Yan Qianlie's recovery within the Heart of Blazing Flames progressed rapidly.
He knew this was the Heavenly Father God giving him special treatment. According to the Father God's original plan, he would have fully recovered around the time Chu Tiange's overseas storyline concluded and the overseas powerhouses arrived in Shenzhou, possibly taking another year or two.
But now he had recovered ahead of schedule. The only problem was lacking a reliable body; he was currently only a primordial spirit.
Aside from his physical body, his primordial spirit had recovered to its peak and even undergone some changes.
He had grasped the meaning of Nirvana and rebirth, allowing him to be resurrected under certain conditions. These conditions weren't particularly demanding; the presence of fire elements was sufficient. Therefore, as long as he wasn't in an extreme situation, this was the immortal and indestructible Azure Flame.
Of course, if someone knew beforehand that he could guard the corpse… it would be a bit awkward, but Yan Qianlie didn't believe that if he were killed to such an extent, the other party would be unharmed. Whether he would be guarded after resurrecting or witness the other party's despair, Yan Qianlie thought the latter was more likely.
In short, it's an extremely powerful skill, nothing to be picky about.
It's getting more and more impressive every day… Yan Qianlie himself didn't know how to feel about it.
He felt a bit indebted… He was proud and didn't want to be given a skill, and he could comprehend the White Flame beyond the established limits, but this kind of life-saving skill was different…
Sigh… He'd already accepted it, and even said he'd tear him apart when he could surpass the Heavenly Dao, but now he felt a little guilty and short of breath.
So much so that he'd been obediently dragged out to refine pills the last few times, never considering whether he could now surpass the couple's level in the mortal world.
Of course, he didn't know that a new setting had been added to his character, so he would never rebel; he only thought it was because he was indebted to someone.
That said, this couple is quite nice… Father God also harbors resentment, which is why we demonic cultivators appear in his writing. Seeing that his worldly struggles have already escalated to murder, the ruthlessness in his eyes is quite interesting. If this continues, whether this world will be a realm of righteousness or one ravaged by demonic flames remains to be seen… Even his nemesis, Qiu Wuji, seems quite agreeable after spending time with him. That woman used to be fierce and vengeful, constantly whispering in Father God's ear to wary him, but now, seeing Little Flame every day, she's even developed a bit of tenderness, like looking at a pet kitten.
Pah!
Little Flame put his hands in his pockets.
Suddenly, he erupted in fury: "What progress has been made on the body I sent you to find!"
It must be because he's lost his body that he's not tough enough!
A subordinate's trembling voice came from outside the cave: "My lord, please calm your anger. The search reports from afar haven't returned yet. They must have made some progress after all this time..." Yan Qianlie knew it was unreasonable to blame his subordinate in his haste. After all, time was still short; treasures weren't easy to find, especially with the righteous sects still fighting demons everywhere. Everyone was in a difficult situation.
As for other powerful demonic sect members, he dared not entrust them with the task. The demonic path had no sense of loyalty or shared hatred. If they discovered his weakness, they would devour him first, not help him find treasures...
If he really wanted to find treasures, the most reliable person was the Father God. All he had to do was write a note...
Damn, why did he think of this again? Did he really think of him as a pet?!
Damn it! Yan Qianlie was seething with rage, cursing, "Damn the Heavenly Dao!"
Just then, a faint voice transmitted from within the flames: "Do you hate it?"
Yan Qianlie paused, then erupted in fury again: "Where did this cowardly idiot come from, showing himself!"
"..." The air was silent for a few seconds, broken only by the crackling of the flames.
After a long while, the other party sighed helplessly: "With a temper like yours, how can you defy the Heavenly Dao?"
A thought struck Yan Qianlie: Wait, what did Father God tell me to do again? Wasn't it to wait for these idiots to come and betray me?
I failed to break through the Heavenly Dao, and was even turned into a tiny flame for alchemy. You trash think you can break through it? "Let's taste it, hahaha..." Yan Qianlie felt a surge of energy, but his face hardened as he said, "Defying the Heavenly Dao is such a momentous matter. How can you expect me to trust someone who hides their true nature?"
