The Yang fire is not a rare thing in the world. 

It is particularly effective against demons and evil spirits, and the major sects cannot avoid dealing with demon-slaying. They all have tools that can produce Yang fire. However, the flames produced by these tools are mixed and impure, not as pure as those produced by one's own vital energy.

Yin Ci once used a tool to ignite Yang fire and burned himself to ashes. The destructive power of Yang fire is extremely strong, and he thought he could die successfully, but he was reborn from a pile of ashes half a month later. 

It seems that impure Yang fire is not a viable option.

However, those who can produce pure Yang fire are rare. Even if someone can do it, their vital energy is limited due to the need for both internal and external cultivation. 

Even someone as strong as Shi Zhongyu can only cover her sword with fire at critical moments. Only someone like Shi Jingzhi, a monster with extraordinary internal strength, can turn himself into a charcoal ball that emits flames all over his body. 

If it's Shi Jingzhi, could he burn him to the point that there weren't even ashes remaining? 

The identity of his cheap master is a mystery, with a rare talent that only comes once in a hundred years. It just so happens that he is also searching for the same thing as him. Maybe this is the answer that fate has given him, the person destined to send him on his final journey. 

Yin Ci tightened his grip on Shi Jingzhi, his smile growing even wider. 

Despite Shi Jingzhi's exceptional abilities, he was still too young and vulnerable. At this moment, when he was exhausted and terrified, Yin Ci could easily drop a few hints and manipulate him in the palm of his hand. 

When people are at their most vulnerable, they are the easiest to control. As a former leader, Yin Ci is all too familiar with these tactics. 

"Shizun." Yin Ci's voice was soft, but carried an irresistible persuasion. 

The panic in Shi Jingzhi finally dissipated. He didn't relax his body, but just stared at the goddess's wound as it healed, forgetting to even tremble.

"Shizun?" Yin Ci's voice softened, but the strength in his hand increased.

Shi Jingzhi still didn't move.

Finally, the goddess recovered from the burning pain. The flesh statue sat upright in its original position, and the tree roots around it wriggled violently, shooting towards them from all directions. Yin Ci was about to defend with his sword, but another force suddenly erupted.

Shi Jingzhi turned the tables, tilting his body to twist Yin Ci's wrist. Then, his sword energy formed a circle, shattering the approaching tree roots. The golden flames danced on the sword, not as thick as before, but emitting a determined and desperate aura.

"Regeneration." Shi Jingzhi continued to stare at the flesh statue, murmuring to himself.

Yin Ci was caught off guard and was pulled into Shi Jingzhi's arms. 

So that's why, he shouldn't have spoken too soon. As soon as he heard "regeneration", this monster instantly transformed into prey. Shi Jingzhi completely forgot what fear was, with only focus and determination on his face.

Yin Ci didn't like this position of being controlled by others. He wanted to break free, but found himself firmly pressed against Shi Jingzhi's chest, unable to move.

"Ah Ci, you want the golden flames, I'll give them to you. But, you have to do it my way." The dominating aura reappeared.

"We're just one step away, Shizun. Delaying could lead to unexpected changes."

"I still have questions for her."

Yin Ci sneered inwardly. The goddess was not afraid of pain, and this fox might not have the ability to force her to speak. But since his master had made up his mind, he could wait a little longer.

There was no way around it, anyway he couldn't produce fire himself. 

With one hand tightly embracing Yin Ci, Shi Jingzhi swiftly drew his sword. As expected, the wounds on the flesh statue began to heal almost immediately after being burned by the golden flames. In a moment of desperation, the goddess summoned more tree roots, only to have them all blocked by Shi Jingzhi's golden flames.

The air was filled with the smell of damp wood burning. 

Yin Ci struggled to break free from his master's embrace, but eventually gave up. He didn't want to get hurt in front of Shi Jingzhi, and this seemed like the best course of action.

Shi Jingzhi's arm was brushed by the cold, jade-like fingertips of his disciple, occasionally guiding him towards a more suitable direction for his sword. The two of them, with their black hair intertwined, looked like a tangled mess of beauty.

Yin Ci only had his long white robe remaining, which was soaked through by the water in the pool, and also dampened Shi Jingzhi's front. The wet fabric, heated by their body temperatures, gave them a strange sensation of skin-to-skin contact. 

Shi Jingzhi's heartbeat was strong, and once he overcame his fear, his sword became steadier. 

Beams of light flashed and the statue's skin and bones scattered. The delicate folds of clothing twisted and the plump limbs curled up into a ball. 

Shi Jingzhi was patient as he peeled away layer by layer, like opening a flower bud. He shaved off the flesh with his hands and his eyes were glued to the new wounds, as if observing their healing speed. When he had seen enough, he changed from shaving to stabbing, and began to investigate the goddess's reaction. 

This playful behavior completely angered the goddess, and she shot a root spear at Shi Jingzhi. He didn't dodge, and the spear grazed his face, leaving a very fine line of blood. 

"You missed," he said. 

The goddess's voice was sharp: "Shut up." 

"Even immortals can make mistakes? Since you came down, I noticed that your hands have been shaking like an old woman's. So, the saying that immortals don't age only applies to their appearance?" 

"Shut up!" 

"The villagers of Xizhuang Village have been leaving nearby for many years, yet you only recently brought them here to make your flesh clay models, and even made them crooked and uneven...You didn't need a clay model for your previous sculptures, did you?

"Your old age and shaky hands prevented you from making a smooth sculpture, but you couldn't bear to give up your position. That's why you used devised a plan using Bai Wei and Ah Lu's situation to destroy Xizhuang Village and gain a large number of mortal subjects to practice on." 

The goddess was clearly struck in a sore spot, her chest heaving and the flesh god statue slightly shaking. "You, you bastard!" 

"You're not an immortal," concluded Shi Jingzhi as he saw the other's reaction and swung his sword. 

"Given the circumstances, you must be just an ordinary person who drinks immortal wine regularly. Even if your appearance doesn't age, your insides only age slower than the average person. Are you doing all of this just to get the immortal wine from the Immortal Gathering?"

The goddess's breath caught in her throat, and for the first time, she showed a completely angry expression.

Unfortunately, her anger didn't help her, but instead made her attacks lose their coherence. Within the burning roots of the tree, the flesh statue of the god was sliced more and more by Shi Jingzhi, gradually losing its shape.

As the statue shattered, the attack of the roots also weakened. 

The goddess saw that the situation was hopeless and immediately abandoned her statue to escape. However, anger clouded her mind and she had already missed the best opportunity. Now, it was too late for the goddess to mold a new body for herself. 

Her flesh gradually oozed out, forming a pile of soft mud resembling a slug. She struggled to cling to a tree root and tried to climb up.

But the merciless Hanging Shadow Sword pierced through her lower back, nailing her to the tree root.

Shi Jingzhi finally released Yin Ci and smoothed his disciple's long hair, his eyes dim and unclear. Yin Ci was about to say something when he turned around and staggered towards the goddess alone.

The goddess was too weak to be angry and gave a bitter smile like ashes. "Have you not asked enough? The flesh statue is destroyed, and I have already given up on life. Whatever you want to ask... don't delude yourself." 

Shi Jingzhi treated her words like air. As he approached, leaning forward on his flagpole, he whispered a few words to the goddess. At first, she remained indifferent, but as she listened, her expression gradually changed. 

Anger dissipated, replaced by fear in her eyes.

After a moment, the goddess trembled and spoke up. "What do you want to know?" she asked.

Shi Jingzhi replied, "What is this flesh statue, and why can it regenerate?"

"I don't know what it is," the goddess said, "I only follow orders. It requires someone with immortal fate as its raw material, refining and polishing it until it takes shape. Once it's complete, someone will come to claim it. As for regeneration...this is the statue of the Divine Emperor Wu, naturally protected by his blessings, enjoying boundless power."

Shi Jingzhi clicked his tongue in disappointment, and the goddess shuddered. 

"I have been sculpting statues here for decades, but my knowledge is limited. I only connected my body to the statue to borrow the power of the god." 

Seeing that the goddess did not seem to be lying, Yin Ci's mood became complicated. 

What did Shi Jingzhi say to her? 

"What about the giant tree root statue?" Shi Jingzhi asked again. 

"It is a miracle and has been here since the beginning." 

"You really live in confusion... One last question, do you really have a spiritual medicine for all diseases?" 

The goddess's eyes suddenly lit up with hope. "Yes, I do! No matter what illness you have, it can guarantee you a peaceful death. As long as you release me, I swear to get it for you. I promise you won't be harmed by the Three-Day Injury, as long as you never leave here..." 

"Never leave here?" 

"The spiritual medicine only works here." The goddess gritted her teeth. 

Shi Jingzhi shook his head gently. "I understand. Unfortunately, it's not what I'm looking for." 

He took a step back, his calm settling like dust.

Then he took out his flag. The flag burned with a final burst of golden fire, flames still flickering but still scorching.

"No!" The goddess's face turned pale. "You promised me, you promised me! You can't--"

Shi Jingzhi smiled slightly and burned her body to ashes, leaving only a head screaming silently. Before the head died, he casually threw it into the lake.

The entire forbidden area fell silent for a moment. 

In the next moment, all the white-clothed monsters on the cave wall trembled and went crazy, breaking free from their chains and throwing themselves into the lake. 

Yin Ci looked down and saw the monsters tearing off their wrappings and melting into a pile of flesh. The people of Yuanxian Village and Xizhuang Village merged together, tightly wrapping the head. 

Shi Jingzhi didn't look back, he just put down the flag and stared at the partially destroyed flesh statue. It was burned and broken, but still alive, lying there in ignorance. 

"Ah Ci, I know what you want to ask." Shi Jingzhi stared at the flesh statue, "I just guessed her desires and went against them. 

"She is not afraid of pain or death, and is willing to live in seclusion here. She does not desire longevity, wealth, or power. When I attacked her, she did not even bother to defend her face. She does not seek eternal youth. But in this world, everyone has their own desires." 

