As soon as the Phoenix King spoke, everyone in the entire Lava Death Zone, regardless of what they were doing, looked up in shock.
"Holy crap! Someone dares to kill disciples of the Five Elements Hall?"
"Who is this person? So audacious."
"Doesn't this idiot fear retaliation from the Five Elements Hall?"
"Any sensible person can see that the Five Elements Hall opening the Lava Death Zone this time is for tempering their disciples. We lone cultivators are merely riding on the coattails, fortunate enough to enter here to seek treasures. It's already a stroke of luck."
"Exactly, and they still don't know to lie low, daring to actively kill people from the Five Elements Hall."
"I think this person has guts. Imagine, everyone knows the prestige of the Five Elements Hall, yet he defies the world to kill their disciples. He must have been driven to desperation; he couldn't just wait to die, could he?"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, but soon, someone had an idea.
The Phoenix King said that the person named Wan Lei obtained all of Suo Shisan's wealth, without mentioning a warning or confiscating Suo Shisan's belongings. Instead, she even unlocked the usage permissions for Suo Shisan's technological weapons.
One should know that once a cultivation artifact recognizes a master, upon the master's death, it naturally becomes ownerless, and anyone who obtains it can use it.
But technological weapons are different. Apart from standard military-issue weapons, every powerful civilian technological weapon has owner verification. Except for the owner, no one else can use it.
Even if the owner is dead, doesn't the Five Elements Hall have the registered information? Others who get it still can't use it.
But now, the Five Elements Hall has voluntarily unlocked Suo Shisan's technological weapon permissions, which means they are specifically allowing the person who killed Suo Shisan to use his weapons.
This implies... the Five Elements Hall supports lone cultivators killing their disciples.
People were momentarily stunned by the absurdity.
What kind of world is this? The Five Elements Hall supports outsiders killing their own people?
Why would the Emperor rebel?!
Although they didn't know the exact meaning, tens of thousands of hearts suddenly burned with excitement.
So, killing disciples of the Five Elements Hall here truly won't incur retaliation, and you can even get rewards!
Then why not kill them? No matter how powerful your Five Elements Hall disciples are, we have numbers!
Wan Lei and his group, who were happily dividing Suo Shisan's spoils, were rendered speechless upon hearing the Phoenix King's words.
Wan Lei was not surprised that the Phoenix King knew his name; after all, he used his ID card when registering, and it was easy to identify him by matching the information.
What shocked him was, he only killed one person, and did she have to announce it to the entire world? As if afraid others wouldn't know it was him?
His original intention was to honestly kill giant beasts to find Fire Lotuses, so his little Fire Phoenix could break through to the Immortal realm, thereby increasing its combat power. If he could happen to kill a few Five Elements Hall disciples who ambushed him, that would be even better. But now, she had made him the center of attention.
"Uh... what does that mean? What is the Phoenix King trying to convey? Is she telling everyone else to go kill Five Elements Hall disciples?"
Xia Yubing's mind couldn't keep up, and she looked at Wan Qianxin, the smartest among them.
Wan Qianxin stroked his chin and mumbled for a moment before looking up at everyone.
"Her words have two meanings.
One, don't forget the purpose of the Five Elements Hall sending their disciples here. Actually, for the Five Elements Hall disciples, finding ore crystals and Fire Lotuses is secondary. The Five Elements Hall doesn't lack money; these cultivation resources are distributed quarterly. Five Elements Hall disciples wouldn't come here just to find resources for themselves.
The Five Elements Hall gathered lone cultivators to find Fire Lotuses, and then sent their disciples to come. Their purpose was to create conflict between the two parties.
Lone cultivators search for Fire Lotuses, and Five Elements Hall disciples snatch them, and then both sides fight. This serves to temper the disciples.
In the past, people feared the might of the Five Elements Hall and dared not attack their disciples. Even when robbed, they didn't dare to retaliate.
But after the Phoenix King's announcement, people would dare to attack Five Elements Hall disciples, even actively hunt them. Only in life-or-death situations and dire straits can one grow. The Five Elements Hall disciples in this Lava Death Zone are in peril."
"Oh~~ So that's what it means. Then the Five Elements Hall disciples are really pitiful."
Bao Bao frowned, acting like a saint again.
"No, no, no, the most pitiful aren't the Five Elements Hall disciples, but him."
Wan Qianxin looked at Wan Lei.
Wan Lei was stunned.
"Me? What do you mean?"
Wan Qianxin's lips curved into a mischievous smile.
"This is the second meaning of the Phoenix King's words. She uses lone cultivators to temper the Five Elements Hall disciples, and uses Five Elements Hall disciples to temper you.
Try to imagine, with the Phoenix King's statement, lone cultivators will surely swarm out, united against the Five Elements Hall disciples.
Compared to the meager gains from finding ore crystals and Fire Lotuses, and the risk of life and death fighting giant beasts, it's obvious that killing Five Elements Hall disciples yields much more, as Five Elements Hall disciples are famously rolling in wealth.
From Brother Wan's performance just now, one can tell."
Wan Qianxin glanced at Wan Lei with a half-smile. Wan Lei felt a surge of shame.
"No matter how strong the Five Elements Hall disciples are, they can't overcome enemies a hundred times their number. For them to survive, the only way to break this predicament is to kill the person who murdered his fellow disciples and provoked the Five Elements Hall before the lone cultivators find them, thereby warning and deterring other lone cultivators.
To tell the lone cultivators that this is the consequence of provoking the Five Elements Hall.
If they want to live, they must kill Wan Lei; this is the only way."
"Not bad, Qianxin. You've got some of your father's flair."
Xia Yubing excitedly punched Wan Qianxin, cheering for his intellect.
Wan Lei was dumbfounded.
Good heavens, nearly a hundred Five Elements Hall disciples are coming to kill me?
"Brother Wan, congratulations. You've caught the attention of an elder from the Five Elements Hall."
Wan Qianxin said with a half-smile.
Wan Lei took a deep breath. After sorting out the logic, he understood how dangerous his situation was.
Damn it, I've been played by an elder of the Five Elements Hall.
There are always troublemakers trying to harm me!
"Everyone, let's go our separate ways."
Wan Lei looked at Wan Qianxin.
At these words, the other three looked at him in surprise. Shouldn't he be trying to win them over now to increase his combat strength for protection?
"And Dàdá, you go too. These are people I've offended, and I should bear the consequences. You are innocent, and being with me will only implicate you.
I, Wan Lei, do things alone and take responsibility. There's no need to drag the people I've just met to die with me."
This was Wan Lei's sentiment.
"If we leave, what about you?"
Dàdá asked in a gruff voice.
"Me? I'll disguise myself and flee. Once we get out of here, the people from the Five Elements Hall won't chase me anymore."
"But the opportunity for the Fire Phoenix to ascend will be gone."
Dàdá frowned.
"Alas, I'll find another opportunity later."
"Yes, I can't drag you down just because I want to become an immortal."
The Fire Phoenix was also reasonable and discerning.
———————
The plot of the Lava Death Zone arc might be a bit dry, but it is an extremely important foreshadowing. Every character who appears and every piece of plot is closely related to the unfolding of later stories. The subsequent stories are intricately linked and extremely exciting. Everyone should savor it carefully.