Translator: E.3.3. Editor: Vermillion

  Hundred Thousand Mountains, the Clear Sky Pagoda.

  An unadorned, cloud-capped tower was erected within a forest in the mountains. The iron tower was surrounded by houses in all shapes and sizes. These buildings were linked together, forming a little city based around the tower.

  Disciples of the Clear Sky Pagoda, all dressed in long white gowns covered with the patterns of the iron tower, sauntered through the city.

  As the city gates crashed open, a line of people supported one another as they returned to this little town.

  A screech echoed through the sky. The Intense Sun Bird spread its wings, bringing with it intense waves of heat, and landed in the city.

  A chubby elder got off of the back of the Intense Sun Bird. This was the Supreme-Being warrior of the Clear Sky Pagoda—Ye Yunqing.

  "We’ve got more casualties?" Ye Yunqing furrowed his brows and gazed at a heavily injured elder.

  The Hundred Thousand Mountains was in a turbulent state lately given the impending eruption of the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames. In the past, they were able to suppress the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames every time it broke out. However, as the frequency of containment increased, the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames became even more violent.

  Perhaps this time around, the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames would finally be released.

  It was obvious that countless warriors entered the Hundred Thousand Mountains in pursuit of the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames. After all, it was the Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flames. How could it possibly not attract greedy eyes?

  "Grandpa." Ye Ziling carried a longbow on her back and emerged from the crowd, one hand pinching Ye Pang’s ear.

  Seeing that Ye Ziling and Ye Pang were safe and sound, Ye Yunqing sighed in relief.

  "You insensible children. Aren’t you aware of how dangerous the Hundred Thousand Mountains is these days? Stay put in the Clear Sky Pagoda and don’t leave without my permission." Ye Yunqing put on a rarely seen stern face and scolded them.

  Ye Ziling pouted her lips. Ye Pang, on the other hand, craned his neck and kept silent.

  "Grandpa, we met a senior on our trip this time! That senior’s cooking was…… just spectacular!" Ye Pang waited until Ye Yunqing had cooled down before moving to his side.

  "Chef? There are so many chefs out there. There’s nothing special about it." Ye Yunqing was someone who had already witnessed Owner Bu’s cooking. That Dragon Liver Popsicle was constantly on his mind.

  He had slaughtered a good amount of Flood Dragons residing in the Hundred Thousand Mountains. In fact, so much that it had provoked a supreme beast to chase after him in fury across the entire Hundred Thousand Mountains.

  So, upon hearing Ye Pang’s praise for a chef, Ye Yunqing was unmoved. How could this chef surpass Owner Bu?

  Ye Pang would not give up. He first recounted his adventures, then he described in details the Snakeball Dragon Blood Congee made by Bu Fang. Even thinking about the Snakeball Dragon Blood Congee made his mouth water.

  Ye Ziling stood on the side, scornful as ever.

  "Oh please, get a hold of yourself."

  "Wait a minute! Lad, what did you just say?" Ye Yunqing wasn’t paying much attention to him, but he suddenly felt like something was off.

  "Did you say there’s a metallic lump following the chef around?"

  "Yeah! That metallic lump is really chubby but also very eccentric. I gave it a good look." Ye Pang replied solemnly.

  A stony-faced, slim-figured chef with a plump puppet, and had brilliant cooking skills.

  "Could it be……"

  Standing on the side, Ye Ziling was also taken aback. She suddenly recalled the one glimpse she caught of the figure. " Could it really be……"

  "Holy shit……" The muscles on Ye Yunqing’s round face trembled. "Could it be the little brat really did encounter Owner Bu? Owner Bu also came all the way to the Hundred Thousand Mountains? What is Owner’s Bu purpose here? Surely he wasn’t interested in the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames, right? What good would the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames do for a chef?"

  The chubby elder’s face gradually changed. He suddenly recalled something…… "Is it possible that Owner Bu plans on using the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames to…… cook dishes?"

  The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Given the nature of Owner Bu…… if he could come up with something like the Dragon Liver Popsicle, then using the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames to cook…… wasn’t that much of a surprise.

  Though the chubby elder thought this in his heart, the expression on his face became increasingly more bizarre……

  Duan Yun followed Bu Fang. He peered at Bu Fang’s slim figure, then cast a glance at the metallic lump next to him. A trace of perplexity swept across his face.

  Bu Fang did not have a high cultivation level, but his techniques were impressive. That black wok still made his heart tremble.

  He couldn’t stop thinking about the wok. That object was definitely not ordinary, and could even be a Semi-Divine Tool. But he really couldn’t be sure. What kind of a weaponry blacksmith would be frivolous enough to make a wok of a Semi-Divine Tool?

