Chapter 59

Xiao Yan pondered for a moment; Qingshan Town was merely a small town, its overall strength utterly unmatched by Wutan City.

Who was he, Xiao Yan? The Young Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan, the most powerful family in Wutan City! The Demon King of the Jia Nan Academy's new students! A Rank-Ge Soul Envoy of the Soul Palace!!

Would he accept threats?

Impossible! Absolutely impossible!

Feeling Xiao Yan pluck a strand of her hair, Xiao Yixian grew so furious her eyes welled with tears.

Are you even a man! To pull a girl's hair!

"You! You wait!"

Whoosh—the Black Flame instantly burned the hair strand to nothingness. Xiao Yan coolly threatened, "Don't wait. If you're trying to stall for someone to rescue you, I'll burn every stitch of your clothes right now and see how you scream for help."

A small clump of Black Flame danced at Xiao Yan's fingertip, as if the moment Xiao Yixian said "no," that strand of black fire would reduce her snowy skirt to ash.

"You're shameless! You're lewd! You're a beast!"

"Yes, yes, yes—you're right. Now tell me, what's down the cliff that made you come all this way under the pretense of gathering medicine?" Xiao Yan's tone carried a hint of coldness, utterly ignoring Xiao Yixian's fury.

Seeing Xiao Yan was unmoved, Xiao Yixian sighed, finally unable to hold out any longer, and reluctantly surrendered.

"Let go. I'll share what's below with you. But listen—I want half. If you try to keep it all, I'll die fighting you to the end!"

"Relax. I, Xiao Yan, am not that kind of man."

Xiao Yan smiled faintly and released his grip. With his current strength and Swallowing Flame, Xiao Yixian had no chance of resistance.

"Below is a cave—likely the Ruins of a powerful cultivator." The two approached the cliff, their gazes fixed on the peculiar cliff face, where a pitch-black Cave was concealed by vegetation.

"There really is a Cave."

Xiao Yixian glanced at Xiao Yan's Black Cloak and asked, "Why are you wearing that Black Cloak? Can you even see the path like that?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan also stored his Soul Robe in his Storage Ring, revealing a refined face. Though not exceptionally handsome, as the Young Clan Leader of the Xiao Clan, he had long lived in privilege and naturally carried a distinctive aura.

Xiao Yixian was slightly startled—she hadn't expected this despicable man to look so decent.

"Have you had enough? If so, let's go see the Cave."

Xiao Yixian shot Xiao Yan a glare and shook her head. "We've been out long enough. If we don't return soon, Mu Li will grow suspicious. Our Medicine Gathering Team will camp overnight in the Mo Shou Shan Mai—we'll come back tonight."

Xiao Yan frowned. Though he wasn't afraid of Mu Li or the Wolf Head Mercenary Corps, after careful thought, he decided discretion was wiser and agreed to Xiao Yixian's suggestion.

If Xiao Yixian returned and sent the Mercenary Group to attack him, Xiao Yan would have no choice but to crush the flower.

Xiao Yixian naturally had no idea how many wicked schemes Xiao Yan had conjured in that instant. Curious, she asked, "What's your name?"

"Xiao Yan."

In the dead of night, after sensing Xiao Yixian quietly slip out of the Tent, Xiao Yan donned his Soul Robe and followed closely behind. Indeed, the Soul Robe was perfect for nocturnal mischief.

Watching Xiao Yixian, dressed in a tight black outfit that accentuated her figure, Xiao Yan chuckled, "You look good in black too."

"Heh, thank you." Xiao Yixian deliberately ignored Xiao Yan's veiled innuendo.

"How do we get down?"

Xiao Yixian pulled out a rope and waved it. "How else? Use the rope. Here—go first. Scout the way."

Xiao Yan took the rope, glanced at Xiao Yixian's gentle, expectant smile, and said, "No thanks. I'm afraid someone might cut it."

"You… how could that be? Don't project your own treachery onto a gentleman!" Xiao Yixian looked away guiltily—she had indeed considered it herself.

