As Davis and Shirley continued to fly through the fiery pathway, the onlookers no longer dared to cast their pretentious gazes towards them.

"Stop! How dare you act unbridled in my Burning Phoenix Ridge!?" An angry voice echoed suddenly.

Shirley stopped, followed by Davis stopping behind her. They both looked at the newcomer while Davis became rather exasperated with the number of redheads here, making him momentarily think that before this was full of blonde-heads in the Alstreim Family.

"Grand Elder Claus, this man here is my new protector named Chu Feng."

Shirley seemed to respectfully clasp her hands as she spoke with grace.

"Protector?"

The red-haired man who had his long hair tied in a ponytail descended towards them from above. He cast a strange gaze at Davis before he looked back at Shirley.

"If it's your protector, then I'll let go of this provocation for once. Next time, unless someone openly provoked or attacked you, your protector can't be this unbridled, or there will be consequences."

"I understand, Grand Elder Claus."

"Chu Feng, no matter what trouble you may face, remember to protect our top disciple with your own life, but don't forget that you can't roam unbridled in my Burning Phoenix Ridge, just because you have status as her protector."

Grand Elder Claus retreated back the way he came after he said his piece, causing Davis to narrow his eyes as he saw his crimson-robed silhouette disappearing out of his view.

"These two Grand Elders are rather lenient in how they treat you...?" Davis asked in doubt with a soul transmission.

"They're Grand Elder Claus Strom and Grand Elder Newgate Stein. They're both on Sect Master's side, so of course, they're going to help me stay safe."

Davis nodded his head, but he became a bit astonished at Grand Elder Claus Strom.

Could it be that he was Elder Karlheinz Strom's father or grandfather, or perhaps, even an ancestral figure?

However, he didn't think much of it before he became rather suspicious of this so-called Sect Master.

What kind of benefit is there for the Sect Master to protect Shirley this much? Is there a deal between them, or was it purely expectations that Shirley would do something for the sect in the future or a two-faced plot that aids now and backstabs later?

Davis considered a few possibilities before he decided to ask after reaching Shirley's crimson palace. Once they reached, he asked.

"..."

"Oh, that..." Shirley wryly smiled back at him as she landed in her crimson palace, "The Sect Master already knows that I have the Fire Phoenix Flames..."

"...!?"

Davis blinked and squinted his eyes at her answer.

He didn't know how callous and naive she could be, but he didn't judge soon as he asked, "Aren't you afraid that you'll be plundered?"

"Hehe... I did my homework as Ellia; I mean, Ellia's other incarnation taught me many things to blend."

Shirley smiled slyly as her crimson lips moved at ease.

"Before entering this territory, the first thing I did was head to the All-Seeing Towers to garner information about the Fire Phoenix. Surprisingly, I found a lot of them, where the Fire Phoenix mated with a Golden Phoenix. Where a Fire Phoenix sat on a normal parasol tree and made it a Fiery Phoenix Parasol Tree, where the Fire Phoenix rested before making the region lush green from its manure, and every miscellaneous thing I could find from ancient times."

"There was even the ancient record of a Fire Phoenix Immortal Inheritance Site in Grand Viridian Beast Mountain Territory, which is one of the four large territories currently controlled by Magical Beast Clans."

"In any case, I didn't touch that but used the other sites to my advantage, making up a story that I luckily got a diluted blood essence of the Fire Phoenix Immortal that was sealed in a precious jade vial when I was noticed by Sect Master and confronted alone after I became a top disciple. That jade vial was also one of the diluted blood essences I got from the King Grade Treasury, so Sect Master really didn't doubt its authenticity."

"Furthermore, the Sect Master also confirmed that I had only minute amounts of blood essence mixed in, so I instantly became the number one top-rate talent to nurture in her care."

Davis felt that this kind of development was rather simple, even childish, that he couldn't help but ask with disbelief etched on his face.

"That female Sect Master let you in just like that without doing anything...?"

Shirley had no background to speak of and so could be played around.

Could it be that this Sect Master was that generous, magnanimous and righteous, not letting greed take over her?

Of course, unless they cruelly refined Shirley in a cauldron, it was doubtful if they could even get a single percent of her Fire Phoenix Blood Essence as it was mixed with her ordinary Ashton blood, but surely, she had other uses as a woman in the overview of the sect.

"Of course not..." Shirley giggled and shook her head.

"That vial only had a single drop of the Fire Phoenix Immortal's diluted blood essence, so in exchange for protection, the Sect Master took that away and used a Blood Soul Contract to assure me safety with no strings attached on my end. However, the maximum she said and wrote on the Blood Soul Contract was that she can send three Grand Elders to aid me while she gave me a two-time use life-saving spatial talisman for direct aid."

