Chapter 1080: Chapter 57: Tit for Tat

Burn.

It’s so hot.

This earth fire, worthy of being able to smelt Heaven-Mending Stone fragments, is truly the fiercest fire in the world. Even using the Phoenix Secret Technique to avoid the flames, one can still feel the blazing heat fiercely approaching, even singeing the hair tips.

Xu Yinglian had been moving through the sea of flames and lava for a quarter of an hour when she discovered that a portion of her robe’s hem was already gone.

If this continued, running in the earth fire for a few hours would leave her completely naked.

Fortunately, she always kept clean, and her storage bag had three or four sets of clothes prepared, so it wasn’t a problem.

After another hour or so, the collar and hem of her robe were completely gone, exposing her smooth, fair thighs and skin below her neck.

Although there was no one around, Xu Yinglian still felt deeply embarrassed and hurriedly reached for her storage bag at her waist.

Then she pulled out half of the bag’s opening with scorch marks still on the damaged part.

Xu Yinglian:?

Where’s my storage bag? Where’s my big storage bag!!!

“Senior, it’s all your terrible idea!” She angrily blamed Feng Lan, “What am I supposed to do now?!”

“Ah, it’s my fault.” Feng Lan was also incredulous, “When we phoenixes use this technique, we pass through the fire sea with our true form, so at most, some feathers get singed, but there’s no clothing to be damaged…”

“Forget it, I’ll find a place to exit first.” Xu Yinglian looked around.

Surrounded by rock walls with no fissures or passageways, and since Xu Yinglian didn’t know the Earth Escape Technique, she could only continue to move through the earth fire, intending to find an exit and head straight out.

But perhaps she chose the wrong direction, for she didn’t find an exit above, while the earth fire’s heat intensified, causing her clothing to vanish even faster.

If she couldn’t find an exit soon, Xu Yinglian resolved to use the Feather Jia Sword to forcefully break through the walls!

Meanwhile, Shi Liuli, since fulfilling her wishes and secretly becoming pregnant, seemed noticeably lethargic, possibly due to pregnancy syndrome.

Primarily, aside from daily monitoring the smelting process, she spent most of her time in a daze, occasionally touching her belly joyfully.

Additionally, her reaction speed slowed significantly, often responding to Chen Guanshui’s conversations with “oh” “um,” and silence, leaving him inexplicably disgruntled from being ignored.

So he took some time away from the smelting place, summoned the Kunlun Mirror, and said, “Don’t you think Liuli Lady seems a bit off?”

The Kunlun Mirror smiled and asked in return, “Don’t you think asking me about your wife’s matters seems quite odd?”

“Ah Jing, you’ve changed!” Chen Guanshui exclaimed sorrowfully, “You used to be my Heaven-Mending partner. Now that the Heaven-Mending Stone is about to be refined, you’re planning to shirk responsibility!”

The Kunlun Mirror remained unmoved, only hearing Chen Guanshui ponder aloud, “Liuli Lady is currently in this distracted state, could it affect the final product of the Heaven-Mending Stone? I mean, if there’s any flaw in it… perhaps it won’t have much impact.”

What a jerk! She wasn’t concerned about the drama in his personal life, but she could not let it interfere with the Heaven-Mending project.

“I’ll go and probe her a bit,” she said calmly, “Until I figure it out, you should avoid contacting her to prevent her from getting angry upon seeing you.”

“Why would she get angry seeing me?” Chen Guanshui wanted to protest a bit but quickly retreated silently under the Kunlun Mirror’s disdainful gaze.

Here was the largest earth fire rift within a thousand miles, so the surrounding passageways were extra convoluted. Chen Guanshui intended to find a remote place to be alone and think about what he had done wrong lately.

He thought he hadn’t neglected Liuli recently?

Then suddenly from below, there was the sound of an explosion.

Chen Guanshui hastily retreated, only to see a golden line suddenly piercing from below, quickly slicing through the layers of rock and creating a massive opening, with earth and stones tumbling down.

Before he could react, Xu Yinglian, clothes torn and covered in ash, emerged from below, and when their eyes met, they both fell into stunned silence almost simultaneously.

Unbelievable. Xu Yinglian surely didn’t expect to keep drilling upwards in the cave only to run into passing cultivators before finding seaweed to cover her body!

Are you a groundhog born to love burrowing?

She felt an instant urge to silence the witness, but quickly recognized his appearance. After a moment of shock, she couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

Perfect, truly like finding treasure without effort!

Chen Guanshui didn’t experience the complex psychological changes of Junior Sister Xu. He thought, “Bad timing, leave quickly!”

Then came, “Where to go?”

Knowing that Ah Jing and Liuli were nearby. Even if he temporarily escaped away from Junior Sister Xu, wouldn’t she run into Ah Jing and Liuli, and expose everything eventually?

Junior Sister Xu believed he was Changgeng, and Liuli might not help with this charade… hard to conceal indeed.

Perhaps, confess honestly like with Liuli?

Since Liuli could accept it, maybe Junior Sister could show some magnanimity…

“Why aren’t you talking?” Xu Yinglian coldly asked, “Is Senior Brother too frightened to speak upon seeing me?”

“You should, uh, get dressed first?” Chen Guanshui suggested as a stalling tactic.

He took out a dress from his storage bag and handed it over.

Xu Yinglian, realizing she was barely clothed, felt a mix of shame and anger, grabbed the dress, and hastily put it on, only to feel a bit tight around her chest. She paused before realizing: