Chapter 453: The Phantom Lightning Extreme Comes Knocking
"That person looks like… the Supreme Sea Palace's… Ji… Ji… Senior Ji."
Xia Yuanba swallowed hard, tugged at Yun Che, and prepared to take a detour, but then he saw Yun Che pause for a moment before actually walking over on his own.
"Ahh… brother-in-law…" Xia Yuanba tried to pull him back but failed, staring dumbfounded as Yun Che walked toward Ji Qianrou, who in his eyes was more terrifying than an ancient ferocious beast.
"The smell of this Phoenix City is truly detestable. This dry, harsh heat is the greatest enemy of my perfect skin. The only thing that can be called beautiful here are these gorgeous phoenix flowers. What a pity, even the most beautiful flowers will eventually wither, just like my face, which is even more beautiful than the phoenix flowers, will one day grow old. The rules of this world are always so cruel… Don't you agree, little Che-Che."
Two petals drifted softly from between his fingers, and the figure beneath the phoenix tree turned around, revealing a face so handsome it was almost demonic. His eyes, as they looked at Yun Che, rippled with a bewitching, flirtatious gaze.
Such a face, paired with such a look, undoubtedly carried immense lethal charm. But Yun Che remained completely unfazed, his expression unchanged as he stepped forward: "Junior Yun Che pays respects to Senior Ji. I thank Senior for speaking up on my behalf earlier."
"Senior Ji?" Ji Qianrou's snow-white sleeve fluttered, and he elegantly flicked his long hair. "I hate being called senior the most. Look at me, so young and beautiful, I'm only six hundred years older than you. How does that make me your senior? If you call me senior again, I'm going to get really upset, you know."
"…Then may I ask, Junior, how should I address you?"
Ji Qianrou narrowed his seductive eyes and said with a mischievous smile: "You can call me Qianrou, or Little Qian-Qian, Little Rou-Rou… Little Ji-Ji is also fine, you know."
"…" Although Yun Che tried his best to stay calm, his throat was already twitching noticeably. After a long silence, he still had no idea how to respond.
"You don't need to thank me. I helped you out earlier only because I think you're… not bad, you know." Ji Qianrou's gaze slowly swept from top to bottom across Yun Che's entire body. That look was as seductive as water, instantly giving Yun Che goosebumps. He had originally planned to exchange a few more words with Ji Qianrou, but now he had completely changed his mind and wished he could just turn and run.
Yun Che quickly said: "Regardless, I am extremely grateful for Senior Ji's righteous words. Forgive me for being presumptuous, but might Senior Ji have been troubled by a peculiar kind of toad venom in recent years? I have some knowledge of medicine, so I noticed a slight clue. I wonder if my guess is correct."
"Oh?" Ji Qianrou narrowed his eyes, fixed them on Yun Che, and then said in a soft, languid voice: "Two hundred years ago, I accidentally encountered an ugly big toad. I hate ugly things the most, you see, so I conveniently obliterated it completely. But then, by another accident, I got some of its disgusting venom on me." Ji Qianrou extended his finger, pointing at a faint black line on his fingertip. "That's why, not only should you avoid looking at ugly things, you shouldn't even touch them carelessly."
Yun Che said: "The toad venom Senior Ji has contracted is a type of soul-entwining toad venom. It clings to the mind and soul and grows upon encountering blood, so it cannot be expelled by conventional means. With Senior Ji's powerful profound energy, this venom naturally has no chance to erupt violently, but it is still quite a nuisance…"
"I have some skill in detoxification. Perhaps this detoxification pill might be of some help to Senior Ji." As he spoke, Yun Che took out a medicinal pill he had prepared earlier, infused with the purification power of the Heavenly Poison Pearl. He initially intended to hand it directly to Ji Qianrou, but after glancing at Ji Qianrou's hand, he thought about it and decided to toss it over instead.
Ji Qianrou crooked his finger and caught the pill between them.
