Ji Fuyao's stunning eyes sparkled with newfound understanding. The Grand Dao, in its essence, is simple; all paths originate from the same source. Even cooking, then, must be a form of cultivation! She mused, recalling the many insights into the Path of Spirit Fire she’d gleaned in the hut lately.
Her slender, jade-like hands trembled slightly. She sensed the jade slip's immense value, believing it contained profound, esoteric secrets of the Dao! Master truly went to such painstaking lengths, she thought, a surge of gratitude warming her.
With this thought, Ji Fuyao declared earnestly, "Master, I will diligently meditate on every technique within this jade slip." As she spoke, she was already gathering ingredients.
Lu Xuan chuckled, then promptly resumed his leisurely recline outside the hut. He truly was quite pleased with Ji Fuyao. In just a few days since becoming his disciple, she’d already burst into the late Profound Emperor realm! And thanks to her efforts, he himself had surged directly into the early Profound Sovereign realm!
But that wasn’t all! Ji Fuyao’s mastery of the Path of Spirit Fire had ascended dramatically, as had her insights into the Heaven-Burning Art, and she’d even touched a sliver of the "Dao and Momentum" within the Path of Spirit Fire itself... In essence, Ji Fuyao had reaped an enormous harvest! But Lu Xuan? His gains were truly off the charts!
Inside the hut, Ji Fuyao cooked with an unprecedented level of care and precision. The process was slow. Lu Xuan, somewhat surprised by the delay, finally sat up and peered into the hut. The wooden table was laden with numerous dishes. "I can't possibly eat all that in one sitting," he commented, confused.
Ji Fuyao merely smiled. "Master, I'm heading to the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds to consolidate my cultivation. I expect to be gone for some time, so I prepared these meals for you in advance."
Lu Xuan was utterly dumbfounded. The hut’s table was covered in a dazzling array of dishes: stir-fries, Kung Pao, twice-cooked pork, sweet and sour... Each portion was impeccably arranged. Ji Fuyao had even placed sealing formations on them, so they only needed a touch of Path of Spirit Fire energy to heat up when needed.
A warmth spread through Lu Xuan's chest. Fuyao really does put her heart into things, he thought. Ji Fuyao offered a radiant smile. "Master, just a moment longer, it's almost complete." Lu Xuan nodded, "Alright." And, predictably, he promptly resumed his reclining position.
Before long, Ji Fuyao presented the final dishes, and they began to eat. On Azure Mystery Peak, a gentle breeze stirred, fluttering Ji Fuyao's dark hair. As she ate, a soft smile graced her lips. Beside Lu Xuan, her heart felt utterly serene, a profound peace settling over her – something she’d never experienced in her past life. Master is truly wonderful, she mused.
"Master," Ji Fuyao said, "Once we finish eating, I'll depart for the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds." Her cultivation speed had been incredibly rapid, necessitating the Fire Abyss's power to solidify her Dao Foundation. Additionally, the Path of Spirit Fire's tempering could help heal her soul injuries.
Lu Xuan nodded, offering a rare word of caution. "The Fire Abyss Trial Grounds can be quite hazardous. Make sure you’re careful. Your identity token contains a detailed overview of the place; take some time to review it."
Ji Fuyao tilted her pale neck slightly. "Understood, Master." Once they finished, Ji Fuyao stepped into the hut to wash up. With all preparations complete, Ji Fuyao bade Lu Xuan farewell. "Master, I'm off to the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds."
Lu Xuan simply nodded. "Go on." Ji Fuyao gave a gentle nod in return, then stepped into the air. Her fiery red robes billowed around her as a divine rainbow flashed across the sky. Ethereal and graceful, Ji Fuyao soared towards the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds.
As he watched Ji Fuyao vanish from sight, Lu Xuan slowly retreated back into his cave dwelling. He was, naturally, quite keen to see what kind of ‘harvest’ Ji Fuyao would bring back from the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds this time.
***
The Fire Abyss Trial Grounds. A crucial proving ground for the Grand Dao Sect, it comprised three distinct layers. The first was for those below the mid-Profound Sovereign realm. The second spanned from Profound Sovereign to Profound Saint, while the third was reserved for cultivators above the Profound Saint realm. The Fire Abyss Trial Grounds' Path of Spirit Fire held countless mysterious properties: it could aid in comprehending spiritual fire, temper the physical body, purify the soul, and solidify one's cultivation foundation.
