The evil female is weak and the males of the whole continent are out of control and fall.

Chapter 723 I Don't Want to See Her
"Wait! Yin Ze, look over there!" He suddenly pointed downwards.

Yin Ze immediately steadied himself and looked down in the direction Yan Lie pointed.

In the dense forest, an unnatural "blank space" suddenly appeared—dozens of trees lay fallen to the ground, forming a conspicuous depression, as if they had been impacted or crushed by some enormous force.

However, amidst the chaos, there was no sign of Zhu Xiu, nor any other indication of battle or the activity of large wild beasts.

Bai Wanwan also peered over, her heart leaping into her throat: "Why did those trees collapse... Could Zhu Xiu be nearby? Did something happen to him?"

Bai Wanwan gripped Yan Lie's hand tightly. "Shall we go down and take a look?"

Yan Lie saw the worry in her eyes and realized she was unwilling to leave.

He hesitated for a moment, then said to Yin Ze, "Yin Ze, fly lower. I'll jump down and check the situation. You take good care of Wanwan."

Yin Ze understood that this was the safest approach at the moment and replied, "Okay, be careful."

Yin Ze flapped its wings and began to slowly descend, circling and stabilizing itself more than ten meters above the collapsed forest.

Yan Lie released his grip on Bai Wanwan's hand, turned to her, and said in a deep voice, "Wanwan, hold on tight to Yin Ze! I'm going down to check on things, I'll be right back."

"Be very careful! If you find anything or there is any danger, be sure to shout for us!" Bai Wanwan grabbed the stiff, smooth feathers on Yin Ze's back and gave him another warning with concern.

"Okay, don't worry." Yan Lie nodded reassuringly to her, then nimbly leaped off the edge of the phoenix's back, landing silently and quickly disappearing into the woods below.

Bai Wanwan's heart was once again suspended in mid-air as Yan Lie disappeared.

She could only suppress the urge to jump down as well, clinging tightly to Yin Ze, her eyes fixed on the direction where Yan Lie had disappeared, silently praying in her heart.

The phoenix carried her, always maintaining a low altitude.

The forest was silent, save for the mournful sound of the wind whistling through the treetops. The collapsed woodland below remained still.

"Yin Ze, Yan Lie hasn't returned yet... Could something have happened to him? Should we... go down and check?"

Bai Wanwan started having wild thoughts and scaring herself.

Yin Ze slightly adjusted the angle of his wings to maintain the optimal hovering posture.

He was equally worried about Yan Lie, but he was even more aware of the unknown risks of taking Bai Wanwan to lower the altitude.

“Wanwan, the situation down there is unclear. It’s not safe to land with you.” His voice was calm and restrained. “I’ll take you back to your tribe first. After you’re settled, I’ll immediately return here to find Yanlie. This is the safest option.”

As he spoke, he flapped his wings and prepared to soar higher.

Just then, Bai Wan vaguely saw a flash of light in the forest below, and a familiar figure rushed towards them—it was Yan Lie!
"Wait! Yan Lie!"

She immediately exclaimed in surprise.

Yin Ze noticed this immediately, stopped ascending, and lowered his altitude again. His sharp phoenix eyes locked onto Yan Lie, while he warily scanned the forest behind him.

"Yan Lie, what happened? Why have you been gone for so long?" Yin Ze asked.

Yan Lie leaped and landed on a relatively open rock directly below them. He looked up at them with a complex expression, a sigh of relief mixed with a hint of helplessness.

He first waved to Bai Wanwan to indicate that he was alright, and then answered Yin Ze's question, deliberately raising his voice to ensure that Bai Wanwan could hear him clearly:

"Found him. Zhu Xiu is nearby."

"Found him?" Bai Wanwan's heart sank, only to be instantly filled with renewed anxiety. "Where is he? Why didn't he come back with you? Doesn't he want to see me?"

A series of questions came out of his mouth.

Yan Lie raised his hand and pointed to a direction deeper into the mountains and forests: "Over there, beyond this mountain, there is a very hidden underground cave entrance on the shady side. He is inside."

He paused, his tone somewhat low, "I've tried to persuade him, I've told him all your concerns... but he said he has something to do for the time being and won't be going back." Bai Wanwan's heart sank heavily.

He's deliberately avoiding seeing me.

She unconsciously bit her lower lip, then patted Yin Ze's back. "Yin Ze, go downstairs. Let's go see Zhu Xiu with Yan Lie. There are some things I need to say to him in person."

Yin Ze was silent for a moment. He could sense Wanwan's resolute attitude and realized that he probably couldn't take her away with him.

"it is good."

The phoenix landed gracefully and smoothly beside Yan Lie.

Yan Lie reached out and carefully lifted Bai Wanwan off Yin Ze's back, placing her steadily on the ground.

"The cave where Zhu Xiu is is beyond this mountain," Yan Lie pointed ahead. "The road is difficult and winding. I'll carry you."

Bai Wanwan only wanted to see Zhu Xiu immediately, and nodded without hesitation.

Yan Lie immediately transformed into beast form, and a strong and beautiful snow leopard appeared before her.

Bai Wanwan nimbly climbed onto his broad back and hugged his neck.

With a low growl, the snow leopard moved like a white lightning bolt, swiftly and steadily heading into the depths of the forest.

The phoenix followed closely behind, maintaining a low altitude.

His eyes remained fixed on Bai Wanwan, alert to any possible disturbances around him.

Yan Lie moved extremely fast, traversing mountains and valleys as if walking on flat ground.

Before long, they arrived at a dark, shady mountain hollow.

Behind a thicket of vines that almost blends into the mountain rocks, lies a dark cave entrance, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. It would be extremely difficult to find without Yan Lie leading the way.

The two males transformed back into human form beside her, flanking her on either side.

Yan Lie pushed aside the vines first and whispered, "It's inside."

Without the slightest hesitation, Bai Wanwan took the lead and walked into the cave.

The cave entrance is narrow, but after a few steps inside, it opens up into a fairly large natural stone chamber. The light is dim, with only a little bit of natural light filtering in through the cave entrance.

The air was filled with the cold, rocky scent and a hint of... a unique fragrance belonging to the Candle Cultivator.

She felt a little relieved; as long as she was here, that was enough.

"Zhu Xiu?" she called softly into the dim depths, her voice echoing slightly in the stone chamber.

The cave was completely silent.

After a long silence, a cold, almost emotionless voice emerged from the innermost shadows, carrying a distinct sense of detachment:
"Yan Lie, didn't I tell you to take her back?"

Yan Lie coughed lightly, somewhat helplessly, but also frankly replied in the direction of the voice, "Zhu Xiu, Wanwan wants to see you and came to find you in person. I... can't stop her."

He didn't want his beloved female to continue to be sad and worried.

The problem already exists; avoidance will not solve it.

Since Wanwan is going to take the initiative to face it, it might be a good thing for Zhuxiu to talk things out sooner rather than later.

Bai Wanwan continued to move forward, and he steadfastly stayed by her side, accompanying her on her journey.

(End of this chapter)