Conflict

"Smart." Jiede nodded.

Huo Wu clutched at this like a lifeline. "Then can you help me figure out a way to let my second Soul Ring absorb a thousand-year one too?"

Jiede did not state his position immediately, weighing the pros and cons inwardly.

Little did he know, Huo Wu caught that momentary hesitation.

She stared fixedly into Jiede's eyes.

"You hesitated. I knew you could do it, right?"

Huo Wushuang and Feng Xiaotian were also staring at Jiede, waiting for an affirmative answer.

Seeing the situation grow increasingly complicated, Lu Cheng's heart tightened. Could Junior Brother be captured by the people behind them and turned into a tool?

Although Jiede had never told him that he could refine pills for Root Consolidation, Origin Nourishment, Lu Cheng knew that with his junior brother's abilities, he could absolutely do it.

With that in mind, he silently shifted his steps and came to stand beside Huo Wu.

"You must swear an oath about what happened today!"

A flicker of struggle flashed through Jiede's eyes before he made a bold decision and looked at the three of them.

"You can really do it?" The three widened their eyes.

Huo Wu hurriedly replied, "No problem. We swear."

"Not just you three. Everyone present must swear!"

Huo Wu glanced at Lu Cheng beside her, wondering if Jiede had even kept it from his senior brother.

Then Huo Wushuang helplessly called out toward the distance.

"Uncle Feng, Uncle Huo, come over for a moment."

Huo Yan and Feng Wuhen lightly took a step, appearing before everyone in the next instant.

Huo Wu looked at the two of them, her eyes widening in surprise. "Didn't we sneak out? How were we discovered?"

She eyed Feng Xiaotian suspiciously.

"Feng Xiaotian, was it you who tipped them off?"

Feng Xiaotian looked utterly innocent and hastily waved his hands.

"I thought you called me because you wanted to go on a date with me.

Who knew you'd also bring your brother along and plan to secretly hunt Soul Beasts.

It all happened so suddenly that I didn't even have time to report you."

"Huo Wu, with those little schemes of yours, who wouldn't see through them?" Huo Yan chuckled.

"You're annoying!" Huo Wu snorted.

Huo Yan turned to look at Jiede, his gaze turning several degrees colder.

Six Soul Rings in the optimal configuration suddenly emerged around him—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black—pulsing up and down as the pressure of a Soul Emperor burst forth and enveloped Jiede.

"I don't like swearing oaths. Tell me everything you know, honestly."

This intense sense of oppression could not help but remind Jiede of that scene with Tang Hao last time.

Jiede smiled without warmth.

"I hate being threatened more than anything."

"Do you really think we wouldn't dare lay a hand on you?" Huo Yan raged.

"Uncle Huo, don't you always teach us to win people over with virtue and compete openly and fairly? How can you force someone like this?"

Huo Wu looked at Huo Yan in disbelief, as if she were seeing him anew.

Huo Yan nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Why was she taking the outsider's side?

"He swindled you out of so much money, and you're still speaking up for him?" Huo Yan berated her furiously.

"Senior, that's not right. It was a willing transaction on both sides, and besides, you already know the secret of the thousand-year second Soul Ring. How can you call it a scam?" Jiede said righteously.

"You're teaching me how to do things now?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are? If you can't speak properly, crawl back into your mother's womb and be reborn! Fuck!"

Jiede flew into a rage, immediately pulling out a bundle of explosives and holding a firestarter to its fuse.

"Kid, you're courting death!!"

Huo Yan reached out to grab Jiede by the neck, but Jiede made a snap decision and immediately lit the fuse.

The smell of gunpowder rushed toward him, and Huo Yan's heart jolted with alarm. It was the fear of facing death head-on.

"What is that thing?"

The fuse continued to sizzle and burn, but Jiede calmly pointed to the large pit beside them.

"See that pit over there? That's what it did. Once the fuse burns out, it'll explode, and every one of us will die!"

