bring endless trouble.

Mo Zixing didn't hesitate.

Thunder crackled at his fingertips.

A full-power Rushing Thunder Technique, carrying a world-destroying momentum, blasted violently toward Song Cheng!

Song Cheng's full-strength sneak attack had missed, and he was already cursing his luck.

Then he saw the thunder light already before his eyes.

He hurriedly redirected his spiritual power, striking out with the last of his fire-attribute spiritual power.

Fire and thunder instantly collided.

Boom!

A deafening explosion echoed through the Earth Fire Cave.

The power generated by the collision of thunder and fire...

...was far more terrifying than either technique alone!

It actually achieved a result where one plus one was greater than two!

A violent air current swept through the area.

Even the rock walls were cracked by the blast, and the Earth Fire Pool was churned into waves of fire several meters high.

Song Cheng took the brunt of it, bearing the full force of the explosion. He was sent flying backward, slamming heavily into the rock wall with a dull thud.

The dust settled.

Song Cheng lay on the ground, his body a bloody mess.

Half of his body was charred black.

One of his arms had vanished entirely.

Blood poured from his mouth as Song Cheng gasped for air.