21 The Annihilating Fire

While they were moving rapidly through the streets, Qin Keqin asked. "That protégé name is Tang Bufan?"

Lu Qingyun replied, "That's right. He is a newly core protégé of Celestial Shi Guanyin."

Qin Keqin nodded lightly as she murmured, "Mm, Tang Bufan…I remember that."

They were soon in a deserted pavillion that overlooked the mountain peaks of New Empyrean City and they could even see the desolate mists that were below the mountains.

In fact, the entire Celestial Realm is divided into the lower desolate mists and the mountain peaks that are hospitable to the general cultivators. It is because the spiritual energies are more dense up in the mountains than below while the desolate energies are more dense below the desolate mists which make is more suitable for the profound beasts. 

Occasionally, there will be incursions from the profound beasts from below the desolate mists. 

Generally speaking, the denser the spiritual energies on the mountains, the weaker the desolate energies will be below the desolate mountains. And vice versa. 

As New Empyrean City is situated in a third rate mountain range, there are frequent high ranking profound beasts that would frequently emerge from below the desolate mists. Although this region is dangerous but it is also suitable to be a trading city for the more powerful cultivation sects as there are a large variety of profound beasts that could be found in this region and these cultivation sects are also interested in obtaining the many useful body parts of the profound beasts for their cultivation practices.

Qin Keqin took off her curtain veil before she smiled to Lu Qingyun, "The view here is beautiful, don't you think?"

Lu Qingyun nodded, "Yeah. It is a most beautiful view."

Then he pointed in the direction of a peak, "That is where we have first met."

Qin Keqin laughed softly, "And you have saved my life back then."

Lu Qingyun was actually about to ask her about this because it was improbable for them to defeat such a powerful and high ranking giant golden roc; it isn't something that even powerful great saints would be able to defeat. Typically, a 7th rank profound beast is already their limit and moreover that is a 9th rank desolate profound beast giant golden roc. 

But Qin Keqin had suddenly interrupted what was on his mind as she said with great melancholy, "Have you ever heard of the myth of the three Great Gods of the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm?"

Lu Qingyun smiled, "Of course I have. Everyone knows the story. The three Great Gods of the Nine Heavens Immortal Immortal Realms are the Great God Pangu, the Great Lord Xuan Yuan and the World Ruler Fuxi. They are also the three true gods of our immortal realm." 

"Is that all?" Qin Keqin asked with a weird look on Lu Qingyun.

Lu Qingyun answered, "I have also heard that the Great God Pangu had killed the Great Lord Xuan Yuan during a fight for supremacy over the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm. So there should be only two Great Gods that are left now. As for the details, I really do not know."

Qin Keqin smiled, "That is alright. The Great Lord Xuan Yuan has a unique bloodline that only he is capable of wielding and that is the Annihilating Fire. It is this Annihilating Fire that makes him stronger than all the immortals and that is what made him into a true god. I'm looking for his Annihilating Fire now."

Lu Qingyun asked curiously, "But this is the Celestial Realm and not the Nine Heavens Immortal Realm. You can't find it in this place."

Qin Keqin chuckled softly, "I've heard that a true god is capable of reincarnating himself after some time and even capable of restoring his past memories. But before he has awakened, he won't remember that he is a true god. So, I am looking for his reincarnation to obtain his Annihilating Fire."

Lu Qingyun asked curiously, "So that you can become an immortal?"

Qin Keqin giggled softly as she took a few well meaning look at Lu Qingyun, "Not really. But there is another reason for that."

"This won't be easy. The Celestial Realm is a vast realm and the Nine Celestial Fraternity is but one of the several dozens of celestial fraternities in the Celestial Realm. You going to need alot of good luck to find his reincarnation." Lu Qingyun pointed out.

Qin Keqin smiled, "This isn't the most difficult part."

"Oh?" Lu Qingyun asked curiously. 

