Emperor Wu Shihuang's handwriting, do not go out of the Milky Way border

Looking at the volcano standing before him, Donghuang Taiyi asked Ying Zheng:

"Are you sure Kong Xuan is inside this volcano? How did he get in? It's so hot here."

The temperature here is much higher than at the edge of the Blazing Land, and Donghuang Taiyi even suspects that Kong Xuan is not here at all.

“Kong Xuan was here when I last came. Come with me.”

After saying that, Ying Zheng walked towards the crater and jumped down.

Although Huo Ling'er took a different path than Ying Zheng last time, Ying Zheng forgot to ask her how to get down, so he jumped down directly just like last time.

Donghuang Taiyi was stunned by Ying Zheng's actions.

"Why did you just jump down like that? You didn't even wait for me!"

Donghuang Taiyi rushed to the crater, looked at the surging lava inside, held his breath, closed his eyes, and jumped in as well.

The surrounding magma was constantly impacting the energy shield protecting Donghuang Taiyi, causing him great anxiety.

He was terrified that the lava would break through the energy shield, turning him into a roasted mudfish.

Fortunately, the magma was not powerful enough to break through the energy shield, and Donghuang Taiyi landed safely at the bottom.

After landing safely, Donghuang Taiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Jumping off the volcano had given him a true understanding of what it meant to survive a near-death experience.

He looked around for Ying Zheng, only to find that the other party was already waiting for him not far away.

"Why are you coming down so slowly? Could you have been scared out of your wits by the lava?"

Ying Zheng chuckled and joked.

Hearing this, Donghuang Taiyi smiled at him and forced a smile, saying:
"How could that be? Do you think I'm such a coward? You think a little bit of lava can scare me? It was just a small accident on the way."

Seeing Donghuang Taiyi's feigned toughness, Ying Zheng couldn't help but roll his eyes.

This left Donghuang Taiyi extremely embarrassed, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Ying Zheng did not delay any longer and took Donghuang Taiyi to find Huoluan.

Seeing Ying Zheng set off, Donghuang Taiyi quickly followed—he didn't want to stay in this place for even a moment longer.

Not far from where he had walked, Ying Zheng spotted a familiar figure.

"We've arrived. We'll soon know Kong Xuan's whereabouts."

Ying Zheng turned around and said something to Donghuang Taiyi, then walked straight toward the monster.

Donghuang Taiyi nodded blankly after hearing this.

However, he noticed that when Ying Zheng approached the monster, his Dao power remained as steady as water, showing no sign of making a move.

Donghuang Taiyi began to wonder: Could it be that Ying Zheng was frightened by this monster? Why wasn't he on guard at all?

He quickly grabbed Ying Zheng and asked worriedly:

"What are you doing? Just walking past it like that, aren't you afraid it will attack you?"

Seeing the nervous look on Donghuang Taiyi's face, Ying Zheng patted him on the shoulder:

"What are you afraid of? I know this monster. It won't attack me. Don't worry."

Hearing Ying Zheng say this, Donghuang Taiyi felt a little relieved and followed him toward the monster.

Ying Zheng walked to the side of the monster and patted its massive body. The monster was startled awake and turned around abruptly.

This place has always been inhabited only by the Fire Phoenix. When it was woken from its sweet dream, it was about to fly into a rage—thinking that it was Fire Spirit and her gang who had disturbed its peaceful slumber.

Just as she was about to slap the disturber of her sleep to death, she looked closely and saw that it was Ying Zheng. The Fire Phoenix immediately transformed into human form.

"Ying Zheng? Why did you suddenly come? You haven't been gone for long. I thought I would have to wait tens of millions of years to see you again."

The fire phoenix, now in human form, exclaimed with delight.

Seeing that the demon beast was about to attack, Donghuang Taiyi, who was standing to the side, had already gripped the Donghuang Bell tightly in tension. Unexpectedly, it transformed into human form in the blink of an eye.

Only then did he believe that Ying Zheng truly knew this monster.

"Kong Xuan hasn't returned for so long, I was worried something might have happened to him, so I came to check on him," Ying Zheng explained his purpose.

Upon hearing this, the Fire Phoenix pointed to the broken eggshell behind it:
"Kong Xuan has already left after finishing his cultivation. It seems he went to the girl you met before."

Ying Zheng originally thought Kong Xuan was still cultivating, but he didn't expect it to have ended long ago.

"He went to Huo Ling'er's? That's good. Has he been alright lately?"

Ying Zheng was more concerned about Kong Xuan's cultivation progress—at this critical juncture, no mistakes could be tolerated.

Huo Luan patted his chest, full of confidence:

"With me here guarding him, what could possibly happen? His strength has even increased significantly after he finished his cultivation!"

Ying Zheng was filled with gratitude towards the Fire Phoenix. If it weren't for its protection, Kong Xuan would likely have been disturbed by others long ago.

