"Stir up trouble? Stir up whose?" Jiang Shengyu looked puzzled at Xiao Hongchen's remark. "You must have enemies in Star Luo City?"
"This is my first time on the former Douluo Continent. I don't have enemies here," Xiao Hongchen replied, shaking his head.
"So what's the plan?" Jiang Shengyu pressed on.
"Revenge for Yuhao! He had beef with the White Tiger Duke, right? I checked—Duke Dai Hao is at the tournament, not his mansion. No one powerful is home. Let's burn it down!" Xiao Hongchen whispered after ensuring no one was listening.
Jiang Shengyu halted and frowned. "But the White Tiger Duke, Dai Hao, is a Title Douluo. You want to burn down his estate?"
"So what? I checked. He's hosting the Soul Master Tournament, not around. We just need your Ultimate Fire to ignite it—we'll be gone before anyone notices." Xiao Hongchen slapped Jiang Shengyu on the shoulder reassuringly.
Seeing Jiang Shengyu's exasperated expression, Xiao Hongchen casually continued, "Come on—don't you want revenge for Yuhao? Are you even his cousin?"
"Are you absolutely sure Dai Hao's not home?" Jiang Shengyu asked again.
"Of course," Xiao Hongchen nodded.
All right. Let's go," Jiang Shengyu replied firmly, starting off.
"Wait!" exclaimed Xiao Hongchen, calling him back.
Jiang Shengyu turned. "What's wrong?"
"You're going the wrong way. It's over there." Xiao Hongchen pointed.
After a moment, Jiang Shengyu relented and followed Xiao Hongchen. Soon they reached the White Tiger Duke's sprawling mansion. Xiao Hongchen whispered, "So… where's the ignition point?"
Jiang Shengyu studied the layout and pointed to a corner. "Start from there."
Evading the guards at the main gate, they slipped to the mansion's back corner. Xiao Hongchen collected dry hay to use as kindling. "Is this enough?"
"Enough," confirmed Jiang Shengyu. With his spirit skills—Vacuous Consumption Flame (OC) and Pure Lotus Demon Fire (OC)—both Ultimate Fire-level (OC), he could ignite the estate with ease.
He held out both hands, summoning the dual flames: black and teal. The bi-colored fire-lotus hovered, stable for now, radiating intense heat without burning the hay.
"Isn't that the same trick you used on me? What's it called?" Xiao Hongchen asked curiously.
Jiang Shengyu smiled. "Buddha's Wrathful Lotus."
"Buddha? Like… someone named Tang Lian's dark weapon? Why Buddha?" Xiao Hongchen squinted.
"That you don't need to know," Jiang Shengyu replied with a shrug—religion is complicated, and best kept vague.
He set the lotus atop the hay. It glowed steadily, not erupting yet. Perfect.
"Let's go!" he whispered, grabbing Xiao Hongchen and retreating to their hiding spot.
Moments later, the lotus began to destabilize, leaking heat onto the hay. Then—BOOM! A massive explosion rocked the corner of the White Tiger mansion. The black and teal flames rose in a violent storm, demolishing walls and devouring nearby buildings.
Screams erupted as servants scrambled to extinguish the blaze. But no water or soul-light could quench this otherworldly fire.
"True to its Ultimate Fire name—those soul masters can't touch this," Xiao Hongchen smirked at the chaos.
Jiang Shengyu waved him off. "It wasn't your fire lighting it. Why so proud?"
"Brothers?" Xiao Hongchen grinned, patting Jiang Shengyu's shoulder.
Soon, a figure flew in from Star Luo City—the White Tiger Duke himself. Alarmed, Jiang Shengyu whispered urgently, "He's back! He's a Title Douluo—can't fight that. Go!"
He activated his ninth-rank soul device, "Phantom Sea Sojourn (OC)," vanishing in an instant—twins splitting smoke.
Xiao Hongchen blinked, realization dawning. "You—!!" He cursed and bolted.
Up above, Duke Dai Hao watched from the sky. With a flick of his hand, he snuffed out the raging teal-black inferno, clearing half the estate with a single movement.
PS: Access advance (100+) chapters at