"Mr. Mu, are you willing to marry me?"

Gong Jiangxue’s words came unexpectedly.

It shocked Mu Qingge, leaving her soul scattered!

How did it suddenly come to marriage? They had just met for less than a day! Moreover, usually, it’s the one who was saved that repays with marriage, but how did the roles reverse at Wu Gou Mountain Villa, and it became the rescuer offering marriage as gratitude?

Mu Qingge was so shocked that she remained silent.

Gong Jiangxue lowered her eyes, her long lashes concealing her emotions.

She seemed afraid to see Mu Qingge’s true thoughts at the moment, and just said softly, "The rules of the villa dictate that only the husband of the successive manor masters can enter the place of the Bone Demon Flame and have a chance to try."

’So that’s how it is.’ Mu Qingge finally understood. She composed herself and sincerely said to Gong Jiangxue, "If such is the rule, Young Master does not need to wrong yourself to help me."

Gong Jiangxue suddenly raised her head, her beautiful eyes like autumn waters looking at her, clearly stating, "I do not feel it’s an injustice."

Mu Qingge fell silent under her clear gaze.

Could Gong Jiangxue be in love with her?

Even if Gong Jiangxue admitted it herself, she would not believe it.

To like someone, though there might be no reason, there must be a cause and effect. It’s impossible to suddenly fall in love and be willing to give so much just like that.

What kind of person is she? Whether good or evil, Gong Jiangxue is not clear, how can one easily say they love?

Mu Qingge, entangled by a relationship she couldn’t understand or cut off, simply didn’t believe that Gong Jiangxue could fall in love with her just after meeting once.

"If the Bone Demon Flame is subdued, what would happen?" Mu Qingge suddenly asked.

Gong Jiangxue calmly answered, "If the Bone Demon Flame is taken away, then the promise made by my ancestor to that senior back then would be broken. Wu Gou Mountain Villa can dissolve, and everyone in the villa, including the manor master, can freely choose to leave or stay."

Mu Qingge pursed her lips and said, "It seems that the Bone Demon Flame to you is not only a glory but also a shackle."

Shackle?

Gong Jiangxue was taken aback, as if contemplating Mu Qingge’s words.

It indeed seemed quite accurate.

"If so, if I can take away the Bone Demon Flame, with the broken vow, you no longer have to abide by any rules that only the manor master’s husband can do so, right?" Mu Qingge led on.

Gong Jiangxue’s delicate brows furrowed, seemingly pondering Mu Qingge’s words.

After a while, she said, "But the rule is there, how can it be broken?"

’This girl is truly clear-headed!’ Mu Qingge sighed inwardly. She had planned to lead Gong Jiangxue into a trap but ended up failing.

A feeling of frustration lingered in Mu Qingge’s heart.

Mu Qingge remained silent for a moment, thinking: Since Wu Gou Mountain Villa has such a rule, there must be a reason for it. It can’t be just empty talk.

So what now? Really marry this villa’s Young Master?

But, she’s a woman herself, how can she marry another woman?

Mu Qingge shook her head and said to Gong Jiangxue, "If that’s the case, thank you for your goodwill, Young Master. I cannot ruin the Young Master’s happiness for a lifetime for the sake of the Bone Demon Flame."

"Mr. Mu, there’s no need to be concerned. It was my fault to bring up this matter abruptly. If that’s the case, I’ll take my leave first without disturbing Mr. Mu’s rest." Gong Jiangxue said with a smile and then put on her veil again before leaving.

Mu Qingge did not notice the faint trace of disappointment in her eyes as she turned away.

...

That night, Mu Qingge spent it in cultivation.

That night, the snow at Wu Gou Mountain Villa fell continuously. By the time Mu Qingge stepped out of her room, the courtyard brimming with spring had turned into a white, snow-covered land.

The two young maidservants serving in her courtyard were having a playful snowball fight, enjoying themselves immensely.

Seeing Mu Qingge come out, they quickly dropped the snowballs they had molded and ran to her.

Actually, Mu Qingge did not need their service.

But she allowed them to bring hot water and serve a delicate and light breakfast.

Just after finishing, Cai Wei appeared at the courtyard gate.

