Lan An was unaware that the two troublemaking youths had been killed. He cautiously followed the Qing Mao Crew deeper into the cave, or rather, trailed behind Hong Lian.
Watching her round, swaying hips under her red dress as she walked ahead, Lan An's fingers itched, tempted to give them a firm slap.
"Big Brother Lan An, is Sister Hong Lian's butt that pretty? Want me to give it a pat for you?" Die Qing's playful, childish voice startled him.
"What are you talking about, Ting'er? I don't follow," Lan An said thick-skinnedly, cursing his weak resolve. Two months since leaving Yan Ruo, his youthful vigor struggled against Hong Lian's allure. He took a deep breath to regain composure.
Uncle Ji turned away, pretending not to hear or see, staying out of it.
Hong Lian, walking ahead, showed no reaction, though her cultivation ensured she heard every word. A closer look would reveal her fiery lips curling smugly.
"Ahem, Miss Hong Lian, why rush into this entrance?" Uncle Ji coughed, breaking the awkward silence. Though he led the Qing Mao Crew, he treated members with respect, never acting superior.
"There's something good here," Hong Lian replied casually, striding deeper.
"Oh? Sounds like you've been here before, Sister Lian," Lan An teased, his face innocent.
"Giggle, a woman's intuition," Hong Lian answered with a sultry laugh, her figure trembling slightly.
Lan An nearly choked on her response, finding this woman increasingly intriguing.
"I'm a woman too. Why don't I have that intuition?" Die Qing pouted, muttering.
The group chatted as they advanced. Soon, a sealed bronze door appeared. They exchanged nods, and Hong Lian pushed it open.
As the door cracked open, a wave of intense heat hit them.
Scorching.
Unbearably so.
The group gasped at the sight within.
A chamber filled with endless flames, blazing as if they could devour all. Yet, miraculously, the fire stayed confined within, not leaking past the bronze door.
"It's a formation, the Li Huo Array. It isolates flames," Hong Lian explained.
Lan An was once again struck by her vast knowledge.
"With a formation isolating it, yet the heat is this intense, the flames inside must be extraordinary," the group realized, faces grim.
"Hee hee, is this your woman's intuition, Sister Hong Lian?" Die Qing teased, sticking out her tongue, still adorable despite her jest.
Knock.
Hong Lian playfully tapped her head, smiling. "Silly girl, this is just another test from the cave's master."
"Indeed. A test must have a solution," Uncle Ji agreed.
"Kim'er, any way to pass this?" Lan An asked silently.
"There is, and it's simple. But you must rely on yourself. I can't help," Kim'er replied, apologetic. Her role was limited to providing knowledge, not solving tests.
"My mistake," Lan An admitted. Kim'er's words were a wake-up call. He'd grown too reliant on her, unfit for someone aiming to be a hegemon.
Calming himself, he activated his White Moon Soul-Seizing Eye, scanning the chamber.
After a long while, he frowned. No matter how closely he looked, the room was filled with relentless flames, no foothold in sight.
Uncle Ji and the two women pondered seriously. Lacking Lan An's vision, they still recognized the challenge's difficulty.
"Maybe it's time to stop," Uncle Ji said with a smile. A forthright man, he knew when to let go. Facing an unsolvable situation, he chose to withdraw. This trip had already yielded a Yellow-Grade Mid-Tier Spirit Fist skill and completed their mission—a fine haul.
"Lan An, you've hidden your strength, but I can tell you're no ordinary man. I hope you and the girls pass this test," he said, patting Lan An's shoulder encouragingly.
"You two aren't ordinary either. Please escort Lan An out of Shan Mu Forest. As for the Spirit Fist, I doubt you care for it, so I won't embarrass myself offering it, haha," he added, turning to the women with a hearty laugh.
"Yes, take care, Uncle Ji," Lan An and the two women said respectfully, their eyes showing admiration. Despite his strength being lesser, his character earned their deep respect, like an elder.
