Chapter 15: Returning to the Fire and Thunder Crypt

As the fire dragon departed, Mao Xuanzi returned to the side of Han Tianyue and the others. Seeing the small snake curled up beside Mao Xuanzi, Han Tianyue felt a tinge of puzzlement, but now that Mao Xuanzi had returned safely, those lingering questions were no longer important. Han Tianyue glanced back at the molten lava broken bridge; whoever existed here was certainly no ordinary being.

The heavy burden of carrying Mao Xuanzi fell once again upon Feng Shang’s shoulders. Feng Shang stepped forward, hoisted Mao Xuanzi onto his back, and muttered, "Mao Xuanzi, when you wake up, don't you dare forget my hard-earned labor of carrying you all the way back!" Of course, since Mao Xuanzi was still deep in unconsciousness, Feng Shang's words might as well have been spoken to the wind, and neither Han Tianyue nor the others paid his grumbling any mind.

At this moment, Lei Dong’s mind was a swirling vortex of doubt. "Could it be that my parents aren't dead? If so, where have they gone?" The molten lava broken bridge behind them concealed a profound and mysterious power. Following Lei Dong's deduction, if his parents had entered that molten lava bridge, "I only hope they are safe now!"

As for Lei Qiaoer, her gaze remained locked upon Han Tianyue. The man before her possessed a unique, magnetic charm that drew her toward him, and she half-wished that some twist of fate might bind her to him. At this thought, Lei Qiaoer involuntarily lowered her head, flushing slightly.

As for Fang Zhe, his thoughts mirrored those of Han Tianyue. Though he harbored some lingering doubts about the fiery dragon, the fact that Mao Xuanzi had returned unharmed meant the matter could be laid to rest.

Because Lei Cong had successfully obtained the Thunder-Winged Dragon—a creature whose fierce loyalty to Lei Bingye had been witnessed by everyone—he was in high spirits. He could not stop lavishing praise upon the beast: "Thunder-Winged Dragon, from now on I'll call you Leilei! Leilei, you're amazing! For all these years, you actually guarded Uncle Lei Bingye. You are the most loyal Leilei of all!"

As Lei Cong showered it with compliments, the Thunder-Winged Dragon seemed to understand his words, stretching its head out to press against his palm. Lei Cong stroked its face affectionately, and a warm bond quickly formed between man and beast.

With a collective leap, they dropped down from the cavern. In an instant, the subterranean volcanic landscape vanished, leaving them surrounded once more by bubbling lava and a sky crackling with blue thunder. Everything had returned to the desolate appearance of the Fire-Thunder Tomb.

"How are we supposed to get back?" Han Tianyue glanced at Lei Dong and asked.

Lei Dong shook his head. "The only ones who can freely enter and exit the Fire-Thunder Tomb are the City Lord, the six great elders, Uncle Lei Xiang, and Aunt Lei Huoyan. Only they know the way out. I told the City Lord and my uncle beforehand that if we came here, they would check in on us after three days. If we were still around, it would mean we had slain the Thunder-Winged Dragon; if we were missing, they wouldn't need to bother searching for us anymore."

Hearing this, Han Tianyue and the others turned to look at Lei Dong, never expecting that he would choose to share life and death with them. "Even though you used us at first, you're still our brother." Han Tianyue had no desire to dwell on Lei Dong's prior manipulations.

Feng Shang chimed in as well, "Anyway, we're all safe and sound now. We're still brothers through and through!"

Lei Dong looked up at Feng Shang, Han Tianyue, Fang Zhe, and the slumbering Mao Xuanzi, and said softly, "Thank you, everyone."

"You're being far too dramatic!" Feng Shang stepped forward with a grin, though his expression quickly twisted into one of gloom. "The only bad part is that only a single day has passed, and we're stuck in this godforsaken place for two more days. It's enough to drive a man mad!"

Lei Dong, Lei Cong, Han Tianyue, and Fang Zhe exchanged a round of knowing smiles.

