Senior brother, you're playing with fire.

On the Taichu Square.

The First Seat of Blazing Sun Peak, "Elder Chi Huo," was currently pouring wine into his mouth from a huge wine gourd.

Upon hearing Su Ye's line about "playing with fire and wetting the bed,"

"Pfft—"

A mouthful of strong wine sprayed all over the face of the Formation Elder in front of him.

"Su Ye, you brat!!!"

"This old man is going to fight you to the death!!!"

Elder Chi Huo's hair and beard were standing on end, his whole body erupting in flames. If several Elders hadn't been holding him back firmly, he would have likely charged right into the water mirror.

Meanwhile, Holy Master, who was sitting in the main seat, was laughing so hard she couldn't straighten her back.

She wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes as she leaned into Yun Yuzhen's ear:

"Junior Sister, this Disciple of yours..."

"...is truly a... rare talent."

Yun Yuzhen's hand holding the teacup trembled slightly.

She looked at the high-spirited figure from behind in the water mirror; a trace of helplessness flashed in her eyes, along with a deeply hidden sense of pride.

"Naturally."

"Look at who taught him."

It's just that... from now on, the First Seats of the various Peaks in the Taichu Holy Land would likely form a group to smash down the gates of Purple Bamboo Peak.

Thinking of this, Yun Yuzhen felt a headache coming on.

It seemed...

...she would have to make that brat Su Ye hand over more 'public grain'.

Otherwise, who would clean up this mess for him?

...Shortly after Su Ye's trio left Luoyan Peak.

A sneaky figure crawled out from the pile of rocks at the foot of the mountain.

It was Jiang Chen, who had previously been robbed until only his boxers remained.

He had followed them all the way, originally wanting to see if he could pick up any scraps or find an Opportunity for revenge.

Instead, he witnessed the terrifying scene of Lin Qianxue breaking through three realms in succession.

At this moment,

He lay on the ground, looking at the empty bluestone and the tiny bit of medicinal residue from the seven-colored glazed flower left on the ground.

"Foundation Establishment... Eighth Stage..."

Jiang Chen muttered to himself, his eyes full of despair.

Originally, Lin Qianxue was only at the Foundation Establishment Fifth Stage, and he still had some hope of catching up.

Now, it's great.

She ate the flower he had worked so hard to grow and directly left him eight streets behind.

"What a sin!"

Jiang Chen grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed it with a crunching sound.

"Su Ye!"

"Since you've started this, don't blame me for finishing it!"

"I'm going to report you!"

"I'm going to... to..."

Jiang Chen thought for a long time and sadly realized that in the Taichu Holy Land, it seemed no one except the Holy Lord could control that Prodigy.

And the Holy Lord, Holy Master... she was notoriously fond of watching drama and doted on her Junior Sister Yun Yuzhen.

Jiang Chen slumped to the ground in dejection.

Watching the three streaks of light receding in the sky, he had only one thought in his heart:

Senior Brother Ye Yan.

You... take care. The sun was high in the sky, and the earth was cracked.

The further southeast they flew, the more obvious the dry heat in the air became; even the air breathed into the lungs carried a scent of sulfur.

Lava Cave.

An extremely dangerous place within the Taichu Secret Realm, connected underground to a ten-thousand-year earth fire vein, with magma rolling and heat waves surging year-round.

This was a paradise for fire-element Cultivators and a Hell for those of other elements.

At this moment,

Deep inside the Lava Cave, on a precipitous cliff,

A young man wearing a crimson Daoist robe was staring at the rolling magma pool below, drenched in sweat.

His face was resolute, but his bloodshot eyes were filled with fanaticism and greed.

Eldest Senior Brother of Blazing Sun Peak, Ye Yan.

Golden Core Fifth Heaven.

"Finally... I've finally waited for it!"

Ye Yan's voice was hoarse as he stared intently at the center of the magma pool.

There, a crimson essence shaped like a fire dragon was flickering its tongues of fire along with the rising and falling of the magma.

ten-thousand-year fire essence!

An Earth Rank High Grade, or even near Top Grade, natural treasure!

