169: A strange woman, a missing person in town.

"Alright, it's getting late. Let's wrap up our discussion for today," Xiao Huohuo said, seeing the time and preparing to adjourn the meeting to return to Cultivate his room.

"Wait a moment," Ling Ke'er interrupted.

"I've accumulated enough recently, and I feel my Cultivation is about to Breakthrough. I need to use you."

"What?! Senior Sister, I truly only have a master-disciple relationship with you. I cannot obey!"

"Are you courting death?"

After a brutal beating.

"If you wanted to use the strange flame, you should have said so earlier. Why say something so misleading? Look at what you've done to me," Xiao Huohuo complained indignantly, his face bruised and swollen with panda eyes.

"Do you have an opinion?"

"No."

Soon after, inside the Gathering Hall.

A golden flame, like a small sun, floated before Xiao Huohuo, emitting a scorching yet gentle aura.

At this moment, the strange flame, Little Gold, continuously released the purest fire-attribute energy, dyeing the entire Gathering Hall golden.

Ling Ke'er sat cross-legged, her expression solemn.

Around her, a subtle, profound aura slowly ascended, as the Cultivation Technique route of the Mystic Maiden Heart Sutra smoothly propelled the flow of magical power within her body.

A'cao lay beside them, his small body bathed in the golden light, humming contentedly.

Outside the Gathering Hall, several Martial Emperor powerhouses who had recently pledged allegiance to Xiao Huohuo also seized this rare opportunity, Cultivating with all their might.

Are you kidding? They had heard long ago that Cultivating with the Great Master could increase Cultivation speed by a hundredfold!

It was simply exhilarating!

Time flowed on.

For two full days, the golden flame did not extinguish.

On the morning of the third day, as the first ray of dawn sunlight streamed through the window.

Boom!

Profound light swirled around Ling Ke'er, with cold Qi and electric light intertwining, making the Gathering Hall look like a KTV.

She opened her eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly to Xiao Huohuo. At this moment, she had successfully Broken through to the second level of Purple Mansion.

"You're welcome," Xiao Huohuo said, retracting the strange flame and grinning. "We're family, no need for formalities."

"Family?"

"Uh... siblings."

"That's more like it."

Xiao Huohuo stood up and stretched.

"Alright, Cultivation is over. Time to get to work."

...

Half an hour later.

Inside the Gathering Hall.

Xiao Huohuo sat grandly on the main seat, while below him were Sand Heaven Reaching and other high-ranking members of Blazing Heaven.

"Those bald donkeys from Little Thunderclap Temple have been acting like cowards lately, not even daring to leave their gates," Sand Heaven Reaching said gruffly, his face full of disdain. "Great Master, what should our next step be?"

"No rush," Xiao Huohuo waved his hand. "If they don't come out, we'll force them out."

"Keep up the guerrilla warfare, and make a bigger commotion! The bigger, the better!"

Just as everyone was discussing the next battle plan, Ling Ke'er suddenly spoke.

"Oh, right, didn't we say before that we should also bring that monk named Xuanzang into our Blazing Heaven?"

Xiao Huohuo slapped his forehead.

"Look at my memory, I almost forgot about that!"

A smile of "everything is under control" appeared on his face. "This matter should be done sooner rather than later. I'll go meet him personally right now."

Upon hearing this, A'cao curiously asked, "Xiao Huohuo, do you know where Xuanzang is?"

Xiao Huohuo's smile grew even more profound.

He slowly stood up, hands clasped behind his back, looking up at the ceiling at a forty-five-degree angle, his eyes deep.

Under the gazes of admiration and anticipation from everyone.

He pondered for a long time, so long that everyone was almost bursting, before slowly squeezing out three words from between his teeth.

"I don't know."

Before anyone could react.

The next instant.

Ling Ke'er's pretty face was now contorted with ferocity.

"Xiao! Huo! Huo!"

"I've been enduring you for too long!"

A roar filled with towering rage.

She lunged forward in a flash, and to everyone's horrified gazes, she landed a punch squarely on Xiao Huohuo's handsome face, who was still posing!

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

Xiao Huohuo's sturdy body, as if hit head-on by an outgoing cannonball, flew out of the Gathering Hall in a beautiful rainbow arc, disappearing into the distant horizon.

Sand Heaven Reaching and his subordinates behind him swallowed hard, silently warning themselves in unison.

In the future, no matter who they provoke, they must never provoke the Second Master.

...

At the same time.

Thousands of miles away, in a remote border town called "Fengsha Town."

Inside an inn.

A handsome young monk, dressed in a tattered monastic robe, slowly finished his last bowl of vegetarian noodles.

It was Xuanzang, who was wanted by the entire Buddhist sect in the Western Regions.

He put down his bowl and chopsticks, clasped his hands together, and faced the innkeeper who had been waiting for a long time.

"Thank you for your hospitality, innkeeper."

The innkeeper, a kind-faced middle-aged man, quickly waved his hand: "Great Master, you are too kind. It's just... Great Master, do you really have to leave now?"

He glanced at the sky outside the window, which was gradually darkening, and a hint of worry appeared on his face.

"To be honest, Great Master, our Fengsha Town hasn't been peaceful lately."

"Every night, a few people in town mysteriously disappear."

"No one is seen alive, no corpses are found."

"It's almost dark now, why don't you... rest for a night at my humble inn? I won't charge you; consider it... an act of kindness."

He could tell that this young monk in front of him was different from those hypocritical Buddhist degenerates who only knew how to exploit the common people.

"Thank you for your kindness, innkeeper."

Xuanzang stood up, his tall and straight figure now like a spear, possessing an aura of profound stability.

After this period of arduous Cultivation and combat, he had been completely reborn, replaced by the spirit of an unmoving, aggressive Vajra.

"This humble monk is not afraid."

Leaving these simple four words, Xuanzang no longer hesitated, turning and striding out of the inn.

The innkeeper watched his solitary and resolute back, only able to sigh helplessly.

...

Night fell.

The streets of Fengsha Town were empty, and the night wind whipped up yellow sand.

Xuanzang walked unhurriedly, his Divine Sense spread out, vigilant of everything around him.

Just as he reached an intersection, his steps abruptly halted.

His keen Divine Sense clearly detected a figure flashing not far behind him.

Has it arrived?

Xuanzang's lips curled slightly.

He remained calm and continued forward, but deliberately steered his steps towards a secluded alley.

Playing along with the scheme.

He wanted to see who this hidden observer was.

As expected, the aura followed him.

Xuanzang twisted and turned, finally entering a dead end.

He slowly stopped, turned around, his expression calm.

A graceful figure slowly appeared.

It was a woman, dressed in a revealing red gauze dress, with a seductive figure, heavily made-up face, and a pair of alluring peach blossom eyes.

She looked at Xuanzang in the alley and giggled, her voice charming to the bone.

"Little Master, it's so late. Are you not lonely by yourself?"

"Female Benefactor, you have followed this humble monk all this way. What is your purpose?"

The next moment, Xuanzang's Divine Sense perceived a faint Death Qi emanating from this seemingly seductive woman.

It was as if... something else was hidden within her body.