A scream suddenly came from behind.

Fuhuan quickly turned around to see that one of the young immortal officials had not paid attention to his footing, missed his step, and was sinking into the ground, falling downward.

At the same time, accompanying this scream, a series of footsteps suddenly came from the depths of the forest, rushing toward their direction.

Red light flowed from Fuhuan’s fingertips. As the official was about to be completely swallowed by the ground, the red light transformed into a vine, wrapping around his wrist and pulling upward with force.

After pulling him up, before he could steady himself, the four of them were already surrounded by a pack of fire wolves.

“Awoooo—”

The pack of fire wolves had crimson bodies, with fierce red flames burning all over them. They bared their fangs, their brownish-yellow pupils filled with sharpness and ferocity.

“Shaoguang, y-y-you attracted the fire wolf pack!” another young immortal official pointed at the official who had fallen, Shaoguang.

Shaoguang looked guilty. Staring at the fire wolves, he couldn’t help but swallow nervously as he counted their numbers—about fifteen or so.

…

…

They had just entered the Jade Ancient Forest and had already encountered so many fire wolves. Who knew what else was waiting for them inside?

Never mind what lay ahead—they weren’t even sure if they could handle these fire wolves.

“Liuyue, this isn’t my fault! How was I supposed to know there was something under the ground?” Shaoguang said, looking aggrieved.

“Can you two shut up first?” the remaining young immortal official, Nianhua, gave them both a look.

Fuhuan scanned the fire wolves surrounding them. There were quite a few, and if they got entangled with them now, they would likely deplete a lot of their energy. Who knew what else awaited them in this forest?

“You three, watch for my signal, then move forward,” Fuhuan glanced at the three beside her.

The three nodded quickly.

Fuhuan concentrated her true energy, pressed her palms together, and silently recited an incantation, her lips tightly pressed together. In her phoenix eyes, a cold aura gradually emerged.

“BOOM—”

With a tremendous sound, Fuhuan formed an ice formation, encircling the four of them in the middle. In the next second, she snapped her fingers at the three beside her.

Receiving Fuhuan’s signal, the three immediately flew up and ran toward the interior of the forest.

Several fire wolves in the outer circle saw them run and were about to give chase when they were suddenly frozen in place by the ice that appeared behind them, rendering them immobile.

Fire wolves against ice.

Fuhuan withdrew her true energy. Seeing all the dozen or so fire wolves instantly trapped in the ice formation, she smiled with satisfaction and flew toward the interior of the forest.

This ice, although able to freeze these fire wolves, could only hold them temporarily. Once the fierce flames around the wolves melted the ice, they would break free.

…

Fuhuan rushed toward the interior of the forest. After walking for quite a while, she still hadn’t seen Shaoguang and the other two, not knowing where the three had gone.

Since she couldn’t find them, she decided to continue alone.

“Supreme Deity Fuhuan.” After walking for a while, Youlan’s figure suddenly appeared before her.

Fuhuan’s footsteps halted. She looked up at Youlan, who was smiling at her, folded her arms, and sneered, “So you’ve come to me on your own.”

“Supreme Deity Fuhuan speaks so abruptly. Youlan doesn’t quite understand your meaning,” Youlan continued to smile at Fuhuan.

“It was you who gossiped about me to the Heavenly Emperor, slandering that there were feelings between Siqing and me, wasn’t it?” Fuhuan slowly spoke.

Hearing this, Youlan stepped forward, getting closer to Fuhuan. “Slander? Is Supreme Deity Fuhuan certain this is slander?”

“Ask yourself honestly, do you truly not have feelings for our Lord?”

Fuhuan frowned. She really couldn’t understand how someone as detestable as Youlan could exist.

“But it’s fine if you don’t dare to admit it.” After speaking, Youlan pointed in the direction of the west. “Your sister Lengyuan is by our Lord’s side right now. I felt too embarrassed to disturb them, so I left on my own. Unexpectedly, I had the good fortune to meet Supreme Deity Fuhuan.”

“Since Supreme Deity Fuhuan is also alone, why not help this minor immortal and take me to find that red maple leaf?” After speaking, Youlan even winked at Fuhuan.

Fuhuan impatiently brushed her sleeve. “Get lost!”

With that, she flew forward alone.

“Ahhhhh!!!”

Before she could leave this part of the forest, Fuhuan heard Youlan’s piercing scream from behind. Looking back, she saw that at the spot where Youlan had been standing, two thick black vines had emerged from between the trees on the left and right, binding Youlan’s hands and feet, suspending her body between the two trees.

At this moment, the fire wolves that had broken free from the ice once again rushed toward them, following the scent.

“Pfft…” Fuhuan couldn’t help but laugh at this scene.

What was this called?

Karma!

“Supreme Deity Fuhuan, save me!” Youlan, with a panicked face, called Fuhuan for help. She tried to move her body but found she couldn’t use a bit of her true energy.

As the fire wolves got closer and closer, the terror in Youlan’s eyes became more and more evident.

“Save me!” Youlan called out to Fuhuan again.

Fuhuan rubbed her chin, acting petulant. “Why should I save you? Since you voluntarily came to this Jade Ancient Forest for the trial, you should have been prepared for all possible outcomes.”

“You…” Youlan’s eyes widened, not expecting Fuhuan to be so heartless. She also blamed her bad luck.

“Hmph, what are you staring at? You don’t even know how to have a better attitude when asking for help.” Fuhuan rolled her eyes and turned to leave.

Seeing her about to leave, Youlan quickly spoke, “Supreme Deity Fuhuan, I was wrong, I was wrong! Please be magnanimous and spare me this time!”

