Invincible Soul Emperor

Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao were stunned by the sudden change.

They stopped in their tracks, watching the red-clad old man in front of them with vigilance.

Ye Qingchen stared sharply at the other party, "Who are you? Why are you blocking us?"

The old man coldly surveyed them, a hint of disdain and contempt in his eyes, "To pass through this door, you must first get past me. No matter who you are, without my permission, no one can take a single step through."

Xue Zhao’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he whispered to Ye Qingchen, "He’s definitely lying; at the volcano’s exit, there’s no one guarding it."

The old man overheard Xue Zhao’s words and chuckled coldly, his voice dripping with threat, "Oh? Is that so? I advise you to be sensible and not force me to act, or you’ll bear the consequences."

Ye Qingchen frowned deeply; this old man was threatening them for no reason.

Could he also be someone arranged by Xue Wei?

If so, he surely went all out.

In order to kill them, he was willing to spend so much effort.

Ye Qingchen took a deep breath and sneered, "We’re just passing through and have no desire to be your enemy. But if you insist on blocking us, don’t blame us for being impolite."

Upon hearing this, the flames in the old man’s eyes seemed to burn even more intensely.

He said no more, leaning slightly forward, ready to strike at any moment, and his whole aura rose as if he might unleash a tremendous force at any second.

At this moment, the atmosphere at the volcano’s mouth was tense to the extreme, with the air seeming to fill with the oppressive sensation of imminent eruption.

Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao didn’t want to clash with this red-clad old man. They exchanged a glance, both guessing whether this old man was sent by Xue Wei.

Xue Zhao displayed a thoughtful expression.

Ye Qingchen stepped forward cautiously, asking, "We mean no offense, just passing through. If possible, may I ask how we can get past this door?"

Seeing Xue Zhao’s expression, it was as if he was saying the old man seemed unrelated to Xue Wei.

But let him probe with a few questions to find out.

Upon hearing Ye Qingchen’s question, a trace of disdain flashed in the old man’s eyes. He chuckled coldly, as if he’d heard something amusing.

He lifted his chin, his gaze sweeping over Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao, his voice full of contempt, "You few wish to pass through this door? What a joke!"

With his arms crossed, the old man stood there like a flaming statue, exuding a powerful aura from head to toe. His gaze was sharp and arrogant, clearly not regarding Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao.

"However, if you really want to pass this door, you need to offer me a treasure that satisfies me," the old man’s voice dripped with threat and arrogance, and his mouth curled into a mocking smile, "otherwise, stay here obediently."

Upon hearing this, confusion flickered in Ye Qingchen and Xue Zhao’s eyes.

Could it be that this old man’s words indicate he wasn’t sent by Xue Wei?

However, in this situation, they couldn’t force their way through; facing this old man wasn’t easy, and attempting to break through by force might cause greater trouble.

Xue Zhao frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "What kind of treasure do you want?"

The old man raised an eyebrow, his voice filled with disdain, "Anything you bring out, as long as it’s a treasure that satisfies me. As for what kind of treasure would satisfy me, that depends on your abilities."

He spread his hands, making a nonchalant gesture, seeming both rude and arrogant.

Ye Qingchen glanced at Xue Zhao, signaling him to remain calm, then took a luminous blue gemstone from his waist pouch and handed it to the old man, "This is a rare Blue Crystal Stone, possessing strong water elemental power. Would this meet your satisfaction?"

The old man received the Blue Crystal Stone, glanced at it casually, then tossed it back to Ye Qingchen with a cold laugh, "A mere Blue Crystal Stone, and you think you can fool me? You’re insulting my judgment and intelligence."

Ye Qingchen caught the gemstone, rubbing his chin ponderously.

This old man seemed sincere about desiring a treasure.

However, this gemstone of his was quite valuable, yet the old man didn’t want it.

Xue Zhao watched everything, his brow furrowed, secretly calculating a plan.

Seeing the changes in their expressions, the mockery on the old man’s face deepened, "What now? If you can’t produce a treasure that satisfies me, don’t think about passing. Stand here until you bring out something acceptable."

His tone brimmed with provocation and scorn, as if he were watching two powerless insects.

After a long moment, something suddenly struck Xue Zhao’s mind, a flash of memory.

He recalled the legends of the Secret Realm about this red-clad old man, who was supposed to guard the volcano’s core deep inside, not block the way here. This doubt became clear in his mind, and he decided to confront the old man directly.

Xue Zhao stepped forward, staring intently and sharply at the red-clad old man, his tone firm and questioning, "You are the Flame Spirit Yan Lao, aren’t you?"

The old man squinted slightly, surprise flashing in his flame-like pupils, but he quickly resumed a cold demeanor, "It seems you know quite a bit."

Xue Zhao remained unmoved, continuing, "I understand that Yan Lao, you should be deep inside the volcano, guarding its core, so why are you here blocking the way?"

Yan Lao chuckled coldly, his face mocking even more, "You do know quite a bit. But so what? I have my reasons for being here, and it has nothing to do with you."

Xue Zhao was undeterred, his tone getting colder, "Since you are the Guardian of the Volcano Core, it is your duty to fulfill your responsibilities. Now, you’ve left your post; is there some hidden reason? If you have any unspeakable difficulties, we might be able to help."

Yan Lao’s expression shifted slightly, his eyes flickering with complex emotions, but he quickly masked them. He examined Xue Zhao up and down, scoffing, "You young ones dare probe into my private matters? Just because you know my identity doesn’t mean you can act recklessly here!"

Xue Zhao stepped forward, unyielding, "Yan Lao, we mean no disrespect but feel something isn’t right. If you truly have difficulties, please let us know. Otherwise, we’ll have to assume you are neglecting your duties and deliberately making things difficult for us."

The flames in Yan Lao’s eyes burned more fiercely, and a hint of anger appeared on his face, "Impertinent! Who do you take yourselves for, daring to question me!"

Seeing this, Ye Qingchen also stepped forward, his tone calm, "Yan Lao, we truly mean no disrespect, but your actions are puzzling. We just want to understand the truth to better handle the situation. If you can tell us the reason, we’ll do our best to cooperate."

Yan Lao, angered by their attitude, his gaze turned colder and his fiery aura intensified, "Arrogant youngsters! Don’t think you can squeeze any information out of me!"