The fiery mulberry trees remained, crimson as the evening clouds.
From a distance, the vast grove shimmered with flames, glowing and translucent, a striking expanse of red brilliance.
As one drew near, waves of scorching heat rolled over them. The fire mulberry trees blazed with flickering flames, their crimson hues flowing like liquid fire, the temperature undeniably high.
Just as in the past, the mulberry gatherers were busy at work. Though they possessed some cultivation, it was not particularly strong. Each wore coarse linen robes and carried bamboo baskets on their backs, their attire simple and unadorned.
There weren’t many people, and all were plain in appearance. Sweat beaded on their foreheads—the heat here was so intense that even those with cultivation could not help but perspire.
On the mulberry trees, silkworms as radiant as red diamonds crawled—these were precious insects, their silk capable of weaving into treasured garments.
Shi Hao walked alone into the grove. Around him, the sound of fire silkworms gnawing on leaves rustled softly, occasionally accompanied by bursts of flame. The place was breathtakingly beautiful.
Years ago, when Shi Hao first came here, he had noticed nothing at first. Only upon turning back did he see an old friend.
Now, revisiting this familiar place, he scrutinized his surroundings, observing the mulberry gatherers, but found nothing.
The tranquil fire mulberry grove shimmered with crimson radiance, flames dancing among the leaves.
Shi Hao traversed the grove, following the path etched in his memory. He knew the place he sought wasn’t far from here.
Years had passed—he wondered how she was now.
Some of the towering fire mulberry trees had grown for centuries, even millennia, their trunks thick and gnarled, their fiery hues surging like waves.
Shi Hao’s heart was anything but calm. Though the mulberry grove remained unchanged, anxiety gnawed at him. Time had not erased much, yet it could still alter so many things.
Finally, he drew near, arriving at that familiar place.
A clear spring flowed past, its smooth pebbles glistening beneath the water. Occasionally, fish leaped from the surface, creating a scene of harmony and natural beauty.
Deep within the fire mulberry grove, a serene bamboo forest stood beside a small river, its waters tempering the scorching heat.
Shi Hao quickened his pace, stepping into the bamboo grove, his gaze fixed ahead.
In an instant, his expression froze.
Where a thatched cottage, a small courtyard, wooden stools, and blooming flowers should have been, there was now only scorched earth—blackened, hardened, and lifeless.
The courtyard was gone. The tranquility of the past had been shattered. The plants had vanished, the cottage burned to ashes. Only remnants remained.
Why?
Shi Hao rushed forward, his eyes sharp as blades, scanning every inch of the ruined land, searching for any clue.
He had never imagined that in just a few years, everything from the past would be destroyed.
Where was Huo Ling’er?
A shadow fell over Shi Hao’s heart. A terrible premonition surged within him.
He had come seeking Huo Ling’er, only to find this devastation. Clearly, something had happened—someone had set fire to this place.
Shi Hao refused to believe Huo Ling’er would do this herself. Even if she had left, she would never have burned down the home she loved, leaving it in such desolation.
“Who did this?” Shi Hao’s voice trembled with rage and fear.
What had happened to Huo Ling’er? Where was she now? Why had this tragedy befallen her?
His thoughts were in turmoil. He had come here expecting a reunion, only to be met with devastation.
He activated his Heavenly Eye, hoping to uncover some trace.
“Hmm?”
His pupils contracted. Beneath the ashes, he spotted fragments of shattered artifacts.
With a wave of his hand, the blackened earth scattered, revealing a broken bone shield, its cracks filled with dried, darkened blood.
Shi Hao’s heart clenched. Fury and panic surged within him. He feared the worst—that even his greatest power might not be enough to undo what had been done.
“How could this happen? Who would attack a defenseless girl?” Shi Hao’s fists clenched, his face dark with rage.
Huo Ling’er had no enemies. She lived in seclusion, detached from the world. Why had anyone come for her?
Was it because of him? If so, those responsible were ruthless beyond measure—their reach too far, their methods too cruel.
Shi Hao’s mind raced. Huo Ling’er would never have provoked such hatred on her own. If tragedy had struck, it was likely because of him.
A wave of guilt and regret washed over him. If harm had come to Huo Ling’er because of him, he would never forgive himself.
“I told you to leave, to avoid this disaster… Did you?” His voice shook with uncertainty.
Years ago, he had warned her, fearing that someone might track her down through him. He had urged her to find another refuge.
The signs of battle were unmistakable. A fierce struggle had taken place here.