Meanwhile, Lei Qiaoer walked up to Han Tianyue and declared, "I think I might have fallen for you."

Han Tianyue blinked, entirely taken aback. He stared at her and said, "Lei Qiaoer, I have no idea what's going on in that head of yours, but you should know that I already have a wife!"

Fang Zhe cast a sidelong glance at Han Tianyue.

Hesitating for a moment, Han Tianyue corrected himself, "Well, not a wife yet, but she is the most important person in my life. I truly hope you find your own happiness."

Hearing this, a flash of disappointment crossed Lei Qiaoer's face, but she quickly rallied her spirits. "Don't worry," she said brightly. "Me liking you is my business; whether you like me back is entirely yours!"

Faced with this declaration, Han Tianyue had no choice but to seal his lips in silence.

Feng Shang set Mao Xuanzi down and, noticing the tiny snake coiled around his body, asked curiously, "Does anyone know what this little creature is?"

Feng Shang extended a finger to tease the little serpent. Instantly, the snake snapped its jaws shut, clamping onto his fingertip as a wave of scorching flame erupted from its throat. With a yelp, Feng Shang shook the snake off and howled, "You little beast, you've roasted my finger to a crisp!"

Fang Zhe stepped forward and scooped the small snake up with gentle care; the serpent docilely curled up in his palm. With a chuckle, Fang Zhe observed, "This must be the little snake hatched from the fire dragon egg inside Mao Xuanzi's body!"

Han Tianyue nodded. Dragons evolved from serpents, and if Mao Xuanzi wished to nurture this little snake into a true fire dragon, he still had a very long road ahead of him. At that moment, Han Tianyue thought of Mao Xuanzi's Fire Phoenix. "Just what on earth did the Crown Prince encounter to cause his natal beast to transform directly into a Fire Phoenix? It seems the Prince's experiences were far from ordinary."

Nursing his burned finger, Feng Shang cursed at Mao Xuanzi in exasperation. "Damn it, I dragged your heavy carcass all the way here, and in return, your little pet bites me! No good deed goes unpunished!"

Just then, Mao Xuanzi opened his eyes and retorted flatly, "Would it have bitten you if you hadn't been teasing it?"

"Damn it, whatever! It's still your fault!" Mid-sentence, Feng Shang suddenly registered that Mao Xuanzi had spoken. He shrieked in shock, "Mao Xuanzi is awake!"

Mao Xuanzi pushed himself to his feet and said, "Actually, I woke up a while ago. I just figured I'd let you carry me so I could get some rest."

Hearing this, Feng Shang grew furious. "Mao Xuanzi, you have no conscience! Everyone, come judge this for yourselves—tell me Mao Xuanzi isn't the worst kind of friend!"

Aside from Lei Cong, who stepped forward to offer a few comforting words to Feng Shang, the others ignored his complaints entirely. They crowded around Mao Xuanzi and asked, "Are you alright?"

Mao Xuanzi replied in a weak, drained voice, "I don't know why, but I just feel completely devoid of strength."

"I bet that little beast sucked all the thermal energy right out of your body, which is why you're so weak now!" Feng Shang shot a glare of pure venom at the small snake and muttered angrily.

Lacking knowledge of the preceding events, Han Tianyue and the others could only accept Feng Shang's explanation for Mao Xuanzi's current state.

As for Mao Xuanzi, although his limbs felt like lead, the massive blockage in his chest had finally cleared. His body now felt like a gigantic vortex that had devoured his inner heat. "It must have been those two figures who helped me clear away the congested energy I absorbed back at the academy, which is why my body is so drained right now." Recalling the two shadowy figures he had encountered inside the fire dragon's belly, Mao Xuanzi only remembered them mentioning that they owed someone a favor. He knew perfectly well he had never helped anyone, let alone someone who would owe him a debt. "Whose favor did they actually owe, and why are they repaying it to me?"

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