Purple-gold flames. Wen Qingye’s memories held quite a few flames of this color, but those that were so potent as a mere spark—and not even an Origin Fire at that—were few and far between.

Fire doesn’t just represent destruction; it also symbolizes immense life force, which is why it has always been revered. Thus, records of fire seeds have been passed down from antiquity to the present day, each with its own ranking.

The first is the Purple Gold Spirit Fire, a marvel of heaven and earth. The Origin Fire of the Nine Refining Pill Immortal was this very flame, ranked twenty-third among the Supreme Origin Fire Seeds.

The second is the Origin Fire of the Ancient Strange Beast, the Qilin. Hidden within the Qilin’s Qi Sea, it manifests as a purple-gold flame and is ranked ninth among the Supreme Origin Fire Seeds.

As for the Yang Fire cultivated by the human body, it can gradually evolve from Yang Fire to Spiritual Fire, from Spiritual Fire to Samadhi True Flame, and finally, to the Nine Elements True Flame.

The Nine Elements True Flame is also known as the Supreme Human Fire and is ranked last among the Supreme Origin Fire Seeds, at number one hundred twenty-seven.

Although this tiny spark was not an Origin Fire, with his current cultivation, even Wen Qingye didn’t dare touch it directly.

Wen Qingye looked up at Zhou Yue and asked, "How exactly did he get afflicted with this fire poison?"

Seeing Wen Qingye’s solemn expression, Zhou Yue said nervously, "Near Sheng City, by the Nocturnal Strait in the Dayan Dynasty, there’s a mountain called Hong Mountain. There’s an extremely well-hidden cave inside it. Qiu Ming stumbled into that cave by mistake... and was afflicted with the fire poison."

"A cave?" Wen Qingye’s brow furrowed.

Zhou Yue looked at Qiu Ming, who was pale but still gritting his teeth, and said with a pained heart, "Yes. That cave is extremely hot, but as soon as you step out, everything returns to normal. Qiu Ming just happened to wander in by accident. He was fine at first, but for some reason, the fire poison flare-ups have gotten more and more severe recently."

A thought struck Wen Qingye. ’Qilin Fire? Could it be that the cave actually contains the Origin Fire of a Qilin?’

The Qilin Origin Fire was a lost treasure even in the Immortal Realm. How could Wen Qingye not be astonished to think it might appear here?

"Is there any way to treat it?" Zhou Yue asked, her eyes fixed on Wen Qingye.

Wen Qingye nodded. "Yes. We need Rebirth Ointment."

"Rebirth Ointment? What’s that?" Zhou Yue asked hastily, taken aback.

Wen Qingye slowly explained, "Rebirth Ointment requires two Mid-Level Emperor Grade Heavenly and Earthly Treasures: Silkworm Chrysalis and Sanqi Seed. The other ingredients are easy enough to find, but these two are exceptionally rare."

Hearing this, Zhou Yue’s face paled. With a tremor in her voice, she asked, "And if we can’t get them?"

"He will be dead within a year," Wen Qingye stated bluntly.

Zhou Yue stumbled backward, all the color draining from her face.

The Celestial Profound Sect had Silkworm Chrysalis and Sanqi Seed, but they cost over ten thousand Sect Contribution Points. Forget one year—even in three, it would be impossible for Zhou Yue to earn that many points.

"What am I going to do?" Zhou Yue’s eyes welled up as she looked at the still-sleeping Qiu Ming and sighed softly.

Wen Qingye asked, a little curious, "Are you both from the Dayan Dynasty?"

"No," Zhou Yue said, gently shaking her head. "Qiu Ming is from the Dayan Dynasty, but I’m not."

Zhou Yue sank into a nearby chair, her gaze distant as she seemed to get lost in her memories.

"I was the eldest daughter of a small family in Haiyuan Country. My aptitude for cultivation was decent, and my father betrothed me to a scion of a prominent family. I was still very young at the time, only about sixteen, I think."