Immediately, Ying Zheng took out a scroll and handed it to Huo Luan.

Huo Luan looked at the scroll in front of her, her face full of doubt:
"Ying Zheng, what is this... what's inside?"

Ying Zheng did not answer directly, but only told Huo Luan to open it and take a look.

Huo Luan initially wanted to decline, but seeing Ying Zheng's determined gaze, she accepted the scroll and unfolded it.

The moment the scroll was unfurled, a beam of light shot into the Fire Phoenix's brow. Countless pieces of information flooded into its mind like a tidal wave.

After a cursory glance, Huo Luan's face showed a look of rapture.

"Ying Zheng, this gift is wonderful! It will greatly benefit my cultivation and save me from taking many detours!"

When Donghuang Taiyi heard Huoluan say this, he also wanted to go over and see what treasure was hidden in the scroll.

Unfortunately, the scroll destroyed itself after the Fire Phoenix received the information. Donghuang Taiyi could only lament this in silence.

"Thank you for protecting Kong Xuan these past few days. Without you, he wouldn't have been able to improve his strength, and he probably would have been disturbed long ago," Ying Zheng said sincerely.

When Ying Zheng visited last time, he noticed that Huo Luan had some problems with his cultivation, with flaws in various parts of his body. The scroll he gave him contained the techniques for body refinement.

In Ying Zheng's view, a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude. He was determined to repay Huo Luan's kindness to Kong Xuan.

"But Ying Zheng, this thing is too important to me, and it must be extremely valuable, right?"

After carefully reviewing the information in his mind, Huo Luan said.

Although he had been staying by Kong Xuan's side these past few days, cultivation ultimately depends on oneself. He had not provided Kong Xuan with any substantial help.

In comparison, Ying Zheng's gift was far too precious, and he felt somewhat unworthy of it.

"Compared to your protection of Kong Xuan, this is nothing. Please accept it as a small token of my appreciation," Ying Zheng advised.

Now that things had come to this, Huo Luan couldn't refuse any longer. Besides, even if he wanted to refuse, the information in his mind couldn't be erased.

Given Ying Zheng's strength, unless someone's cultivation surpasses his, this information simply cannot be erased.

"Thank you so much! If you ever need me in the future, I will go through fire and water for you!" Huo Luan said solemnly.

Hearing Huo Luan say this, Ying Zheng smiled and waved his hand:
"No need for that. Things are peaceful now, nothing much is happening. But if anything does happen, I will definitely let you know in advance."

After a pause, Ying Zheng said, half-jokingly:

"If I call you then, don't pretend you don't know me. Otherwise I'll really get angry."

Huo Luan patted his chest again, his face serious:
"We demon beasts are the most trustworthy! I'll definitely be there, so why would I pretend not to know you?"

He clearly didn't catch the teasing in Ying Zheng's words, thinking Ying Zheng was testing him, and answered seriously. "Alright, let's go find Kong Xuan first. I'm worried something might have happened to him. Are you coming with us, or staying here?"

Huo Luan thought for a moment and realized that she had nothing to do if she stayed here, and the Xuanbing Dao Water could not be condensed in a short time, so she agreed to accompany Ying Zheng on the trip.

"Then I'll go with you. I haven't seen Kong Xuan in a long time."

After saying this, Ying Zheng led Donghuang Taiyi and Huo Luan away from the underground world and headed to the kingdom where Huo Ling'er lived.

"When Kong Xuan left, did he say he was going to find Huo Ling'er?" Ying Zheng asked Huo Luan.

Huo Luan recalled:
"He told me personally after he finished his cultivation that he was going to find Huo Ling'er. I don't know the specifics."

Ying Zheng nodded and continued on his way.

Before long, the three of them arrived at the palace where Huo Ling'er lived.

The guards at the palace gate became alert upon seeing people approaching and walked towards them.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" a guard demanded.

Ying Zheng cupped his hands in greeting to the guards:
"I have come looking for Princess Huo Ling'er. I wonder if she is in the palace at the moment?"

With Ying Zheng's strength, he could have turned these guards to ashes with a wave of his hand. But he always valued reason and was unwilling to bully the weak.

When traveling, it's essential to be courteous. Otherwise, you'll be seen as an uncultured and uncouth person, and who would want to associate with you?

"Do you think you can just see our Highness as you please? Don't you know your place? Are you even worthy of seeing our esteemed Highness?"

The guard was extremely arrogant.

Huo Luan was about to teach them a lesson when she saw this, but Ying Zheng stopped her.

"Haven't you seen me before?" Ying Zheng asked in a calm tone.

The guard remained arrogant and domineering.
"Why should I have seen you? Who do you think you are? You should take a good look at yourself in the mirror!"

Upon hearing this, Huo Luan could no longer restrain herself and immediately attacked.

