Following the crimson light indicated by the immortal, the group soon arrived deep within the secret realm.
The further they ventured, the more ferocious the magical beasts dwelling there became.
But these creatures had the misfortune of encountering Zhao Li, who was even more ruthless than they were.
Without Yelan or the others needing to lift a finger, Zhao Li single-handedly annihilated three entire packs of magical beasts.
Leaping down from the dragon’s back, she summoned her Jade Qilin, slipped on the specially crafted spirit weapon she had commissioned—the Dual-Polarity Claws—and chased after the scattering beasts with wild, unrestrained laughter.
“Hahahaha! Foxfire!”
“Blazing Inferno!”
“Meteor Shower!”
“Purgatory Flame Sea!”
“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!”
Watching the terrifying wave of scorching flames surge toward them, Niu Tai and Zhu Qing hastily erected a protective barrier, enveloping the young spirit-winged dragon entirely.
Damn, when Zhao Li goes berserk, she doesn’t even spare her own allies!
While the flames could be blocked, the intense heat was another matter.
Though the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox’s flames weren’t as formidable as the Asura Clan’s Lotus Blaze, they were still nothing to scoff at compared to other races in the Wuji Realm.
Moreover, aside from her innate foxfire, the techniques she used afterward were all spirit arts amplified by her spiritual energy.
The Dual-Polarity Claws could only unleash fire and lightning-based spirit arts, but they were exceptionally powerful and consumed minimal energy—precisely why Zhao Li had commissioned these claw-type spirit weapons.
Some fox clansmen preferred cultivating claw-based spirit arts, but Zhao Li favored ranged attacks over close combat.
Logically, given her temperament, she should have opted for a staff-type spirit weapon.
However, the Dual-Polarity Claws were exquisitely designed, perfectly suited for the Phantom Beast Clan’s aesthetic.
Wiping sweat from his brow, Zhu Qing muttered, “Third Sister’s clearly lost herself in the slaughter. If we don’t stop her soon, even the nearby peach grove will suffer…”
Chu Rou had long been trembling under the weight of Zhao Li’s overwhelming aura. Zhi Die, though more composed, still felt a mix of awe and fear but managed to hold her ground.
Just as she was about to speak, she caught sight of a wall of flames rapidly licking toward a sacred peach tree. Without a care for propriety, she frantically slapped Zhu Qing’s arm and cried, “Second Brother Zhu! The tree! The tree!”
Zhu Qing: “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit!”
Niu Tai also wailed, “Second Brother, you… your jinxing skills are unreal!”
Purgatory Flame Sea was an overwhelmingly powerful area-of-effect attack, and its spread was terrifyingly fast. Even if Niu and Zhu’s spirit arts could block it, they simply couldn’t react in time.
It was too late to intervene, and Third Sister, still engrossed in battle, showed no signs of noticing her flames were about to scorch the sacred peach tree nor any intention of dialing back their intensity.
Niu Tai and Zhu Qing clung to each other, wailing in despair, “What do we do? What do we do?”
If the tree was destroyed, they’d be branded as criminals!
The only one who remained calm on the dragon’s back was Yelan.
With a flick of her finger, a tiny lotus flame—no larger than a flower bud—appeared before the sacred peach tree, hovering protectively in the air.
When the Purgatory Flame Sea’s fiery tide surged forth, the lotus flame shot forward. Upon collision, the wall of flames was instantly devoured by the lotus fire.
Even after absorbing the massive wave of flames, the lotus flame remained the size of a bud. It circled the peach tree once before vanishing like a wisp of smoke.
The other four on the dragon’s back stared, utterly dumbfounded.
Sister Zhao Li’s Inferno Blaze was so intense that even with their formidable defenses, the two brothers had to muster all their spiritual power just to withstand it.
But Miss Ming only used such a tiny flame to devour that vast sea of fire?
And she used an innate spell to block a spiritual technique!
Just how powerful is the Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame?
If Miss Ming were to unleash an Inferno Blaze-scale Crimson Lotus Karmic Flame, what level of spiritual technique would be needed to block it within the same realm?
Perhaps only the Rootless Waters of the Dragon Clan among all the races could barely withstand it?
In any case, the two brothers definitely couldn’t hold it off.
Zhao Li suddenly snapped back to reality and looked toward the direction of the Peach Blossom Tree.