Shi Hao’s heart sank. He scoured every inch of the land but found no further clues.
Moments later, he transformed into a streak of light, darting through the area, his Heavenly Eye scanning relentlessly.
Yet, he found nothing.
“No!” Shi Hao roared, his heart aching. He feared the worst—that he would live with regret for the rest of his life.
For an entire day and night, he searched the scorched ruins, refusing to leave.
In the end, he stood in silence, empty-handed.
Before the ruined courtyard, two young fire mulberry trees still grew, resilient despite the flames—their nature unyielding to fire.
Shi Hao remembered planting them with Huo Ling’er before he left. The memory was vivid.
Years had passed. The saplings had grown taller than him, but the person who had planted them was gone. Time had changed everything.
Unable to accept this reality, Shi Hao shot into the sky, streaking toward the nearest city.
Lihuo City was surrounded by fire mulberry trees, their crimson glow illuminating the area. Ancient trees, thousands of years old, pulsed with fierce flames, their heat oppressive.
The Fire Clan, rooted in flame, had made this land their own.
Shi Hao refused to give up. He stormed into the city, his divine sense sweeping through, seeking powerful cultivators who might know something.
Soon, he found his targets.
To hasten his search, he captured the city lord, forcibly probing his mind. What he discovered chilled him.
Years ago, a group had come searching for something—or someone—in the fire mulberry grove. Some had never left, still lurking nearby.
“This is unforgivable!” Shi Hao’s killing intent surged.
This was the territory of the Sinful Blood Clan, a remote and forgotten land where news traveled slowly.
Though people knew of the shattered Ancient Immortal Ruins and the return of the prodigies, few understood what had truly transpired.
Shi Hao, his fury uncontainable, raced back to the fire mulberry grove—where he finally encountered the suspicious figures.
“What’s the point of staying here all these years?” one muttered.
“Did that kid even survive the battle in the Ancient Immortal Ruins? No one’s come to recall us.”
“We’ve been abandoned in this land of sin. Forgotten.”
Step by step, Shi Hao approached, his expression dark.
Unaware, the group continued toward the ruins of the burned cottage.
“That girl back then was quite the beauty—even if she was of the Sinful Bloodline,” one said lewdly.
“Pity she didn’t fall into our hands,” another chuckled.
“Pfft!”
In the next instant, both men screamed as their legs exploded in a shower of blood.
“Who’s there?” The group whirled around.
A young man stood before them. Their faces paled as recognition dawned.
“It’s you—Huang!”
“Pfft!”
Golden light shot from Shi Hao’s fingertips, shredding the lower halves of their bodies.
“Tell me what happened,” he demanded coldly.
“Don’t kill us! We’ll talk!” they begged.
“We’re nobodies! We didn’t even know you’d returned! We were left here—forgotten!”
Terrified, they confessed everything.
Years ago, they had been sent to capture Huo Ling’er—but arrived too late.
Huo Ling’er’s father, the former Human Emperor of the Lower Realm, had returned and taken her away.
“You never found them?” Shi Hao’s tension eased slightly.
“We tracked them briefly, but lost the trail. The Fire Emperor even came back to kill some of us,” they admitted.
Shi Hao soon learned their origins—members of the Sword Valley, Fire Cloud Cave, and Luofu True Valley, sects dedicated to suppressing the Sinful Bloodline.
Worse still, two from the Celestial Clan had been involved.
“Fire Cloud Cave, Luofu True Valley, Celestial Clan—you’ve gone too far!” Shi Hao’s rage burned. He vowed to repay them in kind.
Once he had his answers, he executed the group without mercy.
With a sigh, Shi Hao wondered where in the vast world he might find Huo Ling’er. He prayed she was safe.
For days, he wandered the area, lost in memories of the past.
The fire mulberry grove was vast, but Shi Hao traversed nearly all of it, retracing Huo Ling’er’s steps.
On the fourth day, his heart jolted.
Far from the ruins, at the grove’s edge, a young woman gathered mulberry leaves.
Clad in rough linen, her hair loose, sweat glistened on her forehead.
Her figure was graceful, though her face was plain. A bamboo basket hung from her back.
Shi Hao had never seen her face before, but when their eyes met, his breath caught.
Those eyes—he knew them.
Step by step, he approached.
The woman turned. Her basket fell to the ground. Tears welled in her clear, misty eyes.
“It’s… you,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Even with her changed appearance, Shi Hao recognized her.
Huo Ling’er.
She had never left.
She had waited here all along.
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