Chapter 340: The Two Reconcile

Yuan Yao could never hand Yuan Batian over to Xie Yan.

Under Yuan Yao's control, Yuan Batian was about to transform, but Xie Yan condensed a seal and flicked his finger at the puppet's head, sealing its power.

At that moment, the puppet suddenly seemed to lose all support.

No reaction.

"Since you are unkind, I will be unjust," the boy's voice was indifferent, slowly reaching Yuan Yao's ears.

At the same time, the girl perched on the snow beast's shoulder suddenly opened her eyes, her expression extremely cold.

She tried to summon Yuan Batian back to the beast pet space, but Yuan Batian gave no response.

She immediately guided the snow beast toward the cave where Xie Yan was.

Inside the cave.

The boy lowered his gaze at the puppet in his hand, the corners of his lips under the mask slightly upturned.

He put on his clothes.

And he placed the puppet into his storage compartment.

Soon, a sound came from outside.

When the girl burst into the cave, she instantly sensed a shadow approaching; before she could react, the boy pressed her against the wall.

His aura forcefully invaded her senses.

The boy gave her a cold stare, his tone icy, "Yuan Yao, didn't you say we should set boundaries? Why frame me?"

"It was an accident," Yuan Yao explained, "I didn't know you'd be here."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Return the puppet to me!"

Both spoke at the same time.

"Not returning," Xie Yan slowly released her, stepped out of the cave, leaving two words.

Yuan Yao quickened her steps to catch up, "Xie Yan, how can you be so unscrupulous?"

"Unscrupulous?" Xie Yan's steps faltered slightly, he turned his head, gave her a casual glance, "Miss Yuan has known me so long, yet probably still doesn't understand my nature well."

Yuan Yao suddenly remembered his various deeds as 'Xie Yan', which were entirely different from those as 'Xie Zixu'.

If Xie Zixu was restrained and introverted, then Xie Yan was unbridled, arrogant, and vicious.

Yuan Yao looked at the boy's silhouette, inhaled deeply, "Xie Yan, I'll ask you again: do you intend to claim my puppet as your own?"

Xie Yan's voice came, "Yes."

Upon hearing that, Yuan Yao conjured a Phantom Spirit Sword in her hand, then darted toward him to attack.

Xie Yan seemed to have anticipated; he sidestepped Yuan Yao's attack, then immediately raised his hand and slammed a palm toward Yuan Yao!

Yuan Yao lifted her sword to block.

Xie Yan seemed unwilling to tangle further; he darted forward.

"Stop!" Yuan Yao, seeing this, her expression shifting, immediately pursued.

The two were one ahead, one behind.

Yuan Yao's hatred toward Xie Yan made her teeth itch.

She quickened her pace, soon closing the distance between them.

Then the boy suddenly turned, smashing a palm that shattered the snow mountain, sending rocks flying.

Yuan Yao instantly raised her sword, stirring a gust of blade wind that overturned all obstacles on the road; she stepped forward, flashed, and had already caught up to a point ten meters ahead of Xie Yan.

She raised her sword and slashed!

The sword aura was overwhelming.

Xie Yan took a few light steps back, evading her attack.

The boy turned his head toward her, snorted lightly, "Didn't you say we should set boundaries? Why chase me relentlessly?"

"You ask knowingly!"

Yuan Yao found him extremely detestable and immediately swung a sword!

"One-layer Drunken Life, Dream Death!"

The boy grasped his sword with his left hand and lifted it with a flick!

The snowflakes on the ground instantly roiled like a towering wave, surging toward Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao stepped back several paces, dodging his attack, then immediately seized the opportunity, using her spiritual power to strike him.

He repelled her spiritual power with sword intent, bouncing it back.

The two exchanged a glance.

Immediately, they engaged in close combat.

As their swords clashed, their gazes also met.

Xie Yan stared at her, saying, "You should know you can't beat me."

"So what?" Yuan Yao's bright eyes now glowed with anger, her ruby lips pressed together, she slashed at Xie Yan with a sword.

Clang!

Xie Yan lifted his sword to block her long sword.

The two fought fiercely.

Xie Yan's body was gravely wounded, his strength limited.

And Yuan Yao, to reclaim Yuan Batian, attacked Xie Yan with all her might.

Because she knew Xie Yan was powerful; if she didn't take him seriously, she might be countered.

Xie Yan, seeing her intent to kill him, felt as if a breath of suffocating air was trapped in his chest.

The two fought from day into night.

The surrounding cold pressed in, and Xie Yan's wounds were rupturing in many places; the face beneath his mask was unusually pallid.

Yuan Yao was also wounded, thin strands of fresh blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.

"Xie Yan, you're courting death." Yuan Yao could naturally see that he left room in his strike, and precisely because of that, the longer the stalemate continued, the worse it was for him.

Because his serious injury had not healed.

Now the wound had split open, and the white garment on his chest was almost dyed red with blood.

Suddenly, the youth could no longer hold on; his legs gave way and he involuntarily knelt half on the ground.

At the same time, the long sword he gripped was driven into the earth, as if to barely steady his stance and avoid falling.

Immediately after, a pungent‑sweet scent rose to his throat, and the youth violently spat out a mouthful of blood, splattering onto the pristine snow......

Yuan Yao saw this and felt a sudden tug at her heart.

She stepped toward Xie Yan, pointing the tip of her sword at his head.

"Hand over the puppet."

In the next instant, under her shocked gaze, the youth grasped the blade of her Phantom Spirit Sword with one hand, blood streaming down the edge.

"What must you do to quell your anger?" the half‑kneeling youth asked softly, looking up at her.

"I said…"

"Yuan Yao, we can never be strangers." He cut her off, his tone cold, "because I will keep entangling you."

Yuan Yao tried to speak calmly, "Xie Yan, there was never much between us."

He lifted his gaze, "Then let's get to know each other again, okay?"

Snowflakes drifted from the sky, slowly settling on their bodies.

At this moment, the surrounding wind seemed silently hushed.

Yuan Yao's mood was chaotic now; she could not untangle the relationship between herself and him.

She had originally decided to draw a firm line with him, but he acted contrary to his word…

Yuan Yao lowered her head and asked, "If I reveal your secret, would you kill me?"

"If it's already been exposed, there's nothing left to say." After a brief pause, he solemnly said, "I won't kill you."

"Why?"

"Because that is Xie Yan's choice." He had never been so certain of anything.

He did not want his status to create a boundary between them.

Yuan Yao summoned the Phantom Spirit Sword back, then snorted coldly, saying, "But you are fickle."

Xie Yan: "…"

She reached out to him, "I am Yuan Yao, a disciple of the Carefree Sect's Heavenly Martial Peak, disciple of the Thousand Mountain Immortal Lord."

Xie Yan's eyes narrowed slightly; he extended his left hand that held a sword, and slowly yet firmly grasped her hand.

"I am Xie Yan."

Yuan Yao pulled him up and then said.

"Let's just be friends."

Immediately after, she reached out to him, "Return the puppet to me."

Xie Yan's brow twitched, "…" He wondered why she seemed willing to reconcile only to retrieve the puppet.