Given his strength, resolving Yun Hua Zhenren would have been a simple matter.
However, this was an ancient ruin, and danger could strike at any moment.
Unnecessary conflict was unwise.
Of course, if Yun Hua Zhenren refused to cooperate, he would have no choice but to resort to force.
This time, they had come prepared!
Unlike Yun Hua Zhenren and his group, Li Zhengfeng possessed more detailed information about the ruins.
To be precise, he held a map!
The map featured two prominent markers.
One was at the deepest point of the ruins, marking a treasure capable of destroying heaven and earth.
The other was this nondescript, dilapidated house.
Or rather, the stones within the house!
Although the map did not specify the exact use of these stones, their individual marking suggested they were of immense importance.
At the very least…
They wouldn't be any less valuable than that world-destroying artifact!
Li Zhengfeng paid little heed to the words spoken by the Sect Master of Wujin Sect.
Firstly, the effect described sounded outlandish, clearly impossible.
Secondly…
Even if it were true, it would at most involve a powerful alchemist.
Alchemists were notoriously arrogant, and befriending them was no easy feat.
Compared to that, tangible treasures were far more practical!
Yun Hua Zhenren glanced into the house.
Ye Fan was still staring blankly at the stones.
"Time's up!"
Li Zhengfeng immediately raised his hand and unleashed a technique towards Yun Hua Zhenren!
The difference in their cultivation levels was evident.
Li Zhengfeng's casual strike left Yun Hua Zhenren with no means to resist.
"Bang—!"
The terrifying attack, carrying Yun Hua Zhenren, hurtled directly towards Ye Fan!
The ugly house was instantly pulverized by the force of the blast!
Elder Seven had intended to whisk Ye Fan away.
But at this moment, she was pinned in place by the overwhelming power of the technique, unable to move as if nailed to the ground…
Before the attack even landed, the surge of energy ripped through her skin!
Blood instantly soaked through her clothes…
Meanwhile, Ye Fan stood there, still dazed, as if completely unaware of the unfolding events.
In reality, he truly was.
His spiritual power was completely immersed in the world within the stone.
Yes, a world!
He had never imagined that the stone contained a world within it!
He had no idea how vast this world was.
At any rate, he couldn't see its edges.
Beneath his feet lay gray-white earth, riddled with cracks of various sizes.
Along the path grew various types of flora, but all were a bizarre shade of gray-white.
The road stretched far into the distance, seemingly without end.
Ye Fan took a tentative step forward.
As his foot landed, the cracks on the ground seemed to come alive, wriggling like snakes!
And as the cracks moved, the surrounding plants stirred!
The leaves of two adjacent flowers touched, and they began to slowly fuse!
First, their leaves merged, and eventually, the two flowers became one!
Looking around, all the plants were rapidly merging!
Suddenly, several vines snaked towards Ye Fan!
Ye Fan dared not linger and immediately bolted!
Who knew what the consequences would be if he touched them!
Unfortunately, his speed seemed insufficient…
After only a few steps, he was ensnared by the vines!
The vines crawled up his legs, spreading towards his body.
Ye Fan struggled with all his might, but the tighter he struggled, the tighter they became…
Soon, he was completely enveloped by the vines!
He became a scarecrow of sorts…
Realizing the danger, Ye Fan tried to withdraw his spiritual power.
To his dismay, he found the connection between his spiritual power and his spiritual sea severed…
He was trapped!
His vision obscured, Ye Fan couldn't see what was happening around him.
He could only sense his body moving rapidly…
After an unknown amount of time.
Ye Fan felt a looseness around him, and the vines vanished.
He looked around and found himself standing in a place resembling an altar.
A semi-transparent barrier surrounded the altar, etched with countless densely packed runes.
To his astonishment, he didn't recognize a single one of these runes!
Considering he had reached the pinnacle of rune studies in the Divine Realm and even mastered many ancient divine scripts unknown to the gods, this was perplexing.
Yet, he couldn't decipher any of the runes on the barrier!
Furthermore, not only could he not recognize them, but he couldn't even understand their structure!
