“Phew… We should be safe here…”
Shen Mu let out a long breath, glancing back at the now-calm cave, murmuring with relief.
“…”
Lin Yuhe felt the warmth of his body pressed against hers, hearing his pounding heartbeat, her emotions stirring with an inexplicable flutter, her cheeks unconsciously flushing.
“Um… are you okay?” she asked softly from his arms.
“I’m fine. Something strange came out of that abyss just now.” Shen Mu released her, still a bit shaken.
“I sensed it too…”
Boom! Boom!
At that moment, the entire ancient ruins trembled violently, causing both to stagger unsteadily.
Whoosh!
The next instant, a dazzling crimson-gold light pillar shot out from the abyss in the sealing site, shattering the thick rock layers and piercing into the outside world!
It soared into the sky, illuminating the world, triggering a massive quake and manifesting a celestial phenomenon of a True Phoenix soaring through the nine heavens and starry cosmos.
At that moment.
In Divine Flame City, a man in a purple robe ascended the towering city walls, gazing at the celestial phenomenon between the distant mountains, his eyes narrowing.
“It’s been many years since the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range saw such a phenomenon. This must be the emergence of a great treasure.”
After a moment of thought, he transformed into a streak of light, flying toward the phenomenon’s origin.
At the same time.
Several other streaks of light shot out from the city, racing swiftly toward the same location.
“Looks like she unleashed something incredible…”
Shen Mu looked up at the True Phoenix phenomenon covering the sky, feeling the immense pressure from a higher-tier being, his brows furrowing slightly.
“What now? Should we check it out or leave?” Lin Yuhe, eyeing the sky-spanning phenomenon with uncertainty, asked Shen Mu.
“…”
After a moment’s thought, Shen Mu’s concern remained with Chi Ying’s fate. “Her life or death is unknown. Let’s wait a bit longer.”
“Once the phenomenon dissipates, I’ll go back in to check. At the very least, I need to see her alive or find her body.”
Roar~~!!
Just as Shen Mu finished speaking, a heaven-shaking dragon roar echoed from the depths below.
Then, a nearly hundred-zhang-long crimson-scaled dragon burst from the crimson-gold light pillar, its scales marred with shocking, bloodied wounds.
It was clearly gravely injured.
Whoosh!
The wounded dragon, upon emerging, flew swiftly toward the depths of the Heavenly Fire Mountain Range, as if fleeing an invincible entity.
During its flight, it briefly glanced with its peripheral vision at the ruins where Shen Mu stood.
“Hm?”
Shen Mu keenly sensed a gaze sweeping over him, looking up at the crimson dragon speeding across the sky above.
That must be her.
But she looked injured.
“Let’s go. She’s out. We need to follow her quickly.”
His expression grew serious as he led Lin Yuhe away from the ruins, swiftly pursuing the direction of the crimson dragon.
“Ugh… ugh…”
In the sky, the gravely injured Chi Ying’s speed slowed, her dragon form wavering, as if she might plummet at any moment.
No…
I can’t let anyone see my true dragon form…
Otherwise… it’ll definitely cause unnecessary conflicts and misunderstandings…
And…
Struggling to maintain her fading consciousness, Chi Ying flew toward a secluded area far from the ruins, seeking a place free of disturbance to recover.
She knew well that if her true dragon form was discovered by other races, especially in her current weakened state with no ability to resist, she’d become easy prey.
She wasn’t ready to be at anyone’s mercy.
She hadn’t found her way home, hadn’t fulfilled her dream of becoming the strongest True Dragon in the world—how could she fall in a place like this…
How…
Finally, her consciousness reached its limit, her vision darkening as her golden dragon eyes closed, the whistling wind fading from her ears.
Her hundred-zhang dragon body fell powerlessly from the sky, crashing into the crimson mountains, stirring up clouds of red sand and dust.
“Damn! Why’s she flying so fast? Is she that scared of whatever she unleashed?” Lin Yuhe, watching the crimson dragon grow smaller in the distance, couldn’t help but grumble.
“I bet she’s afraid it’s out to finish her off,” Shen Mu replied calmly, darting swiftly through the barren red sand mountains.
“…”
That girl’s lucky to still be alive.
Out here alone, with no one to rely on and a knack for stirring trouble, Lin Yuhe genuinely thought it a miracle Chi Ying had survived this long.
Moments later.
Boom—!
A loud crash echoed from the mountains ahead, making Shen Mu’s heart sink.
Her injuries must be severe. We need to hurry.
Whoosh!
Shen Mu quickened his pace, causing Lin Yuhe’s brows to furrow, her eyes reflecting a trace of thought, though it was unclear what she was pondering.
Soon.
The two reached the fallen Chi Ying in the mountains.
Before them lay a hundred-zhang crimson dragon, motionless, its life force faint. Fresh red claw marks marred its scales, with droplets of scorching dragon blood seeping out, trickling to the ground…
Shen Mu’s expression grew even graver.
She’s hurt badly. This is going to be tricky.
With his current strength and resources, healing her injuries was impossible. They’d need a cultivator of higher cultivation.
But… among the cultivators he knew, the only reliable one was his so-called Master.
However, contacting that immortal-like Master would likely mean his training journey would have to end early for now.
“…”
Sigh… no choice. With her in this state, only she can help.
Compared to his training, Shen Mu felt her life was more important.
He gently stroked Chi Ying’s unconscious dragon head, turning to Lin Yuhe. “Yuhe, inform Master.”
“A gravely injured dragon in its growth phase—you know how tempting that is to cultivators,” Lin Yuhe cautioned solemnly.
“I know, but right now, trusting her is our only option, isn’t it?”
“…”
Lin Yuhe fell silent, nodding slightly.
Indeed, there was no better option.
Their strength was too weak, and she couldn’t involve the Lin family behind her—that would only complicate things further.
Better to trust their enigmatic Master.
“Who would’ve thought there’d be a dragon here? Quite the unexpected boon.”
“!”
A man’s voice approached from the distant sky, causing both their expressions to change.