As long as he swallowed it, his 'Great Sun Heaven-Burning Art' would reach Major Achievement, and he might even have hope of charging into the Late Stage of the Golden Core. At that time, in the Inner Sect competition, he might be able to compete with Su Ye!

"Su Ye... humph!"

Thinking of that Eldest Senior Brother of Purple Bamboo Peak who always pressed down on the heads of all the Inner Sect Disciples, a flash of ruthlessness appeared in Ye Yan's eyes.

"Relying on his good talent, acting eccentrically and being arrogant."

"Once I refine this fire essence, I will definitely step on you and let you know what it means to not bully a poor youth!"

Ye Yan took a deep breath, pulled out a specially made cold jade bottle from his bosom, and was about to move to collect it.

Just then,

Swoosh!

A sharp sound of breaking air came from the direction of the cave entrance without any warning.

Ye Yan's heart jumped violently, and he instinctively dodged to the side.

Boom!

A bluestone the size of a millstone smashed heavily onto the spot where he had been standing. Stone fragments flew everywhere, nearly hitting him in the face.

"Who?!"

Ye Yan was shocked and furious, turning his head sharply toward the cave entrance.

In the backlit area, three figures slowly walked in.

The leader was dressed in snow-white clothes, his posture straight as a pine, with a half-smile on his lips.

Behind him followed two stunning young girls.

One was quirky and clever, carrying a medicinal hoe that didn't match her body size;

The other was cold and ethereal like an immortal, surrounded by a faint frost Qi that instantly lowered the temperature of this hot Lava Cave by several degrees.

Seeing the newcomers clearly, Ye Yan's pupils instantly contracted into needlepoints.

"Su... Su Ye?!"

"How could you be here?!"

His voice was trembling, not because of fear, but because of... a bad premonition from the depths of his Soul.

In the Taichu Holy Land, wherever Su Ye appeared, it often meant 'not a blade of grass would be left'.

"Oh, Junior Brother Ye, what a coincidence."

Su Ye shook a folding fan (which he had actually swiped from Pill Cauldron Peak, a Fire-Avoidance Fan) and greeted him with a face full of "surprise."

That look was as if he were strolling through his own back garden and happened to encounter the neighbor's idiot son.

"Junior Brother Ye, on such a hot day, why are you hiding here alone roasting by the fire?"

"Aren't you afraid of getting heatstroke?"

Ye Yan warily took two steps back, guarding the magma pool behind him, and said through gritted teeth:

"Su Ye, this is the Lava Cave, not your Purple Bamboo Peak!"

"I am here seeking an Opportunity; what does it have to do with you?"

Su Ye closed his folding fan, frowned slightly, and looked at him with a face full of grief and indignation:

"Junior Brother Ye, you're being too formal."

"As fellow Taichu Disciples, we are all brothers."

"From far away, I saw the flames reaching the sky here and was worried something happened to you, so I specifically brought two Junior Sisters over to rescue you."

"You actually doubt your Senior Brother's intentions?"

As he spoke, Su Ye turned to look at Lin Waner behind him:

"Waner, does Senior Brother look like a bad person?"

Lin Waner shook her head like a rattle, her eyes shining as she stared at the magma pool behind Ye Yan, and said sweetly:

"He doesn't!"

"Senior Brother is the greatest philanthropist in the whole world!"

"That Senior Brother in red looks so mean; he must be hiding some treasure and doesn't want anyone to see."

Ye Yan was trembling with rage.

A philanthropist?

Who in the entire Taichu Holy Land doesn't know that you, Su Ye, are a bandit in human skin!

"Su Ye, stop being so hypocritical here!"

The long sword in Ye Yan's hand unsheathed, the sword tip pointing straight at Su Ye, as he said sternly:

"I discovered this ten-thousand-year fire essence first!"

"If you want to snatch it, first ask if the 'crimson flame sword' in my hand agrees!"

Clang!

Sword Qi surged, and the heat waves were oppressive.

The Aura of the Golden Core Fifth Heaven erupted without reservation, making the surrounding rocks sizzle from the heat.

Facing this sharp sword momentum, Su Ye didn't even lift an eyelid.

He just sighed softly, put his hands behind his back, and took a step forward.

