“Clang!”

At the end of the passage, the sharp sound of something hard striking against a sword blade pierced the air, and in that instant, everything changed!

Several silver beams, carrying a fierce, slicing wind, shot towards Bai Fanlu. He was about to raise his sword to block them, but suddenly, Xiao Liu leaped into action, vaulting over him to intercept the attack, bursting out of the tunnel first.

Bai Fanlu was shocked—hadn’t they agreed that Xiao Liu would stay behind him? Why was he…

Forget what he said about Xiao Liu maturing; he was still just a reckless child!

Bai Fanlu rushed out of the tunnel, his surroundings suddenly bright and glaring. In his peripheral vision, it seemed as though they had entered a vast and open area.

However, Bai Fanlu had no time to take in his surroundings. Where was Xiao Liu? He ascended, and the air suddenly became icy cold.

Looking up, he saw the figure of Xiao Liu engaged in a fierce battle in mid-air.

The creature Xiao Liu was fighting looked vaguely human but had a long dragon tail trailing behind it. It was clad in silver armor and wielded a nine-foot-long halberd, towering over Xiao Liu as if he were just a child.

The oppressive energy radiating from the creature was terrifying, likely even more overwhelming than that of Ling Qingzi…

No, that wasn’t immortal energy—it was something far more intense and aggressive, divine power.

The cold air in the atmosphere emanated from this creature, its body encased in ice, with an aura so sharp it seemed capable of shredding anything that came close to it.

This was no joke—an ancient dragon god was a force to be reckoned with.

Bai Fanlu joined the battle. The dragon god, Xunhuang, had not yet noticed him, focusing instead on unleashing a blizzard that summoned hundreds of soldiers made of ice, all converging on Xiao Liu.

“Illusionary Spirits, Destroy!”

Bai Fanlu swiftly conjured several talismans charged with immortal energy. They struck the sky, and thunder and fire erupted, instantly incinerating the ice soldiers, melting them into nothingness.

Seizing the opportunity, Bai Fanlu ascended on a cloud, leaping behind Xunhuang. With two fingers, he gripped his sword, muttering a binding spell under his breath. Two beams of blue light shot out, embedding themselves into Xunhuang’s back, forming a seal. “Bind!”

“Who dares to hinder me—”

With a furious roar, the frost surrounding Xunhuang surged, obliterating everything in its path. Stones, trees, leaves, and dust were all torn apart, leaving desolation in its wake.

Amid the chaos, Bai Fanlu searched for Xiao Liu. Suddenly, his vision darkened as an icy breath hit him head-on. Xunhuang had broken through the binding spell and was now charging directly at him.

But as Xunhuang neared Bai Fanlu, it seemed to hesitate for a moment. Its eyes, which had been covered by an icy band, flickered, and the band became momentarily transparent.

To Bai Fanlu’s surprise, those narrow blue eyes gazed at him with a strange, complex emotion he couldn’t decipher.

“Brother!”

Xiao Liu shouted, and fortunately, the binding spell took effect, holding Xunhuang in place and preventing it from getting any closer to Bai Fanlu.

Bai Fanlu was left confused—did Xunhuang recognize the original owner of his body?

With the story’s events now altered, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. But no matter what, they needed to trap Xunhuang first and seal the demonic rift.

Xiao Liu finally broke through the snowstorm and reached Bai Fanlu’s side, positioning himself protectively in front of him, ready to launch another attack.

Xunhuang seemed to sense their coordination and, instead of advancing, took a step back.

“Now! Use the fire spell to trap him!”

Xiao Liu’s voice echoed in Bai Fanlu’s mind, and he swiftly adjusted his energy, activating the fire talisman just as Xiao Liu launched his attack.

With a thunderous roar, a fire dragon rose from the ground beneath Bai Fanlu’s feet, ascending to the heavens before spiraling down in a fierce attack.

Sensing danger, Xunhuang swung its giant halberd horizontally with tremendous force, causing the entire space to shake as it absorbed the fire dragon’s power into a strange array.

Bai Fanlu and Xiao Liu exchanged a glance, retreating simultaneously as the area became engulfed in flames.

“You—”

Xunhuang glared at Bai Fanlu, but could only utter this one hoarse word before the flames engulfed it completely.

The fire barrier had been established, and according to the story, they had successfully subdued Xunhuang.

But something nagged at Bai Fanlu—how did Xiao Liu know Xunhuang’s weakness and instruct him to use the fire spell through their mental link?

There were too many unanswered questions, and the most unsettling was Xunhuang’s expression before it was engulfed by the flames. Why did it seem like it had more to say, something that made Bai Fanlu uneasy?

“Brother, are you hurt?” Xiao Liu asked, worried.

Bai Fanlu shook off the strange thoughts and was about to respond when he noticed something alarming. Grabbing Xiao Liu’s arm, he saw several gruesome gashes on it, the blood seeping from them tinged with a faint blue-black hue.

Bai Fanlu’s eyes widened in shock. Xiao Liu quickly pulled his arm back, but it was too late.

“I’m fine…”

Xiao Liu forced a smile, but the fear in Bai Fanlu’s eyes made him fall silent.

