"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you some good news, Luo Yan. I already agreed on your behalf to help the Saintess find that thief tomorrow. This is a great chance to win her over! You should know, I practically worried myself sick creating this opportunity for you to get close to her, so you absolutely can't let me down!" Wei Yi said, planting both hands on his hips with a look that said, "No need to thank me."
"I'm not going!" Luo Yan's face darkened.
He had already guessed who the fat bastard who stole the Ten-Thousand-Face Flower was.
Duan De!
That fellow had actually emerged already!
And he had even set his sights on the Tianxuan Holy Land. He had probably heard from somewhere that its experts would soon join those of other holy lands to explore the Desolate Forbidden Zone. With the holy land left undermanned, he could dig up their ancestral graves!
Luo Yan had read Shrouding the Heavens thoroughly. He knew perfectly well that this fat bastard was certainly that shameless!
The man carried a secret treasure that concealed him from heavenly divination. Ordinary saint artifacts could not deduce his whereabouts at all, but the Time Mirror had long since surpassed the realm of saint artifacts, so it could naturally reveal Duan De's true form.
"Luo Yan, are you scared?" Wei Yi asked.
"What would I be scared of?"
"Seeing the Saintess, of course! And you said you didn't like her. You've given yourself away now! I've heard all about it. Usually, when someone says things like that, it's because they're afraid to see the person they love. They say the opposite to hide the nervousness and excitement in their hearts!" Wei Yi declared confidently. What did a little brat like him know about love? He heard a gust of wind and took it for rain.
"I don't like her!"
"You do, you just won't admit it! Anyway, I already promised the Saintess for you. You're going whether you like it or not!"
Early the next morning, Wei Yi dragged Luo Yan out of bed and hurried him toward the depths of the Tianxuan Holy Land.
The Tianxuan Saintess's residence stood near the deepest reaches of the Tianxuan Holy Land, not far from the Thatched Cottage that was regarded as its forbidden ground. Hers was the only residence in the entire holy land afforded this privilege. Even its Holy Son did not enjoy such treatment!
The Tianxuan Saintess's residence had been built in a place near the Thatched Cottage where life essence flourished in extraordinary abundance. Immortal mist drifted through the air, making one feel as though one had fallen into an immortal realm.
When Luo Yan and Wei Yi arrived, quite a few outstanding young talents had already gathered there.
All of them were admirers of the Tianxuan Saintess. Upon hearing that her Ten-Thousand-Face Flower had been stolen, they had come uninvited to help her catch the thief.
This was an excellent opportunity to draw closer to the Tianxuan Saintess.
Soon, a figure emerged from the residence, approaching with graceful steps as though lotuses bloomed beneath her feet.
She was a woman with bright eyes, gleaming teeth, and a slender neck, as fresh and lovely as a lotus rising from the water, her beauty unmatched. Dressed entirely in white, she was pure as ice and flawless as jade, so beautiful she hardly seemed real! She was as breathtaking as an immortal maiden from the nine heavens.
"Please return, everyone. I can resolve this matter myself. There is no need to trouble you all!" she said, her bearing transcendent.
"You jest, Saintess. That thief is utterly detestable. Not long ago, he stole a secret treasure from one of our Jiang Family ancestors. I've come not merely to help you capture him, but also under my ancestor's orders to retrieve the treasure," a Jiang Family cultivator said viciously, looking as though he could not live beneath the same sky as the thief.
An outstanding disciple from another holy land also spoke up. "This thief is exceptionally skilled and has considerable cultivation. He stole something from me as well. I heard that you possess a means of finding him, Saintess, so I came specifically to assist you and recover my treasure!"
"My master also had a treasure..."
Listening to their excuses, Luo Yan could only marvel that she truly deserved her reputation as the greatest beauty in the Eastern Wasteland. A single bit of trouble had drawn so many outstanding talents to her side without her even needing to ask.
