(GL) The Supporting Female Character Strategy Manual - Chapter 49

Xiang Tian was bombarded by fireballs wrapped in wind until he ran around clutching his head. All his puppets emerged but were intercepted halfway by the little golden dragon hiding at the bottom of the water. The other demonic cultivators no longer dared approach the center of the storm. Each took to their heels and fled. What had just been an orderly Demon Bone Island was now a complete mess.

Clang!

The phoenix’s cry rang out. The dragon’s roar refused to fall behind. Dragon roars and phoenix cries served as accompaniment, cheerfully echoing throughout the sky above Demon Bone Island.

Jian Tongyao pictured the scene from a hundred years ago. The two little ones had faced each other on Lingjiu Mountain, shouting until their faces turned red and their necks stiffened. She couldn’t help but laugh aloud. “Please forgive them. My children have rather quick tempers.”

The phoenix danced gracefully through the air. The little golden dragon refused to be outdone as he churned up tremendous waves in the water. For once, the two rarely opposed each other directly and displayed perfect coordination in facing the enemy together. Xiang Tian was already struggling immensely to deal with Qian Wanyu’s fierce flames. Various puppets and substitute dolls were cut in half one after another. Otherwise, they were burned by the fierce flames until not a speck remained.

Qian Wanyu’s form suddenly paused slightly in midair.

“Master, there’s something below calling to me.”

Jian Tongyao swept the obstructive Xiang Tian aside with a flick of her sleeve. Through the clearly visible water surface, she saw sparkling starlike radiance. It was extremely beautiful.

“It’s the Skyfire.”

Watching the two master and disciple dive headfirst into the water, Xiang Tian rushed frantically after them.

“The Skyfire is an object that came from beyond the heavens. It’s incompatible with your attributes. You absolutely cannot force it. Otherwise—”

Qian Wanyu seized upon a single key phrase. “Master, I have never seen your true form before.”

Jian Tongyao offered a comforting gesture and pulled Qian Wanyu back to the surface after a moment of consideration. They encountered Xiang Tian’s worried expression and froze in surprise. He stiffened completely before retreating three steps.

“Give me the Fantian Branch.”

Xiang Tian glanced at Qian Wanyu standing beside Jian Tongyao. He hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

“I will be honest with you for the sake of the affection you once showed me. Everyone who sought the Skyfire turned to ash and vanished. Even I failed.”

He gritted his teeth as he tore his clothes apart. The sound of ripping fabric filled the air when his collar split to reveal his bare chest.

Jian Tongyao felt her vision dim while the warmth of his skin reflected in her eyes with an odd sense of comfort.

Qian Wanyu saw everything clearly. Xiang Tian’s fair chest resembled drought-stricken land scorched by fierce flames. His skin looked cracked like plots of divided territory. Red and black patterns occupied his entire body with a faint upward trend.

“Alright, put your clothes back on immediately.”

Jian Tongyao pondered the situation thoughtfully. This cannon fodder junior brother could not have lived long in the previous life, even without Ling Yan. “What happened?”

Xiang Tian was the first person to discover the Skyfire. He had already ventured far down the path of demonic cultivation and fully embraced cunning treachery. He continuously tested the flames and piled up human lives only to discover that the Skyfire was not to be trifled with. Anyone who provoked it turned to ash right before his eyes.

He refused to give up the Skyfire despite the danger. He built Demon Bone Island to continue his testing for a hundred years until he reached his current state.

“Those who cultivate fire spirits still have no way to subdue the Skyfire. You cannot succeed.”

Jian Tongyao simply stated, “Give me the Fantian Branch.”

Xiang Tian flew into a rage. “Is it worth paying such a great price for this phoenix?”

Jian Tongyao extended her hand directly. “The Fantian Branch.”

Xiang Tian had no choice. He flipped his palm to reveal an extremely ordinary branch. He stroked it gently with reluctance before handing it over.

“I hold it against my chest whenever my wounds burn unbearably. The pain gradually lessens. Senior Sister, there is only one Fantian Branch. You two should use it wisely.”

Perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope if they cultivated for another ten million years.

Jian Tongyao advised, “Listen to this piece of advice. Evacuate Demon Bone Island and do not come back again.”

Xiang Tian watched helplessly as they ignored his warnings to plunge headfirst into the water. They disappeared like two fish in the blink of an eye while the magnificent water surface quickly returned to calm.

“Master, is this the Fantian Branch?”

“Yes. The Fantian Branch stabilizes the soul and dispels inner demons when it burns completely. We can expel Ling Yan’s soul from your body by taking advantage of Nirvana with the help of this branch.”

Jian Tongyao instinctively refused to let her Xiao Jiu devour Ling Yan’s soul. The mere thought of that scene made her stomach twist with pain.

The Fantian Branch looked unremarkable since holding it felt like having a small wooden stick. Nine small segments marked the branch upon careful counting.

Qian Wanyu commented after touching it lightly, “That bad bird Ling Yan calculated quite a good scheme for herself.”

Jian Tongyao sensed the Skyfire first. This flame from beyond the realm felt even more domineering than the fire spirit within magma. The water sources near it had already turned to boiling.

The little golden dragon had sneakily followed them and was now scalded red all over. He cried out in pain like a perfect boiled dragon awaiting seasoning. The erected sword bodies twisted in front of the Skyfire until they gradually dissipated.

Qian Wanyu widened her eyes. “I never expected you to lose to a tiny little flame, little golden dragon.”

What did she mean by a tiny little flame?

That was Skyfire. It was even more tormenting than Phoenix Fire.

The little golden dragon vomited blood until he was sick. Their attributes unfortunately clashed. He could still bully Qian Jiujiu previously by relying on her weakness, yet now his body curled into a ball before the enormous fire spirit. His golden dragon scales became brittle under the residual heat of the Skyfire and risked falling off at any moment.

