Chapter Forty-One: The End of the Dark Fire Domain

When the Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs mentioned the need to restrain the Fire Qilin, the Lord of the Fire Domain appeared visibly anxious and hesitant. In his understanding, his father’s power far surpassed his own; to control his father’s movements was an almost impossible task. Clearly, the Lord of the Fire Domain was overly excited, agitated, and nervous, forgetting for a moment the presence of the formidable Deity of Liyang at his side.

Yet, his concern was not without reason. Defeating or even killing an opponent was, in many ways, far simpler than subduing them without causing harm. Even for the Deity of Liyang, to defeat or kill the Fire Qilin would not be difficult; but to restrain the maddened beast without injury would demand immense effort.

However, they were not alone. With the Lord of the Fire Domain’s assistance, safely restraining the Fire Qilin should be within their combined power.

Standing nearby, the Deity of Liyang saw through the Lord of the Fire Domain’s worries. Patting his shoulder, he reassured him, “Fire King, you need not worry. With my help, restraining your father’s movements will be no problem.”

The Lord of the Fire Domain, brought out of his reverie by these words, realized with some embarrassment how he had forgotten the Deity of Liyang.

The Deity of Liyang then turned to the Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs and asked, “Brother Yishan, do you only need us to restrain this giant’s movements?”

Hearing the Deity of Liyang refer to his father as “this giant” did not offend the Lord of the Fire Domain; rather, he found it amusing. “This old man is truly forthright and endearing—a man of genuine temperament,” he thought.

The Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs, upon hearing these words, found him to be rather unceremonious, yet through recent events, had come to understand the Deity of Liyang on a deeper level.

He replied, “That’s right. As long as you restrain his movements, leave the rest to me.”

The Deity of Liyang nodded, “If it’s that simple, let’s discuss our plan of action.”

Thus, the task of restraining the Fire Qilin fell mainly to the Deity of Liyang and the Lord of the Fire Domain. The Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs did not join their deliberation. After a brief discussion, they agreed that the Deity of Liyang, being the stronger, would take the lead in subduing the Fire Qilin, with the Lord of the Fire Domain providing support from the side.

The Deity of Liyang then unleashed a vast and overwhelming power, his mighty aura causing the space of the underground palace to tremble. Only at that moment did the Lord of the Fire Domain truly witness his strength. “It would take me ten thousand years of diligent cultivation to reach such heights,” he thought, his admiration for the Deity of Liyang deepening. This also spoke to his own exceptional talent, for ten thousand years had already brought him the cultivation others needed tens of thousands of years to attain.

Soaring above the Fire Qilin, the Deity of Liyang swiftly formed a complex sealing sigil with his hands and pressed it down upon the beast. In an instant, the Fire Qilin was forced to the ground, struggling desperately but unable to break free. The Lord of the Fire Domain did not stand idly by—he too leapt into action, unleashing all his power. His hands formed seals, channeling the laws of fire into roaring flames that pressed upon the Fire Qilin.

Under the Deity of Liyang’s suppression, the Fire Qilin still managed to struggle slightly. But when his son joined in, combining their formidable powers, the Fire Qilin was utterly subdued, robbed of any will to resist. Under this relentless force, it lost all ability to move.

While the Deity of Liyang and the Lord of the Fire Domain suppressed the Fire Qilin, the Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs was busy as well. From his trusty medical case, he took out a pack of silver needles, shining like embroidery needles—three hundred and sixty-seven in all—called the Bone-Piercing Needles. These needles could heal or kill, depending on their use. He also produced a bottle of pills, the Soul-Calming Pills, meant to be taken orally, and a jar of thick ointment called the Chill-Dispelling and Evil-Dissolving Balm, to be used in conjunction with the needles.

He pinched sixteen Bone-Piercing Needles between his thumb and forefinger and dipped them into the balm. Once the Fire Qilin was completely immobilized, the Divine Doctor swiftly approached its head. Gathering the laws of heaven and earth, he pressed his left hand atop the Fire Qilin’s skull. The beast’s features twisted in agony under the force of these laws, revealing its pain.

With his left hand holding the beast’s head, the Divine Doctor gathered the laws in his right, drawing the sixteen needles from the balm between his fingers and piercing them into different points on the Fire Qilin’s head in rapid succession. Within two breaths, all sixteen needles were in place.

The pain was intense—when the needles, soaked in the special balm, pierced the Qilin’s head, it let out a tormented cry. The pressure from the Divine Doctor’s left hand was already suppressing the evil within the Qilin’s mind, but the true agony came from the needles, which, aided by the medicinal balm, forcibly suppressed and dispelled the evil power within. This was the main treatment, and its pain far exceeded that of the mere application of the laws of heaven and earth.

