Nameless Stone Chamber

Let's rewind to one day ago.

Kang Dabao held Yuan Xiyue's snow-white neck tightly, their faces extremely close. Even the Sect Leader Kang Da could feel the delicate fragrance entering his nose and permeating his heart and soul, which was very pleasant.

As Yuan Feng drifted down, his face remained expressionless. He truly lived up to his reputation as the new generation leader of the Yuan Household family's direct lineage. Even though his most prized possession was being manipulated before his very eyes, he showed no excessive anxiety. He simply said softly, "Sect Leader Kang, our two families have been close neighbors for many years. Why go to such lengths?"

Kang Dabao raised his eyebrows slightly, and the soft jade in his arms made him feel safer when facing Yuan Feng.

The person before him was someone that Daoist Black Shoes had explicitly stated before entering the cave was someone he could not defeat. If it weren't for Yuan Xiyue acting as a shield, Sect Leader Kang Da would have turned and run away by now, instead of staying to deal with Yuan Feng.

Therefore, after hearing Yuan Feng's words, Kang Dabao remained silent, but his two short, thick fingers, which were pressing on Yuan Xiyue's neck, showed no sign of loosening.

"Hiss." A soft, whimpering voice rang in his ears, and Kang Dabao, fearing that this might be another heresy, tightly shut his ears.

Yuan Feng, however, didn't take it to heart and patiently persuaded, "Sect Leader Kang, our two families only have a minor grudge over a mere soldier with a Clear Spirit Physique. It's not worth it."

Kang Dabao pulled Yuan Xiyue back a few steps and said calmly, "Young Master Yuan is right. Once I'm far enough away and feel safe enough to keep my own life, I'll return Miss Yuan Household to you."

Yuan Feng's brow twitched slightly, a smile appearing on his face. He said gently, "That won't do. To be honest, Sect Leader Kang, my elder sister was chosen by the Abbot of Original Response Temple as his consort. When the time comes, she will ascend to the Golden Core of the Snow Region's secret families. Sect Leader Kang cannot take her away."

Sect Leader Kang Da grinned coldly. "Then I wonder if Young Master Yuan has any other way to put my mind at ease?"

Yuan Feng did not speak immediately. After looking Kang Dabao up and down for a while, he slowly said, "As long as Sect Leader Kang is willing to make a solemn oath to give that rogue cultivator Rogue Cultivator to my Yuan Household, then I, Yuan Feng, can advise Ancestor Buwen: Once my elder sister 'Golden Core is formed, the Jingnan Yuan Clan will serve the Earl of Nan'an with utmost loyalty."

Yuan Feng's words surprised Sect Leader Kang Da slightly, but without waiting for a reply, he continued, "At that time, as the recommender, Sect Leader Kang will be able to distinguish himself in the state court and gain more trust under the Marquis of Earl of Nan'an."

Yuan Xiyue was being held by Kang Dabao, one arm around her waist and the other around her neck, and was sweating profusely and panting heavily from the pain. When Yuan Feng finished speaking, the eldest daughter of the Yuan Household suddenly changed her expression, and a look of surprise flashed across her face. It was clear that even she had never heard anyone mention Yuan Feng's idea.

Seeing that Sect Leader Kang Da's brows were furrowed and he had not yet spoken, Yuan Feng continued:

"Which is more important, a mere Qi Refining Qi Refinement or a virtuous man from the prefecture? You, Lord, should have your own judgment. I, Yuan, do not believe that Sect Leader Kang can protect that minor county magistrate. When the prefectural court inquires, whether you like it or not, he will ultimately become my elder sister's sustenance for her pursuit of the Dao!"

In my opinion, it would be better if Sect Leader Kang simply agreed to my request. This way, the Jingnan Yuan Household would still recognize your recommendation, and the Cloud Horn Prefecture Court would also appreciate your efforts.

"That makes sense!" Kang Dabao nodded inwardly. This sixteenth young master of the Yuan Household was quite different from what he had imagined. Not only were his skills and methods enough to make the Daoist Black Shoes somewhat wary, but his manner of speaking and acting was also far superior to that of ordinary privileged children. He was truly a remarkable person.

Yuan Feng's words were reasonable and well-founded, Kang Dabao couldn't find any fault with them.

