Time flew by, and three months had passed.

The bustling scene within White Emperor City not only persisted but increased, accompanied by private duels, assassinations, and chaotic events, forcing the City Lord Mansion to issue decrees to start restricting cultivators entering the city.

Meanwhile, all sorts of rumors about the appearance of the Heavenly Fire were growing increasingly absurd.

There were claims that the Heavenly Fire descended from the sky, resembling a waterfall of flowing fire hanging from the heavens; others said the Heavenly Fire was born from the earth, gushing from beneath like springs, as viscous as oil; and yet some swindlers were selling strange stones under the guise of phenomena related to the Heavenly Fire, claiming they were born within it.

In short, the chaos was escalating more and more.

Yuan Ming, immersed in his cultivation, was completely unaware of these happenings, until the arrival of Nan Shangfeng disrupted his tranquility.

When he walked out of the secret chamber, he immediately saw Nan Shangfeng pacing back and forth outside, with his head lowered.

"What's wrong, has something happened?" Yuan Ming asked.

Nan Shangfeng abruptly raised his head, his brow furrowed, his expression full of worry.

"Fellow Daoist Wan, this morning, people from Heavenly Dragon Hall and Daluo Sect arrived at White Emperor City, including Heavenly Dragon Palace Master Long Hou and my mentor Master Tantai," Nan Shangfeng quickly approached, speaking rapidly.

Master Tantai was none other than the Sect Leader of Daluo Sect.

Yuan Ming's mind stirred, understanding why he was so flustered.

"The appearance of the Heavenly Fire has attracted attention from all around. It's expected your mentor would come. They likely don't know your whereabouts, you shouldn't worry too much," Yuan Ming said calmly, comforting him.

"I understand that. But previously on East Extreme Island, regarding the setup to encircle and kill Yuan Ming and Yun Luo Fairy, my performance was unsatisfactory. I suppose that scoundrel Zhu Yu has already exaggerated and reported it. I'm... I'm afraid that my mentor will punish me," Nan Shangfeng said, looking at Yuan Ming and smiling bitterly.

"Since he's your mentor, you cannot avoid it. It's better to meet him voluntarily than to be dragged back by the sect," Yuan Ming said.

"That's true," Nan Shangfeng pondered briefly, agreeing and nodding.

After speaking, he flicked his wrist, and a virtual light flickered before him, revealing over twenty pieces of high-level spirit wood, mostly Level 5, with only three or four pieces of Level 6 spirit wood.

"I've recently bought these at several auctions and exchanges. Their quality might be a bit unstable, uneven. Fellow Daoist Wan, pick and use them as you wish. If my mentor does punish me upon returning, I'll probably be taken back to the sect for reflection. Who knows when we'll meet again," Nan Shangfeng said.

Upon hearing this, a trace of surprise flashed in Yuan Ming's eyes.

This time the spirit wood was not requested by Yuan Ming for purchase and collection but entirely voluntarily done by Nan Shangfeng.

"Thank you, your thoughtfulness is appreciated," Yuan Ming thanked him and put them away.

The high-level spirit wood collected by Ten Thousand Goods Immortal Trip had also been brought, and with these pieces, he could gather two more Ten Thousand Wood Origins.

"Done easily. Then I bid farewell," Nan Shangfeng said with a smile, turning to leave.

"I'll go with you," Yuan Ming said.

"You're coming too?" Nan Shangfeng said, surprised.

"Just like last time, I'll hide within your Void Palace and won't be discovered," Yuan Ming said.

Upon hearing this, Nan Shangfeng hesitated briefly and asked, "I don't understand, Fellow Daoist Wan, why do you want to accompany me?"

"Your mentor and his entourage must have come to White Emperor City for the Heavenly Fire. I believe, given their status, they know more details. Going to listen might be beneficial," Yuan Ming replied honestly.

"Indeed, with you accompanying me, I feel more at ease," Nan Shangfeng thought for a moment and nodded.

His fellow disciples would likely accompany their mentor, and none of them were easy to deal with.

Instantly, he opened the Void Palace and welcomed Yuan Ming inside.

Being the Heavenly Dragon Palace Master and Daluo Sect Leader, their visits couldn't be regarded as the same as other cultivators. The White Emperor City Lord Jin Mu had already set up a banquet in the City Lord Mansion, waiting for the cultivators from the two great sects to attend.

The Daluo Sect and Heavenly Dragon Hall both had mansions within White Emperor City, which Nan Shangfeng hadn't stayed at before and was now visiting for the first time this mansion close to the City Lord Mansion.

As soon as he reached the mansion entrance, he was recognized by the gatekeepers who hurriedly welcomed him inside while sending someone to notify the others.

Quickly, Nan Shangfeng found himself in a spacious hall, meeting his mentor.

Master Tantai was preparing to depart for the White Emperor City Lord Mansion, with a few direct disciples like He Xiuwen accompanying him.

Inside the Void Palace, Yuan Ming used a soul descent rune to observe the people in the hall.

Among them, Master Tantai was an elder clad in a feather robe and Daoist robe. Though his hair and beard were all white, his features were youthful without a single wrinkle, looking quite immortal and refined.

