Between heaven and earth, Xiao Yan's words, tinged with sarcasm, drifted leisurely. On the ground below, Lin Zehong, standing before A Bao's cave, had a face that alternated between pale and flushed. The muscles at the corners of his eyes twitched violently as he scanned the surrounding world, hoping to find Xiao Yan's whereabouts.
"Heh, looking for me again? Well, I'm right in front of you."
Suddenly, Lin Zehong heard a particularly clear sound of biting his lip, as if someone was speaking close to his ear.
Lin Zehong was suddenly shocked. His expression changed as he retreated rapidly until he reached the edge of the open space. Only then did he look up and see a young man in a black robe standing where he had been standing a moment before.
This person is none other than Xiao Yan, who disappeared for a month!
" Xiao Yan..."
Lin Zehong solemnly recited the words, and at the same time, the Dou Qi within his body rapidly rose, ready to face Xiao Yan at any moment.
Although Xiao Yan's strength appears to be only that of Six-Star Half-Emperor, anyone in the Western Region who knows him even slightly understands that behind his seemingly weak strength lies a powerful destructive force that would terrify even Dou Di expert. No Dou Di expert would dare to be arrogant in the face of him.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan grinned, revealing a playful smile. Coincidentally, now that he had devoured the Jade Bone Fruit, his strength had reached the Late Six-Star Half-Emperor, and the power of his Strength Elephant Art had also slightly increased. He wondered what kind of power his Strength Elephant Art would unleash when they started fighting.
"This guy..."
Seeing the inexplicable curve of Xiao Yan's lips, Lin Zehong's heart tightened. In his eyes, such a smile seemed particularly terrifying. Who knew what this guy was up to? Lin Zehong didn't want to lose his life here!
However, just as Xiao Yan was about to make a move, he suddenly frowned. In his soul perception, another person was rapidly flying towards the direction where the two of them were.
"It's him..."
Xiao Yan was slightly surprised; he hadn't expected that even he would come.
Before long, a figure appeared in Xiao Yan and Lin Zehong's line of sight. At the same time, A Bao, who was hiding far behind the two, also noticed the newcomer. His eyes widened in surprise. Being within the Bai Clan's sphere of influence, he was naturally very clear about this person's identity.
This newcomer was none other than Bai Zhan, the young master of the Bai Clan.
"Damn it! How did he notice the commotion here too!"
Upon seeing Bai Zhan, Lin Zehong's already heavy heart sank even further, but then he felt a slight relief as he immediately thought of a solution.
"Patriarch Lin Clan, what are you doing here? And there's even... Xiao Yan!"
When Bai Zhan saw Lin Zehong, his eyes flickered slightly. He asked a question he already knew the answer to, and then turned his gaze to Xiao Yan. A look of surprise flashed deep in his eyes. He hadn't expected that Xiao Yan was still in this mountain range.
"Your Highness, your arrival is timely. I heard some disturbances deep within these mountains a few days ago, which suggests that Xiao Yan may still be here. Therefore, I came here today to investigate. I failed to inform Patriarch Bai Clan beforehand; this is my negligence!"
Lin Zehong didn't glean anything from Bai Zhan's words. He clasped his hands in a perfunctory manner towards Bai Zhan, talking to himself. His words sounded like he was admitting a mistake, yet also like he was seeking credit.
"It's alright, everything will be fine once we find Xiao Yan!"
A sharp glint flashed in Bai Zhan's eyes. Lin Zehong assumed he was after Xiao Yan and immediately sneered inwardly.
"Hmph, as expected, you're just a piece of trash. Even at a time like this, you still have the mind to try and capture Xiao Yan. When you die at Xiao Yan's hands, hmph, the Bai Clan..."
Lin Zehong smiled coldly to himself, then quickly came to his senses and turned his gaze to Xiao Yan, as if afraid that the latter would reveal the truth. Fortunately, Xiao Yan did not speak; his gaze had been fixed on Bai Zhan from the beginning.
Lin Zehong was unaware of this, but Bai Zhan's strength appeared to be only that of Nine-Star Half-Emperor, but in reality, he had already reached the Mid-Stage Two-Star Dou Di. Lin Zehong alone was no match for him, and even Xiao Yan himself, without relying on the Northern King, would find it difficult to become his opponent based solely on his own strength.
"Young Master, since we've encountered Xiao Yan today, why don't we seize this opportunity to join forces and capture him? Then you can escort him back to your clan and hand him over to the sect—that would be a great achievement!"
Lin Zehong gave Bai Zhan a fawning smile, looking at the latter as if he were a fool.
"Oh?"
Bai Zhan's eyes lit up, as if he had truly been tricked, but then he frowned and asked doubtfully:
"Patriarch Lin Clan, surely you won't do this without giving anything in return?"
"Hmph, pretending to be clever!"
Lin Zehong sneered inwardly and quickly said:
"Haha, Your Highness, what are you saying? We are all one family, members of the same sect. Why be so formal? Dealing with Xiao Yan is the most important thing right now!"
While he said this, Lin Zehong didn't really think so. Facing Xiao Yan alone, he was no match for him. Of course, he didn't expect Bai Zhan, a Nine-Star Half-Emperor, to be of any help. He only hoped that Bai Zhan could restrain Xiao Yan so that he could find an opportunity to leave. In that case, even if Bai Zhan died, the blame would fall on Xiao Yan. He could just go back and make up a story for Huo Ting to get away with it, and everything would be fine.
In this way, not only will his own family be safe and sound, but he will also be able to get rid of the Bai Clan's heir. Once the Bai Clan is destroyed, it will be time for his Lin Clan to take the opportunity to rise to power!
Just thinking about that day coming filled Lin Zehong with a little excitement.
"Young Master, let's take action now and capture Xiao Yan!"
With a cold utterance, Lin Zehong's body trembled, and his Dou Qi instantly gathered on his arms. His eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan opposite him, and a chilling sneer slowly curled up at the corner of his mouth.
At the same time, Bai Zhan, standing beside him, grinned, raised his eyes, and stared at Xiao Yan. The smile on his lips gradually widened. Upon seeing this, the latter couldn't help but frown slightly, and the Dou Qi in his internal energy vortex quietly turned to the left. Meanwhile, the Northern King in his Storage Ring was also making preparations in secret.
but...
In the very next moment...
"Laugh!"
With a cracking sound of bones breaking, Lin Zehong, standing beside Bai Zhan, was decapitated.