Chapter 232: The Warning of the Setting Sun Sword Immortal

"Lady Xiao, are you certain you have no other disguise magic treasures?"

Zheng Fa intended to disguise himself.

But he never imagined it would be cross-dressing.

Standing before the mirror, his reflection wore a light yellow ruqun shimmering with immortal aura, his facial lines soft, skin pale, eyes large, nose delicate.

Even when looking at Xiao Yuying, he exuded a pitiful, fragile charm.

How to put it—he'd like this face on anyone… just not on his own.

"No." Xiao Yuying's smile made Zheng Fa feel she was enjoying the show, "This Nishang Yuyi is my finest disguise treasure—even a Nascent Soul cannot pierce it."

"Besides, I rarely disguise myself; if I must, I only become a female cultivator—no other treasures needed."

"..."

Zheng Fa glanced once more at his reflection and sighed softly—there was no choice.

The Jiushan Sect had no one as wealthy as Xiao Yuying…

As the Sect Master's disciple, he knew the sect possessed no illusion treasure capable of fooling a Nascent Soul.

In the Xuanwei Realm, spiritual materials grew ever scarcer; now, owning even one life-bound treasure was considered wealthy—Zheng Fa always felt that for most cultivators, this life-bound treasure was something they spent their coffin money on, more precious than life itself…

Only Xiao Yuying could casually pull out a treasure like this.

The secret realm might be tied to the Heaven River Venerable—or even to the new method… Zheng Fa absolutely refused to go openly.

Fine, I'll dress as a woman!

"Shall we go?"

As if sensing Zheng Fa had surrendered, Xiao Yuying asked with a smile.

Zheng Fa nodded.

Xiao Yuying turned and walked toward the courtyard gate.

"Lady Xiao!" Zheng Fa called out quickly: "Do you have any treasure that lets us leave the courtyard unseen by others?"

Come on, walking around the Jiushan Sect like this?

How would he ever live it down afterward?

"..."

Xiao Yuying sized him up from head to toe, smiled, and beneath her feet, light flowed.

Before Zheng Fa appeared a long-handled rail, surrounded by a waist-high fence.

Only then did he realize he stood atop an ancient war chariot—wooden, crimson throughout, glowing with radiant light, seemingly shielding them from outside observation.

The chariot was pulled by a black-and-white beast, baring its fangs.

Zheng Fa grimaced.

Now he'd seen the real national treasure…

But it looked a bit menacing, and somehow… off.

"This Shitie Shou is my spiritual pet," Xiao Yuying said with a smile. "It adores eating all kinds of xuantie—you know, I never lack for it."

Clearly, she adored this spiritual pet.

Honestly, Zheng Fa was a little envious—a deluxe national treasure, privately owned, cute to pet, fierce in battle.

Who wouldn't be dazzled?

Though it looked bulky, the Shitie Shou was an exceptional draft beast, covering ten thousand li in half a day.

"Lady Xiao? Why is this area so desolate?"

Gazing at the scenery before him, Zheng Fa was stunned.

He saw an endless, barren land, devoid of even a blade of grass.

Huge chunks of cracked red earth stretched from beneath their feet to the horizon.

Between the red ground and blue sky, there was no third color.

"I don't know," Xiao Yuying shook her head slightly, her expression equally puzzled. "This place was buried underground until it surfaced with the spiritual vein."

"The red soil you see now."

Xiao Yuying suddenly turned to Zheng Fa: "It's blood."

"Blood?"

Zheng Fa's heart lurched.

"I'm not certain, but I've read records."

Xiao Yuying gazed at the seemingly endless red expanse and whispered: "In ancient times, great beings perished, their resentment unyielding, turning thousands of li into dead zones."

"..."

"The resentment here has not dissipated—be careful."

Xiao Yuying became far more cautious; they no longer flew through the sky but landed on the ground.

The chariot advanced, occasionally encountering pools of black water blocking their path.

Even the ferocious Shitie Shou would whimper and refuse to proceed, forcing them to detour.

The chariot's glow flickered intermittently.

Zheng Fa knew invisible forces were attempting to attack them—the chariot was automatically defending.

He looked upward.

Indeed, clusters of red mist drifted through the air, concealing some danger.

This place was rife with strangeness.

Without Xiao Yuying's magic chariot, the two—certainly Zheng Fa—could never have passed this desert so easily.

"Someone's here!"

Ahead, two figures suddenly emerged from the red mist.

Zheng Fa grew even more alert.

Looking closer, he realized they were Yan Wushuang and the Setting Sun Sword Immortal.

The two stood there as if waiting for them—no, waiting for Xiao Yuying.

Right now, he was disguised and didn't know them.

"Master Han."

Seeing them, even Xiao Yuying halted the chariot and bowed respectfully to the Setting Sun Sword Immortal.

Clearly, she knew how formidable he was.

The Setting Sun Sword Immortal smiled warmly, seemingly unbothered, and spoke directly: "We'd like to hitch a ride—could you oblige?"

Xiao Yuying fell silent briefly, then nodded.

Zheng Fa kept a cold face and nodded to the two.

He was hiding his identity—better to say as little as possible.

