Her voice was soft, sounding like an easily manipulated young girl.

But seeing the powerful immortal energy around her, the surrounding immortals dared not move. Only the True Lords who had been repelled earlier couldn’t save face and said: “Please come with us, Miss.”

“Go where?” Er’er tilted her head, smiling. “It’s too chaotic right now; it’s not good to move around carelessly.”

Qian Tian was quite familiar with her, but looking at her now, he felt as if this young girl had become a different person. There was a touch of coldness at the corner of her eyebrows, and her almond-shaped eyes looked up, cutting through the crowd to stare directly at him.

He felt a bit frightened.

Steadying himself, Qian Tian saluted her from a distance.

A Supreme God’s salute was a challenge to battle. Er’er watched with pursed lips, her peripheral vision quickly scanning the surroundings.

Li Ye wasn’t here; no one could help her. Was she a match for Qian Tian?

Though uncertain within, she couldn’t show weakness. Er’er straightened her back and returned his salute with a crisp bow of her own.

…

…

Then a wave of immortal energy surged toward her.

Watching from afar, Zhu Yan saw Er’er and Qian Tian fighting more and more fiercely. Qian Tian could have taken her life with one strike while she was unprepared, but he hesitated for a moment. In that instant, Er’er reacted, using all her cultivation to fight back with equal intensity.

She was merely an Upper Immortal who hadn’t even reached the True Lord rank, fighting against a Supreme God. Even with Qian Tian’s good temperament, he couldn’t tolerate this. His attacks grew heavier, and the waves of energy sweeping around them grew stronger.

Strangely enough, Immortal Er’er seemed undaunted; the stronger her opponent, the more spirited she became. The fiery light around her body grew brilliant, even forming a fire phoenix with spread wings behind her, similar to Li Ye.

Qian Tian couldn’t gain any advantage.

After dozens of light streaks across the fiery clouds in the sky, Qian Tian, with an ashen face, still wanted to continue, but the Thunder Duke standing behind him suddenly came forward and pulled him back.

“Supreme God, there’s no need to waste effort here,” he offered a way out. “Support is needed at the front. Leave this to us.”

Qian Tian was somewhat embarrassed, but he knew well that this girl must have received divine assistance; he truly couldn’t capture her for the time being. So he swept his sleeve, withdrawing his magic weapon: “I’ll trouble you then.”

The Thunder Duke nodded, watching him leave. Turning back to look at the girl standing still, his eyes flashed sternly as he raised his thunder hammer and struck it towards the sky.

Boom—

Five thunderstorms crashed down. Where Er’er stood, a thunder prison rapidly formed. Lightning bolts pierced straight through the clouds; anyone trapped inside who dared stretch out a hand would surely have their soul damaged.

Letting out a light breath, the Thunder Duke looked with satisfaction at the trapped person and couldn’t help saying: “I thought she was formidable, but she couldn’t escape my hammer after all.”

The person in the thunder prison stood motionless, neither speaking nor moving.

“Take her back,” the Thunder Duke ordered.

Nearby celestial soldiers obeyed and approached, but drawing near, one frowned: “This…?”

“What is it?” the Thunder Duke asked. “Does she still have tricks up her sleeve?”

“Not exactly,” the celestial soldier turned, his expression complicated. “It’s just that what you’ve captured doesn’t seem… alive.”

Slightly startled, the Thunder Duke hurriedly stepped forward, pushing him aside to take a closer look at the thunder prison.

It had the appearance of the young girl, but what was confined there had the form but no life force. After a while, a piece of dirt even fell from its face.

“We’ve been tricked!” Slapping his thigh, the Thunder Duke exclaimed in frustration. “How does she even know Gen clan’s transformation art?”

With his angry shout, the earth figure completely crumbled into a pile of dirt.

Er’er had already run a mile away, occasionally looking back.

Around her, immortals and demons were still fighting, but there seemed to be no major figures in this area; no one paid attention to her running about. Finding a clean cloud, Er’er stopped to catch her breath. Before she could finish, she sensed a familiar aura.

Zhu Yan had appeared at some unknown time and was standing not far behind her.

Her heart tensed, but Er’er pretended not to notice, smoothing her breath with a hand on her chest before turning around and casually meeting his gaze.

“Oh!” she exclaimed with delight. “What are you doing here?”

Zhu Yan smiled and bowed to her: “By the Supreme God’s command, I’ve come especially to escort you.”

“Has he already noticed I’ve run out?” Er’er blinked, appearing guilty. “Bringing me back, he won’t punish me, will he?”

Zhu Yan shook his head, then stepped aside in invitation.

Er’er followed him with an innocent face.

Observing her from the corner of his eye, Zhu Yan said softly: “You’d better not wander about these days. If you fell into their hands, it would inevitably hinder the Supreme God’s important matters.”

Smiling and nodding, Er’er said: “My transformation skills have improved considerably lately. Since I can’t move around freely, why don’t I transform into an object and hang on to him? This way, he won’t have to worry about me either.”

Zhu Yan shook his head: “The Supreme God said there’s too much killing energy around him, and it’s not suitable to bring you along. If the watchtower isn’t comfortable for resting, I’ll lead you back to Shangbing Palace. It’s been well prepared and is very safe.”

As they spoke, dismembered limbs of Netherworld beings flew through the air. Er’er didn’t even turn her head, simply sweeping her sleeve to brush them aside, her eyes clear and bright: “I won’t hold him back.”

Zhu Yan grew somewhat impatient and was about to speak more severely, but turning his head, he saw the look in her eyes.

Unyielding determination without any room for negotiation.

His footsteps faltered, and Zhu Yan pressed his lips together. He felt some regret. Why had Li Ye given her so much cultivation power? So much that now he wasn’t confident he could subdue her. It wouldn’t be good to openly confront her, but letting her go? That would surely cause trouble.

For so many years, Zhu Yan had never done anything he regretted. Not dealing decisively with this girl from the beginning had become his first regret.

With a light sigh, Zhu Yan continued walking forward.

Er’er followed him and, seeming to sense his concession, her smile became warm and gentle again: “Lord Zhu Yan, don’t blame me. If you had someone you loved, you would also want to be with them every day.”

Lifting the corner of his mouth, Zhu Yan said: “I don’t have anyone I love.”

“What about family?” she asked. “You must have family. In times of great danger, a family should surely be together.”

At the mention of this, Zhu Yan lowered his eyes.

“In times of great danger, a family indeed should be together,” he said quietly after a while. “Die together as well.”

As if frightened, the person beside him stared at him with wide eyes, stammering: “I, I hadn’t heard about this, I’m sorry.”

“It’s nothing,” Zhu Yan smiled faintly. “It’s not something worth talking about proudly anyway.”

He was a fortunate immortal, born with immortal bones and with brothers and sisters born alongside him. Many years ago in the Nine Heavens, who wouldn’t envy the mention of the Zhu clan?

Unfortunately, that harmonious family of immortals all died in the end, perishing in the great fire they were most skilled with, their souls scattered while tightly embracing one another.

Zhu Yan was the one held in the innermost part, the one who survived.

After the great fire, someone stepped on the blackened ashes and lovingly extracted him from his charred physical body.

“What a pity,” he said. “The wrath of the Fire God indeed comes at the cost of human lives.”