"The Royal Family of Yanfu? Are they as formidable as they sound? Fond of romantic adventures?" Moon Fairy couldn't help but ask,
"What nonsense are you talking about? They belong to the Asura Path. Of course, they're dreadful..." Old Kapok, more fearful than the other demons, knew well enough.
Moon Fairy, aware that Old Kapok’s true form was a kapok flower, which the Royal Family of Yanfu used as their emblem, prodded gently, "What scares you? Just because they embroider you on their curtains?"
"Stop, please no more," Old Kapok morphed into a human form and shrank within his fur, his body slick with cold sweat.
Seeing him thus, Moon Fairy knew he was too terrified to speak!
Moon Fairy was in no rush, soothing Old Kapok while casting a cold gaze as the celestial palanquin descended.
Because of this clan's notorious reputation, Moon Fairy harbored a natural disdain for anyone bearing the surname Yanfu.
"Welcome, Fleeting Life King." The Desolation Marshal spoke ahead of her troops, her voice cold and authoritative, naturally imposing. Yet, such a voice, if it softened, could be quite charming.
"A pleasure, Desolation Marshal," came a hearty laugh from the palanquin.
As the curtain lifted, a burly middle-aged man in black stepped out, his garments embroidered with kapok flowers. His face was strikingly handsome, his eyes deep like abysses, his long hair flowing like a waterfall, his presence imposing.
In terms of aura, he stood equal to the Desolation Marshal.
"This aura... is it of a devil?" Moon Fairy murmured. Having nearly been killed by someone of this clan upon his arrival in the Six Paths of Reincarnation, he was initially unclear about what they were.
The middle-aged man had a bizarre Corona twined around his neck. It resembled a wreath, yet moved and squirmed like a living thing. It was different from that of a human, more devilish! And judging by the overpowering bloody aura he was radiating, he was definitely a devil!
"Of course, he's a devil! He's an Asura, the perfect devil of the Samsara Galaxy! They alone command the Asura, spreading their influence across the galaxy," Old Kapok whispered weakly.
"Remarkable, more human-like than any Yin Devil I've encountered before," Moon Fairy remarked.
"That's because they haven't revealed their true devil forms. Once they do, it's a whole other extreme," Old Kapok explained.
"Mhm." Moon Fairy felt he was starting to understand.
"His name is Yanfu Sheng, the Fleeting Life King?" Moon Fairy guessed.
"Yes, he's a bigshot of the Asura Path..."
"Hey, does he have anything to do with someone named Yanfu Tan?" Moon Fairy casually remarked.
"Yanfu Tan? That's his younger sister..." Old Kapok seemed to know quite a bit about these affairs.
So it was settled. The question now was, what brought the Fleeting Life King to the Beastly Peaks?
Moon Fairy watched as the Desolation Marshal exchanged a few cordial words with the Fleeting Life King, then got straight to the point, saying, "We owe you much for your work on the Reincarnation Wick."
"It is my honor to serve you, Desolation Marshal."
The Fleeting Life King seemed straightforward and maintained a respectful distance from the Desolation Marshal.
"Why does he seem so cautious?" Moon Fairy raised an eyebrow.
"Simple, he's wary of the man behind the Desolation Marshal!" Old Kapok declared.
"Is the Desolation Marshal married?" Moon Fairy asked through clenched teeth.
"Of course, her daughter is all grown up," Old Kapok replied with a peculiar look at Moon Fairy.
To him, Moon Fairy's background seemed even more mysterious now.
"Oh." Moon Fairy was unmoved mentally.
The forces within the Six Paths of Reincarnation were intertwined and complex, not easily understood. Power was what mattered most!
Just now, that discussion between the Fleeting Life King and the Desolation Marshal was about the Reincarnation Wick...
Under the guidance of the Desolation Marshal and her generals, the Fleeting Life King soared into the air and ascended the Ghost Cauldron!
"I understand now. The Fleeting Life King has the ability to purify the wick. It seems the wick's flame has indeed been poor lately, even at risk of going out," Moon Fairy deduced.
