Chapter 105: Gathering the Purple Flames

Chapter 105: Gathering the Purple Fire

With so many martial artists gathered in Bloodslaughter City, there was bound to be some scheme afoot.

Throughout the journey, Chu Jie remained silent, his mind occupied with a singular question: What exactly lay within the Abyss of Gods and Demons?

Though rumors spoke of strange treasures hidden there, not a single trace had yet been seen. There were ordinary items, like the golden armor Chu Jie wore, but anything truly powerful might only be found at the very center of the Ninth Terrace.

Beyond this mystery, Chu Jie pondered the connection between Bloodslaughter City and the Abyss of Gods and Demons. Though the Abyss lay not far beyond the city’s outskirts, the peerless fiends—undeniably natives of the Abyss—were slaughtering cultivators from Bloodslaughter City in great numbers. It seemed likely they were guarding something.

At that moment, Chu Jie spotted several martial artists sprinting rapidly from behind.

Upon seeing Chu Jie, one shouted, “Run! The golden-armored warrior is coming!”

Chu Jie’s expression flickered—this “golden-armored warrior” had to be Zhou Jie. It was not yet time to confront him. Though Chu Jie longed to kill Zhou Jie, initiating battle now would reveal their own golden armor.

“Let’s speed up,” Chu Jie called to Wu Long and the others.

They quickened their pace.

Their speed was astonishing. The few martial artists who had fled ahead were fast, but in mere moments, Chu Jie led his group far beyond them, leaving them in the dust.

“The speed… it’s incredible!” one was astounded.

Chu Jie and his comrades were all advanced Spirit Converging Realm cultivators, naturally swift.

If Chu Jie donned his golden armor, he could move even faster. But to uncover secrets of the Abyss and prepare for future treasure hunting, he dared not expose the armor yet.

Zhou Jie was currently at the Star Core Realm and wore golden armor, so his speed was surely great as well. The fleeing martial artists had likely taken advantage of the chaos to escape. Whether Zhou Jie would pursue remained unknown.

Before long, Chu Jie and his group arrived at the very center of the Ninth Terrace—the heart of the Abyss itself.

Around this center, numerous martial artists had gathered, each faction occupying its own territory, and some lone cultivators banding together to hold a place.

Nearest the inner circle were several great clans, including the Luo family, who bore a grudge against Chu Jie.

The closer one approached the center of the Ninth Terrace, the more martial artists there were.

Yet no one recognized that Chu Jie and his companions were the infamous peerless fiends of old. Most here worried only about the golden-armored warriors, and now that Chu Jie had removed his mask, revealing his true face, it was even harder to identify him and Duan Kun as those fiends.

Many knew that Chu Jie had seized the Luo family’s treasured Heaven and Earth Wheel. The moment he appeared, numerous eyes fixed on him, but no one dared strike outright. For even if they took the Heaven and Earth Wheel here, the Luo family could reclaim it.

They preferred to wait until they left this place before attempting to seize the treasure, to avoid the Luo family’s interference.

Reactions to Chu Jie were mixed.

“Unexpected that he’s still alive.”

“Reckless to show himself. If it were me, I’d hide away.”

“Let the Luo family come and deal with them.”

Chu Jie paid no mind to these voices. Ordinary Spirit Converging Realm cultivators were no match for him. He only worried about those on the verge of breaking into the Star Core Realm.

As for the Luo family, even if they attacked immediately, Chu Jie believed he and Duan Kun could break through. If the Luo family’s forces were weak, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill them.

He also sensed that some were already sending word to the Luo family.

No one dared approach Chu Jie where he walked; they gave him a wide berth. Though the Luo family was only an outer city great clan, they reportedly had connections within the inner city, making their influence vast.

The cultivators here clearly knew the Luo family’s power and were aware of the feud between Chu Jie and them.

Chu Jie had long ago reached an irreparable point with the Luo family by seizing the Heaven and Earth Wheel and destroying their medicinal gardens. Even if he returned the treasure, the Luo family would not spare him.

But now Chu Jie no longer feared the Luo family. If overwhelmed, he could easily escape with his cultivation.

“When I’m strong enough, I will surely destroy the Luo family,” Chu Jie vowed silently.

Since they were lone cultivators, Chu Jie led his group toward the area occupied by such wanderers. The districts were clearly divided. Though Chu Jie did not mind trouble, he desired caution in order to glean information about the Abyss.

