Before anyone could react, Xu Ningyan moved sideways at a speed of light. There was a surge of energy bursting from his dantian.  

His power that had been meticulously shackled together before was unleashed. The black robed assailants backed away alertly. His aura was extremely scary, like a high mountain towering over them.  

Everyone including Song Wenyue could only stay where they are as they withstand the pressure and the urge to kneel.

The woman could faintly see the energy around Xu Ningyan condensed into what seemed like a gigantic golden bird and yet at the same time, something entirely different. Its beastlike eyes squinted at the woman before them with much silent killing intent.  

The pressure exuded was enough to make anyone feel like fainting, more so the woman was feeling the full pressure. If Xu Ningyan was in full power, perhaps getting rid of them would be like a snap of his fingers. The golden bird disappeared into Xu Ningyan as he lunged towards the woman. 

The woman tried to back away but as she did, Xu Ningyan’s hand had already struck through the woman’s chest. Blood splattered on Xu Ningyan’s face, making his smile even more menacing and his golden eyes seemed to glow. 

The woman’s beautiful face was distorted by surprise, an unsightly frown was formed and she spat a mouthful of blood. 

Fear and pain contorted her beautiful face as she squeaked. “You’re not the Vermillion Bird… i-it’s you… F-fire Sovereign...” Flashbacks of memories she longed to forget flickered upon her like a curse. 

That voice, that aura… even if she were to die a thousand times over she would never forget. The most powerful fire magic beast she had ever encountered. How she suffered under him…  

Forgetting for a fact that she still held the upper hand even when compared with both injured youths’ powers added together, with Xu Ningyan’s sudden momentum, her movements faltered.  

“Sure enough, we have met before.” Xu Ningyan’s eyelashes casted a shadow over his cold golden eyes. “Sui Xinglan.” A name that came out so naturally, even when the speaker themselves had no memory of such. 

“How did you—” Sui Xinglan looked at Xu Ningyan in disbelief.  

How could it be the Fire Sovereign? There was no way she could have mistaken it for anything else. There was none like it, ever. Especially after the fall of the four kingdoms, the Fire Sovereign never showed up again.  

If he knew, he would not have given up searching for his supposedly dead son’s body? And how did this youth know of her true name? 

Her family name was not a common one. It was one no one would ever dare to use. Cultivators of this generation like Song Wenyue might not have heard of her but everyone knows ‘Sui’ was used by one of the royal family clans back in the Four Kingdoms era. 

The Four Kingdom era was something far too back in the history of humans; no one really knew the truth of the entire start of it all but all they knew was that it was because of the Sui clan that it fell. There were many sides to this story but all in all, the bloodlines of all four clans were supposed to be extinct. 

How could there still be one, standing right in front of them? If it was true, how ancient was she? She clearly looked like someone who never aged past their forties. 

There was clearly too much going on in this scene that he could not keep up with. Even holding on to his breath was too much of a pain.  

Xu Ningyan chuckled darkly without answering as he pulled his hand out of Sui Xinglan’s chest and kicked at her, making Sui Xinglan fall backwards to the ground.  

Gritting her teeth, Sui Xinglan tried to attack Xu Ningyan, only to groan in pain helplessly. Xu Ningyan stepped on her chest wound repeatedly without giving Sui Xinglan’s a chance to counterattack.

She coughed blood, glaring hatefully and fearfully at Xu Ningyan. She tried to struggle but could not be rid of the shadows in her heart. 

His son had not even reached adulthood, how could he exude this much frightening ability? Didn’t he mention that his son despite having a divine spiritual bone was nothing but a disappointing waste?!! Even his spiritual bone was ripped from his body? How could the Fire Sovereign still choose him as his host?! 

Sui Xinglan’s followers quickly directed their attention at Xu Ningyan, looking at each other before promptly rushing at him. No matter how strong he seemed, he was still outnumbered. 

“Don’t try to test this lord’s temper. You must know a whole lot about it right? Do you really wish to test it? Don’t want to live anymore?”  

Xu Ningyan sneered at the others before proceeding to stomp on Sui Xinglan’s chest multiple times till she coughed blood. The fancy robe she adorned was wet with blood. 

Her followers did not dare to move. What if they hurried her death? The Master would not forgive them and angering the Master was worse than dying. They looked at one another, carefully planning their next step. 

