Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
In the murkiness, the lines between illusion and reality were blurred.
An Lin felt as if his entire body had been trapped in a furnace as boundless scorching flames incinerated his body. The extreme, searing pain caused a cry of anguish to escape from his lips.
A bucket of ice water suddenly fell up him, cooling him from head to toe.
What was it like for a piece of metal to be taken out of the furnace before being tempered with cold water?
An Lin’s entire body sizzled, and he spasmed as he fainted from the pain.
Within the darkness.
An Lin’s consciousness slowly returned to him, and he could feel a gentle sense of coldness enveloping his body.
The terrifying scorching pain seemed to have disappeared, and it was as if he had fallen into a gentle embrace. It was so comfortable that he didn’t want to get up.
However, An Lin still fought to open his eyes, upon which he was greeted by a ball of light that was a lot gentler on the eye than the blinding ball of fire. In comparison, this light was countless times softer and more delicate.
“This is…” An Lin’s eyes opened fully as he sat up in the water.
He looked around at his surroundings in amazement. This was an extremely familiar place. Wasn’t this cave past the Heart Examining Lake, in which he had encountered the Vermilion Bird Princess for the second time? And the place he was lying in was the Vermilion Bird Princess’ bathing pond!
“You’re finally awake, Shameless An,” an enticing voice sounded.
An Lin turned toward the white fog, where an adorable young woman emerged while staring at An Lin’s body.
An Lin only realized then that he was still half-naked!
He immediately pulled out a set of clothes from his storage ring and got changed in the blink of an eye, flaring up at the same time. “Hey, you’re the shameless one here! You’re the first person to look so blatantly at my body!”
The Vermilion Bird Princess’ lips twitched as she retorted, “Yi Li is the first one!”
She then continued, “Also, you saw Yi Li in her completely nude form! How are you not shameless? You have to take responsibility for her!”
“Gasp…” An Lin drew a sharp intake of breath as his eyes widened. “I only f*cking looked at a nude ball of fire, and you want me to take responsibility? Responsibility, my a*s!”
He then seemed to realize something as shock surged through his heart. “And wasn’t I on the ninth level? How did you get me here?”
The Vermilion Bird Princess harrumphed lightly. “You were half-dead from being blasted by Yi Li, and she couldn’t think of a way to save you. She knew that there’s a little pond on the seventh level with extremely rich yin-type energy, which was proficient at healing burn wounds, so she brought you here.”
An Lin nodded ambiguously upon hearing this. That also explained his dream, in which he was being held captive in a furnace. Everything made sense!
Just because he wasn’t hurting now didn’t mean he wouldn’t remember the pain. Memories of the pain he had suffered would remain in his mind for the rest of his life.
“Thank you, Vermilion Bird Princess.” In any case, An Lin decided to express his gratitude first.
The Vermilion Bird Princess waved a hand dismissively. “You’ve been lying in my pool for six days already, and your injuries are pretty much fully recovered. The event with the guardian of the Sun Tree has also blown over.”
An Lin was silent for several seconds before asking, “Vermilion Bird Princess, aren’t you curious about what happened between me and the guardian of the Sun Tree?”
One had to realize that the Vermilion Bird Princess appeared to be extremely interested to see how things would pan out prior to the event. But now that everything was said and done, the Vermilion Bird Princess didn’t appear to be curious at all. There was something wrong here!
“Ehehe…” A foolish grin appeared on the Vermilion Bird Princess’ face. “I was too busy looking after your injuries and didn’t get a chance to ask.”
Her big, bright eyes widened in curiosity. “So what happened? Did you kiss the guardian of the Sun Tree? How did it feel?
“I don’t have the right to see the guardian of the Sun Tree, and I was quite shocked when she teleported your here and dumped you into this pond. Did she beat you up?”
The Vermilion Bird Princess cocked her head to the side with an innocent and naive expression.
Upon hearing the Vermilion Bird Princess’ last sentence, An Lin felt as if a sword had been stabbed into his heart. He shuddered as he recalled the horror of being blasted by Yi Li’s flames.
Yi Li hadn’t beaten him up, but the reality was even more terrifying…
He forced a smile onto his face. “I managed to kiss her. It felt ok. I was accidentally caught in a few explosions.”
He explained in a few clipped sentences before getting up to leave.
He had already completed his mission, so there was no reason for him to stay here anymore.
“I’m off then, Vermilion Bird Princess. You can contact me if you ever come to the Kingdom of the Nine States.” An Lin waved goodbye.
“You’re going now? Are you not going to stay and have some fun at the Sun Tree?” The Vermilion Bird Princess took a couple of steps forward before looking up at An Lin.
“I can’t. I have many things I need to take care of.” An Lin shook his head with a smile. “Oh, right, let’s exchange voice transmission talismans.”
“Sure.” The Vermilion Bird Princess agreed readily.
The two of them injected their presences into each other’s voice transmission talisman.
An Lin didn’t delay any longer as he officially bade farewell to the gorgeous young woman before him. “Goodbye, Vermilion Bird Princess.”
The Vermilion Bird Princess harrumphed lightly before averting her gaze. “Shameless An, do you know how dangerous it is to force kisses on girls now? I hope you’ve learned your lesson!”
An Lin’s lips twitched upon hearing this. Did she have to mention that again?
“Goodbye, Lin An,” an enticing voice sounded.
“Goodbye, Vermilion Bird Princess.” An Lin set foot onto the Heart Examining Lake again.
He turned to look one last time at the woman behind him as he bade a second farewell in his heart.
Goodbye, Nine-Colored Divine Vermilion Bird.
His suspicions had been aroused during their battle in the arena, as well as the abnormal inheritance the Nine-Colored Divine Vermilion Bird statue had given him. These suspicions were finally confirmed after he was pummeled without being able to offer any resistance during their second encounter, as well as her ability to send him to the ninth level.
The Vermilion Bird Princess looked on as An Lin disappeared into the white fog, and she too bade a second farewell in her heart.
Goodbye, An Lin.
She had guessed who An Lin was following that battle in the arena.
However, both of them had a tacit understanding with one another and decided not to blow each other’s cover.
An Lin crossed the lake again. He went through the white fog and emerged on the other side.
“Hmm? Hei Tengge and Bai Xingge are already gone?” He looked around at his surroundings.
Unbeknown to him, the two of them had been waiting for An Lin with scorching distress and anxiety in their hearts, thinking that he had encroached upon the Nine-Colored Divine Vermilion Bird’s territory and had been killed as a result.
They had left long ago to turn themselves in.
“Sigh, I remember Bai Xingge owes me three Sun Immortal Fruits from the seventh level. Who am I going to ask for the Sun Immortal Fruits now that Bai Xingge is gone?” An Lin heaved a light sigh before walking toward the opening of the cave.
The Sun Immortal Fruits were actually quite useful for fire-type cultivators like Xiaolan, so he was actually a little wistful to have missed out on it.
He made his way out of the cave and discovered a massive parrot standing at the entrance.
The parrot asked in fluent Tai Chu Language, “Are you Mr. Lin Great Sparrow Man An?”
Lin Great Sparrow Man An?
What the f*ck?!
An Lin’s face convulsed, and he nodded with resignation. “That’s me. What do you need me for?”