"Only by reaching the fifth layer is there a path to go back one layer? The second, third, and fourth layers don't have any paths to return to the first layer, if there were, do you think I'd still be wasting my time talking to you?" Grinding her teeth, Yue Lan revealed a harsh reality that made Zhu Bufan and his two companions frown, and Zhu Bufan finally understood why the Grand Steward and Yue Lan, although aware of the situation below, were unwilling to come down.

"What should we do now?" After Yue Lan finished speaking, Zhu Bufan and the other two were at a loss, what now? They had originally planned to send the two people back to the first layer and then all would be well, but who knew that this second layer would turn out to be a standard 'easy to enter but no way out' situation.

However, upon further thought, Zhu Bufan felt somewhat fortunate. Under the current circumstances, Zhu Bufan, Huo Ling, and Wang Hui were all in the dark about the lower levels of the tower, while Yue Lan and the Grand Steward clearly understood the situation below. Wasn't this the perfect excuse to join forces and at least reach the fifth layer before deciding what to do next?

Zhu Bufan's change of expression did not escape the Grand Steward's eyes. With a sigh, the Grand Steward said, "The Demon Burning Tower has never been known for its depth, nor how many layers it has. As far as I know, starting from the second layer up to the sixth layer of the tower, each layer is filled with special spaces transformed by the 'metal, wood, water, fire, and earth' Five Element Spiritual Energy. It seems that this second layer is the Thunder Marsh Layer transformed by the Golden Spiritual Energy, where lightning and Thunder Pillars abound ceaselessly."

"And the most dangerous thing is not these endless Thunder Pillars." No sooner had the Grand Steward finished speaking than Yue Lan also chimed in, "Within the Thunder Marsh Layer lives the original inhabitants of the second layer of the Demon Burning Tower, the 'Thunder Clan' people. Unfortunately, they are extremely hostile to humans. Once they see a human, they will surely attack to kill, so the true terror of the second layer lies not in the lightning, but in the Thunder Clan."

"Thunder Clan?" It was at this moment that a glint of dark light flashed behind Zhu Bufan, and then Emperor Yan appeared charmingly beside Zhu Bufan. From the look of Emperor Yan, it was evident that she was frightened by the term "Thunder Clan."

Not only was Emperor Yan frightened, but Yue Lan and the Grand Steward were also startled by her sudden appearance. However, when they clearly saw Emperor Yan's cute and lovely features, their surprise was thrown out of sight, replaced by intense curiosity. You should know that Emperor Yan's cuteness could enchant everyone from teenagers to the elderly, universally irresistible.

"Little sister? You...where did you come from? How did you suddenly appear?" Finally, it was Yue Lan, a woman herself, who first spoke up. Upon seeing Emperor Yan, Yue Lan could not hide her love in her heart. Women generally have a lower resistance to cute things than men, and Emperor Yan's puffy cute appearance made Yue Lan want to get closer.

"Who are you calling little sister? Girl! I ask you, the Thunder Clan people you mentioned, do they have...have such a blue mark on their bodies, and their hair is all blue?" While saying this, Emperor Yan drew a symbol on the ground resembling a lightning bolt.

"Yes...that's right." Emperor Yan's coarse barking made Yue Lan subconsciously look at the symbol on the ground and nod her head. However, Yue Lan quickly realized something, turned her head to Zhu Bufan with an angry look, and said, "What's going on with you, teaching her to talk like this? It's bad enough you're corrupt, why corrupt this little girl?"

Zhu Bufan, inexplicably scolded, could only widen his eyes, unable to say anything. He really wanted to protest his innocence, but seeing the expressions of the people around him, he just couldn't find the words. He realized that if he truly dared to protest, not only would Yue Lan and the Grand Steward turn against him, but Wang Hui and Huo Ling would probably join in as well. In their minds, they had already decided that it was Zhu Bufan who had led Emperor Yan astray.

Emperor Yan, however, did not care about the others blaming Zhu Bufan for her behavior. From the moment Yue Lan nodded "Yes, that's right," Emperor Yan's brow furrowed deeply, obviously knowing something about this so-called Thunder Clan.

Soon, Zhu Bufan noticed the anomaly with Emperor Yan. He crouched down, stroked Emperor Yan's smooth hair, and asked, "What's wrong? You look like you've suffered a great injustice. Frowning all the time isn't good, you know."

"This Thunder Clan...I might know a bit about them, but it shouldn't be possible..." Hearing Zhu Bufan's words, Emperor Yan finally looked up with a blank gaze, then said to Zhu Bufan, "Because this Thunder Clan should have been a race extinct long ago. How could there still be Thunder Clan people now?"

"Dumb girl, the Divine Demon Continent is so large, there could be thousands of Zhu Bufans out there. Do you really think they're all me? As for the Thunder Clan, maybe they've lived in a place with constant thunder and lightning for so long that they like to change their names to the Thunder Clan; it's not necessarily the one you're thinking of. Plus, even if it is, we've got so many people here, including you, the 'great' expert, what's there to be scared of?"