She first bowed slightly to Mu Qingge before saying, "Mr. Mu, our manor master has invited you. The Young Master is also there and sent me to fetch you."

Mu Qingge lightly wiped the corner of her mouth before standing up and saying to her, "Lead the way."

By now, the people from Wu Gou Mountain Villa who were sent to Wanfeng City to gather information should have returned.

Mu Qingge followed Cai Wei calmly to the grand hall of Wu Gou Mountain Villa. As expected, inside were only Gong Xueya and her daughter, along with the person sent out to gather information.

Seeing Mu Qingge enter, Gong Xueya said to that person, "You’ve had a tough journey, go and rest now."

That person bowed and left, only glancing curiously at Mu Qingge a few times while passing by.

And it was those few glances that let Mu Qingge know that some things had reached Gong Xueya’s ears.

After a slight thought, Mu Qingge displayed a nonchalant smile.

"Please sit, Mr. Mu." Gong Xueya pointed to the seat on her left.

Mu Qingge gracefully walked to the seat, swept her robe aside, and sat without the slightest hesitation.

As soon as she sat down, she felt a pair of eyes staring at her. Looking up, she met the autumn-water-like eyes of Gong Jiangxue.

Cai Wei, having completed her task, dared not stay without the manor master’s command. After bowing slightly to the three, she retreated. With only the three of them left in the hall, Gong Xueya lifted her tea and said to Mu Qingge, "Mr. Mu, this is the unique Snow Bud fresh tea from Wu Gou Mountain Villa, capable of calming the heart and refreshing the lungs. Do give it a try."

"Alright." Mu Qingge lifted the teacup in front of her to her lips, taking a light sip, indeed finding it calming as Gong Xueya described, soothing her heart and lungs and uplifting her spirits.

After finishing her tea, Gong Xueya put down her cup and slowly began, "The people sent by the villa to Wanfeng City returned early this morning. As Mr. Mu said, Wanfeng City is indeed overwhelmed, and Wan Jianfeng, that old thief, is even more harried, likely not to trouble Wu Gou Mountain Villa in the short term."

Mu Qingge’s eyes flickered slightly, and she calmly smiled, "To have the villa’s crisis resolved, let me first congratulate you, Manor Master."

"It’s I who should thank you." Gong Xueya smiled, "If it were not for the timely news you brought, today might have been a very different situation."

With that, she turned to Gong Jiangxue and said, "Jiangxue, thank Mr. Mu for me."

Gong Jiangxue’s lashes trembled softly. Following her mother’s words, she stood up, bowed earnestly to Mu Qingge, and said, "Jiangxue thanks Mr. Mu for saving my mother and Wu Gou Mountain Villa."

Mu Qingge stood up and avoided it, saying to Gong Jiangxue, "It was just a few words, how could it be worth having Young Master and Manor Master remember it so deeply?"

Gong Xueya smiled elegantly, dignified and graceful. She gave a minimal nod to indicate that Gong Jiangxue should sit down before looking meaningfully at Mu Qingge and slowly said, "However, the scout also brought back something that I can’t quite decipher. I wonder if Mr. Mu recognizes it?"

"Oh?" Mu Qingge slightly narrowed her eyes and smiled.

Gong Xueya lightly brushed a fingertip over a piece of paper beside her. That paper fluttered into the air and seemed to float intentionally towards Mu Qingge, landing on the small table beside her.

Mu Qingge lowered her gaze onto the paper.

On it was a sketch of a refined young man who bore a slight resemblance to her, and written boldly atop were the words ’Bounty Notice.’

Mu Qingge chuckled silently, picking up the paper with her fingers, and asked Gong Xueya, "What does the Manor Master wish to say?"

Gong Xueya maintained her smiling lips, "Doesn’t Mr. Mu want to explain?"

Even Gong Jiangxue looked at her with worried eyes.

Mu Qingge grinned and said, "I have nothing to say."

Gong Xueya’s eyes glimmered momentarily, and her voice subtly carried an emotion as she said, "So you admit that you are the person on this bounty notice? That it’s you behind Wanfeng City’s chaos and Wan Jianfeng’s woes?"

Gong Xueya’s words transformed the worry in Gong Jiangxue’s eyes into shock.

