Chen Ying paused after hearing what was said, realizing she had never really questioned this matter before.
At this moment, Xin Xia added, "If you're not a psychic mage, it's indeed strange how your memories of this place are so clear."
"Maybe it's just because my mother told me about this place many times?" Chen Ying replied, looking a bit confused.
Mo Fan didn't push the issue further, clearly seeing that this naive girl didn't want to believe any other 'truths.'
However, Zhao Manyan quietly approached Mo Fan and Xin Xia, whispering, "Xin Xia, you're a psychic mage. Do you think my cousin..."
"If it weren't for some psychic magic influence, no matter how much someone tells you about an unfamiliar place, it wouldn't make you as familiar with it as Chen Ying is now." Xin Xia remarked thoughtfully. At first, she hadn't noticed, but now Mo Fan's question made her feel something wasn't right.
"This is..." Zhao Manyan was at a loss.
Mo Fan shook his head and said, "Forget it, let's move on."
Zhao Manyan, being the carefree type, didn't dwell on it. Besides, unless the matter involved women, he really didn't care much.
They continued moving through the crack in the mountain, which seemed to incline upwards. The inner walls of the mountain were smooth and glossy, resembling half-crystal, half-rock, making it appear as if it had been tempered by fire. Along the way, they found several fragments of spirit seeds, suggesting this cave was also a prime place for refinement. If they searched thoroughly, they could definitely find another spirit seed or two. But for now, finding Flame Belle was the priority.
As they walked further, they suddenly heard a strange noise. Mo Fan immediately stopped and said, "That sound doesn't seem right!"
The metallic clanging wasn't the usual sharp and crisp sound; it carried a heavy, grinding noise that grated on the ears. It was the kind of sound that makes one's skin crawl, like fingernails scratching a chalkboard. In the winding, silent darkness of the cave, the sudden noise made everyone anxious.
Mo Fan pointed to a nearby hollow space and quickly said, "Let's hide in there. The magma might be flowing down!"
Without hesitation, everyone darted into the hollow and prepared their defenses.
Soon, they saw the magma pouring down.
A sea of red fire filled the surroundings. Lava flooded the lower areas, washing over the path they had just walked along, and then began flowing further downwards.
Once the lava surge passed, they resumed their journey upwards, encountering a two-headed turtle demon on the way, which Mo Fan swiftly dispatched.
After reaching the mountain summit, Chen Ying led them into a blazing forest.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky, right above this fiery basin in the northernmost corner of the wasteland. The lone towering mountain was the only thing standing between them and the sun, and the summit appeared nearly devoid of life. However, some fire-fed plants thrived, their vibrant red leaves blanketing the ground in a fiery display.
The red leaves fell like small flames, gently floating down from above. If a strong wind were to sweep through, the air would be filled with these fiery "candles", creating a breathtaking scene.
"Once we pass through this forest, we'll reach the place where the Fire Calamity Fruit grows." Chen Ying explained.
She successfully led them through the dense fire forest. Though it was vast, it only covered the mountain's summit, so it didn't take them long to cross.
At the edge of the fire forest, they spotted a patch of raised rocky land. The incline was gentle, like a slope rising out of the flat terrain, and at the top of the slope stood a massive tree, completely different from the rest of the Fire Cloud trees.
The tree had no leaves at all. Its twisted, gnarled branches spread out in all directions, as if reaching for the sky. Even though it was bare, it still stood tall and proud, like a massive umbrella over the barren landscape.
This towering tree rose into the sky alone, with its thick, curling branches reaching far and wide. Anyone who ventured into this wasteland's northern corner would never imagine that such a thing existed here. And at night, it would probably be even more magnificent to behold.
Zhao Manyan, growing increasingly suspicious, turned to Chen Ying and asked, "Chen Ying, don't you find this strange?"
It was one thing to remember certain landmarks, but navigating this entire forest without any hesitation seemed too much.
Chen Ying looked at Zhao Manyan in confusion, unsure of what he was getting at.
"This forest is clearly designed to make people lose their way, yet we passed through without you even pausing for a second." Zhao Man Yan added.
"This...?" Chen Ying wasn't stupid. By now, she also realized something wasn't right.
"So, Chen Ying, you must have been affected by a Psychic mage. It's just that the magic is so powerful, you didn't notice it at first." Xin Xia confirmed.
"But... my mother, she..." Chen Ying trailed off. She clearly remembered that her mother didn't practice psychic magic.
Yet, if it wasn't psychic magic, how could she be so familiar with this place, as if she had been here before?
While they were talking, a crimson humanoid figure slowly approached them. It moved eerily, with its toes barely touching the ground and its legs hovering in the air like a ghost as it glided down from the large tree.
Seeing this fiery figure, everyone instantly became alert.
However, to their surprise, the flame entity didn't attack them. Instead, it gazed at Chen Ying with a burning intensity and softly murmured.
It was clear that the Fire Witch was very excited upon seeing Chen Ying.
"Don't be alarmed. If I'm not mistaken, this is the Flame Empress that Chen Ying spoke of." Mo Fan reassured everyone. He then turned to Xin Xia and said, "Xin Xia, try to communicate with her."
Since Xin Xia was a psychic mage and the Fire Witch was originally human, communication shouldn't be too difficult.
As Xin Xia attempted to make contact, her expression gradually turned to one of shock as she looked towards Chen Ying.
"Why... why are you looking at me like that?" Chen Ying asked, bewildered by Xin Xia's reaction.
"It... it says it's your mother!" Xin Xia replied, still shaken by the revelation.
Honestly, if the Fire Witch hadn't said it herself, Xin Xia wouldn't have believed it.
"I think the person living in your home now is actually a psychic mage, someone your mother saved. She used her psychic magic to blend into the Zhao family, with the goal of having you retrieve the Fire Calamity Fruit for her. After all, as your mother, she would never harm you." Mo Fan explained.
Chen Ying wanted to argue, but she couldn't.
How could she know this place so well if not for the influence of a psychic mage?
And if the person at home was using psychic magic, then how could she still be her mother?
(End of Chapter)