Even though He Wanying was an orphan left behind by Sect Leader He, Sect Leader Kang Da was somewhat tempted after hearing Yuan Feng's words. After all He Wanying was his own junior sister, but his brother-in-law was not.

The latter is a renewable resource, which wasn't considered that valuable by Kang Dabao, who always believed in pragmatism and hard work.

If sacrificing Feng Wan could truly bring such great benefits to the Chongming Sect, then it would be a Yixin of duty for Sect Leader Kang Da, as the head of the family, to prioritize personal feelings and insist on saving Feng Wan's life, thus missing the opportunity to befriend everyone and receive credit from the state court.

However, Yuan Feng failed to address Kang Dabao's last concern: the latter was a cautious man and wouldn't easily trust him!

Seeing that Yuan Feng's face was gradually showing a hint of smugness, Kang Dabao was about to speak when he caught a faint, almost imperceptible whiff of heat in the fragrance of Yuan Xiyue's hair.

Sect Leader Kang Da's heart skipped a beat, and he changed his tone as he spoke, "Since Young Master Yuan says so, I, Kang, am not one to be ungrateful. Then so be it."

Just as Yuan Feng was about to see Kang Dabao slowly lift his fingers from Yuan Xiyue's neck, a wave of fire suddenly swept over him from behind without warning.

"Watch out!" Although Yuan Xiyue and Yuan Feng weren't exactly on good terms, she still cried out in alarm upon seeing this scene.

Kang Dabao's expression was numb. He pressed down with his left index and middle fingers, pressing down on Yuan Xiyue's throat, causing her fair neck to turn red. Not only could she no longer make a sound, but she was also back to the brink of death.

The Sect Leader Kang Da paid no heed to the shifting State of Mind of the shield in his hand; he only saw the overwhelming, swift, and fierce wave of fire behind Yuan Feng, which was about to engulf the unsuspecting Yuan Feng in an instant.

Kang Dabao was so nervous that he clenched and unclenched his fists repeatedly, but he couldn't hold back any longer. His eyes narrowed, and several Golden Light sealed off all of Yuan Feng's possible escape routes.

Before the Golden Light even arrived, the boundless waves of fire had already completely enveloped Yuan Feng.

Hidden in the shadows Xu Liuxian and the Sect Leader Kang Da, who was holding Yuan Xiyue, both showed a hint of joy on their faces. Xu Liuxian's Bright Yang Fire Art was unparalleled in Hong County and was well-known throughout Cloud Horn Prefecture. Although Yuan Feng had a great reputation, he was not False Core cultivator and was caught off guard by the attack.

According to the two men, no matter how capable Yuan Feng was, he couldn't possibly escape unscathed.

But things didn't go as planned.

"Tch," Kang Dabao couldn't tell whether the Golden Light was effective or not, but a sneer reached his ears. Immediately afterwards, a green shadow cut through the waves of fire and struck Xu Liuxian, who was wearing a spirit-concealing Spirit Artifact, with unstoppable force!

Suddenly, the tide turned and the balance of power shifted!

Xu Liuxian clutched a fiery Golden Flame Knife Coin in his hand. After hastily casting a spell, a giant crimson hand suddenly appeared in mid-air, about to seize the green figure.

The crimson flame hand that Xu Liuxian unleashed was a full ten feet tall. Even though Yuan Xiyue, who was held in Kang Dabao's hand, was still several miles away, she was still scorched by the intense heat of the battle and was sweating profusely.

Xu Liuxian skills were not bad, and his Crimson Flame Hand was not weak, but it was easily defeated by the blue shadow shining through the fire wave, scattered into energy, and utterly routed!

The Daoist priest, whom everyone in Hong County relied on, was immediately terrified, his proud technique crumbling in an instant, and he didn't even know what kind of Spirit Artifact the other party had used.

"You treacherous dog! How ungrateful you are, actually making me, Yuan, go to all this trouble to trick you out?! With such meager abilities, you actually dare to dream of harming me from the shadows? Such foolishness is utterly laughable."

Yuan Feng laughed loudly for a while, then walked out of the towering flames unhurriedly.

He was clearly superior in skill; it was his right to be smug. Yuan Feng's gaze towards Kang and Xu now held a hint of disdain.

"Yuan Feng's methods are so ruthless!" Xu Liuxian's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself that it was no wonder that the Daoist Black Shoes had given Kang and Jiang several pointers before entering the cave.

