I long to return home!

"Xiao Jin, tell me, what happened here?" Lin Mubai said casually, one hand behind his back.

After pondering for a moment, Jin Yuluanfeng hesitantly began to slowly recount the whole story.

Upon hearing the explanation, Lin Mubai's expression froze, his brows furrowing tightly as he clenched his fists. He knew that Jin Yuluanfeng's actions were unintentional and a misunderstanding, but others wouldn't think that way. If he had come alone today, this matter could have been easily forgotten.

But now that Huang Jun is also present, he has long wanted to seize the pure fire of the Golden Feather Phoenix. Now that his plan has fallen through, he will not let it go easily.

"That's unreasonable!"

"How dare a spirit beast disregard the laws and harm my Luoyun Sect disciples!"

"Considering that you are Elder Lin's contracted spirit beast, I can spare your life, but you must be locked in the Red Water Cave for a year to reflect on your mistakes, as a warning to others." Huang Jun's eyes were cold and fierce as he stared at the now useless Golden Feather Phoenix. If it weren't for Lin Mubai, he might have already killed it and refined it into a celestial artifact.

"This is a matter for my Yunfeng family. It seems inappropriate for the sect leader to draw such a conclusion."

"Although Xiao Jin made a mistake first, shouldn't he be imprisoned in Chishui Cave instead of punished?"

"I think a year of repentance at the Cliff of Repentance would suffice. What does the sect leader think?" Lin Mubai knew the dangers of the Red Water Cave and naturally wouldn't agree. He looked at Huang Jun with icy eyes, and every word he spoke exuded a murderous aura.

"Elder Lin's favoritism towards spirit beasts is even more inappropriate. How will others view my Luoyun Sect if we favor spirit beasts that harm people?"

"That's settled then, no need for further discussion!" Huang Jun snorted angrily, his fierce gaze once again fixed on Jin Yu Luan Feng, who felt terrified and uneasy under his intense stare.

That damned Lin Mubai dared to defy me! Although I can't touch you, you won't have it easy either. I'll torture you step by step. Then, he vanished from the spot in a flash.

Lin Mubai stood there, sighing softly. He looked at the golden-feathered phoenix with regret. After hesitating for a moment, he flicked his sleeve, and the two of them arrived at the entrance of the Red Water Cave. The place was extremely desolate, with not a blade of grass growing for miles around, and the surrounding area was filled with a bloody, malevolent aura. The closer they got to the cave entrance, the thicker the malevolent aura became, and the temperature also rose rapidly.

Lin Mubai possessed an innate water elemental root, which was fortunately transformed into an acquired ice elemental root during a secret realm when he was young, and he also obtained a celestial sword brimming with cold energy. The Golden Feather Phoenix, on the other hand, possessed pure fire, so neither of them felt uncomfortable due to the high temperature inside the cave.

Soon, Lin Mubai led the Golden Feather Phoenix across the blood pool to a platform in the center. During this time, the Golden Feather Phoenix clung tightly to Lin Mubai's sleeve and refused to let go.

"From now on, you will sincerely repent here... I will come to pick you up in a year." As he spoke, Lin Mubai made a hand seal and used spiritual power to form a protective shield around the golden phoenix.

With the protective shield cast by his ice spirit root, it can effectively reduce the burning heat inside the cave and the bone-corroding pain of resentment.

Jin Yuluanfeng understood Lin Mubai's helplessness. She released her grip on his sleeves and sat quietly on the ground, repenting. She only regretted why she had acted impulsively and injured Xue Wu so severely without distinguishing right from wrong.

"This is Elder Lin's spirit beast! It's so lifelike! How come it's also locked up in this dark and sunless Chishui Cave?" shouted a heavily wounded prisoner imprisoned in Chishui Cave.

His name was Qian Hai. He was once a disciple of Yunfeng and had excellent swordsmanship. However, he harbored resentment because he did not become Lin Mubai's closed-door disciple. In another argument with the sect's disciples, he killed several people and seriously injured many others. As a result, Lin Mubai personally imprisoned him in Chishui Cave for a hundred years.

"Hahaha..." Qian Hai led the other sect disciples locked inside the cave in a chorus of sighs.

