Gu Qishao's voice was harsh as he spoke from the flames.

"Long Feiye, you just have to look after Poison la.s.s for this old man. Don't worry about anything else! Even if the sky falls down, this old man can take it!"

One could only began to understand the power of the celestial fire after experiencing it in person. In actuality, Gu Qishao was at his limits. But it was impossible for him to die! No matter how many wounds or poisons he'd incurred in the past, he always survived just fine. His fierce objection was to remind Long Feiye of this fact. No matter how much he burned, he wouldn't die. At most he'd just get burn injuries, but it wasn't like this fire could reduce him to ashes. Maybe he'd just have scars all over his body.

And even if he did burn to death, he'd never allow Poison la.s.s to take this kind of punishment, much less in their current circ.u.mstances! His statement was enough for Long Feiye to understand his intentions.

Long Feiye grabbed Han Yunxi and murmured, "Be good, will you? I won't let him die."

"Alright!" Han Yunxi nodded without hesitation. She had rarely been so docile. With time so tight, Long Feiye didn't notice this abnormality and flew straight to the top of the furnace.

Seeing this, Gu Qishao cried out, "Long Feiye, what are you doing? You can't understand human speech, is that it?!" His body was wracked with agony from all the burns. It felt like his skin was been scalded off layer after layer, a truly piercing pain. The suffering forced him to curl up into a ball, but he still shouted at the top of his lungs, "Long Feiye, you get back here! Get down! Have you burned your wits away?!"

He couldn't die. Just then, his words were to stop both Han Yunxi and Long Feiye from trying to help him out. Shouldn't Long Feiye have understood him? Moreover, Long Feiye had already wasted so much internal energy, so why should he suffer in vain? There were too many things waiting for him to do. Can't that guy go coax Poison la.s.s after making her cry like that? What's she supposed to do if something happens to him again?

The more he thought, the more panic Gu Qishao felt. Infuriated, he hollered, "Long Feiye, you motherf**king get off there right now! Otherwise this old man will destroy you! Kill you!"

How could Long Feiye have lost his wits? Of course he understood Gu Qishao and knew he couldn't die. Yes, he didn't need to waste his strength for nothing. But he still landed on top of the furnace to circulate his energy again. He peered at the man engulfed in flames and muttered, "Gu Qishao, I definitely won't break my promise to you."

If the fire kept going, then Gu Qishao's undying body would be exposed. Gu Qishao himself must have forgotten all about it, because he hadn't made any plans.

"Gu Qishao, whether the sky falls or not has nothing to do with you!" Long Feiye said before a fireball formed beneath his hands. He used more internal energy than last time, so the flames quickly formed into a dragon and slipped into the furnace. However, Long Feiye simply stood with his hands folded behind his back, waiting for the celestial fire to counterattack.

Han Yunxi peered up at him expressionlessly. She was very calm, but her lips quirked into a smile when she felt the heat wave s.h.i.+fting its attention from Gu Qishao's body to Long Feiye. Rather than waste time with these two men, she would prefer to wait for a chance of her own where Long Feiye couldn't stop her. She now flew into the air to stand by Long Feiye's side. Seeing this, both men were stunned. What is she doing?

Han Yunxi ignored them both and began to channel her internal energy into flame as well based on her memory of Long Feiye's movements. Her gaze remained hooded as the genuine genius of her talent came into form as a tongue of flame beneath her hands.

"Han Yunxi, this crown prince orders you to stop this instant!" Long Feiye had never barked out such a harsh order. If he wasn't so busy fighting back the celestial fire, his voice would be much louder.

Han Yunxi looked back, her face illuminated by the fire. Raising her chin, she arched her brow at him and challenged, "You think I'm afraid of you?"

If this was any other time, Gu Qishao would laugh at loud at her words, but now he was only shouting. His words were directed at Long Feiye, who couldn't bear to scream at Han Yunxi even at a time like this. He himself knew he had no way to coax, threaten, or affect that woman.

Furious, he even leapt towards the air. "Long Feiye, this old man's gonna slaughter you!"

But he'd hardly spoken when fresh blood bubbled out of his throat, sending him toppling to the ground. His entire body stiffened at the sensation.

Death!

Was this the feeling of nearing death? Why was his body so listless and exhausted? So full of pain? Why was it even getting hard to breathe? No matter how badly he was injured, he'd never felt anything beyond pain. This time seemed different from the rest.

Would he die?

Gu Qishao curled up within the flames and began to wonder about that for the first time. Gradually, he broke into a smile as if all the flowers on Earth had burst into bloom. He looked up at the furnace and saw that he was sprawled by its feet. It was impossible to see Long Feiye and Han Yunxi from this angle, so all he saw was a sky of flames. He knit his brows and did his best to circulate his energy as a way of self-defense, and to alleviate the pain. Even if he could endure one step longer, at least it'd give him a chance to catch a glimpse of Poison la.s.s. That would be an image he seared into his heart.

Poison la.s.s, if we have another lifetime, Qi gege will never wait for you again. Qi gege will look for you all over the world so I can find you first.

