Iris together with her seniors and a few other disciples, Ying yue and the last Scarlet sect disciple, continued to Acend. Ying yue kept sneaking up on those other disciples and knocking them off the mountain to their deaths. When her junior tried to knock the last surviving disciple to his death, the boy held firmly to him refusing to let go and then, they both ended up falling together to their deaths.
It was evening when Iris and her companions and Ying yue spotted the Fire Qilin's Domain entrance.
Ying yue went into battle mode. She used ancient magical artifacts and blood techniques to counter the sage Pavilion's techniques. Iris and her companions had a hard time beating her even with their combined efforts.
Their fight continued for hours and eventually turned into days, three days! Untill Ying yue had used up all her magical artifacts.
"It's over Ying yue! Give up" Xiu Mei shouted and staggered on her own foot while Ying yue marely scoffed and then, her body suddenly began to bloat.
"She's going to blow up!" Fan Jin yelled.
"Everyone take cover!!" Ye Shan shouted for his companions to take cover and then, Ying Yue's body exploded!.
Just as Iris and the rest came out of their hiding places, Iris heard a whisper.
"We have a surprise for you. You WILL join us" Ying Yue's soul whispered and tried to flee but something unexpected happened. Iris out of instinct reached to grab the fleeing soul which only she could see but instead of grabbing thin air, she grabbed the soul!. As Iris tugged on the soul, it broke apart and started to vanish.
"The true power of the out worldly soul" Ying Yue's soul whispered before vanishing completely.
It turned out that Ying yue had opened a soul teleportation just before she committed suicide and planned to flee after leaving Iris a message but instead, met her demise both body and soul.
" Are you alright little Lan?" Xiu Mei asked Iris who had gone stiff after hearing Ying Yue's soul whisper.
"I'm fine. How are you guys?" Iris asked while scanning her companions and then her surrounding with slightly narrowed eyes.
"Now that we're the only candidates left only one of us can get the fire Qilin blessing. One of us must enter the domain" Fan Jin said as all of them fell into deep thoughts.
After some minutes of thinking, Xiu Mei spoke up first.
"I think little Lan should go" she said and chewed on her bottom lip.
"Senior brother Ye Shan not that I do not want you to get the blessing but.....I really think little Lan needs this blessing more than we do" Xiu Mei concluded.
Fan Jin opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Iris.
"That's enough. If we all cannot receive the blessing, then none of us will." She said simply with her usual frown.
"What!!" Her companions yelled in Surprise at the same time.
"We will go together" she simply replied again.
"But it has never happened before. Only one of us can receive the blessing" Xiu Mei argued.
"Little lan, I know you care about us but... We don't mind if you receive the blessing" Fan Jin said.
"Little lan, you can receive the blessing we'll stand guard at the entrance of the domain and protect you" Ye Shan said with an encouraging smile.
"It's either we go together or I go down the mountain right now" Iris said without room for argument.
"This is not the time to be stubborn little lan" Fan Jin tried to reason with her.
"Alright then, I'm going down the mountain. Any of you can feel free to enter the domain and receive the blessing" Iris said and immediately started walking away.
"Wait!" Xiu Mei yelled after Iris had walked a couple of steps.
"We'll go with you" she said.
"Good" Iris simply replied.
The four companions entered the domain fully. It was filled with dense spiritual qi and they felt their qi stir in the presence of the strong spiritual qi in the domain.
"Wow! Even if I don't get the blessing, cultivating here will definitely lead to breakthrough" Fan Jin said with a voice full of amazement.
As they continued into the centre of the domain, the qi became denser and they felt a powerful oppressive force on them. Their steps Became heavier and their breath labouring.
Up ahead, upon a glowing floating lotus flower, was a very stunning male. He had long flowing red hair and his lashes which could put any woman's to shame, was same shade of his hair. He was adorned in pure white robe and sat in a half-lotus position with his eyes closed.
"The fire Qilin" Xiu Mei whispered in awe.
As soon as the words came out of her mouth, the fire Qilin snapped his eyes open. They were the colour of fire and they held strong arrogance and wisdom.
Iris and her seniors offered a deep bow.
"Hmm, why are they four of you?" The fire Qilin asked more to himself.
"Speak. Which one of you will receive my blessing?" He asked with arrogance and nonchalance.
"Well Lord fire Qilin..." Xiu Mei started.
"All of us" Iris cut her off.
The fire Qilin bursts into laughter but suddenly stopped and then, the oppressive force increased several folds.
"You dare come here with such greed" He spoke with an arrogant smirk obviously enjoying the sight of their suffering figures. Iris and her seniors could barely breathe now. Cold sweat dripped down their faces and skin, forming a small puddle beneath them.
"Will... you... give all of...us y.. your blessing or keep it?" Iris forced out with much difficulty.
"Interesting" the fire Qilin said and watched Iris with calculating eyes.
"If you can get close enough to touch a petal of this lotus flower, I'll consider giving you and your companions the blessing" He said as his eyes gleamed with something Iris couldn't identify.
"And... if I c....can't?"she asked.
"You will remain here as my servant until you die" the fire Qilin replied.
"Deal" Iris said and felt the oppressive force around her Disappear but her seniors remained immobilized.
Iris immediately sprang into action. She charged with almost all her spirit qi, accelerating her footwork. But when she was only a few metres away from the floating lotus, she was blasted away by a release of powerful spiritual qi by just a nonchalant wave of the fire Qilin's hand. She was thrown like a rag doll and collided on a nearby wall before coughing several mouthfuls of blood.
"Clever girl. But not clever enough for an ancient beast" the fire Qilin said with mirth seeing Iris struggle to get up.
Iris stood up straight with much difficulty and lifted her chin before forcing her body and dashing towards the floating lotus again But this time, expanding her qi into a shield around herself. She moved such speed that she left multiple after images.
By the time she was a hair's breath away from the floating lotus, the fire Qilin released another powerful strike that immediately shattered her shield.
But Iris did something crazy, she gripped the Hem of the fire Qilin's robe and held firmly to it. The fire Qilin immediately dispersed his attack and chuckled in amusement.
"Sneaky little mouse. Do you not fear for your life?" He asked Iris who was now as pale as a sheet of paper. She had secured multiple wounds both internal and external and her blood dripped unto the floor.
"Y....you prom....mised" she said with much determination despite her condition.
"Interesting, interesting indeed. Alright, since I promised, I'll consider giving you all the blessing. It's been years since I was this amused." He said and began to rise in his half-lotus position. He made a hand seal and immense energy gathered from the heavens and from within the domain. It condensed into a cloud before bursting into a dazzling drizzle of golden rain. As it touched Iris, her wounds began to heal both the internal and external. She felt her arteries and vains expand and her qi stired until she made a breakthrough. The same thing happened to Fan Jin and the rest.
Iris and her companions consolidated their qi after thanking the Qilin.
When it was time to leave, they offered another respectful bow.
"Kid, come visit again sometime" the Qilin said to Iris.
"I will" she replied before bowing goodbye to him and then departed with her companions.
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