When I woke up, I wanted to go home.

After taking Zhu Chongjiu away, the Fire Flame Emperor kept repeating the word "Dao" that Zhu had said!

What is the Tao? And what is the spirit of cultivation?

Ugh! We were having a great conversation, and then the Peace Chamber of Commerce ruined my relationship with Ninth Brother in no time.

But how does Ninth Brother know about the Peace Chamber of Commerce and the internal affairs of Shenxu?

Could it be that kid Lai Xun told him? But even if it was Lai Xun, we only know a little bit about the Peace Chamber of Commerce. Inside the Divine Void, it's all speculation, and there's nothing that's been confirmed.

Does Ninth Brother know more than we do?

No, even if I have to beg and plead with my grandfather and grandmother to act like a grandson in front of Ninth Brother, I have to get as much information out of him as possible!

That evening, Emperor Huoyan personally went to Zhu Chongjiu's tent to invite him to dinner. However, Emperor Huoyan didn't even enter Zhu Chongjiu's room or see him. He was dismissed by Zhu Chongjiu on the grounds that he had eaten too much that morning and hadn't finished digesting his food yet.

The next morning, a palace eunuch came to summon Zhu Chongjiu, saying that they were to depart for the capital.

When the Fire Emperor saw Zhu Chongjiu, he smiled and approached Zhu Chongjiu, saying, "Ninth Brother, I know you're anxious, so this time when we return to the Imperial City, everyone is traveling light, riding the Flying Fire Dragon Steed, and we're heading back to the Imperial City at the fastest possible speed."

He then asked if they should arrange a flying fire dragon steed for Ninth Brother, just like the one the Fire Emperor rode. Zhu Chongjiu refused, replying that he already had Little Black and didn't need another mount. The Fire Emperor could only leave disappointed!

On the way back to the capital, Zhu Chongjiu didn't say much, and just lay on Xiao Hei's broad back in various positions.

According to Zhu Chongjiu's understanding over the past few days, it would take them about a month to travel from Huocheng to the Imperial City at their current speed. After all, some troops are following them, and some people and their mounts need to rest. Not everyone can travel for ten or twenty days without sleep like an Emperor-level expert.

However, what Zhu Chongjiu saw and heard along the way broadened his horizons and allowed him to appreciate a different kind of scenery.

The fiery red clouds on the horizon resembled raging flames, painting the entire sky a crimson hue, as if a colossal furnace was forging this land. Looking out, the vast, boundless land was dotted with rolling hills and plains, resembling the Gobi Desert.

These hills and plains are home to some unusual and never-before-seen plants, some short and tough, others tall and upright, which tenaciously survive in this barren land.

Every now and then, insects would scurry past the feet of the army, or a few wild beasts would flash by on the distant hills and plains.

At this moment, Zhu Chongjiu was lying leisurely on Xiao Hei's back, with his legs crossed, looking up at the sky above his head covered with fiery red clouds.

Suddenly, a question arose in my mind: the legendary Flaming Mountain Continent has always been dry, and hardly a drop of rain has ever fallen.

So, how exactly are these clouds in the sky formed? This scene seems to defy common sense. Could it be that those fiery red clouds are just some strange structures that resemble clouds?

Afterwards, Zhu Chongjiu used his divine sense to sense the clouds in the sky and found that he could not sense them at all.

Driven by intense curiosity, Zhu Chongjiu summoned the Imperial Tutor who was traveling with the army. Zhu Chongjiu felt that among all the people he had met, the Imperial Tutor was the most upright and honest.

When the Imperial Tutor came before Zhu Chongjiu, Zhu Chongjiu asked, "Imperial Tutor, there is something I am curious about." Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's words, the Imperial Tutor quickly and respectfully replied, "Please ask, Ninth Brother."

Zhu Chongjiu casually waved his hand and said, "No need to be so polite. Of all the people on the Flaming Mountain Continent, you are the one I get along with the most. Besides, I've spent the most time with you, so we're old friends. It's nothing important, I just wanted to ask you about the formation of these clouds in the sky."

As Zhu Chongjiu spoke, he pointed to the bright red clouds in the sky.

Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's words, the Imperial Tutor laughed heartily and said, "It's understandable that Ninth Brother is curious since he's just arrived on the Flaming Mountain Continent. Actually, what's in the sky isn't a cloud at all, but a fire cloud formed by the condensation of fire elements. However, since the Sacred Flame was lost in the Sacred Mountain a hundred years ago, the fire clouds in the sky have been decreasing day by day." At this point, the Imperial Tutor sighed sadly.

Zhu Chongjiu said "Oh," bowed to the Imperial Tutor to express his gratitude, and then the Imperial Tutor returned to his original position.

Zhu Chongjiu recalled that during his last exploration of the Guixu in the vast ice and snow plains of the Ice and Snow Continent, after using the Void Refinement Ice Mountain Saint-level Supreme Treasure to block the Guixu, he had nothing to do and tried flying towards the supermoon in the sky.

As a result, Zhu Chongjiu was fine when he first flew to an altitude of 10,000 li above the ground, but after that, he encountered resistance. The higher he flew, the greater the resistance became. When Zhu Chongjiu flew to a distance of 15,000 li above the ground, it was like an ordinary person walking in a mud pit. Basically, it was very difficult to take a step even if he flew up to a distance of one li.

