Chapter 109: The Source of Fragments!
A kiss gives rise to deep affection—at least for Qian Mo, a roguish scoundrel, it was utterly intoxicating. Qian Mo’s lips feverishly pressed against Yun Yun’s rosy mouth, greedily claiming her as his own.
Yet, Qian Mo’s hands remained restrained, not daring to cross any boundaries; it was simply a kiss, nothing more.
Neither Qian Mo nor Yun Yun knew how long the kiss lasted. Time held no meaning for Qian Mo, while Yun Yun was completely enraptured.
When their lips finally parted, a thin string of saliva stretched briefly between them before snapping.
One kiss, then separation.
Qian Mo lightly licked his lips, savoring the lingering taste, a sly smile curving his mouth as he said, “So sweet, so fragrant—truly exquisite! From now on, you shall be my empress!”
Yun Yun was still dazed, stunned that her first kiss was taken away just like that, by a stranger no less. Suddenly, she snapped back to reality and struggled fiercely in Qian Mo’s embrace, crying out, “Let me go! Let me go! Waaah!” She pounded his chest wildly as if burdened by the weight of the world, her eyes reddening until tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
“Let me go, please! I don’t want to be an empress—I don’t! I just want you to let me go!” Yun Yun sobbed, terrified that Qian Mo might do something even worse, powerless to resist, resigned to his control. She regretted ever provoking him—what was she thinking?
Qian Mo detested seeing a woman cry. “I only kissed you once—didn’t you kiss me back just now? What’s with the tears?”
“All right, all right, I’ll let you go, I’ll let you go,” Qian Mo chuckled. He had savored the sweetness enough for now; next time would come soon enough. He was certain they’d meet again, and then he would make her completely his woman.
With that, Qian Mo produced a token unlike any other—upon it were boldly engraved the characters “Reincarnation.”
He handed it to Yun Yun. She hesitated but was quickly coaxed by Qian Mo’s mischievous tone: “If you don’t take it, I won’t let you go. There are still parts of you I haven’t tasted!”
Yun Yun shuddered and quickly accepted the token, slipping it into her storage ring.
Seeing this, Qian Mo breathed a sigh of relief. “This token will protect you when your life is in grave danger. As long as I’m alive, its power won’t fade. If I die and you haven’t used it even once, it can still be used later. Otherwise, it becomes useless.” Reluctantly, he released her.
“We will meet again!” Qian Mo said softly as he let her go. Yun Yun shivered at his words—what did he mean by that?
Her eyes red-rimmed, Yun Yun glanced at Qian Mo without a word, then, in a fit of pique, she sprouted wings of fighting energy and flew resolutely toward Gu He and the others. Forget Medusa or the Blue Lotus Earthfire—she had no time for any of that. She just wanted to return to Yun Lan Sect; the outside world was too perilous, and home was safe.
Boom!
Ping!
Below, several Snake Elders activated the Serpent Heaven Formation. Gu He and two others were heavily besieged inside. With a combined strike, the trio managed to create a small breach in the formation. They felt a surge of hope, but the Snake Elders were not about to let them escape.
Just as the trio sensed hope within reach, the Snake Elders intensified the formation, causing the three to narrow their eyes sharply. “No! Brace yourselves!” they shouted.
In an instant, the formation exploded violently, the blast whipping up a fierce whirlwind that scattered sand and dust around. Even the low-level cultivators in Snake Sand City were blown away by the gale.
“Hahaha! Cursed humans, die!” The four Elders rejoiced at the spectacle; such a massive explosion surely meant death.
“Elder Gu He! Elder Yun Lei! Elder Yun Hu!” Yun Yun descended from the sky, alarmed by the explosion, calling out urgently.
“Damn it, I forgot there was one more,” one Snake Elder said coldly.
“What now? Should we retreat? None of us can contend with a four-star Dou Huang alone,” another Elder suggested.
“Yes, we’ll hide in the mountains and return once our strength grows to eliminate the last threat to Queen Medusa,” a third Elder nodded.
“The suggestion is sound,” the last Elder agreed.
The first Elder glanced at the others and their clansmen behind them, sighed, and said, “Then so be it.” The four promptly flew back into Snake Sand City.
Yun Yun frowned at their departure. The Jade Peak Sword, which had just fallen to the ground, was now in her hand. She gripped it tightly, wielding the power of a Death Star Dou Huang, and slashed toward the four fleeing Snake Elders.