To Lan An, Uncle Ji recalled his adoptive father from his past life—honest and free-spirited.
True to his word, Uncle Ji ensured the women, temporary Qing Mao members, would fulfill his promise to escort Lan An out.
As Uncle Ji's figure faded, Hong Lian sighed. "A mere rogue cultivator with a heart nobler than many highborn elites."
Lan An nodded. Such people were rare in the Lan Clan.
"Alright, no need to hide. Only a fool would believe a Qi Refining cultivator could roam Shan Mu Forest so freely," Hong Lian said, glancing slyly at Lan An. Though unsure of his true strength, she knew he wasn't weak.
Die Qing turned, puffing her cheeks as if to say, You dared trick me!
Besides the two reckless youths, she'd been naive enough to miss his concealed power.
Lan An smiled, adjusting his aura to Perfect Foundation Establishment, withholding his full Golden Core strength. He didn't fully trust the women yet.
"Perfect Foundation Establishment!" The women gasped. A youth barely twenty with such cultivation was astonishing.
"Enough. I know you're hiding your strength too. Let's focus on passing this test," Lan An said calmly.
The women nodded, resuming their study of the fire chamber.
"Could we shield ourselves with Spirit Power and enter?" Die Qing suggested.
"The flames' heat is too intense. Our Spirit Power might not hold, and the chamber's vast. We'd exhaust ourselves and die," Hong Lian replied, dismissing the idea she'd already considered. Even as a Fire-element cultivator, she dared not enter, sensing the flames' superior strength.
Lan An, silent until now, spoke seriously. "Can you trust me?"
"You have a plan?" The women turned to him.
"Not 100% certain, but I didn't come this far to leave empty-handed," Lan An said. Valuing their companionship, he was willing to share the reward, though he wasn't naive enough to expect unconditional trust.
"Worth a try," they said in unison after exchanging glances.
Moments later, their faces froze, eyes wide, mouths agape. Lan An had boldly stepped into the sea of flames alone.
His figure vanished, swallowed by endless fire, without a sound.
Shockingly, he'd entered casually, like a stroll, without any protective energy.
Was he insane?
Exchanging a glance, the women gritted their teeth, closed their eyes, and leapt in.
Inside, Lan An grinned triumphantly. "Just as I thought, haha!"
After observing the chamber, he'd realized the cave's master wouldn't create an impossible test. A flawless sea of fire wasn't a trial but a dead end. The most likely truth: the flames were an illusion. Only courage could verify it.
The two women appeared beside him, awestruck.
"It's an illusion array, testing courage and decisiveness," Hong Lian marveled.
Die Qing nodded, her innocence giving way to realization. The endless flames and searing heat were a sophisticated illusion to mislead intruders.
"You're bold. Even if others suspected this, few would dare enter without protective energy," Hong Lian said, admiring Lan An.
"Aren't you two just as bold? I was crazy, and you followed," Lan An teased.
After passing, Kim'er revealed the chamber held another trap: using Spirit Power would trigger an explosion, injuring the user. Fortunately, their courage spared them.
"Who is this cave's master? Ma Nian Pills and these arrays aren't simple. A dual Pill-Array cultivator?" Die Qing wondered.
"Go ask him," Lan An said seriously, pointing.
The women followed his gesture, gasping. Their chests—one large, one modest—heaved.
At the chamber's center, a circle of precious gemstones formed a grand ring. A majestic throne stood within, like an emperor's seat.
Atop it sat an ancient skeleton, regal despite death. Adorned with a purple-gold crown and golden robe, it exuded an imperial aura.
On its right hand, a black skull-shaped ring and a scepter crackled with lightning at its tip, planted on the ground.
On its left, a small purple flame, shaped like a heart, danced above its open palm.
Though no danger emanated from it…
Lan An and the women stared at the tiny purple flame, faces grave.
The space around it warped and trembled, its terrifying heat distorting reality.
Kim'er's excited voice rang in Lan An's mind: "Otherworldly Flame - Purple Heart Void-Burning Flame."