C16 They Broke up Completely and Went Deep into the Forbidden Area

"You!"

Chiang Qiushui seethed with rage. She had come with the best of intentions to offer a warning, and whether she was right or wrong, he had no right to speak to her that way.

As she reflected on the remnants of affection she once held for him, now reduced to ashes, her anger suddenly vanished, leaving only scorn and disdain in its wake. She gave Xiao Chen a cold, dismissive glance and said, "I truly misjudged you. You're not only weaker than Young Master Yim, but your generosity of spirit and capacity for greatness pale in comparison to his. I deeply regret having waited for you these three years!"

With that, Chiang Qiushui swept away, her sleeves billowing behind her, resolved not to lay eyes on Xiao Chen a moment longer.

Xiao Chen, meanwhile, was a cauldron of fury, his hand crashing down and reducing the stone table to rubble.

"Chen, keep your cool!" Ming Yu's voice echoed within, urging restraint.

"Master, I can't!" Xiao Chen, his eyes red with fury, couldn't help but draw the Great Ruler, swinging it furiously and smashing the stone furnishings to dust. "Why does she have to treat me this way?" he fumed.

Ming Yu exhaled a weary sigh, channeling her soul's power to weave a tranquilizing incantation, which finally soothed Xiao Chen's turbulent emotions.

"I'm sorry, Master," Xiao Chen murmured, retracting the Great Ruler.

"Chiang Qiushui did have a point," Ming Yu conceded, "Yang Qiyun didn't attempt to take the storage ring because he lacks the power to expel my soul from it at present."

"Master, do you doubt him as well?" Xiao Chen inquired.

"One must always be vigilant," Ming Yu advised, "I'd rather not dwell on it... but suffice it to say, if Yim Wuxie suspects something amiss with Yang Qiyun, there's likely good reason. His judgment is rarely flawed."

"Yim Wuxie, again!"

Xiao Chen bristled with fresh indignation. Since his setback at the Chiang estate, Yim Wuxie had not only captured Chiang Qiushui's affections but had also become a frequent point of comparison by Ming Yu to admonish him.

Yim Wuxie seemed like a persistent demon in Xiao Chen's thoughts, impossible to shake off!

"He's good at reading people, but I'm not too shabby myself!" Xiao Chen declared with a cold laugh. "I'll show you! Brother Yang is nothing like what you claim. I'm going to have him take me to find the Spirit Drug so I can help Master restore his body!"

With those words, Xiao Chen turned and strode away.

Ming Yu, familiar with Xiao Chen's temperament, could only let out a long sigh.

"Ding! The male and female leads have irrevocably split. The hero's luck has dropped by 500, while the villain value has surged by 5000!"

"Ding! The heroine's loyalty has been reaffirmed. The host's destiny value has increased by 200!"

Sitting in the courtyard, Yim Wuxie cradled a cup of tea, watching as Chiang Qiushui returned from outside, silent. His lips curved into a slight smile.

Things were unfolding just as he had predicted, perhaps even better.

"What's the matter?" Yim Wuxie asked, feigning ignorance.

"Nothing," Chiang Qiushui replied, shaking her head. "I'm just a bit disappointed, that's all."

Yim Wuxie exhaled deeply. "It looks like he didn't take your words to heart. But you've delivered the message; we've done all we can. What happens next is up to his fate."

Chiang Qiushui nodded in agreement.

Yim Wuxie's tone lightened as he offered, "Let's forget those unpleasant matters. How about I take you hunting in the forbidden zone to blow off some steam?"

"Ah?" Chiang Qiushui blurted out, "Isn't that place incredibly dangerous?"

Yim Wuxie clasped Chiang Qiushui's hand and drew her close. "What's there to fear? I'm with you."

Her cheeks flushed, Chiang Qiushui gently pushed against him with her delicate, supple hands. "Please... not like this..."

