The Princess And The Lord

While Lory and Long Ming were climbing at the top of Yi Shan mountain, the air was covered in ash and smoke, it was hard for normal people to see they could feel the heat seeping into their skin, and the air feel dry.

Lory and Zhao Li Xin's gazes drifted to the magma pool which was boiling and burning like golden liquid reminding her of the color of  Zhao Li Xin's immortal flame.

"We have to go down," Zhao Li Xin said.

"En, we might find a way in, down there" replied Lory.

"Be careful..." even though he knew Lory is powerful still it's hard for Zhao Li Xin not to worry about her.

"I also want to tell you the same thing, coincidence?" Lory throw a playful grin before a pair of white wings appeared behind her back with graceful steps she fiercely jumped into the fiery pit without care.

Zhao Li Xin smiled faintly as he watched Lory glide gracefully through the smoke and dust, not long after Zhao Li Xin also jumped into the magma pit vertically for a moment he let gravity pull him down before he abruptly released his Qi creating a powerful energy that engulfed him make him float seamlessly.

Lory flew beside him, she flicked an admiration smile before sweeping her gaze to the area around her, Zhao Li Xin also observed the area around him when it come to sense he was much better even than normal cultivators, therefore in a short moment, he felt the cold air drifting to his nose, even though it was very faint but Zhao Li Xin's keen sense of smell could pick up the scent easily, soon Zhao Li Xin found a narrow cracked in the wall.

"There!" he pulled Lory towards a crack that was quite hidden.

The crack wasn't big and to make it worse it seemed to be long and narrow too, no more than two meters high, and probably only half a meter wide as a result Zhao Li Xin had to squeeze himself into the narrow crack.

"Are you okay" she look at Zhao Li Xin that had been squeezed like a sardine.

"I'll be fine…" he said under his breath obviously he feel suffocated in that position.

They were pretty much crawling on the wall for quite a while.

"Thank goodness you don't have claustrophobia..." the thought suddenly jump into her head.

"Oh, what's that?" Zhao Li Xin ask.

"Is an irrational fear of confined spaces" answered Lory.

Zhao Li Xin pursed his lips like he remembered something, "Oh, I had that before," Zhao Li Xin said nonchalantly.

Lory's steps stopped for a moment, he looked at her in shock. "What?Why?"

Zhao Li Xin didn't answer right away instead calmly nudged her shoulder to sign her to keep moving then replied in a nonchalant tone "When I was a child Zhao Mu Fan and Zhao Qin Feng pranked me by putting me in an empty well for two days until someone found me...ugh, I think I hurt my neck..." Instead of feeling bitter about his past, Zhao Li Xin was more troubled by his current position.

Lory was flabbergasted then she raised her voice angrily, "That wasn't a joke, it was downright harassing! how old were you then?"

"I don't know, maybe six or seven..." Zhao Li Xin didn't sound bothered by her experience she was abused so much that he found it hard to remember all of it.

On the contrary, Lory felt a lump in her throat she wants to vent her anger but doesn't know where she can only grip Zhao Li Xin's hand tightly she resolutely said: "I won't let anyone hurt you anymore!"

"Hm..." Zhao Li Xin's expression softened it seemed Lory was bothered by his story, actually there was no need because he had forgotten it for a long time after meeting Lory he never again recalled the bad memories of his childhood as if all of them were erased by her bright smiles.

"Oh, by the way, how did you improve your condition?" Lory asked curiously knowing that phobias are very difficult to cure even by the best psychiatrists.

"It's simple..." with a casual tone he explain cooly, "I told Mong Ki to put me ionside the coffin and burry me for two days"

Lory widened her eyes as she look at him incredulously <strong>"WHAT? WHY?"</strong>

Zhao Li Xin looked in front of him then heaved a sigh of relief, "Ah, we're out,"

"Oh," Lory's attention was suddenly distracted by the warm air hitting his face, they finally came out of the narrow hole where the air was humid but not as hot as near the magma. Lory and Zhao Li Xin stared at the wide cliff in front of them and across it was a small path leading to a place.

"Did you feel something?" Lory's bright eyes assessed Zhao Li Xin's expression then she added, "The Crimson Lightning sword is yours so normally you would feel the pull of it, don't you feel anything?"