"The moment I break it, I will be able to summon the Sect Master to my side for killing enemies as I please as long as they offended me." Shirley waved her hands, looking smug.

"One drop of diluted blood essence for all this while growing up?" Davis blinked in incredulity, "That's a bargain..."

"Right?"

Shirley giggled while Davis looked at her not being worried at all. He still held some doubts that he didn't let her go.

"What's the grade of the Blood Soul Contract?"

Shirley thought for a moment before she answered.

"I think Sect Master said that it was High-Level Emperor Grade, but I really don't know as I've never really interacted with a Blood Soul Contract before, and that's why I also don't trust the Sect Master that much. So far, she has been truthful to her words, but the reality remains to be seen, and eventually, the moment the tables are turned on me is when I would fall."

Shirley's smiling expression faded, replaced with a gentle smile as she pursed her lips.

"Fortunately, I was able to meet you before that could possibly happen..."

Davis couldn't help but stand there in the hallway, looking dumbfounded.

He specifically understood that cultivation is always risky. To roam the world, to gain resources comes with equal or even greater danger. It is always risky, so people who remained scared and stayed in their homes really couldn't make progress or immensely less as opposed to going out to train.

However, Shirley had a few drops of Diluted Fire Phoenix Blood Essence assimilated in her body, and even if she stayed in a single place, her growth would be smooth-sailing but would take a long time compared to if she went out to gather and absorb resources, training in a suitable and better environment like she is doing now.

Then there came the reason for her taking this risk instead of following the safe way, which was undoubtedly him. If it weren't for her determination to not be left behind while also wanting to be accepted by him, Shirley wouldn't have come here in the first place but would have instead chosen the safe route to develop her cultivation.

He was honestly angered yet moved because when he realized that she risked danger because of him, he really couldn't find any reasons to berate her, nor did he have any qualifications to berate her since he rejected her in the beginning.

However...

"Did the Sect Master threaten you for that diluted blood essence?" Davis's eyes flashed in a cold light.

"No," Shirley shook her head, "After Sect Master noticed my peculiarity, I acted rather nervous and handed it over by myself, and hence garnered her sympathy as well as her protection."

"I see... So you tried to garner her sympathy...?"

Davis wryly smiled, thinking that it was rather dangerous on her part, but it was a good move to reveal if the other party was somewhat truly righteous.

"Indeed..."

Shirley grinned, an odd light emerging in her ruby-like red eyes.

"The Sect Master is said to be celibate for cultivation reasons, and she's an alluring beauty like me, I think... because even I haven't seen past her opaque veil. You want her?"

"You dare to provoke me?" Davis laughed, "I'm no longer the same, you know? I might actually take your Sect Master if you dared me."

"Then have a good time getting poisoned by Evelynn and burned by me while stoned to death by Princess Isabella...! Pftt!!! Ahaha!"

"..."

Davis's smiling expression froze as Shirley burst into a fit of laughter by herself. A few moments later, he ruefully shook his head to her dark humor.

"Anyways..." Shirley stopped laughing as she shook her head, "I used the Sect Master's greed and sympathy to my advantage, at least I think I did and am currently in this situation right now. Although I wouldn't be able to suppress the Sect Master, that isn't a problem after I clear the Emperor Grade Trial. At that time, because of our similar blood, while I have the pure blood essence, the suppression effect would be more on the Sect Master if I'm not wrong..."

Davis became a bit flabbergasted, "Shirley, you're quite the scheming woman. However, you're treading on a thin line or equipped with a double-edged sword. It could work against you too..."

"Yes..." Shirley visibly sighed, "To rise up in the cultivation world, how could it be so easy?"

"You've changed..."

Davis felt heartened as he commented.

Last time, this woman was willful in doing what she wanted, but this time, she understood the consequences, cause and effects.

"I might have to thank Ellia's other incarnation for teaching me how to scheme..." Shirley wryly smiled.

"I get it. You three became good friends..." Davis nodded his head as he closed his eyes with complex feelings.

"Haha... I won't go as far as to say friends with Ellia's other incarnation but I look up to her for her way of doing things. She's not a bad woman. She's just a bit overcautious and is extremely ruthless and cunning, but that is what led us to be safe in this First Layer."

Davis blinked, feeling that it sounded quite familiar, as though Ellia's other incarnation was a female version of him. He felt a bit shameless, shaking his delusional thoughts away as he felt more suspicious about this Sect Master's intentions.