Finally, Zhu Chongjiu defied the resistance and flew upwards for nearly 500 miles, saying that he could not move an inch further. Moreover, Zhu Chongjiu felt that flying upwards would be dangerous, and that it would be a danger of death and annihilation. However, this danger did not come from any person or thing, but was like a warning issued by the entire world.

Therefore, this is why, after discovering the unusual clouds in the sky above the Flaming Mountain Continent, Zhu Chongjiu did not immediately fly up to investigate himself, but instead first asked the Imperial Tutor.

There are many significant differences between the Flaming Mountain Continent and the Ice and Snow Continent, including not only their vastly different geographical environments, but also the living environments shaped by these geographical environments.

On that vast, boundless, icy continent, cities and towns are closely connected, like a string of dazzling pearls inlaid on this silver-clad land. The population here is relatively large.

In stark contrast, the Flaming Mountain continent is characterized by its vast land and sparse population.

Although the residents there are accustomed to and deeply rooted in the land where their ancestors have lived for thousands of years, they still need to follow certain conditions when looking for a suitable place to live.

Although these residents do not have as urgent a need for water as people might imagine, this does not mean that they can survive completely without water.

In their daily lives, they still use a small amount of water to maintain basic living needs.

For this reason, when they decide where to settle, they often look to the surrounding areas where a magical plant known as the "God-given Tree" grows.

This unique tree is like a precious gift from nature to this hot land. It not only has a strong water storage capacity, but can also absorb water from the surrounding area in any form, providing valuable water resources for local residents.

This plant is about 100 meters tall and 30 to 20 meters in diameter. It grows in large groves, and each tree stores enough water to supply a thousand people for a day. Moreover, this gifted tree has an extremely long lifespan. If it is not damaged by external forces, each tree can live for four or five hundred years before withering away.

Thus, cities gradually formed around the "Heavenly Tree" in various corners of the Flaming Mountain Continent, where people multiplied and created their own unique way of life.

As Zhu Chongjiu marched towards the imperial city, he inquired about basic information about the Flaming Mountain Continent from the surrounding soldiers and various princes and ministers.

On the seventeenth day of Zhu Chongjiu's carefree journey with the main force, the sudden arrival of a person broke the tranquility.

While the main force was resting, Zhu Chongjiu was chatting and joking with some soldiers when a palace eunuch from the Fire Flame Emperor's side came to Zhu Chongjiu and respectfully said to him, "Brother Ninth, the Fire Flame Emperor requests your presence, saying that an old friend has come to visit and requests an audience with you!"

Upon hearing the palace eunuch's words, Zhu Chongjiu was taken aback. An old acquaintance? Could it be someone from the Ice and Snow Continent who had come to the Flaming Mountain Continent?

No way. If someone from the Ice and Snow Continent came, they should have contacted me using a communication stone, not through the Flame Emperor.

Zhu Chongjiu pondered for a while but couldn't recall which old friend it was.

Seeing that Zhu Chongjiu hadn't moved for a long time, the palace eunuch whispered a reminder: Ninth Brother, do you want to go or do you have something to tell Emperor Huoyan?

Zhu Chongjiu glanced at the palace eunuch, stood up and said, "Then I'll go with you and see which of my old friends I know is here."

Zhu Chongjiu released his divine sense and inner strength, and when he arrived at the door of the Fire Emperor's tent, he did not sense the presence of any familiar faces except for some locals he knew.

The moment the palace eunuch lifted the curtain of the main tent for Zhu Chongjiu, Zhu Chongjiu's aura suddenly surged. He entered the tent and said, "I thought it was someone else. What's wrong? Your father was so badly beaten by me that he didn't dare to come to see me, so he sent you, his son, to find me instead?"

The moment Zhu Chongjiu entered the tent, the sounds of laughter and conversation inside immediately ceased. After Zhu Chongjiu uttered those words, the Flame Emperor, who had been sitting upright in his chair, instantly changed from a calm and smiling face to one with his mouth agape and his eyes wide open.

Emperor Huoyan was shocked; what happened? The president of the Peace Chamber of Commerce was beaten up by Ninth Brother? This news is too explosive!

The newcomer was none other than Xiao Tian, ​​the young master of the Peace Chamber of Commerce. When Xiao Tian heard Zhu Chongjiu's words, his smiling face remained unchanged as he spoke: "In literature, there is no first place; in martial arts, there is no second place. It is common for martial artists to win or lose. It is not unreasonable for Ninth Brother to defeat my father because of his superior skills."

Upon hearing Xiao Tian's reply, Zhu Chongjiu was inwardly amazed; "This kid has an extraordinary mind. He can be so patient. I definitely couldn't do that, because I believe in the Daoist Dharma!"

Zhu Chongjiu felt that arguing with him was pointless, so he simply asked directly, "Speak, what brings you here? My time is very precious!"

"Also, don't make me come to see everyone who calls me. Do you think I'm that worthless? Next time, don't bother notifying me of ordinary people like this. It would be more appropriate if their father came," Zhu Chongjiu said calmly to the Flame Emperor.

Upon hearing Zhu Chongjiu's words, the Fire Emperor could only wipe away the non-existent sweat from his forehead and nod with a smile in agreement.

Zhu Chongjiu sensed that Xiao Tian was calm when Zhu Chongjiu talked about his father, but his breathing was noticeably uneven when he talked about himself. He thought to himself, "Little brat, I can't mess with you!"

However, Xiao Tian's next words instantly ignited Zhu Chongjiu's murderous intent.