Being wounded by Xunhuang’s tail meant the poison had already entered his body. In the original story, Yun Zhan had been severely injured by this, and it was only due to his strong constitution, the protection of Bilu, and the help of the original owner that he barely made it back to Tianshu Gate…

Bai Fanlu felt his heart stop. He quickly pressed several acupoints on Xiao Liu’s body.

“…This will temporarily suppress the poison. Remember, from now on, do not use any magic, or else…”

Bai Fanlu couldn’t finish the sentence. Xiao Liu understood the gravity of the situation, but he smiled brightly, ignoring the intense pain in his arm. “I understand.”

Bai Fanlu turned away, “Let’s move quickly. The fire spell will only hold for a short time.”

They needed to act quickly, find the demonic rift, seal it, awaken Xunhuang’s true form, and break through the outer barrier to escape.

This was their only chance. If they failed and Xunhuang broke free, Xiao Liu’s injuries would be in vain, and they could all…

Bai Fanlu couldn’t finish the thought. Supporting Xiao Liu, he used his cloud-stepping technique to continue deeper into the ruins.

Fortunately, the rest of the journey was clear. As they moved forward, the landscape became more ethereal, with mist-shrouded mountains and clear waters that resembled the Immortal Realm.

However, the further they went, the more the scenery began to change.

The silhouettes of dark, crumbling structures emerged from the mist, initially resembling the grand palaces of the Heavenly Palace but soon revealing themselves to be the ruins of a massive, ancient city.

The once-pristine white jade railings, stairs, and columns were all shattered, scattered in disarray.

In stark contrast to the vibrant life outside, this place was filled with deathly silence. Only the overgrown weeds, alternating between green and yellow, hinted at the passage of time.

Where was the Sealing Platform? Where was the demonic rift?

Bai Fanlu’s anxiety grew as he searched for the location mentioned in the story.

When he finally spotted the shadow of a four-cornered high platform, Bai Fanlu was overjoyed. He turned to Xiao Liu and said, “Wait here. Whatever you do, don’t use magic.”

He sternly emphasized again, seeing Xiao Liu nod before hurrying toward the platform.

The towering four-cornered platform stood proudly, shrouded in mist at its peak.

Bai Fanlu chanted a spell to dispel the illusion, and a golden phoenix feather slowly descended from the top of the platform, landing softly in his hand. It was the most sacred yang artifact here, the Red Flame Feather.

As it appeared, the mist began to dissipate, and a flash of golden light emerged from the top of the platform, exuding a sharp, threatening aura that seemed to challenge the intruder.

Another enemy?! There should have only been Xunhuang in this underground palace according to the original story.

Bai Fanlu scanned the area warily, and Xiao Liu approached him.

“Be careful,” Xiao Liu whispered.

But the surroundings remained silent, with no other presence.

Bai Fanlu cautiously released his spiritual energy, dispersing the remaining mist above. The golden light atop the platform gradually revealed its full form.

It was a phoenix, wings spread as if ready to take flight, its right foot slightly raised and its neck curved, holding a fixed pose as it gazed down at the platform below.

If it weren’t for its shimmering golden feathers and those proud, spirited eyes, anyone would have thought it was just a statue.

But it was so lifelike—was this the real phoenix or merely a statue?

The two exchanged a glance. Bai Fanlu, knowing the original story, believed it should only be a statue, with the demonic rift sealed beneath the platform. But seeing it now, the phoenix seemed too real.

Bai Fanlu raised the feather into the air, quickly reciting a spell. The feather shot forward like an arrow, piercing the phoenix at the neck.

Instantly, the faint golden light from the feather merged with the phoenix’s body until they became one.

Rumbling sounds emanated from the ground below.

Having experienced this before in Yingzhou, Bai Fanlu knew this was the sign of the seal activating.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Bai Fanlu was about to leave with Xiao Liu when a loud noise suddenly erupted from behind them.

The sky was falling!

No, the hundred-foot-tall platform beneath their feet was rising rapidly, as if something massive beneath the earth was pushing it up with all its might!

“Ah—”

In the distance, Xunhuang let out a roar of agony, filled with rage and despair. Bai Fanlu’s heart sank, and his inner energy became chaotic. This feeling… It was as if his fire spell was being forcibly broken!

Gathering his spiritual energy, Bai Fanlu prepared to take Xiao Liu and fly away on his sword, but the sword was inexplicably pulled downward. The delay caused by this moment of resistance left them no time to escape. Before they could react, the ground beneath them shook violently, and they could only hold on to each other for support.

In just a few moments, the Sealing Platform, which had been rising, suddenly wavered and, as if losing to a mysterious force, plummeted like a broken kite, crashing down. Even the golden-winged phoenix fell.

“This isn’t good!”

Xiao Liu cried out, pushing Bai Fanlu away.

Bai Fanlu, caught off guard, was sent flying several meters away. When he finally managed to stop his momentum and looked back, the massive Sealing Platform had already collapsed.

A deep chasm opened where the platform had stood, its bottom unseen, and a thick cloud of dust filled the air, turning everything into an impenetrable yellow haze.

“Xiao Liu…!”

Bai Fanlu’s eyes stung from the dust, but no matter where he looked, he couldn’t see any trace of the boy.