Chapter 555: The Red Pagoda

Yuan and his wives were slaughtering monsters left and right as they made their way toward the Red Pagoda. The entire area was teeming with powerful Spirit Master and Grandmaster realm monsters.

After killing almost fifty peak Spirit Master realm beasts, another group of monsters approached them—this time, a herd of powerful Black Horned Oxen, all at the Spirit Grandmaster level.

"Be careful, everyone! A lot of monsters are heading this way, and they're much stronger than the last group!" Fang Xiaoyan shouted, warning the group of the approaching danger.

"It's fine. We've got this," Lily said confidently, a proud grin spreading across her face as she tightened her grip on her sword.

"Don't underestimate the Black Horned Oxen," Fang Xiaoyan cautioned, her expression serious. "Not only are they in the Grandmaster realm, but they also possess immense physical strength and a high defense that can reduce both physical and spiritual damage. Even an experienced cultivator would hesitate before taking one on."

"So, use your strongest techniques from the start. It's the only way you'll make it through this alive," she added, her voice firm.

'What does she mean by that?' Yuan thought, raising a brow in confusion. 'Is she not going to fight with us?'

"Umm... Aren't you going to help?" Sylvia asked, puzzled.

"I'll step in if things go wrong, but other than that, Grandpa has forbidden me from interfering," Fang Xiaoyan responded with a light smile.

"I see..." Sylvia murmured, her expression deflated as she realized it would have been easier if Fang Xiaoyan had helped from the start.

Before long, the massive oxen appeared, their red eyes fixed on the group with an intimidating glare. Each one exuded a Grandmaster-level aura.

"Leave them to me. I can handle it," Yuan said calmly, stepping forward.

"Are you sure you can take on all of them by yourself?" Anna asked, her face filled with worry. She couldn't stand the thought of her beloved son getting hurt.

"I'm confident in my strength," Yuan reassured her with a smile. He enveloped his sword in Sword Aura, sending a sudden chill down everyone's spine.

"What is this feeling?! Is this the Sword Aura he just learned?" Mireya exclaimed, her face filled with shock. She had never felt anything like it.

"Indeed," Fang Xiaoyan nodded with a smile. "And it seems his Sword Aura has grown stronger, making it even more effective. That explains the chill."

"With Sword Aura, he can defeat them easily. It'll only take him a few seconds to wipe out the entire group," Fang Xiaoyan added, her eyes glowing with admiration as she watched Yuan approach the monsters.

'Damn! He looks even more handsome and cool like this!' Fang Xiaoyan inwardly gushed, eager to watch him in action.

Whoosh! Yuan's figure vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving only a trail of flame behind, shocking everyone—except for Xi Meili, who smirked knowingly at Fang Xiaoyan.

'Why is she looking at me like that?' Fang Xiaoyan wondered, puzzled by Xi Meili's knowing glance.

Swish! Yuan reappeared near the monsters and swung his sword in rapid, successive strikes. In the blink of an eye, almost thirty oxen were reduced to a bloody paste. Not a single bone remained intact, causing the remaining monsters to panic. Even his wives were left speechless by the scene.

"After becoming a Sword Master, my reaction time and senses have improved by several times, increasing my speed and precision. It allows me to swing my sword at an incredible speed," Yuan explained with a proud smile, though he was still internally amazed at his own power.

"I see... I'll do my best to become a Sword Master too so I can use Sword Aura like you, my brother dearest," Lily chuckled before leaning in and kissing him briefly on the lips.

Seeing them kiss, Fang Xiaoyan's thoughts drifted to the kiss she had shared with Yuan earlier, when they had watched fireworks together at Xian City. The memory made her cheeks flush, and she felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him again.

'What am I even thinking?! I must be going crazy to be having such thoughts!' she scolded herself inwardly, feeling both frustrated and embarrassed.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a large, open area where the Red Pagoda stood tall and magnificent at its center.

"So this is the Red Pagoda... It's enormous and beautiful," Anna mumbled, staring at it in awe.

Valeria walked up to the massive iron door, smiling as she said, "Let's see if I can open this door or not."

She pressed her hands against the door and applied her strength, but no matter how hard she pushed, the door wouldn't budge.

"Damn it! Why won't this door open even with all my strength?" Valeria grumbled, clearly annoyed.

Shaking her head, Fang Xiaoyan responded, "Miss Valeria, no matter how much force you use, this door won't open like that."

"Then how are we supposed to get it open?" Valeria asked, raising an eyebrow in frustration.

"I don't know," Fang Xiaoyan replied calmly.

"Let me try," Yuan said, still holding the Empyreal Oblivion in his hand. He approached the door with a composed expression.

Suddenly, the massive iron door—sealed for thousands of years—began to tremble before slowly swinging open, sucking in a gust of air as it did.

"..."

"I-It opened?!" Yuan was stunned as the massive door swung open seemingly by itself.

"I-Impossible!" Fang Xiaoyan exclaimed in disbelief. The iron door of the Red Pagoda, sealed for thousands of years, had opened in Yuan's presence.

"H-How did you do that, Yuan?! How did you manage to open the door?" Fang Xiaoyan quickly asked as she hurried over to him, her eyes wide with shock.

But Yuan simply stared at the door, equally puzzled, and shook his head. "I don't know... I don't have the answer."

His gaze then fell to the Empyreal Oblivion in his hand, and a thought flickered in his mind. 'Could it be... this sword is the key to opening the pagoda?'

'Is that even possible?' Yuan pondered for a moment before coming to a conclusion.