West of Phoenix Cry Mountain lies a great peak perpetually shrouded in clouds and mist.
Those who draw near would notice countless birds of all kinds inhabiting the mountainside.
Most striking are the dense flocks of white birds perched on treetops, seemingly endless in number.
At this moment, within a grand hall atop the peak, a white-haired youth sat cross-legged, eyes closed, surrounded by a vast array etched into the floor.
The array glowed with golden light, intricate runes shimmering within.
Suddenly, golden lotus seeds, each the size of a jujube, emerged from the array, gathering before the youth.
He opened his eyes, counting exactly eight seeds, no more, no less.
“Ancestor!” a voice called from outside the hall. A white-haired woman in a white dress stepped inside, each step sending ripples trembling through the floor, covering several zhang with a single stride.
In an instant, she reached the youth’s side, curiously eyeing the eight floating lotus seeds.
“These aren’t the Earth Vein Fire Lotus itself, merely its seeds. Still, they are Mysterious Grade top-tier elixirs, quite rare,” the Bai Family Ancestor said with a smile.
“Mysterious Grade top-tier elixirs?” White Phoenix’s eyes flashed with surprise.
Even White Feather Mountain rarely possessed such treasures, yet the Earth Vein Fire Lotus produced so many at once.
“Their true value lies not in their abundant spiritual energy, but in their ability to grant demon cultivators a chance to awaken fire-based divine abilities!” the Ancestor explained.
“What?!” White Phoenix gasped again.
Divine abilities were immensely precious to demons. Even demon kings struggled to awaken one, two were rarer still, and more than two were almost unheard of.
A demon’s strength often hinged on the potency of their divine abilities.
That these tiny seeds could grant such power left White Phoenix stunned.
“If they’re so miraculous, why didn’t you let me compete for them?” she asked, puzzled, looking at her Ancestor.
“For you, they offer a chance at another divine ability. But for those exceptional demon kings, they’re a key to prolonging life. They’ll fight to the death for them. You’re formidable, Feng’er, but clashing with those demon kings is hardly worthwhile. Besides, one of these eight seeds is surely for White Feather Mountain. Why risk your life?” the Ancestor replied, smiling.
With a wave, the eight seeds floated to White Phoenix. “You’re here just in time. Deliver these to Phoenix Cry Mountain.”
“Yes, Ancestor!” White Phoenix nodded, collecting the seeds with a grasp.
After she left, the Bai Family Ancestor’s expression shifted. He looked down to find the golden array dimming, its glow fading into mere etchings, now ordinary.
“How could this be…” he muttered, frowning. Infusing demonic qi yielded no response.
“The array is broken… something’s amiss at Crimson Flame Peak!” he whispered, then vanished in a flash.
Reappearing at the hall’s entrance, he paused.
“The ancestor of Crimson Flame Peak’s mountain monster once aided me. Perhaps this is their chance to escape, no longer bound to the peak,” he mused, his expression shifting.
Finally, he clasped his hands behind his back, exhaling deeply. “So be it! Consider this repayment of a debt.”
With that, he vanished, reappearing deep within the hall as its doors slammed shut.
“I will enter seclusion. Do not disturb me unless absolutely necessary!” his voice echoed across White Feather Mountain.
The mountain’s Bai Family demons glanced up but resumed their tasks, accustomed to their Ancestor’s retreats.
…
Inside Crimson Flame Peak, Yingying Monster heeded Mo Fan’s words, stopping its chewing but swallowing the contents with a gulp and a burp.
“You… you swallowed it?!” Mo Fan fumed, grabbing Yingying Monster’s tail and shaking it. “Spit it out! Even one piece!”
“Ouch, Daddy, stop shaking! My tail’s gonna break!” the little creature protested in its childish voice. “It’s gone once I swallow it. How can I spit it out?”
“You unsharing, unfilial brat!” Mo Fan relented, knowing Yingying Monster’s unique constitution, its body like a furnace, rivaling his own internal space.
“Daddy, it was just a rock. Was it worth all this fuss?” Yingying Monster whined, fluttering before him, looking aggrieved.
“Don’t play innocent!” Mo Fan snapped. “I told you to stop, but you kept going, clearly ignoring me, you glutton! Next time, I’ll…” He paused, intending to threaten eating Yingying Monster but softened at its innocent expression. “I’ll kick you out!”
“Daddy, Yingying knows it was wrong. Won’t happen again!” Yingying Monster, seeing Mo Fan’s rare anger, softened, nuzzling his cheek with its tiny head.
“Fine, no repeats!” Mo Fan huffed, then had Yingying Monster lead him to the array base.
With the barrier gone, he easily reached it, finding a stone disc inscribed with hundreds of intricate runes, a central groove sized for a standard spirit stone.
Realizing the truth, Mo Fan’s heart ached, mentally cursing Yingying Monster again.
“Though the array’s broken, the base is intact. I’ll take it and see if I can reactivate it later,” he mused, stroking his chin.
Opening his mouth, he swallowed the zhang-wide array base.
“Daddy, you’re amazing, eating stones too!” Yingying Monster exclaimed, earning Mo Fan’s dark glare.
Boom!
A terrifying force surged through the earth, roiling Mo Fan’s qi.
“I almost forgot about those guys!” he grimaced, knowing a demon king was likely bombarding the peak’s dome.
With all external passages destroyed, the best escape was through the relatively weaker dome.
But this risked collapsing the entire peak, dooming all demons inside.
Not daring to linger, Mo Fan escaped the mountain, soon returning to the cavern with Yingying Monster.
Looking up, he saw demons furiously attacking the dome, cursing as debris rained down.
