Yan Nie's eyes widened when he saw Xi Tianyi appear behind Tai Wuling and Yang Linyin. The immortal monarch reached forward and touched his World Incinerating Mandala. 'Is he an idiot? Not even immortal monarchs would be immune to my five-colored flame. It's the embryonic form of a divine flame!'
Yet, under Yan Nie's disbelieving eyes, his five-layered World Incinerating Mandala disappeared, sucked into Xi Tianyi's hand. Sure, he hadn't fully merged the Immortal Flame of Fire, Immortal Flame of Water, Immortal Flame of Earth, Immortal Flame of Metal, and Immortal Flame of Wood, but it still wasn't something so easily solved, especially by a newly ascended immortal monarch. If he had perfectly merged them, then even an immortal emperor would have to be careful.
The shock froze Yan Nie. He could accept his most powerful move being resisted or even defeated, but not this easily. While dazed, Monarch Nine Heavens teleported Xi Tianyi, Jiang Daoyi, Yang Linyin, and Tai Wuling away.
"Damn, those rats are quick to flee! If we had more time, we could have taken them."
His second-in-command's words awakened him from his daze. "No, we're lucky they escaped."
"What, that's impossible. How could they match you, the Divine Flame Lord?"
Yan Nie shrugged helplessly. His second-in-command had been one of his most vocal detractors after he became a member of the Anti-Earth Alliance thanks to his master, Monarch Pillrabbit's connections. But after a life-and-death situation and a battle, his most vocal detractor became one of his biggest supporters.
"Did you not see how Monarch Xi easily absorbed my attack?" Yan Nie asked. "Plus, there was another monarch present. Even if I could stall one, the rest of you would be killed by the second."
Yan Nie's second-in-command stilled. It was not like he was stupid, just hot-blooded.
Still, seeing Xi Tianyi reminded him of his allies back in the Heaven Continent. How was Pan Lanyue, or his childhood friend? Last he heard, his childhood friend had magically changed genders to become the saintess of the Cloud Goddess Cult. He wondered if she had reached the Immortal Realm yet.
Yan Nie shook his head. He had more important matters to care about. "Search the area, investigate why two foreign monarchs were snooping around!"
"YES!"
Unfortunately, they didn't find anything wrong even when the reinforcement arrived. For now, they could only seal off the space using a formation and hope their measures would prevent any unwanted consequences.
"Linyin!" Tai Wuling shouted as he cradled Yang Linyin in his arms.
After Monarch Nine Heavens teleported them to safety, Yang Linyin immediately fainted and would have fallen onto the floor had it not been for his quick reflexes. The Eight Way Mirror clattered as it dropped from their grasp and fell onto the ground; a split appeared on its reflective surface.
However, despite the fracture on the monarch-level artifact, Tai Wuling didn't care as he continued to shout Yang Linyin's name but to no avail. Yang Linyin remained unconscious in his arms with no signs of waking.
A footstep thundered inside Tai Wuling's ears. He snapped his head up and focused on the three from the Buzhou Immortal Sect. Then he saw red.
"You!"
He could see Xi Tianyi blink at him in confusion, which only enraged him further. "Why did you wait until Linyin couldn't hold on anymore before helping!? You caused this, you caused them to almost die. If you can't even take action to protect your allies, we, the Eight Pillar Sect, have doubts about your sincerity on the alliance!"
Xi Tianyi blinked some more before shaking his head and then directing his disdainful gazes at him, further infuriating Tai Wuling. "Did you forget who attacked with reckless abandon?"
"The smarter move would be to retreat to safety, but someone rushed forward like an idiot without regard for the situation. Because that idiot couldn't even accomplish his goal and got himself in a predicament, forcing Yang Linyin to save his sorry ass."
Tai Wuling didn't know what sorry ass meant, but it wasn't hard to figure out. He gritted his teeth and refused to back down. "You still should have done more."
