??The group moved as it got dark, but not completely as the light of the sun scattered in the sky of the Secret Realm, as well as was reflected from the surface of the broken planet, creating a pseudo-twilight.

“I never actually thanked you, for saving my life from that assassin”

Xue Bing said as she slightly increased her speed to close the distance between them. The way that situation progressed completely shattered normal thinking for her so she only realized later that she had not thanked him, and was waiting for an appropriate moment.

“I did it because I wanted to”

“Even so, your motive does not negate that it happened”

“Does not mean that you have to feel indebted for that”

“It is my life, and however it may seem I do value it”

“Then you can chalk it up to my obligation in the alliance of our sects” .

“I would if that truly was your motivation”

“How about calling it even for preventing trouble for me during the time we entered the Sect?”

“Is that not a little light to call even against my life?”

“It is nothing compared to your life, but it was a big favor to me on its own merits.

If the relationships soured before I could talk with Palace Master Qiu I doubt the whole alliance building would have been so smooth”

“… although I still don’t believe it matches how grateful I am to you, taking into account it burdens you if I feel indebted I will simply stop at once more expressing my gratitude”

“Then I gladly accept it”

Wu Long chuckled as Hua Ziyan slightly giggled at their conversation, one voice lighthearted and playful and another completely serious and slightly monotone.

“By the way, may I ask about your relationship with that assassin? I am really curious”

Xue Bing then added in the exactly same monotone voice as Hua Ziyan could not hold it in and started laughing into the palm of her hand.

The way this icy beauty spontaneously blurted out her honest thoughts without any segue or softening had something undeniably funny to her.

“Hmm, she is an acquaintance that I have met several times and find attractive, and who seems to return that view”

Wu Long pondered as he spoke, prompting Xue Bing to turn her gaze to Hua Ziyan.

“Is it alright to talk about it in front of your partner?”

“Haha, Ziyan understands me, which is the reason she agreed to be with me in the first place, as I was honest with her as I am with anyone who I court”

Wu Long chuckled, as Hua Ziyan nodded in confirmation.

“I just want to be with Wu Long, and as long as he has a place for me in his heart I am satisfied.

Plus it turned out to be truly a lot of fun spending time with our Dao Family.

The more of us joined the more we started to understand that he is attracted to people who we all can get along quite nicely with eventually. Even if there may be a short period of adjustment. So any worry dissipated”

She spoke lightly, revealing a little secret of the three friends as they were indeed first worried about what would happen if he started courting someone they all hated.

Shen Min being the most guarded among the three, and Luo Mingyu generally sheltered from birth and not having much experience dealing with conflicts.

But gradually, as they got to see who he was interested in they started seeing a pattern. Even the former Pirate Queen whom Shen Min first viewed with hostile eyes gradually became closer and now the latter would fight side to side with the former with no second thought or hesitation.

Xue Bing who was sensitive to emotional state and intentions, even very well hidden, could not detect any deception in the words of the brunette beauty.

Her icy turquoise eyes widened as she looked at Hua Ziyan with surprise.

She started to slowly understand their relationship, which was confusing to her in the beginning as she knew he had other women.

She also saw how genuine his feelings for her were, which baffled her given that he expressed interest in other women quite openly, but now it all finally made sense.

There was something missing in her perception before, that was now filled in without her knowing, and the way she viewed him changed very slightly.

“Is that the same as the time together you talked about before?”

She asked and Hua Ziyan made a light smile.

“Not sure it is, but cannot deny it either. I am not as good with Dao discussions as Mingyu.

It is a little hard to understand this mindset if you are not in it. And some people might even see me and my fellow Dao Sisters as crazy, but for us it makes perfect sense”

“Mingyu… are you talking about Luo Mingyu of the Fantian Kingdom?”

“You know her?”

Hua Ziyan widened her eyes as the icy beauty nodded.

“I have once met her and had a pleasant impression from her. She did not possess the Water and Cold attribute required for our Sect’s disciples, but she is the only other person with Extreme Yin Physique that I know”

Xue Bing spoke, remembering their meeting, and then her eyes turned to Wu Long.

“… which reminds me, I seem to remember you have been a bodyguard to her at the time of our visit. Our Sect’s Elder recognized you…”

“Hahaha, yes. I could say I successfully completed bodyguarding her”

Wu Long chuckled, making Hua Ziyan’s lips widen in an understanding smile, knowing how well he bodyguarded her.

“Hmm, so she is your woman as well…”

Xue Bing seemed to sink into thoughts as they moved, circling around roaming or idle Demonic Beasts which did not possess any appeal to them.

They all noted that the Demonic Beasts in these parts were all of different species, not once meeting the ones that formed the Demonic Wave.

But then again they also initially chose the direction opposite the one the horde of beasts was approaching the mountain from, so it did make sense.

As they approached one particular area hey slowed down once more, following Wu Long’s signal, since it seemed there was something interesting ahead.

They soon saw a large crater in the distance, devoid of ice and snow, as steam went up into the air from it.

Wu Long’s eyes narrowed as he looked at a large rock in the middle of the crater which emitted intense heat.

“Haha, this is part of the world we came from, probably blasted here during the Great Calamity. I would not be surprised if there are more of them throughout this land. though this one is special as that is a Red Heat Stone.

A material which is not considered to be that valuable, but…”

He chuckled, and then looking at it his eyes flashed with profound patterns and then imperceptibly changed. Only Hua Ziyan and Xue Bing were able to slightly detect a change in demeanor, the former more clearly because she knew him and had a deeper connection.

“Haha, now this is interesting”

He smiled as a greedy light appeared in his eyes.

“What is it?”

“An Earth Flame, one quite suitable for Fairy Yu Huan”

Wu Long spoke with a little anticipation, while curiosity appeared in the eyes of his companions.

Earth Flame was an eternal fire born of the Primordial Chaos, possessing its own unique characteristics, burning without any materials to feed it and never being extinguished no matter how much fire it released.

Alchemy Cultivators and Flame attribute cultivators were the only ones who could use them, so it was useless to Wu Long himself, but the potential benefits it had for him in the hands of Yu Huan could not be overlooked.

However, as he wanted to move, he suddenly froze, signaling the others not to make any noise or move either, his eyes filled with a little bit of surprise, and at the same time becoming serious.

𝘳𝑎.𝒸ℴ