Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Alarm the Fire Phoenix!

Feng He Yun was still talking as he gestured down: “That whole nest is woven from Fire-Scale Vine. It’s really rare.”

Shen Sang Ruo’s face had already darkened. She looked into the crater and saw a person slowly edging toward the nest.

She said, voice tight: “We don’t know how strong that bird-beast is or when it will return. How can you rush in blindly?” Then, steady and cold, she added: “You know better than I do how to act in a Secret Realm. Call him back now.”

She was deadly serious. If they were anywhere else and died, it would have nothing to do with her. But here they were like insects tied to the same rope, dragging her into danger with them.

Feng He Yun frowned: “Fifth Junior Sister, aren’t you overreacting?” They had not met any dangerous Demonic Beasts on the way. The boiling magma had been the bigger threat.

Bai Mu Mu said, trying to soothe her: “Fifth Senior Sister, don’t worry. We checked carefully. There are no signs of bird-beasts nearby. Only then did we let Third Senior Brother go.” She added lightly, “If he gets hurt picking the Fire-Scale Vine for me, I don’t need to go back anyway.” Since she was not the one taking the risk, a few pretty words cost her nothing.

Wen Xuan said, calm and confident: “Third Junior Brother is already Mid Golden Core. Normal Demonic Beasts can’t do much to him. And even if something happens, we’re here.” He glanced around at the others. They were Mid Golden Core or higher. Working together, they could handle some newly advanced Fourth-Grade Demonic Beasts. “Now that we finally found the Fire-Scale Vine, we should pick it quickly before something goes wrong.”

Wen Xuan softened his voice and gave her a gentle look: “Little Ruo, don’t worry about Third Junior Brother.”

Hearing them only made Shen Sang Ruo think they were too full of themselves. In a Secret Realm, the unknown was the greatest danger, and underestimating it was digging your own grave. Before, she might have begged and even pleaded with Lu Shi Qing to come back. Now, she knew she could not persuade them. If they wanted to die, she would not stop them. She just did not want them dragging her down with them.

What she needed to do was leave fast, find a spot not too near and not too far, watch the situation, confirm there was no danger, and then return.

But when she turned to go, it was already too late.

The crater shook hard. The magma heaved and boiled like it was about to erupt.

“What is going on?” Feng He Yun steadied himself and blurted: “Did Third Junior Brother get into trouble?”

They all looked down.

Lu Shi Qing was climbing with all his strength and soon pulled himself up to them.

Bai Mu Mu asked at once, eyes tight with worry: “Third Senior Brother, are you hurt?”

Lu Shi Qing shook his head: “No. It’s just a pity I didn’t manage to pick the Fire-Scale Vine.”

Regret flashed in Bai Mu Mu’s eyes. In her heart she scoffed. He could not handle such a small task. Useless. One way or another, she had to get that Fire-Scale Vine.

Lu Shi Qing’s face was grim: “The Fire-Scale Vine is tough and hard to break. When I touched it, the magma below began to surge. I saw it was bad and came up.”

Feng He Yun nodded quickly: “Maybe the nest has a mechanism tied to the volcano. Touch it and it triggers.”

Wen Xuan cut in: “Either way, this place isn’t safe. We leave now and plan for the Fire-Scale Vine later.”

Shen Sang Ruo did not hesitate and started down the slope.

A sharp voice split the air: “Who trespasses in my domain?!” A piercing bird cry followed, and the magma burst upward in a roaring fountain.

“Not good!”

There was no time to run. They all raised body-protecting Spiritual Power at once. Because Bai Mu Mu was only at Foundation Establishment, Late Stage, the three men moved together to shield her from most of the magma.

The moment they realized all three had run to Bai Mu Mu, their eyes went wide. [Seriously? No one went to Shen Sang Ruo!]

“Fifth Junior Sister!”

“Little Ruo!”

“Shen Sang Ruo!”

Her realm was lower than Bai Mu Mu’s by a whole stage. Without their protection, how could she survive the molten spray? But the red wall of magma blocked their sight, and they could not reach her.

It felt like an invisible hand gripped their hearts and squeezed.

Magma flares reflected in Shen Sang Ruo’s eyes, painting her face red. She snapped out a thought: “Ice Shield!” and pulled the Ice Shield from her Cosmos Pouch, the one Ye Huai had given her. When blazing magma hit solid ice, steam exploded everywhere. The lava cooled and hardened in a ridge before the shield. When the eruption faded, the Ice Shield finished melting.

Feng He Yun saw she was still standing and shouted with relief: “Fifth Junior Sister is alive!”

Wen Xuan and Lu Shi Qing also lit up, but there was no time to talk.

Shen Sang Ruo looked up. A half-transparent Fire Phoenix hung over the crater. Wings of living flame beat slowly, spinning off whirlwinds of fire. Its magma-red eyes glared down from above.

It was not a flesh-and-blood Demonic Beast, so it did not need to fly back from anywhere. The moment the mechanism was triggered, it appeared.

Her caution had been correct, but that did not change the result now.

She frowned at the Fire Phoenix, which spanned nearly a third of the crater’s width. Its strength was at least above Fourth-Grade Demonic Beast, maybe close to fifth grade. In human terms, that was a Nascent Soul Cultivator nearing the Divine Transformation Stage. Snuffing out Golden Core and Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators like them would be as easy as crushing a few ants. It could drown them just by calling up more eruptions.

This was worse and more urgent than she had expected. [Lu Shi Qing’s group really are born jinxes to me.]

Shen Sang Ruo clenched her teeth, mind racing for a way out. She suddenly remembered that among the artifacts from Su Xi Yu and the others was an ice-type Strangling Formation that could restrain an early Fourth-Grade Demonic Beast. Ice countered fire, just like the Ice Shield had. Maybe it would work.

It was a last resort. If she did not try, she would surely die.

Setting this Formation would cost time and strength. With magma everywhere, movement was restricted and laying a Formation would be even slower. She could not do it alone. She had to work with Wen Xuan and the others. They would need to draw the Fire Phoenix’s attention while she set the Formation.

She kept it short and clear: “You three hold the Fire Phoenix. I’ll set an Ice Soul Strangling Formation. We might win a sliver of life.” Then she tossed them a handful of pills, the kind that restored Spiritual Power, eased wounds, and boosted speed.