Chapter 98: The Way of Wood and Fire

“Tricked!” The old face of the Elder of Changchun darkened, his aged eyes fixed intently on Ye Yun across from him, muttering inwardly, “This little rascal is truly something else. He kept refusing to become my disciple before, but it turns out he was playing hard to get all along.”

“Master, you’re not frightened just because a Golden Core cultivator is after me, are you?” Ye Yun said with a grin.

“Nonsense! Is there anyone in this world that I, the Elder of Changchun, would fear?” The Elder huffed and glared, his beard bristling.

“But tell me, you’re only at the early Foundation Establishment stage—what Golden Core expert would bother making trouble for you for no reason?”

As he spoke, the Elder furrowed his brows, muttering, “Did you steal someone’s wife or pilfer their treasures?”

Ye Yun was speechless at the old man’s train of thought. After a brief pause, he replied, “A while back, a petty thief tried to kill me, but I killed him instead. I suppose after slaying the young, now the elders are coming for revenge.”

At this, Ye Yun put on a sorrowful expression and sighed, “Alas, others have elders to protect them, while my own ancestral master is nowhere to be found…”

Watching Ye Yun’s pitiful act, the Elder’s eyelid twitched repeatedly. His instincts told him things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

But since Ye Yun had just called him “Master,” even though the Elder wished to have nothing to do with this mess, he could only grit his teeth and say, “What are you worrying about, boy? If any fool of a Golden Core dares chase you, I’ll annihilate his ancestors for eighteen generations!”

“Master, you are mighty indeed!” Ye Yun instantly broke into a smile, flattering the Elder with a well-placed compliment.

“Hmph, cut the flattery,” the Elder said, stroking his beard. He wore a stern expression, but inwardly he was quite pleased.

Just then, his face suddenly froze. With a flick of his hand, he tossed a jade slip to Ye Yun. “This is the heart method of my Changchun Palace. As my disciple, you should study it. I have matters to attend to—farewell!”

Before the words had fully left his lips, the Elder’s figure had vanished without a trace, leaving Ye Yun dumbfounded.

Aside from his first mentor Ye Yu, his enlightenment master, the first true teacher he encountered was such an unreliable old man. Ye Yun couldn’t help but feel exasperated.

“Changchun, you old scoundrel, get out here right now!”

Suddenly, a woman’s thunderous voice rang out over Luzhou City. Looking up, Ye Yun saw an enchanting and graceful woman standing atop a cloud of auspicious mist.

Upon witnessing this scene, Ye Yun immediately understood why the Elder of Changchun had left in such a hurry—it was to avoid this woman.

“He was just bragging a moment ago about not fearing other Golden Core cultivators, and now he’s being hunted down by a woman. That old man is truly unreliable,” Ye Yun thought to himself.

He tucked the jade slip away and quietly left the tavern.

Within the jade slip was a heart method called the Changchun Dao Scripture. It included some background information, claiming the scripture was of ancient origin, said to be an immortal’s creation—a Daoist who had transcended mortality.

But Ye Yun didn’t believe it in the least. Immortals were beings of unimaginable power. In the Holy Dragon Dynasty, even Nascent Soul cultivators stood atop the world. How could a true immortal exist?

Moreover, the Changchun Dao Scripture could at best be cultivated to the Golden Core stage, with no chapters beyond that. According to the jade slip, the later portions had been lost to the ages, and the Nascent Soul section had been seized by the imperial family more than four centuries ago.

The Holy Dragon Dynasty, seeking to strengthen its control over the eight realms, would never allow any other force to produce experts surpassing the Nascent Soul stage.

“Little Ye, this Changchun Dao Scripture is quite decent—it might truly be an immortal scripture,” a voice echoed in Ye Yun’s mind as he studied the heart method. The Demon Lord of Infinity, linked to his soul, could naturally perceive the contents of the jade slip.

“Really?” Ye Yun’s eyes lit up.

“I was once a Human-Immortal myself, familiar with countless supreme arts and divine techniques. Though I’m only a remnant soul now, my vision and experience remain,” the Demon Lord replied with pride.

“Tch, a true hero doesn’t boast of past glories. However powerful you were, it’s no use now,” Ye Yun retorted mercilessly.

“You little rascal!” The Demon Lord fumed.

Ye Yun chuckled, ignoring the Demon Lord’s endless complaints. In the solitary world of cultivation, having the Demon Lord’s company—and occasionally teasing him—was a rare pleasure.

In his heart, Ye Yun felt immense gratitude toward the Demon Lord. Back in the battle at Yunshui City, had it not been for the Demon Lord’s aid, the Ye family would have been annihilated, and he himself would have had his soul refined and destroyed by Lü Mengqiu.

Moreover, the Demon Lord’s experience as a former Human-Immortal and his many insights were invaluable treasures for Ye Yun. Whenever he encountered difficulties in cultivation, a simple word or two from the Demon Lord would grant him sudden clarity.

To earn the Demon Lord’s praise was proof enough that the Changchun Dao Scripture was extraordinary.

It was a wood-element technique. One began by cultivating Changchun Internal Energy, then transformed it into Changchun True Qi. Its strengths lay in the density and recovery speed of its true qi, both far superior to other cultivators of the same level.

The scripture also contained several techniques far more refined than the common spells circulating among ordinary cultivators.

“Little Ye, you’ve already cultivated the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Demon Art. The Changchun Dao Scripture is incomplete at best, and it’s not even fit to serve as a stepping-stone for the Crimson Flame Heart Method. Besides, few cultivators ever practice two heart methods at once—one alone is enough for a lifetime’s study, let alone two.”

Sensing Ye Yun’s interest in the Changchun Dao Scripture, the Demon Lord quickly reminded him not to bite off more than he could chew.

Ye Yun understood this point well. Just as he was about to stow the jade slip and end his study, the Demon Lord suddenly added, “But you, boy, were born with the innate perfect divine soul, granting you extraordinary talent and comprehension. Not only can you practice two heart methods simultaneously—even three, four, five, or more would be no burden for you!”

“Damn you, Demon Lord! Can’t you ever just say everything at once?” Fang Tuo couldn’t help but scold with a laugh.

“Tch, I just don’t want you getting too cocky, you rascal,” the Demon Lord retorted triumphantly, clearly pleased to have the last word. Then he said, “Of the five elements, wood produces fire. You can focus on cultivating Crimson Flame True Qi, and use the wood-element true qi from the Changchun Dao Scripture to assist your cultivation. This will greatly speed up your progress.”

“Using wood to generate fire, using Changchun True Qi to accelerate the cultivation of Crimson Flame True Qi?” The Demon Lord’s guidance was an epiphany for Ye Yun.

“But Little Ye, not everyone can accelerate their cultivation by leveraging the interactions of the five elements. It requires both talent and insight. If you’re not careful, and the fire fed by wood grows too fierce, you might end up burning yourself to death,” the Demon Lord warned again.

(Today was a day off. I had planned to write more in the morning, but after breakfast, my wife insisted I go fishing with her. We ended up catching only a handful of fry, and I was exhausted. After returning, I rushed to update the novel—thank you all for your patience…)