"If a god appears here," Liu Fengying said in a grave tone, "the whole realm might be destroyed."

Mu Chen groaned. Destruction of the realm? He thought he had overestimated the severity of the matter, but didn't expect he would still fall short.

"What are we waiting for? Where are the others? Let them know—we will leave the realm at once." Mu Chen was ready to crush the return token but saw that neither Liu Fengying nor Zhou Mei showed any sign of moving.

"What's wrong?"

Liu Fengying and Zhou Mei looked at each other. Finally, Liu Fengying sighed, "We can't contact them—they are stranded."

"..." Mu Chen stood with his mouth half-open, not knowing what to say.

Liu Fengying looked at Mu Chen's blank expression and began to explain without any prompt…

After entering the realm, Liu Fengying's group was lucky to find a ruin.

They decided to explore the ruin, but while they were investigating it, Qin Huang accidentally triggered a restriction. Once activated, a giant formation imprisoned them. Liu Fengying and Zhou Mei were in the back and managed to escape before the restriction closed on them. However, Li Kun and others were trapped inside.

"This Qin Huang, I knew he would plot sooner or later," Mu Chen groaned. "Li Kun, Xia Ping, and the others?"

"They are okay," Liu Fengying said. "Su Rong managed to send back a message. The restriction Qin Huang tripped was part of some trial. They should be able to come out once they manage to complete it."

"So it's a blessing in disguise." Mu Chen was relieved.

"However, the formation prevents communication with the outside world," Liu Fengying said. "So we can no longer contact them."

Mu Chen frowned. If they couldn't contact them, how could they warn them? "How strong is the formation?" he asked.

"Very," Liu Fengying said. "If you are thinking about destroying it, you can forget about it. Even if we could, we can't do it. We don't have any idea how it would affect everyone inside."

"We don't have to destroy the formation," Mu Chen pointed out. "We just have to disturb it long enough to send a message."

Liu Fengying thought about it and nodded, "That might be possible."

"Then let's go," Mu Chen said.

Zhou Mei had already finished healing and was ready to leave, however to Mu Chen's surprise, Liu Fengying wasn't so eager.

"Mu Chen, I can't come with you," Liu Fengying said. "You go with Sister Mei, she knows the way."

"Aren't you coming with us?"

Liu Fengying shook her head. "I have to find my clansmen," she said. "I can't leave them behind."

Mu Chen stood in situ for a long time. In his haste, it didn't occur to him that his friends hadn't come alone. Not just Liu Fengying, even Xia Ping, Li Kun, Su Rong, and Su He had come with their clan or sect members. As respective heads of their generation, they bore heavy responsibilities towards their clan. Having a heads-up on impending doom, if they insisted on leaving alone, it would be morally reprehensible. Even if they returned to the clan or sect, they would be severely punished.

Although Mu Chen wished everyone would leave the realm quickly, he knew he couldn't argue against Liu Fengying on this matter.

"Take care." Mu Chen could only say a few words as he hugged Liu Fengying.

Outside the cave, Liu Fengying bid Mu Chen and Zhou Mei goodbye. As he watched her leave, Mu Chen couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.

Find everyone? It was easier said than done. Before entering the realm, everyone separated to find their luck. Who knew where everyone was? Searching for them could take forever. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been an issue. Just, did they have enough time for it now?

"Maybe the ritual would fail?" Zhou Mei saw Mu Chen's worried expression and tried to cheer him.

"Let's hope," Mu Chen shrugged. It would be best if the ritual failed. However, he knew it was stupid to pin their hopes on luck. "Lead the way," he said to Zhou Mei.

At this time, the grass behind them rustled. Vigilant, Mu Chen and Zhou Mei turned to look around.

The grass parted to reveal a small triangular head and two beady emerald eyes, and a meter-long green body.

"Just a small snake," Mu Chen chuckled and shooed at the snake. It hissed at two and slithered away. "I thought it was—"

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Mu Chen paused as realization hit him. "The cauldron," he gasped. He had completely forgotten it.

"Cauldron?" Zhou Mei looked at him, puzzled. "What cauldron?"

"A small gold cauldron," Mu Chen said.

"You didn't see it?"

"No," Zhou Mei shook her head. "This cauldron, is it precious?" She asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Should be," Mu Chen said. He saw the weird light in Zhou Mei's eyes and immediately added. "Forget it—it must have run away."

"Ran away?" Zhou Mei murmured, evidently she was more disappointed than confused.

Mu Chen, however, was thinking about something else. When did the cauldron disappear? Was it during his flight with Long Xueyi, or before? Mu Chen racked his brain and found that he couldn't recall this little detail.

"You two didn't happen to see other cultivators chasing after something?" Mu Chen asked.

Zhou Mei shook her head. "But there was a big fight going on," she added. "We didn't want any trouble so we detoured. Then Sister Fengying detected you were nearby, so we came after you."

"Came after me?" Mu Chen was a bit surprised. "How?"

Zhou Mei pointed at the bulge in Mu Chen's robes.

"Xiao Xue?" It was Mu Chen's turn to be bewildered.

"Sister Fengying marked her collar," Zhou Mei said. After Xiao Xue's sudden disappearance last time, Liu Fengying and Zhou Mei decided to plant a spirit mark on her collar. Once they were in range, the spirit mark reacted and they were able to pinpoint her position and by extension, his.