“Go back and tell your master,” Xu Ningyan chuckled, pulling the woman up and then in a harsh and low tone he whispered to her ear.  

“I’m not his child. In this life, I only have one father and he’s surnamed Xu. If he wished for an early death, he is welcomed anytime at Xu residence at Xuhuo Valley. Everyone in this cultivation world knows how much father had been aching for this person to show himself.” 

If he dared… 

Gentleman Xu has been looking for the man who killed his beloved for decades. If the master was as she said, supposedly the parent of Xu Ningyan, then, this decade-long animosity could finally be appeased. Xu Ningyan kicked Sui Xinglan aside and then, without giving her a second look, darted towards her followers. 

His blood-stained face complemented his ruthless killing spree. Little to no emotion could be seen in his golden orbs.  

A life for a life.

A life for a life.

A life for a life.  

A voice rang in his ears, begging for blood. He knew that voice far too well. It was his own, camouflaged by hatred. Xu Ningyan sighed, knowing how easy it would be for him to, at this moment, rip the head of this woman off her head. It was not the first time she lost her head even…

But, he should not. 

It would be far too easy. 

They should suffer more.

They should suffer more. 

Song Wenyue felt slightly dizzy and nauseous but kept his eyes on Xu Ningyan. The smell of blood was so overwhelming, he stared at the person before him and found it hard to breathe. There was a maniacal glint in his golden eyes. 

Even when he found his means of killing were inhumane and ruthless, even if her clothing were dyed red from the blood of their enemies or that when her eyes had turned red like someone who had lost their mind, he could not look away, not even once. 

Even when the bodies of their enemies fell one after another. Even when Sui Xinglan fled the scene, Xu Ningyan was not the slightest bothered. 

In the cultivators’ world, Yunwu Shi was known to be ruthless in their actions no matter how docile they might appear to others.  

Many sects would often joke that Yunwu Shi cultivators were not humans at all but weapons. They were grateful however; that Yunwu Shi was smaller in size compared to other sects and did not move as they will and had no desire to rule over others.  

Song Wenyue had seen multiple times of such ruthlessness in participating in the raid but nothing was as terrible as this. Even so, he cannot find it in himself to fear nor abhor Xu Ningyan. Even if he could not accept a person having so much blood in their hands, he still… 

It was strange. It was like having his views of the world challenged over and over and each time, he would just accept it.

A cry. Both their attention fell on the hawk from earlier. The entire time it was quietly sitting on the statue. It was only now that it cried out. Was it just watching them when they were fighting earlier? 

Its beady eyes stared at them till he felt shivers down his spine. Song Wenyue’s heart thumped with anxiety as he scrambled to her side as she moved towards the statue. The howlings in the wind did not stop. Their hands and faces were stained by blood and their blood-soaked robes had taken a darker shade of dye.  

His throat felt dry as they walked deeper into the forest after the statue. There was a tense air around them. Mostly because Xu Ningyan was not talking at all. 

Once they left the clearing, which felt like forever, the space around them suddenly changed. The forest was gone now and the skies were gloomy and grey.

Fire magic beasts gathered round them leading them towards a blood pool and mutilated corpses of magic beasts. In the middle lay a gigantic corpse, a path leading straight to it. Xu Ningyan walked towards it, he gazed unfeelingly at it.  

Song Wenyue settled by his side, ignoring the pain in his body. His body was screaming to tear itself apart but all he could hear was here, all he wanted was to reach Xu Ningyan.  

He looked at Xu Ningyan’s face and found that he was crying…? Crimson liquid flowed from the corner of his pained eyes, his pupils shifted between shades of red and gold. He turned his attention towards the gigantic corpse. 

It was a long dead humongous magic beast that was split apart and all that was left was the skin… It looked hollow in the middle. It looked like it was once a great beast, a magic beast.  

He squinted his eyes at it. It looked like… when it was alive, it had a huge, majestic shell on its body and four limbs… and something long was encircling its body. A hybrid beast? 

Xu Ningyan stood there unmoving. Like they were in their own world. The aura around him had dissipated, fully and the space they were in crack. The corpses then dissipated into ashes, and while they swayed in the wind, they seemed to be bidding farewell to Xu Ningyan as they twirled around him and disappeared. 

Song Wenyue looked around in full alert till he heard his laughter. 

“Ningyan?” 