Zhao Li Xin was silent for a moment while staring at his palms there was a strange glint in his eyes but then he balled his fist, "I felt the urge you said when we were outside but after we went inside I didn't feel anything..." Zhao Li Xin felt something strange like everything was too strange he couldn't tell Lory that ever since they entered Yin Shan mountain he had felt uneasy maybe because of the dream that haunted him recently or maybe something else but the thought was like a needle jabbing his skin.

[Could it have been silenced?] Girsha said cautiously.

Lory immediately thought about Lazarus "Could it be that Lazarus silenced the sword...can he do that?"

[Who knows what that Demon can do?] he snorted in annoyance.

"Lory, does this have anything to do with Lazarus?" Zhao Li Xin narrows his eyes.

Lory shrugged looking unsure she shook his head "I'm not sure"

Zhao Li Xin could see how worried Lory was, she probably gets nervous as they got closer to their goal, meanwhile, he was torn between wanting to end this as soon as possible but also afraid of the end outcome.

"Let's go!" Lory had spread her wings ready to fly but she saw Zhao Li Xin rooted to the ground seemingly in a daze, confused Lory tilt her head "Li Xin, are you okay?"

Zhao Li Xin snapped back from his thought, however, his expression quickly back to normal then he smiled at Lory "I'm fine"

Lory could sense something bothering him but she didn't ask she only smiled back at him "Don't worry, I'll always be with you"

"You better be…" he muttered in a very low voice that Lory couldn't hear him.

Unbeknownst to them, someone had been watching them in the darkness behind the boulder, a vicious smile spread across his face as his black eyes watched with interest but then he slowly retreated into the shade of the rock leaving nothing but long claw marks on the rock surface.

Zhao Li Xin's head jerked he reflectively looked over his shoulder then stare in a certain direction for a while and slowly his brows furrowed.

"Li Xin, what's wrong?" Lory looked at him in bewilderment.

Zhao Li Xin's eyes darkened, for a moment before he turned his gaze back to Lory and smiled, "Nothing, let's go!"

__________________________________

__a Few Minutes Before__

Lazarus stared at Yin Shan Mountain, his snake eyes dark and hooded, there wasn't much to read in his gloomy expression, but Lao Min Na had a feeling this place was somehow related to Lazarus. Hence they continued their journey to the top of the mountain. Lao Min Na could feel the heat stinging her skin but she easily dispelled it by creating a barrier around her made of dark miasma.

On the other hand, Lazarus looks, as usual, he doesn't even sweat, it's just that his left hand has turned black, indicating that the vessel he used has reached its limit.

Lazarus snorted in annoyance, whatever ship he used even the most powerful cultivators could only last no more than two weeks which bothered him all the time.

"There is another vessel that will be prepared for you," Lao Min Na reassuring him

Lao Min Na's main duty is to prepare the vessel for Lazarus at first she feels a bit guilty but after a long time she got used to it, she didn't even blink anymore when Lazarus entered the bodies of those innocent people and threw them away like old clothes.

Lazarus flicked his sleeves then he put his hands behind his back then his eyes returned to the churning magma pool below him suddenly his gaze turned into a reticent gaze.

Lazarus stretch his hand then he opened his palm before he clenched his palm very tightly until his nail dug his skin and black color blood dripped from his palm then fell into the magma pool but before the blood touched the magma suddenly an array of Ying-Yang symbols surrounded by intricate symbols and letters emerge above the magma after that a bright red light shined brightly and rows of black rocks emerged within the magma pool which pushes all the magma aside creating a dry land at the center after that the ground shaken and the land slowly split and formed a circular staircase.

Even for Lao Min Na who had seen many magical things still dumbfounded by the scene in front of him, on the other hand, Lazarus's expression remained the same, Lazarus jumped down followed by Lao Min Na soon they landed smoothly and then stepped quietly towards the stairs, Lazarus seemingly unimpressed when he saw a seemingly endless winding staircase.

Lao Min Na's forehead wrinkled she looked at Lazarus back she then couldn't help her curiosity so she asked "How did your blood activate the array, moreover….how did you know about this?"

Lazarus didn't answer nor did he tells her to be quiet hence Lao Min Na became bolder "You are a Demon from another world but I feel you know more about this world, it almost feels like...."

"Have you ever heard, 'curiosity kills the cat'?" Lazarus turned to look at her with his yellow snake eyes.

Lao Min Na gulped but somehow at this moment she refused to back down, "I'm not a cat..." she said defiantly.

Lazarus didn't angry instead he laughed coldly, "Yes, and you already dead, right?"