As this step landed,

Thump!

The entire Lava Cave seemed to tremble for a moment.

An indescribable and terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the scene.

Supreme Bone!

It was a kingly Aura that stood above all living beings. Even though Su Ye didn't use any spiritual power, just this Aura alone caused Ye Yan's sword momentum to instantly collapse.

"Since Junior Brother Ye is so stubborn, then Senior Brother can only give you a lesson."

Su Ye said earnestly:

"Junior Brother Ye, you only know that fire essence is precious, but you don't know that fire poison harms the body."

"Chinese medicine says: the heart belongs to fire, and the kidneys belong to water."

"If you keep company with intense fire like this day and night, the fire energy will be too strong, which will inevitably lead to the exhaustion of kidney water."

"This is what's called the failure of water and fire to help each other, an imbalance of Yin and Yang."

"In the long run..."

Su Ye paused, his gaze pityingly sweeping over Ye Yan's lower body, and lowered his voice:

"...you're going to wet the bed."

Pfft—

Lin Waner beside him couldn't hold it back and directly burst out laughing.

Even the ice-cold Lin Qianxue had a slight, beautiful curve at the corner of her mouth.

Ye Yan was completely stunned.

Wet... wet the bed?

What the Hell kind of 'wet the bed'!

I am a Cultivator! A Golden Core Great Cultivator!

I have long since achieved Fasting and am immune to heat and cold; how could I possibly wet the bed?!

"Su Ye! You've gone too far!!!"

Ye Yan felt a surge of blood rush to his head, filled with shame and indignation.

"Heaven-Burning Sword!"

Boom!

He could no longer endure this humiliation; the crimson flame sword in his hand whipped up a sky full of firelight, turning into a ferocious fire snake that bit toward Su Ye.

This strike was launched in anger and possessed astonishing power.

However,

Su Ye just looked at the approaching fire snake indifferently and slowly raised his right hand.

His long, fair fingers lightly clenched in the air.

"Heaven Swallowing."

Hum!

A pitch-black vortex appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The originally extremely violent fire snake, the moment it touched this black vortex, was like a clay ox entering the sea; it didn't even make a ripple before being swallowed completely clean.

"This... how is this possible?!"

Ye Yan's eyes were about to pop out.

That was his full-strength strike!

It was actually crushed by a single hand?

Before he could react, a ghost-like figure had already appeared in front of him.

Slap!

A powerful large hand directly pressed onto his shoulder.

"Junior Brother Ye, with such a big temper, it seems Senior Brother was right."

Su Ye's peerlessly handsome face was close at hand, his smile so bright it made one's heart turn cold.

"This illness of yours needs to be treated."

Boom!

Su Ye applied force with his palm, and a terrifying physical strength instantly erupted.

Ye Yan felt as if an immemorial divine mountain was pressing down on him, and his legs went weak.

Thud!

He knelt directly on the ground, his knees smashing two deep pits into the hard rock.

"Ah!!!"

Ye Yan let out a wretched scream, struggling desperately, only to find that the spirit energy within his body seemed to be imprisoned by some terrifying power, unable to be mobilized in the slightest.

"Waner, do it."

Su Ye commanded without even turning his head.

"Coming!"

Lin Waner cheered, like a little squirrel spotting a nut, and darted over with a 'whoosh'.

She first snatched the crimson flame sword that Ye Yan had dropped on the ground.

"High Grade Profound Rank spirit sword? It's passable, I'll take it!"

Next, that wicked little hand reached toward the Storage Pouch at Ye Yan's waist.

"No! That's my entire fortune!"

Ye Yan's eyes were nearly splitting as he roared.

"Quiet!"

Su Ye slapped him on the forehead, "Senior Brother is helping you practice 'Duan She Li'—the art of letting go."

"External possessions will only affect the speed at which you draw your sword."

Click.

The Storage Pouch was skillfully untied by Lin Waner and stuffed into her own bosom.

"Wow! Senior Brother, there are so many fire Spirit Stones in here!"

"And several bottles of Medicinal Pills!"

"Eh? What's this? 'Illustrated Guide to the Saintesses of the Hehuan Sect'? Senior Brother Ye, you're such a pervert!"

