Mu Qingyun pulled out a book about special abilities and flipped to the page on fire-based powers. As she read, she realized she had just opened the door to an entirely new world.
Fire abilities were divided into three types: ordinary fire, True Samadhi Fire, and Hellfire.
The True Samadhi Fire was vastly different from ordinary fire—its power was immense. It could sear through the insectoid races and was said to be capable of burning even the legendary vampire clans.
Wait a moment—searing through insectoids? Was that not exactly how her fire behaved?
She continued reading and reached the section on Hellfire.
Hellfire was an uncontrollable fire ability. Those who possessed it would gain immense firepower, but it came at the cost of their sanity.
People with Hellfire had only two options: live their whole life without using their power, or lose control of their minds and become a danger to the planet. Most of the latter were currently imprisoned in military detention facilities.
"Young lady, what exactly is your purpose for coming here?" the old man asked, watching her closely.
"Sorry, I cannot tell you just yet," Mu Qingyun responded while skimming through the pages. "Thank you for taking me in. From now on, I will handle the cooking."
"Woof, woof, woof!"
Dafu ran over, propped his front paws on the bookshelf, and let out a few gentle barks.
"Dafu, do not disturb our guest while she's reading." The old man patted the dog's head and turned to leave. "If you want to go outside, just call me. I will take you."
"Alright," she replied, flipping further through the book until she found the section on plant-based abilities.
Plant Abilities: Could accelerate plant growth, revive dead seeds, manipulate plants at will, heal bodily injuries, and catalyze fire-based powers.
It was mostly consistent with what she already knew.
Thinking for a moment, she pulled out the dagger at her waist and lightly made a cut on her arm.
Green light glowed from her left hand as she pressed it to the wound. But no matter how much energy she used, the injury would not heal.
Tsk. Just like light-based abilities, it probably required a certain threshold of strength to have healing effects.
She spent the entire day reading various books.
As night fell and she finished the meat soup, she intended to wash the pot. But the old man firmly refused to let her lift a finger, insisting she rest instead.
"Old man, get out here and die—"
A cold, menacing voice suddenly rang out and abruptly stopped. Mu Qingyun, who had not yet returned to her room, turned her head and locked eyes with the intruder.
He was handsome, with blood-red eyes, sharp fangs and claws, and an unhealthy pallor to his skin. If she had to guess, he was the vampire who had escaped last night.
"Damn… what a beautiful woman," Phil muttered, his crimson eyes gleaming with greed.
He licked his lips subconsciously, smirking. "I bet your blood tastes delicious."
"Young lady, get back inside!" the old man stepped forward, shielding her.
"Tch, you damned geezer! You dared to deceive me!" Phil snarled when he saw the old man, raising his sharp claws in a threatening posture.
"Grandfather, is he the one who killed your granddaughter?" Mu Qingyun asked calmly, red energy flickering in her right hand, her voice laced with murderous intent.
"Haha, yes, I killed her. So what?" Phil sneered dismissively, clearly underestimating her.
Without another word, she stepped forward, placing her left hand over her right. Fire energy exploded forth.
A torrent of flames roared to life and surged directly at Phil.
Phil did not take the fire seriously—ordinary flames could never harm him.
With a swift movement, he leapt into the fire.
But then—
"ARGH!!" The flames devoured him instantly, his screams piercing the air before being completely consumed.
"This… this…" The old man was stunned, gaping in disbelief. He turned to her, his eyes wide. "That's the True Samadhi Fire, is it not?"
"Yes." Mu Qingyun met his shocked gaze and gave a faint smile. "Let's head back and rest."
With that, she returned to her room.
Though she lay down, she could not sleep. Sitting up, she began to meditate.
Midnight approached, and the cold air grew biting.
Suddenly, a wave of chill passed beside her, making goosebumps erupt on her arms. Her eyes snapped open!
A pale, enlarged face appeared right in front of her. Startled, she instinctively hurled a fireball at it.
It was another vampire—pale and handsome, no doubt.
But the man merely sneered, casually waving away the flames, extinguishing them with ease.
He was immune?
A flicker of shock passed through her eyes. She stood quickly, reaching for the dagger at her waist—but pain suddenly shot through the back of her neck.
What…?
Her vision faded. She opened her mouth to speak but collapsed straight onto the bed before she could say a word.
Clink, clink.
The soft sound of bells rang in her ears.
She jolted awake. Darkness surrounded her.
A cloth had been tied over her eyes, blinding her.
She tried moving her wrists and ankles, but cold, metallic restraints held her fast. Her limbs had been locked in place by something akin to iron.
She attempted to summon her fire powers to melt the bindings—but her core was completely empty, and her body felt utterly powerless.
Damn it.
"You're awake?" A low, magnetic voice echoed around her. She had no interest in responding.
But then, a hand pinched her lips—hard.
"Hiss—"
"Behave. When I ask questions, you answer. Otherwise, I promise you will not like the consequences." A hand brushed lightly across her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine.
Damn it. Those were her exact words when threatening others.
Sometimes fate really had a sense of humor—what goes around, comes around. She was definitely feeling it now.
"True Samadhi Fire… quite rare." He took her right hand and began rubbing it slowly. The chill from his touch seeped into her heart, making her scalp tingle.
"You're beautiful, your blood must be sweet, and your powers are impressive. How about this—let me give you the First Embrace. Become my blood slave. How does that sound?" His cool lips brushed her ear as he chuckled softly. "Being my blood slave is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Not a chance. I have no interest," Mu Qingyun replied coldly. "Compared to a creature that cannot walk in the sun, being human is far better."
Her words clearly hit a nerve—there was a long silence.
"I see… you really despise vampires," the magnetic voice came again, now tinged with cold malice. "In that case, I will make you my blood slave."
Moments later, a suffocating pressure pressed down on her. Then she felt a cool sensation on her neck.
The man's lips brushed lightly against her skin, followed by the wet sound of licking.