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Chapter 45: Akin To Courting Death
Everyone froze in place.
For a moment, they were overwhelmed by the imposing aura.
Even the various sect members were visibly shaken.
With the emergence of the secret treasure, no one was happy about the sudden appearance of a formidable force.
"Isn't that the Great Holy Sect's Holy Son?"
"Hiss~ He actually came too!"
"Seems like the secret treasure in the Fallen Demon Abyss is extraordinary."
"I heard he killed the Absolute Beginning Sect's Holy Son. Isn't he afraid that they'll seek revenge?
"That's stupid. If the prominent sects casually intervened and suppressed the younger generation's conflicts, all the scets would have long been in disarray."
The conflict between major sects naturally had established rules.
Younger generations relied on their own abilities to resolve conflicts. If someone killed a young prodigy, the offended side would send strong cultivators to seek revenge. If every sect started to suppress others on their own accord, the cultivation world would have descended into chaos.
Of course, these rules also depended on equality of strength between the people involved. If a minor individual killed a young prodigy from a sect, it would naturally lead to a full-scale hunt. Generally, this happened to those so-called protagonists.
On the other hand, Su Changyu wasn't worried.
Regardless of the Holy Great Sect's Holy Son identity, who would dare to provoke the young master of the Su family so easily? There were many mysterious invincible experts around him.
A few days ago, Su Changyu secretly sent people to collect information about Mu Qingshuang. And the response was two words - She's invincible.
"Young Master."
A middle-aged man with a powerful aura stepped forward and explained, "The clan master instructed us to stay by Young Master's side and protect you."
"Hm." Su Changyu nodded slightly.
Old Li had already informed him of this matter. Well, it was good to have these people from the Su family around; it would save him a lot of trouble.
When the villain ventured out, how could he not bring along a group of people to show off?
"Is this the strength of the Su family?"
Looking at the suddenly appearing 'army,' Zhuge Wanqing was once again shocked.
This was just the tip of the iceberg for the Su family. Compared to the Su family, her Zhuge family was indeed weaker. She felt fortunate to have made the right choice before.
[Zhuge Wanqing's willingness to submit intensifies, obtained 100 villain points]
Su Changyu smiled indifferently and waved his hand gently.
"Let's go into the Fallen Demon Cave."
...
The Fallen Demon Abyss was a vast, desolate land without a beginning or end.
Legend has it that an earth-shattering battle took place here over ten thousand years ago.
The demonic powerhouse Nine Nether Clan was besieged and ultimately annihilated by the righteous sects. However, in the end, the Lord of the Nine Nether Hall used an unimaginable divine ability to hide the entire Nine Nether Palace. Tens of thousands of years have passed since then.
Although many cultivators had entered the Fallen Demon Abyss to explore, none found the whereabouts of the Nine Nether Palace. Now, with the abnormal changes in the Fallen Demon Abyss, people naturally thought of it's emergence.
But, even entering the Fallen Demon Abyss was hard, let alone finding the Nine Nether Palace.
Boom!
A loud explosion erupted as Ye Yuan effortlessly killed a fierce beast with a giant sword.
"These demonic beasts are acting strangely," he frowned.
"Big Brother Ye Yuan, it's the fire that's the problem," Nie Mengyao said, looking at the seemingly endless dark fire around her. "These fires can affect the mind, making people irritable and restless. I think demonic beasts are also influenced, causing them to go mad."
Although this fire couldn't burn demonic beasts to death, they could affect the mind.
This surprised Nie Mengyao.
"This is the characteristic of the Nine Spirit Fire. It can invisibly affect the mind, making people defenseless," said Leng Yan.
Ye Yuan suddenly understood and conveyed this information to Nie Mengyao.
"So that's how it is."
Nie Mengyao was pleased. She didn't know much about the Source Fire, but it must be extraordinary to have such power.
"Your Highness."