She looked at Mu Qingge, seemingly unable to believe that the boy her age in front of her could cause such a stir!

Mu Qingge smiled slightly, "Is the Manor Master planning to take me down for a reward?" In the dark, she was already secretly preparing, ready to enter battle mode at any moment.

"Wu Gou Mountain Villa seeks no quarrel, what good would it do me? Besides, you are considered my benefactor; I would never repay kindness with enmity. I just want to know, who exactly are you?" Gong Xueya immediately clarified her stance.

Gong Jiangxue also recovered from her shock and said, "Rest assured, Mr. Mu, Wu Gou Mountain Villa would never do something so treacherous."

"Besides, even Wan Jianfeng couldn’t do anything to you, what could I possibly do?" Gong Xueya added with a wry smile, "I am not foolish enough to hit a rock with an egg. The fate of Wanfeng City is right before my eyes; am I not worried that Wu Gou Mountain Villa will become the next Wanfeng City?"

Mu Qingge’s lips curled up with a smile filled with confidence and boldness, as if what Gong Xueya feared could indeed become a reality.

However, she currently had no spiritual power at all.

"Being able to single-handedly turn Wanfeng City upside down, killing the Elder of the Refining Tower, and seriously injuring the Great Elder Hei Mu of the Myriad Beasts Sect. Such feats are not what ordinary people can achieve. Now you are in Rong Country and already a public enemy. Aren’t you afraid? Or is it that you’re not from Rong Country at all, so you don’t care?" Gong Xueya directly asked.

Mu Qingge laughed, "I am indeed not from Rong Country. However, becoming Rong Country’s public enemy was not my intention. But since they want my life, I can’t just surrender out of fear."

"Then... may I ask where Mr. Mu is from? Is it Di Country, Yu Country... no, it can’t be Yu Country. The Myriad Beasts Sect’s influence also spreads across Yu Country; if you were from Yu Country, you wouldn’t likely confront the Myriad Beasts Sect. Could it be... you’re from the Holy Yuan Empire! A scion of some noble family!" Gong Xueya’s voice grew excited as she spoke.

As if to verify her guess, she continued with bright eyes, "That’s right! The spies also said you entered Wanfeng City as a Medicine Tower Elder. Are you really an Elder of the Medicine Tower?"

Despite Gong Xueya’s words, Mu Qingge just smiled without speaking.

’A Medicine Tower Elder? He’s so young! To have such accomplishments, is he a genius from the Holy Yuan Empire?’ Gong Jiangxue wondered in shock to herself.

After Gong Xueya finished speaking and while Gong Jiangxue was still in shock, Mu Qingge avoided answering the questions and asked, "What exactly does the Manor Master want to say?"

By this time, Gong Xueya had calmed down; she hadn’t forgotten her original intention.

She looked at her daughter and seemed to have made a decision, then said to Mu Qingge, "I wonder, Mr. Mu, are you currently married?"

This question...

Mu Qingge’s eyes darkened momentarily and she answered truthfully, "I already have a wife at home." She indeed had given Lianlian the status of a wife, so saying this was not a lie.

"Already have a wife..." Upon hearing this answer, Gong Jiangxue murmured softly, her tone full of disappointment.

Even her eyes, as lucid as autumn waters, dimmed down.

However, Gong Xueya didn’t show a hint of disappointment but nodded calmly. "With Mr. Mu’s talent and looks, it’s only natural to have already married." Saying this, she looked at her daughter again and suddenly asked, "Mr. Mu, what do you think of my daughter?"

Mu Qingge sighed inwardly.

She had already guessed what Gong Xueya was about to say.

She stood up and said to Gong Xueya and Gong Jiangxue, "The Young Master is excellent in every way, but I once promised that in this life I’ll marry only one and never take a concubine. So..."

"I didn’t expect Mr. Mu to be a man of such deep affection." Gong Xueya remarked with a hint of regret in her voice.

She seemed unwilling to give up and continued, "Mr. Mu is a Medicine Tower Elder and must be an Alchemist. For an Alchemist, using Abnormal Fire for Alchemy is probably a shared dream. What if I offer Abnormal Fire as a dowry? Would you reconsider your vow?"

