Chapter 408: She's Different...

Lin Fan hesitated, glancing at Xu Sanyan and then at Zuoqiu Yi. He gritted his teeth and declared, “Yi’er, don’t be afraid! I’ll stay and protect you!”

Buzz~ Whoosh~

The moment Lin Fan spoke, a pillar of orange-yellow light suddenly erupted in the distance, followed by a second, then a third…

Looking around, thirty-two blazing pillars of light enveloped an area spanning hundreds of miles. The dazzling beams intertwined overhead, forming a massive luminous barrier that resembled an inverted transparent bowl, trapping everyone within.

Xu Sanyan and his group were also caught inside!

Zuoqiu Yi murmured softly, “This… is the ancestor’s doing?”

Xu Sanyan pressed, “You mean this Great Formation is your ancestor’s work?”

The formation was no ordinary construct; its sheer scale was terrifying.

“Yes,” Zuoqiu Yi replied. “Our ancestor is a master of formations. This is the sect’s Great Protective Formation, combining offense and defense into an incredibly formidable system.”

Zuoqiu Yi made no attempt to conceal the truth. After all, there was nothing to hide; any information she was privy to was invariably inconsequential.

The truly important matters would never be revealed to her.

Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes, gazing at the sky. At the intersection of countless pillars of light, a faint human figure materialized, behind which a colossal phantom of the sun manifested, radiating an overwhelming aura of power.

For a moment, it seemed as if two suns hung in the sky!

“So powerful…” Lin Fan murmured, awestruck.

“Incredible…” Li Hai sighed in admiration.

“What a show-off!” Xu Sanyan rolled his eyes. “At his age, he’s still so eager to show off. He’d better watch out—he might throw out his back!”

“It’s the Ancestor!” Zuoqiu Yi exclaimed, her voice tinged with excitement.

Just then, a calm voice boomed across the sky, echoing with thunderous resonance:

“Those who offend the Zuoqiu Clan, though they flee to the ends of the earth, shall be hunted down and punished!”

Instantly, the phantom sun’s radiance intensified, and tens of thousands of golden beams shot forth like rain. Yet despite their brilliance, the golden rain fell in utter silence, as if they were merely rays of light.

“Uwaaaah~”

Sensing the imminent danger, the ink-like monster emitted a bizarre howl from some unknown organ. The sound, like the cry of a night owl, pierced the eardrums and sent shivers down the spine.

Sizzle~

The golden beams pierced through the ink-like body without resistance, as if stabbing countless holes in a tattered cloth. The sound resembled oil sizzling in a hot pan.

Though the ink-like monster frantically repaired itself, it couldn’t withstand the relentless assault. The newly sealed wounds were immediately pierced anew.

This time, the monster could no longer maintain its pretense of invincibility.

Xu Sanyan shook his head. If even a mighty expert of the void harmony realm could die so easily, he should cherish his own life even more.

Moments later, the ink dissolved, and something fell from the monster’s body. Zuoqiu Shen snatched it up, but Xu Sanyan was too far away to see what it was.

Above them, the Zuoqiu Clan Ancestor gracefully waved his sleeves. The pillar of light vanished instantly, yet he didn’t leave. Instead, he floated down to stand before Xu Sanyan, his smile warm and friendly.

“Young friend, with such handsome features, why hide your face behind a mask?”

Xu Sanyan wasn’t surprised that his true appearance had been revealed. The mere presence of this old man exerted immense psychological pressure on him, far surpassing that of the Great Elder of the Wang Clan, Chen Yunzi, or others of their ilk.

Earlier, he had felt confident in holding his own against the Great Elder of the Wang Clan, Chen Yunzi, Zuoqiu Shen, and the Li Clan Patriarch. But after witnessing this old man’s power, even the slightest hint of confidence in his own abilities vanished.

Though the old man loved to show off, his strength was undeniable. It was clear that even within the void harmony realm, there were vast differences in power.