At those words, a chill rose up Huo Yan's spine.

"He's insane. He really intends to take us all down with him!"

Feng Wuhen reacted instantly, possessed his martial soul, and grabbed Feng Xiaotian's arm, preparing to forcibly flee the scene.

A voice suddenly exploded across the clearing.

"Do you think I don't exist?"

Lu Cheng stood behind Huo Wu, his hands gripping her shoulders tightly. Two black mantis blades extended from his wrists and rested against her fair neck.

Huo Wu felt an icy chill spread through her body and could not stop herself from shivering.

Jiede hastily used soul power to extinguish the fuse, then raised a thumb. "Well done, Senior Brother."

"Let go of Sister Huo Wu!"

Feng Xiaotian slapped away Feng Wuhen's arm. The Gale Twin-Headed Wolf instantly possessed him as he glared furiously at Lu Cheng.

Wind-attributed soul power stirred up a fierce gust, sending dust flying.

Feng Wuhen froze for a moment before cursing under his breath, "Fuck! Pigs, all of you are idiots!"

"Let her go!"

"Let go of my sister!"

Huo Yan and Huo Wushuang spoke in unison.

"Can we talk properly now?" Lu Cheng still wore a kindly smile.

Huo Yan looked at Jiede and said coldly, "What exactly do you want?"

Jiede was so angry that he laughed.

"What do you mean, what do I want?

You were the ones who asked about my secret!

You were the ones who threatened me!

I should be asking what you mean!

What exactly do you want?"

Huo Yan was speechless.

"Don't act like you're the victim. Those three have been led around by the nose by you this whole time. You're no good either."

Feng Wuhen spoke from the side with an unfriendly expression. He had originally intended to take Feng Xiaotian away alone and make further plans afterward.

He did not believe Jiede truly intended to die together with them.

But he had not expected Feng Xiaotian to be so disappointing, thinking about nothing but his Sister Huo Wu all day long!

Now, he could only stand or fall together with the Huo Clan.

"Heh." Jiede sneered without speaking.

The atmosphere remained locked in a stalemate.

Just then, a little bear cub rushed in from the side, rolled around in front of everyone, then ran off to eat honey from the flowers nearby.

"Where did this beast come from? Die!"

Huo Yan roared and was about to strike.

"It's a Soul Beast I raised. Try touching it!"

Jiede barked coldly, bringing the firestarter close to the last half of the fuse on the bundle of explosives.

Huo Yan pointed at Jiede's nose. "You!"

Faced with Jiede's insane behavior, he had no way to deal with him. He was confident that he could escape before the explosion.

But Huo Wu and the others could not. Besides, Huo Wu was still a hostage. He could not take that risk and could only swallow all his fury.

Huo Wushuang swept his gaze across the tense scene, sighed, and stepped forward to mediate.

"This was Uncle Huo's fault. I apologize to you on his behalf!"

"Mm, Brother Wushuang is the sensible one who understands reason."

Jiede paused. "Unlike certain adults, who only know how to bully children."

"Kid, just you wait. You'd better not fall into my hands." Huo Yan's face turned livid with rage.

"Since things have come to this, let my sister go first. I guarantee that we will not pursue this matter any further."

With things having escalated to this point, Huo Wushuang no longer had any intention of probing into Jiede's secrets.

"No, Brother! I want a thousand-year second Soul Ring!"

Huo Wu kept her neck stiff and shouted stubbornly.

Huo Wushuang looked at Jiede. "Brother, is there still room to discuss this?"

Jiede did not answer him. Instead, he swept his gaze over everyone before finally settling it on Huo Yan.

"Do you really want to abduct me and make me a tool for your clan?"

"No. Right now, I only want to slap you to death." Huo Yan snorted.

"Even if I agreed to join your Huo Clan or Feng Clan, you couldn't afford to keep me."

"What do you mean by that? Who are you looking down on?" Huo Yan nearly crushed his fist.