"Mother!" The first to object wasn’t Mu Qingge, but Gong Jiangxue.

She admired Mu Qingge’s commitment to his wife and was even less willing to marry into the Mu Family in such a degrading manner.

Mu Qingge glanced over Gong Jiangxue and said to Gong Xueya, "Manor Master, may I speak with you in private?"

Gong Xueya’s eyes lit up with joy, and she said to Gong Jiangxue, "Jiangxue, step outside for a moment."

Gong Jiangxue frowned and protested, "Mother, I’m not marrying." She also had dignity, and Mu Qingge had already refused once yesterday and again today. Why must she keep begging for marriage?

Gong Xueya’s voice turned a bit stern, "Step outside first."

Seeing she couldn’t persuade her mother, Gong Jiangxue said to Mu Qingge, "Mr. Mu, I admire you. You don’t need to go against your own heart for any reason."

After saying this, she gave her mother a deep look before turning and leaving the hall.

Once Gong Jiangxue left, Gong Xueya said to Mu Qingge, "As for the rules of Wu Gou Mountain Villa, Mr. Mu must have heard of them. I hope to find a reliable husband for Jiangxue, one who can break the vow of Wu Gou Mountain Villa and take care of Jiangxue for a lifetime. I don’t want her to follow the path of her ancestors and mine. Mr. Mu is a true dragon among men, and I believe you can do it."

After Mu Qingge listened, she shook her head, "Manor Master, what I intend to speak of isn’t about your daughter’s marriage. Your daughter has the right to choose a man she loves and who loves her, and I am not her choice. What she wants, I cannot give."

"Is it solely because of your wife?" Gong Xueya hastily asked.

"It’s not that, it’s because of me," said Mu Qingge.

"Then what do you want to tell me?" Gong Xueya furrowed her brows slightly, a bit displeased.

Mu Qingge seemed oblivious to her displeasure. "What I want to say is, why is it that only the spouses of the successive Manor Masters have the opportunity to subdue the Bone Demon Flame?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Gong Xueya’s eyes narrowed sharply, then she smiled, relieved, and said, "I knew that girl would find you. Alright, since everything that should be said has been said, there’s no use in hiding it any longer."

After saying this, she remained silent, as if organizing her thoughts for the story.

After a while, she slowly began recounting a secret about the Gong Family spanning several thousand years.

"A long, long time ago, on this snowy plain, a young lady of the Gong Family thought of ending her life here because she was abandoned by her fiancé. By chance, she encountered a master and assisted him during his time of trouble. Later, she lived with the master on the snowy plain for more than half a month. She told him about her plight and indignantly declared that all men in the world were not to be trusted. Men only see women as tools for childbirth. If one day she could rise up, she would also make men mere tools for procreation..."

Gong Xueya let out a bitter laugh and shook her head, self-mockingly, "Unexpectedly, her wish actually came true. That master fulfilled her wish by helping her construct Wu Gou Mountain Villa, allowing her to become the queen here. Furthermore, the master set a forbidden technique: once the Manor Master’s spouse completes the task of continuing the lineage, he must leave, and any male offspring must be taken away with him. Perhaps such conditions are too harsh, so the master added another forbidden technique: anyone who marries the successive Manor Masters of Wu Gou Mountain Villa will have an opportunity to subdue the Bone Demon Flame. Greed is the original sin of the world, and the master believed that with such tempting rewards, Wu Gou Mountain Villa would not lose its heritage. It seems he was convinced that no one could take away the Bone Demon Flame."

Mu Qingge frowned upon hearing this, feeling that these were rules made by two complete psychopaths!

These forbidden techniques test human nature, which itself is the most vulnerable to such tests.

"You can’t approach the Bone Demon Flame without being a couple?" Mu Qingge asked.

This is the crux of the issue.

Gong Xueya looked at Mu Qingge, her expression somewhat complicated. The young man before her had never hidden his curiosity about the Bone Demon Flame, yet refused to marry her daughter. "Because to gain access to the entrance where the Bone Demon Flame is kept, it requires the combined efforts of a couple to open it."

"What do you mean?" Mu Qingge asked, frowning tightly.

Could it be that something in this world could determine whether people were a couple?

