Loyal Heart Roaming the Skies

The focus of the flame flower is not on the flame, but on the flower.

The essence of the flower lies not in its form, but in its spirit.

In fact, when Bai Lian fought against Ji Xuan on the banks of the Qingjiang River, she also displayed flame flowers created from white flames. The inspiration should have come from Zuo Guanglie's Flame Flower Incinerating City.

Jiang Wang initially fell into a misconception. He tried to manipulate the fire elemental energy to carve a flower, and thanks to the exquisite control of elemental manipulation, he succeeded. But the flame flower he painstakingly maintained was ultimately just a flame, not a flower.

Therefore, it could not "bloom".

Do not deliberately form a flower; it should be generated naturally.

Jiang Wang secretly activated a technique, and a bit of fire elemental energy formed at his fingertips.

Under careful nourishment from the Daoist energy, it gradually expanded.

Jiang Wang imagined himself watering and fertilizing, and the initial bit of fire elemental energy was the seed of the flower.

It grew, strengthened, and sprouted...

Finally, a small flame flower bloomed at his fingertips.

Faint natural patterns connected the petals.

Together, they created beauty and condensed extremely destructive power.

Each flower had its unique beauty.

This flame flower was different from Dong A's flame flower and definitely different from Zuo Guanglie's flame flower. It belonged solely to Jiang Wang.

Because he gave it "life".

This was another form of life.

Although it belonged to the third-grade Daoist arts, it was completely different from other arts of the same grade.

Only such a flame flower could develop into the awe-inspiring Flame Flower Incinerating City technique.

Jiang Wang achieved the flame flower, but he did not feel proud.

On the contrary, he felt only awe.

The flame flower was just the foundation of the Flame Flower Incinerating City technique, yet it attracted the attention of powerful individuals like Dong A. It was said that when Zuo Guanglie created the Flame Flower Incinerating City technique, he was only nineteen years old, the same age as Ling He is now.

What an extraordinary genius he was!

Being a dominant figure in the Fenglin City Daoist Academy was nothing. Even if he reached the Meridian Realm in the Tai Xu Illusory Realm, it would still be nothing.

A true powerhouse's vision extends far beyond the current scenery.

After mastering the flame flower skillfully, Jiang Wang was confident in his battles against Zhen Wu Di. He could win at least three out of ten matches.

Because he now had means to threaten Zhen Wu Di without getting close, the space for choosing battle tactics greatly increased. This was not a simple leap.

Originally, in their battles, Zhen Wu Di could not gain an advantage unless he used secret techniques.

There were fewer and fewer areas where Jiang Wang could improve through sparring with Zhen Wu Di.

Therefore, after reentering the Tai Xu Illusory Realm, Jiang Wang ignored Zhen Pangzi and started new battles on the Sword Platform.

...

Fang Heling walked into the ancestral hall, but instead of the expected Three Halls' trial, only his father, Fang Zehou, was there.

The man stood facing the ancestral tablets of the Fang family with his hands behind his back.

"Dad," Fang Heling called out softly.

Fang Zehou turned around and slapped him.

Smack!

"Do you know what you're doing?"

Fang Heling's face quickly swelled up, but he didn't cry out in pain and didn't dare to dodge.

"I know," he said.

Smack!

"Do you know?" Fang Zehou questioned.

Smack!

He slapped him again.

"Do you know?"

Fang Heling remained silent.

"Do you know the current situation in the Yun Kingdom? Do you know that the person you had the caravan protect might be a demon from the White Bone Sect, or even possibly Ouyang Lie himself?"

"Do you know what the White Bone Sect is? Do you know how Xiaolin Town disappeared? Those people are true devils, capable of any atrocity! Do you understand?"

"Do you know the consequences of getting involved with them? The Yun Kingdom's business will be ruined, and Wei Quji will skin you alive. It will also implicate the entire Fang family! Do you understand?"

Fang Zehou was so angry that his fingers trembled. He raised his hand again to slap Fang Heling.

"They forced me to take something!" Fang Heling shouted, his voice lowering. "If I don't obey, I'll die."

"Remember when your entire team was wiped out on a mission?"

"Yes." Fang Heling explained what happened that day.

