Chapter 969

Sizzle!

The next moment, a crack split open in the sky over the southern lands of Tianhuo Continent.

He Pingsheng stepped out from that rift in the void.

The rift slowly vanished within a single breath, disappearing without a trace.

Standing high in the sky, He Pingsheng’s gaze swept across the surroundings.

Ju Yan Mountain Range!

This was nearly the southernmost tip of the entire Heavenfire Continent; beyond Ju Yan lay the Evil Sea.

Moreover, the Ju Yan Mountain Range was immense, stretching east to west for over a hundred million li.

Even He Pingsheng’s divine sense could not fully cover it.

Nevertheless, his vast divine sense still surged outward.

Unfortunately, beneath his divine sense, he saw no trace of the Crimson Lotus True Fire.

He Pingsheng then transformed into a streak of light, flying along the length of the Ju Yan Mountain Range, extending his divine sense as he went.

After roughly two incense sticks’ worth of time, he finally caught a whiff of the Crimson Lotus True Fire’s aura.

Hepingshengdunshixingfenqilai ， Yigexukonghuachan ， Bianlaidaolehonglianzhenhuozhengshangfang 。

But when He Pingsheng looked down, his brow furrowed.

Four demonic emperors were already here.

No…

More accurately, there were two demonic emperor-level demons and two human emperor-level cultivators.

Although the air was thick with the aura of true fire, no true fire was visible.

“Who—” Seeing He Pingsheng arrive, all four were startled, then quickly bowed respectfully to him.

“He… He…”

For a moment, none of them knew how to address He Pingsheng.

Calling him by name was clearly inappropriate.

Not calling him by name, but using a respectful title, would be acceptable.

But He Pingsheng was neither a domain lord nor had he bestowed any title upon himself.

Thus, the only option was to use the term “Fellow Daoist.”

“Fellow Daoist He!” Eventually, a demonic emperor clad in black robes embroidered with dark red patterns spoke up: “I am Lian Hong, demonic emperor of the Su Ni clan!”

“Fellow Daoist Lian Hong!” He Pingsheng nodded.

The two human cultivators were different.

A portly human cultivator at the peak of the Great Ascension stage bowed to He Pingsheng and said: “Greetings, Divine Emperor!”

He immediately addressed him as “Divine Emperor!”

Previously, a certain demonic emperor of the Phoenix Clan had self-proclaimed the title “Divine Emperor,” for he had once ruled the entire Heavenfire Continent.

Thus, this fat cultivator believed addressing him as “Divine Emperor” would be more appropriate.

But He Pingsheng waved his hand and said: “We’re all at the Great Ascension Emperor stage—better to address each other as Fellow Daoists. No need for empty, pretentious titles!”

“Yes, yes, yes! Fellow Daoist He!” the fat cultivator said: “I hail from the Imperishable Emperor Domain… my Dao name is Chang Ming Dao Ren.”

“Now that Fellow Daoist He has arrived, please preside over justice for us!”

“Oh?” He Pingsheng’s eyes turned cold. “What injustice needs my judgment? Tell me.”

Chang Ming straightened his posture and pointed at the Su Ni demonic emperor: “It’s him—Lian Hong! He openly oppresses our human cultivators!”

“No… I didn’t… I didn’t!” Lian Hong trembled violently: “I truly didn’t!”

“Fellow Daoist He, don’t listen to his lies!”

“Hmph! I’m lying?” Chang Ming said: “Fellow Daoist He, my brother and I discovered the Crimson Lotus True Fire in this mountain range, only for this fellow to seize it from us!”

“Isn’t that oppression of our human kind?”

“Is there no justice left on the Heavenfire Continent?”

“This…” Lian Hong was left speechless.

He Pingsheng asked Chang Ming: “Did you two truly discover this Crimson Lotus True Fire?”

“Yes!” Chang Ming replied: “Absolutely true!”

“That’s not entirely accurate!” Lian Hong, being inarticulate, was interrupted by a female demonic emperor beside him: “Fellow Daoist He… celestial treasures of the universe belong to whoever has the ability to claim them!”

“The aura of the Crimson Lotus True Fire leaked out, and all four of us followed it here!”

“Indeed, Chang Ming Dao Ren arrived first.”

“But he never captured the Crimson Lotus True Fire!”

“Though we arrived later, my elder brother captured it. Thus, I believe it’s inaccurate to say the Crimson Lotus True Fire was discovered by Chang Ming Dao Ren!”

“That’s not true!”

“All four of us were drawn here by the same aura; he merely arrived first!”

He Pingsheng nodded.

He now understood the full context of this dispute.

According to the fat Daoist’s logic, whoever discovers something first owns it.

But according to the Su Ni’s logic, it wasn’t “discovered” by anyone—it merely leaked its aura, and Chang Ming merely arrived first.

“So what?” Chang Ming, emboldened by He Pingsheng’s presence, declared: “Regardless, this Crimson Lotus True Fire belongs to our human kind! Your Su Ni clan has no right to take it!”

He escalated it to a racial level.

His reasoning was simple: if I frame this as a racial issue, surely He Pingsheng won’t abandon his own kind!

But He Pingsheng smiled and said: “The Ten True Fires are naturally unowned treasures of heaven and earth—whomever claims them, owns them!”

“If you, Chang Ming Dao Ren, had endured countless hardships to find it, or broken through its protective seals, then yes—it would rightfully be yours.”

“But the truth is, the True Fire’s aura leaked spontaneously; arriving first doesn’t make it yours!”

“All things depend on fate and opportunity!”

“I believe whoever seizes it, owns it!”

This…

No one expected He Pingsheng to take this stance.

“Understand the truth of cause and effect yourselves!” He Pingsheng continued: “If you can defeat this Su Ni demonic emperor and take it by force, then you’re a true hero. But don’t try to drag me into this to claim it by force—it won’t work!”

“You’ve misjudged me!”

“Yes!” Chang Ming, face flushed, bowed his head: “I was wrong… I take my leave!”

Then the two human cultivators departed.

Only the two Su Ni remained.

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist He, for upholding justice!”

“Thank you, Fellow Daoist He!”

Both bowed to He Pingsheng.

He Pingsheng said: “Show me the Crimson Lotus True Fire—I’ll observe it for a day, then return it to you.”

Upon hearing this, the Su Ni demonic emperor hesitated.

He Pingsheng smiled: “Don’t worry—if I wanted to steal your True Fire, I wouldn’t have asked to borrow it for a day!”

“Stealing it after borrowing it would be far more troublesome!”

Hearing this, Lian Hong immediately understood: “Yes, yes, yes… I trust you!”

He carefully produced a wisp of flame and offered it reverently.

He Pingsheng smiled and said: “Wait a moment—I’ll meditate on it for one day, then return it unchanged.”

He waved his hand, summoning a protective barrier.

Then he absorbed the Crimson Lotus True Fire into his body and deposited it into the Treasure Basin.

One day later, the True Fire had split into two—He Pingsheng returned one to the Su Ni and kept the other for himself.

The Crimson Lotus True Fire was now in his possession.

Surprisingly simple.