C2 Three Thousand Karmic Flames!

"Sect Master... alas."

With a soft sigh, Ye Qinghui slowly lifted his feet and continued on his way.

For two whole days, he sustained himself on wild fruits and dew when hunger or thirst struck. Ye Qinghui had no idea where he was headed, simply wandering aimlessly.

By noon on the third day, Ye Qinghui found himself sitting under a tree, gazing blankly at the sky above.

"Even the most gifted are but mere mortals on paper..."

Ye Qinghui murmured to himself, then suddenly, he narrowed his eyes toward the sky, as if he had spotted something.

Far off in the sky, a cloud appeared to have been cleaved in two by a knife, and a bright speck was hurtling straight toward him.

"What in the world is that!" Ye Qinghui squinted, studying the object intently. A jolt of realization hit him, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Damn, could my luck be any worse?"

The bright speck was rapidly closing in on Ye Qinghui's location, and in a flash, it was right before him. It wasn't just a speck of light; it was a ball of fire.

Ye Qinghui turned to run, but the fireball seemed to recognize him, pursuing him relentlessly.

Despite Ye Qinghui's physical strength, he stood no chance of outrunning the fireball. He had barely taken two steps before it crashed into his back.

"Ah!"

A piercing scream echoed through the woods.

The instant the flame penetrated his body, Ye Qinghui felt himself hurled dozens of meters, smashing through more than a dozen trees.

"What is this!"

Oddly, there were no flames on Ye Qinghui's body, only the marks from tree branches.

"It's so hot!"

Once the flames entered his body, Ye Qinghui was overwhelmed by a scorching heat.

A terrifying presence radiated from him, and a towering rage ignited within his heart.

"Hate, why do you treat me this way? I will kill you all! Kill you all!"

Suddenly, Ye Qinghui seemed to lose his mind, his hands furiously pounding the earth before him. His hands quickly became a bloody mess, but he didn't pause, continuing to punch with unyielding ferocity.

"I've been nothing but loyal, and this is how you repay me? I swear you'll all regret it. I demand compensation from every single one of you! Lin Feng, I'll turn you into a puppet! Lin Wen, I'll destroy your cultivation and sell you to a brothel in the mortal realm! Hahahaha!" Ye Qinghui was a picture of madness, his voice alternating between shouting, maniacal laughter, and weeping. It was as though the injustices he had endured over the past days had finally burst forth, and he could no longer contain them.

After a frenzied quarter of an hour, Ye Qinghui came to a halt, coughing up blood and gradually returning to his senses.

"Three thousand karmic flames! Incinerating all, the Three Thousand Lifeless Technique!"

His mind was flooded with information, and streams of spiritual energy converged upon him from the universe.

Before Ye Qinghui could revel in his triumph, the karmic flames reignited with a vengeance. His shattered dantian was instantly engulfed in a fiery inferno!

The agony was beyond human endurance, rendering Ye Qinghui mute. He writhed on the ground, his hands shaking uncontrollably, drool sliding from the corner of his mouth, his eyes bloodshot, and blood spurting from his wounds.

The flames, as if sensing Ye Qinghui's torment, paused momentarily before flaring up once more, this time with ferocious intensity. They consumed his organs, bones, and meridians in their fiery embrace.

His body was enveloped in a vivid red hue, and with each flash, Ye Qinghui expelled a mouthful of dark blood.

Yet, each time the flames scorched him, the spiritual energy from the heavens and earth would seep into his body, rapidly healing his wounds.

But after only half the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Ye Qinghui could endure no more. He vomited a mouthful of dark blood and passed out.

Drip, drip, drip...

The sound of dripping water roused Ye Qinghui from unconsciousness.

"Where am I? My dantian? It's completely healed!? My cultivation has returned to the sixth level of Qi Refining!"

Ye Qinghui's eyes snapped open, throbbing with pain, and he was startled to find his previously shattered dantian now intact. Aside from the absence of spiritual energy, there was nothing amiss, and all his former injuries had healed.

The path of a cultivator is divided into five major realms: Qi Refining, Body Forging, Heavenly Finger, Void Shattering, and Speechless, each with seven progressive levels.

Overwhelmed with surprise, Ye Qinghui surveyed his surroundings and found himself in a modest woodshed. Despite its size, it was far from cluttered; the firewood was stacked with meticulous care.

At that moment, a young girl around fifteen entered. Her delicate features shone through, and her worn clothes did little to hide her natural beauty.

"You're awake. I knew you'd be alright, but Grandpa insisted I make you some medicinal soup!"

She beamed at Ye Qinghui, her tiger teeth peeking through her grin. While speaking, she ladled out a bowl of the concoction from a pot on the table.

Ye Qinghui accepted the bowl but didn't rush to drink. He simply observed the girl in silence.

After a brief exchange of looks, the girl chuckled, as if recalling something. "My name is Ningyan. I'm an orphan. My grandfather, Zhang Hong, is a servant of the Zhang Family. He found me, and I've grown up here, now working for the family."

"I'm Ye Qinghui. Is this the Zhang Family's home? Which Zhang Family?"

Ye Qinghui spoke plainly about his origins, opting not to conceal his identity, and shared his name.

"This is the Zhang Family of Chu Country."

"Firestriders? Are they nearby?"

At Ningyan's response, a wave of melancholy washed over Ye Qinghui. The Firestriders had long been adversaries of the Splitforce. Luckily, Ye Qinghui had always focused on cultivating people discreetly, and his identity remained unknown.

"Thank you for your kindness in saving my life, Miss!" Ye Qinghui began to rise and offer a formal gesture of thanks but quickly sat back down, his cheeks flushing as he inquired, "Miss, where are my clothes?"

"You didn't have any clothes on when we found you; you were bare. Thankfully, Ningyan didn't mind helping you clean up." An elderly man entered, his eyes crinkling with mirth. He posed another question, "Young man, which sect do you belong to?"

Ye Qinghui quickly propped himself up against the wall and respectfully clasped his fists, saying, "I belong to no sect or clan; I am merely an independent cultivator!"

"Ha! Come here, try on these clothes of mine from my younger days!"

The elder chuckled heartily and tossed the clothes he was holding to Ye Qinghui, then turned and left the room with Ningyan.

"Thank you so much!"

Ye Qinghui called out his thanks with urgency and swiftly dressed himself.

Next, he began to examine his dantian. It had fully recovered, yet it was no longer the golden dantian of before, but a fiery red one. Each time spiritual energy entered his body, it was purified by the Three Thousand Hellfire into tiny granules that adhered to the inner wall of his dantian.

"If the spiritual energy is being solidified, then my capacity for it must be increasing manifold!"

Ye Qinghui's breath quickened, astonished at the fortune he had stumbled upon upon awakening.

"Come forth!"

At his command, the Three Thousand Hellfire surged from his hands, seemingly sentient, flickering continuously, yet curiously devoid of any heat.

"Old fool, how many times must I tell you not to interfere? I wasn't involved with that maid. Did you go and falsely accuse me to the Patriarch?!"

"Zhang Ming, I swear I didn't! I truly didn't!"

"No? I think you're not frightened enough. Let's see if I can teach you a lesson today!"

Just then, a ruckus erupted outside the door. Ye Qinghui's brow furrowed, and he withdrew the Hellfire, stepping outside.

There stood a group of young men, led by a strikingly handsome youth who was clearly a much-favored eldest son.

"Who is this? Who let him in?!"

The youth caught sight of Ye Qinghui, pointed at him, and loudly demanded an explanation from his entourage.