Chapter 268: You Have No Manners—What Did Your Father Teach You?
"In due time, Liu Ruyun will command an overwhelming army of fire beasts to besiege the safehouse."
"To hole up is to die. To strike back is also to die."
"If it were anyone else, they'd probably be out of options and waiting for death."
Shen Mo chuckled lightly.
The formula for Fire Beast Powder had indeed been lost.
However, it was still recorded in the Nine Turns Alchemy Canon!
Moreover, the ingredients needed to craft Fire Beast Powder could be found right here in the Fire Pill Palace.
With a bit of time, Shen Mo could produce Fire Beast Powder himself.
"Time is running out. Let's begin immediately."
Shen Mo started searching for the corresponding ingredients without delay.
…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Across the Fire Pill Palace, underground flames erupted in varying degrees of intensity.
The closer to the safehouse, the more powerful the eruptions became.
Several elders, who had been treasure-hunting near the underground furnaces, were killed instantly when the flames exploded.
They didn't even have the chance to leave a dying word.
The remaining elders, both furious and terrified, abandoned whatever they were doing—even if precious treasures like Red Phosphorus Flowers or Star Sand lay just ahead. They rushed back toward the safehouse without hesitation.
"I heard that Furnace No. 4 and Furnace No. 6 both erupted. A friend of mine died at Furnace No. 6."
"It's not just those—Furnaces No. 7, No. 8, and No. 10 have also erupted. The flames are advancing toward the safehouse."
"What's going on? How could the underground flames become so violent?"
"Exactly. The stationed elders said it was impossible for this to happen within three to five years."
"Could the stationed elders of the Fire Pill Palace be traitors, just like that Bloodvine Valley elder from last time?"
"Do you think one of the elders who entered the Fire Pill Palace is a traitor? If external forces are involved, it's possible to trigger these eruptions."
"That's highly likely! But who would do such a thing?"
The elders exchanged whispers, their faces filled with worry.
It hadn't even been a year since they entered the Fire Pill Palace, and they couldn't leave.
The dense fire spiritual energy interfered with communication jades, making it impossible to contact the outside world.
If this continued, even the safehouse might be consumed by the flames.
At that moment, He Tianchou and Ouyang Wei were also speaking in hushed tones.
"Shen Mo and Liu Ruyun haven't returned yet. Could something have happened to them?" He Tianchou asked, his face clouded with worry.
Ouyang Wei furrowed his brow. "Elder Shen is incredibly strong. Even in the event of an eruption, he should be fine. But Liu Ruyun… that's another matter."
"Let's hope they're safe," He Tianchou sighed.
Bang.
Yang Wenyuan strode into the safehouse with several men following close behind.
His gaze was ice-cold as it locked onto He Tianchou and Ouyang Wei.
"Arrest them!" Yang Wenyuan barked.
Several elders surged forward, surrounding He Tianchou and Ouyang Wei from all sides to prevent their escape.
He Tianchou froze in shock. "Yang Wenyuan, what is the meaning of this?"
Yang Wenyuan gritted his teeth. "One of my men saw Liu Ruyun throw something into Furnace No. 10, which immediately triggered its eruption!"
"Furthermore, someone witnessed her commanding four Fire Flood Dragons, driving them toward other furnaces!"
"You two, along with Shen Mo, were part of Liu Ruyun's small group before entering the Fire Pill Palace."
"She is clearly a traitor, and the suspicion on you cannot be cleared!"
"What?!"
He Tianchou and Ouyang Wei were stunned and enraged.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that Liu Ruyun was behind this disaster.
Moreover, she had somehow managed to control Fire Flood Dragons. The thought was simply inconceivable.
"Shen Mo hasn't returned either. He might also be out there inciting the eruptions," one elder growled.
"Earlier, Shen Mo and He Tianchou accused Ye Yan of harming fellow elders, claiming he wanted to use He Tianchou as a human shield against the Fire Flood Dragons. Now, it seems their accusations were just manipulative lies to force Ye Yan out of the safehouse."
Another elder, as though struck by inspiration, added his voice to the growing uproar.
Voices erupted from all directions, condemning He Tianchou and Ouyang Wei.
Even Shen Mo, who wasn't present, became a focal point of their accusations, labeled a "traitor."
Of course, not everyone believed that He Tianchou and Ouyang Wei were traitors. Some elders stepped forward to defend them.
The standoff persisted.
"Who said my junior brother is a traitor?"
A loud, brash voice echoed through the room, followed by a long, resonant burp.
Yang Wenyuan turned his head to see Lü Dongxuan striding in confidently, holding a wine jar in one hand.
The strong aroma of liquor wafted from the jar, making everyone's mouth water with just a single sniff.
The moment Lü Dongxuan appeared, the elders fell silent.
Aside from Yang Wenyuan, none of them were Lü Dongxuan's match, and they dared not confront him directly.
Yang Wenyuan snorted coldly. "Don't think you can shield him forever."
"Moreover, if he truly is a traitor, not only you, Lü Dongxuan, but even the entire Tenth Peak won't escape blame!"
Hic—!
Lü Dongxuan let out another loud burp, spraying spittle onto Yang Wenyuan's face.
"With no evidence, you keep accusing people of being traitors. You really have no manners. What did your father teach you?" Lü Dongxuan sneered.
Yang Wenyuan's face flushed red with anger, his fury barely contained.
"Lü Elder, can you contact the Third Elder or the Seventh Elder? If they act, perhaps they can calm the underground flames," one of the elders asked anxiously.
Lü Dongxuan waved his hand. "No, I can't. The flames are even more intense where they are."
"Besides, as far as I know, they're busy refining pills and probably have no idea what's happening elsewhere."
"If Liu Ruyun has any sense, she won't trigger the flames there."
Hearing this, the elders' hearts sank into despair.
Lü Dongxuan was right.
It was highly unlikely that the Third Elder and the Seventh Elder could help.
They would have to save themselves.
"I propose forming teams led by the strongest elders to head toward the remaining untriggered flame nodes," He Tianchou suggested seriously.
"Currently, only two nodes remain unaffected: Nodes No. 5 and No. 9."
"Liu Ruyun is very likely heading to one of those two locations."
"We must capture her alive before she triggers all the nodes."
"Otherwise, the entire Fire Pill Palace may be consumed by the violent underground flames, and none of us will survive."
Lü Dongxuan nodded approvingly. "Well said, Old Brother He. You truly are my lifelong confidant and brother!"
He Tianchou felt a little embarrassed at Lü Dongxuan's praise.
He knew Lü Dongxuan had deliberately said that to vouch for him with his own reputation.
"Let's go and search for her."
Yang Wenyuan snorted and led his men out of the safehouse.
Lü Dongxuan scratched his head, turned to the other elders, and adopted a serious expression.
The elders thought he was about to say something crucial and all straightened up, ready to listen.
Instead, Lü Dongxuan burped again and said, "On your way, if you find some Fiery Nectar, bring it back for me. We can negotiate whatever you want in return."
"I only found a small jar of Fiery Nectar this time, and it's nowhere near enough."
The elders: "..."
Seriously? At a time like this, you're still thinking about your Fiery Nectar?
"Let's go. We'll search for Liu Ruyun and also look for my junior brother," Lü Dongxuan called, motioning for He Tianchou, Ouyang Wei, and the others to follow.
"Alright!" He Tianchou and Ouyang Wei, grateful for his support, quickly followed him.
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