Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Within the vast sea of magma, in the divine palace that was like a fallen sun, the master of the beautiful eyes suddenly closed them. After several breaths of time, a quiet and eerie sigh echoed out from the hall.

"Is this the inflexible fate that cannot be changed? As expected, there can be no substitution for the will of the Heavenly Dao…if my clan is doomed to experience twists and turns, then I will wait for that day to come."

The figure lifted a hand. Flames appeared in their palm, rapidly condensing into a jade slip.

Hum -

Space cried around the jade slip before swallowing it up in waves.

On this day, the supreme will from the scorching sun spread over the entire clan. It contained only a single message - unrest was coming!

…

There was a massive star, one so large that it was like dozens of stars had been fused together to create it. Its titanic body floated in the endless starry skies, casting a shadow behind it that extended further than one could see.

On the side of the star that faced the sun, there was a winding mountain range that resembled a dragon lying flat against the ground. A boundless aura flooded the world. Countless palatial constructions were built atop this mountain range.

Several hundred figures had gathered today in a large hall built atop the 'dragon's head' of the mountain range. They sat on large stone seats, each one of them with a heavy and dignified expression on their face.

"Everyone here should be aware of the lord's will already. It seems like the matter that we worried about the most has finally occurred." A deep voice echoed through the hall. It was filled with infinite oppression. The master of this voice wore long robes and his fiery red hair was like burning flames.

"I knew that scourge could not be allowed to remain. We should have killed them all off in the past to eliminate any future troubles!"

"To tarnish the bloodline of the clan is indeed a great sin worthy of death. But, her status was too special. This was an agreement we all came to in the past."

"But arguing about this is already useless. Since the lord gave us a warning, there is sure to be turmoil within the clan in the future!"

"Humph! With the lord present, in this vast world, who dares to move against my clan? Even if that disaster hasn't died, they cannot raise any storm!"

The red-haired old man tapped his walking stick on the ground. With a dull thump, the hall immediately fell silent. "My clan has the asylum of the scorching sun. We shouldn't be on the wane even after a trillion years. But, if disturbances could be avoided, that would naturally be for the best.

"My proposal is to send out clan purifiers. They will search the vast heavens and 10,000 worlds, find the source of disaster, and kill him."

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

…

Demonic Path.

Holy Palace.

Qin Yu leaned up against his bed, a blanket covering him. His face was pale and his aura was weak.

Across from him, Solitary Westgate was diagnosing him. He suddenly opened his eyes, a complex look on his face, "Just what did you experience while you were unconscious? It actually made your soul so weak that it was on the verge of collapse."

Qin Yu smiled and shook his head, "Even I can't clearly figure out what happened, so please don't ask me."

There was his younger self that wanted to kill him in the dreamland world as well as the faint, brutal, yet extremely beautiful eyes. He had no idea what secrets were hidden behind them.

Solitary Westgate shook his head. He looked at Qin Yu and sighed, "Just how many secrets do you have!" These words meant that he no longer wanted to inquire into them.

But Solitary Westgate knew one thing for sure. Qin Yu was hiding some heaven-shaking great secret within him.

The pair of eyes that had appeared from the spatial distortion and the unimaginably potent aura they released…even recalling that moment now still left him in a cold sweat…it was absolutely not a strength that belonged to this world!

Qin Yu took a deep breath. "Alright. Let's get down to business. Just how long will it take me to heal from my injuries?"

Solitary Westgate knew what he was thinking about. After several breaths of time he furrowed his eyebrows together. "You should be most aware of how deep the injuries to your soul are. If you wish to recover, it will take more than a day and a night…moreover, the most difficult point lies in the fact that your soul cannot withstand too great a strength right now. Otherwise, not only will it not be helpful, but you will be greatly harmed instead."

Qin Yu slowly said, "Your meaning is that I cannot draw support from outside forces and can only allow my soul to heal on its own?"

Seeing Solitary Westgate's nod, Qin Yu's complexion darkened. Just like the man had said, he knew the extent of his injuries.

If he wanted to recuperate from the injuries to his soul without outside help, it would take dozens of years if not longer.

To a Calamity Immortal realm cultivator, dozens of years or even hundreds of years wasn't anything at all. A period of seclusion might take up this amount of time.

But things were different for Qin Yu.

Ning Ling borrowed the power of darkness to temporarily delay the arrival of death. She could last for 200 years at most…he didn't have that much spare time to waste on healing his soul injuries.

"Westgate, is there a way to help me recover?"

"No."

Qin Yu shook his head, "I don't believe that."

Solitary Westgate said in a low voice, "Qin Yu, I know what you are thinking of, but I have to remind you that the only way Ning Ling has a chance of awakening is if you are safe and alive. If something happens to you, no one will be able to save her. You must remember this!"

Qin Yu said, "If you're this agitated, it means you must have a way to help me recover from my soul injuries. It doesn't matter if you don't tell me. As the Demonic Path's Holy Monarch, as long as I want to I will definitely be able to find a way."

He closed his eyes. "Westgate, you should understand that in this world, there are always one or two people for whom you are willing to give everything without hesitation to save.

"For you, it is sister-in-law and nephew. For me, it is Ning Ling. I cannot force you to tell me the way, but I will certainly figure it out. It's just a matter of time."

Solitary Westgate's expression darkened. He shouted, "That's right, Your Majesty the Holy Monarch is oh so wise and intelligent, perceptive of even the tiniest detail! In this world there really is a method that can restore your soul injuries to how they were in the beginning in a short period of time - this method is called Ashes and Embers. It is like burning a bonfire and then forcing out the last bit of heat. Although you can exchange for a moment of light and heat, once it is burned to the end, all that remains is eternal silence!

"Qin Yu! I've said everything I can. As for what you choose, decide for yourself…I only hope that you calm down for a moment and don't regret later on!"

Solitary Westgate flicked his sleeves and left in a huff, his back ablaze with anger. Qin Yu's expression was faint. He knew that the only reason Solitary Westgate was angry was because they regarded each other as friends. If it was a person he didn't care about, he wouldn't be bothered about whether they lived or died.

"Westgate, we are originally the same type of people. If you already know my choice, why show such a meaningless fit of anger?

"Ashes and Embers? What a sad name…but, I have always been lucky in life…I can't wait, but I won't die either."

Just like Qin Yu said, with his status as the Demonic Path's Holy Monarch, it was extremely simple for him to obtain a jade slip with the soul technique for Embers and Ashes.

You Qi walked over to Qin Yu's bed. She glanced at the jade slip placed on a round table nearby. After several breaths of silence, she reached out and pulled the blanket snugly over Qin Yu.

"Your Majesty, I cannot stop your decision. But, I hope that you take care of yourself. Don't forget that besides sister, there is also another woman waiting for you."

Qin Yu opened his eyes, his face full of guilt. "You Qi, it's me who has wronged you…"

You Qi shook her head, tears flowing out. She laid her head down on him. "I don't want to hear this. As long as you are safe and well, I don't care about anything else."

Qin Yu lifted a hand and stroked her hair. "Don't worry. I promise to you that nothing will happen to me." As he said this, a light flashed deep in his eyes. He had already learned the Ashes and Embers secret art. Even if he could restore his wounds, he couldn't maintain it for too long. Before his soul force was exhausted, he needed to find a way to save both Ning Ling and himself.

Qin Yu had no idea whether or not he could achieve this. But, he knew that he had no other choice.

To seek life in the jaws of death, to bet everything on a single hand…this was it!