  Creating weapons required rare ingredients. It made sense to make cleavers or spears. But a wok…… Has the blacksmith been kicked in the head?

  All the signs indicated that Bu Fang must be a remarkable man. Duan Yun was not familiar with the Southern Region, but it only served as a training ground for him.

  Duan Yun came from somewhere outside of the Southern Region. With his cultivation level and possession of alchemic fire, passing through the Hundred Thousand Mountains was no hard task for him.

  "Could it be Bu Fang was also from somewhere outside of the Southern Region? Perhaps he also traveled to the Hundred Thousand Mountains for the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames?"

  The more Duan Yun thought about it, the more he was convinced of this notion.

  The Ten Thousand Bestial Flames was a type of Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flames, and something incredibly valuable. He made his way here the moment he heard of the news and learned of the location of the Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flames.

  He wasn’t the only one. Countless gifted warriors also arrived solely for the Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flames.

  The Southern Region was merely a small site at the border the Hidden Dragon Continent. It normally served as the training ground for the Grand Sect. With such a label, one could easily guess its main function.

  This was the training ground where the Grand Sect used to cultivate their disciples. Duan Yun himself did not belong to this sect. He just secretly sneaked in. Since the Hundred Thousand Mountains was so vast in size, it was not hard for him to slip in.

  "Do you know where the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames is?"

  The two strode through the forest. There were green pines and aged trees everywhere. The fallen leaves blanketed the ground like a cotton-padded jacket. There was also a rotting stench hitting their noses.

  There were silhouettes of tiny figures scurrying through the forest of aged trees. These were some of the lower grade spirit beasts residing here.

  "I have no idea. I also came for the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames. I was hassling the fellow from the Clear Sky Pagoda earlier to ask for the whereabouts of the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames. Before I had the chance to extract any information from him you came along……" Duan Yun replied sourly.

  He felt like he just underwent undeserved misfortunes. He suffered Bu Fang’s wok slams for nothing. He was still shaken from that incident.

  "But don’t worry. As a kind of Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flames, once the Ten Thousand Bestial Flames is released, it will raise a crowd. We can simply follow the commotion and trace our way there. It can save us the trouble of having to confront the Grand Sect disciples."

  Duan Yun did not mind at all. He flipped his head of gray hair and remarked. If it weren’t for the gigantic bruise on his forehead, this toss could appear as quite coquettish.

  Bu Fang nodded. The appearance of the Heaven and Earth Obsidian Flames would attract numerous pars of contending hands. The competition would be fierce.

  Huh?

  Bu Fang walked for a bit and suddenly twitched his nose, detecting a faint trace of fragrance mixed within the rotting reek.

  "There’s something good around here." Bu Fang’s eyes lit up as he traced the direction of the aroma.

  Duan Yun was stupefied. What was going on? He mimicked Bu Fang and jerked his nose. However, he didn’t sniff anything nice.

  He tailed behind Bu Fang, making multiple twists and turns through the towering trees. Even the path itself was narrow and confined, forcing them to squeeze past the bushes. At last, they reached an enchanting sight.

  Everything before their eyes brightened.

  Bu Fang widened his eyes and stared at the open space from afar. The area was vast, not hosting even a single tree or a batch of grass around it. As if in a glorious isolation, a small violet sapling stood in the middle of the soil. Tiny buds of flowers had already blossomed from the branches, on which even hang a few violet-colored fruits.

  The aroma that Bu Fang got a sniff of came from this very sapling.

  "It’s a Violet Cloud Fruit Tree! There’s actually a Violet Cloud Fruit Tree here?!" Duan Yun stretched open his eyes in excitement.

  Violet Cloud Fruit Tree was an eighth grade spirit herb. The Violet Cloud Fruit that such a tree bore was also a precious seventh grade spirit herb. It was really rare to come across one.

  Plus, the most valuable part of the Violet Cloud Fruit Tree was neither its fruit nor its flower. Instead, it was the natural nectar that ran through its branches.

  Once one sliced open the branches of the Violet Cloud Fruit Tree, a light violet-shaded liquid would flow out. That would be the nectar of the Violet Cloud Fruit. It tasted delicious and was a treasured spirit nectar with recovery functions.

  Duan Yun was thrilled. He extended a foot, ready to charge straight for the Violet Cloud Fruit Tree.

  Bu Fang, on the other hand, kept his calm composure and shot him a look. Then, he turned his gaze back to the mountains of skeletons piled around the open space and blinked his eyes.