Seeing the fire phoenix attack, the guard hurriedly thrust out his spear. But with his meager skills, how could he possibly withstand a single blow from the fire phoenix?
With a casual punch, Huo Luan slammed the guard against the wall. His ribs were broken, and he died instantly.

The guards nearby were so frightened that they took a few steps back.

"You wait! I'm going to call the guard captain, let's see how arrogant you can be then!"

After saying that, he hurriedly ran back to the palace, fearing that Huo Luan would punish him as well.

In fact, Huo Luan did have this plan, but Ying Zheng stopped her.

"Ying Zheng, why are you stopping me? Why don't you just kill them both?" Huo Luan asked, looking puzzled.

Ying Zheng, at this moment, seemed like a reclusive sage, calmly saying:
"When traveling, it's best to maintain harmony. Avoid hurting others if possible. Let him go and call the guard captain; I know that person."

Huo Luan nodded and said nothing more.

Donghuang Taiyi, standing to the side, was filled with doubt. The former Ying Zheng would never have tolerated such an insult, and his actions were always ruthless, easily annihilating his opponents.

But his performance today really surprised him.

However, Donghuang Taiyi wouldn't be foolish enough to ask on the spot—some things are better said in private.

The three of them stood outside the door, waiting for the captain of the guard.

Before long, a man riding a white horse, wearing black armor and holding a spear, led a group of people toward them.

The white horse stopped in front of the three men, and the man on horseback demanded:

"So you're the ones who just killed my men? Don't you know where you are? How dare you cause trouble here?"

Ying Zheng was somewhat puzzled—had Huo Ling'er not mentioned herself to her subordinates?
He nodded to the guard captain:

"I killed him. But haven't you seen me before?"

The guard captain carefully examined Ying Zheng for a moment, then suddenly dismounted and knelt on one knee:

"I deserve to die! I didn't recognize you as Lord Ying Zheng! Please forgive me, sir! I was blind and ignorant. Please have mercy and spare my life!"

When the guard chief heard that someone was causing trouble, he immediately led his men over without even asking who was causing the trouble.

Once he recognized Ying Zheng, how could he dare to be arrogant anymore?
When Ying Zheng left, the king announced to the whole country: when you see Ying Zheng, treat him with courtesy and do not misunderstand.

After all, the king had witnessed Ying Zheng's strength firsthand and did not want to leave any bad impression on him.

"Fine, I won't pursue this matter," Ying Zheng said expressionlessly.

The guard captain was as if he had been granted a pardon, and his life was spared.

If the king were to learn of what happened today, he would surely be furious and execute him on the spot.

"Is Princess Huo Ling'er in the palace? I need to speak with her," Ying Zheng explained his purpose.

Upon hearing this, the guard captain quickly replied:
"Her Highness is not in the palace at the moment. She went out hunting monsters with someone. But she should be back soon."

Ying Zheng nodded.

"How long have you been gone? You didn't say when you'd be back?"

Hearing that Huo Ling'er went out with someone, Ying Zheng concluded that the person was Kong Xuan.

"They have been gone for ten days now, and it is about time for them to return."

The guard captain looked at Ying Zheng with a respectful expression and said.

Ying Zheng was pondering whether to go and find Kong Xuan and the others, but the Blazing Land was vast and boundless, and finding them would be no easy task.

Seeing that Ying Zheng had fallen silent, the guard captain quickly spoke up:

"Lord Ying Zheng, why don't you come with us to the palace to rest first? I will come to inform His Highness when he returns. What do you think?"

After listening to the guard captain's words and thinking for a moment, Ying Zheng agreed to his suggestion.

"Then let's do as you say and go into the palace to wait for Huo Ling'er."

Seeing that Ying Zheng had agreed to his suggestion, the guard chief stood up with a delighted expression and led Ying Zheng and the other two toward the palace.

"Did Huo Ling'er take Kong Xuan to hunt for monster cores?"

Ying Zheng casually asked the guard captain.

Upon hearing Ying Zheng's question, the guard captain once again became extremely respectful and replied:

"That's exactly what you said, sir. Ever since you left last time, Princess Huo Ling'er has developed a great interest in the inner cores of demonic beasts."

“I go out every now and then, but the last few times I’ve gone with a man.”

The guard captain had mistakenly thought that Ying Zheng was interested in Huo Ling'er, so he kept flattering Ying Zheng and also complained about Kong Xuan.

Upon hearing this, Donghuang Taiyi couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"He probably thinks you like that Huo Ling'er, doesn't he? That's a bad attempt at flattery."

Donghuang Taiyi secretly transmitted his voice to Ying Zheng.

"Do you think I'm interested in your prince, that I like her?"

Ying Zheng asked the guard captain.

Upon hearing Ying Zheng's words, the guard captain broke out in a cold sweat.

"Lord Ying Zheng, I have no intention of speculating about your meaning! I am merely stating the facts, with no other intentions whatsoever." (End of Chapter)