“Die!” Her cold voice carried through the air.
“No! Brace yourselves!” The four Elders’ eyes widened in alarm as they quickly raised their defenses.
Ping!
“Ahhh!” The four, using their fighting energy to transform into armored forms, barely withstood the attack but looked utterly exhausted. Their clothes were tattered, faces pale, and each coughed up blood as they were blown back into Snake Sand City.
“Elders!” The people of Snake Sand City rushed over to aid the severely injured Elders.
Yun Yun glanced their way, about to strike again, but noticed Qian Mo slowly descending from the horizon. She recalled the girl who had been in her arms before—he must be coming to fetch her. She murmured, “She calls him ‘brother.’”
With that, she ceased her attack and swiftly turned toward Gu He and the others.
High above, Qian Mo looked down at Yun Yun with a faint smile. “Brother!” Qing Lin and Xiao Shuang, playing below, saw their brother appear in midair and excitedly shouted.
Qian Mo lowered his body and landed beside Qing Lin. “Qing Lin, let’s go.”
“Where’s that lady from earlier?” Qing Lin asked.
“We’ll see her again next time,” Qian Mo said, picking up Qing Lin.
“Okay.” Qing Lin nodded, and Xiao Shuang returned to Qing Lin’s mind.
Qian Mo surveyed the ruined houses, shook his head, and thought, “Since this is Medusa’s homeland, I might as well help.” Snapping his fingers, a force washed over the dilapidated buildings, instantly restoring them to their former glory.
“Wow, the house is restored! Brother, you’re amazing!” Qing Lin’s eyes sparkled.
“Let’s go,” Qian Mo said, scanning the surroundings.
His figure vanished into the depths of Snake Sand City.
---
Outside, at the moment of the explosion, Gu He and the other two each swallowed a Steel Rock Pill, their bodies instantly hardening. They summoned their armored fighting energy and fought with all their might to survive. Now, they lay on the ground, covered in blood, spitting crimson, their faces pale and ghastly, clothes torn to shreds.
“Sect Leader… Sect Leader!” The three looked up in relief as their leader returned.
---
“Don’t speak. Take these pills—they’ll save your lives.” Yun Yun produced three healing pills and handed them over.
After taking the pills, their complexions improved, but they remained too weak to fight.
The three struggled to stand. Yun Yun said, “Let’s go back to the sect. You’ll have to search again for your strange flame. If it truly fell into that person’s hands, I won’t be able to retrieve it.”
“Yes, Sect Leader.” Gu He sounded reluctant, disappointed to lose the precious flame but nodded resolutely.
Leading the way, Yun Yun flew away. The three glanced back at Snake Sand City, snorted coldly, and followed with difficulty. Though their lives were spared, their injuries were severe; without proper treatment, recovery would be slow.
Thus, the Snake Sand City incident came to an end.
---
After leaving Snake Sand City with Qing Lin, Qian Mo arrived at a previously discovered oasis. He wanted to inspect the environment and brought Qing Lin inside.
“Wow, it’s so beautiful!” Qing Lin gazed at the surroundings—water, mountains, lush vegetation.
Qian Mo landed and set Qing Lin down. “Go play.”
“Okay.” Qing Lin nodded and summoned Xiao Shuang to join her.
Watching them play, Qian Mo looked around and said, “Alright, it’s just me now.” He walked aside, sat cross-legged, and took out the Blue Lotus Earthfire, idly playing with it in his palm. The flame was as docile as a well-behaved child, obediently held there.
“This is the Blue Lotus Earthfire. Its appearance and internal structure are quite peculiar,” Qian Mo observed.
“Should I sell it to the system, or let my Phoenix Divine Flame absorb it?” he pondered. As for Xiao Yan, the system had already provided him with a package containing all the strange flames, but his cultivation was too low to absorb the higher-level ones. Otherwise, he could have been propelled directly to Dou Di.
Though the flames in the package were incomplete, Qian Mo felt it better to gather more in the other realms.
He resolved to eventually have all his flames and strange fires absorbed by the Phoenix Divine Flame to make it stronger—until a flame surpassing even the Phoenix Divine Flame appeared.
Smiling faintly, Qian Mo summoned the Phoenix Divine Flame. Upon its arrival, the Blue Lotus Earthfire shrank in timidity, the blue flames floating above it dimming.