Mu Qingge’s inquiry caused Gong Xueya’s face to redden slightly, apparently finding it difficult to speak. She stood up and said to Mu Qingge, "Follow me, and you’ll understand."

Having said that, she pressed a mechanism on the armrest of her seat.

A gigantic stone wall behind her slowly opened, revealing a passageway.

Mu Qingge also stood up and followed Gong Xueya into the corridor.

The passage was narrow and very long. The farther they went, the colder it became. Especially now that Mu Qingge did not have spiritual energy to protect himself, he felt the icy chill to the bones.

The pair stopped in front of a stone door, and Gong Xueya pricked her fingertip, squeezing out a drop of blood onto the groove on the stone door.

After the bloodline was verified, the tightly closed stone door slowly opened.

From the opening, a large amount of white mist rolled out, bringing with it a bone-chilling coldness.

Mu Qingge looked at her own hands, on which the white mist had settled, forming a thin layer of frost.

With a wave of her hand, the frost shattered, and she followed Gong Xueya through the stone door.

’So cold!’ Even with Mu Qingge’s current physical condition, she found it cold, hinting at what kind of world was behind this stone door!

After passing through the stone door, the white mist gradually dispersed. Mu Qingge’s vision became clearer.

But when she finally saw the scene in front of her clearly, her eyes widened suddenly, and the corners of her mouth twitched.

In the stone chamber beyond the stone door, there was actually a bed!

Mu Qingge looked at Gong Xueya in shock, hoping that the scene before her was not what she imagined it to be.

But Gong Xueya nodded cruelly with a bittersweet smile. "It’s just as you think. To verify whether they are a couple, opening the stone door requires the blood of a Gong Family woman, and this bed is where the propriety of husband and wife is enacted. Only when the Manor Master of the past leaves her maiden blood will the forbidden technique open, granting access to the location of the Bone Demon Flame."

’Damn it! Which pervert came up with this? If they loved watching reality shows so much, why didn’t they go perform themselves?’ Mu Qingge grumbled incessantly in her heart.

She felt utterly defeated by such bizarre forbidden techniques!

No wonder Gong Jiangxue said this rule could not be broken.

Seeing the conflicted look on Mu Qingge’s face, Gong Xueya said, "Mr. Mu, you’ve seen it now. It’s not that I’m making things difficult for you; it’s this strange forbidden technique that has troubled my Gong Family for thousands of years."

Mu Qingge raised her eyes, looking at her with sympathy.

At this moment, she truly understood the bitterness in the heart of Gong Family women.

"If you’re unwilling to marry Jiangxue, even I can’t let you see the Bone Demon Flame," Gong Xueya said.

"..." Mu Qingge was silent. This was indeed a problem.

Even if she agreed to marry Gong Jiangxue, she couldn’t complete this malicious ’ritual’.

However, the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame grows by devouring other Abnormal Fires, and she couldn’t miss the Bone Demon Flame. Otherwise, who knows when the next chance for the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame to grow will come.

"Young Master Mu, let’s go out first," Gong Xueya said.

She hoped Mu Qingge would think it through and change his mind. This was also why she had brought him here so readily.

Mu Qingge looked at her and said seriously, "Manor Master, I have an impolite request, which I hope you’ll agree to."

Gong Xueya’s eyes flashed with confusion.

"I hope to stay here for a while. I’ve learned some Forbidden Techniques, and I want to see if I can break this Forbidden Technique. If I can, without Young Master sacrificing, I can also see the Bone Demon Flame, and if I am lucky enough to capture it, wouldn’t that break the villa’s vow? Young Master wouldn’t have to stay in the villa because of the rules and can find someone to share life with," Mu Qingge said seriously.

Gong Xueya looked at him in surprise, "Does Young Master Mu truly have confidence?"

Mu Qingge shook his head honestly. "No, but I’m willing to try my best."

Gong Xueya thought for a moment. Even if it failed, there was no loss. Thus, she nodded in agreement: "Alright, you may stay. If anything goes wrong, come out."

"Thank you, Manor Master," Mu Qingge gave her a smile.

Gong Xueya left the stone chamber without disturbing Mu Qingge.

