Zhang Xuanchen's Caution, Yan Ruyu's Obstruction

"Understood. You may leave."

Hearing the voice from within the Cave Mansion, the slightly plump middle-aged man did not dare hesitate in the slightest. He respectfully answered, "Yes," then quickly departed.

The moment he left, the stone doors of the Cave Mansion slowly opened.

Yan Ruyu, seated upon a meditation cushion and dressed in a purple gauze dress, appeared before Zhang Xuanchen.

She looked at Zhang Xuanchen, who stood in the doorway dressed as the Wandering Swordsman.

A faint smile appeared on her exquisitely beautiful face.

She had originally intended to leave five days ago.

But when she had prepared to depart, a heavenly omen in the dark had told her that leaving would bring her tremendous losses.

Thus, she had stayed.

The moment she saw Zhang Xuanchen, the clouds parted to reveal the sun, and everything became clear in an instant.

No wonder she could only receive a warning and could not divine anything further. The person who would bring her immense losses was Zhang Xuanchen!

She teasingly said, "So it is Young Master Chen himself. What brings you to your sister's place? Could it be that you missed me?"

How could Zhang Xuanchen fail to hear the teasing in Yan Ruyu's words?

But circumstances were stronger than people. Saying a few flattering words was no great matter.

He entered the Cave Mansion and laughed. "Hahaha, Sister Ruyu is ravishingly beautiful, a peerless beauty who puts the moon and flowers to shame, whose beauty could topple cities and kingdoms, unmatched beneath heaven. Little Brother's admiration for you is like the surging river, endless and unceasing. Of course I missed you."

"Hehe, is that so? Then how much did you miss me?"

"Very, very much!"

"Enough with the glib tongue. You brat would rather stay as far away from me as possible, yet you claim to miss me? Do you take me for a three-year-old child, so easily deceived?

"Tell me, what happened that made you take out the Token I gave you to seek me?"

Yan Ruyu did not believe a single stroke of what Zhang Xuanchen had said.

Back in Yunhua Immortal City, he had avoided her like a mouse avoiding a cat.

He had only been ten years old then.

Though young, he had been exceptionally intelligent, filled with all sorts of strange ideas. He had created many things and dishes that even she had never seen before.

After speaking with Zhang Hongzhan, she had wanted Zhang Xuanchen to help Bright Moon Restaurant add bricks and tiles, taking it to an even higher level.

Yet that brat had repeatedly refused her.

Every time, she had to forcibly drag Zhang Xuanchen to Horizon Restaurant before he would behave himself.

Only after several years of getting along did things improve somewhat.

In truth, Zhang Xuanchen could not be blamed for that.

After all, he only wished to be cautious.

After sensing that Yan Ruyu was far from simple, he had naturally wanted to keep his distance.

At present, having been exposed on the spot by Yan Ruyu, Zhang Xuanchen scratched his head awkwardly and gave an embarrassed laugh. "Haha, Sister Ruyu truly sees everything, with Fiery Golden Eyes. Little Brother admits defeat.

"I truly have encountered a thorny matter and need Sister Ruyu's help."

After speaking, he looked around and asked again, "Um, Sister Ruyu, have you activated a Soundproof Array?"

Hearing this, Yan Ruyu rolled her eyes. Just how afraid of death was he? He still had not forgotten to activate a Soundproof Array.

Besides, with her here, who would be so tired of living as to eavesdrop?

Speechless though she was, she still activated the soundproof formation.

She said irritably, "Now can you speak? I truly do not understand how the Zhang Family, a family of reckless brutes, produced someone as afraid of death as you."

Zhang Xuanchen chuckled. "As the saying goes, when one dies, the Dao vanishes, and all matters become empty. If one cannot even preserve one's life, how can one speak of protecting those one wishes to protect or seeking the Dao one wishes to seek?"

Yan Ruyu nodded again. "That is true enough."

"Sister Ruyu, I came this time because I wish to ask you to protect me from being searched by the major outside forces and escort me through the teleportation array to Worry-Free Island."

Worry-Free Island was the nearest island with a teleportation array to the location of the Sky Dragon Secret Realm.

It was home to the Zhou Family, a Golden Core family.

After all, a teleportation array was not something ordinary forces could afford to set up.