However, Xu Liuxian had been famous in Cloud Horn Prefecture for many years and would not lose heart because of a single misstep. After the Crimson Flame Hand was annihilated, a cloud of white steam rose in the arena, but the Green Shadow was not disturbed and continued to attack Xu Liuxian directly.

Kang Dabao unleashed his Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes, striking Yuan Feng repeatedly. The latter's playful expression immediately diminished, and he dared not be careless again. After recalling Qingying, he easily deflected the Golden Light rushing towards him, without even touching a single piece of his clothing.

Only then did Kang Dabao realize that the blue shadow in Yuan Feng's hand was actually a short halberd, and he couldn't help but praise it in his heart.

In terms of the exquisite skill of halberd fighting, Yuan Feng was the best Kang Dabao had ever seen. Even Boyue Sima Fei, who always showed off his hand halberd, was inferior to Yuan Feng in this respect.

Kang Dabao inwardly praised him, unaware that Yuan Feng, while outwardly relaxed, was inwardly quite astonished.

As the Golden Light faded, Yuan Feng was also surprised. "I've always heard people say that this small-eyed man's pupil technique is top-notch in Cloud Horn Prefecture. At first, I thought that Cloud Horn Prefecture's cultivation world, excluding the Han City Yue Household, is far inferior to Jingnan. Even if he reaches the top of Cloud Horn, what is there to be afraid of?"

Unexpectedly, they had been far too arrogant; Kang Dabao had actually mastered such an astonishing pupil technique! In this light, the defeat of Xue Wu and his disciples, along with the Hongyi Sect Foundation Establishment of the Hongyi Sect, was not unjustified.

Yuan Feng secretly praised him, and to show respect, he added even more force to the "Slaughter and Extermination in his hand.

Once the Golden Light dissipated, Kang Dabao's Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes could no longer achieve anything, and Yuan Xiyue was also under his control, making Yuan Feng somewhat hesitant to act rashly. Therefore, he simply decided to ignore him for the time being.

Yuan Feng gave a soft shout, and his short halberd flew out, aimed at Xu Liuxian's severed head.

Xu Liuxian dared not be negligent, and a beam of spiritual light flowed from each of his seven orifices, striking the three wide-mouthed copper bells on his right wrist.

"Ring ring ring," the bell rang loudly, and the large waves of fire that were originally scattered in the field converged into one place, forming a shield that blocked the spinning short halberd.

"Pfft!" Blood spilled from Xu Liuxian's mouth. His confident fire shield could not withstand the Slaughter and Extermination for long and was annihilated and scattered, unable to be held any longer.

Xu Liuxian felt a little dejected. Although he was Rogue Cultivator, he believed that he was no less capable than the direct disciples of major sects through his diligent cultivation.

This time, he couldn't even last a few rounds against Yuan Feng before he was about to be defeated.

He was a seasoned veteran and knew that his risky attempt to help Kang Dabao had failed. Now that the latter had Yuan Xiyue as a human shield, he was much safer than Kang Dabao. There was no point in him staying here any longer, so he should leave as soon as possible.

But how could Yuan Feng not see through Xu Liuxian's thoughts? This sixteenth young master of the Yuan Household was planning to capture the latter as a bargaining chip, so how could he bear to let him go!

Xu Liuxian had clearly experienced many unfavorable situations, and his escape was quite skillful. Yuan Feng turned to give chase, but saw that Kang Dabao had already picked up Yuan Xiyue and headed towards the Bright Moon Palace.

After hesitating for a while, the young master of the Yuan Household had no choice but to abandon Xu Liuxian and follow closely behind Sect Leader Kang Da.

It's true that Yuan Xiyue was useful, but Sect Leader Kang Da didn't dare to tear up his own life-saving talisman, and Yuan Feng didn't dare to push too hard, which resulted in Yuan Xiyue suffering some loss in Kang Dabao's hands.

The two Daoists had a tacit understanding, but Yuan Xiyue, caught between them, was in a very uncomfortable situation. As soon as Kang Dabao stepped off the plank road, his excellent eyesight allowed him to spot a beautiful woman in the distance who glanced at them, hesitated for a moment, and then drifted away.

What kind of person was Sect Leader Kang Da? How could he possibly stand idly by in this situation? He simply grabbed Yuan Xiyue with one hand and placed the other on his hip, loudly proclaiming, "Many thanks to Madam Qi for your righteous protection!"

