Chapter 493: Chapter 493

"I think he won’t let me down." The Young Emperor said confidently, perhaps because he was the Young Emperor, how could he ever be wrong? Even if he was wrong, he’d rather act tough and pretend he wasn’t.

I am the Young Emperor, the Heavenly Court Young Emperor. Who the hell dares to say I’m wrong?

The elder stood beside the Young Emperor, saying nothing more. He understood the Young Emperor’s thoughts. Reflecting on the words spoken earlier, perhaps they caused the Young Emperor to feel embarrassed.

Hong Sijing watched the prodigies leave one by one, calmly heading into the distance. Of course, as he left, he also acted rather fearfully while cursing loud and clear.

Who says prodigies don’t curse?

When prodigies curse, they definitely don’t hold back.

The perilous land that was previously crowded with prodigies was now utterly deserted.

A figure appeared stealthily.

Hong Sijing’s lips curled into a smile. "A bunch of idiots, truly a bunch of damn idiots. I have to admit, the persona I’ve cultivated is excellent. It made them believe I’m not the type to speak recklessly. If I say there’s danger, then there’s danger. Since I couldn’t handle it, naturally, others would think they couldn’t either."

The prodigy’s expression when laughing could only be described as sleazy.

Just as Hong Sijing was feeling smug.

An incongruous voice came through.

"Well, Hong Sijing, I didn’t expect you to be such a schemer."

Hong Sijing froze, his expression full of disbelief. Damn it, who saw through it? But when he saw the approaching people, there was one among them he was familiar with.

It was none other than Flower List Immortal, Luo Fairy.

I didn’t expect my secret to be discovered.

Hong Sijing felt a bit awkward, but he forced himself to look composed as he cupped his hands and said, "So it’s Luo Fairy. Just now, I thought it couldn’t be right to leave so easily, so I wanted to linger and observe. I didn’t expect to meet Luo Fairy here—what an honor, what an honor."

As he spoke these words.

Hong Sijing’s face showed no change, but the subtle shifts in his gaze betrayed that maybe even he didn’t quite believe his own story.

After all, isn’t this a blatant lie?

Qin Yang said, "Oh, enough with the act. We’ve already figured it out! Don’t pretend you stayed behind out of some noble cause. Honestly, you just wanted to hog the treasure for yourself, and yet here you are playing dumb."

"Brother Qin, what do you mean by this? Do you think I, Hong, am the kind of person to deceive others?" Hong Sijing argued.

Qin Yang replied disdainfully, "Deceive or not, you know better than anyone. There’s no need for others to expose you."

More prodigies began to appear in the distance.

Seeing the influx of prodigies, Hong Sijing’s head buzzed in confusion. Damn, was my acting really that bad, or were they just too clever? Could they all have seen through my performance?

"Mr. Hong, impressive! At first, we didn’t believe it, so we came back to check. Turns out, it really is just as you said. Your tactic of luring the tiger away from the mountain and the self-inflicted injury to create a false impression—undeniably clever."

"If you want to keep the treasures to yourself, at least figure out a way to trick everyone, right?"

Some prodigies ridiculed Hong Sijing as they watched him. Truth be told, at first, they genuinely believed his words.

Upon reflecting, they realized something felt off.

So they came back to see.

Turns out it was exactly as they suspected.

Originally, Hong Sijing wanted to defend himself, but seeing the current situation, it seemed there was no point in saying anything.

"I didn’t expect all of you to be so perceptive—truly beyond my expectations. Since the truth is out, I have nothing more to say. Let’s just go in together."

What else could he say?

There was nothing left to say.

He couldn’t help but accept it.

"See that? Anyone I have my eye on is never ordinary," the Young Emperor thought to himself with pride, feeling great seeing Lin Fan return.

It was undoubtedly a boost to his prestige.

The elder beside him softly remarked, "The Young Emperor has excellent judgment—the keenest of eyes. This old servant wouldn’t dare compare himself to the Young Emperor."

"Of course. How could you possibly compare to me?" The Young Emperor said.

The Young Emperor was still just a child.

Pride and competitiveness were normal things for him.

But if the elder had to speak the truth.

He would say that compared to the prodigy in question, there was indeed a gap between the Young Emperor and him.

Hong Sijing didn’t wait any longer. He rushed toward the depths. Chang Hong had already entered the area, and Hong worried that if he delayed too much, he would miss the treasure.

When he and Chang Hong ventured deeper.

The two started chatting.

Chang Hong said something that made Hong Sijing realize that, sometimes, being a little cunning has its benefits.

At least, with just the two of them searching in this place, it was better than fighting with a crowd.

The other prodigies surged toward the depths.

Lin Fan said, "Luo Fairy, what are you thinking? The treasure’s inside. Stick with me and everything will be safe—no doubt about it."

Luo Fairy was full of hesitation.

She couldn’t fully grasp Lin Fan’s nature. His bad reputation preceded him, but it didn’t align with her own impressions. Yet she feared that once she stepped inside, her safety might be compromised.

