Ian Yan’s Acting Grows More Brilliant

But after dropping down and bracing herself with every defensive spell she could muster, Lily Bai realized she didn't feel burned at all.

She couldn't even feel any heat from the fire.

Maybe that's the real trick behind this hellfire.

Lily Bai didn't have time to analyze the fire.

She followed Lord Hades's instructions and walked toward the edge.

The bottom of the pit felt like furnace mud that's been roasted for centuries.

It was pitch-black, with all sorts of bumps sticking up—big ones, small ones, everywhere.

To most people, they'd just look like lumps.

But Lily Bai could tell right away—these lumps were different.

They held a mysterious, ancient spell inside.

She couldn't say exactly what kind of spell it was, but since Lord Hades said it would save her life, she figured it couldn't hurt to learn it.

She had no idea how long it took, but eventually she mastered the spell.

It felt like some kind of ancient summoning art.

Lord Hades said there'd be a surprise once she learned it.

What kind of surprise would it be?

Lily Bai decided to give it a try.

Sure enough, it was a summoning spell.

To her shock, she actually summoned... Damian Black.

She stared wide-eyed at the man in front of her and reached out to poke him. He felt totally real.

What... what was going on here?

Why did she end up summoning him?

Damian Black was just as puzzled.

While Lily poked and prodded him, Damian secretly sent a voice transmission to Lord Hades: "What is going on?"

Lord Hades replied, "Your Heartscale has completely fused with her soul—it's basically like a binding contract. With this special summoning art, she can call you to her side, no matter how far apart you are."

Damian Black: "...Then just take the Heartscale out of her."

Lord Hades: "Too late! If she can summon you here, it means her soul has totally fused with your Heartscale."

Damian Black: "..."

"Don't worry. As long as your cultivation is higher than hers, you can resist. If you don't want to be summoned, she can't pull you over."

"How did she learn this summoning art?"

Lord Hades: "Uh, I guess she learned it down there. This summoning spell was created ages ago by a Rune Master who did all sorts of bad things. When he died and ended up in the Hell of Blazing Flames, right before his soul was destroyed, he carved the spell onto the pit walls. Maybe he just wanted to leave something behind."

Damian glanced at the walls around him. "I don't see anything."

"If you're not a Rune Master, you can't see it at all," said Lord Hades.

Lily Bai kept poking—first his face, then his shoulder. "Hey, are you really Damian Black? Or just some illusion?"

Damian Black swatted her hand away and vanished.

Lily Bai tried to summon him again, but nothing happened.

Just then, she heard Lord Hades's voice: "Time's up, Lily Bai. Are you still alive?"

"I'm alive! Still kicking!" Lily Bai shouted back.

Lord Hades cast a spell and lifted her out.

"Wow! Not a scratch!" Lord Hades looked genuinely shocked. "How did you pull that off?"

Damian Black shot Lord Hades a sideways look. Ian Yan, that bastard—his acting just keeps getting better.

Turns out, all those scary stories about Yellow Springs Volcano are just for show.

The Hell of Blazing Flames can only refine dead souls—it can't hurt an upper-immortal's living soul at all.

Just look at him—he really sells it!

That summoning art? He probably slipped the secret to Lily Bai himself.

Now he's exchanging glances with Lily Bai—they're definitely talking about this with voice transmission!

Sure enough, Lily Bai immediately sent a voice transmission to Lord Hades: "Lord Hades, I mastered that spell, but I ended up summoning Damian Black. What gives?"

"That wasn't really Damian Black—it was just a construct of your own willpower," Lord Hades fibbed.

"Willpower? I wasn't even thinking about him just now!"