“En,” he smiled lightly, looking at him with curiosity. “You look wretched. Are you having a hard time just standing now?” 

“Yes…” he answered truthfully. How he wished he was home resting on his bed right now. 

“I could carry you, just like before…” Xu Ningyan suggested, seemingly keen on that idea. 

Song Wenyue’s ears immediately flushed as he rejected his offer quickly. 

“No! I can walk fine.” 

“That’s too bad,” he spoke, feigning being hurt and then he moved closer to him. Song Wenyue blinked, watching him quietly staring at him. 

“Song Wenyue, who are you really?” 

Who are you, really? Why does it feel like you are not a stranger to me? 

“I’m not sure. Everything about me should be easily found out by Young Master Xu right?” He smiled thoughtfully. He was really curious to know if they knew each other from before or had something linking them together.  

It did not seem plausible, judging from the memories of his history and yet, it did not feel impossible. Why so? He did not know and in believing it was not time to know yet, he did not further his thoughts. 

Like his master always said, there is a time and place for everything. If he did not truly understand the question and what the answer to it was, then, clearly it was not time for him to know just yet. For either of them. 

If it was not time yet, it was not time to think about it either. 

“Though, I must say, you’re the most mysterious person I’ve ever met. One moment you tell me you’re the Palace Master and the Young Master of the renowned Xu Family the next.” 

“Right, I even learnt new things about myself today. I surprise even myself.”  

He chuckled softly. He could not put it to words but something about Song Wenyue’s eyes felt familiar. 

“Xu Ningyan?” He expected for him to explain to him about these new things but it did not look like he was even thinking about it anymore.  

“Hmm, I was looking forward to offering my services again but…” he lowered her gaze and rested his head against his shoulder. The qi in his dantian had completely emptied out.  

It had been awhile since he felt this tired. It was no surprise given that he never had much time to rest between caring for him and running from their pursuers. 

“Are you okay?”  

There was an undisguised concern in his voice. 

“I’m not. Babysitting you was tiring. I’m going to take a rest. You don’t have to worry your silly head about anything. I’m sure those people are coming for us soon.” 

He spoke carelessly like talking about the weather. Not like the weather was predictable these days. It was like it was a given that her shadow guards would reach them. Whether or not they would be able to manage to find them in this space never came to her mind.  

They would come to them, by hook or by crook. 

Song Wenyue pondered over her words, believing he was talking about his followers, he felt a slight relief. 

Xu Ningyan felt his surroundings go quiet and all he could feel was something warm enveloping his body and then cautiously entering his stream of consciousness and into his dantian. 

It was like a gentle beast trying to help a vile beast to calm down despite its fear for the vile beast. Why did that image come to his mind? He did not know. His eyes that were losing light, suddenly widened for a second before closing alongside his dimming consciousness. He stopped struggling and the weight of his cold body lay completely against Song Wenyue’s body. 

Song Wenyue almost lost his footing as he felt Xu Ningyan’s weight on him but quickly regained his footing. 

His eyebrows were in a slight knot. He looked really tired. Song Wenyue looked around and sighed. Did they really have to wait for rescue to come?  

The hawk was not around to guide them anymore. Encircling his left arm around Xu Ningyan’s waist, he held up his sword with his right hand. Taking a deep breath, a wheel of flames encircled the blade and as he swung the sword, there flames were flung towards the cracks.  

There was a loud boom but… there was no change to the cracks. Where would the living beings in a secret realm go when the realm is destroyed? Everyone knows the answer to that. 

They perish along with it. 

But Xu Ningyan did not seem worried at all. 

Was the dead magic beast someone he knew? Not like he could get any information about that when he was unconscious. He did not think that she would tell him anything about that though. He should be grateful that he was still alive and it was all thanks to Xu Ningyan. 

Song Wenyue kept his sword back into the scabbard on his waist belt and then lay Xu Ningyan on the ground and sat beside him. He almost fell over due to the pain but he bore with it, closing his eyes and trying to calm the flames running around his dantian wildly.  

The aura he felt from the flames was not his own. He had never been able to produce flames before even though his spiritual roots were said to be of fire. Neither did he have a contracted magic beast. How would he explain himself if someone found out about it? To possess a power whose aura was not one’s own, people might say he stole it and dabbled in demonic cultivation.  

Probably best if he never used it in others’ presence till he knew exactly what those flames were.  