Despite his agony, he ignored it all and concentrated all his efforts on taking that final step. But reality proved that he could move no longer. He was left lying on the ground as his flame-soaked hands scrabbled for purchase against the earth. Still, they were unable to push him upright. Ever since finding out he was a freak, Gu Qishao had always yearned for death. To him, death represented rebirth. But in this moment, he suddenly regretted his choice. He didn't want to die.

Han Yunxi, I'd rather stand behind Long Feiye's back for a lifetime to protect your love as a couple, your kingdom for eternity, and your generations of offspring. I'd rather see you slowly grow older until you die from old age than place any extravagant hopes on a next life.

"Poison la.s.s…" Gu Qishao muttered, but his voice was so soft that he couldn't hear a word. Gradually, his fingers lost the strength to even scrabble and fell limp.

"Poison la.s.s, Qi gege really...really likes you…"

"Poison la.s.s, do you...even know…?"

"Gu Qishao!"

Suddenly, Han Yunxi's stern voice echoed in the cave. Somehow she'd ended up hovering in mid-air to look at him.

"Gu Qishao, hold on!"

Han Yunxi was wreathed in dazzling light like a G.o.ddess of fire radiating splendor in the skies. She saw Gu Qishao from above but didn't sympathize, pity, or panic. Instead, there was only determination! All of her emotions were swallowed up by this steadfast faith.

"Gu Qishao, you better listen up! If the sky falls, we'll prop it up together! Hold on for me! If you dare to die, you'll have to shoulder the consequences!"

So speaking, fire suddenly filled the skies before flooding the Celestial Fire Qian Furnace, Long Feiye with knitted brows, and Gu Qishao on the ground. Even the gaping Pill Furnace Master and his disciples were swallowed up in the light, which grew to illuminate all of Medicine Requesting Cave.

Pill Furnace Master struggled to open his eyes against the glow and look up. What he saw was the shadow of a phoenix emerging from the top of Han Yunxi's head! Shocked, he blurted out, "Alunite Phoenix![1] That's the Alunite Phoenix! She actually possess the phoenix's power!"

Pill Furnace Master wanted to take a closer look, but the image only lasted for a second before it transformed into a huge flame dragon that poured into the furnace! In a flash, the celestial fire enveloping Long Feiye and Gu Qishao dissipated completely along with their burn scars. All that were left were the internal injuries. As Pill Furnace Master mentioned earlier, celestial fire was capable of attacking the internal organs.

But what was this now? 

Hadn't Han Yunxi changed her energy into fire as well? Wasn't she supposed to shoulder a portion of the counterattack just like Long Feiye and Gu Qishao? Why did this happen instead? Long Feiye and Gu Qishao both looked up at Han Yunxi, who looked exceptionally serious with her eyes closed.

"Han Yunxi!" Before Long Feiye could fly towards her, a huge heat wave burst from the Celestial Fire Qian Furnace and headed straight towards Han Yunxi.

"Don't!"

"Poison la.s.s!"

Both men rushed forward and were simultaneously thrown aside. Still, they climbed to their feet and ran right back. But Pill Furnace Master cried out, "Don't disturb her! This is the phoenix's power. The internal energy within her body has been awakened! If you interrupt her now, she'll enter deviation!"

Phoenix's power?

Neither Long Feiye nor Gu Qishao understood, nor were they certain they should trust Pill Furnace Master. But soon it became evident that the fire around Han Yunxi was growing more and more brilliant. A large shape began to take form behind her back like slowing spreading wings.

"Phoenix wings…" Long Feiye muttered as he recalled her birthmark.

Very soon, the shapes fully unfurled as shadowy phoenix wings. They were a grand, n.o.ble sight that was both solemn and dignified. One couldn't help but feel awed. Following that, the figure of a phoenix slowly emerged from Han Yunxi's back.

"A phoenix! It's really a phoenix!" Gu Qishao was dumbfounded.

Once the phoenix extricated itself, it spread its wings to cover Han Yunxi. In a flash, she had vanished into the fires. 

"Where is she?!" Long Feiye asked with an ashen face. Even if this was the phoenix's power, he was still worried. Unless that woman was in the palm of his hand, he would always fret.

"Why is it like this?" Gu Qishao was perturbed as well.

"To control the phoenix's power, she must undergo the Trial of Alunite," Pill Furnace Master said, his eyes fixated on the burning inferno above them. "Three days. It'll take three days! As long as she can bear it, she'll be unbelievable in the future!"

"And if she can't?" Long Feiye and Gu Qishao asked at the same time.

Pill Furnace Master finally turned to look at them. "Then even her bones won't remain!" [2]

In that instant, Long Feiye and Gu Qishao's sky came cras.h.i.+ng down...

1. I did my best but this name doesn't really make sense. 凤凰盤涅 fenghuang pannie is literally "phoenix, big rock, alunite." We're going literal this time.

2. Are you laughing? I'm laughing, because HYX and LFY tried so hard to get him free and now she's the one delaying their dual cultivation for three days instead with similar threats as the stakes. This...kind of reads like a rehash...