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He smiled politely and said, "Tianshu Palace thanks you all for saving Miss Wen and bringing her here. You must already know about the Red Lotus Karmic Fire below. If you are heading for it, you must be careful. The Red Lotus Karmic Fire has developed sentience and possesses its own likes and dislikes. Getting too close might set it off."

Ning Yuzhou showed a look of surprise.

Of all the rare treasures in this world, the rarest are those that develop sentience. They’re incredibly rare, born of great fortune. This just proves how extraordinary the Undead Sea is—not only due to the undead creatures guarding it like a barrier but also the peculiarities of this island, all of which highlight the uniqueness of the Undead Sea.

However, Leng Zuo's willingness to share this information showed his sincerity.

Leng Zuo kept smiling, his tone earnest, "Miss Wen is very important to us. Tianshu Palace won’t forget what you did for her."

"‘Really important?’ Wen Qiao cut in. "Important to the Red Forest Continent, or just to your Young Master Leng?"

Leng Zuo's smile faltered slightly, stunned by her blunt question.

After a pause, he pulled himself together and said seriously, "She is extremely important to the Red Forest Continent. But to our Young Master, she is also important."

Wen Qiao stared at him.

Her gaze was piercingly clear, and under such a gaze, it made you feel laid bare, as if the most shameful secrets in their heart were laid bare, leaving no room for concealment—even inducing self-reproach.

Leng Zuo lowered his eyes uncomfortably.

At this moment, Shi Wuming stepped forward and threw an arm around his shoulders like they were buddies. "Come on, Brother Leng Zuo, tell us about the story between Tianshu Palace and Miss Wen. We're quite curious."

Leng Zuo: "..." He had only come to thank them for their help, not to tell stories.

And who was this person? They’d barely even met.

Not far away, Leng You was just as dumbfounded.

Though Leng Zuo appeared friendly and approachable, he never let his guard down easily and certainly wouldn’t casually put an arm around an unfamiliar cultivator. This guy had some nerve. Yet now, as he was dragged over by this inexplicable man, he didn’t even seem to mind.

Leng You tensed up and approached Leng Yi, whispering, "Young Master, Leng Zuo, he..."

"Leave him be." Leng Yi's voice was hoarse. He sat amidst the gray mist, his icy gaze fixed on the person in his arms. "At this point, there’s nothing left to hide."

Leng You hesitated, then glanced at Wen Yi, who barely breathed, looking corpse-pale. In the end, he said nothing.

——

Leng Zuo was forcibly pulled away by Shi Wuming, then watched helplessly as the latter cast silencing and confusion spells around them. Soon, a group of people stared at him with burning intensity.

Goosebumps prickled his neck.

Shi Wuming kept pushing, "Brother Leng, speak up. There are no outsiders now."

Leng Zuo: "Speak... about what?"

"Why’d you come to the Netherworld? How do you plan to save the Red Forest Continent? And after that? You planning to go back?"

Leng Zuo was startled but quickly steadied himself. "Did Miss Wen tell you this?"

Shi Wuming grinned. "Of course. After all, we did save her life. Though she was grateful, she kept things vague. It was only after our little sister Qiao badgering her that she finally spilled the truth."

Leng Zuo: "..."

He glanced at the only female cultivator present. She looked aloof, as if she couldn’t be bothered with trivial matters. He had no idea how she’d gotten Wen Yi to spill. Though he wasn’t particularly close to Wen Yi, given that Tianshu Palace and the Wen family had been allies for generations, they had met often enough for him to understand her character.

Wen Yi wasn’t one to blab secrets.

"Was Wen Yi, sensing her impending death, revealing this to them because she found this group special?"

Leng Zuo’s thoughts raced chaotically. He dragged his feet a bit longer, and when he noticed no one had been sent over from the young master's side, he finally understood his intention. He stopped holding back and spoke directly, "Do any of you know how the red rain in the Scarlet Rock Forest formed?"

Everyone present shook their heads, including Wu Xiongan and the other cultivators from the Scarlet Rock Forest, who were equally unaware.

"Truthfully, I don’t know for sure either. According to the records of Tianshu Palace, it can be traced back to the ancient Three Realms War—a lingering remnant from that era. To address it, the dragon clan sacrificed themselves, using their lives to cast the Dragon’s Prison, trapping the red rain within the Scarlet Rock Forest..."

Wu Xiongan blurted out, "Was the one who cast the Dragon’s Prison the Fallen Dragon in the Red Bone River?"

"It should be it," Leng Zuo confirmed.

"What happened after that?" Wu Jingping and the others pressed eagerly, hanging on every word.

This was related to the land where they had grown and cultivated. No cultivator would willingly watch it be destroyed.

Leng Zuo said, "Later, the dragon perished in the Red Bone River, becoming the Fallen Dragon. The Fallen Dragon’s mind was gone, driven purely by instinct. The dragon clan’s pride refused to let it degrade into such a corrupted state, so every time it surfaced, it would uncontrollably attack the prison set by the dragons, seeking to break free... The only solution is to lure it into the Netherworld, using the power of the Netherworld to awaken its consciousness."

Wu Xiongan and Wu Jingping, along with the other two, suddenly understood—this was why they had opened the path to the Netherworld.

However, Wen Qiao and the others, who knew more of the truth, could tell Leng Zuo was holding something back. The situation was likely not so simple.

"What else?" Wen Tuti couldn’t help but ask. "After the Fallen Dragon regains consciousness, what then?"

Leng Zuo replied, "We want to end the red rain and restore the Scarlet Rock Continent to normal. Only the Fallen Dragon can help us with this. Once it regains consciousness, it will remember the events of the past and take action."

Wu Xiongan and the rest nodded, their expressions softening toward Tianshu Palace.

Even if they’d been unlucky to get pulled into the Netherworld, if the Scarlet Rock Continent could be restored, this trip would’ve been worth it.