"You're crazy, you've truly gone mad!"
Hei Tie shook his head, filled with unwillingness. He never imagined his third brother would be this insane.
"I'm not crazy. The one who's truly not lucid is you, elder brother!"
Hei Yan shook his head. "As long as we can seize the Heavenly Dynasty, we'll gain unlimited resources. This is a rare opportunity, don't you know that, elder brother!"
"I know, but attacking the Heavenly Dynasty will cost the Hell Dynasty dearly. In the end, it could even lead to mutual destruction!" Hei Tie said with a serious expression.
"My Hell Dynasty has never feared death!" Hei Yan smiled. "We also have the bravest warriors, who will carry our belief and charge towards victory!"
Hei Tie's expression shifted. He wanted to undo the formation again, but alas, he had no way of doing so.
Prince Bei Xi sat on the ground, utterly defeated and resigned to his fate. His cultivation had already been crippled, and he had hoped to cling to life. Now, it seemed the Hell Dynasty would not grant him even that.
"As a prince of the Heavenly Dynasty, you should at least have some backbone, even in death!" Lu Fan spoke.
"Stop pretending. What's the point of having backbone when your life is at stake? Can backbone be eaten?"
Bei Xi shook his head. Lu Fan froze, a bitter smile appearing on his face. Bei Xi's demeanor revealed a hint of sorrow.
However, at that moment, the formation at Shili Slope suddenly trembled. No one knew what had happened, but it looked precarious, and the entire Shili Slope became chaotic.
"What's happening? Why are there such terrifying energy fluctuations around? Who is controlling this formation?"
The Black Lotus Envoy spoke, his face paling. He could clearly feel the formation's energy intensifying. And it seemed someone had altered its course, directly trapping them.
Lu Fan and Bei Xi were momentarily stunned, bewildered. The formation that had imprisoned them had suddenly turned and trapped the Black Lotus Envoy and his group, as if it had employed a diversion, catching them off guard.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go!"
Wude Daoshi's voice rang out, sounding somewhat hurried.
Seeing the shifty-eyed Taoist, Lu Fan was impressed. He had initially thought the Taoist was useless, but he hadn't expected him to have such a trick up his sleeve, opening Lu Fan's eyes.
"You Taoist, you truly don't know your limits, daring to act so outrageously in the territory of the Hell Dynasty!"
Hei Yan said coldly, his aura imposing, filled with anger.
Facing these words, Wude Daoshi was unperturbed, a sneer on his lips. "I suggest you stop your prattling. If it weren't for your strength, which makes you difficult to deal with, I would kill you all one by one right now!"
Hei Yan's face turned ashen. He hadn't expected Wude Daoshi to dare threaten him.
Lu Fan and Bei Xi didn't hesitate, quickly leaving with Wude Daoshi, their expressions grave. They understood the gravity of the situation; failing to escape promptly could result in them becoming cannon fodder.
Watching Lu Fan and the others depart, Hei Tie finally felt relieved. This was for the best.
Not long after, Lu Fan and Wude Daoshi reached the border, crossed the River of Darkness, and arrived in the Heavenly Dynasty's territory.
Breathing the air of the Heavenly Dynasty, Bei Xi felt much more invigorated and excited. Returning to his homeland filled him with joy.
"I truly didn't expect you to be useful, old Taoist. If you hadn't appeared in time, this would have been a serious problem!" Lu Fan expressed his gratitude.
"Don't just chatter, young man. By helping you this time, I've offended people from the Hell Dynasty, and they won't let me off easily. I'll likely have to wander the world and hide from them day and night. So, you owe me compensation!" Wude Daoshi said with a serious look.
"What do you need?" Lu Fan asked, feeling a sense of helplessness. Wude Daoshi's personality forced him to comply.
"I don't need much. Don't you have the Haotian Pagoda on you? I know all about it. Just give it to me, and that's that!" Wude Daoshi said with a smile, without any reservation in his words.
At these words, Lu Fan's brow furrowed, a hint of displeasure showing. "You old scoundrel, you weren't already eyeing the Haotian Pagoda, which is why you saved me?"
"What are you implying? I'm not that mercenary. But the Haotian Pagoda is so good, lending it to me for a few days would be fine. Surely you're not that stingy, are you?" Wude Daoshi spoke again.
"Lend it to you for a few days, and I'll probably never get it back!" Lu Fan shook his head. "I can't give you this item!"
"Then you're truly ungrateful! I saved both your lives, and you're reluctant to lend me a small trinket!" Wude Daoshi complained, discontented.
"What are you saying? This isn't a trinket, it's an ancient divine artifact, and you know it better than I do!" Lu Fan rolled his eyes. "It's not that easy to get an ancient divine artifact. Do you really think that just because I saved your life, I'll hand over an ancient divine artifact?"
"Ancient divine artifact?"
The old Taoist paused, his eyes gleaming. "It seems I wasn't mistaken. It really is an ancient divine artifact. You're quite remarkable, kid! To possess such a thing, it truly astonishes me!"
"We'll meet again if fate allows! But as for our friendship, I will always remember it!" Lu Fan smiled slightly. "If you have time in the future, you can visit my Northwest Royal Mansion. I will host you well and certainly not neglect you!"
"You're really too ungenerous! I saved your life, and this is how you repay me!" The old Taoist cursed, a chill in his voice.
"Don't worry, I won't forget your life-saving grace. I will repay you in the future!" After saying this, Lu Fan took Prince Bei Xi and left.
At the same time, Bei Xi also looked at Lu Fan. "I never realized! You're quite mercenary. He saved your life, and you wouldn't even lend him the item for a few days, it wouldn't get damaged!"
"Once it's in his hands, getting it back won't be so easy!" Lu Fan shook his head. "But since when do you, Prince Bei, care about such matters?"
"I was just saying," Prince Bei Xi waved his hand.