Chen Ku casually came up with an excuse: "Went out to eat, took a stroll, thought everyone would finish soon, but I didn't expect it to be this late, though I actually didn't wait long."

"Alright, alright, it's settled then, let's go back and eat first."

......

Elsewhere in Baojiao County, in the city's most well-structured garden.

Commandery Princess Guan Hongluan gazed at the table full of delicacies from the mountains and seas, glanced outside, and couldn't help but murmur softly:

"Linger has become so wild, it's already dark, and she hasn't returned yet?"

"Don't worry, Commandery Princess, your spirit pet has Fourth Realm cultivation, and is endowed with the Five Elements superpower. In Baojiao County, there are hardly any people or beasts that can harm it."

Across the table was a figure wearing a conical hat, with a voice that couldn't be distinguished as male or female, wearing a mask, said:

"After dinner, Commandery Princess should practice. You've been stuck at the peak of the Fourth Realm Meridian-Opening for some time, it's best to push through and reach the Five Realms soon so you have enough power to protect yourself in the imminent maelstrom."

"Alas."

Guan Hongluan sighed, her phoenix brows slightly furrowed, and said:

"I also know that the family-passed 'Dragon Subduing Refining God Sword', although world-surpassing martial arts, is vigorous and domineering, because of this, training it as a woman presents many difficulties, and I never truly grasped its essence."

"Commandery Princess jests, entering the Fourth Realm peak at such a young age and reaching the 'Minor Achievement' stage of the Dragon Subduing Divine Saber is already exceedingly rare."

The masked man said:

"However, for the Commandery Princess's problem, there is a solution; in the Martial Temple world, there's a trial that, if completed, provides a reward called the 'Nine Yang True Pill', which greatly aids in breakthroughs with vigorous cultivation techniques. If the Commandery Princess can't break through on your own, consider this as an alternative path."

"That's the only option."

......

The Northern Country's landscape, frozen for a thousand miles, blanketed with snow for ten thousand miles.

In the southern Ji Country, it has already warmed with spring, grass grows and orioles fly, bird song and flower fragrance abound, but in the northern Yuan Country, it's still a white expanse.

Yet there is one place in the frigid Yuan Country that feels like the height of summer.

This place is Fire Beak Mountain in Yuan Country Ximu Prefecture.

The enormous volcano is a thousand meters high, with a crater resembling an open pot lid, steaming hot, with occasional emissions of black smoke and flame qi, scorching to the point where nothing grows, hence for a thousand miles around, there are no human inhabitants.

Rustle~~

The elegant Er Lang tread on the black volcanic rock, having received a message from Chen Ku's true body, murmuring:

"Fourth Realm Flame Qi, huh?"

He looked at the Flower Fox Mink and said:

"It might be difficult for you to handle the Fourth Realm Flame Qi on your own, let me help you."

The Flower Fox Mink curiously watched Er Lang.

One person and one beast arrived at the volcano's mouth, seeing above it numerous densely packed red crows circling like seagulls.

Awooo~

The Flower Fox Mink stood on Er Lang's back, ready to attack, baring its teeth and closely watching the Volcanic Crows from all directions, prepared to pounce at any moment.

"Seems like you're used to coming here so often, however, this time... you'll need to use them."

As Er Lang spoke, dozens of Volcanic Crows flew towards them, but just as the Flower Fox Mink was about to leap up to deal with these Volcanic Crows,

the man beside him simply touched his brow.

Immediately, an invisible spiritual power spread out like a tide.

Clatter!

Those dozens of Volcanic Crows, as they approached, suddenly collapsed from mid-air, their eyes dazed, and when they stood up again, they seemed like a squad of guards, letting Er Lang and the Flower Fox Mink ride on their backs, surrounding them as they moved down the volcano.

Descending down, as Er Lang felt the intensity of the heat, around Fourth or Fifth Realm firepower, he remained unharmed, as the Volcanic Crows he mentally controlled continued to circle him, absorbing the heat around him.

"Alright, here's the area of the Fourth Realm Fire Evil Qi, see how much you can endure, don't overdo it..."

Er Lang said to the Flower Fox Mink.

The Flower Fox Mink, already adept, left the 'low-temperature zone' formed by the Volcanic Crows, stepped outside, and instantly its entire fur glowed, with the appearance of black and red markings as the evil qi entered its body...

It was evident the Flower Fox Mink was struggling.

Soon, the Flower Fox Mink was covered in black qi.

Seeing this, Er Lang glanced at a black Fourth Realm Volcanic Crow on a nearby cliff wall, and said: "There's a Fourth Realm Volcanic Crow there, I'll injure it, leave it with a breath, you can hold it in your mouth, it can act as a cooling shield for you, so you can make it back."

As soon as he finished, he stepped on a Volcanic Crow, reaching that cliff wall, and coordinated a mental attack to instantly disable a Volcanic Crow, letting the Flower Fox Mink hold it in its mouth.

Sure enough, the severely injured Volcanic Crow, upon feeling the Flower Fox Mink's flame qi, eyes slightly losing focus, began absorbing the temperature from the Flower Fox Mink's body.

"That's it, how much Fourth Realm Evil Qi you can bring back depends on whether this Volcanic Crow dies on the way..."

The Flower Fox Mink reverted to its true form, holding the Volcanic Crow in its mouth, suppressing hundreds of Fourth Realm Evil Qi strands on its body, returning to Baojiao County in Ji Country.

......

"Three days!"

Guan Hongluan started to worry:

"Ling'er has never been out hunting for this long, Master Tang, you have to go find Ling'er."

"As you command."

......

After three days, when the Flower Fox Mink returned to Baojiao County, Chen Ku was fast asleep deep into the night.

Whoosh!

Chen Ku abruptly woke up, immediately darting outside the courtyard, seeing the Flower Fox Mink lying charred in a corner, with a Volcanic Crow's corpse in its mouth.

He was shocked, though he sensed the Flower Fox Mink's incarnation wasn't dead, he immediately called out:

"Retrieve!"

Instantly, as soon as the Flower Fox Mink entered his body.

[The Diagram Master was assaulted by Fourth Realm Fire Evil Qi... it has been refined by the 'Fire Spirit Body', obtaining one strand of Fourth Realm Evil Qi... two strands... ten strands... eighty-nine strands...]

"Ninety-two strands of Fourth Realm Evil Qi!"

Chen Ku touched his brow, and spoke to the Flower Fox Mink already recuperating in the Transformation Diagram: "You've worked hard, rest well first, when you wake, there's something good for you to eat. Rest assured, with these ninety-two strands of Fourth Realm Evil Qi, not only can I bring out the Five-colored Peacock Transformation, but also another Fourth Realm 'Fire Beak Pot'. Then, with this magical treasure, you won't have to work so hard anymore."

The Flower Fox Mink's incarnation in the Transformation Diagram seemed to nod slightly.

Chen Ku looked at the Transformation Diagram, without further ado, he initiated two transformations.

"Consume ninety strands of Fourth Realm Evil Qi!"

"Five-colored Peacock Transformation!"

"Fourth Realm Fire Beak Pot Transformation!"

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