Yu Yuanzhen trembled as he said, "I remember, I remember! It's in my head!"
Yi Chen said coldly, "Fine. Teach me the information you've recorded, or I'll kill you right now... I have more than enough strength to kill you."
Yu Yuanzhen gave Yi Chen a blank look, then slowly passed on a set of cultivation methods.
After silently reciting the cultivation formula several times, Yi Chen nodded approvingly. "Not bad, not bad. It really is a good fit."
"Don't try to escape. You don't even have the strength to move now. Where could you possibly run? Besides, I'm certain there are enemies hiding nearby... You wouldn't want them to kill me, or destroy your soul outright, would you?"
Yu Yuanzhen fell into despair. He cursed through gritted teeth, "You lunatics! I swear you'll all die more miserably than I will."
Yi Chen shook his head. "What a pity. If you hadn't jumped out yourself, it wouldn't have been easy for me to come across prey of this caliber. Such a pity... Still, you humans don't deserve to live."
Yu Yuanzhen stared venomously at Yi Chen. "Damn you, just you wait! Our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will never let you get away with this. We'll send our strongest warriors to tear you apart and turn your corpse into a specimen."
Yi Chen said calmly, "Oh, really? But if I slaughter you now, your clan will never know I was the one who killed you. As for your clan's powerful fighters coming to take revenge on me? Heh, would those fellows really be foolish enough to come looking for me?"
Yi Chen laughed sinisterly. "Your clan's powerful fighters will think you provoked me first, and I merely killed you in passing."
Yu Yuanzhen's eyes darted about, as though he were considering a way to escape.
Yi Chen sneered. "I know the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is one of the world's foremost powers, so whenever you're attacked, your headquarters will send people to ensure your safety, won't they?
"I'm guessing your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan has three old monsters at the Peak Douluo level?"
Yi Chen said coldly, "Tell me, if I killed you on the spot and then fled, would the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan hunt me down like mad?"
"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan forbids its martial soul from being leaked to outsiders, so they'd pour all their strength into capturing me, then force me to reveal every secret!"
"Do you think they'd pay an enormous price for my life?"
Yu Yuanzhen's expression twitched for a while before he nodded with difficulty. "Yes. You're a clever man. The strength of our Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is beyond question. As long as you obediently do as you're told, our clan won't hurt you."
But Yi Chen paid that no mind. He shook his head and said, "Sorry, I don't like being threatened. Since I've already offended you, I might as well finish you off and make you disappear forever."
Yu Yuanzhen cried out urgently, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I still have value to you! Keep me alive, and I can bring you astronomical wealth..."
Yi Chen lightly squeezed his wrist and muttered, "How pitiful. To think someone from the illustrious Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan would end up like this. Truly pathetic. If your clansmen and friends saw you, how would they treat you?"
Yu Yuanzhen exclaimed in alarm, "Who... who are you?"
Yi Chen gave a savage grin. "You don't need to concern yourself with who I am. I only want to tell you that if you refuse to tell me how to cultivate your martial soul, I'll use my own methods to make you obediently cooperate. Do you believe me?"
Yu Yuanzhen pleaded desperately, "Please, please don't kill me. I'll cooperate with you. I'll cooperate in everything."
Yi Chen sighed. "Then come with me!"
Yu Yuanzhen hesitated. He had no idea what Yi Chen was truly after, but the man before him was clearly no ordinary fighter!
Yi Chen was evidently doing this to avoid trouble.
Carrying the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon's corpse over his shoulder, Yi Chen returned to the alley.
A Nan jumped in fright at the figure that suddenly appeared.
When he saw it was Yi Chen, he had only just breathed a sigh of relief before noticing Yu Yuanzhen's unfamiliar figure, and his heart immediately tightened again.
"Come on. Take us to see your younger sister."
A Nan hesitated for a while, then nodded and hurried toward his room.
Holding Yu Yuanzhen, Yi Chen followed behind A Nan into a dim corridor.
They then arrived at an extremely dilapidated, bare wooden house.
A Nan pushed open the door, and a heavy stench of blood hit them. On the bed, a young girl stared lifelessly at the window, seemingly unaware that Yi Chen and the others had arrived.
A Nan called softly, "Little sister, I'm back..."
The girl on the bed froze for a moment, then turned to look at A Nan, a sweet, shy smile appearing on her face. She quickly got out of bed and rushed toward Yi Chen. "Brother, you're finally back! We've been worried about you..."
Yi Chen looked around. There were scarcely any furnishings in the shabby house. Cobwebs hung on the walls, and the tables, chairs, and stools were all blackened.
Only the bed seemed reasonably sturdy.
A Nan's mother had died young, so this bed was where his younger sister slept.
A shaft of sunlight fell over her. Her skin was translucent and lustrous, giving off a faint white glow, making her look like a work of art carved from fine jade. She wore a rough cloth outfit with a short tunic. Though washed pale, it was clean and tidy, giving her a rather delicate appearance.
Yi Chen smiled and nodded, spreading his arms to welcome her.
"Um... Brother, who is this gentleman?" A Yun asked timidly.
A Nan stroked her hair and said, "He's my guest. He's here to treat your illness!"
A Yun stared at Yi Chen with wide eyes. "Really, Uncle? Thank you! Thank you for saving me!" Her voice was clear and lovely, carrying the innocence unique to a child.
Yi Chen smiled and nodded. With the fingers of his right hand, he traced a cloud of green mist in the air, and a strand of exceptionally pure soul power slowly flowed into A Yun's body. In an instant, a touch of color appeared on her previously pale face, and her vitality rose to an unprecedented level.
A Yun's eyes suddenly lit up, sparkling brightly. Two adorable little canine teeth showed as she smiled, excitedly tugging at A Nan's sleeve. "Brother, am I better now?"
Yi Chen said gently, "Not yet. In fact, this isn't an illness. It's a gift!"
"A gift...?"
Yi Chen sighed inwardly. This sweet, innocent little girl probably had no idea that she was like a porcelain doll right now. One careless mistake could shatter her to pieces.