Chapter 908: Going Too Far Is as Bad as Falling Short

As the surging aura raged, roaring flames cast burning silhouettes. One became two, two became three, and they kept multiplying toward the mountain cave.

In the blink of an eye, thirty-six fiery figures stood arranged in a matrix, each exactly alike, as if they were twins.

Thirty-six identical masses of flame burned before them. Even under the scrutiny of their Dharma Eyes, no one could tell which blaze concealed Kunlin Shu's true body.

Wonder appeared in everyone's eyes.

"Fire Phantom Shadow Escape..." one Elder breathed, drawing in a sharp breath.

Pang Zhuo and Fire Phoenix might not have known what he meant, but those who had studied Tianhuo Sect's supreme secret art understood immediately. This should be the Fire Phantom Shadow Escape recorded in the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art.

With this technique, truth and falsehood mingled until the false seemed true and the true false. Once used against an enemy, fire-shadows whirled everywhere, leaving the opponent unable to distinguish the true body.

As though to test whether this truly was the Fire Phantom Shadow Escape, Yuwen Yan suddenly swept out a sleeve. With a casual motion, he sent a blade of concentrated force slashing toward the first mass of flame.

Boom!

The struck blaze shuddered violently. Kunlin Shu's true body was no longer inside it.

The instant Yuwen Yan attacked, all thirty-six fiery figures moved in unison. Each dodged like a phantom, weaving back and forth through the others.

Everyone's gaze swept constantly among them, hoping to determine where Kunlin Shu was, but even after their vision blurred from watching, none could see through the technique.

Amid the roar of flames, the figures weaving chaotically through one another suddenly stopped. After a brief pause, they retreated like a tide, perfectly synchronized, merging one into another until all returned to the single fiery figure at the mouth of the Lightless Cave. Kunlin Shu's true form slowly became visible within it.

Kunlin Shu casually swept a hand through the flames. The fire wrapped around him collapsed like soft mud, and he emerged as though shedding a shell. One hand rested behind his back while he stood unmoving as a mountain. The flames falling around his feet splashed upward like a lotus of fire, making him look almost like an immortal standing within the bloom.

It was as though the ground had opened beneath the flames. The fire that collapsed to the earth instantly sank underground and vanished without a trace.

Everyone quickly noticed that the temperature across a broad stretch of ground was rising.

Kunlin Shu stood utterly calm. Then he took one step. An invisible haze rippled across the ground, and threadlike wisps of red mist began rising from the earth.

He took another step, and the rippling haze rose faster.

Step after step. The fine red mist coiling in the air suddenly transformed into sweeping flame. Vast clouds of fire spread over everyone's heads, making them all look up.

With Kunlin Shu's footsteps, the raging fire-clouds overhead abruptly transformed into all manner of birds and beasts. Some wheeled through the sky, some raced across it, all ranging freely in a magnificent spectacle.

"Formless Li-Fire..." Yuwen Yan murmured, narrowing his eyes.

Still walking slowly toward the crowd, Kunlin Shu suddenly waved a hand again. The birds and beasts of flame overhead contracted at once, becoming fire-swords that hissed down toward the ground like rain.

Everyone was startled and prepared to use cultivation arts to defend themselves, only to see the descending fire-swords veer in midair and converge on Kunlin Shu instead.

With a dense succession of hard impacts, countless fire-swords drove into the earth, blasting soil and stone in every direction.

Kunlin Shu walked slowly forward among hundreds upon hundreds of fire-swords planted in the ground.

Firelight washed over him. Wherever he passed, the swords of flame dissolved into fire and surged into his body like fiery serpents, vanishing without a trace.

When the final fire-serpent disappeared, Kunlin Shu was already standing before Yuwen Yan. He cupped his hands and bowed. "This disciple has made a poor showing."

Fire Phoenix stared at her Senior Brother, torn between astonishment and delight. Her bright eyes shone, faintly wet with tears of joy.

The shock in Pang Zhuo's eyes lingered for a long time. From the expressions of the Elders, he could tell there was no mistake: his disciple truly seemed to have succeeded in cultivating the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art, the Tianhuo Sect supreme secret art no one had mastered since the third generation.

For once, he understood exactly what it meant to say: The blue comes from indigo, yet is bluer than indigo.