"That is also true, but you forgot we were so shocked by a certain someone's idiotic move we froze. I mean, who rushes head-first against a group of enemies without waiting for their allies' consent?" Xi Tianyi said, his mockery couldn't be more evident.
When Tai Wuling only growled, Xi Tianyi only shrugged, seemingly losing all interest. He waved his hand, and a decadent immortal boat appeared.
"Are you crazy? You want the Anti-Earth Alliance to discover our location?!" Tai Wuling yelled.
Xi Tianyi turned back and looked at him top-to-bottom. Finally, he said, "Take a look around you."
Tai Wuling blinked. He wanted to ignore Xi Tianyi's words, but he still followed them. That's when he realized that Monarch Nine Heavens had teleported them to the vicinity of the Eight Pillar Sect. No matter how daring the Anti-Earth Alliance was, the chances of them attacking here were practically zero unless their immortal emperor personally took action.
"Geez, I only thought you were hotheaded, but I didn't realize you had tunnel vision too," Xi Tianyi said. "I had higher expectations for a disciple of Emperor Infinity."
Tai Wuling clenched his teeth as his veins started to become more pronounced from his coursing anger. Xi Tianyi threw one last glance at him before flying to the immortal boat.
Jiang Daoyi sent him a look. It wasn't mockery or disdain like Xi Tianyi's gaze but a look of disappointment. Tai Wuling felt lost in his heart for some reason, like he had lost something that was originally his.
Tai Wuling said nothing as he boarded the immortal boat after Jiang Daoyi and Monarch Nine Heavens. For the short trip back to the Eight Pillar Sect, he said nothing and refused to allow Monarch Nine Heavens to approach the unconscious woman in his arms.
When the group of five returned to the sect ahead, numerous immortals grouped around them. Tai Wuling had already reported what happened using an impartial standpoint. He knew that he had screwed up, and excuses would not fly since he had been in the wrong. Sure, the Eight Pillar Sect might have been displeased by Monarch Nine Heavens or Xi Tianyi's inaction, but he held the greater blame for his reckless action.
After the healers took Yang Linyin away for recovery, Sect Master Pathway apologized to Xi Tianyi and Monarch Nine Heavens after recovering the Eight Way Mirror, causing Tai Wuling to clench his fist until his nails dug into his palms under his sleeve.
Not long after, he was summoned by the grand elder.
Inside Emperor Infinity's secluded cultivation chamber, Tai Wuling kneeled with his head low. "Master."
Emperor Infinity stayed silent for a few minutes before opening his eyes and finally acknowledging Tai Wuling. "Wuling, you were too brash this time."
Tai Wuling stayed silent and continued to look down at the ground.
Emperor Infinity sighed. "I understand that you dislike the Buzhou Immortal Sect, but you must not let your personal thoughts cloud your judgment. I and your uncle-masters invited aid from the Buzhou Immortal Sect for a reason. All will become clear in the future."
Tai Wuling recalled the words Yang Linyin said to him. Emperor Infinity was right, he would let Xi Tianyi be proud for now. The higher you are, the harder you fall. "Yes, Master. Disciple understands."
Emperor Infinity didn't relax and sighed instead. He had felt Tai Wuling's killing intent spike for a brief moment before disappearing. The immortal emperor didn't know that Tai Wuling already knew the plan, so he took the spike as something else.
"Wuling, sometimes in life, you have to endure." Tai Wuling raised his head with confusion plastered on his face. "I know of your experiences. You started out as a loose cultivator and needed to fight inch and nail for every opportunity. You shouldered everything alone, but now, that is no longer the case."
"The sect is your greatest backing, but sometimes, even the sect is powerless. I am powerless," Emperor Infinity said. "The sad truth is that we needed Monarch Nine Heavens' aid. Even if Disciple Yang's injuries were their fault, we can do nothing but hold it in and endure this humiliation."
