"Rest assured, I am only here for the heavenly flame and won't take your life!"
Moments later, Gu Fei opened his eyes, his sharp gaze fixed on Han Feng.
He lowered his voice, making it hoarse and sinister. At the same time, Han Feng sensed that his connection to the Sea Heart Flame had been completely severed.
"This person is terrifyingly powerful... In just a moment, he severed my connection to the Sea Heart Flame..."
Han Feng feels fear and passion, emotional points +50
As Gu Fei expected, Han Feng, who occupies a significant portion of the original novel, has very high luck. Just one emotional fluctuation from him provided dozens of points, which further convinced Gu Fei that his journey to the North-Western region was the right move.
After Gu Fei left, Han Feng felt as if he had narrowly escaped death. It was only after some time, when he confirmed that Gu Fei had truly left, that he let out a sigh of relief.
...
Having obtained the Sea Heart Flame, Gu Fei's next plan was to head to Black Mark City.
He intended to do some more scavenging.
In fact, he wasn't specifically heading to Black Mark City, but it was on his way.
Although he didn't know if the remnants of the map to the monster flame had already been acquired by Yuan Yi of the Eight Gates, Gu Fei planned to pass through Black Mark City on his way to the Jia Ma Empire.
It would be good to ask around.
In the original story, after the three-year agreement, Xiao Yan went to the Black-Corner Region and coincidentally caught the auction of the third fragment of The Purifying Demonic Lotus flame map in Black Mark City.
If Yuan Yi had already obtained the map by now, Gu Fei could seize it in advance.
Feng City was quite far from Black Mark City. After arriving in Black Mark City, Gu Fei took a brief rest.
He then inquired about the location of the Eight Gates and concealed his presence.
No one stopped him on his way, making it seem as if the place was unguarded.
Gu Fei closed his eyes, using his Dou Qi to sense the fluctuations around him.
Within a five-mile radius, to the northwest, he detected an extremely powerful individual.
That must be Yuan Yi!
Like a ghost, Gu Fei directly entered the secret chamber of the sect leader, Yuan Yi.
He was dressed in a black robe, hiding his face.
Yuan Yi was sipping tea at that moment. Hearing the noise, he looked at Gu Fei with calm composure.
With his status and strength, Yuan Yi believed there was no one he needed to fear.
The black-robed figure before him should be seeking something from him, otherwise, he would have attacked the moment they met.
Yuan Yi had seen many individuals like Gu Fei—people who bypassed various defenses and appeared directly in his secret chamber. These strong figures, who did not wish to reveal their true identities, often concealed their presence when seeking him out. Whether it was to find treasure, kill for it, or evade enemies, he had seen it all.
Each time he raised the price, Yuan Yi would make a huge profit.
Now, he wondered what the person before him was seeking.
As expected, Gu Fei, without delay, revealed his purpose.
"Do you know the whereabouts of a certain fragment of a map?"
His deep eyes stared at Yuan Yi as he calmly offered his terms.
"I can exchange it for a sixth-tier pill."
Yuan Yi feels joy, emotional points +5
Hearing the system's prompt, Gu Fei maintained his expressionless gaze on Yuan Yi.
Through the gaps in his black robe, he noticed clearly that Yuan Yi's hand, holding the teacup, paused for a moment before he casually lifted it to his lips and took a sip.
Only then did he turn to look directly at Gu Fei.
His gaze was calm, hiding the joy in his heart.
A sixth-tier pill!
Such a pill would stir up a bloody storm in Black Mark City.
Though a sixth-tier pill couldn't compare to a seventh-tier one, it was still a rare and highly valuable item.
Now, this black-robed man was offering it in exchange for a fragment of a map?
Moreover, from his demeanor, it seemed he had many more treasures.
Yuan Yi's eyes gleamed as he devised a plan.
At the mention of the map fragment, Yuan Yi immediately knew which one Gu Fei was referring to.
Ordinarily, a fragment of a map wouldn't be worth that much.
After all, it was only a fragment—though it might lead to treasure, it was still incomplete, making the search for the treasure more difficult.
But that particular map fragment was different.
It was a possible lead to a heavenly flame!
After thinking for a moment, Yuan Yi said, "I do not have the map fragment."
Yuan Yi feels greed, emotional points +30
Gu Fei raised an eyebrow, immediately realizing that Yuan Yi did possess the map fragment.
The fact that greed was triggered meant Yuan Yi had the fragment but wanted to raise its price for more profit.
Gu Fei, with a simple twist of his fingers, decided to stop holding back and directly revealed his power.
Yuan Yi was instantly shocked.
Yuan Yi feels fear, emotional points +10
The teacup in Yuan Yi's hand shattered, his face turned pale, and his pupils were filled with fear and terror.
But greed still caused him some hesitation.
Gu Fei shook his head, sighing inwardly at Yuan Yi's poor judgment.
He continued to release eight-tenths of his aura, causing the entire chamber to feel like it was about to collapse, let alone Yuan Yi, who was directly targeted.
Yuan Yi feels extreme fear, emotional points +12
Under the overwhelming pressure, Yuan Yi, for the first time in a long while, felt the threat of death.
His face turned as white as a sheet, his body frozen in place, and he could only shout, "I'll give it! I'll give it! Spare me!"
Though Gu Fei had no intention of killing him, he exuded an aura and killing intent that even the leader of the Eight Gates, Yuan Yi, feared.
With a slight smile, Gu Fei withdrew his aura.
Yuan Yi immediately felt relieved.
He got up and fetched the map fragment for Gu Fei, trembling as he handed it over with both hands under Gu Fei's calm and unwavering gaze.
Gu Fei took the map fragment and left in a grand manner.
Along the way, he also gained some scattered emotional points from Yuan Yi, mixed with fear, dread, and resentment.
He paid no mind to it and instead calculated the time.
Gu Fei guessed that Xiao Yan had not yet entered the Magic Beast Mountain Range for training.
Given Xiao Yan's current strength, entering the mountain range would be suicidal.
Since Xiao Yan hadn't gone there yet, the map fragment in the cave should still be there.
Having obtained one map fragment, Gu Fei decided to venture into the Magic Beast Mountain Range and acquire the second fragment hidden in the cave.
With his current strength, as long as he didn't provoke any terrifying beasts that ruled the area, he could move freely within the Magic Beast Mountain Range.
With plenty of resources still left in his storage ring, Gu Fei didn't need to stop and rest.
He was eager to grow stronger and urgently needed the heavenly flame.
With one fragment in hand, the next step was to acquire the other.
Once the fragments were gathered, he could claim the legacy left by the Lotus Demon Saint.
This way, when the Purifying Demonic Lotus flame appeared, Gu Fei would have the greatest advantage, ultimately claiming the heavenly flame for himself.
The Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame ranked third among the heavenly flames in the world, with power comparable to a Seven-Star Dou Saint, second only to the Nihility Devouring Flame and the so-called Emperor Flame, the top-ranked fire on the list.
Obtaining the heavenly flame would rapidly boost Gu Fei's strength!
With that, Gu Fei immediately set out for Qingshan Town, located on the outskirts of the Jia Ma Empire.