Refining the Mountains and Rivers

A key that was reconstructed after being broken would not be as effective as before. The first time that Qin Yu used the key for teleportation proceeded smoothly.

It felt like he was soaking in a nice hot steamy bath as he was transported to his destination.

Once he arrived, the scorching heat came over and the flames danced fiercely.

The furnace was going wild in excitement!

All of this is mine.

Qin Yu wore a bright smile. After so much trouble, he was finally going to get it.

His initial objective in coming to Bounded Zero Place would be achieved soon!

The Inextinguishable Flame was right before him and the furnace was so excited. Why would he delay it further?

He wanted it now!

Just before the furnace dashed forward to devour the flame, Fire Spirit cried, "Master, hold on!"

Almost at the same time, Stone Pagoda shouted, "Stop it, stop it!"

The panic in their voices shook Qin Yu to the core and he cursed at them for not warning him earlier. He flung himself forward and caught the furnace. He yelled, "Wait, you can't absorb it now!"

Buzz buzz!

The furnace shook violently in protest. Although it could not speak, it seemed to be shouting vehemently, "Don't stop me. Get away from me!"

Throughout the entire journey, it had been tortured by cruel tricks and ploys. Finally, it reached the real body of the Inextinguishable Flame. It was delivered to him on a plate, so why wasn't he allowed to eat it?

Did they think that it was not capable of rage?

"Master, stop it. The Inextinguishable Flame cannot be consumed now!" Stone Pagoda was so anxious that he directly released his projection to suppress the furnace.

Shoosh!

Without hesitation, Fire Spirit flew forward and merged into the furnace. Through the Fire of Eternal Night, she held the furnace back.

With the three of them working together, they barely managed to stop the furnace.

Qin Yu's expression hardened and he asked, "Tell me, what is it?"

Stone Pagoda quickly explained, "There is something inside the Inextinguishable Flame, but I can't tell what it is. The two things are reliant on each other and there is a balance between them. If the furnace consumed the Inextinguishable Flame, the hidden thing inside it would explode…"

He swallowed and continued nervously, "Although I don't know what it is, it is very dangerous. Very very dangerous!"

Qin Yu glanced at Fire Spirit with a pressing look and she shrunk inwardly. She confirmed, "I have the same feeling. The Inextinguishable Flame is like a protective shell. If it is broken, it will release the scary thing inside!"

Since the two of them agreed with each other, the chances of this being a lie were low. Qin Yu rubbed his forehead helplessly and laughed bitterly to himself.

Good things always came with so much trouble, but this time it was really too much. He had finally found the real thing after so long but even though it was right before his eyes, he could not consume it. This pressed heavily on his heart and made him sigh.

However, after going through so much, Qin Yu could take this final trial. He let out a long sigh and said, "Let's head in first to see what it is."

Fire Spirit flew towards him and her flame body spread out to form a cloak of fire around Qin Yu.

Qin Yu stepped into the flames.

It was hot, so scorchingly hot!

The vicious flames licked his body and he could smell the tortuous heat with each breath he took. His lungs cried in agony.

This was the case even with Fire Spirit helping him to ward off most of the heat. This was the real body of the Inextinguishable Flame and it was truly mesmerizing.

Qin Yu continued moving forward but he stopped after a few moments and a strange look crossed his face.

A palace!

Qin Yu had never expected to see this in the body of the Inextinguishable Flame.

The palace was not large but it had a unique construction. It appeared to glow brightly as the fire of the Inextinguishable Flame burned its walls.

Just by looking at the palace, he could feel an oppressive aura.

It was strong and dense.

This was… the Ruler's will!

Qin Yu gulped. He had walked through every inch of the other palace grounds and he had never found any sign of the Ruler living there.

Those palace halls could withstand fierce flames and the only explanation was that they had absorbed the Ruler's aura…there was an aura but the source could not be found. As such, there could only be one explanation. The Ruler did not really live there.

Alternatively, the Ruler's living quarters had shifted when the earth moved.

Where was it?

As his eyes landed upon this palace, Qin Yu had an answer. This palace was not large, but it had a crushing pressure.

This was where the Ruler lived!

Bang bang!

His heart beat fiercely against his chest as a ripple of excitement went through him.

The five rewards he obtained were precious, but the Ruler's Great Dao was far better. The West Desolate and Mysterious Clan made many attempts to find the treasure left behind by the Ruler. It must be in this grand palace in front of him!

Stone Pagoda warned him, "Master, be careful. I can feel a scary aura coming from this palace."

Without wavering, Qin Yu nodded his head. The world was very fair. He would have to take risks in order to obtain rewards. Furthermore, he was already here and it did not make sense for him to stop right before entering the palace.

