Lei Dong and Qi Feifei had both recovered significantly from their injuries; at least, more than half of their strength had been restored. After spending some time searching the simulated Purgatory zone, they found no sign of the injured Qing Tai Bingyun, nor any trace of Jie Chen. Their fates remained unknown. Especially concerning Jie Chen, while Wei Feifei should have had no difficulty locating him using the Mi Shu Xun Lang Gui, there had been absolutely no news. Wu Peng from Shura Heaven was also nowhere to be seen, presumably hiding in a safe location to recuperate.

If he had simply fled to another area, he would be like a dragon returning to the sea—impossible to track. While each zone was substantial, one could move between them without relying on the teleportation arrays, though it would take more time and effort. Jie Chen was less of a concern; Lei Dong was confident he was no weaker than him, and would only grow stronger. However, what troubled Lei Dong most was the fate of Qing Tai Bingyun. She was a formidable enemy, fighting with ferocious abandon, and her innate talent was nearly on par with that of his Senior Sister and Dongfang Fu. Having forged a mortal enmity with her, failing to eliminate her would be like having a fishbone stuck in his throat—extremely agonizing.

Unfortunately, Lei Dong was also deeply concerned about the matter of the Xixin Fruit and dared not waste too much time. Upon locating the Dark Demon Tower in this purgatorial environment, they discovered that the tower in this particular zone had not yet been conquered. So, he and Wei Feifei joined forces, fighting their way through the seven floors.

Just as Lei Dong was beginning to harbor little hope for this attempt, a flash of white light appeared, and an aura-radiating fruit materialized on the ground.

Lei Dong had never seen this fruit, but Qi Feifei was intimately familiar with its depictions. She immediately gasped, "Xixin Fruit!" Lei Dong swiftly reached out and retrieved it. After a close examination, he noted that the fruit had thin skin and abundant juice, glowing with a soft, ethereal white light on its surface—exquisitely beautiful. The fruit was intensely tempting, stirring an immediate impulse in Lei Dong to swallow it whole.

"Senior Brother Lei, the fruit shouldn't be kept outside for too long. Put it in this small bottle," Wei Feifei exclaimed happily, tossing him a spatial jade vial and instructing him on the proper way to store the fruit.

Without a word, Lei Dong placed it inside the spatial jade vial. Just as he was about to tuck it away, his brow twitched, and he sharply demanded, "Who is there?"

A figure slowly materialized about twenty feet away. As Lei and Wei looked over, they recognized the person as Zhao Wuji of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. At this moment, he was clad in a cloak of ancient design that he hadn't been wearing before. Seeing Lei Dong’s displeased expression from a distance, and sensing his readiness to attack, Zhao Wuji hastily forced a smile. "Brother Lei, please don't be angry, and don't even think about killing me. After all, once we leave the Heart Demon Palace, Martial Uncle Li will be waiting to receive all of us." He chuckled dismissively, hands clasped behind his back as he strolled away, though his face held a cold indifference. "Zhao Wuji, are you threatening me?"

Hearing Lei Dong’s words, Qi Feifei also let out a cold sneer, transforming into a crimson mist and flowing stealthily toward the space behind Zhao Wuji. Unlike others, Zhao Wuji was only at the second layer of the Foundation Establishment stage, barely having entered it. Even Wei Feifei herself wouldn't have much trouble defeating him in a one-on-one fight. Qi Feifei felt a pang of frustration; the moment she had first encountered Zhao Wuji, they had immediately entered the Heart Demon Palace, giving her no chance to place a Xun Lang Gui on him.

Zhao Wuji’s expression sobered, but he showed no intention of fleeing. Instead, a wry smile returned to his face. "Brother Lei, I am merely reminding you that you had an agreement with Martial Uncle Li. This single Xixin Fruit should rightfully belong to me."

"Oh?" Lei Dong sneered repeatedly. "Are you trying to use Elder Li to pressure me, Zhao Wuji? It is true that my agreement with Elder Li prioritizes you receiving one Xixin Fruit. However, that does not grant you license to act presumptuously in front of me. If you dare to wear that fake smile again, I will break both your legs, and we can see if Elder Li will feel awkward about it when we get out." Lei Dong now understood that Zhao Wuji’s appearance at this precise moment was far from accidental. The key to the Heart Demon Palace had been in the hands of the Heavenly Dao Alliance for over a thousand years, and it was within their sphere of influence. During that time, the Alliance might well have researched methods unknown to other top sects. No wonder Li Yijian never worried about what Lei Dong would do with the fruit once he obtained it—they clearly had a contingency.

"Senior Brother Lei, I would never dare act presumptuously before you." He had initially thought that invoking Martial Uncle Li’s name would deter Lei Dong from acting recklessly, especially since they would still be on the Heavenly Dao Alliance's territory upon exiting. But he forgot that Lei Dong hailed from the Yin Sha Sect, one of the eight great top sects in the world. If he were to kill Zhao Wuji, he naturally couldn't escape scot-free, but finding a justification to teach Zhao Wuji a harsh lesson wouldn't be difficult. At this point, Zhao Wuji dared not show any trace of arrogance; beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.

Of course, Lei Dong hadn't wasted breath on this tirade just to assert dominance or show off. He genuinely wanted to know how Zhao Wuji had managed to track him without his slightest awareness. Taking advantage of Zhao Wuji's extreme apprehension, Lei Dong pressed for an explanation.