Who was Duan De? Would ordinary treasures ever catch his eye? These people were clearly making excuses!
Naturally, the Tianxuan Saintess saw through their intentions as well. Faced with so many notable figures, even she could not easily slight them.
They came from various powers, and even she could hardly afford to offend so many people at once.
In the end, the Tianxuan Saintess selected a dozen or so prodigies from the Desolate Ancient Families and holy lands, then persuaded the others to leave.
"Please return and wait a little while, everyone. Once we find the thief, we will notify you to come. We will certainly make him hand over the treasures he stole from you!"
Since the Tianxuan Saintess had gone so far as to say this, the others could only give up, secretly resenting that they had not been chosen.
As everyone withdrew, the Holy Son candidate from Yaoguang fixed his gaze on Luo Yan and Wei Yi, who stood to one side. "What are you two still doing here? Are you waiting for the Saintess to tell you to leave herself?"
As soon as he spoke, everyone turned to look.
Wei Yi jumped forward. "The Saintess hasn't said anything, so why are you butting in? You certainly have a thick face!"
Luo Yan's expression remained unchanged, but he wondered how this fellow had gone from painfully shy to brazenly outgoing in just three short months. The difference was enormous! Perhaps this was the little fellow's true personality?
The Yaoguang Holy Son candidate's expression immediately turned ugly. A child not even ten years old had made him lose face, and right in front of the Tianxuan Saintess at that. Anger surged within him. "What a sharp-tongued little brat! Today, I'll discipline you on behalf of your elders!"
Seeing him about to strike, Wei Yi immediately ducked behind Luo Yan. "Luo Yan, he's trying to bully me!"
"You think hiding behind him will help? I'll deal with him too!" He unleashed a divine art, which transformed into divine light and shot toward Luo Yan.
Luo Yan raised a hand and effortlessly scattered the divine light with a palm strike.
"What! That was the Divine Light Art created by a Saint-level ancestor of the Yaoguang Holy Land before he passed away in meditation! Even though Fang Jin is only at the third heaven of Dragon Transformation, his attack rivals a strike from someone at the great perfection of Dragon Transformation. Yet it was dispelled so easily! Who is this man?"
"Could he be another peerless prodigy?"
Luo Yan stared at Fang Jin. Come to think of it, he still had a score to settle with the Yaoguang Holy Land! He had never expected that even six thousand years ago, a Holy Son candidate from this holy land would still provoke him!
Enemies truly met on narrow roads!
"Are all disciples of the Yaoguang Holy Land as overbearing as you? What a coincidence, then. People like you are the ones I dislike most!" Luo Yan extended one hand and closed it around empty air.
Fang Jin's face paled. Realizing that Luo Yan was about to attack him, he hurriedly said, "Fellow Daoist, what happened earlier was a misunderstanding. I..."
"Urgh..."
"Aah!"
Fang Jin's face turned deathly pale. An overwhelmingly terrifying aura of death weighed upon his heart. He clutched his chest, his breathing in disarray and his blood vitality draining away.
What kind of technique was this? He had suppressed a prodigy at the third heaven of Dragon Transformation from a distance! Could this man be a Holy Son-level prodigy?
At that thought, the others' expressions changed dramatically.
Only a handful of Holy Son-level figures remained composed. They could do the same when dealing with someone like Fang Jin.
The instant murderous intent arose within Luo Yan, an extraordinarily terrifying gaze descended from the heavens. Almost no one but Luo Yan sensed it.
"You got lucky!" Luo Yan flicked his hand, sending Fang Jin crashing hard to the ground, but sparing his life.
Would killing this man get me expelled by the Heavenly Dao? Suspicion stirred in Luo Yan's heart. The Heavenly Dao was ordinarily dormant, with all its rules operating independently. If Luo Yan killed this man, he would awaken the ten thousand ways and thus be expelled back into the River of Time.
Did this man harbor some great secret?
Before you continue