Chapter Sixty-Four: I Can Take You Away

Liu Junhuai tried to communicate with Azalea using his mind. Perhaps due to Azalea’s limited intelligence, he could only sense its excitement and restlessness, without understanding the reason behind it. Liu Junhuai expressed his thoughts, but this only made Azalea’s agitation and excitement intensify.

The old steward, standing nearby, said, “Master, you’d best put it away for now. When you encounter the Redfire Nine-Infant, you can test it with the Fire-Corrosion Lotus!” As he spoke, the old steward cast a worried glance at Azalea.

Liu Junhuai found this amusing, knowing the old steward feared he might use Azalea to barter for goodwill. In truth, Azalea’s place in Liu Junhuai’s heart was no less than that of family.

Upon returning to the Myriad Phenomena Tower, he still found no concrete solution and was forced to return to the cave.

Determined, Liu Junhuai resolved that even if he encountered the Redfire Nine-Infant, he could always escape—so what was there to fear? He had considered using his original methods to deal with the divine beast, but a vague premonition unsettled him. Deep down, he sensed that the Redfire Nine-Infant was a friend, and he no longer wished to harm it.

This uncharacteristic wavering and hesitation in the face of the Redfire Nine-Infant was something Liu Junhuai found strange about himself, given his usual decisiveness.

Thinking further would be pointless; he decided to take things one step at a time, trusting that he would eventually find a solution.

Calming his mind, Liu Junhuai expanded his spiritual sense, searching carefully for the stone markings the old steward had described.

As he explored, he drew ever closer to the magma pool.

He quickly used his spiritual sense to conceal his presence and, instead of crossing the ashen magma field, moved to the opposite side, following the cave wall.

He crept along the stone wall, hoping to find a way to circle behind the magma pool.

But as ever, reality fell short of his hopes. Directly ahead, nine heads were watching him.

From within the white steam, nine heads emerged, their bodies hidden from view. Eighteen fiery red eyes stared unblinkingly at Liu Junhuai, not with disdain or hatred, but with a kind of anxious unease.

Having been discovered, Liu Junhuai surprisingly felt neither worry nor fear. His heart grew calm.

“I think I might have a way to get you out,” Liu Junhuai said, locking eyes with those eighteen burning pupils, attempting to communicate.

At the sound of his voice, the nine heads drew back slightly, a look of confusion flickering in their eyes.

“I mean, I have a way to get you out of here,” Liu Junhuai repeated, gesturing from the magma pool to the distance behind him.

The Redfire Nine-Infant looked even more confused, its heads stretching out again to their original positions.

Liu Junhuai took out the “Fire-Corrosion Lotus,” slowly extending it towards the beast, with the careful, coaxing movements one might use with a beloved child.

For an instant, the eighteen eyes flashed with anger, then reverted to confusion. Somewhere, a low, abrupt growl sounded from one of the mouths.

A thought struck Liu Junhuai. He reached into the Mountains and Rivers Gourd with his spiritual sense and drew out a wisp of primal chaos energy, condensing it into a sphere before him, and gently pushed it towards the beast.

Caution appeared in the Redfire Nine-Infant’s eyes as it fixed on the approaching sphere. One head extended, tentatively nearing the ball of energy.

As it touched the sphere, its mouth opened and a brown tongue darted out, tapping the swirling energy.

A soft pop sounded as the chaotic energy dispersed. The head jerked back, then stretched out again, inhaling deeply of the dissipating energy.

It seemed to savor the chaos, pulling the head back, its gaze upon Liu Junhuai now tinged with delight.

At once, the other eight heads dove into the remnants of chaos energy. With a single breath, the swirling mist vanished.

Now, the eighteen eyes brimmed with even greater puzzlement. The nine heads exchanged glances, then turned back to Liu Junhuai, a glimmer of anticipation in their gaze.

Liu Junhuai was elated, realizing the wisp of chaos had successfully drawn the beast’s attention.

Without hesitation, he drew forth more chaos energy, forming a larger sphere and pushing it towards the Redfire Nine-Infant.

This time, all nine heads plunged eagerly into the sphere. As one head let out a sharp, low howl, the others echoed, their voices joining in a piercing cry.

The cacophony reverberated through the cave, waves of piercing sound shattering the oppressive heat and fumes, then merging again.

The sound made Liu Junhuai’s heart and mind reel, the sharp tone stabbing at his consciousness. Yet he felt no malice—only a kind of excited anticipation.

It was still not pleasant. Covering his ears with his hands, Liu Junhuai let out a bellow of his own, his voice carrying a note of indignation.

Sensing his displeasure, the Redfire Nine-Infant abruptly ceased its cry. All nine heads turned to him, their eyes showing a hint of apology.

Liu Junhuai stopped his own shout and tried again to communicate.

He conjured another sphere of chaos energy. “I can take you to this place of chaos,” he said, gesturing, his tone softer, pace slower. “I can take you away—we are kin.” He thumped his chest, pointed to both himself and the beast, then made an embrace with his arms.

He repeated the gesture, his voice gentle, his words slowing.

The Redfire Nine-Infant seemed gradually to comprehend, its nine heads drawing together as if in counsel.

After a while, all nine heads turned to Liu Junhuai and, astonishingly, nodded in agreement.

Overjoyed, Liu Junhuai realized he had taken the crucial first step to winning the beast’s trust.

“I need to see the stone—the rectangular stone,” Liu Junhuai said, shaping a rectangle with his hands. The beast only looked more confused.

An idea came to Liu Junhuai. He took out a storage ring, which held the aura of a Sumeru Stone.

He pointed at the ring, made a rectangle with his hands, and approached the beast, extending his arm so the ring was near one head, gesturing with his other hand.

The head sniffed the ring, eyes flashing with surprise. It looked at Liu Junhuai, then seized the ring in its mouth, retreating as the other heads gathered round.

After a brief exchange, the massive body—a dozen yards long—turned with surprising lightness and began moving slowly toward the rear of the magma pool, glancing back to make sure Liu Junhuai followed.

One after the other, they crossed the searing vapors, entering a broad, open space coated in ashen dust.

Crossing this expanse, the Redfire Nine-Infant led Liu Junhuai to a towering boulder, several dozens of yards high.

At the base of the rock stood an enormous, stele-like stone bar, five or six yards in length, exuding the same faint Sumeru Stone aura as the storage ring.

Stunned, Liu Junhuai stood before the stone, dazed for a long while. He had imagined the legends might be true, but the reality before him was still overwhelming.

“Did you come out from here?” Liu Junhuai asked, gesturing as he spoke.

By now, the Redfire Nine-Infant seemed to have become familiar with his way of communicating. Without much prompting, it understood and nodded.

Liu Junhuai conjured another sphere of chaos energy, pointing to the beast, then to the Sumeru Stone, then to the chaos, repeating the sequence. The beast nodded again.

Elated, Liu Junhuai knew he had finally found a way to communicate.

Seeing the beast’s assent, Liu Junhuai wasted no further time. He turned to the Sumeru Stone, sat cross-legged, regulated his breath, and activated the Nine Transformations Heart Technique.

Once his true essence was replenished and his faculties at their peak, Liu Junhuai drew forth a massive sphere of chaos energy to calm the Redfire Nine-Infant. Clearing his mind, he began to refine the Sumeru Stone.