“I’ll go.”

A phoenix nirvana flame appeared in Shao Yi’s palm. He gently blew out a breath. The scarlet flame extended delicately along the mortal realm’s official road. That extremely faint trace of clear energy left behind by Yan Xia was burned by the flame into a pale golden color, glimmering and fluttering in the wind.

He looked at the traces of clear energy and smiled. “I’ll go by myself. This was originally just a personal wish of mine anyway. You all return to the Southern Heavenly Gate to report. For the time being, I really can’t be annihilated that easily.”

Zhi Xi looked at him with a complex expression. Suddenly she gritted her teeth. “I’m going too! Junior Martial Brother Fucang, Xuan Yi, let’s go together! How can we let a fellow student risk danger alone? Moreover, these demon clans of flowers, plants, and trees in the mortal realm are all skilled in bewitching illusion arts. We haven’t reached the realm of dreaming for a thousand years without form or aspect yet. If Junior Martial Brother Shao Yi goes alone, how is it different from sending him to his death? We can only rely on Xuan Yi’s Zhuyin’s white snow to resist.”

Xuan Yi rubbed her head. She just knew it… By the looks of it, her left leg would have to be left behind in the mortal realm today.

Her body was lifted onto the nine-headed lion by Fucang. She was ten thousand parts unwilling, her face pulled three feet long. Suddenly she tucked all her hair inside her clothes and said coldly, “If you really dare cut my hair, I’ll have Qing Yan beat you up!”

Fucang had already grown accustomed to her scattered train of thought. After a while, he said, “Qing Yan… is that the young dragon lord?”

“That’s right.” Xuan Yi became smug and proud at the mention of Qing Yan. “He’s the best at fighting.”

Fucang lowered his head and stared at her. Suddenly he reached out and pulled her hair back out from inside her clothes. Ignoring her furious punching and kicking, he said flatly, “Then I must see for myself.”

The pale golden traces of clear energy twisted and turned. Suddenly they veered toward a mountain, continued intermittently along the mountain path for a stretch, then suddenly disappeared.

Fucang raised his head to look at this not particularly tall mountain. The turbid energy at the mountain peak was thicker than in other places. He said, “Let’s go have a look at the mountain peak.”

The nine-headed lion and the xiezhi leaped swiftly to the mountain peak one after the other. They saw chaotic rocks piled everywhere, countless withered trees, with only one enormous locust tree entrenched on top. Its sinister and thick roots had even peeled away from the ground, entangled together with countless rocks. At this time, the mortal realm was in the midst of the golden autumn season, yet this locust tree was still as green and shady as a canopy—it looked extremely strange.

Fucang jumped down from the lion’s back and stepped forward to test with his hand. As expected, when he touched it, it was hollow. This locust tree demon could already open up a cave dwelling. This place was just an illusion.

He heavily stamped his foot. The mountain body immediately trembled several times. The illusion before their eyes instantly vanished. The mountain peak was covered with desolate smoke and wild grass, permeated with mist. On a huge rock was embedded a vermilion door, upon which was even elegantly inscribed a name: Paradise Cave Heaven. Yan Xia’s pale golden clear energy was circling by the door.

This was Zhi Xi’s first time descending to the mortal realm to kill demons. Inevitably she was a bit nervous. Biting her lip, she asked in a low voice, “Charge in and kill?”

It seemed… this was the only method.

Fucang placed Xuan Yi in Zhi Xi’s hands. “Trouble Senior Martial Sister to watch over her well.”

Having said that, he flicked his fingertip. The azure-blue Pure Jun transformed into tens of thousands of sword lights. With a tremendous sound, it tore apart the cave door. He and Shao Yi charged through the door one from the left and one from the right. Zhi Xi followed closely behind carrying Xuan Yi on her back. Inside the door were actually carved railings and jade structures, hanging gauze dancing in the air—extremely elegant. Shao Yi waved his long sleeves. Phoenix nirvana flames instantly devoured this demon clan’s cave dwelling. Unexpectedly, there were no screams, nor any demon shadows. This cave dwelling seemed empty.

Yan Xia’s clear energy flowed before an exquisite wooden door. The moment they approached, they heard voices speaking inside, as if two people were arguing about something. Yan Xia’s crying was very loud. “I don’t want to meet some Old Huai! Zidu! You clearly told me this was your cave dwelling!”

Zidu sighed. “I’m just a tiny little vine demon—how could I open up a cave dwelling? A’Xia, I also want to emulate the immortal mandarin ducks with you, together until our hair turns white. It’s just that I’m too useless, controlled by Old Huai. How about this—accompany him for five days, and I can spend one day with you. If you want to be with me, you must do your utmost to please him. Only then can the two of us be together forever. All right?”