The Phoenix Divine Flame enveloped and fused with the Blue Lotus Earthfire. Fusion differed from absorption; absorption meant the flame vanished, while fusion allowed it to be retrieved again.
After fusion, the Phoenix Divine Flame’s power noticeably increased, though since the Blue Lotus Earthfire ranked nineteenth and wasn’t very strong, the Phoenix Divine Flame was only somewhat stronger.
Though it was a high-level divine flame, divine flames also had tiers. The one Qian Mo wielded was barely above the lowest level. To grow stronger, it needed to absorb or fuse with other strange flames, eventually evolving into even more powerful divine flames.
As Qian Mo gazed at the Phoenix Divine Flame, a white light appeared on the map of the Dou Qi Continent in his mind.
“Huh? What’s this?” Qian Mo’s divine sense scanned the white dot on the map.
Upon closer inspection, the white dot was located precisely at the oasis!
“Since it’s here, what could be here? Just a water pool, some rocks, and vegetation,” Qian Mo murmured, startled.
Ding!
“Host, greetings! The system has detected a Dou Qi Continent fragment here. Please obtain it.”
Just as Qian Mo contemplated, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
“System? Weren’t you supposed to be silent?”
“Ignore that. Hurry and acquire the fragment. The system can absorb its energy to upgrade, allowing you to explore higher realms,” the mechanical voice replied.
“Hmm, long time no see. You’re still the same, system,” Qian Mo muttered, half annoyed.
“You too,” the system responded.
Qian Mo felt a sudden urge to smack the system but instead asked, “What exactly is this fragment? Where is it?”
“According to system detection, the fragment lies beneath the lake,” it said, pointing toward the water.
“Lake?” Qian Mo questioned, turning to gaze at the nearby lake.
He wondered aloud, “Do I have to dive in?”
Memories of nearly dying inside a dragon during the Qing Yun Chronicles sent a chill down his spine.
“Yes, host, go!” the system urged.
“Alright.” Qian Mo agreed, adjusted his clothes, and walked toward the lake’s edge.
Peering beneath the clear water, he saw only fish and algae—not much else.
Clear water with a visible bottom—could it be the sealed place of the ancient Void Dragon? Perhaps a strong barrier lay beneath?
Qian Mo was slightly alarmed that even with his peak Dou Di cultivation, he sensed no anomaly. Was his Dou Di title just for show?
He raised his hand and snapped his fingers, summoning a screen that enveloped his body.
Leaping into the water with a splash, the surrounding water was isolated by the screen, allowing him to land on the bottom.
“It doesn’t look deep, but it’s actually quite deep,” he murmured as he felt the water’s depth.
“System, where’s the fragment?” he asked, looking around.
“System detection confirms the fragment source lies directly beneath your feet,” it replied.
Qian Mo lifted his foot. “What? It’s right here?”
He crouched and began digging. After a while, a large pit formed, and the water grew murky.
“Damn it, system, are you messing with me? I’ve dug this deep with nothing!” he shouted in frustration.
As he dug further, a flash of red light shimmered in the mud.
“Could this be it?” he exclaimed, digging faster.
But as his hand touched the mud, he cried out, “So hot!”
He was shocked. How could it be so scorching? As a peak Dou Di and Great Burning Golden Body cultivator, how could anything harm him here?
He realized that his Dou Di cultivation was merely a title; the true threat had to be a higher-level treasure from another realm or a being stronger than a Dou Di.
His eyes fixed on the red glow, an answer forming in his mind.
Clearly, peak Dou Di was still too weak. He needed to complete his tasks and improve his cultivation, or else upon entering higher realms, he’d be utterly overwhelmed.
---
The thrill of becoming an emperor is fleeting; venture out, and you get beaten!
“Going out” here meant breaking through the void to enter higher realms.
Qian Mo frowned as a golden light radiated from his hand—the Great Burning Golden Body’s power.
“Long time no see, golden light!” he said, blinking at the red glow below.
He reached down and pressed his hand onto the mud.
His expression grew serious. He could still feel the heat. No time for hesitation; he swiftly grabbed the fragment and held it up. It was small—just a fragment.
The heat intensified. Damn it! How could it still affect me?
Qian Mo strengthened his golden light shield.