The Deity of Liyang and the Lord of the Fire Domain were both stunned by the Divine Doctor’s consummate skill and seamless technique; such profound medical mastery was truly awe-inspiring. Each harbored his own thoughts: the Deity of Liyang felt reassured that entrusting his grandson Li Hao’s injuries to the Divine Doctor was the wisest decision; the Lord of the Fire Domain was overjoyed, believing that these two venerable figures had been sent by heaven itself to help him and his father, and his respect for them grew ever deeper.

When the Divine Doctor withdrew his power, he appeared fatigued, with beads of sweat on his brow. Clearly, the Fire Qilin’s injuries were far worse than expected, and the passage of time had greatly increased the difficulty of the treatment.

After putting away his tools, the Divine Doctor shook out a Healing Numbness Pill and a Soul-Calming Pill from the bottle and placed them in the Fire Qilin’s mouth. Within moments, the beast ceased to struggle and gradually drifted into a deep sleep. Only then did the Deity of Liyang and the Lord of the Fire Domain cautiously withdraw their power, careful not to startle the enormous creature awake.

Watching his father sleep peacefully, the Lord of the Fire Domain felt immense joy, for it was the most restful slumber his father had known in a thousand years since his injury. Containing his excitement, he bowed deeply and said, “Thank you, venerable sirs, for your immense kindness. My gratitude knows no bounds; please accept my humble bow.”

As he finished speaking, he bowed deeply before the two. The Deity of Liyang helped him up with a wave and replied, “We only came to ask the Fire King for some spiritual herbs; as long as you do not make things difficult for us, that is thanks enough.”

Originally, they had come to seek only a single Fire Phoenix Spirit Grass, but the Deity of Liyang, as was his wont, had turned it into “some herbs” instead. The Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs could not help but think his elder brother Liyang was incorrigible—but, as the saying goes, one must look after oneself, and power has its privileges.

The Lord of the Fire Domain, hearing this, dared not show the slightest reluctance. “How could I refuse? You are my benefactors. Whatever spiritual herbs you require from the Dark Fire Domain, you may take as you please. Please, come and rest in my hall.”

With that, he formed a seal with his hands, opening a portal. The Deity of Liyang and the Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs followed him to the Sacred Flame Hall.

Upon returning to their seats, they found immortal wine and six stalks of Fire Phoenix Spirit Grass, each over a hundred thousand years old, laid out on the table by the attendants.

The Lord of the Fire Domain asked, “Are these the Fire Phoenix Spirit Grasses you require?”

The Divine Doctor replied, “They are indeed.”

The Lord of the Fire Domain courteously continued, “If you need any other spiritual herbs, let me know, and I will find them for you.”

The Divine Doctor replied, “Thank you, Fire King, but these are more than enough.”

In his heart, he was already delighted—each stalk of Fire Phoenix Spirit Grass could yield many precious elixirs, and here were six.

These six stalks had been secretly brought by the Lord of the Fire Domain’s trusted aide upon his order, soon after the two guests entered the Sacred Flame Hall. His earlier offer to let them take as many as they liked was, of course, mere courtesy. He trusted that the Deity of Liyang and the Divine Doctor were not the sort to take undue advantage, which was why he dared make such a generous gesture.

Having known them for only a short while, the Lord of the Fire Domain was able to judge their character based on their willingness to heal his father. It was clear that his achievements at a young age were no accident, but stemmed from his wisdom and talent. Preparing the herbs for them in advance showed his meticulous care and thoughtfulness.

As the Deity of Liyang and the Divine Doctor prepared to take their leave, the latter instructed, “I have given your father a Healing Numbness Pill; he will not awaken for several months. Afterward, give him a Soul-Calming Pill every forty-nine hours, and in a few months, he will fully recover.”

With this, he flicked his finger on his medical case, producing a delicate white bottle containing the Soul-Calming Pills for the Lord of the Fire Domain’s father. The Lord of the Fire Domain also gifted several more spiritual herbs, each over a hundred thousand years old, to the Deity of Liyang and the Divine Doctor in gratitude.

Neither the Deity of Liyang nor the Divine Doctor had expected their journey to the Dark Fire Domain to proceed so smoothly, as if heaven itself favored Li Hao. With the Lord of the Fire Domain’s respectful farewell, they left the Dark Fire Domain behind.

Thus, in their quest for herbs to heal Li Hao, the Deity of Liyang and the Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs had forged another bond of goodwill.

A year later, when the Lord of the Fire Domain’s father was fully healed, and learned from his son the whole truth of how the Deity of Liyang and the Divine Doctor had saved him, he was deeply grateful. After spending three years restoring his cultivation, he journeyed with generous gifts to the Li Tian Star Domain and Lujiashan Star Domain to pay his respects to the Deity of Liyang and the Divine Doctor of Hundred Herbs.