The Desolation Martial and Flame God arrived at the edge of the Great Barren Well.
"Hmm? He's not here?" The Desolation Marshal furrowed her brow.
"He's gone to the second layer," the Flame God replied, his hand stroking his fiery beard.
The first layer containing Defying Heaven grade desolation was just within sight, but the second layer remained shrouded from sight.
"He's not in the Third Baptism Realm, but he dove straight into the Heaven Sealing layer? He's got guts."
Thinking back to Moon Fairy's earlier revenge on Lin Daiyuan, a wry smile slipped out from the corner of the Desolation Marshal's mouth. "I thought he was well-behaved. But it seems like we've brought in quite the troublemaker."
It was quite the misjudgement!
▬ι══????✧⚰️✧????══ι▬
Within the Sealing Heaven layer of the Great Barren Well, Moon Fairy wasn't in any rush to absorb any desolation. In fact, he had quite a bit still stored up in the Immortal Asylum.
After entering the First Baptism Realm, he'd broken through from the Early stage to the Establishment stage without a chance to catch his breath.
He was just here for a look!
"They say it's just a well, but in truth, it's a volcano of desolation beneath the earth! Magnificent!"
Before Moon Fairy, various attributes of desolation, such as fire, frost, ice, thunder, water, and wind, roared and clashed. No non-demon would dare to enter here!
To others, this place was a veritable hell.
"I won't be lacking in desolation anytime soon; I'll consolidate my cultivation first, then cross another tribulation before entering again."
He had no plans of stealing any desolation; firstly because it wasn't necessary; and secondly because there was still plenty of desolation oil unused within the Immortal Asylum.
Having experienced the Heaven Sealing layer firsthand, Moon Fairy was about to leave. But then, he suddenly heard a noise.
"Hmm?" The Nian had lost its nose, yet its sense of smell remained, saying, "That direction!"
"What are you so eager for?" the Yaksha Ancestor scoffed at the Nian.
"None of your business."
"You pathetic mutt, currying favor with him just to suppress me? Indeed, a mutt is a mutt, groveling as usual, always seeking to please its master," the Yaksha Ancestor sneered.
"Fuck you, monkey butt!" the Nian retorted.
As they bickered, Moon Fairy moved through the vast tempest of desolation.
BUZZ! Ahead, fierce flames roared!
From all directions came five types of desolate fire, converging into a swirling five-colored sea that encircled the scene!
At the heart of this fiery maelstrom, a beast struggled!
The beast, entangled with the colorful inferno, clearly possessed formidable strength and a deep affinity with the desolation, as evidenced by the tumult around it.
Its roars echoed, pained and persistent! From its state and cries, it was clear the beast suffered greatly, wrestling with the relentless assault.
The five-colored flames surged into its body, scorching it entirely, visibly spiraling out of control.
Being a demon, Moon Fairy understood; the beast was likely undergoing a perilous absorption of desolation, its physical form nearly overwhelmed!
Without hesitation or knowledge of the beast's identity, he approached.
BUZZ! Channeling the Will of Divine Desolation, his body became like a vortex, drawing the chaotic tempest of flames explosively toward him.
The spectacle mirrored a giant whale drawing in water!
Before long, the structure of the five-colored maelstrom unraveled under Moon Fairy's suction power, collapsing and dispersing!
And so, the beast engulfed by the inferno was liberated, its cries abruptly ceasing.
The desolate flames dispersed!
"Who are you?"
"Oh?" The Desolation Marshal glanced at Moon Fairy, perhaps recalling what he had done to Lin Daiyuan, then back at her innocent daughter...
A sudden tightness gripped her heart, and she shot Moon Fairy a warning look.
He immediately took the hint, nodding slightly, and choosing silence.
Seeing the young man's wise reaction, the Desolation Marshal then smiled at Qi Qiqi, "That's wonderful, congratulations on making a new friend."
"Yeah, I like Moon Bro a lot!"
Though Qi Qiqi was in human form, she was still a child at heart, her expressions devoid of any hidden meaning.
Fortunately, she didn't rush to hug him again; that might have been too hard to explain.
"Teacher, I'm entrusting these two children to you," the Desolation Marshal said.
The Flame God maintained his cool indifference. "Leave them here, I'll take care of them."
Watching these young lives, the Desolation Marshal was filled with profound emotions.
"Marshal." Just then, a white-haired elder entered, speaking softly, "The King is here, waiting for you in the Southern Hall."
Upon hearing this, the Desolation Marshal's fleeting smile vanished, her face seeming to plunge into icy depths. Her gaze was cold, struggling... much like Lin Daiyuan's had been moments before.
"Dad's here? I want to go too!" Qi Qiqi said eagerly upon hearing the news.
"You are not going!" the Desolation Marshal barked, startling the young girl.
"Aw... I'm not allowed to see him again..." Qi Qiqi pouted.
The Desolation Marshal ignored her and turned to leave, her demeanor more that of a warrior heading into battle than a wife meeting her husband.
"So annoying!" Qi Qiqi sat on the ground, her mood visibly soured.
"If you two have nothing else to do, read this book," said the Flame God as he tossed them a thick tome.
Moon Fairy recognized it as the volume on various Calamity Sources.
This was the fourth and final volume, detailing the rarest and most violent of all Calamity Sources, those that could bury the heavens themselves.
"Qiqi, shall we read it together?" Moon Fairy suggested. He couldn't talk about her parents' affairs, but he could help her shift her mood.
"Okay, Moon Bro!" Qi Qiqi's inherently joyful nature quickly shone through, and she soon forgot the earlier upset. Together with Moon Fairy, they sat like two innocent kids, absorbed in the book.
"Burying Heaven grade Calamity Sources, I wonder when I'll get to use one! I really want it..." Qi Qiqi pouted.
Moon Fairy glanced at her profile, her long lashes, colorful eyes, and the innocence within them... She seemed like a treasure of the world, pure and pristine.
"No need to rush, you're still young," Moon Fairy said.
"Aren't you young too?" Qi Qiqi huffed, then turned to the first page of the tome, reading with relish. "Though we can't use it yet, it's essential to understand it beforehand. Otherwise, choosing the wrong Calamity Source could spell big trouble. At best, all our efforts would be wasted; at worst, it could cost us our lives!"
Moon Fairy laughed. "Who would be so foolish as to choose the wrong Calamity Source?"
"There are plenty!"
Qi Qiqi pointed at the Calamity Source on the page. "See this one? Looks ordinary, right? Plain and unremarkable, but it's actually an Upper Burying Heaven grade Calamity Source, meant only for those daring enough to try and become a Boundless Immortal. It's called the Three Lives Samsara. Some idiots have failed to recognize its value and used it as if it were a Heaven Sealing grade, only to end up exploding into dust once they consume it."
"Haha, how could someone be so stu..." Moon Fairy chuckled, then focused on the illustration of the Calamity Source. Then, his face immediately paled. "Huh...?"
"Moon Bro, what's wrong?" Qi Qiqi asked curiously.
"N-no, no, nonono!!" Moon Fairy rubbed his eyes, staring intensely at the illustration.
"What's the matter? I didn’t call you an idiot..." Qi Qiqi bit her lip.
"AHH, CRAP!" Moon Fairy suddenly stood up. "Isn't that the thing I took from the Diva as a service fee!?"
▬ι══????✧⚰️✧????══ι▬
Far away in the Extreme Yin Celestial Realm, within the Carfree Palace, a young man in white was digging at his mouth, yelling to the devil girl beside him, "Quick, help me dig it out, save me...!"