My Professions Have Too Much Personality

The matter was handled quickly. The supervisor of the Star Port on the other side of the Star Gate didn’t dare to say much and opened the Star Gate for Qing Cang.

There were two Star Gates outside Canglan Star. One led to a more distant transit hub, used by the ships transporting mineral resources, and there was always a line.

The other gate, which led to the Sect’s core, was completely empty of ships. Su Chen’s small, beat-up, gray-black ship swayed as it entered.

Inside the kaleidoscopic warp tunnel, Qing Cang stood before a viewport, his gaze distant. He suddenly asked, "What do you think? Does Qin Yun actually know what happened to the Lost Flame? And are the deaths of those five Morning Star Tiers connected to him?"

’He’s asking me?’

Su Chen glanced around. There were only the two of them in the narrow cabin. After a brief hesitation, he shook his head.

"Probably no one knows for sure, aside from Venerable Qin Yun himself and the Prison King—and who knows if he’ll ever wake up."

"Indeed... No one knows for sure." Qing Cang sighed. "Then in your opinion, what kind of outcome would it take to satisfy the other Sects?"

Su Chen was silent for a long time upon hearing this. He then replied helplessly, "I’m afraid they won’t be satisfied no matter what. Even if the truth is that Venerable Qin Yun knew nothing and the deaths of the Morning Star Tiers were unrelated to him, that answer wouldn’t satisfy the other Sects."

"That’s right..." A flash of surprise crossed Qing Cang’s eyes as he nodded. "You’re absolutely right. With five Morning Star Tiers dead, they probably haven’t even decided what kind of explanation they want."

He added helplessly, "The Ancient King can hardly leave the Flame Fire. If the other Sects and the Royal Court become too aggressive, this matter will only escalate..."

Among the Five Great Sects, one or two were on good terms with the Bronze Sect, but relations with another one or two were strained. On top of that, the Royal Court was watching.

Hearing this, Su Chen asked cautiously, "So within a certain range, the Ancient King can still protect the Sect?"

Qing Cang sighed softly. "Yes, he can, but that range is too small. Sect members can’t just stay in the core forever."

If a conflict were to truly erupt, the Bronze Sect would be at a massive disadvantage.

Speaking of which, Su Chen couldn’t help but feel curious and asked, "What exactly happened to our Sect’s Flame Fire?"

He had tried asking around the Sect before, but even Jiang Mufeng couldn’t explain it clearly.

Hesitation flickered across Qing Cang’s face. After a long moment of consideration, he finally said, "It was a result of the Ancient King exploring the possibility of professional ascension."

’Professional ascension?’ Su Chen’s interest was piqued. It was a term he had never heard before, so he quickly pressed for an explanation.

Qing Cang explained, "You already know what makes Morning Star Tier professions special. They don’t just appear out of thin air. Their fundamental essence is still that of a Tier Nine profession, born on a sufficiently powerful Life Star when combined with the right opportunities."

"The same is true for the Moonlight Tier. For Ancient Kings, the chance of discovering a Sun Tier Professional Spirituality, being chosen, and then taking up the profession is minuscule. They can only look within themselves for answers, searching for a way to advance their own profession to the Sun Tier..."

"The Royal Court’s obsession with flame fusion is for this very reason."

"So that’s how it is," Su Chen mused. Qing Cang continued, "That is precisely why the Ancient King ventured deep into the Nether Realm—to find an opportunity to ascend. And that’s how the Flame Fire ended up entangled by Fog Ashes."

"Fog Ashes?" The two words made Su Chen jolt. That was the very thing he’d just acquired. He hurriedly asked, "What exactly is this Fog Ashes?"

Qing Cang didn’t beat around the bush. "Fog Ashes is a special tool the Deceitful Gods use to induce ’flamefall’ and ’spiritfall.’"

"A flourishing Flame Fire not only blocks the Nether Fog but also carves out a sanctuary within the Nether Realm. If the Deceitful Gods can cause the Flame Fire to fall into the Nether Realm, it’s a huge boon for them."

"As for ’spiritfall,’ that’s what I mentioned earlier: turning the Spirituality of a Morning Star Tier into a Deceitful God."

’Flamefall... Spiritfall...’ Su Chen murmured. ’The physical universe needs the Flame Fire to hold back the Nether Fog just to have enough space to survive.’

’But the Deceitful Gods need Flamefall and Spiritfall to grow stronger. It’s a fundamental, irreconcilable conflict, just like the uniqueness of professions.’

"So our Sect’s Flame Fire has been entangled by Fog Ashes?" Su Chen asked again, just to be sure.

"That’s right." Qing Cang nodded, his tone tinged with bitterness. "Fog Ashes are a condensation of Deceitful God’s Power and Nether Fog. They are a crucial tool for inducing Flamefall and Spiritfall, and their corrosive properties are far more potent than Deceitful God’s Power alone. Once you’re entangled, it’s like a cancer clinging to your very bones."

’It’s that troublesome...’ Su Chen thought of the Fog Ashes in his possession. ’No wonder it has to be purified before it can be used. The Great Venerable knew what he was talking about.’

"Then is there no solution for Fog Ashes?" he asked, trying to steer the conversation toward how one might purify it.

Qing Cang shook his head hesitantly. "The purpose of Fog Ashes isn’t to kill or destroy, but to corrupt. Its effects vary depending on the target. Its most defining characteristic is that it fuses with its target. Erasing the Fog Ashes would mean erasing the Flame Fire itself..."

He sighed. "The Ancient King is already giving his all just to maintain the Flame Fire as it is."

As he said this, he glanced at Su Chen. Fog Ashes and Deceitful God’s Power shared a common Trait: as long as one could withstand their corrosion, they posed no threat.

’Su Chen can withstand the corrosion of Deceitful God’s Power... Perhaps...’ He hesitated, then inwardly shook his head. ’The Ancient King has never even tried it. That path is likely a dead end.’

"It’s that complicated..." Su Chen didn’t notice the subtle shift in Qing Cang’s expression, lost in his own thoughts. ’Then this stuff I’m holding... how am I supposed to purify it?’

...

At the Sect’s core Star Port, the multiple surrounding Star Gates had ceased all operations. Not a single ship emerged.

The Star Port itself had been cleared, but a number of people were still present to welcome the two Venerables.

Not many were qualified to be standing here; they were mostly high-ranking members of the Sect, such as the primary Hall Masters.