The towering red stone wall, several zhang high, enclosed the small Yan Family Fortress.
Anyone who wished to glimpse beyond it had no choice but to crane their necks upward.
Mu Jialing pressed his palm upright before his chest, amber-gold eyes flickering with light. He moved like a swift wind cutting through the darkness of the passage, the answer pressing at the edge of his thoughts.
The heart must be outside the red wall!
Thump, thump, thump!
His heartbeat surged. After voicing this startling realization in his mind, a moment of quiet filled his consciousness.
No one answered him.
As if something had fallen into a void.
Mu Jialing shook his head sharply. The mind-trapping sorcery of Master Mingzhi's Heart Barrier still lingered, weighing too heavily upon him. He could not afford to dwell on stray thoughts now.
The Clear Heart Sutra circulated within his sea of consciousness several times, gradually clearing his gaze until serenity returned. He no longer listened for Yao Ranran's heart voice. His steps steadied as he guided Yu Zhenyan toward the edge of Yan Family Fortress.
They pressed forward in silence. Yu Zhenyan kept activating the life-saving talismans left behind by her parents as they went. If fighting truly broke out, even a Heaven-born Fózǐ could not guarantee her safety. In this moment, she could only rely on herself.
Yu Zhenyan's expression darkened, lips pressed into a thin line. In the narrow passageway, she uttered not a word.
…
"Fairy, are we leaving?" Tang Xiangyin was stirred awake by Yao Ranran's voice. Rubbing her drowsy eyes, she asked in a milky-soft voice.
"Yes." Yao Ranran nodded. She raised her palm over the concealed darkness of the corridor. Something perfectly round appeared beneath her hand.
Tang Xiangyin blinked fully awake and instantly shrank her hands into her sleeves.
Yao Ranran's pupils widened. That round object revealed itself entirely, and it was none other than Elder Shang's face!
"…Finally found you!" Elder Shang looked briefly embarrassed before excitement overtook him. He pulled his head aside and leapt out from the passage.
Yao Ranran withdrew her palm, gaze shifting in confusion. "Grandpa, do we know each other?"
"Grandpa? Yes, yes, I'm your grandpa!" Elder Shang quickly adjusted, stroking his white beard with a kindly smile. "Little girl, grandpa got lost in here. Could you lead me out?"
Yao Ranran silently glanced at his missing lower body. At this point, any normal person should be shocked, shouldn't they?
So, she raised her voice.
"Ah! Grandpa, your legs! Grandpa, your legs are gone!"
Yao Ranran stumbled back in fright.
Only then did Elder Shang realize he had forgotten to conceal his refined-away lower half.
With a casual sweep of his left hand, a pair of long legs instantly reformed. He smiled. "What legs? You must have seen wrong, little girl."
Yao Ranran blinked innocently. "It really seems I did."
Elder Shang inclined his head with a smile. Since she had already glimpsed his true form, why not simply coerce her into guiding him?
A cold light flickered in his eyes. Hidden in his sleeve, his hand tensed, ready to strike.
But the girl was quicker.
Without hesitation, Yao Ranran activated her Lotus Petal Cloud-Stepping Boots. Before Elder Shang could even make a move, she flashed away, leaving streaks of afterimages before plunging straight into the dark corridor.
The passage sealed shut at once.
Elder Shang's eyes narrowed. This girl was not so simple—no wonder the Pei brat treated her as a rival. Still, a mere first-layer Qi Refinement ant, even with a treasure's aid, could never outrun his Sky-Grasping Hand!
Elder Shang stretched out his left hand proudly. His five fingers curled slightly, whipping up sudden gales that spiraled into his palm.
The suction was immense, pulling the remnants of the alchemy chamber into a frenzied swirl.
He fixed his gaze on the corridor, waiting. One breath… two breaths… three…
Nothing.
The passage was completely sealed.
Elder Shang's smile froze, then sank. He thrust out both palms, winds howling like furious beasts—
Yet the passage truly remained closed.
…
"Why is that old man back again? He won't chase us here, will he?" Tang Xiangyin lay limply across Yao Ranran's shoulder, peering nervously into the deep darkness.
"He won't find this place anytime soon. I shifted the location of the passage. If he wants to come down again, it'll cost him effort."
Yao Ranran's eyes gleamed faintly.
She wasn't about to linger and risk her memories being stolen or her life threatened again.
Fortunately, the ancient scroll from Elder Yang had recorded the method of shifting passages. In that instant while speaking with Elder Shang, she had already transferred it.
On her shoulder, Tang Xiangyin looked up at her flawless jade-like face in admiration. Fairy Ranran was incredible—she could do everything!
And she was so beautiful too. Her skin was translucent, snowy as ice, and it looked… delicious.
Gurgle, gurgle—
Both stomachs growled at once.
Yao Ranran paused, rubbing her abdomen. "Xiang Yin, let's eat something before we go on."
"Okay!" Tang Xiangyin hopped down eagerly. With Fairy Ranran beside her, she wasn't worried at all.
Yao Ranran brought out the delicate pastries gifted by Aunt Li, sighing softly.
"Aunt Li and the others are good people. Everyone has selfishness, but they're not unforgivable. If Yan Family Fortress is destroyed, I wonder if they'll even survive."
"Mmm… mmm…" Tang Xiangyin's cheeks puffed full, both little hands grabbing pastries. "So tasty!"
Yao Ranran: "…"
Why bother speaking such words to a little meatball.
…
The red glow painted their faces, like blood smeared across their cheeks.
Yu Zhenyan clutched her clothes tight, pupils clouded with a faint red mist, her breath nearly halting. "B-Fózǐ, is the heart… just ahead?"
Though she tried to suppress it, her voice trembled faintly.
Mu Jialing halted and turned to face her, palm raised upright. "Amitabha. Yu Daoyou, this is where you stop."
Yu Zhenyan froze. "Fózǐ, what do you mean?"
"Yu Daoyou, this matter shall be handled by this humble monk." Mu Jialing's eyes gleamed with profound depth, golden wheels spinning faintly within. With a sweep of his hand, a ray of golden light flared and gently pushed Yu Zhenyan away.
Her eyes widened in shock, yet she offered no resistance.
She had some courage, but not much.
When life and death hung in the balance, she still wanted to preserve her own little life.
Watching him depart from afar, Yu Zhenyan grudgingly acknowledged this Heaven-born Fózǐ.
She only hoped he truly could resolve that heart.
Mu Jialing left her behind, stepping alone into the blood-lit space. Passing through one hanging curtain of flesh after another, he suddenly lifted his gaze.
A woman in goose-yellow stood before him.
"…Pei Daoyou?"
…
Yao Ranran stared in shock at the scene before her. Even Tang Xiangyin forgot to chew, her eyes wide and vacant as pastry crumbs slipped from the corner of her mouth.
"…Master?"
The pastry nearly slipped from Yao Ranran's hand, but a streak of white light fluttered over like a butterfly, catching it mid-air and placing it back before her.
An Xiaolin's brows curved with a smile, eyes soft as flowing spring water, his presence as warm as a spring breeze.
"Good disciple, you were thinking of your master, so your master has come."
Yao Ranran accepted the pastry returned by the white butterfly, her brows faintly furrowed.
She had only been thinking of filling her stomach just now. When had she thought of her cheap master?
===
In certain sense, Yao Ranran and Tang Xiangyin want to devour each other.