The members of Team 707 were utterly baffled.
Hongying looked at Gu Tianchen, her tone serious. "Little brother, I know I'm somewhat attractive, but I'm not that kind of woman."
"I get it. A pure-hearted high school boy like you might get a crush seeing a pretty lady, but you need to learn restraint…"
"What are you thinking? I need your help with something," Gu Tianchen interrupted.
"Help with what?" Hongying asked, her big eyes blinking curiously.
"Help me put out a fire," Gu Tianchen said.
"Hongying stood abruptly, her eyes narrowing. "Isn't that the same thing?! You look all proper, but you're shameless! Where's my gun? I'll shoot you dead!"
Hongying began searching for her weapon.
"Ahem… Hongying, Fire God Zhurong's directive is for him to find nine different flames. He means he needs your Crimson Rosefire Mantle to help him acquire one of those flames," Wu Xiangnan explained.
Hongying lowered her spear, turning to Gu Tianchen. "Oh, why didn't you say so? No big deal. But how did you know my Forbidden Ruin is flame-related?"
Si Xiaonan adjusted her glasses. "Hongying Sister, he's the Fire God's agent. Sensing that your Forbidden Ruin involves flames isn't exactly a challenge."
"Hehe, uh… Tianchen, little bro, sorry for the misunderstanding. Don't hold it against me," Hongying said. "But if you want my flames, you'll have to beat me first."
Hongying twirled her spear, eyeing Gu Tianchen.
Wu Xiangnan didn't stop Hongying's challenge. Truth be told, he was curious to see how much power the Fire God's agent could unleash.
"Don't worry, I won't bully a newbie. I'll suppress my mental strength to the Lamp Realm for a fair spar," Hongying said.
"But Hongying Sister, your arm injury hasn't fully healed…" Si Xiaonan cautioned.
"No problem, no problem. After your treatment, it's much better. More than enough to handle this kid," Hongying said confidently.
"You sure?" Gu Tianchen asked with a smile.
"Heh, I've slain plenty of supernatural entities, but I've never faced a divine agent. Let's see how impressive you, the Fire God's agent, really are."
Hongying gripped her spear tightly, eager for the fight.
"Alright, I ate too much earlier. Perfect chance to work it off."
Gu Tianchen stretched lazily.
Training Arena
Three walls were adorned with an array of weapons—swords, spears, firearms, and exotic armaments Gu Tianchen had never seen before.
Hongying entered with her spear over her shoulder, while the others grabbed stools to spectate.
"Tianchen, little bro, what weapon will you use?" Hongying asked with a smile.
Gu Tianchen glanced at her spear. "Since Hongying Sister is using a spear, I'll use one too."
Hongying smiled, twirling her spear in a flourish. "Fair enough, that's…"
Her words trailed off as she saw Gu Tianchen pluck an assault rifle from the wall, fiddling with the magazine.
Hongying: ???
"Hongying Sister, ever heard of the American Iai Slash?" Gu Tianchen asked, grinning.
"American your ass! Use a cold weapon!" Hongying snapped.
Gu Tianchen chuckled, grabbing a spear from the rack and twirling it toward Hongying.
"Hongying Sister, please enlighten me."
"Heh, don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're cute. Take this!"
Hongying thrust her spear, its tip blooming with crimson rose flames, surging toward Gu Tianchen with a scorching heatwave.
Boom!
Gu Tianchen countered with his spear, a purple-red Dutian Divine Fire coalescing into a fiery dragon that spiraled along his weapon, charging at Hongying.
The moment the Dutian Divine Fire appeared, Hongying felt her Crimson Rosefire Mantle suppressed by a divine majesty, like a kitten baring its claws at a ferocious tiger.
Clang!
The two flame-wreathed spears clashed fiercely, their fires exploding outward in rippling waves of heat.
Hongying's Crimson Rosefire Mantle was devoured by the Dutian Divine Fire, which slithered along her spear like a venomous snake.
Snap!
Drawing on years of combat experience, Hongying decisively kicked her spear toward Gu Tianchen.
What sharp battle instincts!
Gu Tianchen had planned to use the Dutian Divine Fire's suppression to launch a sneak attack, but Hongying's kick turned her flame-entwined spear into a projectile, flipping the offensive and defensive dynamic instantly.
As the spear hurtled toward him, Gu Tianchen was forced to parry, deflecting it with a swing of his own.
Hongying seized the moment, closing in with a kick to his chest, catching her falling spear, and twirling it provocatively.
Gu Tianchen staggered back half a step, stabilizing himself. With a shake of his spear, the Dutian Divine Fire flared, radiating terrifying heat, and he swung it toward Hongying.
Hongying raised her spear to block, only to be pushed back by the immense force, stumbling several steps before regaining her footing.
"Damn, kid, you're that strong? That food didn't go to waste, huh?" Hongying said, shocked.
Gu Tianchen smiled without replying. Beyond the Dutian Divine Fire's boost to his explosiveness, his strength stemmed from the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Art's tempering and enhancement of his physical body.
"Looks like I need to get serious!"
Hongying's eyes grew focused. Crimson rose flames erupted from her body, blooming like a fiery rose—captivating yet deadly.
Her crimson rosefire spear thrust toward Gu Tianchen like a dragon emerging from the sea, while purple-red flames blazed on his body as he charged back.
Snap!
Having felt his formidable strength, Hongying avoided a direct clash. She dodged his attack with a flash, shifting from a thrust to a flick, disarming Gu Tianchen's spear into the air.
Heh, too green to fight me, kid!
But something felt off about disarming his spear…
"Hongying, behind you!" Wen Qimo shouted from the sidelines.
Hongying sensed the scorching killing intent at her back. As she turned to block, a purple-red flame-wreathed spear was already at her throat.
"Hongying Sister, you lose."
As Gu Tianchen spoke, the "Gu Tianchen" whose spear Hongying had disarmed dissolved into purple-red flames.
Wu Xiangnan shook his head. He'd forgotten to warn Hongying about the kid's Divine Fire Avatar.
"Alright, I lost," Hongying said, planting her spear in the training floor.
"Welcome aboard, Tianchen, little bro." Hongying smiled, extending her hand.
Gu Tianchen clasped her hand, and a crimson rose flame, formed from mental energy, flowed into him without burning, merging into his body.
Within the Pangu Temple, another step toward collecting nine flames was completed.
Zhurong glanced at the task progress at the temple's gate, the corner of his mouth curling upward.
"This kid's pretty reliable."
Gu Tianchen was surrounded by Team 136, some handing him water, others a towel, as if he'd already become part of their family.
A dejected Zhao Kongcheng walked in.
"Yo, Old Zhao's here?" Gu Tianchen greeted him with easy familiarity, as if he owned the place.
"Yeah."
Zhao Kongcheng nodded and walked past, then froze, doubling back.
"You little punk, reversing the natural order, huh? This is my base!"
***
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