On the contrary, if Qin Yu was extra cautious and did not risk entering the hall…what about the Inextinguishable Flame? This suspicious palace was in the Inextinguishable Flame. He had to investigate it to figure out the problem.

He continued forward carefully. Luckily, everything appeared to go smoothly and nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

Eventually, Qin Yu stopped right before the palace.

The doors were within his reach but it was not going to be easy for him to open them.

Qin Yu felt a strong pressure from the palace just by staring at it. As he walked closer to it, this pressure grew even stronger. Beads of sweat dotted Qin Yu's forehead and his expression was pale. Yet, there was a beam of excitement and surprise deep within his eyes.

Taking in a breath of air, Qin Yu gritted his teeth. However, when he touched the palace doors, a trace of cold air flowed down his fingers. After a slight pause, Qin Yu pressed down and pushed open the doors.

Whoosh -

Right as the doors were pushed open, the scary aura disappeared without a trace, as though it was never there.

Qin Yu came to a realization. The wave of pressure must have been a test for him. If he could not withstand the force, he would not be allowed to enter the palace. Similarly, the unbearably high temperature around him calmed down.

Everything seemed to have gone smoothly. Did he pass the test? The terrifying force had indeed pressured him but this was where the Ruler lived.

Never mind, let's head in first!

He took a bold step forward and the doors automatically closed behind him. Before Qin Yu could survey the hall, a voice suddenly rang.

"You have arrived."

Qin Yu frowned slightly and he quickly looked around him. He coughed lightly and replied, "Yes, I am here."

"You should not have come."

Qin Yu was at a loss for words.

This must be wrong, I am already here. What's the point of saying that?

Before Qin Yu replied, the voice rang out again, "Once you opened the doors, the pressure disappeared. Did you think that was a test?"

Qin Yu's eyes unconsciously widened. He did not speak but his thoughts were clear. Was it not?

"No, of course not! I was trying to tell you that you are not welcome here. Go back, hurry off. But you ended up forcing your way in." The tone was angry, "A test? Why would I bother testing you? If I did not suck back all my aura when you came through the doors, you would be a pile of ashes now. Do you understand?"

Qin Yu licked his lips. Although he could not see the speaker's face, he believed their words. This person was not lying!

Unknowingly, he had narrowly escaped death.

Tsk -

Qin Yu's hair stood on its ends and he was petrified!

The voice's pitch grew higher, "You don't believe me? Fine, go out and come in again. Then you will understand what it is like to be reduced to ashes!"

His lips twitched slightly and he hurriedly cupped his hands together, "I do not dare to doubt your words, I was just at a loss for words after being shocked. Thank you for your help, senior…may I ask for your name? I would like to express my gratitude."

"Gratitude!" The voice grew even angrier, "I am going to die from anger. I don't understand why that woman chose you. When did she go blind? How did I not know?"

Buzz -

A slight wave of aura washed through the palace and a figure stepped forward. She wore a long dress and had an elegant figure.

However, there was a layer of mist around her face and Qin Yu could not make out her facial features.

Her eyes locked onto Qin Yu and he could feel her anger directly. She was very unhappy!

Hm? That gaze seemed very familiar to him!

Those eyes, that figure…Qin Yu's eyes widened. He jumped in realization as he realized where this strange sense of familiarity came from.

The woman from the Shadow of the Sun and Moon!

It was her!

At that point, Qin Yu was completely taken aback. The suspicion he had not too long ago returned to him. The Ruler did not really die back then but faked her death and escaped.

This also meant that the Ruler was female!

Furthermore, this Ruler had attached herself to him for some reason. This would provide explanations for the strange things that happened previously.

Why did the statues and dancing ladies in the palace kneel to him after he offered his blood? It was because of this woman!

The woman who had appeared out of the blue stared at Qin Yu. She instantly saw through him and she snapped, "What? Didn't she seal your memories away? How did you recognize me?

"She must not only be blind, she must have gone mad. Sure enough, bad things will happen to women in this world. She is so unreliable!"

These words confirmed Qin Yu's suspicions. Yet, from his perspective, the woman before him did not seem to be in her right mind too. Wasn't she female too? By scolding the other lady, she was also insulting herself.

So this was a Ruler? Stone Pagoda also felt hesitant.

The moment these thoughts crossed his mind, Stone Pagoda grunted. It felt like someone had smashed a cover over his head. His ears rang and his vision grew blurry as he lost consciousness.

The woman scoffed, "How dare you judge a Ruler? If not for our past entanglements, I would have made you kneel before me."

Qin Yu sensed what happened to Stone Pagoda and his heart clenched. This woman was vicious. Luckily, although she seemed scary he was sure that he was not in danger now.