Emperor Infinity's eyes turned sharp, like a drawn sword. "But I can promise you this. We only need to endure for now. The Eight Pillar Sect will rise to its rightful place as the hegemon of the Huang Realm."
"So endure, and carve this humiliation into your bones and use it to fuel your progress," Emperor Infinity said.
"Thank you, Master," Tai Wuling said, cupping his fist. His determination burned brighter than ever. However, he still had one concern. "Master, about Linyin."
Emperor Infinity sighed. "Their condition is stable, but it is unknown when they will wake. The junior, the Divine Flame Lord, unleashed an attack heavy in yang nature, but Disciple Yang was in their yin form at the time. Their soul was more vulnerable, and the junior's World Incinerating Mandala burned a portion of their soul."
Tai Wuling turned crestfallen. "Is there no way? Surely, with the Eight Pillar Sect's resources, we can save them?"
"Injuries to the soul are hard to heal. You'll have to wait until the sect's other grand elder, Grand Elder Soulsilk, returns. He might have a solution," Emperor Infinity said. Still, seeing Tai Wuling's heartbroken expression, he added, "Do not worry too much. Did you forget their condition was stable? Once Grand Elder Soulsilk returns, they should be able to wake up."
"I understand," Tai Wuling said. He returned not long later, his mood low but more determined than ever.
Emperor Infinity didn't immediately close his eyes but sat in silence, waiting. Soon after, another figure exuding an ancient air and aura not one whit weaker than him appeared. "How are they?"
"Their condition is stable, but parts of their soul are missing," Emperor Soulseek said. "Luckily, they had already begun to merge their two cultivation methods, so their soul is repairing itself. Once they wake up, they won't be far from reaching the Seamless Immortal Realm."
"That's good news, so why is your expression so heavy?" Emperor Infinity asked.
"Parts of their soul disappeared. Even if their soul is repaired, it won't be the same," Emperor Soulseek said. "They might be missing memories, and that is the best outcome. More than likely, their personality will become different. Those who recovered from soul injuries are more likely to form inner devils."
Emperor Infinity frowned. "They're such a good seed. If worst comes to worst, they can only be sacrificed for the greater good of the sect."
"If they manage to overcome this misfortune, they will have the highest chance of reaching the Extremity Immortal Realm," Emperor Soulseek said.
Tai Wuling returned to his abode and shut himself in his cultivation chambers. Yang Linyin's pale face flashed before his eyes whenever he closed them. He took a few moments to compose himself.
He closed his eyes and expunged all unnecessary thoughts. Needlessly worrying about Yang Linyin would bring no benefits. It was better to increase his strength so that he could get revenge against Yan Nie and those bastards from the Buzhou Immortal Sect.
Tai Wuling began to recall the Divine Flame Lord's World Incinerating Mandala. Earth bears metal, metal collects water, water nourishes wood, and wood feeds fire. That was the secret behind the technique, but he could tell it was not complete. If it were complete, the World Incinerating Mandala would have instantly destroyed him.
He could feel it. With his understanding of all five elements as the foundation, his mastery of the Law of Fire quickly advanced. Tai Wuling had always expected to master the Law of Earth since he had mastered a concept of earth first, but his encounter with the Divine Flame Lord changed that.
When Tai Wuling opened his eyes, a world of flames could be seen reflected from his eyes. Now, he had the means and method to injure and defeat immortal monarchs.
Tai Wuling also understood the Divine Flame Lord's trump card more now. The Divine Flame Lord was likely a hair's breadth away from mastering the Law of Fire, but the reason he was so powerful wasn't because of his comprehension of the laws but his secret technique.
"Divine Flame Lord, Xi Tianyi, I will defeat both of you," Tai Wuling promised out loud.
He closed his eyes and returned to cultivate. Due to the relationship between the five elements and his dao chaos spiritual root, Tai Wuling gained numerous inspirations and insight into the other four elemental laws. He wanted to seize this chance and master a second law if possible.
