The fake prince was exposed at the beginning, and I took office as emperor on the spot

Chapter 235 Dao Fire (Two Chapters Combined)

After trapping Cui Xiu, Gu Fangchen waved her hand and moved Yi'er outside to avoid being affected.

When the Flame King's natal fire spread, it directly destroyed the entire house. However, Yi'er's location was precisely controlled to stay outside the affected area.

This is the confidence of a high-level player.

Even after being controlled by the "Dragon-Trapping Formation," Cui Xiu was fully aware of the extent of the impact his self-destruction would have.

This is all based on practical experience.

Although he used to be in front of a computer screen, with his current level of cultivation, he can superimpose the two and find the exact position in an instant.

Cui Xiu used self-destruction as a pretext to escape his soul, naturally choosing the easiest path to break through.

It was impossible to go in the direction that Prajna Lotus Moon and Gu Fangchen were guarding, so the only place left was where Yi'er was.

How could an ordinary girl sense his soul?

Let alone obstruction.

But Cui Xiu never expected that just a second ago he was celebrating his escape, and the next second he was grabbed by the ordinary girl in his eyes.

Yi'er stood before the crimson flames, grasping a tiny, flickering flame in her hand.

In reality, it was Cui Xiu's soul that was struggling, but he was horrified to find that no matter how hard he struggled, the fair little hand did not move at all.

"How, how is this possible?!"

Cui Xiu is a soul cultivator with a third-grade soul. Even if it is just a wisp of a fleeing soul, it should not be so easily captured by a mortal.

Moreover, how could the other party possibly discover a wisp of their soul amidst this endless sea of ​​fire?

The next moment, Cui Xiu's question was answered.

Yi'er lowered her head to look at the flame in her hand, smiling brightly, but what she said almost scared Cui Xiu out of his wits!
This tone was completely unlike that of the "Four Phases Calamity Master," yet Cui Xiu felt the same deep-seated fear he had felt when he first witnessed the "Four Phases Calamity Master" make a move!
That was ten years ago.

The "Four-Phase Calamity Master" is elusive and often disappears for a period of time, leaving matters related to the "Extinction" Path to Cui Xiu and other followers.

Cui Xiu and the first batch of followers were all directly defeated by the "Four Phases Calamity Master". It was because they witnessed the power of the "Nirvana" path and were shocked by it that they were willing to follow the "Four Phases Calamity Master" and pursue the ultimate "Nirvana".

However, because he was reliable and disciplined in his work, in the following ten years, coupled with his obsession with power and the use of the "Shape Grass Sword" as a vanguard, he stopped getting involved in the demonic sect's positive actions after reaching the third rank.

Even my memories are gradually fading.

So much so that he forgot his fear, and upon discovering that the "Four-Phase Robbery Master" was showing signs of weakness, he was driven by his desire to kill him in one fell swoop and take his place.

At that moment, Yi'er asked herself if she resembled the real "Four-Phase Calamity Lord".

Cui Xiu's liver and gallbladder were ruptured.

This isn't just a resemblance, this is it!
The aura and demeanor emanating from the girl in front of him were chilling.

Ten years later, that unforgettable fear returned to his heart, making his once burning soul feel as if it had stepped into an ice cellar and been doused with a bucket of cold water.

A terrifying chill spread through his body, and he forgot to struggle, let alone escape.

He first met the "Four-Phase Robbery Master" at night by Donglong Lake. He had just completed his revenge and had not yet advanced to the third rank. His heart was filled with nothing but rage and confusion. When he walked into the village by the lake, he almost went mad and began to slaughter mortals near the Sword Pavilion.

It was then that I first met the "Four-Phase Robbery Lord".

The same black robe that remained unchanged for the next ten years, along with his mysterious and unpredictable cultivation, was used to pin him to the ground and render him unable to move. Even the spiritual energy within his body instantly subsided, as if it had never existed.

After that conversation, he followed his heart and became a follower of the "Four-Phase Lord of Calamity".

It is exactly the same as what he sees and feels now.

Over the past decade, he had almost never felt the same way from the "Four Phases Calamity Master" again. Although the "Four Phases Calamity Master's" cultivation was still terrifying, it was precisely this difference that made him rebellious and dare to attack the "Four Phases Calamity Master".

Now, he felt it again.