With the flames suppressed, the master of the spiritual weapon naturally sensed it.
After finishing off the last wave of demonic beasts, Zhao Li turned back, scratching her head sheepishly. “Sorry, I got a little carried away…”
Yelan smiled faintly. “It’s fine. You go ahead and fight. I’ll handle the aftermath.”
Zhao Li beamed, throwing herself into Yelan’s arms and nuzzling against her. “It’s so good to have you here.”
Niu Tai blinked, tugging at Zhu Qi’s sleeve. “They must be really close as sisters, right? But why do I feel like I’m getting smacked in the face by a pair of lovey-dovey fools?”
Zhu Qi: “Brother, I feel the same way.”
“Mhm! Mhm!” Chu Rou and Zhi Die nodded vigorously in agreement.
Thanks to Zhao Li’s “reckless” slaughter, their path remained smooth—until they were stopped by a transparent barrier.
“A barrier?”
Everyone on the dragon’s back was stunned.
Ahead lay vast stretches of blooming peach forests, so this couldn’t be the boundary at the end of the secret realm.
Zhao Li rested her chin on her hand. “I’ve heard that once natural treasures reach the 100,000-year level, they develop special magnetic fields to prevent discovery. This barrier must be the 100,000-year Peach Blossom Tree’s magnetic field.”
Yelan nodded in agreement.
Zhao Li shot a fox flame at the barrier, but it didn’t even budge.
She sighed. “Such a strong barrier! The 100,000-year Peach Blossom Tree is the ruler of this secret realm. With its cultivation and the realm’s energy amplifying it, even if all of us attacked until the day we were expelled, we might not make a dent. As long as it’s within this realm, it’s invincible. Even a Spirit Emperor-level powerhouse wouldn’t be able to shake this barrier.”
Niu Tai pounded his chest in frustration. “Damn it! We’ve come this far—do we really have to give up now…?”
Yelan suddenly tugged at Zhao Li’s sleeve.
Zhao Li was surprised but quickly understood Yelan’s meaning.
Right—Yelan’s Asura Blade was a divine weapon capable of cutting through any barrier.
But once the Asura Blade was drawn, her true identity would be revealed.
After a moment of thought, Zhao Li suddenly snapped her fingers. “Got it!”
Niu Tai brightened. “Little Sister, you’ve figured out how to break through the barrier?”
“Hehe, there is a way. But I’ll need you four to stand over there for a moment.” She pointed to an empty spot nearby.
The four of them jumped off the dragon’s back and stood where she indicated.
Niu Tai shouted, “And then?”
Zhao Li whispered to Yelan, “Lan Lan, when I summon the Explosive Chrysanthemum, immediately steer the dragon away.”
Yelan frowned. Explosive Chrysanthemum?
Wasn’t that the Flower Clan’s…?
Zhao Li suddenly pointed behind the four and exclaimed, “Look! A celestial being!”
A celestial being?
The four turned their heads in confusion, only to hear Zhao Li snap her fingers at that moment. “Exploding Chrysanthemums!”
Four explosive chrysanthemums silently bloomed beneath their feet.
Immediately afterward, a loud POOT! echoed, followed by a spreading yellow gas that instantly assaulted their noses and mouths.
Before the four could even curse, they were already foaming at the mouth and collapsing unconscious.
The young Spiritwing Dragon immediately flew away, escaping the stench zone.
Seated on the dragon’s back, Zhao Li patted her hands together in satisfaction. “Done! Lan Lan, you can summon the Asura Blade now.”
Suddenly realizing something, before Yelan could even speak, Zhao Li hurriedly cupped Yelan’s face and said, “Lan Lan, this Flower Clan technique wasn’t taught to me by that little vixen Qing Tong, okay?! I learned it all on my own! And it’s not like I learned Flower Clan techniques because I like them or anything! It’s just that their crowd-control skills are super useful and synergize well with me, so I picked them up. You can’t get jealous, okay? The Flower Clan isn’t worth your jealousy.
“What I love most, most, most are our Qingqiu’s Foxfire and the Asura’s Scarlet Lotus Karmic Flames! Too bad Scarlet Lotus Flames don’t have compatibility with outsiders, otherwise I’d definitely prioritize learning them!”
Yelan froze for a moment.
Then, she let out a soft laugh.
Jealous? Maybe just a tiny bit.
