Chapter 36: Tragedy Befalls Elder Yan

Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Tragedy Befalls Elder Yan

Qi Stone was covered in wounds. His right leg had been torn off by a Silver Ghost Wolf, leaving him completely immobilized. All he could do was lie on the ground and stare at the others.

He continued, "We’re comrades. I was grievously injured protecting everyone, and you’re just going to forget about me when you divide the spoils?"

Hearing this, the others frowned and glanced at each other.

Yun Qian had a kinder heart. Seeing Qi Stone’s wretched state, she spoke up. "Qi Stone, how do you think we should divide them, then?"

Qi Stone grimaced in pain and said, "I paid the highest price, so I should get the largest share of the spoils. Of the sixteen Demon Cores, I want eight. The rest of you can have one each."

As soon as he said this, the faces of the eight others filled with anger.

"Fuck you! You nearly got us all killed, and you have the nerve to make such an outrageous demand!"

"Besides, Yi was the one who killed all these Demon Beasts! It had nothing to do with you!"

"In fact, we’re debating whether we should even bother bringing a burden like you with us."

Yi Xiaoyao found it somewhat amusing that Qi Stone was still so arrogant even in his current state.

Yi Xiaoyao also noticed that Qi Stone showed no sign of panic when he heard the others talk about abandoning him.

"Hmph! I dare you to leave me behind. My uncle is an Assessment Elder of the Seven Kills Star Hall. If my uncle doesn’t see me when you get out, I don’t need to spell out the consequences, do I?"

Qi Stone’s voice, already hoarse and unpleasant from shouting, now sounded particularly sinister.

The expressions of the eight young men and women changed in unison. They all frowned and fell silent, clearly intimidated by Qi Stone’s threat.

Seeing this, Qi Stone smirked smugly and said in a commanding tone, "If you want to pass this assessment, then you’ll obediently give me the Demon Cores as I said and carry me back! Otherwise..."

’So that’s why this guy is so fearless,’ Yi Xiaoyao’s eyes shifted slightly. ’He’s relying on his backing.’

"Hey," Yi Xiaoyao interrupted Qi Stone, walking toward him as he spoke. "It seems you’ve forgotten I’m here."

"You?" A venomous hatred instantly appeared in Qi Stone’s eyes as he looked at Yi Xiaoyao. He ground his teeth and spat,

"This is all your fault! You’re Yi Xiaoyao, right? I’ll remember you. Your strength might be decent, but..."

Qi Stone’s voice was cut off again, only this time, he would never make another sound.

Because what interrupted him was the flash of a Blood Sword.

The blade flashed, and blood sprayed into the air!

A head, its eyes wide with disbelief, flew through the air and rolled across the ground.

"When you get back, just tell them I was the one who killed him."

Yi Xiaoyao glanced back at the eight horrified young men and women, spoke flatly, and then stepped over the corpse to leave.

The eight of them stood with their mouths agape. Yi Xiaoyao’s voice finally snapped them back to their senses.

Although they had loathed Qi Stone for his threats, none of them would have ever dared to actually kill him.

So, watching Yi Xiaoyao eliminate Qi Stone so cleanly and decisively was incredibly satisfying.

But they couldn’t ignore the consequences.

"But, Yi, Qi Stone’s uncle is an elder of the Seven Kills Star Hall! Now that you’ve killed him, his uncle will never let you go!"

Hearing their concerns, Yi Xiaoyao paused, turned, and gave them a calm smile.

Then he turned back, his smile instantly turning ice-cold.

"The moment Qi Stone led that second-tier Silver Ghost Wolf to me," he said, "his fate was sealed."

When he killed Jin Lingfeng, Yi Xiaoyao had sworn an oath: he would kill anyone who wanted him dead.

The eight young men and women felt a chill from his words. Their hearts trembled, and cold sweat beaded on their foreheads.

They were just glad they hadn’t offended Yi Xiaoyao. Otherwise, they would have ended up just like Qi Stone—a headless corpse.

"Yi... just who is he?"

Yun Qian murmured, her gaze hazy and her lips slightly parted as she watched Yi Xiaoyao’s figure gradually disappear into the distance.

The others stared blankly at that sharp, straight back, as upright as a sword, their hearts in turmoil.

"His Cultivation is the same as ours, the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation, but his strength... we can’t even hope to compare..."

...

After leaving the scene of the murder, Yi Xiaoyao slapped his forehead.

’Damn it, I completely forgot Elder Yan is still waiting for me!’

Remembering this, he quickly returned to where he had hunted the Red Blood Tiger, grabbed its corpse, and hurried back.

Along the way, Yi Xiaoyao thought about the Seven Kills Star Hall that Yun Qian and the others had mentioned. The name sounded familiar.

He soon recalled hearing his elders mention the Seven Kills Star Hall inadvertently while discussing the Cloud Transformation Sect and other Major Sects.

’It seems the Seven Kills Star Hall is an Evil Sect?’

Yi Xiaoyao shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. ’Elder Yan must be getting anxious by now,’ he thought.

Just as he was about to speed up, he suddenly saw a deep red glow lighting up the sky ahead.

Night was beginning to fall, and the blaze burned like a sunset. It seemed to be coming from Elder Yan’s direction.

Yi Xiaoyao frowned and hurried toward the light.

He didn’t for a second believe it was a forest fire caused by Elder Yan’s Alchemy.

The closer he got, the more astonishing the blaze became.

Finally, Yi Xiaoyao abruptly dropped the Red Blood Tiger corpse he was dragging, his face paling in shock at the sight of the inferno before him.

From ahead came a series of astonishing explosions and rumbles, as if people were engaged in a fierce battle!

Looking at the fiery glow, it was obvious that Elder Yan had run into enemies. The Flame was clearly being controlled and unleashed by him.

Yi Xiaoyao didn’t rush over immediately. Instead, a strange expression appeared on his face.

’Something’s wrong! Elder Yan is helping me hide from the Cloud Transformation Sect’s pursuit. Even if he ran into enemies, he wouldn’t make such a huge commotion.’

Yi Xiaoyao’s mind raced. In the dead of night, the scale of the Flame was so excessive that people for miles around could probably sense it.

This was clearly meant to attract attention, but Elder Yan would never do something so foolish. There was only one possibility...

’Unless... the enemies Elder Yan encountered are from the Cloud Transformation Sect! And he’s using this fire as a warning for me to stay away!’

Yi Xiaoyao instantly understood. But this understanding only made him more conflicted.

Elder Yan was in danger. How could he just leave him behind?

But wasn’t the whole point of creating such a spectacle to tell him to get away quickly?

’With my current strength, I’d be useless even if I went!’

Yi Xiaoyao made an instant decision. He took one last, deep look at the blaze ahead, then turned and fled in the opposite direction, becoming a dark shadow.

A moment later, a figure reappeared where Yi Xiaoyao had just been, speeding rapidly toward the fiery glow.

’No, I can’t. Elder Yan has shown me great kindness. How can I, Yi Xiaoyao, be someone who abandons his benefactor and flees? Even if I managed to survive, this would become a permanent scar on my heart!’

This figure was none other than Yi Xiaoyao, who had been unable to convince himself to leave and had turned back.

The firelight illuminated Yi Xiaoyao’s face. As his black hair whipped in the wind, two tangible-looking flames were reflected in his pupils, burning fiercely.

Even though turning back was an utterly irrational, even foolish, act...

...he only sought a clear conscience. Even if it meant death, he would have no regrets!