"You, you, you... you used a Heaven grade storage treasure to store food?" Lu Fubao exclaimed in astonishment.

The rosewood box in Fan Li's hand was of a much higher grade than her own Sumeru Ring. Storage treasures above the Earth grade contained a faint trace of the law of time, stopping the flow of time for any items stored within.

This was why the steamed eight-treasure pork that Fan Li had just taken out was still steaming hot.

"Everyone, the sandstorm has only temporarily subsided. Please eat quickly before the sand starts flying again," Fan Li said, tearing off a piece of pig trotter with his bare hands.

Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, Guo Jia, and Yan Yuan, all refined gentlemen, had been trying to maintain their composure despite their hunger. However, seeing Fan Li's unrestrained way of eating, they exchanged glances and finally rolled up their sleeves, joining in the feast with gusto.

Sage Ruler Jin De sat alone, watching them. She knew she was Fan Li's enemy, not his friend, and she had no face to ask for food at this time.

Fan Li ignored her completely, chatting idly with Yan Yuan and the others as they ate.

"Mmm, delicious! Even better than the imperial chefs in the Chu palace!" Lu Fubao ate with the most enthusiasm, holding a wine flask in one hand and a glutinous rice ball in the other. After a whole day of hunger, she had never imagined that Fan Li was like a walking restaurant!

Once they were full and satisfied, they used sand to cover the leftover food scraps.

"Why didn't you take out the food and water during the day?" Lu Fubao asked curiously.

"Because Crown Prince Wanli was still with us," Fan Li replied, glancing at Jin De from the corner of his eye. Unfortunately, they hadn't managed to shake her off as well.

As the night deepened, the cold intensified. Fan Li took out a few blankets and distributed them to everyone to keep warm.

The night passed much more comfortably than they had expected.

***

At dawn, they continued their journey. After the previous night's experience, everyone had reached a silent understanding. They walked with their heads down, not speaking a word.

By nightfall, Fan Li estimated that they had covered at least another seventy miles that day. As usual, he took out food and water in the evening.

"Fan Li! What is the meaning of this?!" Jin De was furious.

She hadn't had a drop of water or a morsel of food for two days, and Fan Li had maintained a fast pace during the day, showing no concern for her condition. Jin De was on the verge of collapse.

"Oh?" Fan Li chuckled coldly but made no other response. He even deliberately tossed away a half-eaten chicken leg, allowing the sand to gradually bury it.

Jin De trembled with rage. With her willpower, she could have endured for another day, but Fan Li's provocation had finally broken her.

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"Why won't you give me any food?!" she demanded. "Fan Li, don't forget, the Pure Land and the Chu Kingdom are allies!"

Fan Li continued to sneer. "Allies? Imprisoning the Emperor of the Great Chu? What kind of ally is the Brahma Sound Pure Land?"

These were words that tore away any pretense of friendship, words that wouldn't be uttered lightly.

Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, and Guo Jia all wore expressions of concern. From their perspective, the biggest worry was the alliance falling apart, giving the Great Ming an opportunity to take advantage.

However, if they put themselves in Fan Li's shoes, they knew that if Cao Cao, Liu Bei, or Sun Quan were imprisoned by the Brahma Sound Pure Land, the alliance would crumble just as quickly.

In front of Jin De, Fan Li poured himself a cup of spring water. For someone who hadn't had a drop of water in two days, even ordinary spring water tasted sweeter than the finest nectar.

Jin De stared at the cup, unconsciously swallowing several times. However, her mouth was so dry that she couldn't even produce a single drop of saliva.

"Gulp..." Fan Li drank half the cup of spring water and then casually splashed the remaining half onto the sand.

"Ah!" Jin De cried out and instinctively lunged towards the spilled water. But as a mere mortal, she was too slow.

She looked up, her eyes bloodshot as she glared at Fan Li.

"I have food," Fan Li said calmly, ignoring her murderous gaze. "I also have water. You can have them, but on one condition."

Jin De slowly stood up, her voice strained as if squeezed through gritted teeth. "What... condition?"

"You must swear an oath to the heavens that you will never harm me in this lifetime."

Blood Phoenix, Jin De, Han Yue – these powerful women had all threatened Fan Li's life. Han Yue had almost succeeded.

Fan Li hated his own weakness, which was why his other four bodies were diligently cultivating day and night in the Dragon God Palace. However, cultivation alone wasn't enough!

Jin De had already attacked him once on this trip to Mount Yunmeng. With his current low cultivation level, he was no match for this dangerous woman.

The Flaming Mountain had unexpectedly provided him with a perfect opportunity to protect himself!

"And what if I refuse?" Jin De asked, her teeth clenched.

Hate had clouded her judgment. How could she, a Sage Ruler of the Brahma Sound Pure Land, be humiliated by a mere Foundation Building cultivator?

Once they left the Flaming Mountain, Jin De might disregard all consequences and kill Fan Li!

"Refuse?" Fan Li sneered. "Then I can kill you right now."

"You dare?!" Jin De was shocked.

But as she looked around, she finally realized something was wrong.

Yan Yuan and Lu Fubao stood firmly behind Fan Li. Zhuge Liang, Zhou Yu, and Guo Jia had stepped aside, clearly intending to remain neutral.

After two days of travel, Wanli and Zhang Juzheng had been left far behind. Without any strong enemies around, the alliance between the Pure Land and the four kingdoms seemed fragile. In contrast, the relationship between Chu, Wei, Han, and Wu appeared much closer!

"If I kill you now," Fan Li continued, his voice cold, "it would be to avenge your sneak attack in the Water Mist Labyrinth and to settle our old scores."

He looked menacing, as if he might strike at any moment. Fan Li was well-fed and full of energy, while Jin De was exhausted and depleted.

The outcome of a fight was clear.

"No... don't... I'm willing to swear the oath!"

Facing the threat of death, Jin De finally relented. In front of everyone, she swore an oath to the heavens, vowing never to harm Fan Li in this lifetime. If she broke her oath, the heavens would sense it and destroy her soul.

"Very good." Fan Li's expression instantly changed. The menacing look vanished, replaced by a friendly smile.

"Sage Ruler, you must be tired after these past two days. Please, have some food and wine."

He placed a flask of wine and a few dishes on the sand in front of Jin De.

Jin De, no longer caring about her image, grabbed the food and wine flask, stuffing them into her mouth.

Later that night, before everyone went to sleep, Lu Fubao quietly approached Fan Li.

"Hey, are you asleep?"

"I am."

"Don't lie, you're clearly awake!"

"Just say what you want to say."

"You hate Jin De so much. Why didn't you kill her? Why did you force her to swear an oath?"

Fan Li gave Lu Fubao a helpless look. Women, he thought, were naturally drawn to gossip.

"The Flaming Mountain is a formation set up by Guiguzi. Everything within the formation is difficult to distinguish between real and illusion. What if we couldn't actually kill anyone within the formation?"

Lu Fubao's eyes widened in disbelief. "You were bluffing her? Oh my god, you're so bad! No wonder you tricked me into marrying Xiang Ning..."