Phoenix Blood Soup

Jade let out a defeated sigh as she stumbled down to one knee, a bead of sweat rolled down her face as she bit her lips...

She... lost.

Carl on the other hand used all his strength to keep himself standing, so as to prevent the battle from entering a draw. Shameless? Bah, there's no gentleman in war.

But this is war... ahem!

"You almost had me back there, if you could have a little more energy." Carl said as he threw his spear back to his inventory and walked up to Jade.

"Heh, I should have used my dragon form... you'd look amazing... as... toast." Jade said as she patted away the dust on her ropes before wiping the blood on her lips with the back of her hands.

Carl's eyes twitched. Nevertheless, he still extended his hand to Jade, which she accepted, and used to pull herself up.

"You'd make a great companion-" Carl began to speak only to see Jade awkwardly lifting her brows, "In battle of course... heh heh."

"Really you don't want me to warm your bed?" Jade said seductively as she lifted her brows and slightly licked her full azure lips.

Warm my bed? Carl began to drool as he had various inappropriate thoughts running around his head. As he was indulging himself in fantasies, the devil came and revealed a startling point to him.

She's a dragon and could breath out fire... do you have to guess how she'll 'warm' you... and your bed!

Carl shivered as he stared at a certain part of his body below his abdomen... suddenly the word 'warm' came to mind, making his scalp turn numb.

"Maybe next time." Carl said as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

'You could warm my bed when I have a powerful heat resisting ability. Cough cough.' Carl thought as he composed himself and slowly held his chin. 'I should go tell my old man that I'm ready for the mission.'

––

In Thomas's room, Carl stood before him with a smile and expressed his feeling of interest towards the mission before accepting right away.

Of course, he had been interested from the beginning... money as he knows it those not fall freely from the sky.

"Really? Really?! You accept!" Thomas yelled as he stood up from the chair he was formerly sitting on, his hands slammed on the wooden desk before him which was covered in runic patterns.

'Huh? The desk didn't break? Hmm, a powerful mage must have done that. Anyway, that's not my concern.' Carl thought as he opened his mouth to speak, "Yeah, I would like to prepare a little before the set-off though. It's beneficial to bond with your teammates."

"Oh oh, don't worry about that. We can leave for the inn where you all will make your base in a moment." Thomas said firmly as he sat back down to his seat, calm returned to his heart.

"Ok. If you don't mind... I'd like to leave right now... It's tiring to wait here and do nothing." Carl said as he lowered his eyes, a faint smirk appearing on his face. The sooner we get to the money... the better.

Thomas held his chin in thought for a while before speaking, "Then you'll have to use a 7th Grade Transmission Array..."

"As far as it gets me closer to the money as fast as possible. After buying this weapon, I'm at risk of bankruptcy." Carl mused to himself as he leaned back to the chair with a smile, "I agree to use the Transmission Portals."

"Then you should go. If you leave now, you could get there is less than an hour." Thomas said as he finally lowered his eyes, and resumed his business.

"Where is it?" Carl asked as he stood up, ready to leave.

"Hmm. Oh, it's right besides my room... for you, about eight to ten minutes south you'll be in their area." Thomas said without lifting his eyes from work.

His job as a sect master was getting more and more tiring the more monsters appeared...

"Ok." Carl nodded as he walked towards the door and placed his hands on the door knob, "Dad?"

"Hmm?" Thomas said as he picked up another book and began to read.

"Take care of my cultivation grounds for me." Carl twisted the knob, and dashed out of the room through the open door.

"It's my Fragment World!"

After Carl walked out of the room, Thomas finally revealed an ugly expression as he looked outside through his window. His eyes were lit up in a silver light as he clutched his hands.

It was just months away from the next calamity... chaos is already growing, and a gate will soon appear.

Then hell would be let loose upon this planet. Last time, which was a hundred years ago... it was a very powerful western Hell Soul Dragon... 6th Hell Grade!

This time, it might be even worse. Thomas thought before averting his gaze back to the books he was reading.

––

Carl walked out of the room, and began to jog down the hallway with a smile on his face. He was going to be rich!

Huh, What about his teammates? Them? I don't know they, so I don care if they grow bankrupt!

He was jogging faster, his mind occupied by various thoughts of what he'll use the money to do when he suddenly crashed into something soft.

"Ah!" A female voice sounded in his years as he saw the world around him spin. Before he knew it, he had fallen over with his head rested upon a girls back.

Carl was shocked as all the thoughts of money he had just now dispersed into the wind. Sh*t! Who's that?

Carl leaped up to his feet, fury flashing in his eyes as he glared at the girl who groaned softly on the ground. Lady get up, I don't have much time!

Swiftly the girl turned around and lifted herself up the ground, an entire scroll of curses already prepared to curse this uncultured- eh?

Carl stared blankly at the girl, and the girl stared blankly at him.

This... This...

"Xiu Fang! What in the world are you doing here?" Carl was the fastest to regain his composure, a bunch of lectures he had received as a kid originated in his mind.

The female cultivator Xiu Fang felt wronged as she opened her mouth and began to speak, "I'd just wanted to see you..."

"You should alwa- huh? You- you just wanted to see me..." Carl thought as he stared at Xiu Fang with a calmed expression, "Xiu Fang Fang, I'm alright. Although I won't be at the sect for some days."

"Uncle Thomas had already spoken to me about it... it's just-" Xiu Fang began to speak as she lowered her head, but was interrupted by Carl.

"Don't worry about me, I'm not weak anymore... you act like my mother. I'll be back in a few days and maybe I might bring a gift for you." Carl said as he slung his arm around Xiu Fang's neck. Money? That can wait... this is more important.

"I'd wanted a Scarlet Petal Poppy... I heard eating it increases your overall strength by half a grade." Xiu Fang said with glittering eyes as she lifted her head.

"Xiu Fang... that doesn't grow where I'll be going." Carl said with a frown on his face. "Do you want one from the market?"

Xiu Fang suddenly turned to glare at Carl. Buy what from market? They don't sell that!

"Hey hey, I'm just kidding. I'll find it on my way back." Carl said as he removed his hand from Xiu Fang's neck. 'I'll have to walk home now... great.'

"If you get it, I could make you some delicious Phoenix Blood Soup. A whole pot of it!" Xiu Fang said, a mischievous smile on her face.

Phoenix Blood Soup...

Carl wiped the drool at the corner of his lips with an ecstatic smile on his face. Phoenix Blood Soup was a soup made from the leaves of a rare plant which only grows in the around Phoenix Graveyards. The leaves of the plant dark red, like the blood of a phoenix earning it the name:

Phoenix Blood Flower...

Drinking a plate of the soup helps to refine your soul, giving you a much calmer and powerful soul fire than normal.

Drinking a pot of it... gulp!