Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 221 - 218 Fire Refining Tower

Chapter 221: Chapter 218 Fire Refining Tower

"What the hell are you talking about, pigs can’t possibly fly, you... what are you doing!"

Ling Qianxue only glanced briefly before she turned back around, but she caught sight of Ye Xuan, who was spitting out food and had not yet managed to cover it up. Her pretty face immediately changed color.

"Uh, I just... choked by accident..."

Ye Xuan inwardly cursed his luck while plastering on a smile. Now things were getting tricky.

Ling Qianxue was not about to believe his nonsense; ice-cold, she stood up from her seat. Her pale hand slammed down on the stone table, startling Ye Xuan. However, after taking a few deep breaths, Ling Qianxue left the place in anger without saying anything.

"That was a close call."

Ye Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, but before he could fully catch his breath, the stone table in front of him made a "crack" sound and a crack suddenly appeared.

Seeing this, Ye Xuan quickly reached out to support the table to keep it from collapsing but realized Ling Qianxue must be really angry this time.

"Big Brother Ye Xuan, honestly, Senior Sister Ling is like a fairy, and she rarely cooks specially for someone. Even if it’s hard to swallow, you should have endured it."

Tang Xiaoyan also looked at Ye Xuan reproachfully. It was a big deal that Ling Qianxue would cook for somebody; word of it could have caused quite a stir at the Heavenly Martial Hall. Probably countless disciples would gobble it up even if it tasted like pig food, but Ye Xuan had spat it out.

"I wasn’t prepared; why didn’t you warn me it was so awful so I could brace myself?" Ye Xuan said somewhat speechlessly. The dishes had seemed decent enough to the eye, but eating them had been an entirely different story.

It was understandable, thinking about it. This was Ling Qianxue’s first attempt at cooking, after all.

"Ah, Big Brother Ye Xuan, what you spit out was not just food, but also Senior Sister Ling’s heartfelt effort..." Tang Xiaoyan was exasperated.

"Alright, alright, my fault. You clean up here, and next time you see her, apologize for me," Ye Xuan relented, nodding his head helplessly. Today’s fault was indeed his own; as a Martial Sect Master, he should have been able to handle the bad taste. He hadn’t thought it through.

"Aren’t you going to apologize to her yourself?" Tang Xiaoyan asked, surprised.

"No, I’ve got important matters to attend to now. I’ll apologize when I get back," Ye Xuan shook his head. The mission to sneak into the Wildfire Sect and steal the Spiritual Fire had already been delayed long enough, and now that his cultivation level had successfully advanced, it was time to see it through.

"But..." Tang Xiaoyan began, but Ye Xuan cut her off, "That’s enough, just focus on your swordsmanship. When I come back, I expect to test you. You don’t need to worry about other matters. I’ll be off now."

With that, he didn’t wait for Tang Xiaoyan to say more and turned to leave the pavilion and walk out of the courtyard.

Watching Ye Xuan leave as abruptly as he announced, Tang Xiaoyan felt helpless. She stamped her foot, cleaned up a bit, and also left the courtyard.

Ye Xuan left the Heavenly Martial Hall and set off immediately. Now, it was time to meet up with Mu Yan in the Great Yun Country.

...

In the western part of the Great Yun Country were endless rugged peaks, quite different from the majesty of the Heavenly Martial Mountain Range, these mountains carried an imposing and perilous grandeur.

Under the veil of nightfall, the undulating faces of mountains stood towering in the crisscross landscape, casting an aura of solemnity over the distance.

Ye Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, surveying the scene. Beyond two lower peaks and a flat stretch of wilderness, the land suddenly rose up into four tall peaks, interlocking to form a valley.

Beyond these towering peaks, under the expanse of night were countless shadows, with speckles of light twinkling faintly.

One of the two Third Grade sects in the Tiannan Region, the Wildfire Sect, was located there.

The night was deep, the crescent moon hung high, and a few faintly shimmering stars could be seen in the sky. Beneath their cold light, there seemed to be a mist emerging from the distant valley, floating lightly like sheer gauze, imparting both beauty and a hint of mystery.

"When do we make our move?"

As Ye Xuan gazed toward the location of the Wildfire Sect, a charming figure approached him—it was Mu Yan.

After a moment’s silence, as if snapping back to reality, Ye Xuan asked softly, "How well have you mastered the Concealing Skill I gave you?"

"Don’t worry, although I haven’t fully grasped it, the Wildfire Sect covers a large area. Sneaking in undetected won’t be difficult." Mu Yan nodded. The Concealing Skill Ye Xuan had provided was indeed extraordinary, though it was a pity she couldn’t fully master it in such a short time. However, it should be enough to infiltrate the Wildfire Sect.

"Then that’s settled," Ye Xuan nodded in approval, "The guards are still vigilant now. Let’s wait until the night grows deeper before making our move."