That such base and shameless scoundrels existed in this world! Zhi Xi trembled all over with rage. Just as she was about to kick the door open, unexpectedly Shao Yi was countless times faster than her. The wooden door was instantly burned to ashes by phoenix nirvana flames. He was rarely seen with a face as dark as water, stepping on scarlet flames and slowly walking in.

In the magnificent and luxurious elegant chamber, Yan Xia’s hairpins and clothes were in complete disarray. She was collapsed on the bed sobbing pitifully. Zidu was half-kneeling by her side, holding her shoulder to comfort her. Suddenly seeing a group of divine beings charge into the room, his expression changed dramatically. He immediately transformed into a shadowy mass and was about to flee.

The scarlet phoenix nirvana flames silently and soundlessly surged forth in all directions. Zidu let out a miserable scream from the burn. He could only hover in midair, clutching his scorched arm and gasping for breath.

Yan Xia was actually startled by him. “What’s wrong?”

Shao Yi raised his hand and waved. She was struck by a soul-capturing spell and collapsed limply.

Four celestial deities, one vine demon—the elegant chamber suddenly fell into a strange silence.

Zhi Xi stared fixedly at Zidu. The more she looked, the more shocked she felt. He resembled Shao Yi so much! Their appearances were alike, their temperaments were alike, even the pearl on their foreheads was the same! She suddenly felt a surge of heartache. Yan Xia, this foolish girl—why did she have to suffer so?

After gasping for a moment, Zidu’s eyes gradually revealed an intent to beg for mercy. He said in a trembling voice, “I’m just a vine demon. All of this was planned by Old Huai! I… I didn’t do anything to her! Upper deity, spare my life!”

Zhi Xi said angrily, “What Old Huai! There’s only you in this cave dwelling! The crime of abducting a descended goddess, the crime of falling into the demonic path—any one of these is enough to scatter your soul to oblivion!”

Zidu’s face turned deathly pale. He kept saying, “Impossible! When I just brought A’Xia in, they were all still here! How is it possible?!”

As he spoke, he was about to fly outside the room, but the overwhelming phoenix nirvana flames blocked his path. Shao Yi looked at him for a long while, then suddenly let out a burst of laughter. Shaking his head, he sighed with a tsk-tsk sound. “Something like this—where does he resemble me? Little Evening Glow, your eye for people has always been this poor.”

In the upper realm you fell for a bastard like him; in the lower realm you’ve fallen for a useless little demon.

He rubbed his fingers together. Phoenix nirvana flames instantly devoured Zidu’s body. His miserable screams blasted for a full cup of tea’s worth of time before gradually quieting down. Not even ashes remained.

Shao Yi slowly walked before Yan Xia, lowered his eyelashes and looked for a long time, then gently lifted her up and sighed. “Let’s go. First send her back.”

Upon hearing they could return, Xuan Yi immediately breathed a sigh of relief. She pressed her mouth to Zhi Xi’s ear and said in a sweet, soft voice, “Senior Martial Sister, can I ride the xiezhi together with you later?”

This little imp was still quarreling with Fucang? Zhi Xi smiled helplessly. “Oh, be more sensible. I’m not getting involved in your quarrel with Junior Martial Brother Fucang—I don’t want to come away with a nose full of dust.”

Xuan Yi clutched her neck tightly. Regarding this senior martial sister, she always knew how to act coquettish, twisting her body like a twisted dough stick. “Good Senior Martial Sister, let me ride the xiezhi.”

Zhi Xi was pestered by her until she had no choice. She could only agree repeatedly, “All right, all right, all right, ride the xiezhi.”

The deities exited the room, but saw that the vivid blood-red phoenix nirvana flames were about to be extinguished. Those exquisite carved railings and jade structures had all been burned to black ash—there was nothing left to burn. Just as they were about to return by the route they came, Xuan Yi suddenly patted Zhi Xi’s shoulder. “Go this way. You’re going the wrong way.”

She pointed toward the dead end behind them. There was only a wall burned black.

Zhi Xi was utterly baffled. “That’s a wall!”

Xuan Yi didn’t answer. She slowly exhaled a breath. Dense Zhuyin’s white snow slowly drifted down from overhead. The bone-piercing cold made several celestial deities shiver. In an instant, the scene before their eyes changed. Indeed, the direction she pointed to was the exit.

“Looks like that locust tree demon really is very skilled in bewitching illusion arts.” Xuan Yi pinched several snow pellets and distributed them to everyone. “Hurry up and go. Don’t expect me to hold out for long.”