Zhou Yue paused, then continued with a resigned sigh, "And so, I married him. Perhaps it was fate. Not even three months later, he died. His family was incredibly harsh, and the internal strife was brutal, so I ran away. To a large family like that, one person more or less made no difference. I wandered across the vast lands of the Dayan Dynasty and eventually met Qiu Ming."

Zhou Yue tilted her head back and smiled. "Qiu Ming was an orphan, but he was so strong, optimistic, and cheerful. He brought me so much joy. It was because of him that I even entered the Dayan Dynasty’s selection trials and came to the Celestial Profound Sect."

Wen Qingye nodded. "I see. So, you had a plan with Qiu Ming last time at the Sacrificial Hall, but his fire poison suddenly acted up, and you had no choice but to find me. Is that right?"

Zhou Yue lowered her head. "That’s right."

"This... has been... hard on... you," Qiu Ming said, his eyes fluttering open weakly. He offered a faint smile.

Zhou Yue rushed to his side and cradled his head, murmuring, "It’s okay, it’s okay. If you don’t care, then neither do I."

Wen Qingye slowly rose, gave the pair a profound look, and walked toward the door.

"If it’s possible, I’ll help you get the Rebirth Ointment."

Only the sound of his calm voice was left in the room, lingering in their ears.

...

Wen Qingye left the room, his steps light as he headed back toward his own residence.

’I learned the secret of the Qilin Fire from Zhou Yue, so I’ll consider this repayment,’ he thought. ’Still, this Rebirth Ointment will be a bit troublesome.’

As Wen Qingye approached his residence, his brow suddenly furrowed. A woman stood before him. She was beautiful, with flawless, delicate skin, and dressed in a purple gown. While not a peerless beauty, she was still extremely captivating. Her eyes were closed.

As if she had been waiting for a long time, the woman opened her eyes. She looked at Wen Qingye, her tone condescending. "You must be Wen Qingye."

"That’s right," Wen Qingye nodded. ’Her cultivation is beyond the Yin-Yang Realm,’ he mused. ’Who is she? Is she looking for me?’

"I am Jiang Yun of Forget-Life Peak. This is a Ten Thousand Tribulation Pill; it can help you break through to the Yin Yang Realm Fifth Layer Heaven," Jiang Yun said coldly, tossing a Pill Bottle to Wen Qingye. "Stay away from Yum Baobao from now on. Some people are out of your league. Don’t forget, you’re just a Registered Disciple."

Wen Qingye’s brow tightened. ’It seems Yum Baobao must have told Yum Tianyang, who then sent this Jiang Yun to deliver the pill.’

Having said her piece, Jiang Yun turned to leave.

"Wait!"

Hearing him, Jiang Yun’s brow knitted. She turned back, her voice laced with annoyance. "What? Is one not enough? I don’t mind giving you another."

"Take back your pill and go," Wen Qingye said, tossing the Pill Bottle with the Ten Thousand Tribulation Pill back to Jiang Yun before turning and walking into his room.

As Jiang Yun watched Wen Qingye walk away, she couldn’t help but sneer. ’Refusing it? Playing at being noble? How ridiculous!’

Without turning back, Wen Qingye stared straight ahead and chuckled. "Not everyone is as you imagine them to be. I’m not interested in your Ten Thousand Tribulation Pill, and I’m not interested in your Peak Master’s daughter, Yum Baobao. It would be best if you just stayed out of my sight."

With that, Wen Qingye strode swiftly into his room.

"You!"

Jiang Yun watched Wen Qingye enter his room, a surge of anger making her pretty face flush red. But then she remembered Wen Qingye’s words and couldn’t help but snort. "That kid has some Wind Ghost, I’ll give him that. Too bad his strength is lacking."

"Fine, don’t take it. This just gives me something to report back to Master," Jiang Yun said. With that, her body transformed into a streak of red light and vanished on the spot.