“Oh?” Seeing how quickly Youlan changed her tune, Fuhuan raised an eyebrow. “You know how to adapt to circumstances.”

After speaking, Fuhuan waved her hand, cutting through the black vines binding Youlan’s wrists.

With her hands freed, Youlan quickly concentrated her true energy to sever the vines around her ankles. Then she flew up and, without a word, sent several palm strikes toward the approaching pack of fire wolves.

“Hey!” Fuhuan was about to stop Youlan’s actions, but realized it was too late.

Youlan’s actions thoroughly enraged the fire wolves. In an instant, wolf howls resonated throughout the entire forest, and the fierce flames around the wolves burned even more vigorously and ferociously.

“Awoooo…”

With a wolf howl, the pack of fire wolves all pounced toward Youlan.

Fuhuan pouted and immediately flew toward the wolf pack. As the wolves approached Youlan, red light emanated from Fuhuan’s palm, quick as lightning, blocking the wolves’ attack.

With their attack blocked, the wolves finally noticed Fuhuan’s presence. Probably recalling that the ice formation earlier had also come from Fuhuan, all the wolves turned back, changing their target to her.

“Awoooo…”

With another wolf howl, the fire wolves, just like before, pounced toward Fuhuan.

To the side, seeing this scene, Youlan’s lips curved into a smile of success. She flew up and, as she passed by Fuhuan, gloated, “It seems you don’t need me here anymore. I’ll go ahead. I’ll wait for you at the end of the Jade Ancient Forest. Supreme Deity Fuhuan, don’t die here, or I’ll be disappointed.”

At this moment, Fuhuan felt that all these fire wolves were probably no match for Youlan, that ungrateful wretch.

Using her and then planning to leave?

“Luaner!” Fuhuan called out, summoning the Five-colored Divine Phoenix.

“Jing Jing…”

The phoenix cry sounded, and the Five-colored Divine Phoenix flew out from Fuhuan’s back, soaring in mid-air. Just as it was about to attack the fire wolves, Fuhuan coldly commanded, “Go catch Youlan and bring her back to me!”

The Five-colored Divine Phoenix understood and flew away.

Did she think Fuhuan was easy to bully? How dare she use her like this!

At this moment, Fuhuan was filled with rage. Facing these fire wolves, her eyes were cold as water, killing intent revealed. The blood-red peach blossom mark on her forehead gradually emanated a bloody scent.

“Rumble rumble…”

The moment Fuhuan activated her phoenix divine power, the surrounding ground shook several times. Branches and leaves trembled, dropping piles of fallen leaves. Suddenly, a heaven-reaching red light emerged from Fuhuan’s blood-red peach blossom mark, shooting upward, then transforming into a fierce beam directed at the ground.

“Bang bang bang…”

“Awoooo, awoooo…”

With several enormous explosion sounds and the wolves’ howls, the place where Fuhuan had been standing was now blasted into a huge crater. The fire wolves that had been there, along with some of the black trees in the forest, were all mixed, splashing up billowing dust.

Accompanying this dust, raging flames erupted, spreading rapidly, threatening to engulf the entire forest.

Those fire wolves, trapped by their fierce flames in this giant crater, were unable to move.

Fuhuan looked at the flames that illuminated half the sky, then gradually turned around to see Youlan being brought back by the Five-colored Divine Phoenix.

This time, Fuhuan’s gaze toward Youlan truly contained killing intent.

“Thud…”

The Five-colored Divine Phoenix threw Youlan to the ground.

Falling to the ground, Youlan looked at the fierce flames burning behind Fuhuan, then at the unscathed Fuhuan before her. Terror gradually appeared in her eyes, and her body began to tremble.

“I kindly saved you, and not only did you run off alone, but you also dared to mock me. Do you think I won’t harm you?” Fuhuan looked at Youlan with a stern face and expressionless eyes.

Youlan frowned, biting her lip, saying nothing.

“Why aren’t you speaking now?” Fuhuan asked angrily.

“Kill me? Fuhuan, don’t forget, Lord Nether God is also in this forest. I am a person from the Nether Realm. My life belongs to Siqing.”

“If you dare to kill me, aren’t you afraid of ruining your image in front of Siqing? Aren’t you afraid that Siqing will think you’re a ruthless demoness, a cold-blooded woman?”

“With such a short temper, no wonder you can’t compare to Lengyuan. No surprise Siqing doesn’t like you!” Youlan decided to go all in, taking a gamble with herself.

Listening to Youlan’s series of taunts, Fuhuan’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. She looked past Youlan to what was behind her. “Lord Nether God, this Youlan from your Nether Realm has insulted a Supreme Deity and directly addressed you by name. What crime does this constitute?”

Youlan, sitting on the ground, stiffened upon hearing these words. When she looked up at Fuhuan, she saw her smiling faintly, her gaze fixed behind Youlan.

Youlan slowly turned around. Upon seeing the purple figure behind her, her expression suddenly collapsed. The blood drained from her face in an instant, leaving her pale and weak.

“Insulting a Supreme Deity—a capital offense.”

“Directly addressing me by name—a capital offense.”

Siqing’s cold and severe voice sounded above Youlan’s head. Then, lowering his eyes, he sent a secret message to Youlan:

“Since you dared to conspire with Lengyuan to scheme against me and Fuhuan, you should have anticipated all consequences!”

Youlan’s pupils contracted. She reached out, about to grab Siqing’s robe to explain herself, but Siqing swept his sleeve, creating a palm wind that mercilessly sent Youlan’s body flying into the raging flames…