Qin Keqin continued with a sly smile, "I may still need to nurture his cultivation realm as I can't afford to obtain the Annihilating Fire when it is still too weak. Only the Great Lord Xuan Yuan can control and nurture his Annihilating Fire. It is like preparing myself a living cauldron but I can't allow him to regain his memories or I'll be screwed." 

 Lu Qingyun only laughed softly; it was because he had thought that Qin Keqin was only joking with him. In the first place, this was not realistic at all and she doesn't look like a maiden that could make anyone into a living cauldron for her own nerfarious purposes.

 All of a sudden, Qin Keqin shyly asked as she looked tenderly at him. "About that. Are you serious earlier?"

 Lu Qingyun asked curiously, "About what?"

 Qin Keqin chuckled softly, "You…are such a badass. You say you like me earlier… so I am the maiden of your heart that you have mentioned to Elder Ouyang?"

 All of a sudden Lu Qingyun had turned really pale. He had totally forgotten about it…

 He was only a lowly cultivator. If he tells her that he likes her, she would not want to see him ever again. Therefore he had to suppress his feeling for this goddess that he had admired deep into his heart.

 So…

 He faked a laugh, "Oh that. I was only joking earlier as master is also pulling my leg earlier. I hope that master won't put it to heart."

 There was great disappointment in Qin Keqin's eyes as she inhaled softly, "Is that so?"

She silently muttered to herself: So it is only a joke. It means that I have to put on more efforts then.

 Qin Keqin suppressed the disappointment that was in her heart and said indifferently, "Mm, I have thought so too that you are making a tease too. Next time, don't joke about such matters. After all, we are cultivators and should cultivate the purity of the heart."

 Lu Qingyun gulped when he had heard her, "Alright…"

What else could he do but to sigh heavily in his heart? Qin Keqin was such a lofty existence while he was just a lowly young cultivator with no cultivation talent and he lacked the ambitions to cultivate.

 All of a sudden she had a soft chuckle, "What wrong with you? I am not upset. Your countenance looks so dark all of a sudden."

 Lu Qingyun smiled weakly, "Oh? Nothing actually. I am reproaching myself for making such a bad tease. I promise it won't happen again. I should be serious when I am around master…"

 But he was secretly saying: I was serious just now…

 Qin Keqin waved her fingers, "That's good."

Then she had suddenly paused and turned to him, "By the way, that Maiden Lie Xingyuan, she isn't that simple. You must be wary of her."

 Lu Qingyun was surprised and said curiously, "She looks perfectly alright to me."

 Qin Keqin casually replied, "She isn't as weak as she looks. She is just hiding her martial abilities."

 Lu Qingyun smiled weakly; he has no comments on that because Maiden Lie Xingyuan is a realm higher than him in cultivation. She is stronger than him in the first place.

 Then Qin Keqin had suddenly chuckled as she looked playfully at him, "Between Maiden Lie and Maiden Ouyang, which of them do you think are the prettier?"

 Lu Qingyun was startled by this sudden question.

He stammered and said, "I don't know. Both are pretty."

Actually Ouyang Xue was really beautiful and she was more beautiful than Lie Xingyuan by several notches but he did not want to mention it.

 Qin Keqin looked away with a frown as this shitty answer before she had turned back with a pretentious smile, "That Ouyang Xue looks like an ambitious lady."

 Lu Qingyun smiled weakly as he thought: Is my master going to ask me to be wary of her as well?

 Qin Keqin smiled as she continued, "You ought to be wary of her as well."

 Lu Qingyun thought: My instinct is always right. She has indeed said that. I ought to listen to my instinct and keep my feeling for Keqin buried within my heart. If I tell her what I really feel then it will be the end of our master-disciple relationship…

Qin Keqin suddenly said, "Let's go to the fun place that I've mentioned to you."

Lu Qingyun was startled, "This isn't the fun place?"

Qin Keqin chuckled softly with mysterious look, "You'll soon know when we have arrived. That is indeed a most fun place." 

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Author Note:

1. Thank you for reading and supporting this story!