CHAPTER 155: EVIL XUAN AWAKENS [3]

When Yu Lingluo had been strolling alone on the peak, Ye Chen boldly approached her and declared his intentions.

He was rejected immediately.

Still, he didn’t take it to heart at first. Determined, he tried to strike up a conversation, again.

But, he was beaten. Mercilessly.

Even though his cultivation had already reached the peak stage of Core Formation, Yu Lingluo thrashed him in broad daylight. In front of the whole peak.

That day, Ye Chen didn’t just lose a fight. He lost face. A mountain’s worth of it.

His pride shattered, he crawled away humiliated and swore revenge. After that, he secluded himself to cultivate with even greater determination. And oh? He was a dual cultivator. We all know where that path leads.

A few days ago, he broke through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Flush with newfound power, he made a bold, public declaration: he would challenge Yu Lingluo to a death match. If she lost, she would become his servant.

But by then, rumors had already spread far and wide — Yu Lingluo was suspected to be the disciple of the Peak Master herself.

Suddenly, his bold challenge didn’t look like ambition; it looked like suicide. Even if he had ill intentions, there would be massive repercussions for touching a Peak Master’s disciple.

So, Ye Chen decided to lay low. He had time, after all. Being the disciple of a powerful elder gave him confidence.

But then, whispers began circulating last week, Yu Lingluo’s brother was coming to the main peak.

Catching wind of this rumor, Ye Chen ordered his brother Ye Chan and a few lackeys to keep a close eye on things.

Yu Lingluo herself had loudly boasted to that "shorty" the disciple of Peak Master, that her brother was from the Elemental Heaven Peak.

Naturally, they began watching for anyone arriving from there.

And they were sorely disappointed. Days passed, and no one resembling Yu Lingluo appeared.

Now, suddenly, Jian was claiming that this boy standing before them — this beautiful youth with black hair and black eyes, was Yu Lingluo’s brother.

But it was hard to believe. They didn’t look alike at all... though their beauty did match.

Their original plan had been simple; capture Yu Lingluo’s brother and force her into a duel. Even if she had the Peak Master’s protection, could the same be said for her brother?

At that time, they didn’t realize they had just raised a massive, blood-colored flag.

***

Ye Chan pointed a trembling finger at Yu Xuan and turned to Jian.

"Are you sure you’re not... making a mistake?"

His voice cracked. Deep down, he prayed this was some elaborate prank. But reality was merciless.

With a casual flick of Yu Xuan’s fingers, [Telekinesis] pressed down with even greater force. Their heads were forced into the ground so hard that the dirt cracked beneath them.

Those who resisted twitched and strained, but it was utterly futile, like ants trying to push against a mountain.

Veins bulged on Ye Chan’s forehead as he grit his teeth. How could this be? He had assumed Yu Xuan was just some pretty faced Foundation Establishment nobody. A pushover. A flower vase.

But now — now he couldn’t even move his own neck.

’I need to inform brother...! If I delay any longer, I’ll be injured!’ Ye Chan thought desperately, though the crushing weight made even forming thoughts painful.

Suddenly, Yu Xuan’s calm, almost bored voice entered his ears.

"Hey, Ye Chan, was it? Listen to me carefully. Contact your brother. Fast. I’m running out of patience."

The suffocating pressure lessened slightly, just enough for Ye Chan to gasp for breath. With shaking hands, he pulled out his sect medallion and hurriedly sent a message.

The kneeling continued. Ten minutes passed. Fifteen. Nearly twenty. By then, the onlookers had grown into a sizeable crowd, whispering feverishly among themselves.

"Is that really Yu Lingluo’s brother?"

"They say he’s from the Elemental Heaven Peak... but how is he this strong!"

"Look at Ye Chan’s face, hahaha, I’ve never seen him sweat like that!"

The rumor spread like wildfire — faster, in fact, than crow shit falling on a bald man’s head.

Finally, someone appeared above the teleportation hub. A figure descended slowly, dressed in regal purple robes, his aura sharp and domineering. Two female disciples followed him.

Ye Chen had arrived.

***

Earlier that morning.

A handsome youth with chestnut brown hair and sharp brown eyes stirred awake. On either side of him, two naked women clung close, their smooth skin pressed against his.

Ye Chen stretched leisurely, not because he needed sleep, his cultivation ensured he could go without but because he enjoyed it.

Mortals sought luxury. Cultivators sought power. Ye Chen? He sought both.

His gaze slid to the women beside him. One had flowing pink hair and a pale complexion tinged with the same hue, her cultivation resting firmly in the mid-stage Nascent Soul realm.

The other had fiery orange hair, a familiar face — his childhood friend, who had joined the Heaven Immortal Sect at the same time as him. Both of them have strong background, from the Immortal World they came from.

The night had been, in his mind, "fruitful." Thanks to his True Yang Physique, his dual cultivation didn’t boost his realm directly, but it did temper his foundation and stabilize his progress.

His master had once urged him to cultivate the fearsome Battle Yang Arts, for those blessed with his physique.

But Ye Chen was stubborn and lazy. Instead, he chose a simple dual cultivation technique, arguing that it was "a better fit for his talents.".

His master had been displeased, furious even, yet did nothing to stop him. Instead he gifted him, the more indulgent Dual Cultivation Incubus Arts, he had gotten from a battle.

His master’s intentions unknown. Perhaps waiting. Perhaps planning. Ye Chen neither knew nor cared, at least, not yet.

As he lay there, eyes flicking between the women at his side, his mind wandered back to his recent failures. His lips curved into a cold, predatory smirk.

If he could not win through brute force or honor... he would win through other means.