After the Fleeting Life King had entered, Old Kapok dared to speak up.
Its flame continued to fall! This abrupt change plunged the recently jubilant Beastly Peaks into a deadly silence.
Everyone was stunned, their eyes wide open!
"What's going on?"
"Is the Reincarnation Wick about to go out completely?"
"We're cooked! We're absolutely cooked!"
"What do you mean cooked? The flame's gone out. We're doomed!"
A million demons of the Desolation Corps were instantly thrown into chaos.
The Desolation Marshal and her generals, among other beings, turned pale with shock.
"Fleeting Life King!" the Desolation Marshal called out as she soared into the sky, meeting the Fleeting Life King who was just emerging.
The Fleeting Life King looked troubled and said, "The situation is quite bad."
"Speak!" The Desolation Marshal, foregoing pleasantries, pressed for answers urgently.
"The wick is severely damaged, not just clogged with oil but harmed in its very life force. After I removed the oil buildup, the damage to the wick... nothing can save it," the Fleeting Life King said through clenched teeth, his expression filled with regret.
"You!" At that moment, the Desolation Marshal couldn’t determine whether the Fleeting Life King was telling the whole truth, or only part of it.
The Beastly Peaks, once draped in festivity, now trembled on the brink of despair.
"Desolation Marshal!" Deep breath drawn, the Fleeting Life King's eyes bore the weight of severity as he implored, "Hear me out! There's more than a 60% chance that the Reincarnation Wick will extinguish soon. We must commit 100,000 troops of the Desolation Corps to nourish the wick with their lives to save it!"
"A hundred thousand troops of my Desolation Corps? No!" The Desolation Marshal trembled at the thought.
"If the Reincarnation Wick goes out, the death toll in the Beast Path will far exceed 100,000..." the Fleeting Life King sighed heavily, adding, "With the Six-Eyed Pandemonium dead and the Reincarnation Bastion in ruins, the Six Paths of Reincarnation may spiral out of control. In these dire times, please prioritize the greater good. Let some become the eternal heroes of the Beast Path!"
As these words left his mouth, the Desolation Marshal, floating in the air, struggled visibly. Her face, usually so commanding, was now etched with conflict and deep pain.
This 1,000,000-strong Desolation Corps was the work of her lifetime!
How could she easily sacrifice 100,000 lives to fill this breach?
"Desolation Marshal, there's no time left!" the Fleeting Life King’s voice boomed.
As the Reincarnation Wick's light flickered towards darkness, the 1,000,000-strong Desolation Corps below descended into chaos, cries of despair filling the air.
The Fleeting Life King's shout only deepened the Desolation Marshal’s internal agony. Her eyes were already red with pain!
In this tumultuous moment, a silver nine-tailed fox suddenly broke rank, dashing towards the Ghost Cauldron.
"Moon Fairy! Stop!" Lin Daiyu, already overwhelmed, spotted him nearing the position of the generals and shouted in alarm.
What was this imp adding to her troubles now?
Unexpectedly, Moon Fairy ignored her!
WHOOSH! His speed was astonishing!
"Whose soldier is this?" one of the generals demanded coldly as they noticed Moon Fairy crossing boundaries.
"Stop!" Lin Daiyu, heart pounding, roared as she chased after Moon Fairy.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! A giant bear furiously chased the nine-tailed fox through billowing smoke.
"Madness!" Lin Daiyu realized, to her dismay, she couldn't catch him in short order. "You're seeking death, little fox!" she bellowed in anger.
Moon Fairy reached the base of the Ghost Cauldron, transforming into his human form. He placed a hand on the cauldron, turning to say, "Seeking death? I'm saving the world!"
"You fool..." Lin Daiyu, fury boiling over, began to curse.
However, the moment Moon Fairy’s hand touched the Ghost Cauldron, the fire of the Reincarnation Wick blazed tenfold higher, illuminating the entire sky of the Beast Path!