"What’s there to worry about, Luo Fairy? Could Brother Lin possibly be a bad person?" Qin Yang asked.

He felt quite helpless.

Who knew what Luo Fairy was thinking? Seeing as she’d end up shared by someone eventually, she might as well stick with Brother Lin—at least he wouldn’t treat her too badly.

Perhaps Luo Fairy didn’t know this, but Qin Yang and Xiang Fei had been fooling around with Brother Lin, earning money hand over fist.

"Alright." Luo Fairy thought it over and didn’t dwell on it further. She agreed outright.

At this point, what else could she say? If she withdrew now, she would undoubtedly feel regret.

At least by staying with Lin Fan and his team, there was some sense of security.

Lin Fan led the group inside, the surrounding energy rippling with incredible power—they understood why the prodigy who entered before had been killed. It wasn’t without reason.

Without sufficient strength, it truly wasn’t possible to hold out.

Qin Yang said, "Brother Lin, look at Hong Sijing running so quickly—damn, he’s shameless! His legs are lightning-fast. Earlier he pretended he couldn’t hold on, but here he is, frightened that he’ll get left behind."

"The Immortal Treasure is important, isn’t it? He’s scared of losing it. Earlier, the three of them came, but one died. The remaining two collaborated on a plan, yet their tricks were seen through so easily. How could he not panic?" Lin Fan explained.

"Pah!" Qin Yang scoffed at Hong Sijing, "With acting like his, how could it ever fool Brother Lin? Even I couldn’t be fooled!"

Xiang Fei interjected, "Brother Qin, you didn’t say that earlier though."

Qin Yang said, "Brother Xiang, why are you always undermining me? Let’s maintain harmony and work toward a brighter future together."

Han Li looked on enviously at the camaraderie between the three of them, truly longing for it.

Moreover, they had entered such a perilous area, yet they were still able to joke around without tension—was there no sense of danger?

Thunder roared around them. Xiang Fei led the way, summoning the Holy Weapon Spear that hovered above him, deflecting all attacks with ease as they moved safely forward.

The Young Emperor said, "It’s time for us to go in."

"Young Emperor, hold on," the elder intervened. "Young Emperor, this place is meant for the Four Domains’ prodigies. If you enter, it might affect certain occurrences. Moreover, the master just sent word, ordering this old servant to bring you back. There’s a matter that must be addressed."

The Young Emperor reluctantly said, "This... Well, if I go in just to watch and don’t compete for anything, it should be fine, right?"

The elder didn’t budge, continuing to block the Young Emperor’s path.

"Ah!" The Young Emperor sighed. He knew some things couldn’t be refused. "Alright, I’ll head back. But it’s such a pity—I wanted to spar with them seriously, yet I’m bogged down by trivial affairs."

"I can only hope for another chance in the future."

After saying this, he left the area.

The elder took one last glance toward the distance before following the Young Emperor. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on n0velfire.net

Lin Fan and his group safely passed through the most perilous section. Of course, not all prodigies entered the area—some realized Hong Sijing’s scheming.

But due to a lack of strength, they met their end here.

Hong Sijing could only feel helpless. Not warning them was for their own good.

Insisting on throwing away their lives just to trust the danger—they’ve already been warned. I could enter, but that doesn’t mean everyone else could.

Humans sometimes just won’t believe—or needlessly defy logic.

"Huh! What’s going on? Something doesn’t feel right." One prodigy observed the surroundings cautiously. Normally, after braving such a dangerous path, treasure should be the final outcome.

But there was no treasure here.

Just endless desolation—yellow sand stretching as far as the eye could see.

Hong Sijing searched for Chang Hong’s figure. Where the hell did that guy go? Earlier they had agreed to wait here and search for treasure together, yet now he was nowhere to be found.

Truly no trustworthiness whatsoever.

I trusted you, and you repay me ?

Qin Yang said, "Brother Lin, I thought we were climbing a mountain, not wandering around in a desert!"

"I know we’re supposed to be scaling a mountain, but something doesn’t seem quite right." Lin Fan pondered, feeling uneasy inside. It was a foreboding of danger.

They probably wouldn’t care.

Isn’t that just cowardice? Maybe overthinking led to unnecessary fear.

"Are any of you feeling uneasy?" Lin Fan asked.

Qin Yang shook his head. "Nope."

Lin Fan turned to Xiang Fei.

Xiang Fei said, "Me neither."

Han Li had been bracing for Lin Fan to ask him next, but to his surprise, Lin completely ignored him and stood silently, lost in thought—a situation that left Han Li feeling somewhat disappointed.

Come on, you could at least ask me.

As long as you asked, I’d definitely have an answer that satisfied you.

Lin Fan said, "Just now, I felt uneasy—it’s a strange feeling, like a premonition of danger. My suggestion is that we shouldn’t go further in."

Qin Yang said casually, "I’ll follow your lead. If you say don’t go in, we won’t go in. Works for me either way."

Xiang Fei nodded as well.

This was his stance too.