Wei Haolong!

Shu Han remarked, "Your name sounds so masculine, yet you look so delicate and even like to dress as a woman."

Wei Haolong replied with a darkened face, "I didn't get to choose my name or appearance! If you want to know how to sneak into Fiery Cloud Onsen, follow me."

"Wait! Stay back!"

As Wei Haolong approached, Shu Han involuntarily stepped back, saying, "My spiritual power is severely depleted right now. Stay away from me! If you have any ill intentions, I need to be able to escape!"

Grinding his teeth in anger, Wei Haolong retorted, "Why would I harm you after we made a deal?"

Shu Han chuckled, "Faces can be deceiving. Wait here until I recover some of my spiritual power."

Wei Haolong snorted coldly, "You're as timid as a mouse!"

While keeping a wary eye on Wei Haolong, Shu Han began to channel energy from a spirit stone to restore his spiritual power. Half an hour later, after consuming two medium-grade spirit stones and regaining half his spiritual power, Shu Han activated his Triple Rotation Avatar Technique and sent an avatar to stand before Wei Haolong.

Somewhat puzzled, Wei Haolong asked, "What is this...?"

"It's my avatar. Your strength is intimidating, so I have to be cautious. You'll teach my avatar how to enter Fiery Cloud Onsen. Only after that will I trust you."

With disdain, Wei Haolong remarked, "You called me effeminate, yet you show no semblance of bravery yourself!"

Shu Han laughed, "Does bravery guarantee survival? By the way, why do you like dressing as a woman? Could it be that you like...?"

Enraged, Wei Haolong cut him off, "Nonsense! I'm only interested in delicate female cultivators!" A sly smile then formed on his lips, "Once I master your pupil technique, won't I be able to look at any female cultivator I want in Fiery Cloud Instant Sect without the risk of hiding in Fiery Cloud Onsen?"

Seeing the gleam in his eyes, Shu Han couldn't help but comment, "With your power and appearance, the female cultivators of Fiery Cloud Instant Sect would surely be drawn to you. Why resort to such shady tactics?"

Wei Haolong scoffed, "That's you typical male thinking! Always letting lower desires guide decisions. I appreciate beauty from an artistic standpoint, which is vastly different from your lustful thoughts. Beauty is to be admired from a distance, not to be disrespected, understand?"

You typical male thinking?...

Left dumbfounded, Shu Han clamped his mouth shut, fearing further mental corruption from this man.

Subsequently, he trailed behind Wei Haolong toward the vicinity of Fiery Cloud Onsen. Surprisingly, Wei Haolong did not halt but led Shu Han past the onsen.

Casting a backward glance at the receding Fiery Cloud Onsen, Shu Han couldn't help but question, "Where exactly are you leading me?"

With an unwavering gaze, Wei Haolong stated, "The formation surrounding Fiery Cloud Onsen was meticulously established by the supreme sect leader himself; there's no possibility of exploiting any weaknesses. We must find another entry point."

Another entry?

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Mildly dubious, Shu Han continued to follow Wei Haolong in descent until suddenly, they alighted atop the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard.

Standing on the vast, crimson jade leaderboard, Shu Han peered down at the throngs of cultivators below, realizing they had deviated quite a distance from Fiery Cloud Onsen.

Before Shu Han could voice his curiosity, Wei Haolong cast a sweeping glance around, ensuring no prying eyes. Subsequently, he etched a mark on the rocky surface behind the leaderboard. Instantly, gleaming golden runes surfaced. Wei Haolong, pulling Shu Han along, dived straight into these glyphs.

The runes concealed a deep tunnel, its walls illuminated by fiery red gemstones. With a leisurely stride, Wei Haolong ventured deeper into the tunnel.

Amazed, Shu Han exclaimed, "Well played! To secretly observe female cultivators, you began your scheming here by tunneling? Truly a role model for our generation!"