Mu Chen thought their meeting was a happy coincidence, but he was wrong.

"So you never saw any cauldron," Mu Chen frowned as he thought about it.

Rumble!

The ground began to shake uncontrollably. The tremors continued for a while. When they stopped, a finger-wide crack had run down the volcano and stopped at their feet.

Mu Chen and Zhou Mei looked at the volcano in apprehension. Mu Chen's vision was better and he saw that the volcano was riddled with cracks, not unlike the one in front of them. Perhaps it was his imagination, but it looked to him that something big was trying to break out of the mountain.

"We better hurry," Mu Chen gulped.

"Un," Zhou Mei nodded and the two immediately set out.

A while after they left, the trees nearby where they had been standing rustled and two figures popped out.

"Looks like they are okay," Ming Ren breathed. "Why did she attack them though?"

"I'm not sure," Ye Lanlan who was next to him muttered.

"They were talking about a cauldron," Ming Ren said with eager eyes. "How about we grab it?" Apparently, he still hadn't given hope of earning points.

"Dream on!" Ye Lanlan snorted. "I already received a report that a descendant of Grandmaster Fu entered the realm to find an item spirit for his cauldron. It must be the cauldron they were talking about. Unless you want to set up an enemy for the Ming Dynasty, you should forget about it."

Ming Ren groaned. The Fu Family governed the Dan Sect and had a lot of connections. It wasn't wise to alienate them over a cauldron.

His last hope shattered, Ming Ren could only wallow in disappointment. "What about Long Xueyi?"

For the first time, Ye Lanlan frowned, "She disappeared."

"What?" Ming Ren had an incredulous expression on his face.

Ye Lanlan looked a bit embarrassed. "Let me try again." She closed her eyes and began to pinch the air with her fingers. But after a while she lowered them, defeated. "I can't find her. She must have used some secret method to cover her tracks."

"Even if she used a secret method, it should leave a trail," Ming Ren frowned.

"Not if she isn't moving around," Ye Lanlan said.

"Was she injured during the fight?"

"It's possible," Ye Lanlan nodded. "It's either that or—"

The ground rumbled once again and the two looked at the volcano. Ye Lanlan didn't finish her sentence, but Ming Ren understood all too well what she meant.

"We must find her."

#

Inside a dark and gloomy cave, a slender figure sat cross-legged. In front of her, a small gold cauldron lay on the ground, bound by golden chains. The cauldron rattled against the chains endlessly, but it could not break them.

Long Xueyi opened her eyes and stared at the cauldron silently. "Give up, you can't escape."

The cauldron struggled even more furiously.

"Hmph!" Long Xueyi snorted in disdain. She grabbed the cauldron and began inspecting it. As she twirled the cauldron, her eyes fell on a small 'Fu' character engraved on its bottom. Seeing it, her bright gold eyes lit in confusion.

"Fu Family's mark? How could it be?" Long Xueyi muttered. "Did I make a mistake?" She took out something small, a piece of crystal with a tiny needle size gold spot at its center.

Long Xueyi brought the crystal close to the cauldron and it began to shine brightly, illuminating the entire cave. Looking at the crystal, one could hardly believe such a tiny speck of light could be so bright.

Long Xueyi's expression eased when she saw the reaction, and a trace of a smile appeared on her usually cold face.

"Since I wasn't wrong, it could only mean…" Long Xueyi stowed the crystal away and eyed the cauldron. She grabbed it and tried to pry it open. The veins on her hands bulged and her eyes turned into slits, but no matter how hard she twisted or turned it, the lid didn't budge.

"Hmph!" Long Xueyi grumbled and took out her golden sword. At her behest, the sword began to gleam with golden qi.

With her sword, Long Xueyi jabbed into the seam between the cauldron's body and its lid. The sword penetrated only a few centimeters, but it was enough. With the sword in place, Long Xueyi twisted it. Bit by bit, the gap between the cauldron's lid and its body widened. The cauldron seemed bitter against this forceful invasion, but the chains that bound it made it helpless.

As the gap widened, the golden flame inside the cauldron was exposed. This tiny flame had terrified over a dozen cultivators, but it only made Long Xueyi more excited.

Long Xueyi fumbled with her clothes and took out a small jade bottle. The bottle was engraved with formations that flickered with light.

Long Xueyi brought the bottle to the cauldron's mouth and a terrifying force of suction emanated from it, pulling the golden flame. The flame swayed under the suction and began to drift toward the bottle—

Rumble!

The entire cave shook. A large piece of rock dislodged from the ceiling and fell on Long Xueyi's head.

"Oww," Long Xueyi clutched her head, dropping the jade bottle and her sword in the process, while the cauldron rolled away.

"Stupid volcano," Long Xueyi looked at the ceiling and grumbled. She reached out and picked up her sword and the jade bottle. Without her supporting the sword, the cauldron's lid had snapped close. Now she had to pry it open once more.

Long Xueyi stood up and walked towards the cauldron and raised her sword. The sword shone with golden qi. Long Xueyi was about to stab the cauldron when the base of her nape tingled.

Boom!

The entrance of the cave exploded and several large pieces of rock came hurling at Long Xueyi. Without a second thought, she flipped her sword and slashed to the side. Golden qi erupted from the sword and hit the rocks, pulverizing them. The rubble sprinkled on her clothes, but Long Xueyi couldn't care as she looked at the unwelcome guest that was standing at the entrance.