And Mu Qingge stayed in the stone chamber, carefully seeking a method to break the Forbidden Technique.

’Master Yin, do you need Meng Baby’s help?’ Suddenly, in Mu Qingge’s mind, Mengmeng’s voice sounded.

Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed, asking: ’Do you have a way?’

Mengmeng formed an image in Mu Qingge’s mind, pointing her chubby fingers at herself with an arrogant expression: ’Master Yin, don’t forget who Baby is! I am the Artifact Spirit, inherently the greatest Forbidden Technique! I am born of Forbidden Techniques, possessing countless world laws, managing this world for Master Yin...’

"Listen, enough bragging. Since you have a way, help me see how to break the Forbidden Technique here," Mu Qingge said directly.

"Then... Baby needs to borrow Master Yin’s eyes," Mengmeng said.

Mu Qingge trusted Mengmeng fully.

Therefore, she agreed to her request without the slightest hesitation.

Then, Mu Qingge’s eyes underwent a change. Her eyes became transparent, glowing with a mysterious deep blue. Inside, rapid calculations seemed to be performing the most intricate computations.

Mu Qingge had a certain understanding of Forbidden Techniques. She even modified weapons using Forbidden Techniques before her bloodline awakened.

At this time, though her eyes were lent to Mengmeng, her consciousness still belonged to her.

The complex calculations in her eyes, she saw clearly, and her heart was filled with great astonishment.

She calmed her mind, carefully comprehending.

Half an hour passed, and as Mu Qingge felt increasingly cold, Mengmeng’s voice sounded once more, "Alright!"

As she spoke, Mu Qingge’s eyes returned to normal, dark and clear.

"It’s right here!" Mengmeng’s calculated results simultaneously appeared in Mu Qingge’s mind, allowing her to instantly see through the core of the Forbidden Technique.

She smiled lightly at the corner of her mouth and walked quickly towards the large bed.

She walked over, propped her hands against the bed’s edge, and with force, lifted it, revealing the floor underneath.

On the floor was engraved a mysterious and peculiar pattern, glowing with a faint pink.

"Master Yin, break it directly!" Mengmeng urged Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge, however, chuckled and said, "Have you forgotten I currently don’t have Spiritual Power?"

Mengmeng laughed heartily: "Master Yin forgot that you have a dagger that can break barriers?"

Mengmeng’s reminder made Mu Qingge’s eyes light up.

She slapped her forehead, muttering to herself, "Right! How did I forget Feng Yufei’s demigod-level dagger?"

But she then wondered, "Didn’t you say it can only break some lower-level Forbidden Techniques?"

Mengmeng shook her head, saying, "Master Yin, you really need to study more. This Forbidden Technique isn’t high-level; it’s just peculiar in its activation method. It’s merely because in Linchuan, few understand Forbidden Techniques, so it hasn’t been broken."

"So that’s it!" Mu Qingge realized.

Simultaneously, she sighed inwardly: ’It seems like I still have much to learn and need to work harder!’

Mu Qingge flipped her hand, and the dagger from Feng Yufei was held in her hand. Without hesitation, she aimed it at the core of the Forbidden Technique and stabbed downward.

Suddenly, she heard a ’puff’ sound and saw the mysterious engravings on the ground tremble, then burst into powder.

Then, a white whirlwind swirled around Mu Qingge, the wind strong enough to make the entire ground tremble slightly.

Mu Qingge looked up at the stone chamber as falling debris, unaware that outside, her breaking of the Forbidden Technique caused the earth to shake. On the snowfield, even a small disturbance could trigger an avalanche. At that moment, snow accumulated on the mountain began rolling down; although Wu Gou Mountain Villa was not covered by the snow, seeing this terrifying scene still caused panic.

"Everyone calm down, return to your respective houses, and do not come out," Gong Xueya stood outside the main hall, addressing the panicked crowd.

She appeared extremely calm, but her heart was deeply shocked.

Constantly speculating: ’Did he truly break the Forbidden Technique?’

"Mother, what happened?" Gong Jiangxue hurried over. Not seeing Mu Qingge beside her mother, she quickly asked, "Where is Young Master Mu?"

Gong Xueya looked at her daughter and said, "He’s fine. Now, first help me stabilize the villa’s people."

...

In the stone chamber, the trembling gradually subsided. The whirlwind like a tornado disappeared.

Yet simultaneously, Mu Qingge’s figure was also gone.

"Where is this place?" Mu Qingge raised her hand to knock at her slightly aching temple and stood up from the ground.

She didn’t know how she got here. This was no longer that stone chamber with unspeakable purposes but a vast cavern.

The cavern was wide, tall, and deep. Everywhere hung icy blue icicles.

Like an icy world, the ice blocks could even reflect Mu Qingge’s figure, like mirrors.

Mu Qingge stood in place, surveying the area. The intersecting paths made her uncertain of where to go.

"Master Yin, quickly release that egg! It’s going crazy again!" Suddenly, Mengmeng’s urgent voice sounded.

Mu Qingge had no time to think, a thought flashed, and a chaotic, bouncy giant egg appeared before her eyes.

Finally released, the chaos egg eagerly jumped towards one of the paths. Mu Qingge blinked and tightly followed behind.

She couldn’t lose the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame without finding the Bone Demon Flame.

In the icy cave, an egg was jumping vigorously towards the depths, while behind the egg, followed a young man in red clothes likened to blood.

After chasing the egg for a while, Mu Qingge suddenly felt her vision widen.

She froze, seeing the scene clearly before her eyes. Her clear eyes reflected what she saw, filled with shock!

This cave was larger than any other seen outside! Everywhere were icy bone-spines, crisscrossing. At the center of these layers of sharp spines, a flame with white and blue hues emitted a faint glow.

Below it, a giant ice flower spread over the entire cave’s floor.

’This Bone Demon Flame is very weak now! It can’t even maintain its form. Even if we don’t come early, within a few centuries it might die of old age and then be reborn somewhere anew,’ Mengmeng exclaimed.

By now, the chaos egg had already smashed through some icy bone-spines, like a greedy child, rushing towards the center’s Bone Demon Flame.

The silent icy bone-spines seemed to be angered by its violent actions and began stabbing toward it.

Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed slightly, just as she was about to help, she watched as the Chaos Egg nimbly dodged, sometimes even haughtily using its round body to knock away the icy bone spines.

Mu Qingge was stunned, her gaze at the Chaos Egg filled with enthusiasm.

"Master Yin, the battle between Abnormal Fires is something outsiders can’t assist with. Besides, this fellow wants to swallow the Bone Demon Flame. We should go back and wait, otherwise, if it gets too chaotic, you might get buried here," Mengmeng suggested.

However, Mu Qingge shook her head in refusal: "What if the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame eats the Bone Demon Flame and then runs away? I have to watch it here!"

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden bright light appeared, and Mu Qingge quickly turned her head to avoid the glare, raising her arm to cover her eyes.

"What’s happening?" Mu Qingge shouted.

Mengmeng said, "The battle between Abnormal Fires naturally bursts with firelight and is difficult to observe. The Bone Demon Flame is a cold fire, so the light it emits is a blinding white light."

"What about the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame?" Mu Qingge couldn’t see clearly and could only ask Mengmeng.

"I don’t know!" Mengmeng replied.

Mu Qingge frowned, but there was nothing she could do. She could only wait.

Before long, she felt the ground beneath her feet start to tremble, and the ice pillars and spikes began to crack and fall.

On the snowy plains, just after the previous avalanche had ended, a more powerful force surged up from the earth, making the entire snowfield seem like it was collapsing.

Some buildings in Wu Gou Mountain Villa also crumbled in the tremor.

Gong Xueya quickly gathered everyone in the main hall, as it seemed to be the safest place.

"Mother, what on earth is happening? Where is Young Master Mu?" Gong Jiangxue looked at her mother worriedly.

Gong Xueya just shook her head and didn’t answer.

Because she didn’t have any answers in her heart either.

Just a feeling, an ominous sense that perhaps the curse afflicting the women of the Gong Family for thousands of years might be broken today!

Boom boom boom——!

Mu Qingge’s back was hit by countless ice spikes and pillars. Fortunately, her skin was far tougher than normal, otherwise, she would’ve likely been crushed to death.

