"So, sister, you really are…?"
Chu Feng stared at the red-haired woman, hungry for an answer.
After all, a guess was only a guess. It was a definite answer that could put one's mind at ease.
"Come with me."
The red-haired woman seized Chu Feng's arm and shot into the sea of flames.
Passing through the fire, they could see that the Ancestral Dragon's remains — once sprawled across the earth like an endless mountain range — had vanished without a trace.
The red-haired woman did not stop. She carried Chu Feng deep into the subterranean depths.
When she finally came to a halt, Chu Feng felt a wave of confusion.
This world did not differ much from other worlds. The deepest point underground was not soil, but churning, roiling magma.
Such magma could pose no harm to cultivators of their level. Yet precisely because the magma was so ordinary, with nothing special about it on the surface or within, Chu Feng could not fathom why the red-haired woman had brought him here.
The red-haired woman seemed to sense his confusion. She smiled faintly, then pointed downward at the magma. A small crystal palace rose from the molten rock.
Chu Feng's eyes widened in wonder.
The crystal palace was not particularly large, and its entire body was transparent, so its structure could be clearly seen.
It was a treasure — one that contained an exceedingly powerful healing force. Most of that force had already been depleted, yet what remained was still far from trivial. One could only imagine how formidable a healing artifact it had been when whole.
But Chu Feng's amazement was not directed solely at the crystal palace itself. Rather, it was the fact that this object had been here all along.
And yet his observational powers, at such close range, had detected absolutely nothing.
That alone spoke volumes. The red-haired woman's mastery of barrier arts operated on an entirely different plane.
"Your elder sister was gravely wounded in the past."
"I had no choice but to shed my body and hide here to recuperate."
"I only recently regained my freedom."
"So yes — your elder sister is indeed what they call the Ancestral Dragon."
"Little brother, let me ask you something." The red-haired woman suddenly spoke.
"Go ahead, sister," Chu Feng replied.
"If your body had been skinned and flayed by others without your consent, used for their cultivation, and afterward they addressed you as 'Ancestor' while putting on a show of worship — would you forgive them, or would you kill them?"
The red-haired woman gazed at Chu Feng with a smile.
Chu Feng fell silent.
This question was extraordinarily difficult to answer.
Because this was the red-haired woman's experience, and he had neither the right nor the ability to answer on her behalf.
Yet answer he must.
"Sister, the fact that you raise this means the Totem Dragon Clan did something that enraged you. Whatever their reasons, acting without your consent was wrong on their part."
"What their ancestors did was inexcusable. If you truly wish to hold their descendants accountable, I believe that is entirely within reason."
"However, among the Totem Dragon Clan are friends of mine."
"So I have a presumptuous request. I would ask my sister to grant me face and spare them — give them a chance to make amends."
With those words, Chu Feng bowed deeply.
He knew the red-haired woman had both the power and the justification to annihilate the Totem Dragon Clan. He had no right to ask her to let go of her grudge.
But these were the Totem Dragon Clan, and he could not simply stand by and watch them perish. So he had no choice but to swallow his pride and plead.
"Make amends?"
"How can a bunch of worthless wretches possibly make amends?"
When those words left the red-haired woman's mouth, Chu Feng's heart sank. But the red-haired woman looked at him and continued: "However, for my little brother's sake, I am willing to spare their lives."
"But even between close siblings, accounts must be settled clearly. So this favor will be one you must repay, little brother."
"How shall I repay it?" Chu Feng asked.
"I haven't decided yet. But you are different from them. With your talent, if you truly grow to your potential, there will surely come a day when you can repay me," the red-haired woman said.
"Rest assured, sister. For me, Chu Feng, to have the honor of being acknowledged as your little brother is already a tremendous privilege."
"Moreover, today you have been willing to grant me this favor. In the future, whenever you have need of me, I will do everything in my power — without reservation."
Chu Feng swore with absolute conviction.