But seeing Zhao Li so desperately explain herself, the slight displeasure in Yelan’s heart dissipated like smoke.
Only when you truly care about someone’s feelings would you go to such lengths to explain, to make sure they understand.
This was a treatment even Qing Tong had never received.
Yelan gazed into Zhao Li’s bright eyes, which shimmered like stars had taken residence within them. It was as if fireflies danced in their depths, rippling like spring water.
Zhao Li saw her own reflection in those eyes, swaying with the undulating waves, sending ripples through her heart.
Lan Lan, you really are so beautiful and sweet.
Unable to resist, Zhao Li leaned in to kiss her, savoring the sweetness between her lips.
Five days later, everyone was ejected from the secret realm.
The ejection order matched the entry order, so Zhao Li’s group was the last to be teleported to the entrance.
Xiyou had been waiting for them early.
But when they emerged, they found him clutching his stomach, kneeling on the ground in uncontrollable laughter, as if something had struck him as unbearably funny.
Chu Rou had originally wanted to see his delighted expression when he noticed she and Zhi Die had reached Level 30…
But he was too busy laughing his head off to even notice her level.
Chu Rou felt a little disappointed.
Noticing her dismay, Zhao Li raised an eyebrow, walked over, and kicked Xiyou in the butt. “What’s so funny? Did you swallow a laughing gas bomb or something?”
Still wheezing, Xiyou pulled out a sketch from his soul tool and shoved it in front of Zhao Li, barely holding back his laughter. “Look, look!”
Aside from Yelan, the other four crowded around. After appreciating the exquisitely detailed, lifelike drawing, they too burst into thunderous laughter.
The sketch depicted none other than Hei Zhe, kneeling on the ground with his rear end adorned by vines sticking out like a peacock’s tail.
Zhao Li had left him hanging from a tree, but he was soon discovered and rescued by others.
And this masterpiece had since spread far and wide.
Flower Clan vines couldn’t be forcibly removed—only a Flower Clan member could dispel the technique to spare the victim further “rear-end damage.”
Among the guests at Huaguo Mountain, aside from Zhao Li, only the Jinluo Clan of the Flower Clan—Qing Family’s trusted allies—could undo it.
But the Jinluo family had no need to enter the Flower-Fruit Mountain secret realm, so Hei Zhe endured five full days of relentless vine stabbings.
In the end, when he was expelled from the secret realm, he was kneeling on a stretcher, barely conscious, and carried straight to a guest room in the Jinluo residence.
“That damn cat said it was your doing and even threatened to go to the Flower Clan to report to Qing Tong that you stole her techniques,” Xiyou said to Zhao Li, barely suppressing his laughter.
“Let him,” Zhao Li replied indifferently.
“If that man-eating flower dares to cause trouble for you in Qingqiu, I’ll teach her a lesson for you!”
“Trouble for me?” Zhao Li scoffed. “First, she’d have to actually get into my Qingqiu.”
…
Flower Clan, Valley of Ten Thousand Blossoms.
Qing Tong, who had been in secluded cultivation, initially had no intention of interrupting her training for Hei Zhe’s visit.
But upon hearing that Jinluo Cha had invited him and that he had something of utmost importance to report to the princess, she reluctantly dispersed her energy and stepped out of her meditation chamber, making her way to the reception hall.
“Prince Hei Zhe’s visit truly brings honor to our humble Valley of Ten Thousand Blossoms.”
Despite her disdain for this spoiled cat, Qing Tong had always been impeccable in maintaining appearances.
Hei Zhe had long coveted Qing Tong, but on his previous visits to the Flower Clan, she had always been away in the human city of Wugou.
Naturally, he envied those human aristocratic youths, but he didn’t dare provoke them, leaving each time in disappointment.
Today, he finally had the chance to see Qing Tong in person. How could he not be overjoyed?
Moreover, Princess Qing Tong had grown even more breathtakingly beautiful, her elegance and grace making him all the more eager to possess her.
Hei Zhe’s lecherous gaze lingered on Qing Tong’s delicate, radiant face as he fantasized about her submitting beneath him, his tongue flicking across his lips.
The sheer vulgarity of his thoughts made Qing Tong sick to her stomach.
Yet she maintained her ladylike composure, pretending not to notice his lustful intentions. With a gentle smile, she asked softly, “What urgent matter brings Prince Hei Zhe to our Flower Clan so suddenly?”