Some saw Chu Jie and sought to seize the Heaven and Earth Wheel, but upon realizing there were nine of them, all high-level cultivators, they refrained from striking immediately.

Just as they reached the lone cultivators’ area, a white-haired martial artist approached hesitantly.

“Are you the Chu Jie who destroyed the Luo family’s medicinal gardens?” he asked.

Chu Jie nodded.

The white-haired man advised, “You should leave quickly. The Luo family’s people will come soon. Though your cultivation is strong, their numbers are greater.”

Chu Jie frowned. If the Luo family did not come, all was well. If they did, blood would surely flow like a tide.

Before the man could continue persuading, a series of bell tolls rang out from the center.

“That must mean something’s happened. The first bell summons to face the two peerless fiends, the second to confront the golden-armored warriors, and the third signals a new matter—everyone must assemble,” the white-haired man explained.

Suddenly, urgent bell tolls echoed five times throughout the Abyss’s heart.

Chu Jie realized that the martial artists here must be bound by some alliance, for the bell’s sound compelled all to gather.

“Let’s go. Though I’m new here, I need to see what’s happening,” Chu Jie said to the white-haired man.

The man replied, “This area is mostly lone cultivators and some unaffiliated ones from the outskirts. We are often summoned for menial tasks without reward.”

As they walked, the man explained the situation.

Though the alliance curbed much killing within the center, outside it was rampant. Murder and treasure plunder were frequent. Meanwhile, the golden-armored warriors hunted them relentlessly, and they had no good countermeasures.

Upon reaching the assembly, Chu Jie spotted a raised platform where a man stood before a massive bronze bell. It seemed he had struck the bell to summon everyone.

“This is Li Yuan. He merely conveys the orders of the higher-ups—the great families,” the white-haired man said.

Chu Jie and the man stood still as more cultivators gathered. Soon over a thousand martial artists surrounded the platform. This was only a portion, as many were still searching outside. The crowd was dense and formidable.

Though he only spoke for the alliance’s elders, Li Yuan appeared pleased.

“Since you have all come, I shall speak. According to the higher-ups, the Abyss is about to change. A great fortune will descend, from which we will all benefit. But to unlock this fortune, we must collect certain things. Have you seen the purple lightning in the sky?” Li Yuan pointed upward.

The cultivators looked up. Lightning flashed across the sky, threatening to strike at any moment.

Yet confusion clouded their faces—were they to collect lightning? Impossible!

“Yes, those very things. But what we must gather is their form after falling to the ground. The elders predict that soon the lightning will descend and form purple fire on the earth. We must collect enough purple fire to unlock the fortune,” Li Yuan announced loudly, his voice carrying far.

“But how do we collect the purple fire?” a Spirit Converging Realm cultivator asked.

Li Yuan nodded. “Good question. The elders have devised a solution. You need not worry. I will now teach you the incantation.”

He then recited the chant and demonstrated on the platform how to gather the purple fire.

“This is the Fire Capture Technique. The purple fire will be enveloped in a spiritual shield, forming a small orb. The more purple fire you gather, the greater the chance of success in unlocking this fortune. The highest contributors will be rewarded by the elders,” Li Yuan explained.

The cultivators remained unmoved. Previously, they had slain fiends for their treasures, but now, gathering purple fire promised no tangible benefit. They feared they might perish without any reward.

Li Yuan sighed. “The elders say there will be rewards, and I will share a piece of news with you.”

Below the platform, the crowd included cultivators from various families, small factions, and lone wanderers.

“This news is that the Abyss will transform. When the purple lightning descends, those bearing more purple fire will be safer,” Li Yuan said, then stepped down.

The crowd fell silent, pondering whether to gather purple fire.

Above, the vortex in the sky had grown vast, nearly covering the entire Abyss of Gods and Demons. Enormous pillars of light rose from the center, ascending into the whirlpool.

Lightning crackled ominously, as if the world-ending thunder might strike at any moment.

“Boss, shall we gather purple fire too?” Wu Long asked.

Chu Jie replied, “Let’s watch and see. I don’t know if what that man said is true, but collecting some purple fire won’t hurt.”

“Yeah, it feels strange. I just don’t know what this purple fire really is for, and what this great fortune could be,” Duan Kun murmured.