Seeing Xiao Yixian's guilt, Xiao Yan flung one end of the rope toward a nearby large tree, yanked hard, and tied a knot. Then, with his left hand, he wrapped her slender waist and pulled her into his arms.

The delicate, waist-thin curve made Xiao Yan unconsciously compare Xiao Yixian to Xiao Xun'er.

"Pervert! What are you doing?!"

"Hold tight."

Under Xiao Yixian's stunned gaze, Xiao Yan gripped the rope with his right hand, kicked off the cliff, and leapt straight down.

Xiao Yixian had never experienced such a reckless, safety-free bungee jump—she slammed into Xiao Yan's chest, eyes shut, too terrified to look. If they fell, they'd be crushed to pulp!

Shush-shush-shush—Xiao Yan's right hand controlled their descent speed by gripping the rope.

Soon, Xiao Yan landed on a ledge inside the cliffside Cave, gripping the rope. He glanced down at Xiao Yixian, who clung to him tightly, and teased, "If you keep hugging like this, dawn will break."

!!!!

Still shaken, Xiao Yixian looked around, then at Xiao Yan's calm face, and exclaimed, "Are your hands made of steel?!"

Xiao Yan laughed. To him, already perfected in Eight Extreme Shatter, this was child's play. The cultivation of Eight Extreme Shatter had hardened his body like steel—otherwise, the technique would've shattered his own arms before killing his opponent.

In Xiao Yixian's eyes, Xiao Yan was practically a humanoid beast.

Splash—Xiao Yan pulled a torch from his Storage Ring. Swallowing Flame had one weakness: it devoured all light and couldn't be used for illumination.

Hiss! Suddenly, a serpent's hiss echoed from within the stone cave—a massive Rock Serpent coiled inside, its triangular eyes fixed on Xiao Yan and Xiao Yixian with murderous intent.

"Rock Serpent? What do we do? It's a top-tier Rank-One beast! Several High-Level Dou Zhe are needed to handle it!" Xiao Yixian trembled. She'd heard of such beasts—each encounter claimed many Mercenaries' lives; they were notoriously difficult.

Xiao Yan shrugged. "What can we do? Let it cool."

No sooner had he spoken than the Rock Serpent, as if understanding, roared and lunged with its gaping maw, fangs gleaming coldly, aiming to swallow Xiao Yan whole!

Xiao Yan wrapped his right arm around Xiao Yixian's waist and dodged the attack with the grace of a dancer, just barely avoiding it. With a light tug, he redirected the beast's momentum—four ounces moved a thousand pounds—and shoved it over the cliff.

The motion was fluid, seamless, flawless.

With a flick of his sleeve, he took a serpent's life.

Xiao Yixian hadn't recovered yet—she'd even forgotten Xiao Yan was holding her waist. "Your evasion is that strong?!"

Xiao Yan pinched her waist lightly. Xiao Yixian jumped away like a startled kitten, glaring at him.

"Still asking questions? Get moving." Xiao Yan smiled and stepped forward into the Cave.

Gazing into the pitch-black interior, Xiao Yixian hesitated. After a moment, she stomped her foot, gritted her teeth, and followed.

The Cave was deep. A faint chill clung to their skin. In the silent corridor, only their soft footsteps echoed.

The dark surroundings made Xiao Yixian instinctively hug herself. She glanced ahead at Xiao Yan's slow-moving figure, hesitated briefly, then quickened her pace to stay close behind him. In this environment, only the boy ahead gave her even a sliver of safety.

Just as Xiao Yixian could no longer bear the suffocating silence of the darkness, the boy ahead suddenly halted.

A sharp "Ah!" rang out; Xiao Yixian couldn't stop her momentum in time and slammed into Xiao Yan's back, pressed tightly against it by the pressure.

The intimate contact made Xiao Yixian's face flush crimson as she hastily stepped back, scolding, "What are you doing?"

"There's no way out."