"That's right!" Hearing Zhu Bufan's words, Emperor Yan's slender eyebrows twitched, the deep contemplation on her face suddenly vanished, replaced by an air of smug confidence, "With yours truly here, who would dare to run wild? Hmph, I guarantee I'll blast them into little pancakes!"

"Hmph, sure enough, there may be many Zhu Bufans in the world, but only this one before the little sister is so scheming. Little sister, you have to be careful, come over to this sister's side, don't let him corrupt you any further." Yue Lan's voice, laden with sarcasm, once again rang out quite inappropriately with a sneer.

"Yeah, the world is so big, but there could also be millions of Yue Lans, yet the one whose life has been as 'bumpy' as yours is probably the one right before your eyes. Remember that well for the future." As for provocations from others, Zhu Bufan was never one to show weakness.

"What does a life being 'bumpy' mean?" Emperor Yan and Zhu Bufan were truly in tune with each other. As soon as Zhu Bufan finished speaking, Emperor Yan blinked her bright big eyes in genuine, childlike curiosity and asked Zhu Bufan.

"Er... to have a 'bumpy' life means that someone's life is not going as they wish. Look at this sister, with the way she looks, her life in the future will surely be…" Asked by Emperor Yan, Zhu Bufan started to 'lecture' her like a schoolteacher, shaking his head and waggling his tail. Meanwhile, Yue Lan, listening to Zhu Bufan's nonsensical talk to Emperor Yan, was already so angry that veins throbbed on her forehead, her fists clenched tightly, her eyebrows turned upside down. If it weren't for her Primordial Qi being locked, she probably would have already rushed over to battle it out with Zhu Bufan for three hundred rounds.

While watching Zhu Bufan feed Emperor Yan all this bullshit right there and then, everyone present had different expressions on their faces. Huo Ling, who was originally aloof and pretty, now had a strange look on her face, as if she wanted to laugh but couldn't. She was thinking it was indeed Zhu Bufan who corrupted Emperor Yan, and couldn't help but feel indignant. Who wouldn't be upset to see such a naive and innocent little girl getting led astray like this?

As for Wang Hui and Grand Steward Liu, they each had their own thoughts. Wang Hui was very aware of the prowess of the 'little sister' in front of him, a great character who had 'restructured' his own dwelling's lake to be more than twice as large with a single punch, now exhibiting the innocence and vivaciousness that only children have. How could Wang Hui not feel a torrent of emotions?

Grand Steward Liu's thoughts, however, were more focused on Yue Lan. He knew full well that this young girl, since taking some real power in Lanyue Pavilion, had become quite deep and calculated, rarely revealing her inner thoughts except when she held the authority as an auctioneer. Especially in public, even when talking to him, she remained the same. But today, Yue Lan actually got so infuriated in front of so many people that her graceful eyebrows stood on end and her almond eyes widened, which Grand Steward Liu found incredibly surprising. Although a string of events had tired her both physically and mentally and her Primordial Qi was constrained, making Yue Lan showing such intense emotions was still very astonishing to Grand Steward Liu.

"Enough!! Stop talking, or I'll tear you apart!!" Finally, unable to stand Zhu Bufan's infuriating descriptions any longer, Yue Lan completely lost her temper. Seeing Yue Lan trembling with rage, wanting to beat Zhu Bufan to death, Emperor Yan giggled heartlessly with childish laughter, adding a touch of warm innocence to this land filled with thunderous roars.

The antics of Zhu Bufan and Emperor Yan, the tall and the small, seemed to ease the tension between the two sides a bit. After all, Yue Lan being brought here was truly an accident. Although there were grievances about the three of them entering Lanyue Pavilion and taking Yue Lan hostage, that was all they could do. Besides, in the second layer, only by having forces united could there be hope of reaching the third layer. If they started fighting among themselves, it was guaranteed they would die in the second layer.

As time went by, finally, after more than ten hours, Yue Lan felt the Primordial Qi Lock restraining her suddenly loosen, and then, her own Primordial Qi began to circle rapidly.

With Yue Lan's Primordial Qi spinning again, her previously frail appearance was swept away, replaced by an increasingly rising aura. Sensing Yue Lan's change, Grand Steward Liu, who had been on edge, finally let go of his worries. Whether in the world outside of the tower or inside it, only strength is persuasive, and prestige is great, but without cultivation, you are nothing in the eyes of cultivators.

Yue Lan's power rose quickly, only stabilizing once she reached the Middle Stage of the Body Tempering Eighth Layer Heaven. Feeling Yue Lan's cultivation, and then glancing back at the nonchalant Huo Ling, Zhu Bufan suddenly realized that although his own cultivation speed was fast, he was always encountering even more preposterous folks. It's like Huo Ling, who entered the Bone Forging Realm before eighteen, and Yue Lan, who seemed not to be twenty yet and had already reached the Middle Stage of the Body Tempering Eighth Layer Heaven. Zhu Bufan's own achievement of being at the pinnacle of the Body Tempering Seventh Layer Heaven before eighteen seemed to become insignificant.

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