Chapter 409: Death Spirit Beast City

A moment later.

"Come out, come out and play with us~" the gold-robed boy squatted down, stared at the small black hole, and deliberately pinched his voice to say.

The green-dressed girl took out several food containers from her storage space, lifted the lids, then let their aroma spread into the small black hole, and she said with a beaming smile: "We have lots of tasty things here, do you want to eat? If you want to eat, come out!"

"Here's a roasted bird egg for you." Yuan Yao placed a roasted bird egg into the small black hole.

The roasted bird egg rolled down and gradually fell silent.

"Come out~"

Cang Li called out with a hint of resentment.

Yuan Yao cleared her throat and spoke solemnly: "I know you can definitely hear our voices, so I'll speak plainly. We don't want to hurt you; we just want to ask you, could you tell us the whereabouts of the Sword Tomb?"

"Also, does the Ruined City hide any secrets?"

There was no response.

Yuan Yao also wasn't discouraged; as she spoke, she placed the roasted bird egg from the food container into the small black hole, saying: "I suppose you must be a spirit formed by the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm. You should be in control of everything in this secret realm, so why can't you spread your own flames to the Ruined City?"

"Is there something there that you fear?"

Hearing his junior sister's well-reasoned analysis, Cang Li couldn't help but be startled, and he looked at Yuan Yao with a face full of surprise.

Before he could speak, Yuan Yao said another line.

"Do you think we have the ability to help you?"

Having said that, Yuan Yao stopped what she was doing and turned her head to look at her third senior brother.

At that moment, Cang Li looked at her with an incredulous gaze and exclaimed: "I used to think you were lazy and stupid, but I never expected you to be this smart."

Yuan Yao glared at him and retorted unhappily: "Third senior brother, how can you praise me like that? I was just lazy before, and too lazy to use my brain, but now it's different. Don't you remember how I earned first-class merit in the Flowing Light Secret Realm? Without my cleverness, how could I have toyed with those demons?"

Upon hearing this, Cang Li fell silent for a moment.

Seeing him not speak, Yuan Yao was taken aback and couldn't help but ask: "Third senior brother, what's wrong with you?"

Cang Li slowly lifted his eyes, his tone slightly sinking: "I just feel you've changed too much, to the point of repeatedly altering my perception of you."

Yuan Yao's heart skipped a beat.

She averted her gaze and whispered: "That's prejudice."

"Yuan Yao." Cang Li suddenly called out, with an unprecedented seriousness.

Her heart tightened slightly, and she lifted her eyes to look at him.

Cang Li spoke: "Are you hiding something from me? Why did you suddenly want to work hard at cultivation? Why are you and..."

Before he could finish, a familiar figure appeared not far away.

"It's Dongfangxiu." Yuan Yao said.

Cang Li looked up and saw the boy carrying a heavy sword walking toward them, his clothes scorched in several places, his light brown eyes filled with a probing look.

At the same time, Yuan Yao sensed a faint sound coming from within the small black hole.

She lowered her gaze and stared at the cave below.

Faintly, she saw a small black figure sneaking up; it lifted its head, and its eyes met hers.

"You really are here." Dongfangxiu's voice came.

The small black thing instantly shrank back.

Seeing this, Yuan Yao sent a mental message to Cang Li: "Third senior brother, go distract Dongfangxiu for a moment; I feel this little black thing was moved by what I just said, and I need to talk to it."

Cang Li readily agreed: "Sure, leave it to me."

He stood up and walked toward Dongfangxiu.

Meanwhile, Yuan Yao immediately set up a sound-isolating barrier here.

She said to the small black thing in the cave: "Don't you want to tell me something first? You can speak now."

A few seconds later, the small black thing slowly crawled up, but it didn't leave the cave; instead, it stayed inside, staring fixedly at Yuan Yao without blinking.

The person and the spirit just stared at each other for a few seconds.

Suddenly, it spoke in human voice: "Why do you want to find the Sword Tomb?"

Its voice was childish, with a hint of innocence.

Yuan Yao replied: "Because I want to borrow the true fire of the Sword Tomb to temper my natal sword."

Its jet-black eyes shifted slightly as it asked: "You just said you could lend me a hand?"

Yuan Yao raised her eyebrows slightly: "If you can tell me where the Ancient Sword Tomb is and help us enter it to seek the true fire, then of course I can help you."

The little fellow fell silent for a moment, seemingly thinking about something.

"You can't help me."

Having said that, it was about to go back.

Yuan Yao called out to it: "Wait! How can you be so sure we can't help you?"

It looked at Yuan Yao: "You should have been to that ruined city; did you encounter the death spirit beast inside?"

"Death spirit beast?"

"That is a Death Spirit Beast City. They are numerous and powerful. With your strength, you cannot help me, and you might not even be able to protect yourselves then."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the Death Spirit Beast City has opened its hunting period."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao's heart gave a slight jolt.

She couldn't help but ask: "Can the Death Spirit Beast City control the secret realm's day-night changes?"

The little fellow nodded.

Yuan Yao frowned: "Shouldn't the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm be controlled by you? Why is it now being controlled by the Death Spirit Beast City?"

The little fellow fell silent, unwilling to answer.

Yuan Yao said in a low voice: "You refuse to say anything—how do you want us to help you? You think we lack the strength to oppose the Necro Beast City, so you won't say anything. If we truly cannot escape alive, will you continue to be suppressed by the Necro Beast City until it completely takes over your position?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaojiahuo's gaze flashed a hint of icy cold light as it looked at her.

It pursed its lips, finally speaking: "Inside the Necro Beast City there is a terrifying undead being; he moved the Necro Beast City into the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm. He devoured my primal power, then took control of the time and space of the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm."

Finally, it added: "You cannot oppose him."

Even it, as the conscious embodiment of the Heavenly Fire Secret Realm, cannot match him, let alone two lowly cultivators.

Yuan Yao pondered for a moment, then asked: "Does he have any weaknesses?"

Xiaojiahuo froze; it hadn't expected her to persist, and its heart gave a slight jolt.

It spoke slowly: "The undead fears fire."

Yuan Yao wondered: "Then why can't you restrain him?"

Xiaojiahuo lowered its head.

"Because I was tricked by him." It only said that.

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao knew there must be some hidden story behind it.

Then can you go to the Necro Beast City?

Xiaojiahuo shook its head, then nodded, looking torn as it said: "That city wall is a boundary; if I cross it and enter his territory, he will completely devour my remaining primal power. Conversely, if he crosses the boundary into the area I control, I can suppress him and reclaim the primal power he devoured from me."