Ye Feng's movements were quite swift, and before long, he arrived at the room he had booked in Tingfangyuan.
"Xiao Xiao, what's wrong?"
As soon as Ye Feng entered, he saw a bloodstain on Xiao Xiao's forehead. Qiao Ying was bandaging Xiao Xiao's arm, and there was bloody cotton and swabs on the table nearby.
"Big Brother, today when Sister Qiao Ying and I went out, we were ambushed. The opponent was very strong... I got a little injured... In the end, Sister Qiao Ying chased them away!"
Xiao Xiao turned her head and quickly explained to Ye Feng.
"Ye Feng, the opponent was a Diamond-level expert, and their target was clearly Xiao Xiao... However, it didn't seem like they were prepared in advance, but rather decided on the spur of the moment!"
"In a moment of desperation, I used the Angel's Blade!"
"That person also had no intention of lingering in a fight. After a few exchanges, they quickly retreated, perhaps because it was broad daylight and they had reservations!"
After Qiao Ying finished bandaging Xiao Xiao's arm, she turned and spoke to Ye Feng.
"This... could it be Hua Xin, one of the Five Great Arcanists of Oufa mentioned by Jiang Shishan?"
Ye Feng looked at Xiao Xiao and guessed.
"That's what I thought too!"
Qiao Ying nodded. "The opponent at that time displayed Metal-elemental arcane energy, and they gave me a very disgusting and uncomfortable feeling..."
"I also felt a bit dizzy, which is why I got injured!"
Xiao Xiao added.
"I see..."
Ye Feng frowned and asked, "Xiao Xiao, Qiao Ying, you had prepared retreat routes before, right?"
"Yes, we had several backup plans!"
Xiao Xiao quickly replied.
"Good! From now on, everyone be vigilant. We need to be prepared to slip away at any moment!"
Ye Feng's mood was a little heavy. He had a feeling that the divine inscription within the Golden Medal left by the Flame Ranger, the rune arrays at the entrance of the eighth and ninth floors of the Dawn Academy library, and the embroidered 'Ladder' pattern might all be part of a larger scheme orchestrated by someone...
Involuntarily, Ye Feng's mind once again turned to Shen Potian...
"Oh, right, Big Brother, there's something else!"
At this moment, Xiao Xiao spoke up. "The Three Breaths Nether Lamp Sensor you gave me just lit up one light!"
As she said this, Xiao Xiao showed Ye Feng an object that was entirely black, resembling a flashlight on the outside, with three ring-shaped small light strips. It was indeed the Three Breaths Nether Lamp Sensor.
Not long after Ye Feng purchased the Three Breaths Nether Lamp Sensor from the [Shop], he gave it to Xiao Xiao, who had a wider range of activity. After all, he hadn't explored much himself... Giving it to Xiao Xiao would allow it to be used more effectively...
"Things seem to be getting more troublesome..."
Looking at the Three Breaths Nether Lamp Sensor in Xiao Xiao's hand, Ye Feng felt a bit dejected. Fortunately, only one light had turned on, so the person chasing the ring-wearer was likely still quite far away...
"Come here, Xiao Xiao, I want to tell you something~"
Saying this, Ye Feng pulled Xiao Xiao to the balcony and instructed her not to use the Survivor's Ring for the time being, and explained the meaning of the Three Breaths Nether Lamp Sensor lighting up...
Qiao Ying, on the other hand, busied herself. She was very interested in the divine inscription she had previously researched...
"Ahem!~"
At this moment, a cough was heard from not far away, and then a person wearing a grey cloth hat appeared downstairs.
"Oh~"
Seeing the figure, Ye Feng was both surprised and delighted.
"Xiao Xiao, don't be nervous, that's Shen Potian!"
Ye Feng turned to the guarded Xiao Xiao and said.
"Oh, okay~"
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao's expression relaxed considerably.
Soon, Shen Potian arrived at Ye Feng's room. As soon as he entered, he took off his hat, revealing his true face.
"Senior Shen, have you decided?"
Ye Feng looked at him with great joy.
"Yes!"
Shen Potian nodded. "I plan to undergo tribulation tonight. How about you?"
"I'm ready anytime!"
Ye Feng stretched his limbs, eager to try.
...
As night fell,
Ye Feng and Shen Potian arrived at the edge of the Arcanist City, a barren area covered in volcanic rock where nothing grew.
Xiao Xiao and Qiao Ying also came, but they stayed some distance away from Ye Feng and Shen Potian.
Shen Potian nodded at Ye Feng, then his eyes sharpened, and a powerful aura emanated from him.
Almost simultaneously, a vortex-shaped dark cloud gathered in the night sky above Shen Potian's head – the tribulation cloud. The tribulation cloud grew denser, almost completely blocking out the moonlight and starlight...
Seeing this, Shen Potian rose into the air, flying into the sky...
Ye Feng, standing beneath the tribulation cloud, felt the powerful aura emanating from it. It seemed as if an area beneath the cloud was being locked down by it...
"Crack!~"
A red light flashed within the vortex-shaped tribulation cloud, followed by a flash of golden light from the dark clouds. The tribulation cloud violently split open, and golden flames erupted downwards, directly towards Shen Potian in the air...
"Ugh! Ah!"
Despite his extensive preparations, Shen Potian couldn't help but groan in pain as he was struck by the tribulation flames. His clothes were instantly incinerated... his flesh burned red and then quickly charred...
Seeing this, Ye Feng's eyes narrowed, and a flash of light appeared on his hand. The Tang sword instantly materialized.
The next second, Ye Feng shot into the air, heading straight for the tribulation flames that resembled a golden waterfall under the night sky...
"This guy..."
Ye Feng muttered to himself, puzzled because he wasn't using spatial power to fly into the air at this moment, but was being pulled by the Tang sword...
In fact, the moment the Tang sword emerged from the spatial warehouse, it seemed to have sensed something and forcefully pulled Ye Feng towards the tribulation flames in the sky...
"Whoosh~ Boom~!~"
"Damn!"
While Ye Feng was thinking, he had already been pulled into the tribulation flames by the Tang sword, and he cried out in pain. Like Shen Potian, his flesh had been charred...
However, the Tang sword paid him no mind, constantly pulling him back and forth within the tribulation flames as if playing in the water...
The tribulation flames washed over the Tang sword, further melting its rust and causing the entire sword to turn somewhat red...
Ye Feng, enduring the burning pain of the tribulation flames, mobilized all his arcane energy to protect himself...
His arcane energy was instantly ignited and pierced by the tribulation flames, but it didn't continue to burn when it encountered that sliver of golden tribulation fire...
Seeing this, Ye Feng breathed a slight sigh of relief. He slowly closed his eyes, emptied his mind, and began to search for and sense the subtle, mysterious aura within the tribulation fire that he had comprehended when encountering tribulation fire in the Giant Ruins...
"This..."
Shen Potian, within the tribulation flames, looked on in astonishment. He had initially been worried upon hearing Ye Feng's cry of pain, but now he found that the tribulation flames had stopped around Ye Feng...
Despite his surprise, Shen Potian did not waste time. He intended to seize the opportunity while a significant portion of the tribulation flames was being blocked by Ye Feng to gain enlightenment...
...