After a long hesitation, Zhao Wuji finally revealed the truth. He had borrowed a cloak called the Xu Cha Cloak, a unique magical artifact specifically for the Heart Demon Palace. "It's quite simple to exit the area: the sect that built the Heart Demon Palace sends out personnel to maintain order and, incidentally, to monitor and guard the trial disciples entering. Back then, the nature of the Heart Demon Palace was quite different from now; it was established by a certain mysterious sect to train some of its top disciples, rather than having the current rule that only top disciples from various sects can enter. That’s why an Overseer would be involved. But the Overseers could not interfere with the established order of the disciples’ trials, so they had to be 'invisible men,' even ensuring that the disciples committed no errors. From beginning to end, the trial disciples wouldn't even know an Overseer was present. The Xu Cha Cloak is precisely such a special artifact; it grants invisibility and can even manipulate some of the restrictions within the Heart Demon Palace zones. Of course, this cloak can only be used in conjunction with the Heart Demon Palace's special restrictions. Once outside the palace, the Xu Cha Cloak is useless scrap—it has no function whatsoever."

Regrettably, after the Heavenly Dao Alliance acquired this item, they could only barely utilize its most basic function: "invisibility." Moreover, Zhao Wuji’s own technique for suppressing his aura was inadequate. When he saw Lei Dong obtain the Xixin Fruit and move to secure it, his breathing involuntarily quickened, and his mind became momentarily conflicted, which was precisely what the keenly perceptive Lei Dong sensed.

Hearing this, Lei Dong finally understood why Li Yijian hadn't provided him with a spatial vial for the Xixin Fruit—it was because Zhao Wuji was planted nearby as a hidden contingency. It was a well-laid plan; if Lei Dong refused to give the fruit to Zhao Wuji, he wouldn't even have a place to keep it. They likely calculated that they could trade the remaining spatial vials with Lei Dong for the Xixin Fruit. Still, one couldn't entirely blame them for plotting so deeply. But Lei Dong came from the Yin Sha Sect; if he truly broke his word later, secretly giving the fruit to Dongfang Fu, and claiming he never got it, could the Heavenly Dao Alliance really kill him? Lei Dong wasn't some random nobody; he had powerful backing. If the rising star of the Yin Sha Sect were killed, and Li Yijian knew that the Ten Thousand Ghosts Ancestor was fiercely protective of his own...

However, Li Yijian hadn't accounted for Lei Dong’s unique entanglement with Wei Feifei. Of course, none of that truly mattered; what mattered was that the Heavenly Dao Alliance sought to create external conditions that would compel Lei Dong to adhere to the agreement. Even if Li Yijian knew Lei Dong might be angry later, it would be futile. Would the Yin Sha Sect really adopt a policy of suppression against the Heavenly Dao Alliance just because Lei Dong was upset?

The more expressionless Lei Dong remained, the more uncertain Zhao Wuji became, growing increasingly anxious. After all, Lei Dong certainly wouldn't kill him in a fit of rage, but being beaten so severely that he couldn't get out of bed for half a year wouldn't be pleasant either...

"Fine, I understand," Lei Dong said after a moment of dark contemplation, though he still tucked the Xixin Fruit into his robe. "I am a man of my word. If I said the Heavenly Dao Alliance gets priority for one Xixin Fruit, they get priority. I will absolutely not go back on my word. However, I am worried you won't be able to protect this fruit yourself. Once we exit, I will personally hand it over to Elder Li. As for who he gives it to after that, I truly don't care."

"Brother Lei, heart..." Zhao Wuji's face fell, and he pleaded with difficulty, "Brother Lei, please rest assured. I have the Xu Cha Cloak on me. As long as I don't cause trouble, I can keep the Xixin Fruit safe."

"What I mean to say is precisely this matter." Lei Dong laughed, vanishing in a flicker of movement to appear directly in front of Zhao Wuji. "The Xu Cha Cloak—I’m borrowing it. You, on the other hand, had better find somewhere safe to stay. The group that entered the Heart Demon Palace this time—tsk, tsk—most of them have terrible tempers."

Zhao Wuji stared at Lei Dong's strained, mirthless smile, then glanced back at the menacingly watchful Wei Feifei. He knew exactly what the consequences would be if he uttered a single word of refusal. He could only reply with helpless resignation, "If Brother Lei wants to use it, take it. But you must return it once we leave the Heart Demon Palace."

"Don't worry, I already said I'm a man of my word. Besides, what use would this scrap have outside the Heart Demon Palace? Are you thinking of returning in a hundred years? By then, I'll either be nearing death or already a Golden Core Great Dao cultivator, unable to enter anyway." Lei Dong narrowed his eyes, taking the Xu Cha Cloak and carefully inquiring about the method for turning invisible. Only then did he cheerfully clap Zhao Wuji on the shoulder. "Brother Zhao, I have one more thing to instruct you on. Regardless of whether you saw anything between me and Wei Feifei, I do not wish to hear any rumors outside. Otherwise..."

"Actually, I didn't see anything at all," Zhao Wuji immediately nodded, adopting an honest expression.

"Don't answer so quickly." Lei Dong smiled, a genuinely warm smile this time. "I just said I'm a man of my word, but I am also a petty person. For example, I have all the bad habits like holding grudges over the smallest things, being narrow-minded, and holding onto resentments. Simply put, I treat those who are good to me well, and those who are not, poorly. You are still young, and your path is long. Think carefully about my words."

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