Chapter 123

As Liu Ying slowly moved towards them from Pei Ji’s side, He Zhizhou cheerfully greeted her, “What were you and Junior Pei chatting about?”

Liu Ying’s lips twitched.

Liu Ying: “Let’s continue our discussion about positive and negative charges.”

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“So the Sun Blaze Bow is sealed behind that waterfall!”

As the group continued up the mountainside, they arrived at the summit while conversing.

He Zhizhou, after hearing Qiao Yan’s description of the Sun Blaze Bow, suddenly realized, “So other bodies of water have Mirror Ghosts, but there it’s a pure land because of the care from the Divine Bow!”

Qiao Yan nodded. “Behind the waterfall, there’s a hidden door. Simply place the jade pendant in the gap of the door, and it will open.”

She paused for a moment, letting the hot and pungent wind brush over the fine white fur on her ears. She then looked in the direction not far away and said, “Everyone, please look; that cave is the nesting place of the Fire Phoenix.”

As they ascended, the surrounding air became increasingly oppressive.

Below the mountainside, they could still see the remnants of old trees, but here it was desolate, devoid of any signs of life.

Rippling waves of heat surged visibly through the air, with occasional gusts of fierce wind sweeping up the reddish-brown dried mud from the ground, casting a blurry dimness over the sight.

Looking around, it had an air of desolation, reminiscent of a lonely desert with only the vast azure sky above, contrasting with the crimson hues below, like two completely different worlds.

A cave stood tall at the mountaintop, the surrounding air visibly distorted by the heat waves, floating red sand forming patches, making it uncomfortable both visually and tactilely.

“The fire of the Fire Phoenix is unlike ordinary flames, so please be careful, everyone.”

Qiao Yan resumed her initially mature demeanor, solemnly saying to everyone, “If anything unexpected happens on this journey, please flee as soon as possible… I will do my utmost to protect you all and cover your retreat.”

He Zhizhou earnestly reassured her, “Are we the type of people who hide behind little girls? Definitely not! Rest assured, with our strength, there won’t be any problem.”

Qiao Yan hesitated, smiled gently, and thanked him softly.

They had discussed how to deal with the Fire Phoenix on their way here. Although they hadn’t reached any useful conclusions, well, they were sword cultivators—draw the sword, and that’s it.

Arriving at the entrance to the Western Mountain Cave, the annoying heat became even more scorching, enveloping them from all directions like a sealed steamer, making it difficult to control their growing agitation.

He Zhizhou, who had boasted about being a hero earlier, now had to live up to his words and take the lead into the cave.

Unexpectedly, before half of his body could enter, there was suddenly a sharp and piercing bird call—

Immediately, a fierce wind rose, tearing apart layers of darkness with waves of fiery light roaring from the cave, rushing straight towards the entrance!

Pei Ji’s expression slightly changed, and in an instant, he stood in front of Ning Ning, using sword intent to resist the raging flames; Ning Ning, on the other hand, pulled Qiao Yan beside her, also protecting the little girl behind her.

Liu Ying never expected such a situation. Just as she was about to dodge and flee, she unexpectedly heard a cry from Xu Ye:

“Miss Liu Ying, be careful!”

The technique of Niguang Island was best at concealment and stealth. The disciples on the island all moved like ghosts, and she was the most outstanding among them.

Liu Ying could have easily dodged, but at this moment, hearing Xu Ye’s reckless shout, she knew he was about to play the hero, and since her goal had not been achieved yet, she couldn’t ruin her image of being weak and delicate. So, she steadied her mind, lifted her gaze to meet his, and said, “Mr. Xu Ye, save me!”

What followed was exactly the kind of scene she had imagined.

As fate would have it, after so many plot twists, there was finally a bit of a normal plotline from the script. Liu Ying couldn’t help but feel tears welling up in her eyes, feeling like the wife had finally turned into the mother-in-law in her heart.

Xu Ye rushed towards her in panic, grabbing the girl’s arm and then spinning her around.

With skirts fluttering and clothes billowing as their eyes met, Liu Ying looked pitiful and teary-eyed. The young man in front of her was resolute, his determination clear in his crimson eyes. In an instant, it felt like eternity.

She watched as Xu Ye suddenly gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with the noble fury of sacrifice, his eyes turning crimson as he shielded her with his body, bravely blocking the tide of fire.

—Liu Ying was in front; he was behind.

With that pull, her entire body became a shield, blocking him from the flames.

Liu Ying: …

Liuying: Your Mother!!! You’re not human!!!

The scorching waves rushed towards them, the stray strands of hair on her forehead and temples being scorched. As a human shield, she stood firm, bearing too much.

Fortunately, the Fire Phoenix resided deep in the cave, still a distance away from the entrance. When the raging fire reached them, it was nothing more than a wave of extreme heat, quickly dissipating.

Liu Ying was still dazed when she heard He Zhizhou’s voice in her ear, sounding rather displeased. “Xu Ye, as cultivators, how can we let Miss Liu Ying stand in front? A real man should stand tall and look at what you’re doing now!”

She remained silent for a moment, her expression stiffening like an overdose of botox, turning her blackened face back to look.

She saw He Zhizhou trembling, crawling out from behind Xu Ye.

—In the end, it was Xu Ye hiding behind her, and you hiding behind Xuyue! Is there any difference between you two?! Where do you get the face to scold him?! Where do you get the face!!!

When He Zhizhou saw her, his small eyes widened in horror as if he had seen a ghost, trembling as he said, “Miss Liu Ying, your hair—when you look in the mirror later, don’t be upset, just.. just consider it a free perm on Mount Xi. Trendy hairstyles, Maitreya Buddha-style instant noodles, a solar-powered light bulb on your forehead… this, that… quite unique and quirky, especially rock and roll, you could try being the first Music Cultivator to play rock and roll, grab a guqin and improvise wildly, definitely going to ignite the crowd.”

Liu Ying couldn’t understand his gibberish, let alone want to know what she looked like now.

In the midst of the blazing firelight, she resembled a diligent mother hen guarding her chicks, standing still at the forefront.

The two chicks behind her poked their heads out, bobbing left and right like conjoined twins with slightly lower IQs.

As a Bewitching Cultivator, she had received professional training and generally wouldn’t get angry easily.

Unless she really couldn’t help it.

Liu Ying took a deep breath.

Encountering these two idiots at the prime of her life, she considered herself unlucky.