Lin Waner pulled an album from the Storage Pouch and tossed it aside with a face full of disgust.

Ye Yan's face instantly turned the color of pig liver, and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

That was... that was... that was confiscated from an Outer Sect Disciple!

"Light Snow, go and collect that fire essence."

Su Ye pointed toward the lava pool.

"Yes, Senior Brother."

Lin Qianxue moved with graceful steps, waving the ice sword in her hand.

An ice-blue Sword Qi slashed out, instantly freezing the surrounding lava.

She raised her fair hand, and that still-struggling ten-thousand-year fire essence was wrapped in a gentle spirit energy, obediently flying into her hand.

It was scalding to the touch.

But under the suppression of Lin Qianxue's Foundation Establishment Eighth Heaven Peak ice spirit energy, this bit of heat was nothing at all.

Seeing the fire essence he had dreamed of fall into the hands of others, Ye Yan's heart twisted like a knife, and tears almost began to flow.

"Su Ye... the Taichu Holy Land has rules, harming fellow Disciples is forbidden!"

"You stole my Opportunity and snatched my property, I'm going to the Law Enforcement Hall to report you!"

Ye Yan roared at the top of his lungs.

Hearing this, the smile on Su Ye's face gradually faded.

He slowly crouched down, his gaze level with Ye Yan's.

In those deep eyes, a palpitation-inducing eerie light flickered.

"Junior Brother Ye, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want."

"First, this fire essence is an ownerless object, and it belongs to the virtuous; my Junior Sister has god-given talent and just happens to need something to warm her hands, how can you call that stealing?"

"Second, this Storage Pouch is something you dropped on the ground yourself because you were too excited to see Senior Brother; Waner is merely keeping it for you, fearing you might lose it."

"Third..."

Su Ye reached out and gently patted Ye Yan's cheek.

"As for harming fellow Disciples..."

"Look at yourself now, don't you feel much cooler?"

Ye Yan was stunned.

He looked down.

Only then did he realize that under Lin Waner's "scavenging," the Daoist robe on his body had been stripped until only a pair of red 'Benmingnian' boxer shorts remained.

Even his boots and socks had not been spared!

A cool breeze blew past.

In this sweltering Lava Cave, he actually felt a hint of... ballsy sorrow.

"Ah!!!"

"Su Ye! I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill you!"

Ye Yan completely broke down.

How was this a Senior Brother?

This was clearly a devil! A robber! A bandit!

...Taichu Square.

A deathly silence.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at the images in the water mirror.

Looking at the Eldest Senior Brother of Blazing Sun Peak, who was wearing only red boxers and kneeling on the ground wailing.

“Pfft—”

Elder Chi Huo, who had just been resuscitated, spat out a mouthful of old blood three zhang high, looking as if he had been struck by lightning.

"You beast!"

"That was the High Grade Profound Rank dharma robe, the 'Flowing Fire Robe', that I prepared for my Disciple!"

"Those were the 'Cloud-Treading Boots' I begged everyone to get!"

"Stripped bare? All stripped bare?!"

"Su Ye! This old man is irreconcilable with your Purple Bamboo Peak!!!"

Elder Chi Huo was covered in flames, his hair standing on end; if he hadn't been held down firmly by the Law Enforcement Hall Elders, he would have rushed into the Secret Realm to fight for his life.

The other surrounding Elders also had their eyes twitching one by one, subconsciously clutching their own Storage Pouches tighter.

Too ruthless.

It was truly too ruthless.

Not only did he snatch the Opportunity, but he also wanted to destroy the person's spirit.

He even brought out the man's private 'Illustrated Guide' for a public execution.

This Su Ye was simply a mudslide in the cultivation world!

On the high platform.

Holy Master laughed without any image, her whole body slumped on the phoenix chair, playing with a Jade Slip in her hand as she said with great interest:

"Oh my, this kid really is after my own heart."

"Back in the day, this seat..."

"Cough cough!"

The nearby Yun Yuzhen coughed heavily, interrupting her Senior Sister's reminiscence of the glorious past.

At this time, Yun Yuzhen's exquisite face could no longer maintain its composure.