Jian Tongyao rolled him up to casually fling him out of the water.

Dingding warned, “Xiao Jiu, you cannot get too close either.”

Qian Wanyu felt this island was somewhat obstructive, while a familiar voice seemed to call continuously to her ears. She focused on her search, unaware of Jian Tongyao’s deathly pale complexion beside her. She grabbed Jian Tongyao’s hand excitedly.

“Master, I can feel it. It belongs to me. It belongs only to me!”

Jian Tongyao felt her body’s endurance weakening as they approached the Skyfire. The permissions Dingding could open for her under Heaven’s supervision had reached the limit because the spiritual energy of the entire world was limited. Her body would likely collapse prematurely if they continued forward.

Dingding cautioned, “Xiao Jiu, you cannot go any further forward.”

Qian Wanyu touched her scalding skin. She encountered dense scales moving upward and spoke in surprise. “Master, you have changed.”

Dragon scales had grown on Jian Tongyao’s eternally unchanging face while her pupils became dark and deep. She curled her fingertips inward.

“It is this Master’s fault. I have frightened you.”

The expression on Qian Wanyu’s face was somewhat dazed before she quickly recovered.

“Master is actually such a beautiful dragon. Your true form must be even more stunning.”

This wave of rainbow flattery made Jian Tongyao’s heart bloom with joy. Her maiden heart still beat wildly even though she had lived for so many years.

“I thought you hated the dragon clan.”

The memory of the phoenix’s savage attack on the golden dragon remained etched in her mind years later. The depth of the phoenix’s contempt for dragonkind became painfully clear through that violent encounter. This understanding solidified her silent vow to conceal her true nature until the day Seventh Sister willingly embraced her identity.

Plans could never keep up with changes.

Qian Wanyu immediately shook her head. “I will not.”

She thought of the little golden dragon who had retreated halfway. She only then belatedly realized that Jian Tongyao’s body temperature was already frighteningly high.

“Master, I have already grown up. I must walk the next part of the road myself.”

Jian Tongyao felt very reluctant. The little phoenix who used to nestle in her arms seemed like she hadn’t grown up yet in her view. The phoenix had successfully undergone Nirvana once and could be considered a small adult, yet she still seemed to need protection in Jian Tongyao’s eyes.

“Do you feel the Skyfire poses a threat to you?”

“No. I feel it makes me even more intimate than the fire spirit in the Earth Core Flame.”

Jian Tongyao pondered thoughtfully. “If Ling Yan takes control of the body…”

Qian Wanyu responded, “I have trapped her in the room. She will die miserably if she wants to come out and cause trouble.”

Jian Tongyao gently stroked the other’s soft hair, leaving a trace of her consciousness. She could promptly bring Seventh Sister to safety in an emergency.

“Take the Fantian Branch. I think it will be very useful at a critical moment.”

Qian Wanyu stepped back one pace. She suddenly crashed forward just as she was about to leave. Her soft lips pressed against Jian Tongyao’s overly hot lips with force while she bit fiercely. She did not release until a bloody scent rushed into both their nostrils. Her finger rubbed the wound before she smiled.

“Leaving a mark. This is mine.”

Jian Tongyao replied, “Good. It is yours.”

The Skyfire existed as a palm-sized cluster. It was a small flame just as Qian Wanyu had described. Red and black interlaced to give birth to a thunderous crackling sensation. Living beings who approached were either scorched by fierce flames or struck by flickering silver light. This flame was filled with mystery.

Xiang Tian had spent several hundred years, nearly half his lifetime, exhausting himself in cultivating without comprehending the mysteries within this flame. He had instead tormented himself until he was covered in wounds.

Jian Tongyao chose a safe position to stay. Her dragon tail had already emerged uncontrollably from behind her. Waves rose again on the water’s surface with a light sweep.

Dingding said, “Xiao Jiu, phoenix Nirvana will dry up Demon Bone Island’s water. You had better leave.”

Jian Tongyao asked, “Dingding, our two attributes are incompatible like fire and water. Was it deliberate when you initially made arrangements for Seventh Sister and me?”

Dual cultivation was quite compatible. What should they do when it comes time to truly enjoy conjugal pleasures?

Dingding hesitated. “Initially, your wood spirit attribute and her dark spirit…”

The implication needed no further explanation. Things would naturally straighten when the boat reached the bridge. Jian Tongyao couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Yes. The hardships we encountered back then were far more numerous than those we face now. There is no difficulty that cannot be overcome.”

Qian Wanyu tilted her head to examine the Skyfire. The flame trembled twice. She was almost sure the voice inside had lured her to approach step by step. She heard Ling Yan’s ghostly wails in her mind just as she was about to extend her hand. Ling Yan woke from her slumber because she could not withstand the Skyfire’s roasting while imprisoned in the dark room.

“Ugly freak, are you insane? Those who touch the Skyfire die. I do not want to die a second time. Let me go quickly.”

Ling Yan had indeed stood at the pinnacle as the Daughter of Destiny in her previous life. No one knew she suffered deeply from backlash. She fearlessly set her sights on this Skyfire after learning how to eliminate the backlash force from Xiang Tian. The result was that her hand burned completely the moment she touched it.

She watched helplessly as she burned until only a trace of remnant soul remained. The pain was comparable to the suffering during Nirvana. The key fact was that the Skyfire could scorch a person’s soul. Just thinking of that sensation made Ling Yan tremble.

“Let me out.”

“You insisted on coming in yourself. Now you want to go out again. You are truly fickle.”

Qian Wanyu ignored the screaming. She extended her hand to grab hold of the Skyfire that everyone spoke of with dread.