If the giant stone statue were here, he could just swiftly step over it in a few long strides. But Xie Lian had left it in the Imperial City to suppress the evil spirits, and the three mountain monsters had transformed into swords, so it was best not to come.

Xie Lian asked, “Sanlang, can Silver Butterfly take us there?”

Hua Cheng said, "The magma is so hot, I'm afraid Silver Butterfly will melt halfway across the river."

Falling from the sky while crossing the river and plunging headfirst into the center of the lava flow wouldn't be a good sight. Hua Cheng then said, "But there's a ready-made passage."

Everyone followed his gaze. After a moment, Xie Lian asked, "Why is there someone in the lava?"

It was absolutely true; he hadn't seen it wrong. Just a moment ago, he saw a pale hand emerge from the lava, reaching toward the sky. Looking more closely, Mu Qing said, "It's real! And there's more than one?"

There were at least hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of bodies and heads floating on the river's surface. Some were swirling around in the fiery current, while others were even swimming upstream. Their bodies were all a strange white, their faces blurred. They were not alive.

Xie Lian understood: "It's those hollow people in Wuyong Imperial City... washed here by the lava."

With their skills, it shouldn't be difficult to use these hollow monsters as stepping stones and fly over them. However, these undead souls are struggling in the scorching heat, and being trampled by them is quite pitiful, but they can't care about that at the moment.

Mu Qing went over first, gazing at the correct direction. After a few leaps and bounds, he soon crossed the moat and stood on the other side, looking back. Xie Lian said to the Imperial Master, "I'll take you across first."

After all, the Imperial Master wasn't a martial god, or even a martial artist, so he needed someone to lead him. He nodded and walked forward. Hua Cheng said, "Brother, let me do it."

Let it be, Xie Lian said, "Okay."

Hua Cheng walked over and took the Imperial Preceptor's arm like he was supporting an elderly man, saying, "Imperial Preceptor, please go ahead. Watch your step."

The Imperial Master turned around and saw that it wasn't Xie Lian who was holding him up. He frowned and said, "Ah? Why is it you?"

Xie Lian couldn't help but laugh. He coughed lightly and said, "Sanlang sincerely said he wanted to help you, so I let him do it."

The Imperial Master asked, "Why are you being so attentive when there's nothing to do?"

Hua Cheng smiled broadly and said, "It doesn't make any difference whether it's me or your brother. Besides, I respect you very much, so of course I don't mind doing this little favor for you."

The Imperial Master was speechless for a moment, then said, "If you really respect me, please put away that fake smile on your face. It's too fake."

Hua Cheng stopped smiling immediately: "Oh." Without saying anything else, he took the Imperial Master with him and quickly moved to the other side.

His movements were so swift and unpredictable that the Imperial Master was standing beside Mu Qing before he could react, completely stunned. The hollowed-out people who had been stepped on by Hua Cheng's boots didn't even notice they were being stepped on. They looked up to see nothing, scratched their heads in confusion, and continued to swim in the lava. The Imperial Master finally came to his senses, glanced at Hua Cheng, and commented, "Your skills are not bad, are they?"

Here, Xie Lian thought to himself, "That's too strict! How can this kind of skill be called just 'okay'?" He shook his head and said, "I'm going too!"

Hua Cheng turned around and said, "Brother, stay over there first. I'll come pick you up."

But Xie Lian's actions were faster than his words. He had already started and leaped out, tapping the belly of a hollow monster lying on its back. He felt the hard body under his feet sink slightly, and he leaped out again, tapping the head of another hollow monster in front of him.

After stepping on five or six of them, he arrived at the center of the flames. Unexpectedly, just as Xie Lian was about to soar into the air again, his body suddenly sank, and he nearly lost his balance!

He stood firm with his extremely quick reaction and looked down - the strange man under his feet actually reached out and grabbed his boots!

Xie Lian thought to himself, “Oh no! It’s happening again!”

His terrible luck had struck again. The others who had crossed the river before him had all been safe and sound, but when he was crossing, he encountered a formidable monster that grabbed his right ankle and prevented him from getting up!

