Refining the Mountains and Rivers

The Southwest Desolate Region was changing. His Highness' puppet had been destroyed. His Majesty was furious and sent people to question him three times. Everyone was feeling down.

When the order came for house arrest, temporarily restricting the movement in and out of the prince's palace until the prince was dealt with, a sudden cry could be heard.

Even though it was said to be temporary, everyone knew the truth. A series of crimes would soon be brought against him and he would be held under permanent house arrest.

Because similar things had happened numerous times in the royal family. The outcome was so miserable and frightening that it made people's hearts ache.

Li Zhouyi accepted the king's decree indifferently but as soon as he returned to his room, he started to cry. No matter how horrifying, he could not express it and could only bear it by himself.

As part of the West Desolate royal family, he had the most precious bloodline in all of the Great Desolate. Li Zhouyi was extremely ambitious and could not accept this.

Wiping away his tears, his expression was calm, giving away nothing except his slightly reddened eyes. But under his outward calmness, he was bursting inside.

He had turned into a discarded chess piece. The only way he could turn things around may be to create havoc and try to change something then.

Coincidentally, Li Zhouyi had one more path he could take. The West Desolate Region would suffer if he took it and lost. But if I am under house arrest permanently, what has the West Desolate got to do with me? However, if he succeeded, the loss that West Desolate faced would be repaid ten or a hundred times more.

Your Majesty, you are the one who forced me!

It was nighttime. After locking himself in his room for an entire day, His Highness finally walked out. He called for all the servants and performers in his residence to prepare for a banquet.

The king's decree for house arrest had yet to really take effect after only one day. Ultimately, he was still a prince and no one dared to disobey him.

But whether it was the servants that prepared the banquet or the performers that forced a smile as they danced, all their eyes were filled with despair.

His Highness was already a broken bottle and was choosing to drink and be merry in order to numb himself. They knew what was coming for them.

They were right. Li Zhouyi drank until he was drunk and pulled more than ten women into his room with him, playing until the sun rose.

"I cannot accept this…I cannot accept this…the Inextinguishable Flame is mine…it is supposed to be mine…" He mumbled under his breath as he moved faster and faster. Soon, it was as if all his energy was sucked out as he fell heavily on the snow-white bodies of the ladies and fell asleep.

Someone came in to clean up. Li Zhouyi was brought to wash up and all the women were given medicine before they were taken away. Not anyone could carry the bloodline of the royal family, especially not a bunch of lowly women. They were just toys to him.

Xue Ru bid goodbye to her fellow exhausted and fearful sisters. When she got back to her room, she prepared hot water and soaked in it. It was so hot that her skin turned red from the heat. This was her habit after so many years. It was only this way that she felt slightly cleaner.

But this time, there was something different. As she soaked in the water, her fingers touched the bottom of the bathtub and she felt a thin and almost transparent jade, with faint lines on the surface.

As she looked at the jade in her hands, her eyes lit up. After so many years, she never thought that she would be able to use it.

Falling silent, she pursed her lips together. With some difficulty, she smiled slightly - after all these years, the humiliation and torture that she had been through did not go to waste.

With determination, she bit her finger and allowed her blood to drip onto the jade and then into the water. A faint red circle appeared in the water.

As her blood dripped down, the hot water rapidly turned red until her face became pale.

Finally, it was as if the jade had been activated as it started to absorb the fresh blood and, in a few seconds, the transparent jade turned red.

Xue Ru stuck the jade on her forehead and after a few moments, with a 'piak' sound, the jade shattered and turned to powder. Closing her eyes, she let out a soft sigh filled with satisfaction and indignance. An image from her childhood appeared in her mind.

Green mountains, huge trees, her mother growing a flock of ducks. And her younger sister, smiling happily as the sun shone on her body.

For all these years, she did not dare to think of this. She had been afraid that she would contaminate the memory and she was not worthy of it.

Now, she finally could not care anymore as she allowed herself to think about it.

One more thing…I am not Xue Ru, I am Sang.

Leaning on the bathtub, she gently closed her eyes. Her expression was peaceful.

The hot water in the wooden bathtub was turning redder and redder, like a flame wrapping around her pale white body.

In the dark of night, the door to her room was pushed open and footsteps could be heard coming nearer. Li Zhouyi stood in front of the wooden tub and looked at the cold woman, his face apathetic.

"Take her away. Clean out all traces of her."

Behind him, a few men acknowledged his order. Two men went to clear the tub and the body while the rest went out.

His Highness' order was clear. To remove all traces of her, it would mean that everyone she had interacted with or who had seen her was within the boundaries.

"Ah!"

"Help!"

"No, don't kill me!"

Frightened shouts filled the air, along with despair of death.