"If you don't trust me, I don't necessarily trust you either," the voice chuckled. "Trust requires time to develop. Before we gain each other's trust, I dare not reveal anything."
Yan Qianlie said, "That sounds reasonable. How do you plan to gain each other's trust?"
"I know you only have your primordial spirit left and desire a physical body. I can help you, how about it?"
Yan Qianlie remained unmoved: "How will you help me? By giving me a Crimson Flame Dragon Bone." "For me?"
"Two options for you to choose from." The voice chuckled, "I have many ready-made puppet bodies here, including quite a few bodies of Nascent Soul cultivators or higher. After you seize their bodies, you can easily train them and use them." Yan Qianlie scoffed, "Are those useless bodies something I'd consider?"
"Actually, some are quite good..."
"Heh, who knows what backdoors you've left open? Do you think I'm some naive idiot?" Yan Qianlie mocked, "Now that you mention it, I remember there have been rumors lately about the Seven Absolutes Young Master being incredibly talented, a Nascent Soul cultivator in a hundred years, and so on. I just felt that this kind of person was suspicious." "Jing'er, so you're my puppet, aren't you?" The voice fell silent for a long while before saying, "As expected of a Demon Lord who has climbed the ranks of the demonic path, you know all about these things. Since you don't trust the body I provided, let's try another method."
"How about it?"
"Since you want the Crimson Flame Dragon Bone, I do know where it is. I'll provide the location so you can retrieve it yourself. After obtaining the treasure, you should be able to believe in my sincerity." Yan Qianlie was stunned: "You actually know where this thing is..."
"Southern Frontier, Nine Li, a barren land, a thousand feet underground, where the dragon bone is hidden." The voice gradually faded: "May the Demon..." "May you recover soon, so that the magnificent spectacle of raging flames descending upon the world, burning heaven and earth, may it return."
"Wait a minute!" Yan Qianlie roared, "What kind of nagging nonsense is this? You're the one trying to gain my trust, how do you expect me to? Say what you have to say at once, or run away!" The voice, which had almost disappeared, choked on its own, and after a long pause, finally said, "Yan Qianlie really has a bad temper."
"What does my temper have to do with it? It's clearly you who's being too long-winded. I've never seen anyone so indecisive, splitting one thing into two parts, keeping me up at night!" The voice sighed, "Does the Demon Lord hate Qiu Wuji?" Huh? Yan Qianlie chuckled, his face contorted with rage and a cold laugh: "That woman's so high and mighty, isn't she? One day I'll make sure her soul is separated from her body, her flesh to be wantonly played with and humiliated by a mortal of this world. Only then will I be satisfied with the hatred in my heart!"
The voice remained stammering for a long time, as if to say, "Your pleasure is truly unique. Others would personally indulge in such pleasures, but you want her to be played with by a mortal of this world? What kind of thought process is that? Unbelievable!"
Is this the kind of fiery creature whose brain has no concept of women?
He hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "If I were to ask you to kill Qiu Wuji, it would be impossible; it would be asking the impossible. But Qiu Wuji has taken on a disciple, are you aware of that?" Yan Qianlie was even more delighted: "I've heard of him."
"This disciple should be ready to leave the mountain and travel. If you could kill him, or at least bring him back for me to question... then that would be the time for our sincere cooperation."
Yan Qianlie laughed heartily: "Deal!" The voice finally disappeared completely. Yan Qianlie could feel the divine sense returning from thousands of miles away; the person's true form was in an extremely distant place, indistinct.
He was truly a very cautious person, subtly hinting at things from all sides. He clearly suspected Qiu Wuji's disciple was related to the Heavenly Dao, yet he didn't reveal his intentions, only using hatred to provoke Yan Qianlie into doing so.
A very roundabout way.
But even the most cautious wouldn't suspect that the Heaven-Burning, Earth-Destroying Yan Qianlie had actually been recruited by the Heavenly Dao…
So every word he uttered was like that of an old general on a theatrical stage; the more energetically he performed, the happier Yan Qianlie became.
"Cooperating with Father God has actually brought a rare bit of pleasure in toying with others… Haha, hahahaha…"
"Lord, Lord!" A subordinate rushed in from outside the cave in a panic: "There's a man and a woman outside, they've broken in…"