"Junior takes his leave." Yun Che cupped his hands and then fled as if escaping.
The medicinal pill in his hand was as green as jade. Holding it, he could feel a refreshing aura penetrating his entire body. Ji Qianrou glanced sideways at Yun Che's retreating figure, lightly sniffed the pill's fragrance, then parted his lips and placed the pill in his mouth.
Yun Che and Xia Yuanba wandered around Phoenix City for a while and listened to him talk about matters concerning the Huangji Sacred Domain. When they returned to the courtyard, night had fully fallen. The lights in Master Gu Cang's room were dim, suggesting he had probably retired.
Yun Che went back to his own room. As he closed the door, his brow twitched, and he felt a vague sense of unease.
Someone had been in the room!
Back in the Cang Yun Continent, he had been hunted almost day and night, and had long since honed an incredibly sharp instinct for anti-pursuit. With a single glance, he could tell whether his temporary lodgings had been disturbed after he left… Later on, even before his eyes could spot any difference, his spiritual sense could already detect a certain subtle dissonance invisible to the naked eye.
Yun Che immediately became alert. This was the VIP guest area of Phoenix City. Outsiders could not possibly enter, not even Phoenix disciples. Only himself, Xia Yuanba, and Master Gu Cang were here. Xia Yuanba had left with him, and Master Gu Cang had no reason to come here… Who could have come in?
Yun Che furrowed his brow and meticulously scanned every corner of the room, but found nothing conspicuous. After a moment's thought, he walked to the bedside. Just as he was about to lie down, he cast a glance at the pillow.
He reached out and quickly lifted the pillow… Beneath it lay a rolled-up green jade slip.
This is…
Yun Che was absolutely certain that this jade slip had not been there before. Earlier, when he and Xia Yuanba were choosing rooms, he had even carefully checked the bed as a precaution.
Frowning, Yun Che directly grabbed the jade slip and cautiously unrolled it.
As he opened the first piece of the jade slip, four characters came clearly into view:
Phantom Lightning Extreme!
"Phantom Lightning Extreme!?" Yun Che exclaimed softly.
This was actually the exclusive technique of the Hua Family, the Phantom Lightning Extreme, hailed as the number one movement profound art in the Tian Xuan Continent!
The person who had come here was Hua Minghai? How did he know which room I was staying in? And why did he leave this jade slip inscribed with the Phantom Lightning Extreme here?
Hua Minghai's profound strength was only at the late stage of the Heavenly Xuan Realm, yet thanks to the Phantom Lightning Extreme, he had become the renowned "Ghost Shadow Thief Saint" of the Tian Xuan Continent. He could even enter and leave the Fenghuang God Sect undisturbed, so that even when several Overlord Emperors joined forces, they couldn't even touch his sleeve. This had made Yun Che extremely covetous of the Phantom Lightning Extreme. However, when he saved Ru Xiaoya and expressed this intention to Hua Minghai, he had been refused.
Because it was the soul technique of the Hua Family, not to be passed on to outsiders. Hua Minghai had even said that besides this request, he could agree to any other.
But now, this jade slip inscribed with the Phantom Lightning Extreme profound art had appeared here of its own accord!
"It seems that this person named Hua Minghai wants you to owe him a big favor," Mo Li said coolly.
Yun Che had witnessed the power of the Phantom Lightning Extreme firsthand, and now it was right in front of him. However, after opening the first piece of jade, he did not continue unrolling it. Hua Minghai, after Yun Che had saved Ru Xiaoya, had guiltily yet firmly refused his request to cultivate the Phantom Lightning Extreme. Yet only a few days later, he had taken the initiative to deliver it, and done so silently—neither giving it in person nor even leaving a note.
Mo Li was absolutely right. If he cultivated the Phantom Lightning Extreme like this, he would directly owe Hua Minghai a huge favor. Conversely, by sending the Phantom Lightning Extreme uninvited, Hua Minghai was precisely trying to make him incur that debt.
"Looks like, after seeing my performance in the Seven Nations Ranking Battle, he wants to use my strength to help him accomplish some goal," Yun Che mused.
"Then why didn't he hand it to you in person?" Mo Li asked.
Yun Che said unhurriedly: "First, my current strength is insufficient. What he values is my potential, believing I will possess such ability in the future. Second, he probably thinks that if he said it in person, I would definitely refuse, so he chose this method—directly sending a huge temptation without making any demands. If I succumb to the temptation and cultivate the Phantom Lightning Extreme, then I'll owe him this big favor, and I might not be able to refuse him when the time comes. On the other hand, I might also be mistaken for a member of the Hua Family because of this Phantom Lightning Extreme."
"From the sound of it, it seems you already know his purpose."
"Probably." Yun Che said: "Hua Minghai's family was destroyed by the Sun Moon Divine Palace. With Hua Minghai's abilities, he can keep himself alive, but revenge is forever impossible. So he probably wants to use my power in the future, once I'm strong enough. However, the Sun Moon Divine Palace is a supreme sacred ground that everyone fears, and I have no grudges against it. Hua Minghai shouldn't be naive enough to think that just by giving me the Phantom Lightning Extreme, I'll attack the Sun Moon Divine Palace in the future… What does he mean? Or rather, where does this confidence come from?"
"Then will you cultivate it? The Phantom Lightning Extreme is not very useful in battle, but it's extremely powerful for traveling or escaping. Calling it the strongest movement profound art on this continent is not an exaggeration."
Yun Che thought for a moment, then closed the jade slip and put it into the Heavenly Poison Pearl: "Although it's very tempting, I'd better not cultivate it until I see Hua Minghai again. I'll leave this matter for now. Tomorrow morning, we'll board that mysterious and unfathomable Primordial Mystic Ark… But I have a feeling this journey will come with great risks. The Primordial Mystic Ark is a perfect place for the Fenghuang God Sect to set me up."
"If you retreat whenever you sense risk, you'll never achieve any real breakthroughs, and you wouldn't be where you are today," Mo Li said coldly. "The Primordial Mystic Ark is the only thing on this continent that interests me. You must take me up there! With my soul power, I might be able to instantly perceive the secrets within."
"Got it." Yun Che smirked. "To increase my chances of survival, I need to rest up first… Time to sleep."
---
Fenghuang God Sect.
"Sect Master."
Feng Feiyan walked through the night and came to stand behind Feng Hengkong.
Feng Hengkong turned around. His calm face bore a slight, indistinct gloominess. He faced Feng Feiyan and said in an extremely low voice: "Tomorrow, on the Primordial Mystic Ark, it will be the best opportunity to kill Yun Che. Do you understand my meaning, Emperor?"
Feng Feiyan's brow moved, and then he slowly nodded: "I thought Your Majesty had truly let that Yun Che go. This Yun Che absolutely cannot be spared, especially his future—it is an unpredictable and dangerous variable. Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will arrange for someone to act on the Primordial Mystic Ark tomorrow. With the special spatial laws of the Ark, after killing Yun Che, it will leave no trace… Or, I could do it myself."
"Mmm." Feng Hengkong nodded.
"Your Majesty, is Xue'er going to board the Primordial Mystic Ark tomorrow?" Feng Feiyan asked.
"That's right. The Primordial Mystic Ark appears once every three hundred years. If we miss this chance, we'll have to wait another three hundred years. Of course I want to take Xue'er to see it. Xue'er herself is also somewhat interested in the Primordial Mystic Ark. Although the Ark is mysterious and eerie, there is not too much danger, especially with the Emperor and the elders nearby," Feng Hengkong said.
Feng Feiyan nodded: "I hope the journey to the Ark tomorrow will yield some gains. If Your Majesty has no other matters, I shall take my leave."
As his words fell, Feng Feiyan's figure slowly melted into the darkness of the night.
...