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Having made her preparations, she staked out the area outside the Jade Pool, waiting for the Queen Mother of the West to leave her home.

The water of the Jade Pool was formed from the Essence of Heaven and Earth absorbed by the Cloud Piercing Stalactite; it took a hundred years to condense a single drop and was known as Holy Water.

From a distance, the surface of the Jade Pool was as calm as a mirror, while a towering Rainbow Tree by the lake was colorful and splendid, with seven-colored petals fluttering to the ground with the breeze, layering the earth. Beneath layers of petals laid the delicate, seven-colored soil.

This was the hard-earned result of the ceaseless daily collection by numerous palace maids.

Lan Xi had waited an entire afternoon without seeing the Queen Mother of the West leave, feeling increasingly anxious within her heart and contemplating whether to go in first and figure out a plan afterward.

Just as she was about to make her move, a dark cloud suddenly covered the sky above her.

She looked up to see a young man in a purple robe embroidered with dragon patterns blocking the sun.

The young man was handsome and full of youthful energy, his features sharp and striking, with his thick eyebrows framing a pair of glassy eyes that sparkled with a mischievous light, "Wife, what are you doing here? Are you looking for the Queen Mother of the West? Why don’t you go inside?"

He had noticed her sneaky behavior and followed her all afternoon. She hid outside Jade Pool, looking all anxious and hurried, but she just wouldn’t go in.

Hearing his words, Lan Xi instantly became infuriated, grabbed the young man by the collar, pushed him to the ground, and covered his mouth.

"Bastard, who’s your wife!" What was most critical was that if he attracted the Queen Mother of the West, she could only request what she wanted from her.

If by chance she refused, it would be quite embarrassing for her!

The young man in purple, with his mouth covered, unable to speak, obediently lay on the ground, gazing up at the girl above him with adoring amusement in his eyes.

Seeing that he was silent and not struggling, Lan Xi finally let go of him.

"I’m warning you, don’t make trouble for me. Go back wherever you came from." Lan Xi thought for a while before she remembered who this man was. Wasn’t he His Highness Ya, the son most doted upon by the Heavenly Emperor?

Those glassy eyes were particularly eye-catching!

"I won’t! It was with great difficulty that Imperial Father let me out to look for you. I won’t go back!" The young man in purple clung to Lan Xi’s arm, sticking to her like glue.

Lan Xi was speechless, "When did he say that?"

"It was when you went to ask him for permission to go to the Scripture Pavilion.

" The young man in purple chuckled, his glassy eyes gleaming with slyness, "Wife, how do you know about the Heavenly Sword?

Also, why are you looking for Seven-Colored Immortal Soil and Blood Third Seven? Who got injured?"

Good grief!

Lan Xi stared at the young man in purple, really wanting to chop him into pieces and silence him permanently.

The things she had carefully tried to hide, he somehow knew them all.

That meant he had been following her from the start.

"Wife, with that expression, you wouldn’t be contemplating murdering your dear husband, right?" The young man in purple pretended to be scared, patting his chest with a flattering smile, "Don’t worry. Your secrets are safe with me. I absolutely won’t mention them to anyone else."

"..." After pondering for a long while, Lan Xi knew she couldn’t possibly silence him by killing him, considering he was the Heavenly Emperor’s own son, so she feigned anger instead, "Is what you’re saying true?"

"True! I swear!" The young man in purple assured her, holding up four fingers.

Seeing that her secrets were exposed and that hiding them from this man was impossible, Lan Xi decided to drag him into it.

"Fine, I am indeed looking for those two items."

"Did you run into some trouble? Don’t worry, with me here, I’m sure I can help you find them."

Lan Xi looked at him skeptically, "Better not create a mess, just keep it a secret for me. I’ll find it myself!"

"Don’t be like that! After all, I am the Crown Prince. How could such a matter be difficult for me?" The young man in purple boasted, patting his chest, "Just wait here; I’ll get it sorted out for you."

With that, the young man in purple vanished.

Lan Xi stood still, not daring to move a muscle, fearing she might startle the snake in the grass. She also worried that this unreliable fellow might botch things up and mess up her own plans.

A quarter of an hour later, a commotion arose from the palace on the other side of the Jade Pool.

It seemed like a fire had broken out somewhere, and all the palace maids guarding the Jade Pool and the Queen Mother of the West rushed over.

Seizing the opportunity, Lan Xi prepared to steal the Seven-Colored Immortal Soil.

Before she could approach, the young man in purple appeared in front of her, his hands filled with the Immortal Soil.

Upon seeing this, Lan Xi immediately beamed with joy.

