Chapter 141: Flamingo Decides to Retreat into Seclusion

A gentle warmth stirred—a sensation akin to the mild winter sun, yet without the slightest scorch—vastly different from the peril of the previous day. Overjoyed, Bai Mu summoned all his strength and gently tugged; the small, fiery petal flickering with embers was grasped firmly in his palm.

With a swift retraction of his hand, he carefully laid the Flame Lotus petal flat, scrutinizing it closely. The veins on the petal were clearly visible, and faint flames still danced upon the lotus, though it emitted no heat. The entire petal exuded a profound and distant aura, remarkably similar to the ancient energy residing within his Void Cauldron.

After a moment's contemplation, Bai Mu broke into a grin and called out to the Fire Glaze bird circling overhead with a gentle smile, "This Flame Lotus belongs to you now!"

The small bird chirped joyfully but did not swoop forward to claim the lotus.

“What’s the matter?” Bai Mu asked, puzzled, glancing at the still-hovering bird overhead and muttering to himself in confusion.

“The Fire Glaze cannot accept your Flame Lotus just yet,” came the timely voice of the Flamingo.

“Why not?” Bai Mu queried, perplexed.

The flamingo cast a tender glance toward the Fire Glaze and shook its head. “Because you haven’t formed a contract, it cannot withstand the innate karmic fire carried by the Flame Lotus. Only after you bind a covenant with the Fire Glaze using your essence blood can it absorb the lotus you have nurtured.”

“Oh…” Bai Mu nodded, half understanding, then cleverly asked, “So I have to force out a drop of my essence blood for the Fire Glaze to swallow to form the contract?”

“That’s unnecessary!” The flamingo replied earnestly. “Yesterday, you used two drops of your essence blood, which already drained your vital energy. Today, you only need any drop of your fresh blood to establish the contract with Fire Glaze.”

“Understood,” Bai Mu responded promptly. “I have no objection to contracting with Fire Glaze, but I want to know what effect this contract will have on us.”

“Don’t you know that?” The flamingo looked at him in astonishment, then pointed with its wing toward the left side of the cave. “Didn’t you already form a contract with the Azure Dragon Sword before? Why do you now act as if you know nothing about contracts?”

“I never formed a contract with the Azure Dragon Sword; it just insists on following me,” Bai Mu replied innocently, glancing at the sword resting on the cave’s left side, feeling a weight lift from his heart.

He had been so focused on nurturing the Flame Lotus yesterday that he forgot about the missing accessory. Only when the flamingo mentioned it did he realize that the Azure Dragon Sword, knocked down by the Tree Spirit Vine Monster, had somehow flown into the cave with him—a truly extraordinary bond.

“Senior, I really don’t understand what a contract means. Could you please explain it to me?”

The flamingo, seeing Bai Mu’s genuine confusion, solemnly began: “A contract is a form of connection between two beings or entities.”

“For example, within this Ancient Red Flame Cave, there are three flamingos. The eldest, Li Chen, formed a contract with the Ancestral God long ago. The Ancestral God bestowed upon him a Flame Lotus to consume. After countless years of cultivation and enduring three calamities and nine tribulations, he ascended to godhood.”

“The Ancestral God charged him with guarding the Ancient Red Flame Cave and protecting the Eternal Flame Lotus.”

“Later, when the Heavenly Emperor visited the cave, he made a contract with me. After consuming the Flame Lotus, I obeyed the emperor’s decree and became one of the cave’s guardians.”

“So, simply put, once you form a contract, you establish a master-servant relationship. From that moment on, Fire Glaze will be your follower. Understand?”

“No, no, no,” Bai Mu quickly waved his hands. “I’m willing to form a contract with Fire Glaze, but I’d rather not have it as a servant.”

The flamingo chuckled mysteriously and whispered, “Whether it acts as your follower is up to you. But you promised to take Fire Glaze out of the Ancient Red Flame Cave—you won’t break that promise, will you?”

“Certainly not!” Bai Mu’s expression turned serious, and he declared righteously, “Though my cultivation is shallow, my integrity is profound. If I’ve promised you something, I will do my utmost to fulfill it.”

“I just don’t quite understand why, given how dangerous the outside world is, you want me to leave with Fire Glaze.”

“Didn’t you witness what happened outside the cave yesterday?” the flamingo asked.

“Just one Red Flame alone defeated me. How could I possibly protect your descendants?”

Sighing, the flamingo’s eyes darkened with a trace of sorrow. “I wish I could keep Fire Glaze here to cultivate, but many things are beyond my will.”

“Li Chen has secluded himself deep within the cave, rarely attending to worldly matters. The duty of guarding the Ancient Red Flame Cave has fallen to me.”

“Moreover, recently, from the Kunlun Secret Realm, came news hinting at earth-shattering upheavals in the Wild Realms. We were warned to protect the Flame Lotus at all costs.”

“After discussing with Li Chen, we agreed to seal the cave entrance permanently and enter an indefinite seclusion until after the great calamity of the Heavenly Dao passes, then reconsider emerging.”

“Seclusion?” Bai Mu nodded in sudden understanding. “So you plan to close the Ancient Red Flame Cave forever to protect the Eternal Flame Lotus, which is why you asked me to take Fire Glaze away?”

“Exactly. In that case, I promise to take good care of Fire Glaze.”

The Flame Lotus cast a satisfied glance at Bai Mu, then stared mysteriously at the Azure Dragon Sword, murmuring, “I trust the Master of the Sacred Sword will watch over Fire Glaze well.”

Then, changing tone, the flamingo spoke gravely, “No time to waste. Quickly swear the blood oath with Fire Glaze. Once your affairs are settled, I will immediately close the cave entrance and retire to the Southern Wilderness.”

With matters at this stage, Bai Mu was left with no choice. Following the flamingo’s instructions, he forged the covenant by the magma pool with Fire Glaze and personally fed it a petal of the Eternal Flame Lotus.

He then gathered a petal for himself and collected three more to carry back to Cold Abyss Valley for Ling Yan, Fan Sheng, and Bi Fang to consume.

With preparations complete, Bai Mu took up his Azure Dragon Sacred Sword. Led by the flamingo, he headed toward the cave entrance, while Fire Glaze proudly perched upon his shoulder, face resolute as if ready to face death.