At the summit of the Qing Shan, a zither plays a tune, and a thatched cottage stands.
As Xiao Yan reached the summit, all the hundred stone platforms below crumbled and disintegrated. Red lotuses bloomed, flames flickered, and in the pool, the water froze into ice, while the lotuses turned into fire. This proves that things in the world do not necessarily require crystal-clear water to be devoid of fish; in extremely cold water, naturally, no fish can survive.
At the top of the Qing Shan, there was only a platform several dozen feet long and wide. A thatched hut was on the side of the cliff, surrounded by scattered rocks and overgrown weeds. On a blue stone, there was an ancient zither painted with lotus flowers, but no one was there.
After regaining his footing, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and felt the surging power within his body. A look of relief appeared on his face. It was fortunate that Ye Honglian had held back; otherwise, if he had really been tainted by the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, Xiao Yan would not have had the chance to stand here, let alone take the opportunity to break through his cultivation.
"You actually devoured my Red Lotus Karmic Fire!"
Just then, a slightly angry female voice suddenly rang out. On the deserted platform, the guzheng was fluctuated by an invisible force. Instantly, a terrifying aura and pressure spread out, and Xiao Yan's body knelt down in an instant.
Afterwards, Li Bingrui also quickly climbed to the top of the mountain, but she was not intimidated by the oppressive aura. With a cold expression, she first glanced at Xiao Yan kneeling on the ground, and then frowned as she looked at the thatched hut in front of her, and quickly bowed.
"Master, this fellow is not only despicable and utterly shameless, but he also forcibly absorbed your Heavenly Flames into his body to enhance his cultivation and break through the shackles of the stone steps. In my opinion, it would be better to throw him down the mountain and never let him set foot in the Fire Maple Forest again!"
"This junior is very grateful for your kindness, senior. Without your permission, my cultivation would not have been able to advance any further."
The two spoke in unison, but Xiao Yan's words caused Li Bingrui to frown, her icy gaze instantly falling on him as Xiao Yan said:
"Who gave permission? It was clearly you, shameless as you, who forcibly absorbed the teacher's flames into your body!"
"Um."
With a soft hum, the oppressive aura that had been descending on Xiao Yan's head instantly dissipated. At the same time, a beautiful woman dressed in a fiery red robe appeared on the platform. She was sitting cross-legged in front of the guzheng, her fair and slender hands gently caressing the strings. As her fingertips plucked the strings, beautiful music rang out.
When Xiao Yan looked up, the scene before him was truly stunning.
The woman's long, fiery red hair was captivating. As it flowed in the wind, strands clung to her cheeks, enhancing her allure. Bathed in sunlight, her face appeared exceptionally exquisite, as white and smooth as milk. Her eyes, like jewels, shone with a wise light; a single glance seemed to draw one in. Her pert nose was charmingly delicate, and her fiery red lips were lusciously tempting. As her curves extended and the line of sight broadened, her exquisite figure came into full view. Undeniably, she was a true beauty of unparalleled grace...
"He's definitely different from those two old geezers."
Immediately, Xiao Yan's eyes darted around, and he immediately thought of Gu You and Hai Mochen. Both were Heavenly Flames, and both were left behind by the Tou She Ancient God. The difference between Ye Honglian and the two of them was really huge. If those two old men were to transform into women, what would they look like... Xiao Yan really couldn't imagine it.
"Buzz!"
However, immediately afterward, while Xiao Yan was distracted, Ye Honglian's slender fingertips lightly plucked the strings of her zither, and an invisible wave instantly swept out, blasting Xiao Yan away as he looked up. Fortunately, Xiao Yan regained his senses in time and managed to stand up and stabilize himself just before falling off the cliff, thanks to his Heavenly Severing Steps.
"If you dare to do it again, I'll send you away from here."
"I know I was wrong!"
As soon as Ye Honglian finished speaking, Xiao Yan immediately bowed respectfully and apologized. Li Bingrui, standing to the side, couldn't wait for Ye Honglian to simply drive Xiao Yan away. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan, filled with disgust. Ye Honglian, however, ignored her and continued playing her zither, seemingly unconcerned about Xiao Yan's purpose in coming.
" Bing'er, the pond is frozen over. Don't you want to go and take a look?"
After a long while, when Li Bingrui had grown impatient, Ye Honglian finally spoke again. Upon hearing this, the latter's expression changed instantly, as if she had thought of something. But after glancing at Xiao Yan beside her and hesitating slightly, she respectfully bowed to Ye Honglian and then descended the mountain on her own.
Time passed slowly, and Ye Honglian remained silent. Xiao Yan also remained motionless. On the mountaintop, only the sound of the zither could be heard, until a certain moment...
As the music ended, Ye Honglian steadied the strings, raised her alluring eyes, and looked at Xiao Yan before her. The latter remained in a respectful bowing posture, his forehead covered in sweat. Only when Ye Honglian's gaze fell upon him did he slightly raise his body.
Do you know why I ignored you before?
"The senior is testing the junior's resolve and character; the junior will do his utmost to complete the task."
While speaking respectfully, Xiao Yan inwardly scoffed. If she didn't say anything, who would know her true intentions?
"There's no need for empty flattery. I know what you're thinking, but it's none of my business, and I don't care. As long as you don't say it, it doesn't matter. I only Bing'er as my disciple. If I don't get rid of her, you can forget about getting close to me, let alone obtaining the Red Lotus Karmic Fire. Now that Bing'er has left for the time being, let's talk about your matter."
"Please speak, junior!"
As soon as Ye Honglian finished speaking, Xiao Yan hurriedly bowed respectfully. After his previous actions, he dared not look at the woman in front of him easily anymore. The saying "beauty is a curse" was absolutely true.
"Since those two old fogies Gu You and Hai Mochen, have both chosen you, I can't say much more. I can give you the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, but before that, you must agree to one request. If you can't do it, then..."
"If you ask me to do something, I will do my best to fulfill it!"
This time, before the former had even finished speaking, Xiao Yan expressed his determination with a firm expression, looking quite righteous and awe-inspiring.
Seeing this, Ye Honglian smiled somewhat playfully and teased:
"Then... you should marry Bing'er and treat her well for the rest of your life."
"Uh... this... this... senior, I..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression froze instantly. Wasn't Ye Honglian pushing him into a fire pit? Putting aside Li Bingrui's opinion of him, he probably wouldn't be able to explain himself to Luo Jin either. If he really agreed to Ye Honglian's request, wouldn't he be torn apart by that guy Luo Jin?
"That's it then, let's Lightning Punishment Oath..."
Ye Honglian spoke with a captivating smile, looking at Xiao Yan's stunned expression, clearly still not recovered from the shock just now.
"I Lightning Punishment Oath: from this day forward, I will let Bing'er stay with you. You may not marry her, but you must protect her. If anything happens to her..."
"If anything happens to her, I'm willing to be punished by lightning and die!"
As Ye Honglian finished speaking, Xiao Yan also spoke, his expression resolute. Soon after, thunderclouds gathered in the sky, and the Lightning Punishment Oath was thus formed.