Chapter 577: You Feel My Pain

After the groups were assigned, Yuan Yao and the others prepared to leave the camp.

Song Yan, a little uneasy, reminded Yuan Yao, "Your senior brothers and sisters aren't with you; you must take good care of yourself."

Yuan Yao nodded in agreement.

When the four sub‑groups of the Abyss-Removal Squad had left the camp, they found that the Heavenly Pride Squad had not yet departed.

The members of the Heavenly Pride Squad suddenly saw their arrival and immediately went on guard.

At first they thought Yuan Yao and the others would come to mock them again, but to their surprise, Yuan Yao's party neither approached them nor even paid them any attention.

They only saw the Abyss-Removal Squad marching deeper forward.

"Where are they going?" a member of the Heavenly Pride Squad asked curiously.

Another member replied, "Should we send someone to follow them secretly and see what they're up to?"

Ying Wuhuan's expression tightened, "Hold off on following them. If we send people to trail them, it will only cause more trouble. Our wounds haven't healed; we can't defeat them and are at a disadvantage."

"As you say, Leader."

…

After traveling together for a while, the Abyss-Removal Squad split into four groups and headed in different directions.

Yuan Yao's group included Xie Yan, Qian Yunzhou, Jiang Xiao, Ling Huya and others.

Yuan Yao told them, "If we encounter an Abyss Beast, first it will be real‑combat training, second we will hunt the Abyss Beast to take its beast crystal. If we truly cannot defeat it, we will retreat."

The others raised no objections.

After walking for a while, they finally came upon a Sixth‑Grade Abyss Beast.

The Sixth‑Grade Abyss Beast, upon seeing them, had blood‑red eyes and lunged wildly toward them.

Yuan Yao swiftly summoned the Phantom Spirit Sword, her gaze hardening, and shouted, "Attack!"

This time she did not use spiritual power against the Abyss Beast, relying entirely on her swordsmanship.

Xie Yan understood that Yuan Yao's purpose in taking the group for training was to improve combat ability. Therefore, he did not rush for a quick kill but restrained his breath, suppressed his realm, and began to spar with the Abyss Beast.

The ten of them quickly surrounded the Abyss Beast, each employing their strengths, and began a tangled fight.

The Sixth‑Grade Abyss Beast was not stupid; it seemed to realize it had become a live target for their training, so it desperately tried to break through the encirclement and flee.

But each time, the humans intercepted it!

The Abyss Beast roared, and the surrounding plants trembled instantly.

It lunged fiercely toward Yuan Yao, baring sharp fangs as if to tear her apart.

Yuan Yao did not retreat but advanced, swinging her sword.

Boom!

The Abyss Beast broke through the sword's force and continued to press toward Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao's complexion changed slightly.

At that moment, a white figure flashed by; a youth kicked the Abyss Beast's head, sending it flying.

"Bang," the Abyss Beast crashed heavily onto the ground.

After landing, Xie Yan immediately looked toward Yuan Yao's position.

But Yuan Yao's figure had already vanished.

When Xie Yan's gaze followed, he saw that Yuan Yao had already joined others in attacking the Sixth‑Grade Abyss Beast.

Xie Yan's eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of his mouth lifted involuntarily.

A quarter of an hour later, they jointly eliminated the Sixth‑Grade Abyss Beast.

"Who killed this Abyss Beast?" Ling Huya raised her hand to wipe sweat from her forehead and asked.

Yuan Yao was silent for a moment, then said, "From now on, whoever can cut off the Abyss Beast's head and extract its beast crystal will be considered the one who killed it."

"Fine," Ling Huya nodded.

Qian Yunzhou spoke, "Let's rest here for a while; perhaps another Abyss Beast will come looking for us."

Jiang Xiao, leaning against a puppet, crossed his arms and said, "The smell of blood here can attract other Abyss Beasts. The more we kill here, the stronger the scent, the more Abyss Beasts it draws. It's a cycle."

Yuan Yao laughed, "Indeed, that's a good idea."

Qian Yunzhou smiled, "As long as Little Six is satisfied, that's good enough."

Then he walked toward Yuan Yao, stopped in front of her, produced a clean handkerchief, and leaned slightly as if to wipe the blood from her face.

He was good‑looking; his smile carried a hint of gentleness and charm.

Yuan Yao stepped back two paces, evading his gesture.

"I'll do it myself."

At that moment, Xie Yan, having arrived beside Yuan Yao unnoticed, handed her a clean handkerchief.

Yuan Yao looked up at him and reached out to take it.

"Thank you."

Qian Yunzhou saw the scene, a hint of melancholy and coldness flashing in his eyes.

Qian Yunzhou's smile widened, "Brother Xie is really thoughtful, but I wonder whether your handkerchief is clean or dirty, smelly or not?"

"Definitely smells better than yours," Xie Yan said coldly.

Qian Yunzhou handed the handkerchief to Yuan Yao, "Little Six, would you like to sniff it and see if it's fragrant?"

Yuan Yao: "…that's enough."

She no longer wanted to be in the same group with the two of them.

It was sheer torment for her.

Yuan Yao glared at the two of them irritably, "You don't need to keep giving me handkerchiefs; I have enough. Besides, I know you two don't get along, but stop pulling petty tricks in front of me, and not behind my back either."

"I'll do whatever Little Six says," Qian Yunzhou replied promptly.

Xie Yan's face was cold as he let out an indifferent "hng."

Qian Yunzhou's gaze fell on her hand. "Little Six Sis, since you have a handkerchief, you don't need this."

Yuan Yao sighed, "Having accepted it, how could I return it?"

Qian Yunzhou's smile stiffened slightly.

"Little Six, you're defending him like this?"

"Ah Yao." Xie Yan suddenly spoke, his brows slightly furrowed, his extremely handsome face now showing a hint of coldness, "My hand is injured, it hurts so much."

"Where?" Yuan Yao tilted her head to look at him, and grabbed both of his hands.

"Here." Xie Yan pointed to the arm that had been slit by the abyssal beast.

"Come here, I'll first stop the bleeding and bandage it." Yuan Yao pulled him away.

"Hng." Xie Yan gave a soft reply, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting.

Qian Yunzhou watched them walk away, the smile on his face instantly vanished, he let out a cold laugh, "Such a small wound, if not bandaged, will just heal on its own."

With Xie Yan's strength as a dead half-demon, it's impossible for him to be injured by a sixth-rank abyssal beast unless he did it on purpose.

A dead half-demon, yet he has such scheming.

After Yuan Yao finished treating Xie Yan's wound, she looked up and saw him staring at her.

Xie Yan slowly said, "This wound actually… isn't painful."

Yuan Yao actually guessed his thoughts, but she didn't expose him; upon hearing these words, she felt an indescribable emotion.

"Then what kind of wound counts as painful?"

Xie Yan smiled, "Like the wound from the Immortal Sect Grand Tournament that day, that's painful."

Yuan Yao frowned, "If it's a wound, it will hurt. Unless you're a stone with no sensation."

"You feel sorry for me?" Xie Yan startled, a soft, tingling feeling rose in his heart.

"Just this little wound, and she feels sorry for herself?"

"Who said I feel sorry for you? Don't be self-indulgent." Yuan Yao let out a light hum.