However, for some reason, seeing these runes filled Ye Fan with a sense of inexplicable reverence…
Yes, reverence!
It was the same feeling he had when he first encountered divine scripts or ancient demonic languages.
Whether divine scripts or ancient demonic languages, they far transcended mere description and belonged to the closest existence to the origin of power.
For instance, writing the character for "fire" with divine scripts imbued the character itself with terrifying fire attribute power, capable of being used as an attack formation!
Although Ye Fan couldn't discern the power contained within the runes on the barrier, this sensation was even stronger and more terrifying than those from divine scripts and ancient demonic languages!
He felt as if he would be consumed by these runes just by staring at them for a short while!
Ye Fan quickly averted his gaze, daring not to look at the runes again.
Ye Fan tentatively reached out to touch the barrier.
As expected, he was blocked.
Seeing no hope of escape, Ye Fan began to examine the altar behind him.
The altar was not constructed from any physical material but was entirely composed of something akin to energy.
Ye Fan couldn't identify what it was.
It was unlike any substance he had encountered before.
It appeared as a grayish-white mist, flowing slowly and irregularly.
Occasionally, runes resembling those on the barrier condensed within it.
"What in the blazes is this thing…"
Ye Fan muttered and tentatively touched the white mist with his finger.
He knew this substance could be dangerous.
But the problem was, trapped within the barrier with no way out, he had no other options.
Unless he intended to stay here forever…
The moment his finger touched the white mist, Ye Fan's head buzzed!
His consciousness instantly went blank!
The white mist surged towards Ye Fan like a hunter spotting prey!
In a mere moment, Ye Fan was completely engulfed by the mist!
When he regained his senses, he found himself back outside the stone world.
Simultaneously, a terrifying spell attack was already upon him!
A bizarre event occurred!
Li Zhengfeng's attack, upon reaching Ye Fan, vanished instantly!
It wasn't blocked; it completely disappeared!
Without a trace!
Li Zhengfeng was stunned.
Everyone else was equally bewildered!
Only Ye Fan knew what had transpired.
Li Zhengfeng's attack hadn't vanished; it had been "eaten" by the stone he held!
After "consuming" Li Zhengfeng's attack, the stone instantly burrowed into his brow.
It now floated silently above his spiritual sea.
"Thump!"
Yun Hua Zhenren crashed to the ground near Ye Fan.
His expression was contorted, appearing to be in immense pain.
Indeed, he was suffering greatly…
Li Zhengfeng's strike had nearly cost him his life!
His internal organs were a mess, and his dantian was riddled with cracks…
This was beyond a severe injury!
He was on the brink of death!
Yun Hua Zhenren could no longer even cry out, lying on the ground, convulsing…
Li Zhengfeng's eyes suddenly lit up!
That boy, possessing no cultivation himself, had managed to withstand his attack. He must have a potent protective artifact!
Although he hadn't unleashed his full power, an artifact that could block an attack from a cultivator of his level was indeed formidable!
He was tempted!
"Boy, hand over your protective artifact," Li Zhengfeng said to Ye Fan. "If you cooperate, I might consider sparing your life."
As he spoke, Li Zhengfeng unleashed his Nascent Soul realm pressure.
He was letting Ye Fan know the level of being he was dealing with.
The release of pressure was primarily a psychological tactic.
This kind of pressure often carried a subtle suggestion from a superior to an inferior.
When someone is overwhelmed by pressure, they are often at their most vulnerable mentally.
Moreover, in Li Zhengfeng's eyes, Ye Fan had no cultivation, making him an easy target.
Li Zhengfeng was fortunate.
Because Ye Fan could indeed feel the pressure at this moment, his assumption was theoretically sound.
Yet, he was also unfortunate.
Because the pressure only circled within Ye Fan's body and then dissipated, leaving nothing but an empty show…
Ye Fan ignored him and checked Yun Hua Zhenren's injuries.
Good grief, quite a mess…
Fortunately, I was prepared.
Ye Fan took out a pill and placed it into Yun Hua Zhenren's mouth.