Qin Ruqing replied honestly, “When I entered the fire attribute rules cave, I accidentally wandered into a historical gap and saw an ancient female cultivator wielding such fire to decapitate a demon king, which left a deep impression on me.”

And she had coveted that Purple Lightning Thundercloud Fire for a long time.

Fusheng understood and said, “That female cultivator was named Qin Shaozhen, also known as Immortal Venerable Shaozhen. She was one of my most capable generals.”

Qin Shaozhen… That surname “Qin” made Qin Ruqing involuntarily purse her lips.

As if seeing through her thoughts, Fusheng smiled. “Though she bore the surname Qin, she has no connection to your ancestors.”

How embarrassing!

He had seen right through her…

That’s how it is with people who read too many novels; their brains can’t help but make strange associations.

Just a moment ago, she had seriously considered whether this Immortal Venerable Shaozhen might be related to her Qin family’s ancestors, and that perhaps her family had some ancient heritage.

But it wasn’t true!

Qin Ruqing forced herself to purse her lips and sat even more upright.

Thanks to her thick skin, her expression didn’t reveal the embarrassment she felt inside.

Fusheng continued, “Shaozhen, like you, was a cultivator skilled in fire techniques. Her mastery over fire was unparalleled in her generation, and she was also the contractor of Purple Lightning Thundercloud Fire. After her fall, the fire was captured by the Immortal Tomb’s barrier. Because it had a previous master, it could be obediently sealed by the Immortal Tomb. Otherwise, it would have taken you a long time to find your second heavenly fire.”

When Qin Ruqing heard “your second heavenly fire,” she knew that the next owner of the Purple Lightning Thundercloud Fire would indeed be her.

She hadn’t expected that her brief glimpse back then would turn out to be a destined encounter with Purple Lightning Thundercloud Fire.

Fusheng then said, “Your immediate task is to subdue and refine the Purple Lightning Thundercloud Fire. Heavenly fires cannot normally coexist, but because you possess the Qinglian Dao Physique, you have the potential to attempt this. However, even so, it remains extremely dangerous… I will summon the remnant soul of Shaozhen to protect you.”

Summon Shaozhen’s remnant soul to protect you…

Such a casually spoken sentence, yet how could Qin Ruqing not recognize the weight it carried?

Wasn’t this essentially like having an expert in the field personally safeguard her progress?

The benefits were so good that the first thought that popped into Qin Ruqing’s mind was:

There must be a catch here…

But then she remembered this was the Dao Zun speaking.

A figure of such stature, even if they had an agenda, would lay it out clearly.

There was no need for any tricks or schemes with someone like her.

Qin Ruqing’s initial shock turned into joy, a joy that felt as sweet and moving as melting ice cream on her tongue.

Her Qin family had always followed a path of counterattack and revenge.

She had been playing the role of a small figure leveling up, which meant she had never experienced such direct benefits of being a second-generation immortal before.

Now, she was finally tasting it.

It was truly delightful!

Qin Ruqing didn’t feign modesty or refuse any benefits offered by the experts. Whatever benefits she was given, she would gladly accept.

Without good equipment, how could she go to the Sixth Domain to seek the Dao Ancestor’s legacy?

Let alone saving the world.

Qin Ruqing immediately performed a grand bow and said brightly, “Thank you, Dao Sovereign!”

Fusheng nodded in satisfaction and performed a complex hand seal.

Soon, a stone tablet in a certain part of the Immortal Tomb lit up, and a graceful and tall figure emerged.

“She has arrived. You can consult her about any questions regarding fire attribute rules. Once you have refined the Purple Lightning Thundercloud Fire, I will officially help you advance your Dao Physique.”

With that, his figure wavered like rippling water and disappeared.

Replacing the Dao Sovereign’s figure was a poised and elegant female immortal.

It was Immortal Venerable Shaozhen.

When Qin Ruqing looked up, Shaozhen cast a dazzling glance, meeting Qin Ruqing’s eyes.

In Qin Ruqing’s astonished gaze, the ancient and strikingly beautiful Immortal Venerable Shaozhen curled her red lips into a smile, and her voice, as cold as ice and snow, rang out:

“Are you the little girl whom Dao Sovereign personally asked me to teach?”

