As the old man's gaze fell upon Xiao Yan, the latter was also staring intently at the person before him. The Heavenly Flames burning within his body seemed to be about to burst out. This unusual movement made Xiao Yan immediately realize that the red-faced old man before him was none other than the original form of the Heavenly Flames within Huo Xing and Huo Xin — the Volcanic Stone Flame!
"Young friend, their survival this time is all thanks to you!"
The old man withdrew his gaze from Xiao Yan, then smiled gently at him. Xiao Yan, naturally, dared not be careless, and with a modest smile, quickly said respectfully:
"You're too kind, senior. With your abilities, they would have been unharmed even without my intervention."
"Hehe, young friend, you're quite modest."
The old man smiled faintly, turned around to clear a path, waved his hand, and Xiao Yan quickly followed.
"Now that you've come here, you should recognize my true form..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded slightly, and the old man continued:
"In that case, we need not beat around the bush. I, Huo Qing, am the guardian of these two little ones. You have seen this ruin; it is devoid of life. Now, Huo Xing and Xiao Xin are the last embers of the Fire Banyan Clan."
Xiao Yan glanced around and confirmed that this place was indeed the interior of the Fire Banyan Ruins, just as he had guessed!
Led by Huo Qing, the group of four quickly arrived at the depths of the ruins.
"This is... Stone Rock Valley?"
Looking at the somewhat eerie and enormous valley before him, Xiao Yan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. He immediately thought of the so-called Stone Rock Valley map from the auction. Seeing this, Huo Qing, who was standing to the side, opened his mouth slightly and then sighed softly.
Before Xiao Yan lay a precipitous valley, shrouded in a thick, misty darkness that obscured its interior. A desolate atmosphere and a faint stench of blood filled the air. Many damaged buildings still stood amidst the valley, and the scars of war were clearly visible on the mountain walls. Everywhere he looked, there were broken skeletons. Even before he had set foot there, an astonishingly chilling aura seemed to be descending upon the four of them like a ghost from the underworld.
"Buzz..."
Then, amidst a strange tremor, a gust of cold wind dissipated. Huo Qing lightly tapped his cane, and a faint circle of light shot forward from beneath his feet, gradually revealing a bright path in the depths of the dark valley.
Let's go.
Huo Qing said in a calm tone, and only then did Xiao Yan, who was standing next to him, notice that the old man's cane was actually a complete Fire Banyan Branch!
Shocked, Xiao Yan didn't hesitate and quickly followed. At the same time, Huo Qing slowly spoke, saying:
"Back then, the Fire Banyan Clan carved out this space from beneath the earth's magma. Since then, I have lived here as a guest elder of the Fire Banyan Clan. But I never imagined that in the great war that followed, things would turn out like this. The clan was wiped out, the Fire Banyan Branch were plundered, and the ruins and remnants of the war were treated as coveted treasures by outsiders. It's truly tragic..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel ashamed. Not only were the people on the Flowing Fire Plain as he was, but he himself had also come here for the Fire Banyan Ruins.
The old man seemed to have anticipated Xiao Yan's thoughts, and smiled gently, saying:
"It's alright. This place is just ruins now, nothing more. What valuable treasures could it possibly contain..."
As the conversation deepened, Huo Qing suddenly paused slightly, even halting his steps for a moment. His gaze returned, lingering briefly on the mountain where Huo Rong and her brother stood. Then, he lifted his foot and slowly said:
"But this Stone Rock Valley... I never expected it to happen at this time of year."
Huo Qing sighed somewhat helplessly. From his words, Xiao Yan learned that for many years, Huo Rong and her brother had been living a precarious existence in the Stone Rock Valley within the Fire Banyan Ruins under Huo Qing's protection. With the black mist acting as a barrier, even ordinary Yuan Zun dared not enter, so they were relatively safe. However, many years ago, by chance, an Yuan Zun expert broke into the Stone Rock Valley and, through a few strokes of luck, stole the map of the place.
Now that the map has been leaked, various forces have gathered in the Flowing Fire Plain, ready to make their move. Stone Rock Valley will no longer be their refuge. However, before that happens, the Huo Rong siblings still have one matter to resolve.
As the group walked out of the path, a massive stone Xiao Yan came into view deep within the Stone Rock Valley.
Half of the stone cave was occupied by a huge Fire Banyan Tree, its roots intertwined and covering the entire cave. However, this Fire Banyan Tree had long since lost its vitality, with broken branches scattered everywhere and large traces of burning on it. Even the part of its trunk that met the ground at the bottom had been forcibly dug out by external forces!
"This is..."
" The Fire Banyan Spirit Tree, also known as the Fire Banyan Locust Tree, is the foundation of the entire Fire Banyan Clan and the lifeblood of the entire clan."
Huo Qing spoke with a hint of sadness on his old face, his deep eyes seeming to be recalling something. Beside him, Huo Xing and Huo Xin looked respectful. Although the divine tree was dead, their admiration for it had never been extinguished.
Then, Huo Qing, having regained his composure, suddenly reverted to his previous stern demeanor, punishing Huo Rong and her brother to sit cross-legged under the tree and meditate. He and Xiao Yan then walked to the edge of the stone cave, where they sat on a hanging tree root. The old man's ruddy face finally showed a hint of reluctance as he looked at the brother and sister sitting cross-legged under the tree in the distance. Xiao Yan, standing beside him, also vaguely sensed something.
"Young friend Xiao Yan, I have a matter I wish to entrust to you."
Suddenly, Huo Qing turned to Xiao Yan, and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Yan was startled and quickly jumped off the ground, bowed, clasped his hands, and said:
"Senior's kindness is too much for this junior to bear. I am deeply grateful for your help this time. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask, and Xiao Yan will do his utmost!"
Huo Qing took a deep breath, then sighed softly, and said again:
"I understand. The only reason you were able to save them on the plains was because of the Volcanic Stone Flame within their bodies..."
Xiao Yan opened his mouth slightly, but had no words to refute it. The former didn't seem to care and just continued to speak.
"Regardless of your reasons, you ultimately saved them. This debt of gratitude is owed to you by me and the Fire Banyan Clan."
Before Xiao Yan could even speak, Huo Qing extended his staff and lightly tapped the air in front of him. With a thought, an invisible ripple rapidly spread outwards, and after several breaths...
On the Flowing Fire Plain, beneath countless Fire Banyan Tree, each Fire Banyan Branch seemed to be summoned, and with a tremor, it disappeared into the depths of the magma.
Finally, a small mountain made of Fire Banyan Branch appeared before Xiao Yan.