After Gu Panchun's departure, Shu Han put away the Unbearing Waters Jade Mallow seed and began to gradually recover and heal his injuries.
For the months leading up to the Heavenly Fire Grand Tournament, Shu Han didn't plan on returning to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
Having caused such a commotion within the Heavenly Fire Mountain-Protecting Formation, Shu Han feared the upper echelons of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect might detect some traces.
To be safe, he decided to refrain from cultivating the Heavenly Fire Origin in the Pure Ice Formation. It would be wiser for his main body to stay outside for a few more months and lay low.
As for Gu Panchun's situation, the more Shu Han thought about it, the more he felt it wasn't simple.
He believed that, at her core, she didn't really want to participate in actions against Song Jinglun's Nascent Soul project. It seemed like she was coerced.
After all, Gu Panchun was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment phase. How could she dare to go against Song Jinglun on her own? There must be someone powerful behind her.
And that person must be significant!
Someone familiar with the secrets of Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, holding the core Heavenly Fire Conversion Formation, and even aware of Song Jinglun's private plans. There aren't many who meet all these criteria.
Suddenly, an image of someone appeared in Shu Han's mind.
"Could it be her... No way!"
Shu Han quickly shook his head.
"This isn't what I should be thinking about. Gu Panchun was right; I shouldn't get involved. I should focus on my Golden Core path! If she's truly the one behind all this, going against Song Jinglun, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's future will be turbulent! After achieving 'Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky', I must promptly leave the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect!"
A few days later, Shu Han had his avatar, which was in the cave, come to retrieve a jar filled with duplicated Unbearing Waters Jade Mallow seeds.
Having finally gathered all five elemental spiritual herbs, Shu Han didn't want to wait. He instructed his avatar to immediately start refining the Five Elements True Essence Pill.
The refinement of the Five Elements True Essence Pill was extremely challenging. Shu Han could hardly ensure success on the first try. He had to seize the time, trying repeatedly to produce a pill with satisfactory efficacy before the "Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky" stage.
During this time, another of Shu Han's avatars ceased repairing the Grand Transfer Talisman and started to lurk in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect using the Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique. Its purpose was to probe the movements of the sect's upper echelons and see if there was any reaction to his and Gu Panchun's intrusion into the Heavenly Fire Mountain-Protecting Formation.
Additionally, an external incarnation sent Bai Xingyan away from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
In case anything went wrong, Shu Han was determined to protect the descendants of Master Bai's family at all costs. He didn't want Bai Xingyan to be implicated because of him.
However, after two months of investigation, Shu Han found that everything within the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect remained calm. Gu Panchun was also seen entering and leaving the Fiery Cloud Onsen safely.
This revelation somewhat eased Shu Han's concerns.
Still, he dared not easily return to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
However, in this matter, Shu Han was indeed overthinking.
The four priests supervising the construction of the Heavenly Fire Conversion Formation underground feared that Song Jinglun would discover the intrusion. Hence, they summoned the Earth Dragon Fire to cleanse the tunnels, unintentionally burning over a dozen of their clan members in the process.
He was very confident that the two mysterious individuals at the Foundation Establishment stage could not withstand the Earth Dragon Fire's power for even a moment and believed them to be ashes in the tunnels by now.
Time flew, and a month before the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard challenge approached.
After several months of covert investigations and indirect inquiries, Shu Han was convinced that the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's top brass had no reactions to the Heavenly Fire Mountain-Protecting Formation incident. He surmised that they probably believed neither he nor Gu Panchun could have survived the primary Heavenly Fire flames.
Thus, Shu Han, along with Bai Xingyan, returned to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
A month before the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard challenge is when the Earth Fire Leaderboard's opening ceremony takes place.
The Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's Earth Fire Leaderboard was a ranking competition specially prepared for Qi Refining disciples, similar to the Purple Sun Sect's Purple Sun Ranking.
The first place in the Earth Fire Leaderboard will receive the sect leader's Fire Cloud Baptism for Foundation Establishment. The top ten will immediately receive high-tier Foundation Establishment pills.
