Yaohua sighed silently. The Heavenly Demons were cruel and violent. It was likely that most of her colleagues would not survive.
Chongming conjured his long sword again. The sword was filled with powerful spiritual energy. Just getting close to it, Yaohua felt her mind become much clearer.
Immortal Official Yi led the way in front. "Your Highness, they are imprisoned in this arena..."
Before she could finish her sentence, everything around them seemed to turn into a mirage. The magnificent Heavenly Demon Mansion gradually disappeared, replaced by the bare Misty Peak.
The light in Immortal Official Yi's eyes instantly dimmed. She took a few steps forward in disbelief, waving her arms in an attempt to find traces of the Heavenly Demon Mansion.
"How could this be?"
Yaohua was also a bit surprised. "Master, what's going on?"
Chongming raised his finger and made a hand - gesture. His expression was complex. "It's an illusion."
"An illusion..." Immortal Official Yi murmured. "Could it be that all this is just a hallucination?"
"The illusion is the Heavenly Demons' mansion projected in the Divine Continent. Now, the people in the Heavenly Demon Mansion must have been teleported back to the Heavenly Demon Clan."
For a moment, all three of them were in a low mood.
Yaohua cheered herself up. "Zhao Wu built this illusory place on Misty Peak. Other Heavenly Demons may do the same. Master, we need to report this to the Divine Lord as soon as possible."
Chongming nodded slightly. "The Karma Fire is coming. Let's leave this place first."
As he reached out his hand, he suddenly remembered that Yaohua was no longer the little girl she was seven years ago. She was at an age where they should avoid suspicion, and this action was inappropriate. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, Yaohua had already grabbed it.
"Yaohua..." Chongming was about to say that it was against propriety, but Yaohua let go.
Although he felt relieved, there was a slight sense of loss in his heart.
But at this moment, Yaohua threw herself into his arms and wrapped her hands around his waist.
"Master, I missed you so much."
She buried her face in her master's arms and took a deep breath.
Master smelled so good. His waist was so slender. He was so huggable!
Chongming's pupils dilated in shock, and his mind went blank. He stiffened his body and awkwardly raised his hand, hesitatingly patting Yaohua on the back.
Just as Yaohua was about to rub her cheek, her master's helpless voice came.
"Yaoyao, you've come of age. You can't hug men like this anymore."
Yaohua looked up blankly. "Not even Master?"
The young girl looked at him against the light, her eyes shining like the stars and the moon. For a moment, Chongming was speechless.
Yaohua was still waiting for her master's answer when suddenly she felt something moving in her master's embrace.
She took a small step back.
"Cheep! Cheep!"
Yaohua's eyes widened suddenly as she locked eyes with the little yellow chicken in her master's arms. The little chicken's black - bean - like eyes were first filled with confusion, then gradually cleared up. "Cheep! Cheep!"
"Master!" Yaohua pouted, a hint of grievance welling up in her heart. "You've taken another disciple?"
Just thinking about how she had been practicing diligently in the Ancestral Tomb for the past seven years without any slack, while her master had taken a new disciple, she felt so sad that she almost cried.
The little yellow chicken stretched out its wings, trying its best to touch Yaohua. It was so small that its wings were short. It almost fell while trying to reach Yaohua.
Chongming raised his hand and stuffed it into his sleeve. Before he could explain, he saw Yaohua's expression change.
"I remember! Isn't it the egg from Cangyan Mountain!"
A hint of a smile flashed across Chongming's eyes. "That's right."
"Master!" Yaohua stamped her foot. "You actually took it as your disciple!"
This was just too childish!
Chongming rubbed his forehead. He really shouldn't have had too high expectations for the little phoenix.
"I haven't taken any disciples." As he said this, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest. He covered his lips and coughed lightly. A smell of blood filled his nostrils.
"Master, you're bleeding!"
His hand was wet. Chongming lowered his eyes and found that the blood was flowing from his nose and mouth.
"It's nothing." He wiped the blood with a silk handkerchief. His face was extremely pale. "Let's leave this place first."
Yaohua nodded with a heavy heart, only to see her master walking in the direction of the blood.
Before he had taken a few steps, his figure swayed slightly.
Yaohua quickly supported him. "Master, are you injured?"
She carefully recalled the scene when her master fought Zhao Wu, but she couldn't find any clues.
Could it be that her master was seriously injured before he came here?
A white light landed on the ground. Yaohua took a closer look and was a bit surprised. "Rong Chu? Are you here to look for Master?"
Rong Chu looked haggard, as if he hadn't rested for days and nights. He bowed wearily to Yaohua and looked at Chongming with concern.
"Your Highness, you're bleeding again!"
"Is there a problem with the barrier again?"
Rong Chu said with a difficult tone. "Your Highness, why don't we just leave it alone?"
Chongming closed his eyes and didn't say a word. The light on his body was flowing, as if he was repairing his injuries.
Yaohua dragged Rong Chu to the side.
"Rong Chu, what's the barrier that Master mentioned?"
Her intuition told her that her master's injury must be related to that barrier.
Rong Chu hesitated, glanced back, and sighed. "It's the barrier in the underworld. The Karma Fire was originally sealed in one place by an ancient barrier, but for some reason, it suddenly broke. Your Highness is seriously injured because he's trying to repair the barrier."
Yaohua's heart sank. Her master was kind - hearted and cared about all sentient beings in the three realms. He definitely wouldn't sit idly by. No wonder he was bleeding just now.
"After the Karma Fire descended, there were complaints everywhere in the Divine Continent, and the power of faith gradually decreased. In order to block the Karma Fire, Your Highness has already consumed a lot of spiritual energy. Even so, he can only control the Karma Fire to appear at night. Now, Your Highness is using his own heart's blood to repair the barrier..." Rong Chu didn't say the rest of the words.
Even for a god, the heart's blood was limited. If the barrier couldn't be repaired in time, even if her master was an ancient god, he would die because of the exhaustion of his heart's blood.
Yaohua and Rong Chu looked at each other, their expressions as if they had lost their parents.
"Your Highness?"
The sudden voice behind them made both of them turn around.
They saw Chongming with his eyes closed, leaning crookedly against a rock. It was unclear whether he was sleeping or unconscious.
"Your Highness suddenly slumped down." Immortal Official Yi whispered.
Yaohua felt a sharp pain in her heart. Her master had always been upright and proper for years. How could he allow himself to show such weakness in front of others.
The atmosphere suddenly became dull.
It wasn't until Chongming sat up, holding his head.
Three pairs of eyes looked at him in unison. Chongming was quite surprised. "Why are you all looking at me like this?"
"Master, I know everything." Yaohua held his hand and shed sad tears. "Are you still going to repair the underworld barrier? I'm much more powerful now. I want to go with you."
It was okay that her master was kind - hearted and didn't want to give up. She could accompany him.
"Your Highness... would you allow me to treat you?" Immortal Official Yi clenched the corner of her clothes nervously.
Chongming was a bit surprised but still nodded. "Then I'll trouble you."
A moment later, Immortal Official Yi swallowed hard, her eyes wandering. "Your Highness is overworked and has a cold poison in your body. You've also lost a lot of heart's blood... It's best not to fight anymore in the future."