Chapter 268 Zhu Rong's Backlash

Seemingly surprised that Wei Yuan would make such a request, Zhu Rong paused for a moment, but didn't overthink it. He simply nodded and said, "This pottery was originally made by you, so if you want to take it back, it's only right to return it to its owner. You don't need to ask me."

Indeed, although Zhu Rong is said to be the God of Fire, his temper is much better than that of Gonggong.

Wei Yuan carefully put away the pottery, thinking to himself.

The naming conventions for names and powers in the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* era definitely had some issues.

Wen Ming was anything but cultured.

He spent his entire life fighting this and that, and apart from that one exception, he was never afraid of anyone.

The water god had the worst temper and the thickest skull, while the fire god was gentle and easy to talk to.

At this moment, Wei Yuan suddenly sensed a burst of energy surging towards them. Zhu Rong raised his eyes and said, "Xingtian? What's wrong with him...?" Wei Yuan's expression was strange. "Xingtian and I had a bit of a grudge and misunderstanding back then..."

"Plus, just now..."

He explained how he couldn't break the seal that naturally arose from Zhu Rong's aura, and how he encountered an army besieging him.

Left with no choice, he had to borrow Xingtian's power.

Zhu Rong was stunned, then burst into laughter, saying, "So that's all it was. Don't worry, I'll talk to him. In any case, that axe of his gave me quite a scare. I need to have a word with him about that."

Zhu Rong stood up, and flames slowly rose around him, transforming into dragons coiling around his body.

When the Fire God's authority was activated, the ends of Zhu Rong's hair would turn a golden-red color, blazing and clear. It was a vast and mighty aura, not a violent blaze, but a gentle yet powerful light, capable of both saving all things and incinerating everything. It was the origin of all fires.

But at this moment, Wei Yuan suddenly felt that Zhu Rong's aura was unstable.

In the depths of his golden-red pupils, faint specks of black mist actually appeared.

Even the fiery dragons coiling around his body faintly showed signs of transforming into dark flames.

Wei Yuan was shocked and uncertain. He stood up and supported him, asking, "Zhu Rong, what's wrong?"

Zhu Rong waved his hand and frowned, "...It's the backlash. It's still here."

Wei Yuan asked, "Backlash?"

"Yes..." Zhu Rong said, "When I was originally under Emperor Zhuanxu, I traveled the world as the God of Fire, and I also severed the Jianmu Tree, which connected Heaven and Earth. But after Zhuanxu passed away, I was appointed as one of the Four Pillars of Heaven, receiving the position of the Southern God of Fire, maintaining the foundations of the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* world."

"After all, Gonggong had smashed into Buzhou Mountain. Even though it was later repaired, it wasn't as stable as before."

"But over a thousand years ago, and again six hundred years ago, certain things happened in the human world twice in a row."

"The second time, the connection between the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* world and the human world's fate was directly severed. The energy surged in reverse, carrying the filth between the human world and the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* world, causing a backlash against me... If I were in the free body I had during Emperor Zhuanxu's era, I wouldn't have been afraid. I would have been able to burn away all this filth with flames."

"But as one of the Four Pillars, bearing the weight of the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, I couldn't act rashly. Otherwise, if the human world and the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* world became unbalanced, there would definitely be huge changes."

"As a result, I was affected instead..."

"The subsequent slumber was also a consideration in this regard."

Zhu Rong reached out his hand. Within the original golden-red flames, there were still wisps of cold, filthy matter entangled, which were the impurities of the earth's meridians from the human world and the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*. Zhu Rong was entangled by these things, which was equivalent to bearing the negative aspects of the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*. Even the Fire God would be affected.

To put it simply, even if the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* world and the human world were separated, they were still connected by the earth's meridians and fate. And over six hundred years ago, the earth's meridians and fate were severed, which was equivalent to cutting the rope connecting the two worlds in the middle. The tightened rope would spring back towards the human world and the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, causing an impact.

Over six hundred years ago... the Ming Dynasty.

The impact on the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* world was borne by the Four Pillars of Heaven.

The human world was different. The human world didn't have the Four Pillars of Heaven, so the impact would fall entirely on the human world. Could this be the reason for the further severing of spiritual energy in the human world?

And over a thousand years ago, Wei Yuan suddenly thought of the scene he saw when he found the Jade Dragon Pendant in the Huai River...

In an instant, Wei Yuan's body suddenly disappeared.

Xingtian roared, "My axe!!!"

Then he was about to grab Wei Yuan.

Zhu Rong's aura was grand and righteous. He waved his hand, and flames rose up, as if he was reborn in fire, calmly stopping Xingtian:

"War God Xingtian."

"Your opponent is me."

Apart from close combat, Fire God Zhu Rong's other powers were all above the War God's. So Xingtian could only watch helplessly as Wei Yuan disappeared. His 'eyes' turned red, and he was filled with grief and indignation:

"I'm saying, my axe!!!"

Others steal things across countries, but you steal things across realms!

Thief, stop!

Don't run!

…………………………

The Human Realm.

Xiang Hongbao completed the complicated connection and finally shouted loudly, "The god said, let there be fire!"

The mark left by Feng Si Yu between his eyebrows lit up like a flame.

Xiang Hongyu was mopping the floor with a mop.

His cleanliness was extremely serious. He glanced at his younger brother, who was acting like a shaman, helpless. The old men of the Daqin Jingjiao sect in the distance were also squatting, holding a handful of melon seeds, chatting and watching the show.

Xiang Hongbao's face felt a little embarrassed.

The old fogeys' faces were much thicker than this young man's.

Xiang Hongbao took a deep breath and shouted with the loudest voice he could muster, "The god said, let there be fire!"

Xiang Hongyu sighed and said, "Don't..."

Before he could finish speaking, a burst of raging flames rose out of thin air, with a vast aura emanating from it, making people palpitate. The older generation, who were chatting, stood up abruptly, their eyes almost popping out—did this kid really manage to do it?

Xiang Hongbao was overjoyed and smug.

Sure enough, gods exist!

And when the flames dissipated.

A familiar face appeared before his eyes.

The smile on Xiang Hongbao's face suddenly froze.

"Zhenyao Museum Curator Wei Yuan?"

Xiang Hongyu, who was next to him, tensed up when he heard this name.

………………

Wei Yuan's eyes blurred. When the surrounding firelight dissipated, he grabbed a handful and preserved a wisp of Zhu Rong's aura. Then he breathed a sigh of relief, looked around at his current situation, first saw Xiang Hongbao, nodded in response, and then saw a tall young man.

And that young man also saw Wei Yuan at the same time.

Both of them felt a piercing pain in their hearts at the same time.

Both of them almost simultaneously recalled the scene of a general in armor piercing their hearts with a spear.

Two bursts of baleful aura erupted instinctively at the same time.

"Overlord Xiang Yu?!"

"Quanzhou Wei Yuan?!"

ps: Today's second update...

The brief prelude of the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* is over. I hope everyone will like the following chapters.