Given Bai Xingyan's modest talent, Shu Han knew he couldn't cover for him forever. If Bai Xingyan could receive the Fire Cloud Empowerment, his talent would significantly improve.
Coupled with Shu Han's ongoing use of the Heavenly Creation Fluid to enhance Bai Xingyan's constitution, it's uncertain if Bai Xingyan could reach the Golden Core stage. However, his path to the late stages of Foundation Establishment was now clear.
After his period of cultivation, Bai Xingyan had mastered the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation to perfection. He could now match Shu Han's external incarnation in combat, provided Shu Han didn't exert his divine consciousness to suppress him.
The external incarnation of Shu Han, even though it only has twelve-layer cultivation, is capable of slaying ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Bai Xingyan's progress during this period made Shu Han very satisfied.
On the opening day of the Earth Fire Contest, Bai Xingyan followed Shu Han to the Earth Fire Arena at the foot of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect mountain.
The Fiery Cloud Instant Sect Earth Fire Arena was located under a circular ruined wall. At this time, several people stood on a cliff, overlooking the arena below.
Shu Han, leading Bai Xingyan, came to the top of the cliff. Upon their arrival, both Wei Haolong and Song Changyi noticed Shu Han and approached him.
As soon as Song Changyi appeared, the surrounding Foundation Establishment cultivators and their disciples were startled and quickly dispersed, leaving the area around Shu Han empty.
Seeing this, Wei Haolong cursed, "Song Changyi, you really throw your weight around! As soon as you arrive, everyone flees!"
Song Changyi seemed rather helpless, "I don't know why they react like this."
Shu Han inquired, "Brother Song, Brother Wei, why are both of you here for this Earth Fire Contest?"
Bai Xingyan bowed in greeting, "Greetings to both senior uncles!"
Wei Haolong, holding Bai Xingyan's arm, laughed, "Look at this kid, he has changed! I remember him being timid when I first met him. Now he has some aura of heroism. Come, let me feel your chest muscles!"
Bai Xingyan's face turned pale from the shock. Suddenly, an annoyed voice sounded behind Wei Haolong, "Master! Why do you always act like this? It's embarrassing, you know!"
Shu Han turned to see a beautiful woman in a blue dress walking towards them, her face full of displeasure as she glared at Wei Haolong.
Wei Haolong immediately gave a sheepish grin, "I was wrong. I just noticed my junior has developed well and wanted to exchange some 'manly' sentiments!"
The woman in blue gave him a disdainful look, showing no respect, and walked over to greet Song Changyi and Shu Han, saying, "Junior Di Guxue greets Uncle Master Song. And you must be Uncle Master Yu; my master often speaks of you."
"Oh? What does he say about me?"
Di Guxue remained silent.
Shu Han glared at Wei Haolong, "Old Wei! What rumors are you spreading about me? Just wait, during the Earth Fire Contest, I'll show you!"
Di Guxue then turned her attention to Bai Xingyan, noticing his profound aura. Her sharp, beautiful eyes sparkled with interest as she said, "May I know the name of this senior brother?"
Caught off guard by her intense gaze, Bai Xingyan hurriedly replied, "My name is Bai Xingyan, but I'm not worthy of the title 'senior brother'. I joined the sect after Miss Di, so I should address you as senior sister."
"Well then, junior brother Bai, you seem very talented. I believe you will be a strong contender in the Earth Fire Contest. I'll declare now that I aim for the first place. I look forward to your challenge."
With that, Di Guxue bowed to Shu Han and Song Changyi and left.
Bai Xingyan watched Di Guxue leave, his eyes lingering on her figure, his mind replaying the brilliance of her eyes.
Shu Han, patting Bai Xingyan's shoulder, chuckled, "That young lady is quite beautiful and talented, with a dual wood and water foundation. My disciple, you should try to win her over and improve the talent of the Bai family's future generations by marrying her."
After Gu Panchun's departure, Shu Han put away the Unbearing Waters Jade Mallow seed and began to gradually recover and heal his injuries.