Currently, a throng of elders and disciples bustled in and out of the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds' entrance, creating a lively scene. Before long, Ji Fuyao descended with ethereal grace. Her fiery red robes cascaded around her, a vision of captivating beauty as she hovered effortlessly above the entrance.
She gazed down, watching the raging Path of Spirit Fire constantly intertwine and diverge, forming eerie, almost sentient patterns. A monumental tide of heat surged upwards, an all-consuming force capable of incinerating anything between heaven and earth! The Fire Abyss itself was a colossal depression in the earth, where spiritual flames ascended from a terrifying, magnificent underground world. The sheer scale was breathtaking.
"Truly, the Grand Dao Sect lives up to its name," Ji Fuyao murmured, a rare hint of awe in her voice.
Just then, a disciple spotted Ji Fuyao and immediately gasped, "Ji Fuyao! I can't believe she's here at the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds!" Several newer disciples were utterly stunned. "Hold on, what? How has Ji Fuyao reached the late Profound Emperor realm? I thought she was only a Grand Profound King!"
A few elders’ pupils constricted, their hearts jolted. "Her cultivation speed is faster than even our sect's top core disciples! That infuriating Lu Xuan couldn't possibly have just stuffed her full of pills to artificially inflate her cultivation, could he?" In an instant, a considerable stir rippled through the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds' entrance. Ji Fuyao had been a focal point of attention ever since her sect entrance assessment, where she’d caused the Grand Dao Bell to resonate. Her subsequent insistence on joining Azure Mystery Peak, and the heaven and earth anomaly she’d recently triggered, had only amplified the scrutiny.
What’s more, the Sect Master had recently issued an edict: to force Ji Fuyao out of the top ten in the upcoming inner sect trials, thereby spurring the inner and core disciples from all the spirit peaks into a frenzy of cultivation. Suffice it to say, Ji Fuyao’s name had already become a thunderous echo throughout the Grand Dao Sect.
Before long, the Sect Master and the various Peak Masters were alerted. They immediately dispatched wisps of their divine sense towards the Fire Abyss. The Sect Master meticulously examined Ji Fuyao’s essence, his expression grim. "Fuyao's cultivation realm is a bit unstable, and her soul carries lingering injuries. She must be planning to use the Fire Abyss's power to solidify her foundation and temper her soul."
The Peak Master of Misty Peak frowned deeply. "Fuyao's cultivation has escalated far too rapidly; rushing things only leads to setbacks." The Peak Master of Pill Peak mused aloud, "Lu Xuan must have force-fed Ji Fuyao cultivation pills, simply piling up her realm with sheer force!" The Sect Master's face darkened considerably. The other Peak Masters couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. "Lu Xuan is simply leading her astray!" "What on earth does he know about mentoring disciples?" "Anyone can stack cultivation realms with pills!" If only we hadn't agreed to that foolish bet, they collectively fumed. Isn't this just ruining Ji Fuyao?
Meanwhile, Ji Fuyao slowly approached the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds' entrance. There, she saw a towering, ancient stele, reaching majestically into the clouds. Engraved upon it was the "Fire Abyss Trial Grounds Ranking!"—a list of records set by disciples of various cultivation realms within the trial grounds. "Profound Emperor Ranking: Fang Yan! (Penetrated sixty li into the first layer of the Fire Abyss!)" "Profound Emperor Ranking: Luo Lingkong! (First in Fire Beast kills within the first layer in a single day!)" Ji Fuyao gave the rankings a casual glance, committing the key records to memory.
Just then, the Sect Master’s voice echoed directly into Ji Fuyao’s mind. "Fuyao, the rules of the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds dictate that any disciple who establishes a new record or breaks an existing one will be granted a Path of Spirit Fire tempering baptism by the realm's will." "This tempering will be incredibly beneficial for your physical body, soul, and cultivation foundation!" Upon hearing this, Ji Fuyao responded, "Thank you for the reminder, Sect Master. I have indeed come for precisely that reason." Breaking records was her sole objective this time! She desperately needed that Path of Spirit Fire tempering.
