Chapter 122: The Yin-Yang Pool (Third Update)

After registering his information at the small square, Cao Chengyu was issued a set of mining tools. The members of the Black Emperor Sect were surprisingly polite, offering instructions on how to safely extract blood crystal ore.

It was no wonder commoners were so easily seduced. In this world, people feared comparison. While other immortals who flew about might kill you at the slightest displeasure, the Black Emperor Sect took the time to teach you. It was truly absurd that in this day and age, the righteous path behaved like the demonic path, and the demonic path acted like the righteous.

Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts aside. He had come for the exotic fire; everything else was irrelevant. He warned himself silently.

Cao Chengyu followed a group of people down into the mine. There were no rigid production quotas; in fact, the supervisors repeatedly emphasized that human life was more important, telling them to rest if they were tired, with their pay still guaranteed. This attitude moved the common folk to tears. As the saying went, a scholar would die for one who truly understood him. If the master treated them with such kindness, they would surely not fail him.

The enthusiasm for mining soared to unprecedented heights; everyone was eager to work without pause. The supervisors smiled in satisfaction, and the people smiled back, equally content. Anyone who tried to shirk their duties or act lazily didn't even need the supervisors to intervene; their own companions would surround them, beating them while shouting.

"You brat, I knew you were no good! Daring to slack off? I'll kill you!"

"That's right! This guy lives next door to me and does nothing but gamble all day. It’s a waste for someone like him to serve the Black Emperor Sect."

"Brother Fang, you can't say that. Serving the Black Emperor Sect is an honor for all of us. He is only like this because the Black Emperor Deity is merciful."

"Right! Long live the Black Emperor Sect!"

"Long live the Black Emperor Sect!"

"Long live the Black Emperor Sect!"

Cao Chengyu glanced in their direction but walked silently toward the depths of the mine. Once brainwashed to this extent, unless they woke up on their own, outsiders could not save them; they would only be viewed as enemies. The person behind the Black Emperor Sect had mastered the manipulation of the human heart to an extreme degree.

Feeling a bit uneasy around such people, he hurried deeper into the mine, focused solely on finding the Yin-Polar Yang Fire. He only took action when he encountered blood crystal ore exposed on the surface, cutting away the entire section to process later. As Cao Chengyu continued deeper, the tunnels were numerous, yet he could feel a general downward trend. With the help of the fingertip gourd—a jade vessel used to store fire fragments—he could sense that the Yin-Polar Yang Fire was drawing near, and the air began to fluctuate between sweltering heat and biting cold.

Deep underground, far beyond the reach of commoners, no one could adapt to the environment of absolute darkness. As for cultivators, who would bother mining in a mere second-grade vein? First and second-grade veins could be worked by commoners; only third-grade veins and above required the assistance of a cultivator's magical power.

Finally, after descending another thousand meters, a hazy spiritual light emerged from the depths. Mists swirled, and Cao Chengyu felt as if he were inside a steamer. One second, it was as if the scorching sun god had unfurled his parasol; the next, it was the bitter, shivering chill of the north wind in early winter. Such alternating extremes would likely be too much for even a cultivator with a perfected Dao body to endure.

Leaping down from the cavern, he found the underground space unexpectedly vast. The first thing that caught his eye was a pool of water interwoven with black and white, colors that did not merge. Wisps of black and white were distributed chaotically, and a ball of silver flame floated in the center of the pool.

"The Yin-Polar Yang Fire!"

Cao Chengyu was overjoyed. Just as he was about to step forward, the sight of the black-and-white pool made him pause. According to the *Hundred Solutions of Immortal Cultivation*, a pool of black and white water containing the "Double Fish" spirit was a Taiji Yin-Yang Pool, capable of seizing the creation of heaven and earth. However, a pool with distinct, unmerged strands of black and white was merely an "Yin-Yang Pool." These were usually byproducts of certain Yin-Yang treasures and had the effect of forcibly altering one's Dao body. Contact could lead to gender inversion or the accidental birth of a "Heavenly Being" attribute.

Recalling this, he stopped in his tracks. He couldn't afford to lose his "little Chengyu"—if that were gone, he would never be able to open high-level treasure chests again. A "Heavenly Being" born this way was essentially a hermaphrodite, lacking both reproductive and excretory functions. While they possessed a natural Dao body and were born as seeds for immortal cultivation, he had no interest in such a transformation.

Thinking it over, he took out the fingertip jade gourd that stored the fire fragments. It had a vast internal space and high resistance to exotic fires; storing the pool water should be no problem. He acted immediately.

Cao Chengyu recited a mantra, extending his index and little fingers while curling the other three into his palm. Pressing both fingers against the base of the gourd, he channeled his magical power and pulled sharply. Instantly, the liquid from the Yin-Yang Pool was drawn out in a thin line, rushing wildly into the jade gourd. The fire fragments stored inside acted as a stabilizer, and their shared origin calmed the boiling pool water. At this rate, the entire pool would be drained before long.

But things always change. It wasn't the human element, but the fire itself. As an ancient exotic fire, the Yin-Polar Yang Fire was already immensely powerful and had developed a faint sentience. If it progressed further, it could potentially evolve into a natural spirit like the Heavenly Scent Cat. Its strength was likely beyond what even an ordinary Purple Mansion cultivator could subdue or refine.

The disturbance in the Yin-Yang Pool had infuriated the flame. The silver fire flared violently, and a giant fist of flame, radiating intense heat, surged toward Cao Chengyu. Seeing this, he hurriedly tossed the jade gourd into the air, keeping it aloft with his magical power, while five azure fire dragons appeared before him—a new version of his Five Elements Dragon Control Technique. The azure color belonged to the water element; having integrated the Water-Viscera Deity, the dragons carried an inherent aura of the Profound Abyss, similar in nature to the Yin-Polar Yang Fire.

The five fire dragons collided with the silver fist with a thunderous boom. A blast of energy swept outward, causing the entire cavern to shake and rocks to rain down. Cao Chengyu’s expression darkened; such a commotion would easily attract unwanted attention.

He went all out. As the Five Elements rotated, five-colored fire dragons erupted from his five fingers, forming a self-contained system that bore down upon the flame. Stomping his right foot, he unleashed the Qimen Formation simultaneously, subduing the Yin-Polar Yang Fire in a single breath. The five-colored dragons formed pillars of light that trapped the flame, while the Qimen Formation prevented it from controlling its power, making it impossible to break the seal. The Five Elements Dragon Control Technique seemed to have potential for developing into a sealing art—a thought to explore in the future. But for now, opportunity waited for no one.

Cao Chengyu lunged into the cage, letting the Yin-Polar Yang Fire attach itself to his body. His hempen clothes instantly turned to ash, and the spell concealing his appearance was burned away, revealing his true form. He channeled his "Fire-Devouring Glazed Body"—a technique he had named himself after merging the ability to consume exotic fires, strengthen the physical body, and forge a special glazed form—to its limit. At the same time, he swallowed several Great Five Elements Pills to bolster his inner organ deities, protecting his internal organs from being incinerated.

The bizarre, hot-and-cold nature of the exotic fire caused his skin to be charred like coal one moment and covered in white frost the next.