After calmly instructing Jin Yu Luanfeng on safety matters, Lin Mubai left the cave. Qian Hai was about to continue teasing Jin Yu Luanfeng when, in an instant, an ice spike flew out of the cave and pierced his shoulder before he could react, pinning him firmly to the wall and instantly freezing half of his body into ice. The others who were about to tease him were all frightened into shutting their mouths.

Blood trickled from the corner of Qian Hai's mouth as he stared intently in the direction Lin Mubai had left, muttering in a low voice, "You bastard Lin Mubai... you really went all out."

At this moment, in Xue Wu's residence in Yunfeng, Xue Wu slowly opened his eyes after comprehending and absorbing the vast energy within his body. He hurriedly looked around to search for the whereabouts of the Golden Feather Phoenix. During his comprehension, he vaguely heard that the Golden Feather Phoenix was to be imprisoned in the sect's forbidden area, Chishui Cave, for a year.

Upon seeing Xue Wu wake up, Xu Tao, who had been waiting nearby, quickly came over and helped him up: "Junior brother, you're finally awake. You've been unconscious for three days."

"3 days!"

Xue Wu's face showed fear. An indescribable anxiety had been lurking in his heart for a long time, and all sorts of suspicions and worries were churning in his uneasy mind. Although he was a little angry at Jin Yu Luanfeng for hurting him, he felt an indescribable heartache when he heard that he would be imprisoned for a year. Of course, he knew what kind of place the sect's forbidden area was. Although Jin Yu Luanfeng was arrogant and had a young lady's air, she was actually one of the few friends he had in this world.

With trembling hands, he firmly grasped Xu Tao's strong arm, trying to calm his agitated heart, and asked, "Brother Xu, where is Chichi... Chishui Cave?"

"What happened at the back mountain of the sect?" Xu Tao asked, puzzled, looking at Xue Wu's anxious and flustered appearance. He obviously didn't know the reason for the situation. He had been working hard to break through to the thirteenth level of Qi Refining when his master suddenly called him to take care of Xue Wu.

"Back mountain, back mountain..." Xue Wu staggered out of the door with a look of fear on his face, but he was sent flying back to his original position by an invisible protective shield less than three steps from the door.

"How dare you! Do you think the sect's forbidden area is a joke?" Lin Mubai's angry voice rang out, and he appeared in front of Xue Wu and the others.

Xu Tao caught Xue Wu as he flew back, and looked at his usually unperturbed master with a bewildered expression, asking, "Master, what happened? What exactly happened between you two?"

"Xu Tao, this is none of your business. Hurry up and go back to cultivate. If you don't reach the thirteenth level of Qi Refining within two years, I'll hold you accountable!" Lin Mubai walked slowly towards Xue Wu, each step radiating an incomparably powerful pressure.

Xu Tao couldn't understand why his usually kind and gentle master was so angry today. He was about to ask when Lin Mubai glared at him, and he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He then left after saying goodbye to his master.

"I want to save the pheasant!" Xue Wu was not afraid of Lin Mubai's fierce face, his eyes showing unwavering determination.

Lin Mubai was about to get angry, but he was moved by the firm look in her eyes. For a moment, he lost his composure and forgot what he was going to say. He was silent for a moment and then said calmly, "The cause and effect are on you now, and I can't save her." He sighed and continued, "If you want to see her, I can help you." As he spoke, he took out two cultivation manuals from his sleeve and handed them to Xue Wu.

"This is my Cloud Peak Sword Technique and a fire-attribute cultivation manual."

"If you can raise your cultivation to the sixth level of Qi Refining within five months, participate in this year's selection for inner disciples, and successfully advance, I can grant you your wish to meet."

"During this time, you should stay within this barrier and cultivate diligently." After saying that, he left without looking back.

He knew this was an impossible task. A new disciple reaching the sixth level of Qi Refining within five months was incomparable to those who had entered the sect earlier and already reached the seventh or eighth level. Even if Xue Wu had the pure fire of the Golden Feather Phoenix tempering his body, he still couldn't succeed in advancing. He did this simply to prevent this disciple from acting impulsively and causing trouble.