What these people were thinking, Xiao Yufan couldn’t be bothered to guess. He only cared about one thing—the final outcome…
“Have you made up your mind?” Xiao Yufan asked cautiously. In Ye Kong’s eyes, Xiao Yufan’s expression could only be described one way: so arrogant, so confident, as if everyone was already within his grasp.
“Do we really have a choice? Who knows whether this mysterious place is a den of dragons and tigers? At least having an expert nearby feels a bit more reassuring!” Ye Kong rolled his eyes. This guy truly reaped benefits while feigning humility. After all, everyone present ranked among the top ten martial artists in the ancient martial arts tournament—their combined strength was formidable.
Shrugging his shoulders slightly, Xiao Yufan’s lips curled into a faint smile, clearly implying: follow me, and you won’t be at a loss!
Since even Ye Kong didn’t object, others, although slightly annoyed, wouldn’t show it on their faces. Getting those proud guardians of the Divine Temple—who looked down on everyone—to obey quietly was, without a doubt, a remarkable feat.
“May I ask a bold question—what level of strength are you at now, Brother Xiao?”
Grateful to have finally found a big tree to lean on, Xie Yuan wore a beaming smile. Xiao Yufan always felt this guy had ulterior motives; otherwise, why would he be so overly eager?
“Not much,” Xiao Yufan modestly replied, causing Ye Kong and others to twitch their mouths in disbelief. If that’s “not much,” then why was he so dazzling at the martial arts tournament? Did he even leave room for others to survive?
Before they could speak, Xiao Yufan continued, “I’ve just recently entered the realm of the innate level…”
Uh!
In an instant, everyone’s expressions turned extremely complex. Especially Ye Kong’s face stiffened notably. Previously, he had only speculated that Xiao Yufan had reached the innate realm, but hearing it directly from Xiao Yufan still came as a shock.
The innate realm was not comparable to the half-step innate realm—it wasn’t an easy threshold to cross. Without extraordinary talent, this single step could become an insurmountable chasm.
Those who had previously harbored some resentment instantly felt more balanced, especially the experts at the peak of the acquired realm, who now had no complaints. After all, strong experts were always respected wherever they went.
“Monster!”
Xie Yuan’s lips quivered slightly as he muttered those two words. In his eyes, such terrifying cultivation speed could only be described as monstrous. In the entire Illusory Heaven Temple, only that one person might be able to rival him.
“Just a bit of luck,” Xiao Yufan smiled.
“Can you really achieve this just by being lucky?”
Ye Kong slowly recovered from his shock, his expression towards Xiao Yufan turning peculiar. He couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Nuotiangong. If that guy learned this devastating news, he might want to bang his head against a wall.
Thinking further about their current relationship, Ye Kong felt a chill run down his back. Fortunately, he had never acted too inappropriately; otherwise, he wouldn’t be standing here unscathed.
His gaze sweeping over Xiao Yufan and Cheng Ying, Ye Kong sighed inwardly. Perhaps only such heavenly prodigies could match such an outstanding girl. Yet, there remained an invisible threshold between the two.
The effect brought by Xiao Yufan’s power far exceeded expectations. Unconsciously, he had already become the backbone of this small team. As long as they weren’t a disorganized group, he was confident they could secure a place amidst the fierce competition in this mysterious land.
How could the legacy left from the previous martial era not include a share for Xiao Yufan?
“Ah, just one last question…”
Xie Yuan’s smile turned slightly fawning. He realized he had bet right. He admitted Xiao Yufan was somewhat arrogant, but compared to those innate experts who were so conceited they had no sense of superiority, Xiao Yufan was far superior!
“Speak if you have something to say, or just let it out quickly!”
This guy had indeed helped him, so Xiao Yufan held a bit of favor towards him, especially impressed by how he had stepped forward first on the deserted island.
“This question isn’t for you. I just want to ask about this lady’s strength…”
Xie Yuan’s gaze bypassed Xiao Yufan and finally settled on Cheng Ying. He always felt a suppressed aura from her, but couldn’t pinpoint the source. The only explanation was that Cheng Ying was far stronger than him.
“Innate realm, probably slightly weaker than Yufan,” Cheng Ying replied gently, her long lashes fluttering slightly. Her melodious voice slowly spread, causing several people’s hearts to pound. Since when had there been so many young innate experts?
Especially the three who had been defeated by Cheng Ying in the previous martial arts tournament, now sweating coldly. Originally, they thought that terrifying woman had already reached the innate realm, explaining why they had felt so powerless back then.
Cheng Ying’s strength had an impact no less than Xiao Yufan’s. Having two innate experts in one group meant their team’s power probably wouldn’t be much inferior to the top five guardian deities of the Divine Temple.
Xiao Yufan wasn’t particularly surprised, obviously having already guessed Cheng Ying’s strength. In front of him, this girl always deliberately concealed her brilliance.
Such a woman should have soared like a phoenix in the heavens, yet she willingly stayed quietly by his side. At this moment, Xiao Yufan’s heart was filled with warmth.
What more could a man desire with such a wife?
Regardless of everything, Xiao Yufan would keep this woman by his side—not only because of his promise to her, but also because it was a man’s responsibility. He didn’t want his woman to bear so much on her shoulders.
Seeing the deep, affectionate gaze between the two, Ye Kong couldn’t help coughing dryly. Even if they disliked him, did they have to torment him like this? After all, he was still a pure and innocent man, and there were still several wolves watching here.
“That stinky guy Xie Yuan didn’t even inquire about my strength! I’ll definitely show him my power someday, hmpf!”
Unbeknownst to him, this careless act had already earned Xie Yuan the attention of Yuxuan. With a divine artifact forged only by experts at the Tianling realm, how could her strength be weak? But since no one asked, she was too lazy to say anything.
Feeling the ambiguous atmosphere between the two, she pouted slightly, her foot tapping in irritation. Was this man completely indifferent to her? After all, she was undeniably a beauty, and countless admirers pursued her. Yet she had never felt such strong interest in any man before…
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage