The battle between both sides intensified, their destructive power being quite astonishing, though not quite heaven-shattering.
Seeing this, Yun Fan prepared to slip away quietly.
However, after only a short distance, he was discovered by the Second Elder of Kunlun.
"Kid, you won't escape!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun swiftly attacked Yun Fan.
"Not good!"
Yun Fan had a bad feeling. The Second Elder of Kunlun had abandoned Ye Qingcheng to deliver a fatal blow to him.
The Second Elder of Kunlun was very confident in this attack. Didn't Ye Qingcheng want to fight him? In the end, he would still have to be wary of Ye Ji's identity and wouldn't dare to kill Ye Qingcheng.
Therefore, the best solution was to kill Yun Fan first.
The reason Ye Qingcheng dared to confront him was nothing more than for Yun Fan. Once Yun Fan died, Ye Qingcheng would stop fighting.
Thus, Yun Fan became the target to be killed.
At this very moment, Yun Fan had nowhere to retreat.
Did he really have to forcibly break the seal?
Yun Fan was extremely unwilling. After all, this was the result of his years of effort. Now, at the cusp of a breakthrough, it was all turning to dust.
But in the face of life and death, he chose to forcibly break the seal.
However, the speed of the Second Elder of Kunlun exceeded his expectations.
"It's too late!"
At this moment, Yun Fan fell into despair, as if he could already see his death.
However, at this very moment, Ye Qingcheng suddenly rushed over and pushed him away.
"Boom!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun's strike hit Ye Qingcheng accurately.
"Pfft!"
Ye Qingcheng immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, becoming extremely weak. If not for her willpower, she would have been on the verge of death.
"How is this possible?"
The Second Elder of Kunlun was stunned. He hadn't expected Ye Qingcheng to take the blow for Yun Fan.
"Are you alright!"
Yun Fan quickly helped Ye Qingcheng.
"I... I'm fine!"
Ye Qingcheng said, forcing herself.
In reality, she was already extremely weak.
After a brief moment of thought, the Second Elder of Kunlun hardened his heart and made a decision: to send both of them on their way.
After all, he had already injured Ye Qingcheng. Even if he didn't fight her later, the enmity would remain.
He was not afraid of Ye Qingcheng, but he was afraid of Ye Ji.
At this moment, killing both of them together was the best outcome.
Not long after, his subordinates also arrived. After the previous battle, nine of them remained.
All of them were Postnatal realm experts.
At this time, a group of people surrounded Yun Fan and Ye Qingcheng.
The two slowly retreated until they had nowhere else to go, as behind them lay a bottomless abyss.
"Miss Ye, you didn't have to die, but now, I intend to let you go!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun sneered at Ye Qingcheng.
Ye Qingcheng angrily replied, "If I survive, I will surely exterminate your Kunlun Sect!"
"What a pity, you won't have that chance!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun smiled playfully.
"Attack!"
At this critical moment, Yun Fan asked Ye Qingcheng, "Are you afraid?"
"I'm not afraid!"
Ye Qingcheng said firmly.
"Good!"
Yun Fan gritted his teeth, grabbed Ye Qingcheng, and leaped off the cliff.
"Trash!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun reached the edge of the cliff and looked at the bottomless chasm with shock. He hadn't expected them to actually jump.
This jump, however, became a mystery, as he was unsure if they were still alive.
He absolutely refused to jump down to find their corpses, even though he was already at the peak of Half-step Innate.
But it would still be fatal.
"Elder, there's no need to worry. At this height, they couldn't possibly survive!"
His subordinates comforted him.
But without personally witnessing their deaths, the Second Elder of Kunlun would not be at ease.
Seeing his still somber expression, his subordinate immediately said, "If Elder is still worried, then we will go down and search!"
After all, the Second Elder of Kunlun was a cautious and meticulous person. He needed to see them alive or dead.
The Second Elder of Kunlun regained his composure.
"No need!"
"Huh?"
The nine men thought the Elder was no longer worried. Little did they know that in the next moment, the Second Elder of Kunlun suddenly attacked.
With a single strike, he instantly killed five of them.
Of course, this was when they were caught off guard. Otherwise, no matter how powerful the Second Elder of Kunlun was, he couldn't have killed five people in one go.
"Elder, why?"
The remaining four looked at the Second Elder of Kunlun with fear. They never expected their superior to kill them.
Was there any trust left in this world?
The Second Elder of Kunlun said, "You failed to stop them, so you must pay with your lives!"
Upon hearing this, the men trembled. They never imagined it was for this reason. Moreover, wasn't he the primary person responsible for their escape?
What did it have to do with them?
In fact, the reason the Second Elder of Kunlun killed them was not because they failed to stop the two, but to silence them.
He didn't care about Yun Fan's death. It was because of Ye Qingcheng.
He understood that once Ye Ji knew that Ye Qingcheng was dead, she would surely investigate. With Ye Ji's methods, finding him wouldn't be difficult.
Therefore, no one could know about this, including the people of his own Kunlun Sect. Although these were his most loyal subordinates.
But he couldn't trust the living. Only the dead could bring him peace.
"Elder, we won't say anything. Please spare our lives!"
His subordinates were extremely astute and naturally guessed the Elder's motive for killing them.
Thus, they all begged for mercy.
"Elder, we are all your people! How could we betray you?"
"Please, Elder, look at our loyalty and spare our lives!"
However, the Second Elder of Kunlun's face remained expressionless. He would not be soft-hearted just because they were his people.
In his opinion, those who achieve great things are not bound by trivialities, so no matter what, these people had to die.
"Considering you've been with me for so many years, I'll give you a chance. Fight!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun said in a calm tone. But it was this ordinary sentence that sentenced several of them to death.
The men exchanged glances and gritted their teeth, attacking him.
"Idiots!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun sneered disdainfully.
"Kill!"
This battle did not last long. In the end, the Second Elder of Kunlun plunged a dagger into one of their heads, announcing the end of the fight.
Looking at his former subordinates, the Elder felt no remorse and turned to leave.
...
At the bottom of the cliff, Yun Fan slowly woke up. Fortunately, just as he was about to hit the ground, he was caught by a tree branch.
Otherwise, he and Ye Qingcheng would have surely been smashed to pieces.
He quickly got up and carried the unconscious Ye Qingcheng down from the branch.
The bottom of the cliff was extremely cold. Even Yun Fan couldn't withstand the chilling aura, let alone the heavily injured Ye Qingcheng.
He then found some firewood and started a fire, which made things slightly warmer.
Ye Qingcheng still showed no signs of waking up.
Yun Fan unbuttoned Ye Qingcheng's clothes. Of course, he wasn't being lecherous or taking advantage of her weakness. He just wanted to examine her wounds.
He was startled by what he saw. The Second Elder of Kunlun's power carried a chilling ice force that made one's scalp tingle.
Ye Qingcheng's internal organs were now frozen by this ice force.
Therefore, what he had to do now was to expel the cold poison from Ye Qingcheng.
Afterward, Yun Fan took out the silver needles he carried and inserted them into Ye Qingcheng's wounds.
Of course, Yun Fan was somewhat embarrassed, as the location of the wound was quite peculiar.
It was right above her chest.
Thus, he saw something he shouldn't have.
"See no evil!"
Yun Fan forcefully suppressed his wicked thoughts and began to treat Ye Qingcheng's injuries. He channeled a warm energy into Ye Qingcheng's body.
But he quickly became exhausted, as he was only at the Grandmaster realm and didn't have much power to spare.
This stumped Yun Fan.
Fortunately, he still had his mouth. Since he couldn't expel it with power, he would use his mouth.
So, he used his mouth to absorb the cold poison, causing him to shiver.
"Hiss!"
Yun Fan gasped. This coldness was too terrifying, even colder than eating an ice cream.
But Ye Qingcheng's injuries were urgent, so he could only endure it.
After an unknown amount of time, his mouth had gone numb from the cold. Just then, Ye Qingcheng quietly woke up.
Upon seeing the situation, she was instantly furious. Her first thought was that Yun Fan had violated her.
"Scoundrel!"
She tried to push Yun Fan away but found she had no strength. After all, with such serious injuries, any ordinary person would have already died.
Her survival was not a miracle, but a testament to her strength.
"You're awake!"
Seeing that Ye Qingcheng was out of danger, Yun Fan breathed a sigh of relief. He actually didn't care about Ye Qingcheng's life or death before.
After all, he had been tormented by this woman before.
But Ye Qingcheng had taken a fatal blow for him when he was in mortal danger. So, both morally and logically, he had to save her.
Even he found it amusing that they were enemies, yet now he cared about her life.
"Pervert, how dare you take advantage of me!"
Ye Qingcheng was furious.
Yun Fan quickly explained, "You misunderstood. You were poisoned by the cold, and I had to resort to this. I used my mouth to help you. Did you think I wanted to?"
Yun Fan said helplessly.
Ye Qingcheng's anger was ignited. "Are you saying you find me disgusting?"
"I don't!"
Yun Fan was in a difficult position, thinking to himself how terrifying women's thought processes were. What was she even talking about?
So, he reminded her, "You've just passed the critical stage, so you shouldn't get angry!"
"Hmph!"
Ye Qingcheng snorted, "I'll deal with you after I've recovered!"
Yun Fan smiled. By then, who knew who would be dealing with whom!
Then, he asked Ye Qingcheng, "Do you think the cold poison has completely left your body?"
Ye Qingcheng supported her weak body and checked her injuries.
"It hasn't completely left my body! There's residual cold poison!"
"What?"
Yun Fan was stunned. He thought he had cleaned it up thoroughly, but there was still residue. Was his "silver tongue" no longer effective?
"What are you still spacing out for? Hurry up and help me!"
Ye Qingcheng said impatiently.
"Okay!"
Yun Fan instinctively replied, but then fell into an awkward situation. He had been at ease earlier because Ye Qingcheng was unconscious.
But now, he hesitated to proceed.
"Why don't you faint again? It's hard for me to operate like this!"
Yun Fan said awkwardly.
"What are you thinking about? Hurry up!"
Ye Qingcheng said angrily, "I'm not even holding a grudge, what are you afraid of?"
Alright! Yun Fan was out of options and had to brace himself.
"I can help you, but you have to swear that you won't speak of this matter!"
Yun Fan said vigilantly.
If this were to get out, he would lose all face.
Ye Qingcheng felt like strangling this shameless guy, who was clearly trying to get the better of her while pretending to be wronged.
"Don't worry, even if you leak it, I won't say a word!"
Ye Qingcheng's lips twitched. She couldn't be bothered to deal with Yun Fan.
"Then I'm relieved!"
Then, Yun Fan closed his eyes and leaned in.
"Huh! Why do I feel like I'm eating chocolate balls!"
Yun Fan was startled.
"Scoundrel, I'll kill you!"
Following Ye Qingcheng's furious shout, Yun Fan opened his eyes and was instantly embarrassed. It turned out he hadn't controlled his distance properly.
It was a few centimeters too low.
Helplessly, Yun Fan had to open his eyes and began to help Ye Qingcheng clear the cold poison.
"Hiss!"
Ye Qingcheng gasped in pain, then felt a subtle sensation. However, before she could savor it, Yun Fan was done.
The cold night wind stung their cheeks. Ye Qingcheng, in particular, was in much worse condition than Yun Fan.
She shivered with cold. Yun Fan draped his jacket over her.
"Cold!"
Ye Qingcheng said weakly.
Yun Fan was speechless, as he had given her all his clothes. Now, only his leather suit remained.
Before he could figure something out, Ye Qingcheng threw herself into his arms.
Yun Fan wanted to push her away because being taken advantage of by Ye Qingcheng for no reason didn't feel good.
But this was a special situation, so he decided to forgive Ye Qingcheng.
Ye Qingcheng's phone was lost, and his phone was also accidentally broken. To escape this bottomless abyss, they needed to find other ways.
In his boredom, Yun Fan curiously asked, "Why did you take that blow for me?"
"Because you can only die by my hand!"
Ye Qingcheng said impatiently.
Yun Fan finally understood. It turned out Ye Qingcheng hadn't tormented him enough yet. She was truly perverse.
At this, Ye Qingcheng said, "Don't get cocky, because you'll die by my hand sooner or later!"
"I don't believe it!"
Yun Fan said bluntly, "My life is only in my own hands. No one can kill me!"
"Hmph!"
Ye Qingcheng said, "One day, I will take you to Jinling and cut off your flesh piece by piece!"
"Miss Ye, at this point, can we stop making threats? What we should be doing now is figuring out how to get out of this hellhole?"
Yun Fan was very speechless. They were both in the same predicament now, sharing the same fate. There was no need to dwell on fighting and killing.
Ye Qingcheng realized their dire situation, but ignored Yun Fan and sat aside, sulking.
Yun Fan didn't intend to bother with this perverted woman.
After an unknown period, Ye Qingcheng suddenly started crying.
"Why are you crying?"
Yun Fan asked, confused.
He thought back carefully. It seemed he hadn't made Ye Qingcheng cry, so he wouldn't take the blame.
Ye Qingcheng said indifferently, "It's nothing, I just remembered some sad things!"
"Oh!"
Yun Fan nodded and decided to sleep first. Tomorrow, he would figure out a way to leave. Also, he wasn't sure if the Second Elder of Kunlun had left.
Therefore, the current task, besides escaping this place, was to recover his strength. If he were at his peak, how could he tolerate the Second Elder of Kunlun being so arrogant?
At this, Ye Qingcheng said, "Don't you think I'm arrogant and unreasonable?"
"Yes!"
Yun Fan, a typical straightforward man, nodded without hesitation.
"That's because you don't understand me, nor do you know me!"
"Why should I understand you?"
Yun Fan muttered to himself, but outwardly pretended not to hear.
Ye Qingcheng continued, "From a young age, my mother treated me strictly. While other children were playing innocently, I had to practice martial arts diligently! While other children were singing and dancing, I had to learn to manage businesses!"
"It's not that I want to put on a stern face and act like a high-and-mighty fairy, but I'm already used to not showing any other emotions!"
Ye Qingcheng poured out her heart, telling Yun Fan things she had kept buried.
Yun Fan was surprised that Ye Qingcheng was opening up. So, he said, "There's nothing wrong with that. At least you're more outstanding than others your age!"
"And more outstanding than you?"
"How is that possible? I'm the Son of Destiny. Effort can't catch up to me!"
Yun Fan said proudly.
"Tch!"
Ye Qingcheng rolled her eyes at Yun Fan. "Your childhood must have been very happy, right?"
Yun Fan nodded. "Except for being an orphan, it was indeed quite happy!"
That's right. Although he was the contemporary sect leader of Guigu, his master had trained him as his successor since he was young.
But he was still happy because his master had never treated him harshly. He was always that kind old man, as long as he didn't provoke his seventh senior sister.
Once he bullied his seventh senior sister, his master would always spank his butt. Of course, since childhood, he seemed to be the one who was bullied, and then his seventh senior sister would file a false complaint.
He and his seventh senior sister had many stories from their childhood, but he wouldn't tell them.
According to his seventh senior sister's memories, their master was quite strict with the other senior sisters.
"After learning the truth, you must have hated me and my mother, right?"
Ye Qingcheng suddenly asked.
Yun Fan's heart was complex. That's right, he did hate them. But as he interacted with Ye Qingcheng, he found that his hatred for her was gradually disappearing.
Of course, this might be because he didn't remember his parents. He constantly reminded himself that the woman in front of him had an irreconcilable hatred with him.
He had to remain rational.
Seeing Yun Fan's silence, Ye Qingcheng said, "Then keep hating me! Anyway, you'll hate me even more in the future!"
"Uh..."
Yun Fan didn't expect Ye Qingcheng to be so blunt. So, he immediately said, "Let's talk about the future when it comes. If we are truly destined enemies in the future, I won't hold back. I hope you won't either!"
"Don't worry, I won't be soft-hearted!"
The night was difficult to endure. Yun Fan, unable to sleep, began to gradually recover his strength.
When he revealed his Pure Yang body, Ye Qingcheng's expression changed. So, this was the Pure Yang body her mother had told her about.
It was indeed extraordinary.
The plan from back then was now nearing its completion. If it weren't for the interference of the Second Elder of Kunlun, she would have already reeled in her net.
...
Two days later, Leng Ningshuang arrived at the location of the decisive battle.
She followed the traces and aura all the way to the top of the bottomless abyss.
"There's junior brother's aura!"
Leng Ningshuang's expression brightened. It seemed her efforts were not in vain. However, she then furrowed her brows.
Because junior brother's aura seemed to stop here.
This made her very confused.
Just then, someone suddenly launched a surprise attack from behind. The alert Leng Ningshuang returned a palm strike and then created distance.
"Kunlun Secret Art!"
Leng Ningshuang looked at the Second Elder of Kunlun. Although she didn't know his identity, she could tell he was from the Kunlun Sect.
The Second Elder of Kunlun smiled and said, "This little girl is not simple. She actually knows my Kunlun Sect's divine art!"
"Hmph!"
Leng Ningshuang snorted, "You're just a hypocrite seeking fame!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun was instantly enraged. After Yun Fan and the other two jumped into the abyss that day, he had not left but waited here like a hunter.
He hadn't expected to see them emerge, but instead encountered Leng Ningshuang, a young but powerful girl.
Leng Ningshuang asked, "Where is my junior brother?"
"And that woman, Ye Qingcheng!"
"Are you referring to the young man, Yun Fan, who was with Miss Ye?" the Second Elder of Kunlun asked with interest.
"That's right!"
Leng Ningshuang had guessed correctly. It was indeed related to this old man.
The Second Elder of Kunlun chuckled mischievously, "That's truly unfortunate. They both fell into the abyss!"
"What?"
Looking down at the bottomless abyss, Leng Ningshuang's expression turned grief-stricken. This unfathomable chasm meant that even a Half-step Innate expert would have a slim chance of survival. How could junior brother, who was already in a weakened state, survive?
"Junior brother, I'm sorry, I'm late!"
Leng Ningshuang shed tears. If there was anyone in her life she couldn't let go of, it was Yun Fan. She blamed herself for coming late, which led to her junior brother falling into the abyss.
At this moment, she wanted to die, but she still had unfinished business. So, she stared intently at the Second Elder of Kunlun.
The Second Elder of Kunlun smiled and said, "There's no need to be too sad, because I'll send you down to join them immediately!"
"Old man, take your life!"
Leng Ningshuang suddenly attacked, heading straight for the Second Elder of Kunlun. This time, she was determined to avenge Yun Fan.
The Second Elder of Kunlun took the blow. He had even thought of a retreat plan. After dealing with Leng Ningshuang, he would go to Jinling to find Ye Ji.
Then, he would tell Ye Ji that Leng Ningshuang and Yun Fan had attacked Ye Qingcheng, and the three of them had fallen into the abyss and died.
It had to be said, this was a perfect excuse. If he had left without a sound, with Ye Ji's abilities, she would have eventually found him.
At that time, even with the protection of the Kunlun Sect, he would have no escape.
However, in just one move, he sensed Leng Ningshuang's power. That's right, Leng Ningshuang, like him, was a Half-step Innate expert.
Such strength was terrifying. He hadn't expected to encounter so many young prodigies on this trip to Jiangnan.
However, he was still confident in himself. In his opinion, although Leng Ningshuang's strength was on par with his,
her combat experience was definitely inferior to his, and she knew fewer martial arts. These were the keys to his victory.
"Die!"
The Second Elder of Kunlun directly unleashed his Ice Palm.
As he had predicted, Leng Ningshuang chose to confront him head-on. This was an unwise choice, as the Ice Palm was too overbearing.
"Bang!"
After one exchange, both of them retreated.
The Second Elder of Kunlun was smug. He only needed to wait patiently now, as Leng Ningshuang had been poisoned by the cold.
Accelerating the outbreak of the cold poison was the key. He needed to force Leng Ningshuang to circulate her internal energy.
So, he attacked again, this time with even more complacency, as Leng Ningshuang was just a lamb waiting to be slaughtered in his eyes.
Such a beautiful girl, even he had some thoughts, but he knew it was unrealistic, so he had to dismiss the idea.
This pained him greatly.
After another powerful clash.
The Second Elder of Kunlun looked at Leng Ningshuang with confusion.
"Old man, are you waiting for my cold poison to break out?" Leng Ningshuang asked disdainfully.
"Huh?"
The Second Elder of Kunlun looked shocked. How did Leng Ningshuang know his intention?
But in the next moment, he understood why. Because at this moment, he suddenly felt his internal energy in chaos.
Besides his own ice force, there was another ice force colliding with his body. The two forces were fighting within him.
Even though he tried to suppress it, he was powerless.
"Pfft!"
Instantly, the Second Elder of Kunlun spat out a mouthful of blood.
"You also know the Ice Palm?"
He looked at Leng Ningshuang in shock.
"Is it strange? I not only know the Ice Palm, but I also know your Kunlun Sect's secret art, Netherworld Ice!"
Leng Ningshuang said coldly.
In an instant, the Second Elder of Kunlun's heart sank to the bottom. A master encountering a masked person, this time he had fallen.
"Who are you?"
He asked incredulously.
"Leng Ningshuang of Guigu!"
"What?"
The Second Elder of Kunlun shuddered. No matter what, he couldn't have imagined that Leng Ningshuang was from the Guigu Sect.
All the experts in the world came from Guigu.
This statement was not groundless but had solid evidence. Why did these reclusive sects not dare to appear in the secular world on a large scale?
Besides the ruling powers, the greatest contribution was undoubtedly from Guigu. They might not fear the rulers, but they feared Guigu.
He hadn't expected to provoke a disciple of Guigu. Did that mean the young man they had been pursuing also came from Guigu?
Thinking of this, the Second Elder of Kunlun became increasingly alarmed.
"Old man, die!"
Leng Ningshuang furiously attacked the Second Elder of Kunlun, seeking revenge for her junior brother. At this moment.
At this very instant, the Second Elder of Kunlun chickened out. He directly threw a bomb unique to the Kunlun Sect. After the bomb exploded, it left behind a cloud of smoke.
He then, dragging his heavily injured body, unleashed his maximum speed and fled the scene.
Leng Ningshuang pursued, but couldn't find his trace.
At this, Leng Ningshuang didn't continue the chase, because with her Netherworld Ice, the Second Elder of Kunlun was certain to die.
Within five days at most, he would explode and die.
At this moment, she dragged her heavy body to the edge of the bottomless abyss.
"Junior brother, I'm here. You won't be alone on the road to the underworld!"