"Alright."

The Wildfire Sect, after all, was a Third Grade major Sect with several hundred years of foundation, and what they were stealing was the Sect’s treasured artifact, so naturally, the more cautious, the better.

Not far behind them, in an open space, a bonfire had not yet extinguished, and Ye Xuan sat down beside it, adding a few more sticks to the fire.

The two sat opposite each other, neither speaking, and the atmosphere was exceptionally quiet.

"After this operation succeeds and your curse mark is removed successfully, what do you plan to do next?" After a period of tense silence, Ye Xuan broke the monotony, asking indifferently.

"I don’t know."

Mu Yan’s beautiful face was particularly captivating, and even under the cover of night, it could not hide a trace of sorrow.

"I may leave here."

Hearing this, Ye Xuan’s expression shifted, knowing that the place she referred to must be the Tiannan Region. However, considering it, though the Black Demon Sect had suffered a heavy blow, it still possessed a terrifying force. Even after the curse mark was removed and her bonds were lifted, as long as she stayed in the Tiannan Region, it would not be safe.

"Well then, it just so happens that before long, I too will leave the Tiannan Region and head to the Chaotic Sea Domain. If you’re willing, you might as well come with me along the way." Ye Xuan felt that his days in the Tiannan Region were numbered, and after this affair was settled, he would need to consider leaving.

In the vast Spirit Martial World, the Tiannan Region was just a remote corner. As his cultivation level rose, it was no longer suitable for his continued cultivation here. Although it was still early before his three-year agreement with Nangong Yao, what he would be facing next was the Fifth Grade force of Sky Demon Mountain. Going to the Chaotic Sea Domain sooner would allow him to prepare earlier.

Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Mu Yan also felt some surprise, but she didn’t say much, only nodded and hummed in agreement.

"By the way, can I ask you a question?" Ye Xuan suddenly remembered what happened with Ling Qianxue today, smiled, and asked.

"What question?"

"Forget it, matters of men and women, you wouldn’t know." Ye Xuan thought for a second, who Mu Yan was, and to her, men were nothing but mud, asking was pointless.

"Matters of men and women, you’re talking about that girl called Ling Qianxue, aren’t you?" There was a slight movement in Mu Yan’s eyes as she spoke.

"Oh? You know about it too." Ye Xuan was surprised.

Mu Yan shook her head, and a glint of light passed through her beautiful eyes, "Anyone could see that girl has feelings for you. It was apparent back at Wanxiang Mountain; she seemed very anxious about you."

"Really? I didn’t feel it."

A contemplative look crossed Ye Xuan’s face as he recalled today’s events, which indeed seemed a bit odd. Offering unsolicited help—could it be that girl really...

"Impossible."

But after thinking it over, Ye Xuan denied that idea because he thought back to the events at the Blood Swamp. If it was as Mu Yan said, he saved her out of kindness before, and yet he almost didn’t get to explain himself and nearly received a slap in the face. In his view, Ling Qianxue’s trust in him was even less than that of Long Zhiyang. To say she had any special feelings was perhaps too premature.

Such an ice queen having those tender feelings of a young girl? It seemed highly unlikely.

However, Ye Xuan’s primary focus was on cultivation. As for other matters, he wasn’t too concerned. Even if it was true, once he left the Tiannan Region and time passed, it would naturally fade away.

Mu Yan merely gazed at Ye Xuan for a moment then shifted her eyes away, lost in thought.

The silence once again lasted for about half an hour, then Ye Xuan glanced toward the location of the Wildfire Sect in the distance and stood up, "It’s about time, let’s make our move."

At these words, the light in Mu Yan’s eyes brightened.

...

Although the history of the Wildfire Sect was no match for the Heavenly Martial Hall and was incomparable to the Black Demon Sect, it had been established for over three hundred years. Ye Xuan and Mu Yan sneaked in under the cover of night, the intricate and majestic halls and pavilions greeted them.

Most of these halls were quite imposing, and in the details, such as the window frames and cornices, one could occasionally see fiery patterns carved.

At this late hour of the night, the patrolling disciples were scarce, and both Ye Xuan and Mu Yan, accustomed to stealthy operations, easily passed through the front hall and hurried towards their goal.

Before their arrival, they had generally figured out the layout within the Wildfire Sect. Some simple arrays and prohibitions naturally did not pose a challenge to the two of them.

And the Fire Refining Tower, situated in the deepest area of the Wildfire Sect, had multiple layers of powerful prohibitions protecting it. Even at night, with no patrols, breaking through these prohibitions silently was nearly impossible.

Soon, a towering red tower came into view, exceptionally tall and upright under the moonlight, with clusters of flame patterns and ancient runes on its walls, exuding an aura of grandeur and majesty.

The heart of the Wildfire Sect, the Fire Refining Tower!