The Sect Master couldn’t resist asking, "Fuyao, when you left, what was Lu Xuan doing?" Ji Fuyao hesitated for a moment. "My Master… he was occupied with his own matters." The Sect Master’s eye twitched. Occupied with his own matters? All he ever does is eat and lie around! What else could he possibly be doing? Does that brat Lu Xuan actually believe he can improve his cultivation by just lying there? The Sect Master sighed, giving up. "Never mind, let’s not discuss Lu Xuan. Fuyao, the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds are perilous; you must exercise extreme caution." Ji Fuyao nodded. The various Peak Masters exchanged knowing smiles, eagerly anticipating Ji Fuyao’s performance within the first layer of the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds. Shortly after, the Sect Master and the others withdrew their divine senses. Ji Fuyao, her fiery red robes swirling, gracefully ascended and stepped directly into the first layer of the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds!
"BOOM!" Ji Fuyao’s divine sense stretched outwards. As far as her spiritual sight reached, the power of the Path of Spirit Fire was absolutely overwhelming. Incomparably scorching, colossal waves of fire erupted skyward, coalescing into towering pillars. These spiritual flames relentlessly wove and tore apart, unleashing a heaven-burning might that felt capable of incinerating all creation. In the distant reaches, incredibly dense spiritual energy coalesced into colossal wheels, shimmering in the void—a truly shocking sight. And this, she realized, was merely the first layer of the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds!
Ji Fuyao focused her senses. As she delved deeper, she felt her soul and physical body being tempered by the Path of Spirit Fire's immense power. However, the outer reaches offered only negligible spiritual fire, utterly useless to her. Without hesitation, Ji Fuyao stepped into the air, flying directly towards the deepest core of the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds. Back at the entrance, many Peak Masters discretely ordered several disciples to secretly shadow and protect her.
It wasn't long before more and more disciples found themselves trailing behind Ji Fuyao. She was, after all, hailed as the Grand Dao Sect's once-in-a-millennium genius. Now, with her first foray into the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds, every disciple was eager to witness her performance. How deep could Ji Fuyao truly penetrate the first layer of the Fire Abyss? Currently, the Grand Dao Sect's standing record for the Profound Emperor realm belonged to Fang Yan, at sixty li! An hour later, Ji Fuyao had already breached ten li into the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds. She continued her relentless advance! Twenty li! Thirty li! ...Sixty li! Seventy li! By midday, Ji Fuyao had, in a single decisive push, shattered the Profound Emperor realm record! The disciples watching were utterly dumbfounded. Fang Yan, the previous record holder, had painstakingly clawed his way to sixty li over the course of half a month. Ji Fuyao, however, had achieved seventy li in just half a day! "Quickly, notify the Peak Masters!" the disciples gasped, scrambling to pull out their communication jade slips and send urgent messages to the Saints across the peaks.
Just then, a deep, resonant voice boomed through the Fire Abyss Trial Grounds. "Ji Fuyao, for breaking Fang Yan's Profound Emperor realm record, receive the Path of Spirit Fire tempering baptism!" The words hung in the air, then— "BOOM!" A colossal river of Path of Spirit Fire cascaded from the void, directly engulfing Ji Fuyao. Profound, enigmatic qi surged relentlessly, and brilliant Dao patterns flickered without cease. Ji Fuyao's lithe form shuddered. The mystical Path of Spirit Fire, like a roaring furnace, tempered her soul, forged her physical body, and fortified her Dao Foundation! Her beautiful eyes shimmered with renewed brilliance as her soul, under the intense tempering, slowly began to mend. She sat cross-legged, her fiery red robes flowing around her, a faint divine radiance enveloping her curvaceous form as she vigorously resisted the surrounding fiery domain. "Drip!" "Drip!" Beads of fragrant sweat streamed down Ji Fuyao's face. Her delicate body trembled, and she bit down hard on her tender lower lip, her sheer willpower driving her onward. The Path of Spirit Fire's tempering, while mending her soul, brought with it a searing pain akin to a thousand insects gnawing at her flesh! Drenched in sweat, her fiery red dress clung tightly to her jade-like body, revealing an undeniably alluring silhouette. Ji Fuyao endured, pushing through the agony.
Simultaneously, back on Azure Mystery Peak, Lu Xuan was sprawled comfortably on his mysterious ice bed, casually engrossed in a storybook. "Ding! Host's senior disciple, Ji Fuyao, has gained insights into the Path of Spirit Fire! Initiating synchronization!" Hiss! Lu Xuan felt a faint jolt. This time, he’d received a massive influx of Path of Spirit Fire insights. He was now just a hair's breadth away from achieving complete mastery of the Path of Spirit Fire. "You got this, Disciple," Lu Xuan murmured, offering a casual, if entirely unhelpful, encouragement.