Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Immortal Lord Chang Li, Blazing Heart

Shen Sang Ruo followed Su Xi Yu to a quiet cave residence.

Because they were going to pay respects to their Master, Song Wei Yan and Bai Ruo An came along too.

When Shen Sang Ruo saw the man lying in the Ice Coffin, she froze for a moment.

Su Xi Yu introduced him, speaking softly to Shen Sang Ruo: “This is our Master, Immortal Lord Chang Li.” Seeing Shen Sang Ruo’s look, she added with a sigh: “Master fell into a deep sleep because of an accident.”

The man in the Ice Coffin had a sharp, clean profile and perfect features, with ink-black hair spilling loosely over his shoulders.

A striking red pendant hung on a necklace over his chest.

Though he rested inside the Ice Coffin, a small flame seemed to burn between his brows.

His eyes were gently closed, as if he were only napping.

This Immortal Lord Chang Li seemed to have a fire spiritual root as well.

Ye Huai, the one Shen Sang Ruo had knocked through a roof earlier, was also here.

He stood quietly by the Ice Coffin, still wiping his broken sword.

Su Xi Yu greeted him with a smile, turning her head: “Senior Brother, you are here too.”

Their fellow disciples exchanged greetings with one another.

Shen Sang Ruo spoke with apology in her voice, lowering her eyes: “I am sorry. I did not know Immortal Lord Chang Li was in this state.” She had thought he was simply resting.

Su Xi Yu waved it off, relaxed as always, and murmured toward the Ice Coffin: “It is fine. Master likes lively company.” Then she introduced Shen Sang Ruo, her tone respectful: “Master, this is Junior Sister Shen who helped us open the Formation. She came here to pay her respects to you.”

Shen Sang Ruo stepped forward, cupped her fists, and bowed as she said with care: “Junior Shen Sang Ruo pays respects to Immortal Lord Chang Li.”

She was just about to say that she would not disturb them further and take her leave when a strange change suddenly appeared.

The red pendant on Immortal Lord Chang Li’s chest shook all at once and began to glow.

“Bang, bang, bang!”

It kept ramming against the Ice Coffin, like it was trying to break out.

Su Xi Yu’s face changed as she cried, startled: “Why did the Blazing Heart suddenly act up?”

The others rushed over and gathered around the Ice Coffin at once.

The Blazing Heart struck harder and harder.

Song Wei Yan’s expression turned grim as he warned: “If this keeps up, the Ice Coffin might shatter!”

Bai Ruo An frowned, worry tightening his brows as he said: “If the Ice Coffin breaks, then Master…”

The Ice Coffin was tied to Immortal Lord Chang Li’s life.

This sudden change caught them all off guard, and the danger grew by the second.

Shen Sang Ruo spoke up carefully, just as another voice cut in; her suggestion overlapped Ye Huai’s cold command: “Open the Ice Coffin.”

Ye Huai’s gaze was icy and sharp as he spared Shen Sang Ruo a single look, then he moved without hesitation to open the Ice Coffin.

Since Immortal Lord Chang Li had fallen asleep, the Ice Coffin had never once been opened.

No one knew what might happen if they opened it now.

Luckily, as soon as there was a way out, the Blazing Heart shot free of the Ice Coffin.

The Ice Coffin closed again at once, and Immortal Lord Chang Li lay as still and peaceful as before.

Everyone let out a breath, then turned their eyes to the “escaped” Blazing Heart.

The Blazing Heart wobbled in the air, yet it moved with surprising purpose as it flew straight toward Shen Sang Ruo.

[???]

[Do not come over!]

She dodged left and right, but the Blazing Heart seemed to see only her.

At last it settled firmly against her chest, hung itself around her neck, and then dimmed with satisfaction until its glow faded away.

Shen Sang Ruo stared down at the Blazing Heart now resting on her chest and went completely blank.

This felt like stealing someone’s Master’s treasure right in front of his disciples.

She immediately reached up to remove it, but the necklace around her neck seemed bound by a sealing spell.

No matter how she tried, it would not budge.

Heaven and earth could judge her innocence. She truly had done nothing and knew nothing.

