Chapter 23: The Fire Demon

So this was her first kiss…

Bai Yue thought in a daze.

But this taste… seems not so wonderful, different from what she imagined…

There was no imagined tenderness, only her face covered in saliva, and in the end, a mouthful of scalding blood was spat all over her.

If this could be called a first kiss, then this first experience was just too terrible…

The image in her mind of kissing her future Dao partner should have been under the moon, amidst flowers, shy and beautiful.

But now, with a “crash,” it shattered without a trace.

Yet even so, she still felt her cheeks burning and her heartbeat racing.

Fortunately… fortunately… it was only a first kiss.

Thankfully, this somewhat foolish disciple still didn’t understand the deeper intimacy possible between women…

As Bai Yue thought, she unconsciously squeezed her legs together in panic.

She didn’t know that her first kiss had long since been stolen by another obedient disciple.

Only, that “little thief” was still lying in a coffin, yet to awaken.

These days of desperate fleeing and mental torment, coupled with the severe backlash from spiritual energy, had left Mu Chenxi truly exhausted.

She fell into a deep sleep in Bai Yue’s embrace.

But when midnight arrived, feeling the burning energy inside Bai Yue’s body, she immediately opened her eyes.

“Master, let me suppress the Fiery Poison for you.”

Mu Chenxi spoke, then naturally grasped Bai Yue’s hand, intertwining their fingers.

“Chenxi, your injury…”

Bai Yue looked at her pale face with worry.

“It’s fine,” Mu Chenxi shook her head, her voice weak but firm.

“I can still circulate spiritual energy.”

Actually, even if there was a problem, she would endure it.

Even if she had to suffer more herself, she never wanted her Master to endure a moment more of torment.

Chilling spiritual energy flowed like a gentle stream, once more entering Bai Yue’s body, softly dispelling the heat within her.

Bai Yue enjoyed the coolness as she thought.

Could the Fiery Poison within her be the source of calamity?

One day, the Fiery Poison fully erupted, causing her body to ignite and plunging her into such a desperate situation?

But… though the Fiery Poison grew a little stronger each night, it was such a slow increase, completely unlike something that would suddenly go out of control.

Besides, with Chenxi, now at the Nascent Soul Stage, suppressing it for her…

For the Fiery Poison to erupt so fiercely that she self-immolated—this seemed unreasonable.

So just what kind of situation did she encounter?

Bai Yue racked her brains but found no clue.

It seemed that all answers would have to wait for Chenxi’s Dream Entering tonight, to see if a true lead could be found.

The two no longer ran around like headless flies.

They found a Temporary Cave Abode they had opened earlier nearby, sat inside to meditate and heal, and patiently waited for nightfall.

Yet even while healing, Mu Chenxi’s expression remained full of anxiety.

She kept opening her eyes from time to time to check if Bai Yue beside her was alright.

“Chenxi, don’t worry, focus on healing,” Bai Yue had to softly reassure her again and again. “We will definitely overcome this crisis.”

In truth, Bai Yue herself was deeply anxious.

She had always cherished life and feared death, knowing all too well that death meant the end of everything—nothing remained after.

But she couldn’t show it.

Right now, she was the only spiritual support her disciple had.

If she panicked too, Chenxi would only become more unsettled.

“Mm.”

Mu Chenxi gripped Bai Yue’s hand tightly; the warm, gentle touch gave her strength.

She closed her eyes, forcing herself to continue healing.

She had to recover as quickly as possible, at least to regain her original Nascent Soul strength!

Night finally fell.

The bright moon rose as expected.

Mu Chenxi felt the familiar drowsiness sweep over her.

She was fully prepared, lying flat on the fluffy mat, resting her head securely on her Master’s soft lap.

This time, she did not resist.

She yielded to the weariness, gently closed her eyes, and allowed her consciousness to sink into the dream.

The scene was still the tragic sight of Bai Yue being consumed by flames, but the backdrop had shifted to the very mountains they now inhabited.

It seemed that wherever they fled, the fate of fire would follow them like a shadow.

Who was it, that wished to harm her Master in such a cruel way?!

In her sleep, Mu Chenxi’s emotions surged, fists clenched in anger.

As that thought rose, the scene before her eyes began to change!

She saw.

She saw the true culprit who killed her Master!

In mid-air, a humanoid demon, crimson from head to toe, floated.

Its blood-red skin was covered in countless twisted, agonized faces of living beings, which writhed eerily as if they could scream and break free at any moment.

A pair of burning demonic wings sprouted from its back; its head had four eyes, its body four arms, and from between its fangs came a silent, vicious grin as it gazed down at Bai Yue.

A Fire Demon!

A terrifying Transformation God Stage pressure bore down upon Mu Chenxi’s soul, heavy as a mountain—even in a dream!

Mu Chenxi’s body jolted violently, and she awoke instantly from the nightmare!

She gasped for breath, cold sweat pouring from her body.

“Chenxi, are you alright?”

Bai Yue immediately helped her sit up, using her sleeve to gently wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.

“I’m fine… Master, I saw… I saw our enemy.”

Mu Chenxi clenched her fists, biting her lips hard.

She was not only furious at the Fire Demon’s strength and cruelty, but also at herself for being so easily suppressed by its presence.

“What enemy?” Bai Yue hurriedly asked.

“It was a Fire Demon…”

Mu Chenxi’s voice was thick with fear and rage.

“I saw it in the Sect’s Ancient Records… a Fire Demon from Another World… at the Transformation God Stage…”

The Ancient Records described Fire Demons as overwhelmingly powerful, each appearance marking a massacre.

Fire Demons had few rivals even among their own rank—she was a full major realm below it, as distant as heaven and earth.

And with nowhere to escape… how could she protect her Master from harm?

Mu Chenxi’s emotions surged violently.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, but she felt no pain.

When Bai Yue heard words like “Transformation God Stage,” “Fire Demon from Another World,” a wave of despair and helplessness involuntarily swept over her heart.

Against such a formidable foe, how could she and Chenxi possibly fight back?

For a moment, Bai Yue felt a chill all over.

Was she really… going to die?

Few people could calmly accept their own death, especially such an explicitly “foretold” end—one that filled the heart with endless terror and torment.

Bai Yue didn’t want to die!

She had finally gained a Master, disciples, and these family members—she wanted to live…

But the fear of death crashed over her again and again, shattering her composure, and she began to tremble uncontrollably.