It wasn’t as Shi Sheng imagined. She only felt a warm body of heat flow down her throat. She felt like her body had been wrapped up by a warm and gentle energy wherever that heat flowed. Feng Ci released her. His lips were still moist. “Don’t be scared. Relax.”
Shi Sheng didn’t have time to say anything before darkness engulfed her vision. In the next moment, countless crisscrossing paths made of fire appeared. She was standing on one of them.
‘The h.e.l.l is this place?’
Shi Sheng reached out a hand probingly at those flames. The flames went through her palm but there was no feeling from them.
“Beat him to death! He’s a freak!”
“Don’t play with him! He’s a monster!”
“&h.e.l.lip;Freak! Monster!”
Childish voices that overlapped with one another could be heard.
Shi Sheng looked ahead. On a flaming path, a few children surrounded a boy who had fire all around him. They threw stuff at him while the boy just stood there, unmoving, allowing them to throw those sharpened objects at him.
Not long after, injuries appeared on his forehead and cheeks.
Even after fresh blood had flowed down his face and coated half his face in it, he still remained silent. Those children that had tossed those things seemed to be scared though as they ran off.
Shi Sheng moved closer to him. He seemed to sense something for he looked over to her. Shi Sheng paused, feeling doubtful. ‘He can see me?’
“Go home.” A harsh rebuke could be heard from behind her. Shi Sheng turned to see a pretty woman standing not far from her as she stared in disgust towards the boy.
The boy lowered his head and wiped away the traces of blood on his forehead as he slowly walked towards the woman.
The scene seemed to shimmer a bit before the two figures disappeared.
“Even your parents don’t want you, you freak!”
“Hahaha, just look at him. Doesn’t he look like a pet that’s been abandoned? If you weren’t a freak that had fire surrounding you, we might have been generous and brought you home.”
Shi Sheng turned to look. On another flame path, the boy from before—only older—was hugging his knees as he squatted on the ground. His empty gaze stared at the floor.
After those people had ridiculed him, they actually started throwing stuff at him again. Perhaps this was a pastime of theirs for they had brought plenty of sharpened stones on their person. They threw stones at the boy’s face.
“No one wants a freak like you&h.e.l.lip;”
“No one likes you, freak&h.e.l.lip;”
The boy, who had been silent all this time, stood up suddenly. His originally empty eyes were now filled with vicious hate. The fire on his body flared up and stretched out to encompa.s.s those people. Two of the slower ones got caught by the fire, causing them to shriek miserably. The others had been scared silly by this as they ran away in a panic.
&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;
Angry curses as well as sobs could be heard. A boy was lying on the ground, on his last breaths. The flames burning vigorously around him made it appear like he was being roasted.
The scene changed once again. The boy had already grown into a teenager. He was chained up and trapped in a small area. There was no expression on his face.
“You really are a freak.” In front of the teenager, a man wearing flowy white robes stood with an expression of ecstasy. “Danger and reward come together after all! Hahaha the day when I conquer the Celestial World is nigh!”
The man controlled a dagger and made it slice open a cut on the teenager’s wrist. However, it hadn’t sliced that far when it turned into ash. The man’s expression changed. “Your ability has grown again!”
The man made a hand seal and the chains around the teenager rattled. The teenager revealed a pained expression as he curled up into a ball.
“Freak, see if you still dare to use fire again next time!”
After the man had collected enough blood, he left while laughing maniacally. He didn’t see the gaze the teenager shot at him from behind&h.e.l.lip; It was as cold as a pond on the winter’s solstice.
Shi Sheng continued walking along that small path and watched his birth, his growth. Watched others detest him, become disgusted at the sight of him. Watched him being abandoned, being locked up.
And in the end&h.e.l.lip; He broke out of his coc.o.o.n. He became the Celestial World’s most unique existence; Everyone wanted him dead yet no one could kill him.
Shi Sheng paused in her steps. There was an unusual emotion in those normally placid eyes of hers.
“Feng Ci&h.e.l.lip;” She mumbled in a low voice before scoffing. Flames were reflected in her eyes as the corner of her mouth lifted into a shallow angle. That smile didn’t reach her eyes though.
The surrounding paths disappeared and she was left standing in the middle of an endless sea of flames. The fiercely burning flames made her feel miniscule. The scene was exactly the same as the flame sea that had greeted her when she arrived her.
However, she didn’t feel pain like she did then. There was only a comforting sense of intimacy.
Those flames seemed like fish that had regained water as they poured into her body. They repaired her broken meridians and enveloped her dantian in a layer of flames. From within, a faint gold light leaked out.
Time pa.s.sed. After who knew how long, the golden light in her dantian finally broke out and a magnificent strength surged through her whole body like a tsunami.
A shiny golden pearl was hovering in her dantian, surrounded by fire. It looked like a golden pill surrounded by a fiery sea yet neither affected nor repelled each other.
‘Azoth Core. This is the Azoth Core stage.’
&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;
Shi Sheng opened her eyes and looked at the person squatting down next to her. Suddenly, she broke out into a smile and her light voice flowed, “Feng Ci&h.e.l.lip; I’ll accompany you from now on. Until your life comes to an end.”
‘Until your life comes to an end. This is the only promise I can give.’
Feng Ci was dazed for a moment before his eyes blinked. Waves surged in his heart. This was the first time she had given him a certain answer.
“I’ll also accompany you. No matter how long.” Feng Ci spoke with a serious face.
Shi Sheng’s eyes curved as she smiled. She tilted her head and asked, “What was that you gave me?”
She not only recovered her cultivation, she also broke through to the Azoth Core stage. Furthermore&h.e.l.lip;
Shi Sheng lifted her hand and a small patch of flames appeared. She could use Feng Ci’s flames now.
“I don’t know what that is either&h.e.l.lip;” Feng Ci shook his head in uncertainty. “But it’s very useful! From now on, no matter where you go, I’ll be able to find you. No one will be able to hurt you anymore.”
Shi Sheng rubbed the area over her heart. She didn’t know why but she felt like that thing Feng Ci had given her&h.e.l.lip; had fused with her heart.
“Xiaoshu, you can’t leave me from now on.” Feng Ci reached out to pull Shi Sheng into his embrace. Perhaps it was because there was now a part of him in her for he didn’t use too much strength this time. There were still times he couldn’t help but think of imprisoning her by his side. Fortunately, he was able to control those impulses.
Shi Sheng didn’t struggle and let him hug her. Although she had broken through into the Azoth Core stage, she was still lacking in energy. She felt like she had exhausted her stores of energy by now. Perhaps it was because of that thing Feng Ci had fed her.