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Li Hong carefully took a bath, changed into clean clothes, and lay down on the smooth and soft silk mat in the second-floor bedroom to rest with his eyes closed. He wasn't really tired; sleeping was just a habit. It seemed like an innate instinct that he couldn't change.
At that moment, Chuxiong burst into the Small Pavilion, his eyes lighting up when he saw Li Hong. He let out a strange laugh and rushed over for a bear hug.
Li Hong had already noticed Chuxiong's greasy hands and the bundle of leaves he was holding; he chuckled and rolled aside just in time to avoid Chuxiong's bear claws.
Chuxiong turned around and ran to the back of the building, the sound of water splashing followed. Soon, he came back upstairs, this time carrying a wooden tray.
On the tray was a golden, shiny roasted chicken, perfectly cooked and still steaming. He casually tossed the tray over.
Li Hong deftly extended a finger to poke at the bottom of the tray, taking a deep sniff before praising, "Your roasting skills are getting better and better."
Chuxiong sat down on the floor and said cheerfully, "Dig in! Eat while we talk. How did you make such a big commotion? I was roasting chicken at that time and saw so many people too scared to show their faces."
Li Hong tore off a chicken leg and took a bite, replying lightly, "It's nothing; just some progress in my training."
Chuxiong exaggeratedly exclaimed, "And you call that just progress? It was earth-shattering! Growing up together in our open-crotch pants, do you think I don't know your abilities? You are my idol!" He scratched his head awkwardly and continued, "Actually, I was with Old Eight earlier. I didn't want to pay him any mind, but this guy somehow got a few fat chickens and said he wanted to treat us. I couldn't resist. When I saw you training so seriously, I went with him." He lowered his voice mysteriously, "Guess what he told me?"
"Oh?" Li Hong became interested and sat up.
After being framed by his second senior brother Chu Qiu, although Li Hong did not report it, he soon heard that their master had found an excuse to send Chu Qiu down the mountain for an indefinite period due to business.
That was how the matter ended. Li Hong never knew how much Spirit Stone truly understood, but it seemed he wasn't a fool. The subtle handling of the situation left even Li Hong in awe.
However, upon reflection, there was still a significant doubt. How coincidental was it that Old Nine Chu Liang happened to go berserk at that time? Chuxuan rushed over with news and successfully diverted the first senior brother away, allowing Chu Qiu to take advantage of the situation. Chuxuan's role in this matter was indeed suspicious. Although he had previously warned Chu Qiu about dealing with them both, could he really clear all suspicion?
Learning from past experiences, thinking about how his second brother had been lying near Fire Lake on the verge of death made Li Hong break out in cold sweat. Afterward, he reminded himself countless times—it's better to be cautious around petty people; it doesn't matter if he risks his life, but dragging down his second brother should never happen.
He heard Chuxiong say, "He said a lot of nice things, implying that Chu Qiu indeed had ill intentions. Luckily we are fine; otherwise, we would never have peace of mind in this lifetime. But big brother, do you believe him?" Chuxiong chuckled: "At that moment, all I could see were roasted chickens; I couldn't give him a hard time. But honestly, I didn't believe him at all; I just went along with it."
Li Hong gave a greasy thumbs up: "Well done! From now on we need to be more vigilant; don't think all immortals are good people. It's best if you can do this without raising Old Eight's suspicions."
The two brothers exchanged a glance and chuckled. Chuxiong said, "From now on, let's just maintain a facade of closeness! These so-called brothers who are as close as family, tsk tsk, it's better to keep our distance. But when it comes to food, I won't hold back; are you afraid of being poisoned?"
"Very much so," Li Hong agreed with both hands raised. Strength is the most important thing. For now, it's best to focus on cultivation and not get involved in these messy matters. Only with strength can one have the right to speak and protect oneself.
Chuxiong suddenly recalled something and laughed heartily, "Big Brother, look at this! After the commotion you caused this time, within three days, Chu Xi will definitely come charging up Nine Vermilion Peaks. Let's see how you handle her then."
Li Hong's head started spinning at the reminder; indeed, Chu Xi would surely come running soon, and she wouldn't be satisfied until she had drained him dry... He frowned and could no longer eat another piece of chicken.