The aura was similar to Xu Ningyan’s, maybe he knew something about it? He decided that he would speak to him about it once they returned home. 

The next time he opened his eyes, he was horrified to be met with Xu Ningyan’s cold eyes. And from where their body came into contact, he felt chills. This was not the normal body temperature of a cultivator, not even a normal person would be this way. 

If it was a different situation he would have been able to process his thoughts properly, but all he could think of was that his emotionless eyes seemed a little dazed, different from his usual clear, sharp gaze that could see through people. 

His throat felt dry and words could barely form. He raised her head, seemingly wanting to say something, his gaze travelled to his body. His eyes turned red when Xu Ningyan’s inner robe slipped off, revealing a beautiful clavicle and pale delicate shoulders.  

Even though his current physique was the same as any other male, it was still too much for him. His breath hitched and his heart jolted. He quickly pushed Xu Ningyan off him alongside the blanket and he fell off the seat with a loud thud.  

“Xu Ningyan…?” 

There was no response. 

Realising what just happened, he quickly got down and carried him up. Placing him carefully back on the seat, he pulled up the blanket that had fallen to the ground back up and covered him with it.  

He finally was able to pay attention to his surroundings. They were in a moving carriage and he could hear horses neighing. Were they rescued? A voice called out then, knocking on the carriage on the helm of the carriage. It was not a voice he recognised. 

“Is everything alright? I heard a loud noise.”  

“Everything’s fine! I just fell down.”  

Song Wenyue quickly replied, taking a seat near the window. If anyone were to look at him right now, they would have realised that his whole face was flushed to his ears.  

Once he had calmed down, he pulled the curtain aside and looked outside. The Sun blazing high up in the sky, seemingly at noon. There were two horsemen dressed in black in front of him, one at the helm steering the carriage and judging by the arrangement, there should be another two on the other side.  

He could see the capital from a distance. 

“Do you feel better now?” A voice called from him, startling him. When did he wake up? Did he realise he made him fall?

He looked behind nervously at Xu Ningyan. Xu Ningyan’s eyes bore into him, seemingly to be back in his senses. 

Thinking about his question, he stretched his arms lightly and felt around his dantian. The strange qi from earlier was roaming around freely like a local tyrant. 

It should be a dangerous matter but strangely, he did not feel threatened at all. In fact, he felt comforted by its presence.  

“Yeah, better. How about you?”

Xu Ningyan laughed. “There is no need to worry about it. I just need a rest and I’ll be good as new.” 

How could he not? Did he realise how inhumanly low his body temperature was?! He looked at him questionably but he did not ask him. Something told him if he asked he might offend him. After all, it was not his business at all. 

Even if he did answer him, what good would that bring? What assistance could he even provide him with this humble background of his? 

“Those people outside… are they the ones you’re waiting for?”  

How did they find us? He did not remember Xu Ningyan leaving trails or did she? Something only those from his sect would know. He would never elaborate. He was sure of it. 

“Yea, those are my shadow guards,” he said lazily. “After you lose consciousness and we almost died in that space, they found us.” 

“We almost died????” He asked, clearly not remembering such a thing happening.  

“You were unconscious. How would you remember such a thing?” 

“...you know because?” 

“I was conscious.” 

“?!” 

Xu Ningyan chuckled. Song Wenyue looked at him and wondered if he was teasing him. Before he could confirm the details, a voice rang out. It was the person from before. 

“Young Master, we’re almost at the crossroads.” 

“Mmm, is Shi Xia there?” 

“Yes, even Young Master Xi.” 

He raised an eyebrow at his words and began rubbing his temples. Why was that bothersome brother here?

“Who told him?” Xu Ningyan asked, squinting his eyes in distaste. 

“No one. He found out.” 

“Hahaha, I would not expect less from my brother-in-law,” Xu Ningyan laughed. 

Song Wenyue furrowed his brow at their conversation. “Will there be trouble if Young Master Xi knows?”  

“Yes. Don’t look at his delicate pretty face and take him as a pushover. His mouth and methods are as poisonous as his face.”  

“?” 

“Better now than later. People in my family are very good at holding grudges.” 

Did that mean that they had a good relationship or not? He rubbed the back of his neck in contemplation. Then, he quickly looked for his sword and grabbed at it. Better be safe than sorry.