Chapter 197: Seizing the Heat Source

Yuan Yao silently patted Weng Mingshu's back.

Weng Mingshu turned her head to look at Yuan Yao, eyes pleading as she asked, "What should I do to discipline my brother properly?"

Just as Yuan Yao was about to speak—

"Eldest Miss, it's terrible, the young master is missing!" two attendants appeared in a flash, their faces panicked as they said.

Upon hearing this, Weng Mingshu's face changed in shock.

"You three Golden Core Realm cultivators and one Nascent Soul Realm cultivator can't even keep an eye on the young master?!" she said, exasperated.

Immediately, she quickly took out a communication crystal, sent a message to Weng Mingbi, asking where he was now.

"Go find him quickly!"

Weng Mingshu said in a low voice.

"Yes, Eldest Miss!" the two attendants replied, then instantly vanished from the spot.

Yuan Yao took her hand, "Don't rush, I'll go with you to look for him."

Hearing this, Weng Mingshu calmed slightly, took a deep breath, and said, "Okay."

The two searched inside the Seven Spirits Pavilion for about fifteen minutes but still couldn't find anyone. Moreover, Weng Mingbi had not yet replied to Weng Mingshu's message.

"Could he have already left the Seven Spirits Pavilion? Let's go outside to look." Yuan Yao said calmly.

Weng Mingshu nodded, her face slightly pale, knowing her brother's strength was low and he had many enemies; if they didn't find him quickly, he might be in mortal danger.

After leaving the Seven Spirits Pavilion, they heard a huge explosive sound from afar, with rolling thick smoke rising.

Seeing this, Weng Mingshu's heart tightened, and she hurried toward the direction of the explosion.

Yuan Yao quickly followed.

As they drew nearer, Yuan Yao heard the surrounding chatter.

"The heavenly prison has collapsed!"

"The criminals inside the heavenly prison have escaped—get out of here!"

Those who can be imprisoned in the heavenly prison of the Heaven and Earth Domain are basically ruthless villains.

"Someone's been killed!" a shout came from ahead.

After hearing the surrounding chatter clearly, the first person that came to Yuan Yao's mind was—Lu Xiangxiang.

Lu Xiangxiang is trying to escape!

Yuan Yao's face changed drastically; she absolutely could not let Lu Xiangxiang escape so easily!

She ran to Weng Mingshu's side and urged, "Mingshu, the situation here is unclear, danger lurks everywhere—you must be extra careful! I'll go ahead to scout first!"

Without waiting for Weng Mingshu's reply, Yuan Yao had already leapt forward, disappearing from sight in an instant.

Not long after, Yuan Yao reached the vicinity of the already collapsed heavenly prison.

At this moment, the entire heavenly prison was engulfed in raging flames, the fire extraordinarily fierce, rolling thick smoke shooting straight up to the clouds, as if it wanted to set the very sky ablaze.

The flames shot into the sky, dyeing half the horizon red, making everything around unusually clear and visible.

Yuan Yao stared intently and saw many cultivators in tattered prison garb fleeing in all directions, their faces panicked yet unable to hide excitement, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

At the same time, a group of guards from the Heaven and Earth Domain were fiercely pursuing those fleeing cultivators, engaging them in fierce combat.

Yuan Yao's heart suddenly jolted as she looked toward a certain direction.

Coincidentally, she locked eyes with the blood-clad girl standing not far away.

The blood-clad girl was none other than Lu Xiangxiang!

Lu Xiangxiang's eyes were filled with resentment as she glared at Yuan Yao, her face deathly pale, her wounds clearly not healed—"Yuan Yao, I will never let you off! Next time we meet—"

Before she could finish, Lu Xiangxiang's pupils suddenly contracted, and with a "splitch" sound, a blade tore through flesh.

She lowered her gaze and saw that the Phantom Spirit Sword in Yuan Yao's hand had pierced her chest.

Splashed blood droplets fell onto Yuan Yao's beautiful face.

In that instant—

The 250 System's alarm sounded.

【Host's actions have caused the female lead's death risk to reach 99!】

【Host host host!】

【This system is about to blow up!】

Yuan Yao's eyes held a faint smile as she ignored the system's notification in her sea of consciousness, she stared unblinking at Lu Xiangxiang, then suddenly drew her sword.

Clang!

Lu Xiangxiang spat out a large amount of blood, her body staggering a few steps, and just as she was about to collapse, Yuan Yao struck again with her sword.

The sword light flashed, but missed.

Because someone had rescued Lu Xiangxiang.

Yuan Yao quickly looked around, but could not find Lu Xiangxiang's trace.

Who was it?

Who rescued Lu Xiangxiang?!

Someone with such strength—could it be the male lead, Xu Yanzhi?

Yuan Yao suddenly felt dizzy, and only the 250 System's notification remained in her sea of consciousness.

At that very moment, a heavenly prison escapee noticed her presence, harbored malicious intent, and wanted to abduct her.

Just as the escapee's dirty hand was about to touch her, Yuan Yao instinctively swung her sword, decapitating him in one strike.

That head hit the ground and rolled a few times.

The escapee's eyes still held deep terror.

Yuan Yao felt her surroundings warp, the air turning eerily noisy, and she involuntarily trembled and felt cold.

【Host, the female lead Lu Xiangxiang's life is in imminent danger! Your actions this time seriously violate the mission rules!】

【Host, please prioritize your own safety; you must never backfire on yourself for the sake of the female lead Lu Xiangxiang!】

【Host! Host! Host!】

Yuan Yao's Phantom Spirit sword slipped from her hand; she irritably raised both hands to cover her ears, her expression slightly pained: "Don't make noise!"

250 System shut up.

However, the surrounding sounds, like a harsh noise, continued to stream into her mind.

She took several deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the inexplicable irritation that had arisen.

At that moment, a familiar voice came through.

"Yuan Yao?"

Yuan Yao opened her eyes, and the person before her went from blurry to clear.

The youth wore white clothes, donned a ghost mask, revealing only a pair of handsome eyes.

"Xie Yan..." Yuan Yao spoke with unsteady breath.

Before her words faded, Xie Yan reached out to feel her pulse.

His fingertips were warm, making her feel a hint of warmth; she reflexively grabbed his hand, instinctively clutching the source of heat.

Xie Yan started.

He tried to pull his hand back, but the girl's fingers locked tightly around it.

The girl's fingers were as cold as ice; aside from the cold, they were soft, with a thin callus on her palm.

He lifted his gaze to her, but realized her consciousness seemed not entirely clear.

Something's off.

"Yao Yao!" Weng Mingshu called from not far away.

Xie Yan's heart stirred; he immediately took Yuan Yao and fled from that conspicuous place.

In an instant, he brought Yuan Yao to a secluded, uninhabited spot; just as he reached out to examine her condition—

But suddenly, he met Yuan Yao's clear gaze.

Xie Yan's motion paused slightly; the other hand held by Yuan Yao gradually felt her palm's temperature rising.

"Let go." Xie Yan shifted his gaze to her hand.

Yuan Yao immediately pulled her hand back.

Xie Yan feigned casualness as he asked: "What just happened to you? It's like you were possessed."

Yuan Yao: "……"

She still remembered how this guy Xie Yan had rejected her kindness, and she said coldly: "This seems to have nothing to do with you."