*****
Early the next morning, Chuxiong came running in with a smile. Without him saying anything, Li Hong quickly said, "Tell Chu Xi that I'm practicing in the woods; just say I'm not here."
Just as he jumped out of the window, he heard Chu Xi's clear voice: "Chu Hong! Chu Hong! I'm here, come out!" With a flash of white shadow, she was already standing lively on the porch.
The front and back doors were transparent, allowing for a clear view; if he ran now, she would definitely see him. Li Hong forced himself to stop and turned around to squeeze out a smile, saying cheerfully, "Oh, it's Chu Xi! Here again to collect Forget-Me-Not Butterflies?"
"Yes, but mainly I wanted to chat with you," Chu Xi said as she set down the large basket in her hands and smiled brightly.
All the female disciples wore white clothes, but Chu Xi's outfit fit particularly well. A silver-red belt cinched her slim waist, and her long black hair was styled into two buns. She stood there smiling in the morning sunlight, with the fine down at her temples appearing golden. She looked as fresh and sweet as mountain spring water.
Li Hong's forced smile became genuine without him realizing it.
Chu Xi playfully blinked her eyes and said, "Chu Hong, your Six Spirit Salty Ritual is truly remarkable." She jumped over to the bamboo table, resting her chin on her hand while looking at him eagerly. "So tell me, what's going on? I heard from Master that you've already reached Qi Refinement Stage; I'm so envious! I'm still stuck in the middle stage! You've pulled ahead by quite a bit." But then she mysteriously added, "I can now use Divine Consciousness to push my internal energy; hee hee, I'll soon enter Refining Qi Early Stage."
Chuxiong was making tea for Chu Xi when he exaggeratedly exclaimed, "Incredible! You've advanced so quickly! Now you two have left me far behind!"
Chu Xi laughed and said, "Actually, I have to thank you for your birthday gifts. If it weren't for the Washing Marrow Pill and Fire Origin Pill's power, I wouldn't have progressed this fast."
She urged them repeatedly; Li Hong knew that before coming here, she must have pestered Master Ling Xiangzi with many questions. He figured there was no way to hide anything from her and had no choice but to tell the truth.
Listening carefully, that familiar serious expression began to appear again on Chu Xi's face. Seeing this expression, Li Hong immediately knew he was in trouble. Sure enough, Chu Xi said, "It doesn't make sense. If it was just advancing to the second level of the technique, how could it trigger the Li Fire Formation's spirit response? You must have something you haven't told me."
Li Hong's heart sank. Back then, Spirit Stone had repeatedly instructed him not to tell anyone about the Fire Separation Pearl, including his younger brother. This secret had been buried deep within him until now. However, seeing Chu Xi's current expression, it was clear she was already suspicious. What could he say to deflect her?
Chu Xi had a probing look on her face; glancing at his younger brother, who was very familiar with him, he started to show confusion when Li Hong remained silent. He could manage to keep things from Chu Xi, but he didn't want his younger brother to think he was hiding something from him. He sincerely said, "If I tell you, Master will punish me. The punishment is minor, but it's said to be a Great Secret of our sect. I'm sorry, I really can't say."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Hong regretted it. Sure enough, Chu Xi's expression turned curious; she didn't look at Li Hong but turned to Chuxiong and said, "Listen to this! He’s actually keeping secrets from us! It's one thing to hide it from me, but how could he hide it from you too?"
Chuxiong's tea-drinking slowed down immediately. Li Hong couldn't help but smile bitterly; this little rascal was using a provocation tactic! He had no choice but to say, "Unless you swear not to tell anyone, I can only tell you."
Upon hearing this, Chuxiong immediately became frightened: "Forget it! If it's that serious, I don't want to know at all!"
Li Hong felt warmth in his heart; after all, they were good brothers.
However, Chu Xi laughed and said, "Don't worry; I've already guessed it. Even if you tell me, I'm just confirming my guess. Besides, don't you understand? Many people know about this matter. It's funny that your stubborn mind can't turn around and you're still obediently following Spirit Stone and Shibo's instructions!"
Li Hong smiled wryly and said, "If you guessed it yourself, then it doesn't count as me telling you. What did you guess?"
"It's simple," Chu Xi's expression grew serious again: "The fact that it triggered the Li Fire Formation's spirit response indicates that your constitution is definitely unusual; for example, you might be a transformed dragon."