Shi Jingzhi slowly turned around. 

"She is willing to do such crazy things because she is afraid of growing old and becoming powerless. She fears being alive but unable to do anything, unable to see or taste, constantly imprisoned by illness and pain, and even unable to move. 

"So I told her that we will not kill her. Instead, I will blend her into minced meat and imprison her at the bottom of a pond. As an immortal, her consciousness will surely last longer than that of an ordinary person... In this world, there is nothing more painful than wanting to die but being unable to. 

Yin Ci's heart grew cold at his words. 

It turned out that his previous suspicions were all in his head. Shi Jingzhi showed no reaction to his true identity, proving that he wasn't the little mute boy he had raised. 

And judging from Shi Jingzhi's methods, his cruelty was no less than his own. This person was not easy to manipulate, and even though he had already broken through the window paper, he couldn't let his guard down in the future.

Yin Ci changed the subject in a timely manner: "What's the deal with the white-clothed monsters?"

"When I hadn't come up yet, I also tried touching the flesh mud. As your master, I need to know what you've encountered, right?" Shi Jingzhi's expression remained unchanged. "Afterwards, I came into contact with Bai Wei."

Fox Shi fiddled with the flagpole in his hand, his tone complex.

"I told him, no, I told everyone who still had consciousness, that I would throw the goddess down later. As long as they obtain her divine body, they can return to their original state." 

Yin Ci narrowed his eyes. "Did the goddess tell you this?" 

Did this person already have such a murderous plan before climbing up here? 

"I made it up, they have no hope," Shi Jingzhi smirked. "The goddess had a moment of despair, can't they have a moment of hope? Isn't that better? Come on, Ah Ci, we can destroy this place now." 

His plans were completely disrupted, and Yin Ci's face was displeased. "Shizun, destroying the forbidden area is not a problem. It's just that if the goddess's remains are gone, we will have more trouble when we leave." 

The goddess's recovery was getting slower and slower due to the repeated burning of the Yang fire. However, before he could finish his experiment, Shi Jingzhi took matters into his own hands and directly destroyed the remains. 

The flesh god statue was still standing, but it was on the verge of collapse and showed no signs of regeneration. 

It was as if it had been abandoned. 

While Yin Ci was lost in thought, Shi Jingzhi stared at him intently. 

The Ghost Tomb was too dark and chaotic. This was the first time Shi Jingzhi had seriously looked at his disciple. 

The white clothes on Yin Ci were tattered and pitifully stuck to his pale skin. Yin Ci had a cold temperament, but if one only looked at his facial features, he could be considered refined and flawless. 

At this moment, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed, his ink-black hair was disheveled, and he exuded a strange sense of vulnerability, making people unable to resist the urge to destroy him. 

But he was strong enough to make others fearful. 

Shi Jingzhi laughed again, "The solution is simple, just satisfy people's desires. As for you... Ah Ci, when we get out, I will ask you about it." 

Yin Ci suddenly had an epiphany, realizing a belated truth - when Shi Jingzhi smiled like a fox, it was never a good sign. 

At the entrance to the forbidden area, the morning light was just beginning to shine. 

Sister Mian waited for her daughter. With her deformed arm, Yin Deng ran out of the tree hole and threw herself into her mother's arms, crying loudly. Most of the villagers crowded near the entrance, waiting for the remaining people to come out.

The goddess did not appear.

However, the guest with the enchanting face did come out, holding another person in his arms. The person was dressed in white, with closed eyes, and looked like a carved jade, as if unconscious.

Shi Jingzhi looked solemn. "I am the envoy of the Divine Emperor Wu, here to rescue the gods in this place. The goddess is actually a demon, imprisoning the gods in a forbidden area, using living people to perform evil rituals... This place has been controlled by demons for hundreds of years. The Divine Emperor Wu cannot bear it, so he sent me here."

He smiled at the villagers.

Behind him, golden flames rose to the sky, devouring everything in the forbidden place. 

At the bottom of the forbidden area, in the depths of the flesh mud, the half-melted head of the goddess stared with round eyes, silently cursing.

[Foolish creatures, there are indeed gods in this world...]

[Indeed, there are gods in this world. I have seen them... true immortals who can make the heavens and earth change color and bring calamity to all living beings...]

[Disrespecting ghosts and gods will surely bring retribution, surely bring retribution...]

Amidst the raging flames, the pool water evaporated, the flesh mud turned to ash. The stone lotus shattered into dust, and the withered lotus leaves turned into flying debris. 

In the forbidden area, there were no more white-clad monsters or flesh-made statues. Only the giant statue made of tree roots stood calmly in its place, slightly bowing its head, with a pile of ash at its feet.

The golden light of the Yang fire shone on its face.

The features gathered by the tree roots were still delicate, neither sad nor happy, without anger or resentment.

The author has something to say:

As for why the goddess didn't use medicine to save herself... aging is not a disease and cannot be treated. 

Demon Lord Yin attempted to put a collar on the fox, but ended up getting bitten instead. 

Do you remember what your master said about teaching you a lesson? Well, that lesson is already on its way and will be delivered soon.