For the months leading up to the Heavenly Fire Grand Tournament, Shu Han didn't plan on returning to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
Having caused such a commotion within the Heavenly Fire Mountain-Protecting Formation, Shu Han feared the upper echelons of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect might detect some traces.
To be safe, he decided to refrain from cultivating the Heavenly Fire Origin in the Pure Ice Formation. It would be wiser for his main body to stay outside for a few more months and lay low.
As for Gu Panchun's situation, the more Shu Han thought about it, the more he felt it wasn't simple.
He believed that, at her core, she didn't really want to participate in actions against Song Jinglun's Nascent Soul project. It seemed like she was coerced.
After all, Gu Panchun was only at the peak of the Foundation Establishment phase. How could she dare to go against Song Jinglun on her own? There must be someone powerful behind her.
And that person must be significant!
Someone familiar with the secrets of Fiery Cloud Instant Sect, holding the core Heavenly Fire Conversion Formation, and even aware of Song Jinglun's private plans. There aren't many who meet all these criteria.
Suddenly, an image of someone appeared in Shu Han's mind.
"Could it be her... No way!"
Shu Han quickly shook his head.
"This isn't what I should be thinking about. Gu Panchun was right; I shouldn't get involved. I should focus on my Golden Core path! If she's truly the one behind all this, going against Song Jinglun, the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's future will be turbulent! After achieving 'Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky', I must promptly leave the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect!"
A few days later, Shu Han had his avatar, which was in the cave, come to retrieve a jar filled with duplicated Unbearing Waters Jade Mallow seeds.
Having finally gathered all five elemental spiritual herbs, Shu Han didn't want to wait. He instructed his avatar to immediately start refining the Five Elements True Essence Pill.
The refinement of the Five Elements True Essence Pill was extremely challenging. Shu Han could hardly ensure success on the first try. He had to seize the time, trying repeatedly to produce a pill with satisfactory efficacy before the "Fiery Sun Dominating the Sky" stage.
During this time, another of Shu Han's avatars ceased repairing the Grand Transfer Talisman and started to lurk in the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect using the Spirit Concealment and Void Transformation Technique. Its purpose was to probe the movements of the sect's upper echelons and see if there was any reaction to his and Gu Panchun's intrusion into the Heavenly Fire Mountain-Protecting Formation.
Additionally, an external incarnation sent Bai Xingyan away from the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
In case anything went wrong, Shu Han was determined to protect the descendants of Master Bai's family at all costs. He didn't want Bai Xingyan to be implicated because of him.
However, after two months of investigation, Shu Han found that everything within the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect remained calm. Gu Panchun was also seen entering and leaving the Fiery Cloud Onsen safely.
This revelation somewhat eased Shu Han's concerns.
Still, he dared not easily return to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
However, in this matter, Shu Han was indeed overthinking.
The four priests supervising the construction of the Heavenly Fire Conversion Formation underground feared that Song Jinglun would discover the intrusion. Hence, they summoned the Earth Dragon Fire to cleanse the tunnels, unintentionally burning over a dozen of their clan members in the process.
He was very confident that the two mysterious individuals at the Foundation Establishment stage could not withstand the Earth Dragon Fire's power for even a moment and believed them to be ashes in the tunnels by now.
Time flew, and a month before the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard challenge approached.
After several months of covert investigations and indirect inquiries, Shu Han was convinced that the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's top brass had no reactions to the Heavenly Fire Mountain-Protecting Formation incident. He surmised that they probably believed neither he nor Gu Panchun could have survived the primary Heavenly Fire flames.
Thus, Shu Han, along with Bai Xingyan, returned to the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect.
A month before the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard challenge is when the Earth Fire Leaderboard's opening ceremony takes place.
The Fiery Cloud Instant Sect's Earth Fire Leaderboard was a ranking competition specially prepared for Qi Refining disciples, similar to the Purple Sun Sect's Purple Sun Ranking.
The first place in the Earth Fire Leaderboard will receive the sect leader's Fire Cloud Baptism for Foundation Establishment. The top ten will immediately receive high-tier Foundation Establishment pills.