Seeing Li Hong roll his eyes, she stuck out her tongue and giggled: "Of course that's absolutely impossible. What I mean is that only similar beings would attract the Li Fire Formation's spirit—the Eternal Fire Dragon's spirit response. Since you're human and not a dragon, there’s only one possibility: Hehe, tell me, did you secretly take our sect’s treasure, the Fire Separation Pearl?"
Li Hong was dumbfounded and muttered, "You're really too smart..." In fact, he had only recently figured out that the spirit of the Li Fire Formation was indeed the Phantom Fire Dragon they encountered.
Chu Xi proudly said: "That's right! When I returned and heard Master mention it, I understood this point; even Master said I'm clever and warned me not to let it slip. Don't worry; here it's like I've already cleared the path; even your Master won't punish you because I know. Chuxiong definitely won't say anything either."
"Of course not! I absolutely won't mention it to anyone," Chuxiong quickly replied.
Chu Xi curiously looked up and down at Li Hong and then jumped in front of him to stretch out her small hand to touch him—from his belly to his chest and then to his forehead. Li Hong sat still without moving. He knew that with Chu Xi's intelligence, she would definitely find a way to know where the Fire Separation Pearl was hidden in his body.
Chu Xi's hand quickly stopped on Li Hong's forehead, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Do you know? Although you are not a dragon now, you are almost like one!"
"What?!" Li Hong and Chuxiong exclaimed in unison.
"Do you know where a dragon's Purple Palace is? It's right here on the forehead; this is where they cultivate their Dragon Pearl. Look, your Upper Dantian Purple Palace is open, right at the forehead, just like a real Divine Dragon! And inside, there is a genuine Eternal Fire Dragon Pearl! The Fire Separation Pearl is the Dragon Pearl of the Eternal Fire Dragon within the Li Fire Formation. After its death, the Dragon Soul did not dissipate; it was preserved by the Ancestor with some of its divine powers, forever guarding the Nine Li Cave Heaven's Li Fire Formation. Its Dragon Pearl became our sect's supreme treasure, renamed 'Fire Separation Pearl' to mislead others. Think about it, doesn't that mean you are now a humanoid dragon? Hehe, no wonder your power has greatly increased; even the spirit energy can sense it and roars along with you!" Chu Xi looked at Li Hong with great interest, as if observing some rare mythical beast, her bright eyes filled with intense curiosity.
Li Hong touched his forehead, feeling a familiar warmth in his palm. It seemed that at that moment, the Eternal Fire Dragon Pearl—Fire Separation Pearl—was gently pulsing along with his heart. He couldn't help but be stunned at the thought that all the essence of a Divine Dragon's millennia of cultivation was now within his Upper Dantian.
Chu Xi said, "No wonder Master said you are a freak." She suddenly fell silent, resting her chin on her hand and deep in thought.
Li Hong did not ask; he knew that once Chu Xi reached a conclusion, she would surely share it.
After a long while, Chu Xi seemed to have made up her mind and quietly said, "Li Hong, do you want to explore the Li Fire Formation again?"
Li Hong jumped up in shock, exclaiming, "No way!"
"Why not?" Chu Xi asked leisurely. "Do you know why I suggest this? Right now, you don't know whether having the Fire Separation Pearl in your Upper Dantian Purple Palace is good or bad. But what if it's bad? It is said that dragons cultivate differently from humans; their meridians are very simple and particularly wide, like an ocean that cannot be filled. Just think about it: what if after absorbing the Dragon Pearl, you end up like that? This means that even if you cultivate for thousands or tens of thousands of years, it might be very difficult for you to advance to the Nascent Soul Stage. Dragons have endless lifespans; as long as they are not killed, they will live forever. But you are human; do you have an endless lifespan? You might die before reaching that day! The fire dragon in the Li Fire Formation must resonate with your essence now. I think you should find it and ask clearly whether its Dragon Pearl inside you will affect your cultivation."
Li Hong was truly stunned. He had no knowledge of the Divine Dragon's lifespan and cultivation methods. After hearing Chu Xi's words, he immediately realized the seriousness of the issue. Perhaps this was why he seemed to have greatly increased power but appeared stuck at the Qi Refinement Stage.
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