Halfway up the mountain, near the summit, the pitch-black sky suddenly brightened.

At first, they thought it was just the lovely moonlight illuminating the night. But after rounding a few more bends in the path, Chu Susu suddenly pointed at the sky and exclaimed in shock, "Monk, it looks like your temple is on fire!"

"Nonsense. Yunliu Temple has stood for two hundred years. How could it possibly—"

The Monk scoffed at first, thinking it was impossible. But when he looked in the direction Chu Susu was pointing, his scoff instantly turned to stunned disbelief, and he broke into a sprint up the mountain. "It’s all over! Yunliu Temple is really on fire! You all stay close to this Little Monk! This Little Monk must rush up the mountain to fight the fire!"

SWOOSH!

"Hehehe—" The Monk suddenly let out a strange laugh. In the blink of an eye, he took several steps, leaving a trail of afterimages as he vanished into the night.

"Yours truly is heading out first!"

The Monk’s strange laughter echoed faintly from the mountains. Zheng Xiu and Feng Bei exchanged a look of surprise. This flamboyant Playful Monk had hidden his skills so well. ’Just look at that speed,’ he thought. ’Even someone on the [Wandering] path might not be able to match him. And you’re telling me this Playful Monk is actually an [Ascetic Monk]?’

"Brother Zheng."

Feng Bei blinked and held out her hand, her intention clear.

"Alright! I’ll fly us up!" Zheng Xiu understood in an instant and didn’t hesitate. But as he reached for Susu, he paused, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Your Omen... It’ll be fine if I hold onto her, right?"

Hearing this, the faint smile on Feng Bei’s lips froze. Her cheeks puffed out slightly as she turned her head away and said calmly, "It’s fine."

Relieved, Zheng Xiu grabbed the bewildered Chu Susu and activated his [Caged Sparrow] form.

In an instant, fangs sprouted from the corners of his mouth, and the claw-shaped tattoo on Zheng Xiu’s chest surged, covering his entire body.

Amidst shadows that flowed like ink, a single, enormous wing unfurled. Zheng Xiu transformed into a demonic figure and, to Chu Susu’s shocked and terrified gaze, grabbed both Feng Bei and Chu Susu and shot into the sky. No, this couldn’t be called a solo flight; to be precise, it was a "triple flight."

Meaning, three people taking off at once.

Zheng Xiu, carrying Feng Bei and Chu Susu—one older, one younger—ascended to the heavens as three.

From high above, they saw the century-old temple completely engulfed in a raging sea of fire. The glow of the flames soared into the sky, dyeing the night red.

In the fire’s glow, Zheng Xiu faintly perceived hidden figures stirring in the surrounding woods, ready to make their move!

Zheng Xiu flew, skimming just over the treetops, and reached the summit in an instant.

The ancient Yunliu Temple was in chaos. Dozens of monks were carrying bucket after bucket of water, splashing them onto the blaze.

But the flames lit up the sky, and against such a massive blaze, the buckets of water were but a trickle, useless in their attempts to douse the fire.

"Master!"

Zheng Xiu had just landed when the Monk arrived a moment later before the ancient temple, his face fraught with panic.

"Can you clear a path?"

Zheng Xiu watched the Monk fearlessly charge into the sea of flames, then turned to ask Feng Bei.

Feng Bei nodded calmly. "I can."

"Then?"

Feng Bei said helplessly, "But I would destroy the temple and everyone inside it as well."

’What to do?’

Zheng Xiu was reminded of his own "handmade nuke."

Its power was just as immense.

But for a task like firefighting, no matter what his [Surprise Cage] might conjure, it would be useless against the flames.

Like Feng Bei, he could only tear everything apart.

"You all stay here! I’m going in to save the painting!"

Zheng Xiu remembered that this body was merely an Incarnation, unafraid of fire. He prepared to charge in and see if he could retrieve the painting.

DOK! DOK! DOK! DOK!

Just then, a series of rapid knocking sounds came from within the temple’s sea of fire.

"Everyone, fall back!"

The Monk who had charged into the inferno came rushing back out, gesturing as he ran for the other Ascetic Monks to fall back.

"You three as well, fall back! Quickly! There’s no time to lose!"

The Monk strode up to Feng Bei and Zheng Xiu, signaling for the three of them to get back at once.

Zheng Xiu, who had been about to charge into the flames to save the painting, froze for a moment. But he saw that the Monk was speaking with a clear mind, not just panicked rambling. After a moment of thought, he decided to wait and see what would happen.

One by one, the monks retreated beyond the temple’s courtyard walls.

Then, the incessant knocking suddenly slowed.

DOK, dok... dok... dok...... DOK!

A final knock sealed it.

"Wait a moment."

An old, melodic voice echoed from within the temple.

The next second, something bizarre occurred.

Centered on the spot where the voice had originated, the ferocious blaze began to spread outward, as if shoved aside by a giant, invisible hand.

It continued until it formed a massive ring of fire that completely encircled the temple.

The fire that had engulfed the mountainside,

had been pushed back by a simple, understated, "Wait a moment"!