"Good!" Yuwen Yan smiled as he stroked his beard. "Worthy indeed of being one of Tianhuo Sect's finest talents of this generation. Our sect has a worthy successor. This is enough to console the Founding Patriarch's spirit in Heaven!"

The watching Elders could not exactly be called happy or unhappy. Their expressions varied.

Pang Zhuo noticed, and his heart sank slightly.

Kunlin Shu said respectfully, "This disciple is ashamed. I have merely glimpsed the threshold, yet dared display it before everyone. I am unworthy of the Sect Leader's praise."

Yuwen Yan said, "There is no need for false modesty. Enough. We can speak later. You reek. Go wash and bathe properly first."

"This disciple obeys the Sect Leader's command." Kunlin Shu inclined himself.

Yuwen Yan said no more. He turned, gave a wave of his hand, and led Tianhuo Sect's senior figures away through the air.

The area quieted. The ground had been left in utter disarray, but no one blamed Kunlin Shu.

Pang Zhuo turned to Fire Phoenix. "Take your Senior Brother to bathe."

"Yes!" Fire Phoenix answered happily, then turned and invited Kunlin Shu to leave with her.

Once the two of them had gone some distance, Pang Zhuo abruptly turned and strode up to Tian Ren'an. In a deep voice, he demanded, "You and I came from the same master. He borrowed the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art, something this serious, and you did not tell me?"

Tian Ren'an spread his hands helplessly. "Tell you? If I'd told you, you certainly would have stopped him."

"Of course I would have stopped him!"

Tian Ren'an looked pleased with himself. "Exactly. So look at him now. It's fortunate I didn't tell you. If you had known, how could he possibly have achieved what he has today?"

Pang Zhuo's face twitched. "Were you not afraid you might get him killed?"

Tian Ren'an dropped his unserious manner and sighed. "I wanted to tell you, but how was I supposed to? He invoked the privilege earned by ten years of seclusion. A junior disciple borrowing the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art is a matter so serious it must be reported to the Sect Leader. Were you and I supposed to stop it privately halfway through? Think about it. Why did not even the slightest rumor of such a major matter leak out within the sect? A junior disciple studying our sect's supreme secret art is an absolute secret. No one else could be allowed to know. If word leaked, who could guarantee that someone with malicious intentions would not find a way into the Lightless Cave? It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you. I couldn't..."

Inside Tianhuo Sect's council hall, Yuwen Yan and the others landed outside and strode in.

Once everyone had taken their places, Yuwen Yan faced them. "Someone has succeeded in cultivating the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art, which no one in our sect has mastered since the third generation. It seems the Founding Patriarch has shown his favor. This is a blessing for Tianhuo Sect."

The Elders looked from one to another, their expressions varied. No one spoke.

Seeing this, Yuwen Yan said, "This is no small matter. Does no one have anything to say?"

Someone asked, "Does the Sect Leader already have some arrangement in mind?"

Yuwen Yan replied, "Since Kunlin Shu has succeeded in cultivating the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art, both reason and propriety demand that we make special arrangements for him. We cannot continue treating him as an ordinary disciple. As for exactly how he should be placed, that requires all of us to reach a decision together and determine what position is appropriate."

"Sect Leader, if we truly mean to speak of reason and propriety, shouldn't we follow the rules first?"

"Exactly, Sect Leader. Kunlin Shu spent ten years in seclusion. The sect provided his food and necessities, and the sect provided his cultivation resources without charge. Even the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art he mastered was provided by the sect. For these ten years, he did nothing at all, simply consuming the sect's resources while disciples guarded his cultivation for ten years without reward. If he receives some special position the moment he emerges, I fear the other disciples will not accept it."

"That's right. According to the rules, disciples who use sect resources for prolonged seclusion in the forbidden grounds must perform certain tasks for the sect after they emerge, both as repayment and as a test of the results of their seclusion."

"Exactly so. If we set this precedent and other disciples imitate him in the future, shirking their duties to hide inside the Lightless Cave and cultivate in seclusion, who will still be willing to labor, suffer, and risk danger in service to the sect? His success in cultivating the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art is no reason to break the rules!"

As the arguments rose around him, Yuwen Yan's brows gradually drew together...