Best to play the aloof immortal lady.

Indeed, Yan Wushuang glanced at her twice, saw her cold expression, and decided not to force familiarity—merely bowed in greeting.

But the Setting Sun Sword Immortal smiled at him quite kindly…

"Master Han, why are you here?"

Xiao Yuying couldn't help asking.

"You don't know?" The Setting Sun Sword Immortal looked even more surprised than she did. "This place holds relics of the Heaven River Sect—word has spread far and wide; countless cultivators have gathered here."

Zheng Fa froze.

So the secret realm's existence had truly leaked out?

"As members of the Heaven River Sect, of course we must come!"

After Han Lao spoke, Yan Wushuang nodded vigorously, clearly agreeing.

Xiao Yuying frowned slightly, looked at the two, then glanced back at Zheng Fa—as if seeking his opinion.

Zheng Fa shook his head—he had no opinion.

He couldn't deny he was curious about the Heaven River Sect's relics.

But the risks were too great.

So his willingness to get involved was mostly to repay Xiao Yuying for her earlier aid.

Xiao Yuying pondered a moment, then said: "So, Master Han, you've come to compete with me for the secret realm's treasures?"

"No…"

But the Setting Sun Sword Immortal shook his head, glancing casually at Zheng Fa, and said: "I've come to stop you from walking to your death."

"..."

Zheng Fa slowly furrowed his brow.

He had the feeling these two weren't here to seize treasures—their information was too crucial.

First, they mentioned the secret realm was already public knowledge, with many cultivators gathered.

Then they said they'd come to warn Xiao Yuying away from death…

If he recalled what the old man had told them earlier—he could almost be certain the secret realm was truly dangerous, possibly tied to that so-called new method.

Yet the Setting Sun Sword Immortal truly was a good man—he didn't know Xiao Yuying at all, yet had come all this way to warn her.

But Zheng Fa knew someone like Xiao Yuying wouldn't retreat because of a few words.

"Master Han…" Xiao Yuying lowered her eyes. "We're not kin, nor close—we've only met once before…"

The Setting Sun Sword Immortal sighed: "This matter concerns a scandal of the Heaven River Sect… I cannot bear to see you die pointlessly."

「……」

Xiao Yuying's face showed a hint of confusion.

"Long ago, our Tianhe Sect suffered internal strife; several highly cultivated disciples were branded traitors, and several brutal battles erupted."

Xiao Yuying exclaimed in shock: "Then this place…"

"This is where one of those great battles took place."

Xiao Yuying nodded, then asked: "Then why do you say we're in danger of losing our lives?"

"This ties into another secret of the Tianhe Sect—I can only say that this realm may harbor secrets Tianhe does not wish any outsider, under any circumstances, to discover."

「……」

The old man spoke vaguely, unclear and evasive.

Xiao Yuying's frown deepened with every word—she was thoroughly baffled.

But Zheng Fa had finally understood—he suspected this place was not left behind by the Tianhe Patriarch, but connected to his final loyalists.

What Han Lao refused to reveal to outsiders was not a new technique—it was likely this history.

He glanced at Yan Wushuang; the man's expression was grim, tinged with pain—as if he understood.

Han Lao, of course, understood.

Xiao Yuying knew nothing of this secret; her face was full of bewilderment.

Zheng Fa… Zheng Fa still maintained the cold, aloof expression of a celestial immortal.

Eyes blank, expression icy.

Very professional…

To be honest, he thought this Sunset Sword Immortal arrived in a most peculiar way.

He obstructed Xiao Yuying, yet spoke in riddles.

If he hadn't heard this secret before, who could possibly make sense of what this old man was saying?

Hm?

Zheng Fa froze, turning to look at the Sunset Sword Immortal.

Sure enough, the old man grinned crookedly at him—as if they were old acquaintances.

Did this old man know who he was?

Had he come to warn him?

Yan Wushuang, by contrast, looked completely unaware, his gaze toward Zheng Fa utterly cold.

Zheng Fa studied the Sunset Sword Immortal again; the man's smile grew even warmer—and Zheng Fa finally understood—

This old man had come to warn him!

……

Xiao Yuying frowned slightly, as if deep in thought.

She likely couldn't fathom why the Sunset Sword Immortal had specifically come to stop her, yet on some level, she seemed to sense his sincerity and goodwill.

Thus, her hesitation grew.

At that moment, several powerful auras surged from behind; Zheng Fa turned and recognized two of them—the two Nascent Soul cultivators from the Bai Xian Alliance who had attended Master Pang's banquet.

The moment they saw Xiao Yuying and the Sunset Sword Immortal, their faces turned pale. "Xiao Yuying, Tianhe Sect! You've allied?"

Their tone brimmed with wariness.

Clearly, a treasure hunter and a true heir of Tianhe.

Their alliance here placed immense pressure on the other cultivators.

Zheng Fa glanced between Xiao Yuying and the Sunset Sword Immortal; both wore strained expressions—now, if they didn't proceed, no one would believe them…

Their identities were too unique, and their presence here too suspicious—who could believe they'd abandoned this realm?

If they vanished, others would assume they had some secret method.

No wonder… one must still dress as a woman.