“Greetings, Senior,” Xu Sanyan said respectfully. “This junior was merely passing through. Having some acquaintance with the Huai Lake Seven Heroes, I wished to pay them a visit. I never expected to encounter such a disturbance. I regret that I couldn’t offer any assistance. Please forgive my intrusion.”

Xu Sanyan chose his words carefully, speaking only what sounded pleasant.

The old man turned to Zuoqiu Yi, who hesitated for a moment before giving a slight nod, acknowledging Xu Sanyan’s explanation.

To be precise, Xu Sanyan wasn’t lying. He did have some connection to the Huai Lake Seven Heroes. He had once set his sights on their boss, Zuoqiu Shu. If she hadn’t met such a tragic end, Zuoqiu Yi might even have had to call him “brother-in-law.”

No, not “might”—definitely!

Xu Sanyan had never failed to win over a woman he desired. It was simply unfortunate that Zuoqiu Shu died so young.

“Heh, I see. It’s fortunate for them to have gained the acquaintance of such a talented young man like yourself. Please, come inside and have a seat.”

The old man had only intended to question Xu Sanyan briefly, impressed by his formidable cultivation level. Now that he understood the situation, there was no need for further discussion.

“Thank you, Senior, but I have urgent matters to attend to and cannot linger. I must take my leave now.”

“Very well.” The old man didn’t press the matter and gracefully flew away.

“Then we’ll take our leave as well.” Xu Sanyan nodded to Zuoqiu Yi and turned to leave.

Li Hai breathed a sigh of relief, eager to escape this place. The sudden appearance of the Zuoqiu Clan Ancestor had nearly scared him to death. Fortunately, his low cultivation level meant the ancestor hadn’t even noticed him.

Lin Fan hesitated, about to say something, when Zuoqiu Yi spoke first, her voice soft and lingering,

“I know your heart, and you know mine. Yet righteous and demonic paths cannot coexist, their ways diverging. I only lament fate’s cruel jest, mocking true love. Since there is no hope in this life, let us meet again in the next…”

Zuoqiu Yi drew her sword and severed a strand of her hair. She wrapped it in a handkerchief and handed it to him. “Keep this with you, as if I were by your side. Take care of yourself and find a worthy partner soon.”

With these words, she gathered the corpses of her second sister and nephew, turned, and never looked back.

Lin Fan stood frozen, clutching the strand of hair in his hand, his eyes vacant, lost in thought.

Xu Sanyan clicked his tongue. Foolish boy, he thought, that girl’s playing you like a dog—it’s no challenge at all.

Zuoqiu Yi had asked him to forget her, yet left him this keepsake to bind him. Every time Lin Fan saw this strand of hair, he would remember her. How could he ever forget?

Isn’t this just having your cake and eating it too?

And after Lin Fan saved her life, all she offered were a few perfunctory words of thanks and some flowery phrases she pulled out of thin air?

Righteous and demonic paths cannot coexist? Bah! Did the demonic sect steal your family’s rice?

Slap!

Xu Sanyan smacked him on the back of the head. “Let’s go.”

“Oh…”

Lin Fan followed Xu Sanyan, hesitating for a long time before finally asking, “Brother, what did Yi’er mean by what she said?”

“She was trying to hook you.”

“What do you mean?” Lin Fan asked, bewildered.

Xu Sanyan couldn’t bear to watch his cluelessness any longer. “As the saying goes, to win a woman’s heart, you must first win her body. Just tie her up… you know, hmm-hmm-ahh-ahh. If that doesn’t work, drug her. If you’re too afraid to even drug her, how can you claim to love her?”

Lin Fan shook his head vehemently. “No, no, no!”

He felt the holy son was desecrating the sacredness of love.

“Hah, she’s no different from those savages. One manipulates your body, the other manipulates your emotions.”

Lin Fan stubbornly insisted, “She’s different…”

“Tch~”

Xu Sanyan scoffed, his eyes filled with mockery. He shook his head and stopped paying attention to Lin Fan.

This is good, he thought. Now I’ve found Lin Fan’s weakness. Since he loves Zuoqiu Yi, I’ll make sure she stays alive… for now.

(End of the Chapter)