Chapter 217: Fire
Master Qiu looked at the scene with both amusement and frustration as taking the horse to the valley would be quite problematic.
"Sigh, we need to return these horses to the establishment in the valley as well." Master Qiu shook her head.
"Let me try," Mei Xue stepped forward as she saw the proud steed.
"But Lady Xue—" Master Qiu hurriedly tried to dissuade her from this daunting task as she didn't want to see her get hurt.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Mei Xue softly smiled as she moved forward.
The horse looked at Mei Xue approaching, but it didn't do anything at first.
Mei Xue got close as her hands released a green aura.
She gently patted the horse as he seemed to be accepting her.
"Good horse." She smiled as she climbed on top of him slowly.
Master Qiu slowly came forward and said in a low voice, "Your Wood Intent never ceases to amaze me, Lady Xue."
Mei Xue smiled softly, "It's still nothing compared to Senior Brother Shen Yuan's Fire Intent."
"He is indeed a monster; no wonder he managed to pass the Ancestral Pagoda trial. I wouldn't have believed it if the valley hadn't informed me of it beforehand." Master Qiu shook her head as she was still in disbelief over Shen Yuan's talent.
"Let's continue to the valley; we need to find out who leaked my whereabouts," Mei Xue softly said as she looked at the valley.
"Then about the Silver Fox Sect..." Master Qiu asked quietly.
Mei Xue thought for a second before shaking her head, "Don't bother with them; from the looks of it, Senior Brother Shen Yuan took up this mission because he wanted to clash with the Silver Fox Sect. Let him handle it."
Master Qiu wanted to question his ability on whether he could even do it or not, but remembering his age and battle power quickly shut her up.
...
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Lian Fang asked as they both sat beside a waterfall deep in the woods.
Shen Yuan looked at the fire burning below him softly; he stirred it with a stick, "We got a lot of information from the bandits about the Silver Fox Sect, like their headquarters, how many inner elders they have, as well as how many Extreme Origin Core Realm cultivators they have."
"But we can't be sure about how many Extreme Origin Core Realm and Dao Core Forming Realm cultivators they have. I doubt those lowly bandits will have full knowledge about a sect like the Silver Fox Sect," Lian Fang worriedly said.
Shen Yuan got silent as he also knew this problem, "That's quite the problem indeed, even if I can handle one Dao Core Forming Realm cultivator, I doubt I would be able to win if two of them ganged up on me."
Lian Fang's eyes widened in disbelief, "You can actually fight someone in the Dao Core Forming Realm?"
"Of course, why would I venture out in the world if I don't even have this little bit of strength?" Shen Yuan calmly replied.
"Unbelievable... and you are merely an Inner Disciple of the Radiant Lotus Sacred Sect," Lian Fang mindlessly muttered to herself as she felt her whole worldview shifting.
"Don't think too much about it. Not all Inner Sect disciples are like me; I'm just an exception." He shook his head while staring at the burning fire.
Lian Fang didn't say anything for a while as she tried to digest what she had just found out.
After a while, she asked, "So what plan do you have? And what do you want from me?"
Shen Yuan continued playing with fire using his stick as he thoughtfully said, "I have underestimated the strength of the Silver Fox Sect; I can't defeat them in my current situation."
Lian Fang continued looking at him in confusion.
"But it won't be long before I can achieve the strength required to do that. But in the meantime, I need someone to do my work for me in the outside world," Shen Yuan said while moving his gaze away from the fire and staring at Lian Fang.
Lian Fang looked at him with disbelief, "Wait, so you are asking me to work under you? But from your tone, it looks like it will be a long-time job. I'm sorry but I do—"
Before her words could finish, Shen Yuan threw a storage ring at her, "50,000 Mid Tier Spirit Stones as an advance payment for your job. If you do good then I can increase your pay as well."
"I will do as you command, Young Master Yuan." Lian Fang stood up and she respectfully gave him a salute before looking at the storage ring filled with Spirit Stones with shiny eyes.
Shen Yuan didn't bother with her as he looked at the burning flames.
He seemed to be getting lost in the dancing flames as he muttered under his breath, "A fire that knows only destruction is like a flawed forge—it consumes and collapses under its own rage. But a flame that tempers, shapes, and strengthens—that is the fire that forges legends and builds empires."
His eyes seemed to be burning with fire as a small tornado began to form around him.
The temperature continued to soar as Lian Fang hurriedly moved away from Shen Yuan, "Wha—" She couldn't even make words as the temperature seemed to be able to burn even her.
It wasn't long before the tornado caught on fire.
Shen Yuan didn't bother to look around at all as his focus remained sharply on the dancing flame in front of him, something deep within him seemed to be stirring slightly as his comprehension of Fire continued to soar.
"The fire to forge a new path..." Shen Yuan muttered as his Fire Intent broke through its shackles and reached the Second Level.
"Intent?? Already??" Lian Fang muttered in disbelief as she felt the energy of Intent being radiated from Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan heard her voice as he retracted all of the pressure of the Intent and the tornado died down as well.
Lian Fang hurriedly came forward as she asked Shen Yuan excitedly, "Was that the Fire Intent? And such a strong one at that, it must be at the Second Level, right?"
Shen Yuan chuckled and nodded, "Yes. I comprehended the Second Level of Fire Intent."
Lian Fang's eyes lit up with excitement, "Yay! With this we might be able to win against Sil—"
"We can't." Shen Yuan began playing with the fire again as he refused Lian Fang's plan outright.
"Eh? But why?" Lian Fang asked while crossing her arms.
"Hmm... do you think those who have been alive for centuries or even millennia wouldn't have learned an Intent? I'm pretty sure some of them have already mastered at least one Intent till level two if not three." He lightly explained.
Lian Fang got silent as she realized what he said made sense. "Then what do you want me to do? Since we can't attack the Silver Fox Sect for now, you must have some other work for me to do, right?"
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