Yuan Feng, who was following closely behind, immediately became cautious. He extended his Divine Sense in the direction Kang Dabao was speaking and his heart skipped a beat, "There really is someone there!"

Chu Yanran, who had been watching from afar but had no time to pay attention to this place Yixin was only focused on finding Qi Buxiu as soon as possible, never expected that the Sect Leader Kang Da's pupil technique would be so powerful. She also saw that Yuan Feng, who was chasing Kang Dabao and the other two, had already discovered her, and knew that she could not leave for the time being.

Other matters are one thing, but if that scoundrel Daoist Black Shoes holds a grudge against me, ruins the alliance between our two families, and breaks the bond between us, then it would truly be a loss for me.

Fortunately, Yuan Feng did indeed have some disagreements with her, so Chu Yanran gracefully descended with Six-Sided Color-Embroidered Bamboo-Frame Golden-Thread Lamp in her hand, blocking Yuan Feng, the pursuer, for the sake of Sect Leader Kang Da.

Yuan Feng's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "This woman is so ignorant. Because I had some important business to attend to, I let her go after she entered the cave, intending to make trouble for her later. But this stupid woman seems to be pushing her luck. Does she really think that this so-called number one female cultivator of Cloud Horn Prefecture can subdue me?"

Kang Dabao had no time to thank her; he just grabbed Yuan Xiyue and ran off in silence.

Chu Yanran stopped Yuan Feng's short halberd, and with a flick of her delicate hand, a large red jade pendant flew into the air and landed steadily in the collar of Sect Leader Kang Da.

Along with the jade pendant came the beautiful woman's warning. "Kang Dabao, I'm saving you. Hurry up and find Buxiu's whereabouts. To be honest, if anything happens to my husband this time, I'll come back to settle accounts with you. At that time, I don't care whether it's Fei Nanying or the Daoist Black Shoes, I'll make sure you're safe. If you don't believe me, you can try!"

"You really can't reason with women!" Sect Leader Kang Da thought to himself, but he replied aloud, "Don't worry, Madam Qi, I'll go find Master Qi right now and make sure he's safe!"

"Where do you think you're going, you yellow-eyed brat!" Yuan Feng suddenly sprang up, slashing aside Chu Yanran was blocking his way, and struck Kang Dabao in the back with his halberd.

The latter felt enveloped by a powerful killing intent, but he acted decisively, lifting Yuan Xiyue behind his back to use as a human shield. Sure enough, just as Slaughter and Extermination was about to slice Kang Dabao in two from top to bottom, he was stopped by Yuan Feng, whose face was ashen.

The Sect Leader Kang Da felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He fled for a long time, until he had carried Yuan Xiyue far away and could only see the bursts of Technique Method light behind him when he used his divine eyes. Only then did Kang Dabao feel relieved.

Looking up again, in his panic, he lost his bearings and no longer knew where he was in the Mountain-Viewing Cave.

Kang Dabao casually found a cave to rest in. Just as he was about to tidy up Yuan Xiyue's Kang Dabao, a strange thing happened in the cave!

Vast clouds surged in from the outside, and in just a few breaths, the deep cave was transformed into a fairyland.

Kang Dabao frowned, realizing something was wrong. Just as he was about to pull Yuan Xiyue away, the clouds suddenly dissipated, and the cave began to tremble violently.

Without warning, stalactites fell one after another from the rock wall, making a dull and rapid sound. Dust swirled up, creating a hazy scene. Small cracks quickly spread across the rock wall, as if the earth's veins had ruptured in an instant.

The Spiritual Qi inside the cave surged violently. Kang Dabao felt that if he hadn't cultivated the Primordial Ancient Body, he would probably be in the same state as Yuan Xiyue in his hands, with his legs weak and unable to move even normally.

Sect Leader Kang Da wanted to go to the exit, but he did not make it.

With a deafening roar, a massive crack tore open the cave, sending countless fragments of rock flying and dust billowing everywhere. Kang Dabao inwardly groaned, but he tightly embraced Yuan Xiyue, shielding her beneath him.

This female cultivator is extremely valuable; we absolutely cannot let her perish here.

Finally, the tremors stopped. Kang Dabao opened his eyes and, with a quick glance, realized that he and Yuan Xiyue seemed to have arrived in a stone chamber.