Chapter 2208 — Chapter 2208 Meeting the Asura Clan

"This is a friend of mine, Mu Xuelian," Yuan casually introduced her.

"Hmm…" Xiao Meilin suddenly vanished into thin air before appearing before Mu Xuelian like a ghost.

"Can I help you?" Mu Xuelian calmly asked.

Xiao Meilin narrowed her eyes slightly and responded, "There's something about you that I don't like… What are you hiding?"

Yuan raised an eyebrow at Xiao Meilin's words and wondered if she could sense Shiva, who was hiding within Mu Xuelian's body. If so, that would be pretty impressive.

Sure enough, Xiao Meilin could sense something mysterious lurking within Mu Xuelian, something that made even a powerhouse like her instinctively tread with caution.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mu Xuelian shook her head.

"Whatever. Just don't cause any trouble."

Xiao Meilin vanished into thin air again. This time, she reappeared right beside Yuan.

"Let's go, shall we?" Xiao Meilin said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, speeding into the distance.

Sometime later, they arrived at the Burning Tree—a colossal black tree wreathed in purple flames. Beside it lay a vast, dried-up lake, its cracked surface reflecting the eerie glow of the fire.

Yuan gazed at the tree, his eyes narrowing slightly. Though its flames burned with fierce intensity, the heat was far weaker than he'd anticipated, and there was something inherently unusual about their nature.

"What kind of fire is that?" Yuan asked, unable to discern its nature.

Xiao Meilin shrugged. "Who knows? That tree was once just an ordinary one. But after being struck by countless bolts of lightning, it caught fire, and the flames have never gone out. It's been burning for tens of millions of years now."

'I believe it's a type of alchemy flame,' Feng Yuxiang remarked within Yuan's Dantian.

'Alchemy flames, huh? Is there a way for me to collect it?' he asked.

'Yes, there is. Inside my spatial ring, you'll find the Phoenix Sealing Jar. It's a treasure that is specifically used to collect flames.'

Yuan ignored the ominous name and searched Feng Yuxiang's spatial ring for the item. A moment later, he used it to collect the purple flames.

Xiao Meling watched his actions without uttering a word, almost as if it was none of her concern.

Only when Yuan finished with his business did Xiao Meilin speak, "Done?"

"Yes."

Without another word, she swept her arm through the air, rending space itself open and revealing a pitch-black gateway to the void before entering it.

Yuan and Mu Xuelian silently followed her.

Moments after stepping into the void, a flash of blinding light engulfed Yuan. When his vision cleared, he found himself beneath a radiant sun suspended in a clear blue sky—a striking contrast to the apocalyptic gloom of the Primordial Realm he had just left behind. Not only that, but spiritual energy was abundant around them, almost as if they'd returned to the Nine Heavens.

"Did we leave the Primordial Realm?" Mu Xuelian questioned as she looked around with a puzzled face.

"No, we're still inside the Primordial Realm," Xiao Meilin said.

"But the spiritual energy here…"

"It's from the Spirit Tree."

"What is the Spirit Tree, anyway?" Yuan suddenly asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," Xiao Meilin replied with a mysterious smile.

"Now, let's meet the old man."

Not far ahead stood a vast estate, its ancient architecture reminiscent of the grandeur of the Primordial Era.

Even without using his divine sense, Yuan could sense many powerful presences coming from it.

When they reached the entrance, they were greeted by a handsome young man who looked to be in his early twenties.

"Let me introduce you to Xiao Chen, the youngest in our family. He's my little brother."

"Hm?" Yuan raised an eyebrow at this information and remarked, "But I don't recall such an individual in the Asura Clan."

"That's because he was born after we entered the Primordial Realm," Xiao Meilin explained.

"Born? Your father hooked up with someone in this place?" Yuan wore a dumbfounded look on his face at this revelation.

"Something like that."

"Does that mean you have a new mother right now?"

Xiao Meilin silently nodded.

"..."

A strange sensation suddenly rippled through Yuan, stirring a buried memory of Xiao Meilin's first mother and his bitter connection with her.

"You must be Master Tian. It's an honor to finally meet you after all these years," said Xiao Chen, snapping Yuan out of his thoughts.

Yuan looked at him and said, "You don't have to address me as Master Tian since I never taught you. Just call me Yuan."

"Meilin, you too. Tian Xian is long dead. I am now Yuan," he continued while staring her in the eye.

"Is that an order?" she asked with a perplexed look in her gaze.

"No, it's not."

"Then I will continue to call you Master Tian since it's what I am used to," she calmly responded.

"If that's what makes you more comfortable," Yuan said with a defeated smile.

"Anyway, you can get to know more about Xiao Chen later. The old man is waiting for you."

Yuan nodded, and they stepped into the residence. Yet instead of stopping inside, they continued straight through the estate and into the line of trees beyond.

A few minutes later, they reached a tranquil lake, where a handsome middle-aged man with a naturally sharp and stern countenance sat cross-legged upon the water's surface, silently cultivating.

"Go ahead," Xiao Meilin said to Yuan.

Yuan silently approached the lake the next moment.

When Yuan reached the edge of the lake, the handsome man slowly opened his eyes and spoke in a soft tone, "Forgive me, but I cannot move from this spot right now, much less give you a proper greeting."

Yuan narrowed his eyes and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"I must remain focused right now, so I'll explain everything to you in a bit."

"Take your time," Yuan said before sitting down on the soft grass.

"Thank you, my lord." The middle-aged man closed his eyes again and fell silent.