“Do you understand that merging two heavenly fires requires the readiness to risk your life?”

Her opening words had a commanding presence!

Qin Ruqing’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Previously, she had only seen a fleeting glimpse of Shaozhen.

Today, seeing her in person made her realize how extraordinary she was—a queen-level figure with both coldness and allure.

She admired her for a long time but didn’t dare make any reckless moves.

She clasped her hands and said respectfully:

“Immortal Venerable, I have had quite a bit of experience between life and death. As for how to merge the heavenly fires, please give me your direct instructions!”

“Oh? You have quite a bit of experience between life and death?” Shaozhen’s perfectly shaped lips curved upwards. “Do you dare speak like this in front of me? Do you know the consequences if you lie?”

Before Qin Ruqing could explain, Shaozhen raised her hand, and a beam of light struck Qin Ruqing.

Qin Ruqing instinctively tried to dodge but remembered something and restrained her body’s instinct.

As expected, the light beam was not harmful but seemed like a gentle probe.

After a moment, Immortal Venerable Shaozhen’s eyes flashed with a different light, and she said, “No wonder Dao Sovereign values you so much. I’ve already guessed your identity.”

Qin Ruqing merely hummed in acknowledgment but didn’t speak further.

As for her identity, she wasn’t concerned about such empty titles.

Being a Dao Ancestor’s heir didn’t guarantee the existence of the legacy; even the Dao Physique still needed further development.

If she flaunted such an unverified status now, she might not even know how she died later.

It was better to focus on tangible benefits.

Right now, she wanted to learn from this “professional expert” who had mastered fire techniques to perfection, successfully refine the Purple Lightning Thundercloud Fire, and then prepare for the Dao Body advancement.

She didn’t want to think about anything else.

Qin Ruqing sat up straight and assumed a posture of waiting for instructions.

Immortal Venerable Shaozhen, having dropped her earlier aloof demeanor, got straight to the point.

“Little girl, show me a set of techniques using the heavenly fire within you.” Shaozhen gestured towards the empty space in front.

Qin Ruqing complied.

She raised her hand and hesitated for a moment over which technique to use.

Then she remembered something, her eyes flashed, and she made a decision.

She quickly formed a complex hand seal.

As she completed the seal, Immortal Venerable Shaozhen seemed to sense something and narrowed her eyes, observing Qin Ruqing intently.

Qin Ruqing seemed oblivious.

As the final seal was completed, golden flames slowly coalesced into a lightning dragon above her body.

The lightning dragon, imbued with wind and thunder power, charged fiercely at an invisible spatial barrier.

When the technique was successfully executed, Qin Ruqing thought:

To learn genuine skills from the expert, she had to find a way to capture her attention. Perhaps it was fate that she had glimpsed the Immortal Venerable’s stunning attack in the historical gap and secretly learned a technique.

Now that the master was present, she had to “show what she had just learned.”

The lightning dragon she summoned caused the space to tremble violently.

Of course, it was only a tremor and soon returned to calm.

The space, located deep within the Immortal Tomb’s barrier, was already impressive for Qin Ruqing to cause such a disturbance.

Immortal Venerable Shaozhen’s beautiful eyes flickered with surprise, but her voice remained cold, sounding more like an interrogation:

“Where did you learn this technique, which was created by me?”

Qin Ruqing thought, here comes the drama.

Scheming is certainly possible, but how to scheme is a skill in itself.

Qin Ruqing’s technique was: state all goals straightforwardly.

She listed the conditions and process clearly, leaving the final choice to the other party.

Immediately performing a deep bow, she began with, “Immortal Venerable, forgive me!”

“I once glimpsed the scene where Immortal Venerable used this technique to decapitate a demon king in the historical gap. I was deeply shocked and respectful, which is why I couldn’t help but secretly imitate it, trying to recreate the Immortal Venerable’s divine ability.”

“However, my talent is poor, and I can’t display even one ten-thousandth of this technique’s power, nor do I have the method.”

“When I saw that the honored one pointed out you to guide me, I was overjoyed and couldn’t help but use this technique. Though it may be showing off, I sincerely hope to receive your guidance!”

“Please teach me, Immortal Venerable!”