Chapter 8: A Few Screws Loose

"Forbidden Spell—Karma Fire Burning the Heavens!"

Ye Lin let out a roar, and a flame, purple at the bottom and red at the top, emerged from his hands; as it burned, it looked like a demonic lotus manifesting in the world.

Then, this flame landed on a pile of dry firewood, igniting it instantly.

Using a forbidden spell to light a fire—if an outsider were to see this scene, their eyes would likely pop right out of their sockets; it was as absurd as using a nuclear bomb to light a cigarette.

A full day passed, and under Ye Lin’s frantic slaughter, his own level had risen to level 3. The forbidden spell he unlocked upon reaching level 3 was this Karma Fire Burning the Heavens. Like World-Ending Mad Thunder, this skill allowed him to summon boundless karma fire from the Nine Nether Hells as long as he sacrificed his own life force.

The further one progressed, the more difficult leveling up became. For instance, going from level 1 to level 2 only required 1,000 experience points, while going from level 2 to level 3 required 2,000, and level 3 to level 4 required 3,000.

Being able to reach level 3 in a single day left Ye Lin extremely satisfied. He estimated that most people hadn't even reached level 2 yet. At this rate, reaching level 10 before the novice secret realm closed would be a trivial matter.

Ye Lin skillfully dragged over a dead Three-Eyed Demon Pig, skinned it, took the meat, and placed it on the burning bonfire to roast.

The fatty hind leg soon began to ooze oil under the roasting of the karma fire, sizzling and making Ye Lin’s appetite soar.

Although he possessed an immortal body and would not starve to death, the feeling of hunger was still unpleasant. He wasn't a masochist, so naturally, he wouldn't mistreat his own stomach.

Karma fire already had a higher temperature than ordinary flames, making it exceptionally efficient for roasting things. Soon, the entire pig leg was roasted until it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Ye Lin tore off a piece of meat; the juices flowed freely, emitting billowing heat.

Feeling the fragrance of the meat explode in his mouth, Ye Lin felt his eyes well up with tears for a moment.

The meat of the Three-Eyed Demon Pig was incredibly chewy and far more delicious than ordinary pork.

Before, when he lived in the slums, he was both poor and forced to hide the secret of his immortality; he had never eaten such good things.

Fortunately, he was now a job-changer. Once he possessed the strength to protect himself, he would never again have to live a life of hiding and skulking.

Just as Ye Lin was eating heartily, Zhuge Ni, not far away, suddenly paused. She looked toward Ye Lin’s direction with suspicion and uncertainty. Being a fire-element mage, she was extremely sensitive to fire elements and had sensed the existence of the karma fire immediately.

"In Qingcheng, besides me, there clearly isn't a second SSS-rank fire-element related profession. How could there be such a powerful fire-element fluctuation? Could it be that some fire-type treasure has appeared?"

A flash of curiosity crossed Zhuge Ni’s beautiful eyes, and she then hurried toward the direction where Ye Lin was.

On Ye Lin’s side, after eating his fill, he extinguished the bonfire and even took a leak on it before turning around to continue his monster-grinding journey.

"Starting a fire in the mountains will land you in prison"—this belief was something he always kept in mind.

By the time Zhuge Ni arrived, Ye Lin’s shadow was long gone, leaving only a pile of bonfire still emitting wisps of smoke.

"It was actually a human who caused this! This fire-element fluctuation is probably not the least bit inferior to mine!"

Zhuge Ni’s beautiful eyes were full of surprise. She squatted down, picked up a piece of wood that hadn't finished burning, and sniffed it under her delicate nose. Upon this sniff, her pretty brows couldn't help but knit together.

"It is indeed the scent of the legendary karma fire, but why is there also a strange smell?"

Zhuge Ni was completely baffled, but she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she stood up, her beautiful eyes filled with excitement.

"Qingcheng truly is full of hidden talents. Just you wait, I, Zhuge Ni, will definitely find you!!"

Compared to a stubborn and stupid guy like Ye Lin, someone like this—who had both strength and the wisdom to keep a low profile and hide themselves—was clearly much more interesting to Zhuge Ni.

Zhuge Ni scanned the surroundings and soon chased after the direction Ye Lin had left in.

"Forbidden Spell—Burning Reincarnation!"

"Forbidden Spell—World-Ending Mad Thunder!"

Ye Lin was currently charging through the depths of the forest, sweeping away every monster he could see like a swarm of locusts.

Having grown accustomed to World-Ending Mad Thunder, even with a new attack-type forbidden spell, Ye Lin still preferred using World-Ending Mad Thunder to grind monsters.

After all, with a strike of lightning, the monsters died without pain, losing their lives in an instant. If he used Karma Fire Burning the Heavens, he would have to burn them for several seconds to kill them.

Ye Lin wasn't some kind of devil, so naturally, he wouldn't do such a cruel thing. He felt that he was still a relatively kind person, after all, he had a saintly heart.

He ground monsters until late at night. Seeing that he was about to reach level 4, Ye Lin was planning to finish it in one go, when suddenly, movement sounded behind him.

Ye Lin narrowed his eyes slightly, then immediately stopped the forbidden spell Burning Reincarnation, and the blood-colored flames on his body vanished instantly.

He was very clear about the movements of monsters; what was coming behind him was definitely not a monster, but a human.

Seeing the legs before the person.

The first thing that entered Ye Lin’s eyes was a pair of long, fair, and slender legs, followed immediately by Zhuge Ni’s cold face, her jet-black hair shining like a galaxy waterfall under the moonlight.

Even Ye Lin had to admit that although this woman was a bit simple-minded, her figure and face were indeed superb.

But the novice secret realm was so large, how could he run into this woman?

"Ye Lin? How could it be you?"

The moment she saw Ye Lin, Zhuge Ni frowned, and her good mood vanished instantly.

The person she wanted to find was that nameless genius who controlled karma fire, not Ye Lin. How could a guy like Ye Lin appear here?

But soon, Zhuge Ni figured out the reason.

She figured that after Ye Lin entered the novice secret realm, he realized how life-threatening it was for a Forbidden Spellcaster to solo, so he regretted it. This guy was likely here specifically to find her.

"I told you long ago that the Forbidden Spellcaster profession is strong, but it is absolutely not suitable for soloing. It’s too late for you to regret it now, and pestering me is useless. I don't have time to form a party with you now; move aside, I have things to do."

There was not a shred of warmth on Zhuge Ni’s pretty face. If Ye Lin had been able to stick to his guns, she might have respected him as a man, but this behavior now only made her look down on him.

She had given him so many chances before that he didn't cherish, and now that he encountered difficulties, he came back to pester her. Zhuge Ni disliked two-faced men like this the most.

If he couldn't even keep his word, what kind of man was he?

Especially since Ye Lin was now blocking her from finding the genius who mastered karma fire, this made Zhuge Ni feel a trace of disgust toward him.

Ye Lin was completely bewildered by Zhuge Ni’s robber logic. It was clearly Zhuge Ni who had inexplicably chased after him, so how did it become him pestering her?

He finally understood: this woman wasn't just simple-minded; she was missing a few screws in her head.