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"How about you let us join in before you head deeper into the ruins?"
Two figures floated down from above. The leader was a female cultivator in the middle stage of Jindan, wearing a yellow scarf with a silver token hanging at her waist.
Following behind her was a Foundation Establishment cultivator dressed in simple black robes. His shoulder-length black hair was adorned with an emerald green jade headband. His gaze was calm as he looked at Qi Yuan and the others.
What stood out even more was his face—smooth as white jade, with dark brows, phoenix eyes, a straight nose, and soft red lips. For a moment, it was difficult to tell if he was a man or a woman.
It was said that the other figure was a woman, yet her every move carried a lazy elegance.
Though he was indeed a man, his beauty was striking. There was an unconcealable allure in his expression, like a cat playfully scratching at one's heart.
The white-robed elder took one glance at the silver token and asked cautiously, "What is your relationship with the Huang family?"
"Huang Ying. This is my junior disciple, Ling Yuling," the woman in the yellow scarf replied calmly.
Ling Yuling—the daughter of the Twin Saints of the Star Palace, and the only future Nascent Soul stage cultivator in the Chaos Star Sea.
It was unexpected to meet her here.
Qi Yuan studied Ling Yuling with interest. As a disciple of the Six Paths Sect, Wen Tianren was likely in the late Jindan stage by now. So why was Ling Yuling's cultivation so far behind? Even if she couldn't match him, reaching Jindan should have been possible.
Ling Yuling, however, seemed unfazed by Qi Yuan's gaze. She was used to being stared at and didn't take it to heart.
The white-robed elder cautioned, "We don't mind you joining us, Brother Huang, but aren't you worried your disciple might die on the spot?"
The deeper areas of the Fire God Sect were riddled with soul-damaging restrictions. Ordinary soul-protecting artifacts were useless—any Jindan cultivator who entered unprepared would perish.
Only those with unique divine souls or rare treasures could last for a while.
The woman in the yellow scarf responded coldly, "No need to worry about that. We have our own methods."
"Brother, one more person means more strength," Pei Ao chimed in, sounding persuasive. However, his gaze frequently drifted toward Ling Yuling, clearly captivated.
Noticing this, the yellow-scarfed woman shot Pei Ao a glare as if warning him, "Look at me again, and I'll gouge your eyes out."
Pei Ao smiled awkwardly and quickly looked away.
Ling Yuling truly had the ability to attract both men and women. Qi Yuan had to admit—her appearance was extraordinary.
The white-robed elder pondered for a moment before nodding. "Fine. My surname is Hong. Once we enter the depths, we agree not to attack each other. Agreed?"
Going deeper into the ruins always carried the risk of betrayal.
Qi Yuan nodded slightly.
The others also voiced no objections.
Satisfied, Elder Hong said, "Then let's move."
Streams of light shot into the sky as the group swiftly entered the depths of the Fire God Sect ruins.
Not far from the Qingyu Platform, several Jindan cultivators exchanged cold smiles before silently following after them.
Qi Yuan, trailing Elder Hong, scanned the area with his late Jindan-stage divine sense. He quickly detected several figures tailing them, but he showed no reaction, as if unaware.
The woman in the yellow scarf snorted in displeasure. "These leeches only know how to scavenge resources this way."
Jindan cultivators like them followed at a distance, waiting for others to suffer serious injuries before swooping in to claim the spoils. But as long as their targets remained unharmed, they wouldn't make a move.
Chasing them off was pointless—they could always claim to be traveling the same path.
There was no need to waste energy on an unnecessary fight.
Elder Hong's gaze turned cold. He murmured, "They lack decent spiritual weapons. Once we go deeper, they won't be able to keep up."
The woman in the yellow scarf let out a disdainful snort but said nothing more.
Because most of the Fire God Sect's protective formations had been deactivated, Qi Yuan and his group reached the inner ruins without issue. They landed before a fiery red restriction.