The hollow shell of the monster could float on the surface of the magma because it was hollow, but it couldn't bear much weight. It was scorching and steaming, making Xie Lian sweat all over. A corner of his sleeve actually caught fire.

If you stay any longer, you will either sink into the lava with your stepping stone, or be burned to death!

In a critical moment, Xie Lian thought quickly. Ruo Xie flew out and pulled the other hollow monster three meters ahead with him, placing his left foot on its back. With the two stone shells sharing his weight, his buoyancy increased, preventing him from sinking for a while. In response to the urgent situation, Xie Lian pulled out his heart and severed the arm that was grabbing his boot. Just as he was about to leap out again, a red figure flashed by. Xie Lian said, "Sanlang? I'm fine now. You don't need to come over."

Hua Cheng blasted the hollow monster holding Xie Lian to pieces with a palm strike from a distance and said, "Let's talk about it when we get ashore."

The two of them reached the shore together. Xie Lian slapped out the fire on his sleeve and said, "I'm sorry to have worried you."

Hua Cheng said, "My fault. I should have told you to wait for me to come back and pick you up before I left."

The Imperial Master said, "Alright, alright, stop it. Your Highness is not that delicate. He can handle it even if you don't go over. Why are you taking it? Let's go! This way."

Several people got ashore and walked for a while before arriving in front of the Wuyong Palace.

Half of the palace was buried underground. After a few people entered, they found that the road was inclined and led all the way deep into the ground.

Leaving the ground, the scorching air gradually cooled. The entire underground palace was empty, and the slightest sound would emit a buzzing echo.

Several people ignited their palm flames, illuminating the surroundings. Though the palace had long been covered in dust, it was still magnificent. The flames illuminated the many golden patterns and carved beams and painted buildings. However, it was deserted and lifeless, like a vast ancient tomb.

The Imperial Preceptor said, "This is where His Royal Highness the Crown Prince grew up."

Mu Qing asked, "Will he really be here?"

The Imperial Master said, "What do you think? This is where his magic power is strongest. Be careful."

At this moment, Xie Lian suddenly discovered something.

At Huacheng's waist, the silver eyeball on the handle of the Evil Sword was spinning wildly, extremely anxious.

Hua Cheng, however, had a cold expression on his face, completely ignoring him. Xie Lian couldn't help but reach out and touch it, and Er Ming finally felt a little more at ease. Hua Cheng lowered his head slightly, seeing that his hand was still on the hilt. He smiled slightly and was about to speak when a burst of laughter came from the corner of the hall.

It was the voice of a middle-aged man. It was cunning and sly, and seemed to harbor ill intentions. It sent chills down Xie Lian's spine. Furthermore, he had heard this voice before.

It’s the voice of the fetal spirit!

Mu Qing shouted, "There!" A flame shot out, illuminating the sky above. Clinging to a corner of the palace's high roof like a gecko, a white object appeared. It was the fetal spirit!

Its long, bright red tongue licked its back, as if tickling itself. Seeing the flames approaching, it chuckled and vomited a ball of vomit at Mu Qing, who dodged it with a look of disgust. The Imperial Master looked at the sticky substance on the ground, then at the fetal spirit on it, and said in disbelief, "Is this really the son of Feng Xin?!"

Xie Lian hurriedly said, “Wait! Cuo Cuo! Your name is Cuo Cuo, right?”

The fetal spirit paused when it heard its name, then turned to look at him. Xie Lian said, "No, no, we're here to look for... to look for... to look for your father. Do you know where he is?"

When the fetal spirit heard the words "your father," it sneered, then, using all four legs, clattered away. Xie Lian said, "Wrong? Find it!"

Everyone lit the flames higher and searched around. Suddenly, Mu Qing said, "This way!"

Xie Lian asked, “Which way?”

Mu Qing pointed to a road and said, "I just saw it enter here."

The road he pointed to was on the side of a palace. It was a long corridor and it was dark and eerie. Even if you didn't know where it ended, you knew it definitely didn't lead to any good place.

Hua Cheng suddenly asked, "Did you really see it come in here?"

Mu Qing probably felt that he was being targeted, and said with a bit of disgust: "What good would it be for me to lie to you?"