It was not merely a matter of spirit stones, but also of the incomparably precious Void Stone.

Once he reached Worry-Free Island, he could spend some spirit stones to buy a Second-Grade Upper-Class Flying Boat. With two days of nonstop flight, he could still reach it.

Upon hearing Zhang Xuanchen's words, Yan Ruyu's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Worry-Free Island? You have also heard of the Secret Realm that is about to open?

"You want to enter?"

Now it was Zhang Xuanchen's turn to be surprised.

He had learned of it through Immortal Fate Information, but how had Yan Ruyu learned of it?

Yet his expression did not change in the slightest. He nodded and said, "Yes, Sister Ruyu."

What he did not know was that when the Sky Dragon Secret Realm was about to open, it had happened to be discovered by a wandering Nascent Soul Ancestor of the Nine Splendor Sword Sect.

After investigating it, he confirmed that it was a Secret Realm on the verge of opening.

Moreover, its spiritual energy was dense and it emanated an ancient aura. It was very likely an Inheritance Secret Realm from ten thousand, or even tens of thousands, of years ago.

He immediately returned to his sect and gathered disciples to secretly head for the Secret Realm's location, intending to monopolize it.

But he was discovered by the Azure Abyss Profound Flood Dragon, lord of the East Sea Dragon Court, and a great battle broke out between the two forces.

The news spread from there.

Many forces had already set out for the Secret Realm's location.

Upon hearing Zhang Xuanchen's reply, Yan Ruyu sighed. "The news has already reached Black Dragon Immortal City? The Secret Realm's news spread so quickly!"

After sighing, she shook her head and stopped thinking about such pointless matters.

Looking at Zhang Xuanchen, she said, "Xuan Chen, I do not advise you to go to the Sky Dragon Secret Realm.

"I cannot say much, but this Secret Realm is far from simple. It is exceedingly dangerous, and the slightest misstep could mean death.

"Aren't you usually so cautious? Listen to your sister this time. Do not go to this Secret Realm."

With her strength, she naturally could not calculate matters on the level of the Sky Dragon Secret Realm.

The reason she knew was naturally because her master had told her, and had also warned her not to go.

The old man had divined that roughly eighty percent of the cultivators who entered the Secret Realm in the future would perish!

If even she could not go, would Zhang Xuanchen not be in even greater danger?

However, Zhang Xuanchen did not intend to give up this time.

He smiled and said, "Sister Ruyu, cultivators like us must contend with heaven, contend with earth, and contend with others. If we cower over every matter, then what Dao are we cultivating? What immortality are we pursuing?"

Yan Ruyu raised a brow. "Why are you suddenly so brave? That was not what you said just now."

"One thing is one thing, another is another. Besides, I do not think I will die."

At this moment, Zhang Xuanchen was almost certain that the danger Yan Ruyu spoke of was most likely the trap within the Central Dragon God Cave Mansion!

As long as he did not go there, the danger should not be great.

Although he knew in advance, he would not choose to reveal it.

He dared guarantee that if, when the Secret Realm opened, he told everyone not to go to the Central Dragon God Cave Mansion, they would definitely take him for a fool.

Or they might simply search his soul to see whether he knew something.

Therefore, only he himself could know of this matter.

Seeing the determination in Zhang Xuanchen's eyes, Yan Ruyu also gave up on trying to stop him. It was his own choice.

She said, "Forget it. If you want to go, then go. If it is a blessing, it is not a calamity; if it is a calamity, you cannot avoid it."

Then her tone shifted, and she leaned close to Zhang Xuanchen. "You want me to protect you from being searched. Could it be because you snatched that large chunk of Earth Core Fire Crystal from the major forces?"

"What do you mean, snatched? I got the Earth Core Fire Crystal first. They were the ones trying to rob me!"

Yan Ruyu was very clever. Zhang Xuanchen was not at all surprised that she had guessed the Earth Core Fire Crystal was in his possession.

Her status was very high, and there was a great chance she did not care for the Earth Core Fire Crystal.

Of course, perhaps he had guessed wrong. If that were truly the case, then he could only accept his loss.

He would hand over the Earth Core Fire Crystal to save his life.

No matter how precious that thing was, it was not as precious as the treasures within the Sky Dragon Secret Realm.

He would simply treat it as spending wealth to avert disaster.