Chapter 397: with translation of chapter title

"Senior Sister, take a look at Senior Brother Bian's appearance—does he look like someone without a sweetheart?" Bai Zhòuxíng gazed at Feng Xuanyi and couldn't help but laugh.

Feng Xuanyi glanced at Bian Chen and saw his face was completely red.

This was the first time she had seen Bian Chen reveal such a bashful expression.

Feng Xuanyi couldn't help but think to herself: Could it be… that Bian Chen really already has someone he fancies?

At that moment, the pink‑clad girl beside Bai Zhòuxíng poked her head out, revealing a face with a hint of exotic charm, and she curiously asked: "Senior Brother, could you tell us who your sweetheart is?"

Upon hearing that, Bian Chen's face instantly turned as red as a ripe apple.

He coughed heavily a few times, his voice sounding as if something were blocking it, and he mumbled: "You guys, stop asking."

The pink‑clad girl was named Yan Yunlan; she had foreign blood flowing in her veins. She raised an eyebrow, the corner of her mouth curling with a teasing smile: "Senior Brother, if you won't say, is it that the young lady just doesn't fancy you?"

Feng Xuanyi interjected to defuse the situation: "Yunlan, don't keep pressing your Senior Brother Bian."

Upon hearing that, Yan Yunlan had no choice but to stop pressing further.

The sect master of the Peerless Sect on the First Continent had taken in a total of seven direct disciples.

Xie Zixu, Feng Xuanyi, Bian Chen, Bai Zhòuxíng, and Yan Yunlan are all direct disciples of the Peerless Sect's sect master.

According to the order of acceptance, Bian Chen is first, Feng Xuanyi second, Xie Zixu fifth, and Bai Zhòuxíng and Yan Yunlan are sixth and seventh respectively.

Over the past year, the seven of them have been known to the outside world as the Seven Arrogants of the Peerless Sect.

Because each of them possesses terrifying talent, their cultivation realms surpass those of their peers.

Among them, Xie Zixu is the most renowned.

Although Xie Zixu has been in the Peerless Sect for less than three years, he has already risen to fame, overwhelming a large batch of peers hailed as unparalleled geniuses.

Bai Zhòuxíng laughed: "Senior Brother, if you want to apologize to that young lady, you need to prepare an apology gift and speak to her clearly in person. Most importantly, you must yield and show weakness."

Upon hearing that, Bian Chen's mind conjured the image of Yuan Yao.

Xie Yan suddenly spoke up: "Show weakness?"

Several people lifted their heads to look at Xie Yan.

"Can't we show weakness?" Bian Chen blinked in surprise.

Xie Yan replied calmly: "No. If you show weakness, it will only affect her impression of you."

Yan Yunlan crossed her arms, nodded in agreement: "I think Senior Brother Xie is right; if you show too much weakness, I'll consider you weak and incompetent!"

Bai Zhòuxíng, upon hearing that, also thought it made sense.

"Indeed, who would like a weak and incapable man?"

Saying that, Bai Zhòuxíng looked at Feng Xuanyi: "Senior Sister, what do you think?"

Feng Xuanyi pondered for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

After hearing that, Bian Chen's expression turned solemn as he said: "Now I know what to do."

Xie Yan withdrew his gaze, casually lifted his eyes, and swept toward the distant green figure, secretly thinking: She likes softness, not hardness.

As time passed, more and more people gathered on the Chi Xia Plain.

Many individuals and factions gathered around Xie Yan and the others, hoping to curry favor.

Xie Yan's expression remained indifferent; he paid them no heed.

But they kept swaying in front of him, obstructing his view.

Moreover, because of their appearance, Yuan Yao grew increasingly distant from him.

Xie Yan's face grew ever colder; he lifted his eyes and glanced at them.

The crowd instantly felt a chill down their spines and unconsciously stepped back.

And just then—

The originally mirror‑calm, cloud‑less sky above the Chi Xia Plain suddenly began to change, as if an invisible force were stirring the air.

Gradually, the clouds in the sky began to gather, first forming thin layers, then these layers kept rolling and pressing together, ultimately coalescing into a massive dark cloud.

The crowd stared up in astonishment.

They saw that the dark cloud was gradually forming a huge vortex.

At that moment, a voice from the 250 System echoed in Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness.

【Ding! The System detected that within the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm there will appear a target group numbering over two thousand. Host, please enter the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm to complete the conquest mission.】

"The Heavenly Fire Secret Realm has manifested!"

Following a cry of alarm, the massive cloud vortex immediately emitted a faint glow.

Realizing this was a chance to enter the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm, everyone leapt up and plunged into the vortex.

At that moment, Yuan Yao and Cang Li exchanged a glance.

Cang Li reached out and firmly gripped her wrist, saying, "Go!"

The two leapt up and headed toward the vortex.

As Xie Yan saw Cang Li actually holding Yuan Yao's wrist, his lips pressed slightly together and a hint of irritation rose in his heart.

He swiftly leapt up, intending to catch up to Yuan Yao.

"Junior Brother Xie!" Feng Xuanyi exclaimed upon seeing this, unable to hold back.

Immediately, she exchanged glances with Bian Chen and the others, and they all headed toward the vortex.

Before entering the vortex, Yuan Yao sensed that someone behind her seemed to be staring intently at her, like a prickle on her back, but she did not turn around.

Soon, Yuan Yao and Cang Li's figures shot into the vortex like meteors, and immediately they felt a strong sense of weightlessness, as if an invisible giant hand were dragging them into a bottomless abyss, and their vision plunged into darkness.

She closed her eyes, striving to keep her consciousness clear.

And she could feel her third senior brother's hand loosening its grip on her wrist.

When she suddenly opened her eyes, she found that everything before her had changed.

What met her eyes was a barren wasteland, the ground littered with countless black pits, and the surrounding temperature was extraordinarily scorching.

Yuan Yao saw that quite a few young disciples had been teleported here.

All they saw was that they had fallen into a coma and lay on the ground.

Yuan Yao scanned the surroundings, only to find that this place was like an endless sea, with no horizon in sight.

She stepped forward while carefully observing her surroundings.

The black pits left on the ground looked abnormal, as if fireballs had bombarded the surface.

At that moment, the voice of the 250 System rang out in her sea of consciousness.

【Target: Li Tao, Awakening Value reached 0. Target: certain person, Awakening Value……】

Yuan Yao listened as it broadcast a series of messages.

Her steps paused slightly as she looked at the young cultivators lying unconscious on the ground.

She let out a soft sigh.

"Sorry about that."

She closed her eyes, and in an instant her powerful mental strength spread like an invisible net, enveloping the young cultivators in this area.

"Enter my nightmare, see your nightmare."

As her words fell, in an instant the young cultivators' consciousness was gradually drawn into the nightmare.

As time passed, these young cultivators reflected and repented in the nightmare, while in reality their remorseful tears slid from the corners of their eyes.

【Target: Li Tao, Awakening Value reached 50. Target: ……】 The 250 System began broadcasting the news of everyone's Awakening Value increase.