Chapter 407: Speak Up

Cang Li lowered his voice, warning coldly: "I advise you to keep that petty thought to yourself, otherwise I'll have my master, my senior brothers, senior sisters, junior brothers slaughter you!"

Qian Yunzhou: "……"

Qian Yunzhou felt a bit aggrieved, he lifted his eyes toward Yuan Yao and asked: "In the cultivation world, is age important?"

"Important." Suddenly, Xie Zixu spoke.

The remaining people, hearing this, all stared in astonishment at Xie Zixu.

Feng Xuanji, Bian Chen, Bai Zhoucheng, and Yan Yunlan all showed surprised expressions.

Qian Yunzhou turned his head to look at Xie Zixu.

The two locked eyes, as if smoke of conflict was spreading.

Just as the atmosphere hit a freezing point, Yuan Yao grabbed her Third Senior Brother and hurried away.

Qian Yunzhou smiled ambiguously, "I actually think the age gap doesn't matter at all."

After speaking, he glanced at the two who had already headed toward the Heaven Fire Wasteland, then immediately leapt toward the Ruins City.

After Qian Yunzhou left, Bai Zhoucheng and Yan Yunlan exchanged whispers via mental transmission.

Bai Zhoucheng: "What's wrong with Fifth Senior Brother?"

Yan Yunlan: "I feel something's off, very off. From the start, I thought Fifth Senior Brother kept glancing that way; I originally thought he was watching the crowd! Now I think he was probably looking at that masked girl!"

Bai Zhoucheng was greatly shocked: "Yan Yunlan, are you crazy?! You're saying Fifth Senior Brother fell for that girl? That's impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Yan Yunlan: "I never said Fifth Senior Brother liked that girl; you said it yourself."

Bai Zhoucheng tried to ask Xie Zixu aloud, but when the words reached his mouth, he swallowed them silently.

He didn't dare to ask.

The one who didn't dare to ask, Bian Chen easily asked: "Zixu, why did you suddenly answer Qian Yunzhou's question?"

Xie Zixu calmly said: "He displeased me."

Feng Xuanji, hearing this, felt a strange sensation.

Yan Yunlan, upon hearing, curiously pressed: "Fifth Senior Brother, is it that people in the cultivation world often compare him to you, so you find him displeasing?"

"There was a past grievance," Xie Yan replied succinctly.

"I see," Yan Yunlan realized, having thought Fifth Senior Brother liked that mysterious girl.

Yan Yunlan couldn't help glancing at Fifth Senior Brother twice.

Fifth Senior Brother is extremely handsome; just looking at him makes one feel inferior.

Actually, Yan Yunlan was once moved by Fifth Senior Brother's looks, but later found his temperament too cold, causing her to step back.

She still prefers sunny, cheerful men.

"What grievance?" Bian Chen asked, puzzled.

Xie Yan gave no answer, only said: "Let's enter the Ruins City."

The party of five headed toward the Ruins City.

Meanwhile, those remaining on the wall top—Xiao Zhufeng, Dongfangxiu, Yu Jing, Ao Jiayu, Sang Bo and others—after deliberation made their choices.

Sang Bo was severely wounded and unable to move, so he could only stay behind.

Ao Jiayu did not stay for him; instead, she handed him over to elite disciples of Red Mist City for care.

Yu Jing, Ao Jiayu, and Xiao Zhufeng all chose to enter the Ruins City.

But Dongfangxiu chose to follow Yuan Yao and Cang Li's direction.

At this moment, Yuan Yao and Cang Li headed toward the direction of the Heaven Fire Wasteland.

Cang Li, with a shocked expression, said: "You mean there's a Heaven Fire Wasteland up there? And Heaven Fire Squads keep descending?"

Yuan Yao nodded.

Cang Li, after calming slightly, said: "This Heaven Fire Secret Realm is truly bizarre. I feel it's more unfathomably mysterious than ordinary high‑level secret realms."

Yuan Yao said: "I think the Heaven Fire Wasteland definitely hides some secret. The flames that burned here earlier might have come from the Heaven Fire above the Wasteland."

"Wait." Cang Li suddenly recalled something, his tone serious: "If, after we reach the Heaven Fire Wasteland, this place ignites fierce flames as before, where should we flee?"

Yuan Yao cheerfully said: "Third Senior Brother, I can set up a barrier to repel these Heaven Fires; if you're scared, you can hide inside my Yaoguang Space."

Upon hearing "Yaoguang Space," Cang Li recalled the thirteen times he fell to the ground, and hurriedly shook his head: "I don't want to go in."

Yuan Yao earnestly said: "Third Senior Brother, trust me! I've now learned to control Yaoguang Space; I can let you come and go freely."

Cang Li still shook his head, refusing.

Suddenly, he remembered something, his gaze serious as he looked at Yuan Yao: "Did Qian Yunzhou do anything to you earlier?"

Yuan Yao shook her head.

Cang Li seriously said: "You're still young; don't be fooled by his flowery words."

Yuan Yao gave a heavy "Hmm," "Third Senior Brother, rest assured, I'll stay fully vigilant when dealing with him; he'll never have a chance to scheme against me."

The two walked side by side for a stretch.

Cang Li suddenly asked, "By the way, did Xie Zixu also recognize you?"

Yuan Yao's brow twitched; she feigned calm and said: "Probably not."

Cang Li didn't become suspicious.

At the same time, the emerald jade token in Yuan Yao's storage space lit up briefly.

She felt a bit nervous, sent her spirit awareness into the emerald jade token, and received a message from Xie Yan.

—To avoid arousing others' suspicion, we'll act separately first.

Yuan Yao replied: "Alright."

Meanwhile, Xie Yan, after receiving her almost indifferent reply, pursed his lips and suddenly seemed a bit absent‑minded.

But then he thought of something and steadied his mind.

Moments later, Yuan Yao and Cang Li arrived near the volcano crater.

At this moment, the volcano crater was still flowing with lava, emitting an extremely hot aura.

Yuan Yao lightly tapped her toes, and together with Cang Li she leapt up onto the cliff — the Heavenfire Wasteland.

When Cang Li saw the scene before him, he revealed a shocked expression.

The wasteland stretched endlessly, its ground covered in scorched black pits; as the breeze blew, it carried the smell of burnt earth.

Cang Li raised an eyebrow, "Is this the Heavenfire Wasteland?"

Yuan Yao nodded: "Yes."

Cang Li tilted his head to look at her, "Where is that strange little black hole you just mentioned?"

"Come with me." Yuan Yao said, and she stepped forward.

Cang Li followed closely behind.

After about half an hour, Yuan Yao finally found the small black hole the size of a fist; she crouched down, pointed at the small black hole and said to Cang Li, "I feel there must be something inside."

Cang Li also crouched down, examined it carefully for a moment, and said teasingly, "Could there be a sword tomb hidden inside?"

Yuan Yao lifted her eyes, staring at Cang Li without blinking.

Being stared at like that, Cang Li's heart jumped, "Could I have guessed right?"

Yuan Yao continued to stare at him for a few seconds.

Cang Li felt nervous in his heart.

"Say something."

Yuan Yao blinked and said, "I don't know."

Cang Li immediately raised his hand and patted her head, his face slightly darkening as he said, "Then why do you keep staring at me with that look?"