The smell of blood in the air grew stronger. Li Zhou stared at the bloody water and a sinister look appeared on his cold face. This world was dangerous and difficult and everyone was trying to survive. Everything I am doing is to save myself…if you want to blame something, just blame your fate!

……

In the depressing and dusky underground palace, there was only one candle. It shone on the figure hunching over and writing. He had an old face and every wrinkle hid his old aura.

All of a sudden, a lantern exploded. In the quiet underground palace, the sound was extremely clear.

On the hand that was writing, his palm had numerous moles. His hand was so skinny it was like the thin skin wrapped directly around his bones.

He froze as he heard the sound of the lantern exploding. He slowly placed his pen down and turned to look at the candle. There was sorrow in his eyes.

Maybe because he had lived for too long and seen too many goodbyes, his eyes soon turned calm once more. He stood up and bowed towards the candle. After a few moments of silence, he reached out and grabbed. The tips of his five fingers lit up with a flame and soon turned combined into a thin jade.

It was red in color as if it had eaten its fill of blood.

Closing his eyes, the old man sensed the message from the jade. His eyes shot open and vitality rapidly exploded as his eyes lit up with energy.

He turned and sat, quickly flipping the book he had yet to finish writing. Numerous words appeared and disappeared on the paper.

After a few moments, the old man shut the book with a 'pa' sound. Without any hesitation, he reached out and pulled on an unassuming bell under where the candle was. A clear and urgent ringing sounded through the underground palace!

In the next moment, it was as if numerous existences in the darkness were starting to awaken.

The old man released the bell in his fingers as he looked around. He let out a low and hoarse sound. Perhaps it was because he had not spoken in a long time but his voice was hoarse as if it was difficult for him to talk, and it sounded restrained.

"The West Desolate has obtained the Inextinguishable Flame. It is most likely in the southwest fragmented area!"

……

Number 327 was solemn and his mood was not good. He had not found a suitable spirit array until now and they were not able to proceed on with the next step.

Initially there was a spirit array that was able to stimulate the energy of the array and could satisfy the requirements. They were clearly almost able to touch it but in the end, they crossed paths with it…because of that their entire group had waited at the entrance for seven entire days!

Every time he thought about this, Number 327's mood would sour and he would grit his teeth. That person pretended to be strong externally, but he was actually a coward and ran.

I remember your aura. You better never ever step into Bounded Zero Place or I will make you regret.

At this moment, Number 327's face changed He stretched out his five fingers and light shone from the tips of them and a jade piece appeared.

He closed his eyes and sensed it. After a few moments, his eyes shot open as anger and delight shone in his eyes. Little beads of sweat appeared all over his forehead.

Damn it! The West Desolate Region was one step ahead and had gotten the Inextinguishable Flame!

If not for Prince Li Zhouyi of the West Desolate royal family getting into an accident after entering Bounded Zero Place and the group finding out, they would still be in the dark.

If they were able to use the Inextinguishable Flame and enter the Mountain of Flames, they would be able to get the thing inside…

Without any hesitation, Number 327 lifted a finger and tapped the air. A light arrow shot into the sky and exploded into fireworks.

Very soon, the sound of things cutting through air could be heard from all directions and several people in green robes flew over.

Number 418 had the head of a beast in his hands. Its body was half destroyed but it was still not dead and continued howling.

"Number 327, what happened?"

Number 327 waved his sleeve and turned the message in the jade into light dots which were displayed in front of everyone. "The West Desolate has obtained the Inextinguishable Flame. It has now been left in Bounded Zero Place. Our clan has orders for us to do anything to retrieve the Inextinguishable Flame!"

Everyone's expression changed slightly as they lifted a finger to touch the light dot, confirming the order. Their faces were filled with shock and anger. They were still trying to find the spirit array that could control the array. While they tried to open up another path, the West Desolate Region actually managed to obtain the Inextinguishable Flame.

This was a resounding slap!

At the same time, they all recalled a timid bastard.

If they did not waste seven entire days on him, perhaps they would have found the spirit array that could enable their array to transform.

….Coincidentally, that bastard's spirit array was what they wanted!

They were getting angrier!

The beast in Number 418's hand let out a wail. The rest of its body suffered a huge blow and was reduced to ashes.

His whole body was splattered with fresh blood as his eyes looked murderous, "The thing in the Mountain of Flames belongs to our clan. Whoever tries to take it will die!"

"Get the Inextinguishable Flame!"

"Find it!"

Number 327 took a deep breath and lifted his hand, "Let's go!"

Woosh -

Woosh -

A group of murderous cultivators shot into the air.

All over Bounded Zero Place, similar scenes could be seen.

The Mysterious Clan had found out about the Inextinguishable Flame being left behind and was now joining the hunt!