"It's a conspiracy!" Fang Zehou angrily said after listening. "You're a fool being manipulated!"

"But I had no choice, Dad."

"I listened to you. I tried to catch up to Jiang Wang. I wanted to prove to you that I can do it. I worked hard in my cultivation and actively sought experience. I can handle the missions that Jiang Wang can handle! But those people are too strong. Our senior brothers were killed with just one encounter. How could I not know it was a conspiracy?" Fang Heling said. "But I don't want to die, Dad."

"No, it's not possible." Fang Zehou shook his head. "I'll find someone to help you with what you swallowed. This matter must be reported to the City Lord. The Fang family can't handle anything related to the White Bone Sect! Even if your uncle is willing to help, it won't be enough. The Fang family can't handle it!"

In the Fenglin City Fang family, there was actually a prominent figure. He had served in the military in his early years and was now the commander of the Fenglin City Guards. However, he came from a collateral branch and did not receive many resources from the family. He was not particularly close to the Fang family.

This person was loyal to Wei Quji, who had shown him favor. He might help with some small matters, but he would never condone something like this.

If there was a choice, Fang Zehou would be willing to bear it for his son. But he knew very well that he couldn't bear it. Even if he involved the entire Fang family, it would still be the same.

"Dad, you can't do this." Fang Heling took a step to the right and stood in front of Fang Zehou.

"Get out of the way!" Fang Zehou slapped him again.

But Fang Heling remained standing there, only turning his head slightly from the slap, looking at his father. "If Wei Quji finds out that I'm involved with the White Bone Sect, your son will truly be ruined! Dong A won't be able to protect me!"

"You're already ruined!" Fang Zehou roared, somewhat exhausted, "Now I have to protect the Fang family."

"Dad." Fang Heling suddenly made a move, pressing Fang Zehou down onto the chairs on both sides of the ancestral hall.

"I'm not ruined, I've already reached the Circulating Realm, and the Sky-Connecting Realm is within reach."

His tone was tinged with a hint of madness.

"Fang Heling! What are you trying to do?" Fang Zehou rebuked.

"Dad, you can't imagine how much power the White Bone Path can mobilize. Countless forces are helping Ouyang Lie evacuate from Yun Country, and our caravan is just one of them. He could appear in any of the teams, it doesn't have to be ours. But we, we need the White Bone Path." Fang Heling, pressing on Fang Zehou's shoulder, looked straight at him, "Do you know what they gave me for helping them? Blood Revival Pills!"

"I only took one, and I broke through to the Circulating Realm. Do you know what this means?"

"I just entered the inner gate this year, when would I be able to catch up with Wang Changxiang, Zhang Linchuan if I practiced step by step? The Fang family will always be inferior, always looking up to others!"

"But now it's different, do you know?"

"I know they all look down on me. Fang Pengju, Jiang Wang, Zhao Rucheng, even Zhang Linchuan, Shen Nanqi! They treat me as a joke! I know you look down on me too!"

"But now it's different. Sooner or later, everyone will have to face me!"

"You ask me if I know what I'm doing? I'm very clear. I'm just desperately, desperately proving myself to you."

Fang Zehou himself didn't have a high talent for cultivation, and he didn't earn his current status through cultivation.

So in front of his own son, he didn't have much resistance.

He had been paying attention to every bit of Fang Heling's progress, and was originally quite pleased.

But he never expected the White Bone Path to interfere, using the brutal test of life and death to revert his son back to his original form.

He was heartbroken: "You're bargaining with a tiger for its skin!"

"Dad!"

Fang Heling knelt in front of Fang Zehou.

"Dad, just believe in me once. From childhood to adulthood, I've always followed your arrangements. Now let me make my own decision once, I'm very clear-headed, I know what I'm doing. I don't want to be anyone's shadow anymore!

Bargaining with a tiger for its skin... might not necessarily fail!

Maybe one day, your son can peel off the tiger's skin for you to see."

"But the premise is that you have the power to fight the tiger, my foolish son." Fang Zehou lamented in his heart. But he didn't say anything else.

The door of the ancestral hall slowly closed.

On this day, Fang Zehou was confined to the ancestral hall by his only son, and the power of the Fang family changed hands.