"Master Yin, why don’t we retreat to the safe space for a while?" Mengmeng suggested.

Mu Qingge was about to respond when suddenly everything went quiet.

She stood up and looked towards where the Bone Demon Flame had been.

The once imposing icy bone spikes had already vanished without a trace.

"Wah——! Wah——! Wah——!"

Suddenly, a baby’s cries made Mu Qingge freeze. "Mengmeng, did you hear a baby’s cry?"

"Of course I heard it!" Mengmeng promptly replied.

’Then it wasn’t an illusion. Why is there a baby here?’ Mu Qingge blinked, looking towards the source of the sound.

Unexpectedly, she saw a sobbing baby boy lying on the ground.

Mu Qingge covered her shock and quickly walked over to the baby boy, constantly thinking: ’Where’s my Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame?’

When she reached the baby, Mu Qingge felt the baby looking at her, crying even harder, as if seeing a loved one.

Mu Qingge was momentarily stunned.

Yet at that moment, the baby suddenly jumped up from the ground in an odd manner, spreading his chubby arms, running towards her, and incoherently murmuring, "Mama! Mama! Hug hug hug! Mama hug!"

What the—!

Mu Qingge’s eyes widened.

Unprepared, she was hit full force by the little chubby baby!

When she reacted, she hastily peeled the clinging little chubby baby off her, anxiously asking, "Who are you?"

"Master Yin, it’s the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame!" Mengmeng’s timely voice said.

Mu Qingge was stunned again.

Was the chubby baby in front of her the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame?

The chubby baby, held by Mu Qingge, maintained a certain distance. Looking at her, he suddenly pouted and cried, "Wah——! Mama doesn’t want me anymore!"

Mu Qingge said oddly, "Aren’t you an egg?"

"Master Yin, I suspect that this is his mimicry, the egg earlier must be his initial state. Now that he’s devoured the Bone Demon Flame, he should be in his growth phase, hence the shell breaking," Mengmeng analyzed.

At this, the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame cried even harder, his tears falling, turning into pearl-sized ice balls on the ground.

"This..." Mu Qingge stared dumbfounded at a drop of ice tear bead.

In an instant, she understood that the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame’s uniqueness lay in that after devouring other Abnormal Fires, it could utilize the abilities of the devoured fires.

It seemed the Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame had already mastered the Ice Flame ability of the Bone Demon Flame!

Suddenly, Mu Qingge’s lips twitched, and she turned her stiff neck to look at the little rascal in her arms, asking, "Are you born from an egg or alive?"

Recalling the bounciness of the Chaos Egg, Mu Qingge suddenly felt that it wasn’t an egg, but a womb!

"Mama, Mama, hug!" The Mixed Element Heavenly Extreme Flame pouted and acted spoiled.

Mu Qingge’s face darkened, gritting her teeth, "Call me boss!"

"Mama!"

"Boss!"

"Boss Mama!"

"Boss!"

"Mama Boss!"

"Boss!"

"Wah wah... Mama’s bullying me!"

...

Inside Wu Gou Mountain Villa, everything seemed to calm down.

Gong Xueya looked towards the sky, feeling both excited and uneasy.

Had Mu Qingge succeeded or failed?

"Mother, what exactly is going on? Can you tell me now? Also, where did Young Master Mu go?" Gong Jiangxue asked her mother seriously.

"I..." Gong Xueya wanted to explain to Gong Jiangxue.

Suddenly, a little maid who had served Mu Qingge hurried over, her expression somewhat inexplicable. Yet she still reported to Gong Xueya and Gong Jiangxue, "Manor Master, Young Manor Master. Just now, I seemed to hear Young Master Mu say he’s taking his leave, wishing the Young Manor Master happiness."

She didn’t understand these words.

Gong Jiangxue didn’t understand either.

But Gong Xueya understood!

Joy burst in her eyes. "He succeeded! He actually succeeded!"

Gong Jiangxue caught onto something, asking her mother, "Mother, what did you have Young Master Mu do?"

However, Gong Xueya seemed not to hear her, suddenly breaking into laughter. She tightly grasped her daughter’s arm, tears of joy streaming down her face, "Jiangxue, we’re free. We’re free!"