"I'm sorry, Ning Beichen, can you block him for me? This Zhao Jun is not easy to deal with, and my grandfather can't offend him too openly," Chen Mingyue whispered to Ning Beichen.
Ning Beichen remained expressionless but placed his hand on Chen Mingyue's waist, causing her body to tremble slightly and her face to turn a little red. Although she knew Ning Beichen was only helping her and didn't have any real intentions, the feeling of her heart pounding was undeniable.
A man as young and powerful as Ning Beichen naturally attracted women like Chen Mingyue, who were considered prodigies. Girls at Chen Mingyue's level generally wouldn't look down on ordinary men; they would only be impressed by men who were even more outstanding. It was similar to how most celebrities were unwilling to marry ordinary people of a different social standing. It wasn't that they looked down on others, but that their levels were different. For example, if you earned three thousand yuan a month, while a female celebrity's monthly expenses were three hundred thousand yuan, how could they make it work?
"Who are you?" Zhao Jun walked over, staring intently at Ning Beichen and asking.
"None of your business who I am." Ning Beichen wouldn't indulge him. The Chen family might be difficult to offend, but Ning Beichen had no such worries.
"Do you know who I am?" Zhao Jun's eyes were filled with murderous intent. Regardless of who this person was, in his eyes, he was already a dead man. Chen Mingyue could only belong to him, and no one could snatch her away.
"No, and I don't want to know. If you have nothing else, scram, don't be an eyesore here," Ning Beichen said arrogantly, gesturing to the side.
"You're seeking death! I tell you, if I don't destroy you today, then my name isn't Zhao Jun!" Zhao Jun couldn't remain calm and let out an angry roar, throwing a punch towards Ning Beichen's face. How could a proud son of heaven be insulted like this?
"Zhao Jun, how dare you!" Chen Mingyue shouted. Ning Beichen also frowned. Just as he was about to act and destroy Zhao Jun, he saw Chen Zhoutian suddenly block in front of Ning Beichen. With a shake of his palm, he pushed Zhao Jun back.
"Junior Ning is an invited guest of our Chen family. Zhao Jun, don't cause trouble!" Chen Zhoutian only pushed Zhao Jun back, not injuring him, merely issuing a warning.
"That's enough, Old Master Chen. Let's not interfere in the matters of the younger generation. Time is almost up; let the juniors prepare to go in," At this moment, an old man in a Tang suit flashed beside Zhao Jun and said to Chen Zhoutian. As he spoke, he transmitted a message to Zhao Jun: "Don't be angry. With Old Master Chen here, you won't have a chance to kill him. If you want to kill him, do it inside."
Zhao Jun nodded slightly, looking at Ning Beichen as if he were looking at a dead man.
"Very well, juniors, gather around and follow me." Chen Zhoutian and the other Grandmasters led the younger generation towards the summit of Sun Moon Mountain. Ning Beichen only realized upon arriving at Sun Moon Mountain that it was a volcano, and its summit was the crater.
"The place you are going to is inside here. However, before you enter, I need to reiterate: go to the bottom of the volcano. At the bottom, there will be a blue barrier. You can enter the ruins by passing through the blue barrier..."
"It's very dangerous inside the ruins, with many areas that we haven't explored. Those places contain terrifying dangers, and the area you are going to is the outer perimeter."
"Although the outer perimeter is not as dangerous, you must not be careless. After entering, you will need to unite and help each other. If you encounter danger inside, retreat promptly. We will be waiting outside to support you."
The young generation nodded one after another, and then, led by these Grandmasters, they descended to the bottom of the volcano using ropes. Ning Beichen felt the residual heat from inside the volcano, wondering if they would all be cooked if the volcano suddenly erupted. However, Ning Beichen was just thinking about it. Such coincidences were rare. The Grandmaster Alliance must have investigated and confirmed that the volcano would not erupt before allowing the younger generation to come.
Soon, everyone descended to the bottom of the volcano and indeed saw a sky-blue barrier. This barrier was like a wall of water, giving off a very magical feeling. Ning Beichen also looked at the blue barrier, sighing inwardly. Seeing this magical barrier, one could see how glorious and enviable the ancient cultivation sects were. They could not only build sects at the bottom of volcanoes but also had mysterious barriers as their gateways, something that modern cultivators could never achieve.
"Remember, do not be greedy. Go in." The Grandmaster spoke, and the younger generation entered one after another. Ning Beichen and Chen Mingyue entered together.
Upon entering the blue barrier, Ning Beichen felt as if he were weightless, floating in the air. After a while, he felt as if his body was being disintegrated, causing a sense of panic. Fortunately, this feeling didn't last long. After about a minute, Ning Beichen returned to normal and found himself in an unfamiliar place. Ning Beichen observed his surroundings and soon Chen Mingyue appeared near him. Besides her, there were some people who had entered before them.
About five minutes later, everyone had entered. There were a total of twenty-three people, and it was clear that each person had their own small group. Some had five or six people, while others had only two. Only a few stood alone, without companions. Ning Beichen was naturally with Chen Mingyue. They were alone, and Ning Beichen had no intention of acting with more people. For exploration missions like this, more people weren't always better, unless they were all from the same team.
Chen Mingyue was looking around curiously when she saw Zhao Jun walking towards them, alone, with three people behind him, clearly following his lead.
"Mingyue, come here." Zhao Jun directly commanded Chen Mingyue. As for Ning Beichen, he was already considered a dead man in his eyes.
"Zhao Jun, we are all here to find the Breaking Sect Pill. Don't cause trouble." Chen Mingyue naturally wouldn't go to him and refused him with a frown of displeasure.
"Mingyue, are you not willing to come over because of him?" Zhao Jun's gaze shifted to Ning Beichen, his murderous intent intensifying.
"Zhao Jun, who I am with is my freedom. You have no right to control me," Chen Mingyue said angrily.
"Mingyue, you've changed. You weren't like this before. I don't care who he is, but what can he give you? Can he compare to what I, Zhao Jun, can give you?" Zhao Jun's eyes narrowed, his gaze as sharp as a blade.