But it wasn't from the "Four Phases Calamity Master" he was familiar with, dressed in black robes, but from the gentle yet slightly playful little girl in front of him!

This is the "Four-Phase Robbery Master" he first met by Donglong Lake!
"you……"

Cui Xiu was terrified. If he were still human, he would probably have lost control of his bladder and begged for mercy on the spot.

But he only uttered one word.

The girl's fair hands closed, and with a gentle squeeze, she extinguished the wisp of flame.

"laugh--"

Only a soft, fading sound remained; a third-rank expert had quietly vanished into the world.

Yi'er shook her head and pouted:

"Disloyal and unjust. If I had known, I wouldn't have saved him in the first place. How utterly pointless."

She shook her hand, and a lot of light, fluffy ash flew out from the extinguished flames.

Disappointment appeared in Yi'er's eyes. The cluster of flames she had seen back then, which was purely born for destruction, had become much more impure in just ten years.

These impurities occupied his mind, causing the flame to dim further and never regain its former brightness.

"Humans are always so boring; even the brightest and most beautiful flame will eventually go out."

The girl looked up and saw a bird with scorched wings startled into flight, disappearing into the sky and soaring higher and higher.

Crossing the docks, crossing the sea, crossing the vast land and sky.

Through the eyes of birds, she looked down upon the world, where raging fires burned everything in their path.

Countless people lifted up the raging fire, using themselves as fuel to keep the flame burning.

The flames are bright, but the world is about to be burned through a huge hole.

The day the firewood disappears, the flames will begin to consume everything as fuel, devouring the entire world.

The brightest cluster of flames has already ignited in the distance.

The last dragon vein has been found, and countless Confucian disciples are rushing towards its location to hunt down the dead dragon.

Once the hunt is successful, they will skin and dismember the dragon, using its oozing oil to ignite an even more intense fire.

The man holding aloft flames, riding a spirit deer, with a dignified and imposing appearance, is about to ignite the sky amidst the frenzied anticipation of countless people.

A hint of anticipation appeared in Yi'er's eyes as she turned her gaze to the young figure on the other side of the sea of ​​fire.

This young man is special.

He was spotless, without a single spark.

What would you do to stop the fire from burning?
……

Gu Fangchen had already prepared herself to sense the fleeing soul.

How could someone like Cui Xiu, with his boundless greed, possibly be so decisive as to self-destruct?

A third-grade soul cultivator, if not for external forces, has a soul that is almost immortal and indestructible. Even if separated from the physical body, it can exist freely between heaven and earth, requiring only the nourishment of spiritual energy.

Cui Xiu must have used the self-destruction as a cover to escape and seize another body.

But Gu Fangchen changed her mind and used her divine sense to scan the surroundings using the marks left by the "Trapping Dragon Formation," but she found no trace of Cui Xiu's soul.

"Huh?" Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow, a little puzzled.

Did Cui Xiu misjudge his strength and blow himself up in the process?

In such a short time, even if he tried to escape, he wouldn't be able to get out of the dock area.

Ninety-nine percent of them have already completely disappeared.

Prajna Lotus Moon arrived at this moment and saw him stroking his chin, deep in thought. She paused for a moment, then asked:

"What's wrong? Did things not go as planned?"

Banruo Lianyue had also personally experienced Gu Fangchen's uncanny ability to foresee things, the terrifying feeling that all his actions were within his expectations. Now, she had witnessed it once again and felt the same mystery and terror of her father.

Cui Xiu, the "Flame King," was the second-in-command of the "Extinction" Dao and a renowned expert, making him an exceptionally formidable opponent.

"Xingcaojian" is both superior and inferior because of his purity.

Because of his extreme and pure pursuit of the "destruction" path, he achieved an undefeated reputation in just a few years.

But because of his extreme purity, he could only be a tool to be used by others.

The reason why Prajna Lotus Moon was able to kill him directly was twofold: firstly, because he was caught off guard and it was a sneak attack; and secondly, because he had no guile at all and fell directly into her illusion without any prior preparation.

Someone as cunning as Cui Xiu would surely have set up numerous traps on his territory to prevent himself from being killed.

External forces are also a key factor in the battle.

Before Prajna Lotus Moon arrived, she had worried that Gu Fangchen's plan might be a bit too risky, and had already prepared to kill Cui Xiu.

But to her surprise, everything unfolded exactly as Gu Fangchen had predicted.