A shade darker, Wei Haolong retorted, "This isn't just any tunnel. An average person would never detect or breach it. Furthermore, I didn't excavate this tunnel."

"Then who did?"

"My father."

Shu Han was taken aback, "Like father, like son, I see."

"Watch your words!"

With a weight in his tone, Wei Haolong explained, "This was originally a maintenance passageway left behind during the construction of Fiery Cloud Onsen. Every hundred years, the inscriptions governing the spring's transition array must be renewed. My father disclosed this entrance to me, hoping it would expedite my cultivation progress so that I might stabilize my Golden Core stage earlier. However, I…"

In an attempt to console, Shu Han said, "Aren't you quite formidable yourself? I can't even defeat you! A quasi-core cultivator, ranked third on the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard, isn't that enough to make your father proud?"

"You wouldn't understand!"

Abruptly, anger flared within Wei Haolong, causing his normally gentle features to tremble with rage. Staring at his hands, he voiced, "I've been trapped in the quasi-core realm for 150 years. I've stood on the cusp of breaking through for so long, tried countless heavenly treasures and elixirs, even had the sect leader personally assist me, yet made not a whit of progress! Can you fathom the look he now gives me? It's as though he regrets ever having me..."

"Erm... Golden Cores are elusive; take your time, don't rush..."

Suddenly deflating like a punctured raft, Wei Haolong sighed, "Perhaps, in this lifetime, I'll never attain the Golden Core. I remain a stain on my father's honor. Alas, why am I even sharing this with you? Come along."

Following the silently brooding Wei Haolong, Shu Han could feel the depths of despair in the man's heart. It seemed the truest side of Wei Haolong had been inadvertently exposed as if the pent-up feelings over the years made him more prone to unbosom himself.

After winding their way through the tunnel for what felt like hours, they finally arrived beneath the matrix of Fiery Cloud Onsen. The sight of it left Shu Han in awe.

Before them yawned a vast fissure spanning dozens of feet from which an intense torrent of Earth Dragon flames surged forth. Despite the immense heat source, not a hint of scorching warmth permeated the surroundings.

The reason lay in twelve enormous jade pillars, each thrice the height of a man, encircling the volcanic crevice. Every pillar was adorned with intricate golden inscriptions.

Linking with each other, they formed an enigmatic and profound array pattern, transforming the vast sea of Earth Dragon flames into their pure essence, feeding it directly to the Fiery Cloud Onsen above.

Touching one of the jade pillars, Shu Han felt an odd mix of icy cold and gentle warmth.

"This seems to be the Extreme Cold Pure Ice Jade, holy... This is a treasure! And such a large piece!"

He recalled Shangguan Ruolin once mentioning the Extreme Cold Pure Ice Jade when discussing the frigid physique. It held a value no less than the ten-thousand-year-old profound ice and was even rarer. His eyes glazed with greed as he observed the ice jades in front of him.

Wei Haolong remarked, "Bringing you here implies my trust. The Pure Ice Jade Pillars were personally refined and strengthened by the sect leader using a formation. If you possessed a late-stage Core Formation cultivation, you could probably uproot them."

Shu Han retorted, "If I had a late-stage Core Formation cultivation, would I even be interested in these Pure Ice Jade Pillars? But how do we ascend to Fiery Cloud Onsen from here?"

Pointing to a gaping hole above, scorched by flames, Wei Haolong said, "We'll ascend following these flames."

"Are you mad?!" Shu Han snapped, "Such ferocious Earth Dragon flames, one touch and I'd be ashes. If you're trying to harm me, at least come up with a plausible reason!"

Wei Haolong smirked, "Believe what you will! However, not now. At the hour of Zi, the chill from the Pure Ice Jade Pillars is at its peak, and the array's purifying power is at its zenith. Only then can one use spiritual power to shield oneself, ascending along the Earth Dragon flame's essence to Fiery Cloud Onsen."

Shu Han replied, "Fine, come the hour of Zi, guide my avatar first. I'll verify the truth of your words."