Given Bai Xingyan's modest talent, Shu Han knew he couldn't cover for him forever. If Bai Xingyan could receive the Fire Cloud Empowerment, his talent would significantly improve.
Coupled with Shu Han's ongoing use of the Heavenly Creation Fluid to enhance Bai Xingyan's constitution, it's uncertain if Bai Xingyan could reach the Golden Core stage. However, his path to the late stages of Foundation Establishment was now clear.
After his period of cultivation, Bai Xingyan had mastered the Heavenly Quadrant Sword Formation to perfection. He could now match Shu Han's external incarnation in combat, provided Shu Han didn't exert his divine consciousness to suppress him.
The external incarnation of Shu Han, even though it only has twelve-layer cultivation, is capable of slaying ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Bai Xingyan's progress during this period made Shu Han very satisfied.
On the opening day of the Earth Fire Contest, Bai Xingyan followed Shu Han to the Earth Fire Arena at the foot of the Fiery Cloud Instant Sect mountain.
The Fiery Cloud Instant Sect Earth Fire Arena was located under a circular ruined wall. At this time, several people stood on a cliff, overlooking the arena below.
Shu Han, leading Bai Xingyan, came to the top of the cliff. Upon their arrival, both Wei Haolong and Song Changyi noticed Shu Han and approached him.
As soon as Song Changyi appeared, the surrounding Foundation Establishment cultivators and their disciples were startled and quickly dispersed, leaving the area around Shu Han empty.
Seeing this, Wei Haolong cursed, "Song Changyi, you really throw your weight around! As soon as you arrive, everyone flees!"
Song Changyi seemed rather helpless, "I don't know why they react like this."
Shu Han inquired, "Brother Song, Brother Wei, why are both of you here for this Earth Fire Contest?"
Bai Xingyan bowed in greeting, "Greetings to both senior uncles!"
Wei Haolong, holding Bai Xingyan's arm, laughed, "Look at this kid, he has changed! I remember him being timid when I first met him. Now he has some aura of heroism. Come, let me feel your chest muscles!"
Bai Xingyan's face turned pale from the shock. Suddenly, an annoyed voice sounded behind Wei Haolong, "Master! Why do you always act like this? It's embarrassing, you know!"
Shu Han turned to see a beautiful woman in a blue dress walking towards them, her face full of displeasure as she glared at Wei Haolong.
Wei Haolong immediately gave a sheepish grin, "I was wrong. I just noticed my junior has developed well and wanted to exchange some 'manly' sentiments!"
The woman in blue gave him a disdainful look, showing no respect, and walked over to greet Song Changyi and Shu Han, saying, "Junior Di Guxue greets Uncle Master Song. And you must be Uncle Master Yu; my master often speaks of you."
"Oh? What does he say about me?"
Di Guxue remained silent.
Shu Han glared at Wei Haolong, "Old Wei! What rumors are you spreading about me? Just wait, during the Earth Fire Contest, I'll show you!"
Di Guxue then turned her attention to Bai Xingyan, noticing his profound aura. Her sharp, beautiful eyes sparkled with interest as she said, "May I know the name of this senior brother?"
Caught off guard by her intense gaze, Bai Xingyan hurriedly replied, "My name is Bai Xingyan, but I'm not worthy of the title 'senior brother'. I joined the sect after Miss Di, so I should address you as senior sister."
"Well then, junior brother Bai, you seem very talented. I believe you will be a strong contender in the Earth Fire Contest. I'll declare now that I aim for the first place. I look forward to your challenge."
With that, Di Guxue bowed to Shu Han and Song Changyi and left.
Bai Xingyan watched Di Guxue leave, his eyes lingering on her figure, his mind replaying the brilliance of her eyes.
Shu Han, patting Bai Xingyan's shoulder, chuckled, "That young lady is quite beautiful and talented, with a dual wood and water foundation. My disciple, you should try to win her over and improve the talent of the Bai family's future generations by marrying her."