He Xiuwen was a towering young man, with short, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and dark skin, looking honest and reliable, yet he was the most ruthless among the disciples.

Yang Fan's brows and eyes were cold and stern, his arms crossed over his chest, holding his treasure sword, projecting an image of unapproachability. Upon seeing Nan Shangfeng, he snorted lightly and turned his face away.

Fourth junior sister, Gan Wenqing, glanced up and down at Nan Shangfeng and took the initiative to call out, "Second senior brother."

Nan Shangfeng did not respond to her. He took the initiative to kneel before Master Tantai and kowtowed, saying, "Master, your unworthy disciple Nan Shangfeng, has come to pay respects."

"Oh, you still remember to come back. I thought you wouldn't return unless I sent someone to fetch you," Master Tantai glanced at him sideways and said lightly.

"Master, this disciple has been traveling outside, and was recently ambushed, nearly losing my life. I truly did not dare to take the risk of a long journey back to the sect." Nan Shangfeng slid on his knees up to Master Tantai's feet, clutching his pant leg, and began to wail and cry.

Yuan Ming was completely stunned at this sight, never expecting Nan Shangfeng to do such a thing.

Unexpectedly, although the behavior was somewhat disgraceful, the effect was surprisingly good.

"It's fine, as long as you've returned safely," Master Tantai's expression indeed softened as he spoke.

He lifted his hand to pull Nan Shangfeng up, then examined him closely, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"The injuries you suffered earlier were not light; it seems you have indeed encountered significant trouble," he said, sweeping his gaze over the other three disciples.

The three of them hurriedly looked away, slightly lowering their heads.

He was very aware of the clear and hidden struggles among his disciples, but he deliberately did not stop them, hoping they would grow through the competition.

In fact, he always valued this second disciple highly, but although this one had good talent, his character was somewhat lacking. Additionally, having sustained injuries to his core previously, he lacked a spirit of competition, which made him displeased.

"Though your injuries were severe, it seems your cultivation has significantly improved, which is good; you've gained from your misfortune," Master Tantai nodded and said.

His words were like a stone dropping into the hearts of the other disciples, creating ripples.

The three either openly inspected or cautiously observed, all focusing their attention on Nan Shangfeng.

Nan Shangfeng had indeed been diligent in his cultivation during this time, and was now quite different from before. However, his cultivation realm had not yet advanced to the next level, still a notch below the other three.

"All right, let's not talk about anything else for now. Come with me to the City Lord Mansion to attend the banquet," Master Tantai concluded.

...

Inside the City Lord Mansion, a guest reception hall was set up with several large round tables.

The tables were already laden with various precious ingredients, immortal fruits, and immortal brews, waiting for the esteemed guests to arrive.

When Master Tantai's group arrived, the people from the Heavenly Dragon Hall also arrived.

After exchanging pleasantries, they all entered the guest reception hall together.

As the host, Jin Mu immediately invited everyone to be seated. There were only seven or eight seats at the head table, intended for Long Hou, Master Tantai, and other sect leaders and prominent figures.

Nan Shangfeng and the other accompanying members were arranged at another table.

Jin Mu was not in his usual flowing hair and bare feet but wore Cloud Boots and a Purple Gold Crown, exuding a more formidable aura, making him hard to look at directly.

As for Long Hou, he was a well-built, dark-red-skinned man with dark golden rings in his eyes, naturally imposing, filled with explosive power.

Once everyone was seated, after some polite conversation, Master Tantai spoke first, inquiring about the Heavenly Fire: "Fellow Daoist Jin Mu, being so close to the source, have you had a chance to witness the Heavenly Fire firsthand these days?"

"That's not quite right. I've been busy managing city affairs and haven't personally gone to investigate, but based on reports from spies in the city, I guess it might be the legendary Great Sun Glaze Flame," Jin Mu said after a brief pause.

As soon as he spoke, the entire room was filled with exclamations.

"It is actually the Great Sun Glaze Flame…" a cultivator exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention.

In the Void Palace, upon hearing it was this flame, Yuan Ming was momentarily stunned, then felt a surge of indescribable excitement.

This Great Sun Glaze Flame is a pure True Fire formed by the condensed Power of the Sun, a high-level True Fire many times stronger than the Profound Sun Earth Fire.

Yuan Ming believed that if he could obtain this fire, its contained Power of the Sun would allow him, in his path of Body Cultivation, to progress smoothly, without any obstacles.

"This time, many people have their eyes on the Great Sun Glaze Flame. Besides us, the Ten Thousand Demon Country is also involved. They've already infiltrated the Fire Rock Desert, so if you truly wish to compete, it's best to set aside historical grudges and animosities and work together. Otherwise, Ten Thousand Demon Country might defeat each of us separately and reap the benefits," Jin Mu said, glancing around.

"Fellow Daoist Jin Mu is right. Under no circumstances should we allow Ten Thousand Demon Country to seize the advantage," Long Hou nodded in agreement.

"In that case, we shouldn't waste any time; we must set out immediately," Master Tantai also said with a solemn expression.

"Indeed. The Heavenly Fire has appeared; now is the perfect time to compete for it," everyone echoed.

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