The urgent thing now was to explain everything to Su Xi Yu and the others.

She opened her mouth to speak, but a harsh sword aura thrust straight toward her.

It was Ye Huai.

Even with a broken sword in his hand, his sword aura was fierce and steady.

His eyes were like a wild beast’s, brimming with hostility as he demanded in a low voice: “Speak, who sent you to steal Master’s Blazing Heart?”

They all knew how important the Blazing Heart was to Immortal Lord Chang Li.

Su Xi Yu and the others looked tense, and though they stepped up to block him, Ye Huai did not back down.

Shen Sang Ruo drew in a long breath and explained calmly, the line of her shoulders firm: “From the moment I stepped into this cave, every move I made was in your sight, without a single step out of line.”

She kept her tone even as she added: “The Blazing Heart came to me on its own. I did not control it.”

She did not panic, and her voice stayed steady.

She gestured at the necklace and said with a frown: “I want to remove it too, but as you can see, it will not come off.”

Then she offered a solution, meeting Ye Huai’s stare without fear: “Let us go to Sect Master Wu Wei. I have no wish to steal anything. I will cooperate with any method needed to take the Blazing Heart off.”

Her eyes were clear, steady, and frank.

There was not a hint of guilt on her.

Song Wei Yan rubbed his chin and thought aloud, turning to the others: “Yes. Junior Sister Shen had no desire to enter the Formation in the first place. How could she know what the Blazing Heart even is, let alone steal it right under our noses?”

Bai Ruo An spoke in his mild voice, trying to calm Ye Huai: “Senior Brother, do not be too tense.”

He sighed, helpless. Master’s long sleep and the break with his Life-Bound Sword had happened one after another. That was how Ye Huai had become this cold and stubborn.

Su Xi Yu nodded briskly and urged the group, worry pushing her words faster: “Junior Sister Shen is right. The urgent thing is to find the Sect Master and get the Blazing Heart off.”

No one knew what effect the Blazing Heart leaving Immortal Lord Chang Li might have on his sleep.

Ye Huai pulled back his killing intent, though wariness still lingered in his eyes whenever he looked at Shen Sang Ruo.

He turned and said simply: “To the Sect Master’s Hall.”

They did not dare delay. Soon they reached the Sect Master’s Hall.

Daoist Wu Wei had just brought home a handful of Spirit Stones and was warming them with his breath. Startled by the rush of footsteps, he jumped so hard the stones nearly slipped from his hands as he grumbled: “A pack of little rascals, why are you all in such a hurry? You gave this old man a fright.”

His gaze fell on the Blazing Heart hanging on Shen Sang Ruo’s chest.

His whole aura changed at once, and his face turned serious.

He lifted a hand to stop Su Xi Yu, who was ready to explain, as if he already understood what had happened.

His old eyes fixed on Shen Sang Ruo, deep and unreadable like an ancient pool that had seen a thousand years.

He asked in a slow voice, testing her answer: “I have yet to ask, Sang girl. What technique are you cultivating now?”

Shen Sang Ruo answered with a straight face, keeping her story simple: “Fanning Wind and Stirring Fire Art. I got it by chance. After I scattered my old cultivation, I used it to bridge the gap.”

She could not reveal anything about her past life, so she offered a plain excuse.

Daoist Wu Wei stroked his beard, wearing a look that said he had expected this all along, and he muttered under his breath: “Blame me, blame me. I should have asked earlier.”

He had already used his Divine Sense to learn that Shen Sang Ruo had a Single Fire Spiritual Root.

But he had felt it was too much of a coincidence and had held his tongue.

He sighed with a small smile and said: “This truly is fate.”

Su Xi Yu blinked at him, puzzled and anxious as she pressed on quickly: “Sect Master, what are you muttering about? Can the Blazing Heart on Junior Sister Shen be taken off?” Then she asked the bigger fear: “Will the Blazing Heart being away from Master harm him?”

Everyone stared at Daoist Wu Wei, their faces tight with worry.

To their surprise, Daoist Wu Wei broke into a broad grin, and his cheerful laugh rolled through the Sect Master’s Hall as he declared: “No need to take off the Blazing Heart!”