A rosy flush rose, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.

She also hadn't expected her Disciple to do such a thing.

Although Su Ye was usually quite a rascal, at least he put on a human appearance outside.

How today... "That... cough cough."

Yun Yuzhen braved Elder Chi Huo's murderous gaze and spoke up with a stiff face:

"Senior Brother Red Fire, calm down, calm down."

"It's just children playing around, it's inevitable they don't know the weight of their actions."

"Furthermore."

Yun Yuzhen's beautiful eyes flickered, suddenly remembering Su Ye's crooked reasoning from just now, and she immediately said seriously:

"My Disciple has a point."

"Nephew Ye Yan's temper is indeed too prosperous, which is a great taboo in cultivation."

"Su Ye is helping him dispel that fire, letting him return to nature and comprehend the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth."

"Look, after stripping away the shackles of external objects, doesn't Nephew Ye Yan seem more... authentic?"

Boom!

Hearing this, Elder Chi Huo's eyes rolled back, and he completely fainted from anger.

What the Hell is returning to nature!

What the Hell is comprehending the Great Dao!

You two from Purple Bamboo Peak, the Elder and the younger, are both devils!

...Inside the Lava Cave.

Su Ye stood up, in a great mood.

This wave not only snatched the treasure but also brushed up his sense of presence.

Although a bit of the Supreme Bone's energy was consumed, looking at that bulging Storage Pouch, it was all worth it.

"Alright, it's time for us to go."

Su Ye flicked his sleeves, not taking even a wisp of a cloud with him.

"Senior Brother, do we still want this sword?"

Lin Waner asked, holding the crimson flame sword.

"No, leave it for him."

Su Ye waved his hand generously, "After all, there are Yao Beasts around here; leave him a tool for self-defense, lest he actually dies and it becomes hard to explain to Revered Master."

Saying that, Su Ye flicked his finger.

Clang!

The crimson flame sword was stabbed directly into the rock wall ten zhang away from Ye Yan.

"Junior Brother Ye, comprehend well."

"When you stop wetting the bed, Senior Brother will come to see you again."

After speaking, Su Ye pulled the still-snickering Lin Qianxue into his arm and lifted Lin Waner by the back of her collar with his other hand.

"The wind is tight, let's bolt!"

Swish!

Three streaks of light soared into the sky, disappearing into the cave entrance in the blink of an eye.

Leaving only the interior of the Lava Cave.

Ye Yan, wearing only red boxers, knelt on the ground and roared toward the sky:

"Su Ye—!!!"

"I, Ye Yan, swear that if I do not avenge this in this life, I am not a man!!!"

The voice was shrill, echoing in the empty Lava Cave; those who heard it would grieve, and those who listened would weep.

However.

Su Ye, flying in the air, clearly did not take this oath to heart.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, where are we going next?"

Lin Waner asked excitedly while counting the Spirit Stones.

Su Ye identified the direction in the air, a wicked arc curling at the corner of his mouth.

"I heard... that sword lunatic from Divine Sword Peak found a 'sword nurturing grass' at the Narrow Sky?"

Lin Qianxue's eyes lit up, and the Flying Sword in her hand couldn't help but let out a buzz.

sword nurturing grass.

That was a treasure with a fatal attraction for Sword Cultivators.

"Senior Brother..."

She hesitated to speak, her cold eyes carrying a hint of desire.

Su Ye laughed loudly and reached out to rub her soft black hair:

"Since Junior Sister likes it, then it naturally belongs to our Purple Bamboo Peak."

"Let's go!"

"Let's go send some warmth to the Junior Brother of Divine Sword Peak!"

...Looking at those three bandit-like silhouettes in the water mirror, the smile on the face of the Head of Divine Sword Peak, 'Elder Juejian', who was still watching the show, instantly froze.

He abruptly stood up and roared at the water mirror:

"Su Ye! You dare!!!"

"That is what this old man gave my Disciple to nurture his Sword Intent!!!"

However.

No matter how he roared.

Those three streaks of light had already headed straight for the Narrow Sky with an indomitable Aura.

The "nightmare" of the Taichu Secret Realm had only just begun.