Beside her, an old man in gray robes whispered, "I heard that the Nine Spirit Fire is the Azura Continent's treasure. If Your Highness can obtain it and fuse it into the Ancient Phoenix Scripture, your strength will undoubtedly increase several times. So..."
Nie Mengyao interrupted sharply, "Nonsense! The Nine Spirit Fire belongs to Big Brother Ye Yuan. How could I take it?"
The old man became anxious, "How can you not take it? If you have the Nine Spirit Fire, you might even surpass the Second Prince. By then, you can compensate Ye Yuan in some way."
"No."
Nie Mengyao shook her head firmly. "If it were someone else, maybe. But Big Brother Ye Yuan? No."
The old man: "..."
Why could she take it from others but not from Ye Yuan?
"Old Lin, don't say such things in the future."
Nie Mengyao looked somewhat displeased.
"Yes, Your Highness," Lin Lao replied with a nod, feeling somewhat helpless.
He really wanted to remind Nie Mengyao; with the Zhuge family withdrawing their support, he didn't know what crisis they would face upon returning.
If they didn't take the opportunity to enhance their strength, they might be suppressed to the point where they couldn't lift their heads by that crown prince.
However, Old Lin understood Nie Mengyao and knew her temperament.
Even if he didn't say anything, others brought by Nie Mengyao already agreed: "Yes, now that the Zhuge family has openly declared they will no longer support Your Highness, this is a rare opportunity."
"What qualifications does Ye Yuan have to ask for Your Highness's help? When Your Highness obtains the Source Fire, you can compensate him, and he should be grateful."
Hearing their words, Ye Yuan's heart sank.
"You see, this is what I'm worried about," sighed Leng Yan.
"No, Master, I believe in Mengyao," Ye Yuan said with a smile. However, his smile was a bit forced.
Soon, they went deeper into the mysterious place.
Along the way, they encountered numerous cultivators. However, with the huge group Nie Mengyao brought along, no one dared provoke them.
As they advanced, they suddenly noticed that the flow of their spiritual senses was being hindered.
"Everyone, be careful; this will suppress cultivation here."
"That's... the entrance to the Nine Nether Palace!"
In front of them, a crack emitting a rich Qi appeared.
Nie Mengyao slightly pondered, "This seems to be some kind of space array, but it appears to have been torn apart by the flames."
Elder Lin solemnly advised, "Your Highness, judging by the situation, it seems to have been destroyed from inside. We must be extremely careful; this place may be more dangerous than we thought."
Ye Yuan stared intently at the crack. "Master, could it be that the Nine Spirit Fire is out of control?"
"It's not impossible. In any case, let's find the Nine Spirit Fire first, and when the time comes, use the technique I taught you to absorb it."
Ye Yuan nodded and turned to Nie Mengyao. "Mengyao, let's go in."
At this moment, Elder Lin suddenly spoke, "Young Master Ye, this Nine Nether Palace is extremely dangerous. Moreover, our cultivation will be suppressed once we enter. If you have any clues, it would be better to share them with us before going in."
"Old Lin!" Nie Mengyao frowned.
However, Old Lin persisted, "Your Highness, from my experience, the flames inside are extraordinary. Considering this was once the territory of the formidable demonic Nine Nether Palace, even dealing with just the ferocious beasts will be overwhelming. If there are additional traps or formations, and we remain ignorant, entering would be akin to courting death.
"Even if Your Highness doesn't consider our lives, you must still think about your safety."
Nie Mengyao contemplated for a moment and felt that Elder Lin was right. "Brother Ye Yuan, if you know anything, tell us now. This way, we can avoid unnecessary casualties."
Ye Yuan hesitated, concerned about the potential ulterior motives of others.
After all, the Nine Nether Palace's inheritance was something even the Imperial Empire might covet.
Sensing Ye Yuan's hesitation, Mengyao assured him, "Ye Yuan, you can trust us. We are allies on the same journey."
Ye Yuan furrowed his eyebrow, and finally spoke, "Alright, listen carefully..."