“System! Get out here and absorb it! I’m afraid I can’t hold on!” he shouted, more scolding than pleading. The fragment’s heat could easily kill a Dou Sheng or Dou Di. Even his Great Burning Golden Body couldn’t withstand it.
“Ding! Fragment source detected. System is absorbing now!” The system’s voice rang out.
With a flash, the fragment vanished from Qian Mo’s hand.
He breathed deeply, the golden light fading. His palms were red and burned, pain radiating from them.
“This is no ordinary thing,” Qian Mo said, feeling the sting.
Ding!
“As a thank-you for helping absorb the fragment source, the system grants you access to the system interface. The system will now enter slumber until you complete your tasks.”
Ding dong!
The long-missed system interface appeared before Qian Mo.
System Interface
Host: Qian Mo
Physique: Dual Cultivation Saint Body, Superhuman Physique, Great Burning Golden Body
Lovers: Bi Yao, Lu Xueqi
Pets: Ancient Void Dragon, Ancient Red Flame Vermilion Bird
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Level: Multiverse Tier 2, Beginner
Currency: 6,000,000 Multiverse Coins
Weapon: Spiritual Treasure Divine Sword
Domain: Human-Sword Integration
Rules: Immortal Slaying Heavenly Dao, Reincarnation Rule
Proof of Dao 1
Items: Super Gourmet Tablecloth, Gate of Ren, Superhuman Liquid, Super Fusion Machine, Peach Lang Lang Fruit, Translation Candy, Copy Mirror, Free Travel Spray, Penetration Spray, Penetration Ring, Dragon Talisman, Sharp-Eyed Immortal Slaying Sword, Homeschool Teacher Dimensional Travel Ticket
Skills: Hellfire of the Underworld, Divine Sword Thunder Mastery, Underworld Thunder Fist, Ghost-Slaying Mastery, Divine Flame Burning Heaven, Great Dao Reincarnation Technique, Phoenix Divine Flame
Space Creatures: Azure Dragon, Proud Lion, Mysterious Turtle, Ancient Phoenix, Golem, Underworld Flower, Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, Dream Demon, Qilin, Spirit Tiger, Mysterious Mantis
Dimensions Reached: Multiverse 22nd Century Realm, Immortal Slaying Realm, Dou Qi Continent
“Wow, this is fantastic! I can finally see it!” Qian Mo exclaimed excitedly.
“Wait, system, I’m supposed to be a peak Dou Di, so why does it say Dou Zong (Dou Sect)?” Qian Mo noticed a discrepancy.
“You haven’t completed your tasks yet, so your cultivation can’t update. Keep striving,” the system’s final voice said before falling silent.
“I see. I thought my cultivation would have increased by now.” Qian Mo was slightly disappointed, muttering.
Looking at his skills, he said, “Seems there’s nothing suitable for the Phoenix Divine Flame to absorb yet. Better hurry and collect the strange flames along this path for the Flame.”
After spending the afternoon here, Qian Mo approached Qing Lin. “Qing Lin, it’s time to go.”
Qing Lin recalled Xiao Shuang and nodded. “Okay.”
The oasis lay in the eastern Tagore Desert, about ten kilometers from Snake Sand City and five kilometers from Tiemu, making it a contested zone between the two.
Qian Mo and Qing Lin left the Tagore Desert at top speed, arriving at a bustling commercial market. Merchants sold all manner of goods: items hunted by mercenary groups, monster cores, various rare and valuable herbs. There was even a shop selling pills, mostly third-grade with a few fourth-grade pills. The highest-grade pills were likely kept hidden to avoid trouble.
Business here followed strict rules: once payment was made, the sale was final. No disputes afterward, or the buyer risked being hunted by the local strong.
Qian Mo and Qing Lin stopped at a street food stall.
A middle-aged vendor shouted, “Monster test skewers! First-grade monster—spiny boar meat!” as he grilled a large skewer over the fire.
Qian Mo halted, noticing Qing Lin stopping first, eyes fixed on the meat, drooling.
He rolled his eyes and tapped his forehead. If you want it, just say so—you’re not being denied. Why suffer looking at it so long and not eating?
Qian Mo asked, “Qing Lin, do you want some?”
She wiped her mouth and nodded fervently, “Yes, yes! I want some!” Excited to eat again, she was truly a foodie.
Following her brother meant no more hunger and no more bullying. Life was good.
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End of pages 1 to 3.