Hua Cheng sighed, his voice expressionless but unfriendly. The Imperial Master said, "Why are you arguing at this hour? If you see anything suspicious, don't miss it. Go in and take a look."

The corridor was extremely narrow. It must have been wider once, but it seemed squeezed, now only allowing one person to pass through. Perhaps annoyed by the doubt Hua Cheng had just expressed, Mu Qing entered first. Hua Cheng naturally wanted to walk ahead of Xie Lian, but Xie Lian noticed that the eyes of E Ming on his waist were spinning wildly again. With a sudden thought, he pulled him behind him. Hua Cheng asked, "What's wrong?"

Xie Lian coughed lightly and said, “I said I would protect you… Stand back.”

After a moment, Huacheng laughed softly.

The four of them entered the corridor. The further they walked, the more uncomfortable Xie Lian felt.

His intuition about danger was incredibly accurate. The thing that made him uncomfortable was coming from the front. Xie Lian asked, "Master, do you remember where this road leads? The more I walk, the more I feel like there's something heavy ahead..."

murderous look.

And it wasn't a living murderous aura, but a cold murderous aura. The deeper he went, the more tense he became.

However, the Imperial Master didn't answer him. Xie Lian's heart skipped a beat, and he raised his voice again, "Imperial Master?"

Still no answer. Xie Lian turned around abruptly and saw that there was no one behind him anymore!

The reason why he didn't notice was that the lights released by Huacheng and the National Master were still floating in the air, following him quietly, illuminating the way forward for their masters who had disappeared.

Mu Qing also turned around and was surprised when he saw it: "Where's the Blood Rain Scholar?!"

Xie Lian walked back without a word. Mu Qing grabbed him and said, "What are you doing? We're almost there! And do you really think he'll walk back?"

“…” Xie Lian said, “No.”

It’s scary because Huacheng would never walk back alone without saying a word!

Xie Lian suddenly remembered that Hua Cheng had left something on him, and he quickly raised his hand to check. The red line on his third finger was still there, still bright and clear, indicating that Hua Cheng was fine. Xie Lian breathed a sigh of relief. But then, thinking of the dot Hua Cheng had thrown before he came over, his brows twitched even more.

Mu Qing added, "You probably won't find it if you go back now. It's better to keep going forward and see what's inside. Otherwise, if you go back and find nothing, you'll have to go back again. Wouldn't that be a waste of time?"

Xie Lian was about to speak when he suddenly held his breath and said, "Hush. Listen, what's that sound?"

Mu Qing also listened attentively.

It was the sound of a man's low breathing.

It came from the front!

The two men were extremely alert, each secretly holding their weapons and walking forward.

They finally emerged from the long corridor and arrived at a hall. Mu Qing cautiously groped his way around the hall. Xie Lian flicked his finger, and a faint flame flew forward, illuminating a figure lying on the ground.

As soon as he saw the man's back, Xie Lian recognized him and went up to him and asked, "Feng Xin?!"

Turning him over, he saw it was indeed Feng Xin. His body was covered in burns and sword wounds, but his life seemed safe. Xie Lian patted him carefully for a long time before he slowly woke up. He cursed a few times as soon as he woke up, but when he saw that it was Xie Lian in front of him, he immediately stopped cursing: "Your Highness?? Why are you here?"

Xie Lian sighed and said, "Why don't you tell me where this place is first?"

Feng Xin sat up, looked around, and asked, "Where is this?"

As expected, Feng Xin didn't know either, so it was useless to ask. Xie Lian shook his head and held out his hand, saying, "Get up first. I've found you, and now I have to look for Sanlang."

Feng Xin said, "Are you talking about Xueyu Tanhua? What happened to him? He's not next to you?"

Xie Lian said, “It’s like this, let’s…”

Before he finished speaking, Feng Xin suddenly raised his hand and said, "Wait! Who is that person behind you?!"

Xie Lian turned around and saw a dark figure immersed in the shadows, motionless. He said, "That's Mu Qing. What's wrong?"

Feng Xin's pupils shrank instantly, and he said, "Catch him quickly!"

The author has something to say: Huahua, who secretly pays attention to her elders and wants to make a good impression