Pei Ao's eyes gleamed as he unsheathed his sword and swung it to test the barrier.
A sharp hum filled the air.
The sword energy transformed into a dazzling light, piercing directly into the restriction—only for the blade to fall lifelessly to the ground.
Elder Hong frowned. "Fellow Daoist Pei, please take this seriously. Any soul that enters this restriction will be burned to ashes. That includes the soul imprint on a magic weapon."
Qi Yuan's mind turned as he considered his options. He could use the gold-eating insects to carve a path through.
At that moment, the woman in the yellow scarf let out a soft cry. A yellow light burst from her forehead, piercing through the fiery red restriction. She grabbed Ling Yuling's wrist and pulled her through before the barrier instantly sealed shut.
Pei Ao took a deep breath and spat out a black oil-paper umbrella. It unfurled automatically, shielding him as he cut through the restriction with ease.
Seeing this, two or three more Jindan cultivators decided to try their luck.
A beautiful female cultivator stepped forward, summoning an abacus-shaped magic weapon. Brown light flashed as the abacus beads floated, forming a protective barrier around her. She charged forward—
A piercing scream rang out.
Her body trembled violently, white smoke pouring from her head as the restriction burned her soul. The abacus beads clattered to the ground, and with a final, agonized gasp, she collapsed, eyes wide open in death.
The surrounding cultivators inhaled sharply.
Elder Hong sneered slightly. "Thinking such a weak artifact could get her through… she was simply courting death."
He swiftly formed hand seals, conjuring a cluster of fine blue flames at his fingertips. Even in the wind, the flames remained steady. "Qi Daoyou, we will wait for you inside. Don't break your word."
With that, he strode through the restriction, vanishing from sight.
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow. A fire spirit root? No wonder he was so eager to explore the Fire God Sect's ruins—its treasures were irresistibly valuable to fire cultivators.
More Jindan cultivators began attempting entry, drawing murmurs from the crowd.
"This restriction must be fake! So many people are getting through unharmed."
"It just means they have rare treasures. Are you jealous?"
"Hey, Ma Laosi, didn't your father say his red shorts were a rare treasure? Go grab them for us. We'll split the treasure equally!"
"Get lost! Unless you can charm my father into giving them up, there's no chance."
"Your father's a Nascent Soul cultivator. Never mind, I'll pass."
Qi Yuan listened to their chatter with amusement.
His spiritual sense flickered, and he released two gold-eating insects to test the restriction. A faint chewing sound reached his ears as a small hole appeared in the fiery red barrier.
It worked.
Without hesitation, he opened his spirit beast bag, releasing a vast swarm of gold-eating insects to devour the restriction.
As the insects cleared a path, Qi Yuan stepped through effortlessly.
"Another one got in?"
"It's over. All the treasures are going to be taken before we even get a chance."
"Surviving comes first. This is just the first barrier—each one will be stronger than the last."
Inside the ruins, Qi Yuan moved swiftly within a writhing mass of gold-eating insects. The restriction's power dimmed as the insects devoured it, though their numbers dwindled in the process.
Deeper within, Elder Hong and the others waited in an open space.
The woman in the yellow scarf tapped her foot impatiently. "Fellow Daoist Hong, your man probably won't make it. Let's move on."
Pei Ao looked thoughtful, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Ling Yuling remained indifferent.
Elder Hong insisted, "Let's wait. Fellow Daoist Qi's abilities are unfathomable. He's no ordinary Jindan cultivator."
Just then, Qi Yuan's voice drifted through the restriction.
"Apologies for the delay."
A swarm of silver-winged, gold-spotted beetles burst through the fiery red barrier, revealing Qi Yuan's relaxed figure and calm smile.
Ling Yuling's gaze sharpened with curiosity.
Pei Ao's expression grew solemn.
The woman in the yellow scarf looked slightly surprised.
Elder Hong exhaled in relief. "Good. Let's continue deeper."
(End Of Chapter)