It was just a clumsy flaw; Cui Xiu, who had been loyal for the past ten years, actually chose to directly target the "Four Phases Calamity Master".

Such haste is hardly the behavior of someone who has been in charge of the Grand Canal Gang for so long.

As for the "Trapping Dragon Formation," Prajna Lotus Moon wasn't too surprised.

Gu Fangchen's mastery of formations is estimated to have reached the first rank, although there are no first-rank formation cultivators left in this era.

But Prajna Lotus Moon believed that even if a first-grade formation were placed in front of Gu Fangchen, he could still easily break it.

Gu Fangchen pondered for a moment and said:

"Cui Xiu must have used the Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell technique, separating a part of his divine soul, but I can't find it now."

Prajna Lotus Moon also inspected the entire dock, then shook her head:

"I can't sense it either."

If even the Prajna Lotus Moon cannot sense it, then it is truly dead.

Gu Fangchen shook her head and smacked her lips:
"Forget it, I guess he was really anxious and didn't control the intensity of his self-destruction well. There will always be a slight difference between the strategy and the actual progress. It's nothing serious."

By the time players reach this point, most of their cultivation progress will likely be below his level.

It's normal that Cui Xiu had an accident.

As long as he's dead, that's fine.

Gu Fangchen crossed the sea of ​​fire and found Yi'er, who was waiting for her, and patted her head.

He then took out a black robe and made Yi'er put it on; she still had to continue playing the role of "Master of the Four Phases of Calamity".

"With Cui Xiu's death, no one can doubt your identity."

Gu Fangchen smiled.

Immediately, the alarmed followers of the "Extinction" sect began to gather around.

In their view, such a big commotion was normal, so they didn't react at first, or rather, most of them were just watching and observing.

In any case, the person who makes the decision is Cui Xiu, and the person who carries out the orders is his confidant.

Everyone else should just pretend they don't know.

Whoever wins, they're still part of the "Extinction" faction. We can't just wipe them all out tomorrow; the canal gang's docks still need workers...

If tonight's being is truly the "Four-Phase Calamity Master," then Cui Xiu is courting death.

Even if it was a fake "Four-Phase Calamity Lord", it was still able to kill "Flame Demon King", so its strength is at least second-grade.

Who dares to question?

If you dare say she's fake, you'll be the first one to die.

That's why they arrived "late".

And now, the first person to arrive saw Yi'er, dressed in a black robe, standing in front of the raging fire.

And that raging fire was clearly Cui Xiu's natal fire.

Now, the situation became clear instantly.

Cui Xiu really did court death; he brought this upon himself.

"My lord! Your subordinate is late in protecting you, please forgive me!"

The man immediately shouted, then slid down to his knees and prostrated himself before Yi'er.

Among the followers of the "Extinction" cult at the canal docks, there are actually not many who purely follow the "Extinction" cult anymore.

After all, Cui Xiu had been in charge for the past ten years, so he was bound to keep people who were beneficial to him.

Those who only know how to fight and kill can just be henchmen; they don't need to rise to the top.

Therefore, these high-ranking officials are now all sycophants and opportunists, lacking any loyalty and driven solely by self-interest.

Upon seeing Yi'er's victory, he immediately came to surrender.

He also brought along Cui Xiu's trusted confidant, whom he had been working for, and asked the robber to deal with him.

The second person who came over was no pushover either. He immediately began to recount Cui Xiu's crimes over the years, including embezzlement and other misdeeds, leaving nothing out.

It's obvious he's been collecting this for a long time...

As expected, things follow their owners.

Cui Xiu harbored rebellious intentions, and his subordinates followed suit.

Gu Fangchen raised an eyebrow, feigning sudden realization:
"So that's how it is. No wonder Cui Xiu was so audacious; he's been harboring evil intentions for a long time."

He clicked his tongue twice, helped the two of them up, and said:
"Since that's the case, you've all been deceived and oppressed by him. How could Lord Jiezhu possibly blame you? Get up, all of you. From now on, you will take over Cui Xiu's position."

Although the two did not know who Gu Fangchen was, the fact that the Lord of Calamity remained silent meant he had tacitly agreed, and they immediately expressed their gratitude in unison.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

P.S.: I'll revise it later. If there are any errors or omissions, please refresh the page. It's updated normally now. Please give me a monthly vote!
Continue with 6,000 words tomorrow

(End of this chapter)