Kunlin Shu had not properly washed or bathed in ten years. An ordinary bath would hardly be enough to clean him thoroughly, so he went to rinse himself beneath a waterfall pouring into a mountain pool.

Once he had washed, dressed, and emerged from the ravine, Fire Phoenix was waiting around the bend. Looking at her Senior Brother, whose heroic bearing had finally returned, she smiled. "Senior Brother, Master is waiting for you."

The two treated each other with the courtesy of honored guests. They exchanged a smile and walked away side by side. Fire Phoenix's heart was full of sweetness, as though ten bitter years had finally passed and hardship had at last given way to joy.

Pang Zhuo was waiting for them in a courtyard. When they arrived, he said little and led them directly into the quiet chamber where he normally cultivated, avoiding prying eyes.

After closing the stone door, Pang Zhuo stood facing the wall for a long time without speaking.

The two waited, but when he still gave no response, Kunlin Shu ventured, "Master, do you have instructions for us?"

With his back still turned, Pang Zhuo said, "You decided on your own to spend ten years in seclusion. You decided on your own again to cultivate the Heavenly Fire Limitless Art. Do you still regard me as your master at all?"

Kunlin Shu hurriedly said, "This disciple acted rashly. I am willing to accept whatever punishment Master gives me, without the slightest resentment!"

Fire Phoenix quickly spoke for him. "Master, Senior Brother did act on his own, but he has nevertheless succeeded in cultivating our sect's supreme secret art. Please give Senior Brother a chance to redeem his mistake through merit!"

"Redeem his mistake through merit?" Pang Zhuo slowly turned around and sighed. "He has already brought enormous trouble upon himself. First see whether he can get past those people above before you talk about redeeming anything through merit. The tree that rises above the forest is the first the wind will break. The Sect Leader and so many Elders could not master this secret art, yet he had to display such ability. How do you expect those people above to feel?"

Fire Phoenix asked in astonishment, "Do those people not want our sect's secret art to shine again?"

"Of course they do. But it depends on who makes it shine again. If it were one of their disciples, it would be cause for great celebration. But your Senior Brother..." Pang Zhuo sighed. "If only your grandmaster were still alive. With him to speak on your Senior Brother's behalf, everything would be easier. The problem now is that there is not a single person above willing to speak for him."

Fire Phoenix did not understand. "It is clearly a wonderful thing. Why does Master make it sound so terrible?"

"Of course it is a wonderful thing. It is too wonderful!" Pang Zhuo said. "Do you know what it means to say that going too far is as bad as falling short? A supreme secret art that generation after generation failed to master has now been mastered by your Senior Brother. What does that mean? It means your Senior Brother may very well become the next Sect Leader of Tianhuo Sect!"

"Do you know how many people's interests throughout the sect this touches? Of course, the position of Sect Leader does not depend solely on cultivation. What matters more is whether a person can balance and command all the factions within the sect, whether he can keep the various relationships in equilibrium. Your Senior Brother has excellent cultivation talent, but this is precisely where he is lacking. Otherwise, he would not have rushed headlong into what he has done today. But whatever else may happen, sooner or later an Elder's seat will almost certainly be his. Your Senior Brother's sudden emergence means squeezing out a place held by some other faction. Do you think those people will simply surrender it with both hands?"

The two disciples more or less understood what he meant. Kunlin Shu was silent for a moment before saying, "I won't fight them for those things."

"Absurd!" Pang Zhuo snapped. "You think that because you say you don't want to fight, they will believe you won't? The tree may wish for stillness, but the wind will not cease!"

Fire Phoenix grew nervous. "Master, how will they deal with Senior Brother?"

Pang Zhuo sighed. "I don't know. They probably won't come at him openly with blades drawn. If they did, there would be less to fear. What worries me is what they might do in secret. Some time ago, Misty Pavilion suddenly summoned the Sect Leaders of the various sects to discuss matters. Apart from removing Zhao's three major sects and replacing them with Xiaoyue Pavilion, Misty Pavilion also gave all the sects an instruction."

Kunlin Shu stared in surprise. "Zhao's three major sects were expelled from Misty Pavilion?"

Fire Phoenix added, "Senior Brother, the State of Zhao has fallen."

[End of Chapter 908]