Releasing her hand with a chuckle, Yim Wuxie reassured her, "Relax, I am the Crown Prince of the Inferno Lord. What harm could an alien beast possibly do to me? Besides, we'll have the Underworld Guards with us. We just need to make sure the Holy Land's people don't spot us, or it could lead to unnecessary trouble."

Chiang Qiushui finally nodded and followed Yim Wuxie into the sky.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chen had sought out Yang Qiyun, who had everything prepared but was fretting over how to broach the subject with Xiao Chen. When Xiao Chen approached him first, Yang Qiyun readily agreed to his plans.

The two quickly gathered their belongings and departed the Holy Land, making a beeline for the Eastern Wastes' forbidden territory.

Beyond the Holy Land lay a truly barren expanse. The eroded terrain resembled a monstrous beast, ready to snap at any intruder with its gaping maw.

The occasional gust of wind carried with it the chilling echoes of ghostly cries and wolfish howls, striking fear into the hearts of travelers.

"As we venture into this forbidden land, be aware that it's home to numerous alien beasts with far greater cultivation levels than those found outside. For instance, the Sound-Tail Rock Snakes outside this area are at most at the True Mystery Stage, while those within can reach the Earth Mystery Stage or even the Heavenly Mystery Stage," Yang Qiyun explained as they walked.

"The most formidable among them is the Rock King," Yang Qiyun continued gravely. "Legend has it that it's a Kingly Mystery Stage giant eagle, with each wing spanning the size of three to five houses."

"Such a massive beast would be hard to miss," Xiao Chen remarked.

"That's what I thought," Yang Qiyun agreed. "Yet, the Spirit Drug is indeed guarded by a Heavenly Mystery Stage beast. It's likely to be a challenge for just the two of us to handle."

"Don't worry," Xiao Chen reassured him, "with my master present, a mere Heavenly Mystery Stage creature is no cause for concern."

"That's a relief," Yang Qiyun said, glancing at the storage ring on Xiao Chen's hand.

They continued on until they reached the outskirts of a half-eroded rock forest.

Approaching the stone forest with caution, Yang Qiyun whispered, "This is it. The Spirit Drug is inside. We're in the domain of the Heavenly Mystery Stage beast. Let's focus on harvesting the herbs and avoid awakening the beast at all costs, or we won't stand a chance of leaving this stone forest alive."

Xiao Chen nodded in agreement.

Side by side, they navigated the towering cliff walls and the weathered stone trees, keeping a vigilant watch over their surroundings. Yet, aside from the occasional gusts of wind sweeping through the peaks and the scattered stone trees, the stone forest revealed nothing. They had circled the entire area without a trace of the Spirit Drug.

As Xiao Chen's hope began to wane, Ming Yu's voice echoed in his mind, "There's a scent of medicine nearby!" His spirits lifted instantly, and he scanned the area eagerly, only to hear Ming Yu instruct, "Look up!"

Glancing skyward, Xiao Chen spotted an odd plant nestled beneath the crown of a stone tree, about six meters tall. The plant, resembling dried grass, dangled upside down from the tree crown.

"Thorny Sandbags! It truly is the Spirit Drug!" Xiao Chen exclaimed with joy.

"Indeed," Ming Yu responded with equal delight. "Thorny Sandbags sprout only once a millennium. Judging by this one, it's been ripe for quite some time. Our timing couldn't be better."

However, Yang Qiyun interjected with uncertainty, "Something's not right. Where's the alien beast that's supposed to be guarding the Spirit Drug?"

At that moment, the ground beneath them shook violently. Rocks and sand heaved like tumultuous waves, and the stone forest was uprooted as if by a fierce storm, crashing to the ground—all except for the stone tree bearing the Thorny Sandbags, which stood resolute.

"Not good! It's right below us!"

Xiao Chen's alarm rang out as he leapt into the air. The sand at their feet spiraled downward, forming a vortex, and from within emerged a massive body clad in black armor.