Chapter 2242: Punishment

(Wishing everyone a Happy Spring Festival!)

Xi He, accompanied by the Mysterious Woman and Nu Ying, did not head to the Pan Gu secret realm, but returned directly to Earth.

At this moment, Ye Fan was in the Arctic ancient ruins. When Nu Ying and the Mysterious Woman saw Ye Fan, they realized Xi He hadn’t lied.

“Master, I have brought them!” Xi He said.

“Hmm.” Ye Fan seemed to be contemplating something, while the Mysterious Woman and Nu Ying didn’t see Lei Zu, which made them curious about where Lei Zu, who had been searching for her daughter with Xi He, had gone.

Xi He then released the restrictions on the Mysterious Woman and Nu Ying. Nu Ying said, “Ye Fan, in this matter, I have done nothing wrong. It was the Mysterious Woman who abducted me. The sacrificial array she wants to complete has nothing to do with me.”

To avoid getting too implicated, Nu Ying immediately defended herself, as if fearing punishment from Ye Fan.

Ye Fan looked up at the two women before him, shaking his head slightly, “I don’t care to know about the things you want to do.”

The Mysterious Woman said, “Humph, Ye Fan, punish if you want to punish me. I don’t believe you have the right to punish me. Even if you do, I’ll hold a grudge against you. No one can stop what I want to do, unless you kill me outright!”

“Master, the Mysterious Woman’s mood seems off, perhaps she’s being manipulated!” Xi He was seemingly trying to defend her, but Ye Fan did not acknowledge her words.

Ye Fan responded, “You say she’s being used? I rather think she’s trying to use others. With the Mysterious Woman’s cultivation level, wouldn’t she know what she’s doing? Her aura is normal, not like someone being manipulated. I believe some things need to change, and she must be punished for her actions!”

“You have no right to punish me!” The Mysterious Woman shouted fiercely, though her words lacked confidence.

Ye Fan stood up and looked around the icy grand hall. “I can punish her whenever I want. I understand what she intends to do; she wants to use my trust and leniency towards her to melt the souls of ancient cultivators using some restrictive power…”

“No, you are slandering me!” The Mysterious Woman retorted.

Xi He looked at the Mysterious Woman with disappointment, saying, “Now that the Master has spoken, you still refuse to admit?”

Ye Fan did not say more, while Nu Ying seemed eager, “Ye Fan, where did you go after you left? Was it you who saved the Mysterious Woman? Since you intervened, why didn’t you capture Nuwa’s avatar? Or did you intend to let Nuwa’s avatar continue with her misdeeds?”

“Do you really want to know?” Ye Fan asked Nu Ying.

Nu Ying studied Ye Fan, initially confident but soon realizing that she had no right to speak before Ye Fan, whose cultivation was far superior, exerting immense control over her. Under these circumstances, Ye Fan could punish her without even lifting a finger, just a thought could make her suffer immensely.

Nu Ying refrained from responding, averting her gaze.

Xi He inquired, “What does the Master propose for punishing the Mysterious Woman?”

“I still have some secrets to uncover. Punishing her is a minor affair, not something I need to address right now!” Saying this, Ye Fan stretched out his hand holding an object. Upon seeing it, the Mysterious Woman was shocked and angry, “How did it end up in your hands? You dared to steal from me!”

The Magic Artifact in Ye Fan’s hand was the tree-branch shaped weapon the Mysterious Woman previously used in the array.

Ye Fan examined it and tossed it back to the Mysterious Woman, who quickly caught it and stored it back in her personal space. Ye Fan said, “You think what you carry can be completely hidden from me? I’ve never cared about what you have, not even bothering to do such things. If you continue to be unwise, why should I save any face for you?”

With this, Ye Fan stepped closer to the Mysterious Woman.

The Mysterious Woman suddenly felt a tremendous spiritual pressure, her breathing went irregular, and she had to muster great spiritual power to resist Ye Fan’s attack.

“Get away!” The Mysterious Woman felt utterly exhausted from Ye Fan’s spiritual attack, unable to fend off at all.

Ye Fan stood before the Mysterious Woman, examining her face, saying, “I gave you the utmost trust and tolerance, you think you have a great chance of being recognized by me? Perhaps it’s merely my lust for beauty. Besides your female skin, I find you rather useless!”

The Mysterious Woman was naturally unwilling to accept Ye Fan’s belittling, believing her value greatly surpassed Xi He and Nu Ying.

This was her self-evaluation.

Ye Fan chuckled, “But it’s undeniable, I have a very strong protective instinct for the women around me, that’s why I’ve shielded you repeatedly. Unfortunately, you seem unaware of gratitude and appreciation!”

“Why should I appreciate? What I’ve obtained now is simply the return of my own investment!” The Mysterious Woman replied angrily.

Ye Fan said, “What I bestow upon you, I can also reclaim…”

Suddenly, Ye Fan extended his hand, and the Mysterious Woman felt her world spinning, entering into a strange enclosed space.

Ye Fan looked at Xi He, “I’ll leave her in your care. I know you’re very compassionate towards her because of an inexplicable emotion, but you must ensure she doesn’t act recklessly!”

“Yes,” Xi He replied respectfully.

Ye Fan closed his eyes, appearing very weary. Both Xi He and Nu Ying were curious about what Ye Fan had done previously and puzzled why Ye Fan let Nuwa’s avatar off.

At this moment, Ye Fan suddenly spoke, “The spiritual energy within me is somewhat chaotic, though it’s not the entirety of my strength, but now I require cultivation. Come!”

Xi He obediently moved before Ye Fan, kneeling, ready for cultivation.

As for Nu Ying, though helpless, she sensibly chose to act as a compliant woman leaning on Ye Fan.

While Ye Fan cultivated using the refining cauldron approach to organize his internal spiritual energy, Xi He and Nu Ying could also receive a considerable spiritual energy feedback, nearly allowing them to elevate to another level in cultivation. Even at their stage, Ye Fan’s aid remained significantly beneficial.

After a long time, Ye Fan stood up, coldly saying, “It’s time to attend to some serious business.”