Upon hearing Chen Xiao's words, everyone was taken aback. Could such a coincidence truly exist?
Chen Xiao then added with a smile, "Moreover, we had already agreed to return to the island. I'll call him now and ask about his situation."
Everyone couldn't help but sigh, thinking this must be fate.
Chen Xiao immediately called Sun Buzhou.
"Hello, Chen Xiao. What a coincidence! I was just about to call you these past couple of days, and you beat me to it," Sun Buzhou said with a smile on the other end of the phone.
Chen Xiao also smiled slightly and replied, "Brother Sun, to be honest, I have an urgent matter and need to visit the uninhabited island you mentioned last time. Have you made preparations on your end? When can we depart?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Buzhou burst into laughter, "Haha, I've been ready for a long time. I'm actually in Jiaonan City right now. An old friend insisted I stay with him for a few days. Whenever you arrive, we can set off immediately."
"Alright, Elder Sun. I'm currently in Qingcheng and will depart soon. I should reach Jiaonan City later today."
"Good, then I'll await your call. We'll talk more when we meet."
After hanging up, Chen Xiao prepared to leave immediately.
Li Mu pleaded, "Mr. Chen, please take me with you this time. I assure you, I won't be a burden, and I'm the only one who knows how to repair the Seven Fiend Blood Banner."
Chen Xiao smiled, "I never said you couldn't go. Let's go, everyone together!"
Following this, they left the airport and headed for the train station.
There were no flights from Qingcheng Airport to Jiaonan, so they had to take the high-speed train.
The high-speed train sped along, covering the distance from Qingcheng to Jiaonan in just over two hours.
Watching the scenery blur past the window, Chen Xiao's mood finally lifted from its previous heaviness.
Seeing Chen Xiao in better spirits, the others also relaxed. After all, Li Mu and Li Qin had avenged their grievances, so their happiness was well-deserved.
However, Chen Xiao's gaze lingered on Li Mu, sensing something was amiss.
"Mr. Chen, why are you staring at me like that? It's making me feel quite uneasy," Li Mu said with a sheepish smile, his eyes darting away.
His evasive gaze only confirmed his guilt. Chen Xiao said coldly, "Something's not right. You're hiding something from me!"
Li Mu stiffened for a moment, then forced a bitter smile, "Mr. Chen, I admit defeat. You truly miss nothing."
"Ah? Brother, Brother Chen, what are you two talking about? I don't quite understand," Li Qin asked, looking bewildered.
Gu Zhendong remained silent, his brow furrowed. He wondered what Li Mu had lied to Chen Xiao about. Could something have gone wrong?
Li Mu then said guiltily, "Mr. Chen, I apologize. I actually withheld some information about the island's situation."
Chen Xiao's expression remained impassive as he said calmly, "Just tell me directly what's on the island. I don't need any other nonsense."
"Alright," Li Mu sighed and slowly began, "On that Icefire Island, there lives a monster. It resembles a snake but isn't, looks like a dragon but isn't, and possesses immense power. It can spew scorching flames and is the guardian beast of the Crimson Blood Wood. Centuries ago, my ancestor, in his pursuit of a branch from the Crimson Blood Wood, fought a fierce battle with it. Although he managed to obtain the branch, he was also wounded by the monster and passed away less than half a month after returning home."
"My ancestor, at the time, possessed the strength of the peak Golden Core stage, yet he was still no match for that monster. And now, after several hundred years, the chances of that monster dying naturally are minuscule, and I suspect its strength has only increased."
"I didn't tell you earlier, Mr. Chen, because I was worried you might have reservations..."
Chen Xiao understood. Li Mu was afraid that if Chen Xiao became hesitant, he wouldn't go to the island, and thus, his family's heirloom, the Seven Fiend Blood Banner, would have no hope of being repaired.
Chen Xiao saw through Li Mu's little scheme instantly. However, before he could speak, Li Qin interjected, displeased, "Brother, why didn't you mention this earlier?"
Even his own sister wasn't backing him up. Li Mu looked embarrassed and said, "I didn't intend to hide it. I planned to tell you all once we landed on the island."
The people present were no ordinary individuals, so accepting the existence of a monster that had lived for hundreds of years was not difficult for them. However, they all knew that the difficulty of their undertaking had just increased.
At this moment, Chen Xiao snorted, "It's fortunate you told me now. If you had waited until we reached the island, it would have been too late!"
"Mr. Chen, what do you mean by that?" Li Mu asked, suddenly becoming nervous.
Chen Xiao said calmly, "If I'm not mistaken, what you're describing is a Zhuyin, though likely only a young one. Otherwise, with your ancestor's Nascent Soul stage strength, he wouldn't have been able to retreat safely after fighting it!"
"It's actually a Zhuyin? That's a legendary divine beast!" Gu Zhendong exclaimed in surprise.
Chen Xiao nodded, "Indeed, it is a legendary divine beast. However, divine beasts grow slowly, with their growth cycles measured in tens of thousands of years. A few hundred years won't bring about a qualitative change for it. Furthermore, the Zhuyin constantly releases a type of fire poison. If an ordinary person gets too close, they will die from poisoning even without the Zhuyin actively attacking."
"That's why I said it's fortunate you told me in advance. If we hadn't prepared, we would have certainly died from poisoning upon encountering it!"
There was one thing Chen Xiao didn't say: not everyone would be poisoned. With Chen Xiao's strength, the fire poison would have almost no effect on him, but the others were another matter.
Especially Li Mu, whose strength was the lowest, not much stronger than an ordinary person. If anyone were to die, he would be the first!
Hearing this, Li Mu looked even more fearful, "I'm sorry, everyone. Fortunately, Mr. Chen reminded us, otherwise, I would have almost made a grave mistake."
"Alright, let's forget about it this time. Be more mindful in the future and don't try any tricks with me," Chen Xiao said calmly.
"Yes, Mr. Chen, I understand," Li Mu replied obediently, secretly vowing never to try to outsmart Chen Xiao again.
Gu Zhendong then asked, "Chen Xiao, you mentioned preparing. What do we need to prepare to resist this fire poison?"
Chen Xiao said lightly, "A single Clear Heart Pill will suffice. When we reach Jiaonan, we'll first go buy some medicinal ingredients, and I'll refine some Clear Heart Pills for you."
"Chen Xiao, you can refine pills?" Gu Zhendong asked incredulously.
Chen Xiao smiled slightly and said calmly, "The Clear Heart Pill is just a basic medicinal pill, refined from ingredients like Coptis chinensis, Talc, Licorice, Realgar, Mint, and Rhinoceros horn. When we get to Jiaonan, we'll procure these herbs first, and then I can start refining pills!"