"Who is it?" Vermilion Demon Lord asked wearily.
"It''s me, Lindsay."
Her voice chimed clear through the door, yet beneath the brightness hid exhaustion and a brittle thread of worry.
Vermilion swung the door wide. Lindsay stepped in, a tray cradled in her hands.
Resting on the tray were several ornate emerald vials and a clutch of scarlet spirit fruits.
The moment her gaze found Jared sitting upright, relief blossomed across her tired face. "You''re awake!"
Lindsay hurried across the room and set the tray upon the low table. "How do you feel? Does the pain still bite? I brought our best Crimson me Pills, and these Earthfire Spirit Fruits. They''ll help rebuild your strength."
Jared noticed the swollen redness around her eyes and the pallor beneath them. Warmth stirred in his chest. "Thank you, Your Highness. The wounds are heavy, yet still bearable."
"No more titles," she murmured. "Just call me Lindsay."
Lindsay drew a shaky breath, shoulders trembling. "Jared, I thank you, truly. If not for you, none of us would have returned. Lyndon, Ethan, and so many of our people from Earthfire Pavilion fell. It was my foolish insistence on going with you."
Her words made Jared think of Lizbeth.
Faces of countless women flickered through his memory, swift as sparks across embers.
Yet the images vanished as quickly as they came. Now was no time for tender memories.
Jared offered a faint smile. "You need not me yourself, Your Highness. Malevolent Path Hall nned this long ago. Even if you had stayed behind, they would have struck elsewhere. What matters now is finding the traitor and avenging the fallen."
Lindsay nodded hard, dashing a tear from her cheek. "Father is investigating with all his strength. But... about Elliot..."
The sentence died. Doubt clouded her eyes, yet refusal to believe sealed her lips.
Jared met her gaze, then steered the conversation away. "Your Highness, I have a favor to ask."
"Name it! If it''s within my power, I''ll do it," Lindsay said.
"I need a ce utterly secluded, where no one will disturb me while I heal. This chamber is safe enough, but still has people passing by. And some of my recovery techniques are best kept from prying eyes," Jared exined.
Lindsay blinked, then understanding lit her face.
Jared had the Golden Dragon Bloodline and other secret techniques.
Lindsay bit her lip to think. Then, she lit up and said, "I have a ce in mind! It''s the forbidden ground. Aside from father and a few elders, no one can enter. I can bring you there."
"A forbidden ground?" Vermilion Demon Lord echoed.
"Is that okay?" he pressed. "If Mr. Ignatius finds out, Your Highness will be in trouble."
"I don''t care!" Lindsay snapped.
"Jared pulled us back from the brink. Even Father would honor that debt. The forbidden ground stays empty year-round. It''s perfect for healing unseen."
Jared traded a nce with Vermilion and nodded. "Thank you, Your Highness." "Let''s go now. It''s midnight. The guards are fewer. I''m familiar with the route to the forbidden ground. We can avoid the guards," Lindsay suggested.
From her satchel, she produced a ck cloak and pressed it into Jared''s hands. "Wear this. It can hide your aura."
Lindsay led Jared and Vermilion out of the chamber. They avoided the guards and headed for the deep mountains.
Thend behind the Earthfire Pavilion was a crimson mountain range with a restriction spell.
The deeper the mountains, the higher the temperature. The air was filled with pure fire-type spiritual energy.
Sometimes people could find red crystals emitting a warm glow.
"That''s the entrance to the forbidden ground," Lindsay said while pointing at a wall.
"This ce has many illusion and defensive arrays. Only the core, members of the Earthfire Pavilion
the way to enter the forbidden
Kund."
Then, Lindsay formed hand seals and chanted spells. Crimson runes flowed from her fingers toward the wall.
The wall rippled and revealed a cave.
Inside, a stairway curved downward, its walls studded with faintly glowing rubicund crystals that offered just enough light to show the steps.
"Follow me." Lindsay descended first.
Jared and Vermilion followed.
After entering the cave, the wall closed and blocked the sound from outside.
The cave was very quiet. They could only hear their footsteps.
The stone staircase spiraled downward. The lower they went, the hotter they felt.
After fifteen minutes, they reached a huge underground cave.
It was thirty feet high and a hundred feet wide.
Ava pool stood at the center of the cave. Theva flowed slowly, emitting hot
gases and pure fire-type spiritual energy.
Rare fire-type spiritual nt and medicine grew around theva pool. Some of them had lived up to a thousand years.
The cave walls had crimson crystals carved in, making the cave looked red.
"This is the forbidden ground, called the Earth Fire Core. My ancestors learned fire techniques and
established the Earthfire Pavili
The fire type spiritual energy here is. a hundred times denser than in other ces. It''s a good ce to cultivate fire techniques," Lindsay exined.
"However, the temperature here is too high. Normal cultivators can''t withstand the
heat. Jared, you''re not recovered. Can you handle it?"
Jared felt the thick fire-type spiritual
energy in the air. His chaotic celestial energy had started to absorb the spiritual energy and
turned it into celestial energe repair his meridians.
"It suits me perfectly. Thank you, Your Highness," he said.
"I told you—just call me Lindsay." She waved the formality away.
"Stay here and heal. I''ll bring pills and food on a schedule. For now, I won''t tell Father. When you''ve recovered, we''ll think about itter."
"Your Highness'' kindness will not be forgotten." Jared bowed deeply.
A soft flush crept across Lindsay''s cheeks. "Then rest well. I''ll check on you
tomorrow," she replied shyly.
She turned and ascended the stone staircase.