She quickly took out the Jade Vase to store the soil inside and didn’t linger any longer, grabbing the young man in purple by the collar and fleeing.

"Ya, it’s not going to cause any issues, right? You actually set fire to the Queen Mother of the West’s garden." Lan Xi was still quite worried.

"There won’t be any trouble, no one saw that it was me who set the fire," the youth in purple assured.

Lan Xi no longer hesitated and fled directly to the border between the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm.

She set down the youth in purple and instructed, "Ya, wait here for me. I’ll be back soon."

"Hey, you’re not really planning on going to the Blood Demon Sea, are you?" As the youth in purple said this, his expression also became grave. It was clear he knew the dangers that lay ahead.

"Yes! It’s very dangerous ahead, so wait here for me!" Lan Xi instructed before turning and striding boldly into the Demon Realm.

Watching her determined steps, the youth in purple stood solemnly in place. It wasn’t until her figure disappeared from view that he ultimately couldn’t resist following her.

Lan Xi crossed a desolate mountain range. At first, it felt manageable, but gradually the surrounding air grew colder, the sky darker, and she couldn’t muster any Spiritual Energy at all.

Little by little, she grew tired and her pace slowed considerably.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Suddenly, she heard noises coming from behind, startling her into hurriedly hiding in the wild grass to the side.

When she recognized the arriving figure, Lan Xi immediately emerged from the brush, grabbing the youth’s arm in anger, "Didn’t I tell you to wait outside?"

"I was worried my wife might be in danger. It’s definitely safer with me around," the youth in purple replied with fearless defiance.

Lan Xi glared at him with a dark expression, "Who is your wife? Don’t spout nonsense, or be careful I might beat you up."

Ya was the most beloved son of the Heavenly Emperor. If anything happened to him, how would she explain it when she returned?

Thinking this, she couldn’t help but want to roll the boy into a ball and kick him back to the Immortal Realm.

"You are my wife. The Imperial Father said so!" the youth in purple insisted.

Naturally, Lan Xi didn’t know that her mother had married her off while she was unconscious. So, she didn’t take the youth’s persistent nonsense seriously.

Considering this scoundrel had followed her here, it seemed impossible to leave him behind, but taking him along was truly dangerous.

After weighing the safety of her small follower against bringing Ya into the Demon Realm for quite some time, she decided to take this rascal with her.

After all, the life of her small follower was still very important to her; she didn’t want him to die.

Half an hour later, after passing through a chaotic burial ground, the sky had completely darkened.

Tombs were scattered all around the barren mountain, a vast forest of tombstones accompanied by gusts of chilly wind. Lan Xi had never seen such a horrifying sight before, and without any Spiritual Energy, she felt even less secure.

On the other hand, the youth in purple seemed a lot calmer, especially with Lan Xi clutching his arm. The feeling of being relied on made him straighten his back immediately.

Once they passed through the wide expanse of tombstones and crossed a winding river, the surface of the river was covered densely with Ghost Fire.

The cold drafts swirling around made Lan Xi’s neck feel icy and she clutched at the youth’s purple robe tightly, "You damn Ya, aren’t you scared? This place is terrifying."

"If it’s terrifying, then we should go back," the youth in purple suggested. After all, this was just the beginning, and there would be even more terrifying places ahead.

"No way!" Lan Xi decisively refused. Instantly, much of the fear in her heart dissipated.

She let go of the youth’s purple robe, stood up straight, and continued forward with large strides.

The youth touched his nose, surprised that she was not afraid of any danger in her quest to save someone. Who could it be that made her go to such lengths?

He was truly envious.

Following the Ghost Fire River, they eventually reached a place so cold it made one shiver.

Lan Xi swore this accursed place was more daunting than the ice and snow of the coldest lands.

She shivered uncontrollably from the cold.

Although the youth in purple was also cold, as a man, he clenched his teeth, refusing to look weak in front of his wife.

Lan Xi was surrounded by pitch darkness, unable to see her hand in front of her face, and even unable to ascertain any sense of direction.

"Ya, the idiot, could we get lost?" Lan Xi looked around cautiously.

Ya quietly took her hand. His amber eyes flickered with a layer of white light, and as he gazed into the distance, he gradually discerned the path at their feet.

At the same time, the back of his neck uncontrollably broke out in goosebumps.

Still, he reassured Lan Xi, "Don’t be afraid, I can see the way."

Indeed, he could see the path and also the countless Ghosts drifting upon it, each with a ferocious, green face and ugly, terrifying features.

He found himself envious of Lan Xi, who could see nothing. But it was his duty to guide her.