Chapter 543: Source of the Flames

Chapter 543: Source of the Flames

Little Flame pointed the way, her fingers skeletal whenever they peeked out from under her sleeves. They left the Night Market behind, flying out into a wilderness of dead trees, wilting bamboo, and stagnant ponds.

I once tried to escape the Night Market, Little Flame said softly. I walked out into the wilds, on and on until my legs went numb, and even then, I kept going. Out and out. Into the endless night. And then, at the very edge of the horizon, I found her.

Darkness. The world cut off, dead beyond a sharp edge. Hui sat up, startled. Eh?

They flew closer, and the edge came more clearly into vision. Sheer stone dropped off the edge of the world, falling to oblivion.

Huh. I guess it isnt unexpected that theres a limit to this small realm. Still, a sharp edge like this, a blatant cliff for the worlds edge I guess its better than an ice wall, but

The silk circled toward the ground. It touched down gently. Little Flame lifted her skirts and stepped off, while Hui and Black Dragon leaped to the ground.

Walking to the edge of the cliff, Little Flame crouched down and peered over the edge. Down there. Beyond the limits of the Night Market. I climbed down there, hoping that I might be able to escape and return to to my beloved. But instead, all I found were She rubbed her hands over her arms and shivered slightly.

The flames, Hui guessed. He pressed his lips together, looking out over the cliff.

Are you going? Black Dragon asked.

Hui nodded. I have to. Elder Sister, Senior, please go back first.

Little Flame nodded. She glanced at Black Dragon and edged back toward her nervously.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Black Dragon looked at him, then nodded. If I dont hear from you in a day, Im coming back to find you.

Senior is too considerate, Hui said, bowing. Im not going to refuse her help. One near-Immortal level existence can only be countered by another near-Immortal existence! If the phoenix-fire woman is here, and shes not restrained somehow, the only way to deal with her may be to rely on Black Dragon.

Id rather find my own way to deal with the phoenix fire lady, though. I have no idea where Black Dragons favor runs out, and Im not eager to end up in her debt!

Behind him, the Black Dragon unfurled her silk again. Little Flame climbed up onto it, and Black Dragon stepped up behind her. She paused, watching Hui, then turned and flew off. Black silk fluttered, and she vanished, flying off into the distance.

All alone, Hui looked out over the chasm. The stone stretched down, down, down, into utter black. There wasnt even a flicker of light in the depths, no hint as to fire hidden below. The wind blew up along the face of the cliff. He swayed backward with the force of the wind.

Holy shit! I dont need any more of that, thank you, Senior! Hui jumped back, dodging the flames. They flew past him harmlessly, hurtling off into the void. Sorry! I

In a moment, fire consumed the woman. It flared brighter and hotter, until it filled the entire bubble. Once again, the bubble appeared as it had when Hui arrived, full of heat and wild phoenix fire. Phoenixes rose, flew, and plunged back down into the flames, their illusory bodies only appearing for a brief moment.

This is the only option that remains, Fen Long said softly.

Hui jumped. Senior?

She, a rare female flame cultivator, wanted more. More heat, more power. Power to rival her male counterparts. She turned to the phoenixes. She emulated their flame, but that wasnt enough. It could never be enough. There was a deep sorrow to his voice, something that made Huis stomach shiver.

He spun around, then frowned. Is this a recording? Seniors like to do that. Senior Han Qin left a recording in the Phoenix-Spark Fire Altar, after all.

Careless of Huis words, Fen Long continued. Desirous of their powers, she devoured a phoenix. One. Two. A thousand. The phoenixes fought back, but once she assimilated their flame into herself, there was no defeating her with flame. She had become an Immortal-level existence no. A flame to rival the Heavenly Emperor himself.

You know, it would have been helpful if youd left Senior Chen Wuya a recording, Hui commented dryly. It wouldnt have changed anything, I dont think, but it certainly wouldve made Senior less huffy when I came along.

En, or could it be? That memory that I stumbled into is that his equivalent of a recording for Senior? Hmm given that it only pissed Senior Chen Wuya off more, its probably better he didnt give a direct recording.

She swept through the phoenixes and devoured them all. None remained. Her flame grew, so powerful that it could not be contained, not within her body nor anywhere else. She had become the ultimate force of destruction, the ultimate flame. And yet, she lost everything. The flame had grown so powerful that it burned out her mind, her soul. It left behind an empty husk, with nothing left. No morality. No consciousness. Nothing but raw power.

There were those who desired that power. Those who sought to harness it. Those who worshipped it. In those people, I saw the same hunger that destroyed my original realm. The hunger no man nor woman can overcome. The hunger for absolute power.

I could not destroy her. No one can, not anymore. She has become fire. The embodiment and soul of fire. Not alive, nor dead, but the primal state of existence before life, before death. To destroy her is to destroy fire itself. And yet, to allow her to continue to rage, to continue to be used as a weapon neither is that an option. I have seen what happens when ultimate power falls into the wrong hands. I refuse to allow it to happen again.

To prevent what happened to my realm, to my friend, from happening here, I sealed her away. Somewhere no one could find her. If you have found her, then I ask you, please. Whatever you seek, be it power, love, or a god, please. Leave her here. This is the best option I could come up with. Until I discover a method to dissipate her flame back into the world leave her here.

Fen Longs voice fell silent.

Hui put a hand on his chin. He regarded the woman, then sighed. Dammit. I dont want love, or power, or a god, I just want to extinguish these flames! What if I want that, huh, Fen Long?

Ah, too bad. It looks like this is a dead end. Shaking his head, Hui turned to go.

Wait.