Black Dragon caught his look and raised her eyebrow. Were you going to eat it? Sorry. It is tasty.
Ah, no, no. Please, Senior, go ahead, Hui said, waving his hands. Would it count as cannibalism if I ate lotus seeds right now? Especially my own lotus seeds? In any case, I dont want to, I dont want to!
She licked her fingertips. It was delicious. How did you know soone had hidden snacks here?
Ah a coincidence! Hui said, nodding furiously.
Are there any more? Black Dragon asked, a hand on her lips. Despite her closed eyes, Hui got the impression she was eyeing up the hole hed reached into.
Hui stiffened. Er should I put another lotus seed in there? After a mont, he coughed. My apologies, Senior. There was only one.
Hmm. Ill have to co back and take a peek later, she murmured, raising her eyebrows at the hole.
Ah! Do I have to continue stocking the hole for Senior? Senior, Im a busy man! I cant keep your snacks replenished! I already have enough goals of my own!
Shaking his head, Hui turned back to the phoenix fire. He took a deep breath and cleared his mind, preparing himself to handle the fire. I cant fix the Underworld as it is now. Its too broken. Theres no point in patching it up; no matter what I did, it would only break down again. Without the support of the Heavenly Dao, its too broken down to continue operating for long, even if Zhu Diyu wasnt deliberately destroying it.
The only thing to do is to completely destroy it. Once I destroy the Underworld, I can escape to help my children.
Hui looked at Black Dragon. Senior, I need to ask you to do sothing insane.
Ah? For another roasted lotus seed, Ill do it, Black Dragon promised.
Hui blinked. But I havent even said what it is
She held her hand out.
Hui sighed. He rubbed his hands together, forming a lotus seed, then tucked it into the nook in the rock. Itll be ready in a few minutes, Senior.
Good, good, she said, nodding. So, what did you want to do?
Licking his lips, Hui bowed slightly on reflex. Senior, could I trouble you to keep the residents of the Night Market safe? Im about to do sothing slightly absurd.
She held up two fingers.
Hui nodded. He rubbed his hands together, forming another lotus seed, and tucked it into the rock cavity as well.
Black Dragon smiled. She patted Hui on the back. Youre a good child.
Ah? Senior, Im an adult.
Youre a child to , she said.
Hui opened his mouth, then nodded. Fair enough. My life can still be counted in the double digits. Compared to Seniors whose lifespan requires four digits or more to count, Im an antlike existence, a mayfly!
Im glad my son had a friend like you, she said quietly.
No, no. Im the one whos grateful to have encountered Zhubi, Hui said earnestly. Hes the one who taught how to fake my death. Without him, Id be nowhere, nowhere at all!
Black Dragon waved her hand. The lotus seeds flew into her sleeve. Tucking her hands against her chest, she turned and flew away. Give the ti it takes to brew a cup of tea. Ill have everyone safe by then.
Hui saluted to her, cupping his hands. It will take at least that long to properly comprehend handling this phoenix fire. Rest assured, Senior. You will have at least that much ti.
Cupping her hands back, Black Dragon flew off, her skein of silk undulating after her.
He watched her go, then stood. Hui turned to the ball of phoenix fire. It burned lower, now, already beginning the cycle anew. Excellent. Perfect timing.
Hui pressed his hands to the outside of the orb and closed his eyes. He sent his qi over the orbs surface, searching for weaknesses. A soft spot in the orbs underside caught his attention, and Hui sent his death qi into it. The soft spot decayed into a hole, but he stopped it before it grew any larger. I dont want to unleash her, unlike Han Qin. I just want to investigate the phoenix fire for now. Get used to handling it. He threaded his qi through the hole and created a disk on the far side of the hole, then once more drew out a thread and drew it toward the ashes. The ashes laid dead, seemingly inert, but even in such a state, they still emanated an imnse heat. Huis thread curled in on itself, the death qi unwilling to approach any closer.
Huh? The death qi doesnt want to co closer? But it should be in a death state right now. Isnt that when the death qi should be the strongest? Curious, he forced his qi to grow closer.
The imnse heat struck his qi thread. A bright white light burst before his minds eye. Hui startled. Life qi? The ashes are full of life qi? But why? The ashes co out when the phoenixes die. So why?
His eyes widened. Unless! Could it be?
Flas sparked in the depths of the ashes. A fetus erged, forming from the ashes into a baby, then a young girl, rapidly aging into a woman. Hui hovered his thread nearby, just out of the range of the flas, monitoring her growth through his thread. As she grew, the life qi turned into death qi. Both life and death qi coexisted inside of her. Although they should nullify one another, they instead sat beside one another like oil and water. Without mixing, without attacking one another, they peaceably sat side by side.
But how? If I could figure that out, Ino! Its essential that I comprehend that! In order to complete my plan, I dont have another option. I must gain this technique for myself!
Sitting beside the orb, Hui imrsed himself fully in ditation, putting his all into comprehending the phoenix fire. The flas filled the orb. He pulled his qi back to the very border, hiding inside the walls of the orb, but still watched. I cant miss a second. I must comprehend this! For my children. For the realms!
The flas died. Ashes erged. Yet again, Hui snuck deeper into the orb, watching from closer. What is it? How do they exist like that? Surely I can accomplish it, too!
The flas grew stronger once more. The woman was reborn, surging out of the ashes. Hui fell back, but didnt leave. His ditation grew deeper. Without realizing it, his death qi circulated in sync with the womans. The death ducks erged from his dantian and swam around him.
Im missing life qi but theres life qi right here! Ill just siphon so of her life qi for myself. Carefully, Hui drew at the life qi with his death qi. Life qi flew toward it, drawn by his pull. Before it touched the death qi, he flinched it back, refusing to let the two touch. Bit by bit, he drew the life qi out of the orb.
Without anywhere to store the life qi, he left it circulating over his palm. Letting it spin on autopilot, he sent his consciousness back into the death qi thread in the orb.
As it spun over his palm, the life qi took on the form of a songbird. It flapped its wings and chirped, adjusting its golden feathers, then flew into the air, circulating on the opposite axis of the ducks in the opposite direction.
Huis brows furrowed. He fell deeper into his ditation. His breathing slowed, while the ducks and songbird circulated faster. What is it? What is the secret to life qi and death qi coexisting? The phoenix fire has accomplished it, so there must be a way. Sothing I can comprehend!
In order to manipulate phoenix fire, I must first comprehend it. Thats what Master taught . If I want to burn down the Underworld First, I must comprehend phoenix fire!
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