"Damn it, what are these vines?"
"Are they poisonous insects? Poisonous creatures? Or venomous snakes?"
Zhou Yan mused in his heart.
However, at this very moment, he suddenly sensed something was wrong.
Within his dantian, the primordial energy, which was as calm as still water, began to churn restlessly, as if encountering something terrifying.
"What's going on?"
Zhou Yan exclaimed in surprise, a look of bewilderment on his face.
"Rumble!"
Suddenly, Zhou Yan felt a colossal force crushing towards his chest. That force left him no room for resistance whatsoever.
"Bang!"
Zhou Yan's chest was struck by this force, and his body was sent flying backward, crashing hundreds of meters away.
"Pfft!"
Zhou Yan spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning even more grim.
"What the hell is this force?"
Zhou Yan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his heart filled with shock.
He swore he had never felt such a terrifying power before.
"Could it be because of that little girl?" Zhou Yan wondered to himself.
"No, I must get out of here!"
With this thought, Zhou Yan quickly got up, ready to leave.
However, as soon as Zhou Yan stood up, the searing pain instantly spread throughout his entire body, nearly causing him to collapse.
"Damn it!"
Zhou Yan's gaze swept across the surroundings, realizing he was now on the other side of the valley.
His eyes lit up as he spotted a patch of grass not far away, and he swiftly darted towards it.
He had only taken a couple of steps when a youth in a black robe suddenly appeared before him.
Zhou Yan's expression drastically changed. He stared at the youth, stunned.
"You, who are you?"
The youth in the black robe smiled slightly, "Zhou Yan, it's a pleasure to meet you. But rest assured, I bear you no ill will. As long as you obey me, I won't harm you. Otherwise, I'll have to apologize."
"Hmph, you think I'd believe you? Let me tell you, I'm third on the Heavenly Rankings. You want to control me? It's not that simple. If you know what's good for you, scram and don't delay my cultivation!"
Zhou Yan snorted, his face filled with arrogance.
"Third on the Heavenly Rankings?" The youth in the black robe chuckled disdainfully. "You think you're third on the Heavenly Rankings? In reality, you're just at the bottom. If you weren't my enemy, I wouldn't bother with you. Your strength is too weak; you can't even compare to me. Now, just come with me obediently, don't force my hand!"
"Hmph, I won't fall for your trick!" Zhou Yan's attitude remained resolute.
"Good, very good." The black-robed youth sneered. "Since you're being difficult, I'll have to act!"
With that, the black-robed youth vanished abruptly.
The next moment, he reappeared eerily behind Zhou Yan, his fingers forming a claw and reaching for Zhou Yan's neck.
The black-robed youth's palm was as dark as ink, emitting a chilling glint.
"Not good!"
Zhou Yan's heart tightened, and he hurriedly channeled the power within him, attempting to resist.
However, the black-robed youth easily grabbed his shoulder and then exerted a sudden force, slamming Zhou Yan violently onto the ground.
"Rumble!"
Zhou Yan's entire back was embedded into the ground, earth flying and dust billowing.
"You..." Zhou Yan's face turned crimson, his heart burning with rage.
"Kid, I advise you to cooperate, or you'll die a miserable death!" the black-robed youth warned in a chilling tone.
Zhou Yan took a deep breath, trying his best to calm down.
"Hmph, I can agree, but you must help me kill these damned vines. Otherwise, I'd rather die than submit!" Zhou Yan's eyes darted around. Suddenly, he thought of something and his eyes brightened. He quickly said,
"You're right, I do need the essence of these vines. Therefore, I won't kill you, but I will knock you unconscious!" the black-robed youth said with a slight smile.
"You better not play any tricks!"
Zhou Yan shouted coldly, quickly channeling the primordial energy within him to resist the intense pain.
The black-robed youth wasted no words. His figure flickered rapidly, constantly attacking Zhou Yan, aiming to subdue him.
"Damn it, you won't succeed!"
Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, desperately resisting the vine's attacks.
He felt his primordial energy rapidly draining, and a pale complexion appeared on his face, indicating he was severely injured.
"Boom!"
The black-robed youth finally captured Zhou Yan.
"Zhou Yan, now you'll listen to me obediently." The black-robed youth snorted, and with a wave of his hand, he dislocated Zhou Yan's arms.
"Ah--"
Zhou Yan trembled with pain and couldn't help but cry out.
"I won't kill you, but you must pay a price. You will stay in this cave for a few days. Once I have collected enough essence from these vines, I will take you back to the clan!" the black-robed youth said coldly, looking at Zhou Yan.
As soon as he finished speaking, the black-robed youth flickered and disappeared before Zhou Yan.
"Who exactly is this guy?"
Zhou Yan looked at the empty space before him, a sense of unease rising in his heart.
He had a feeling that this black-robed youth didn't intend to kill him, or perhaps dared not kill him.
"Forget it, whatever comes, we'll deal with it!"
Zhou Yan sighed and shook his head, then sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate.
Although Zhou Yan knew clearly that this black-robed youth wouldn't kill him, he still couldn't afford to be careless and had to maintain sufficient vigilance.
...
Overnight, Zhou Yan was confined to this valley, unable to leave.
The next day, Zhou Yan finally couldn't endure it any longer and fell unconscious. When he woke up, it was already late.
"How long was I unconscious?"
Zhou Yan quickly opened his eyes and found himself lying in a cave.
"Huh? My body is... perfectly fine?" Zhou Yan surprisingly discovered that his injuries had healed, and he showed a look of confusion.
Who was this black-robed youth, and why didn't he kill him?
Could it be that he wanted to use him to enhance his own strength?
Zhou Yan's heart grew more uneasy with this thought.
"What should I do? Should I escape, or should I stay here and see who this black-robed youth really is?" Zhou Yan pondered with a frown.
His desire to escape was incredibly strong. After all, this place was too bizarre. If he stayed any longer, he would surely be in mortal danger.
However, thinking that he was already sealed and unable to use his martial arts, escaping seemed even more impossible.
"It seems I can only wait."
"Anyway, this black-robed youth saved me this time. As long as I stay here honestly, nothing should go wrong, right?"
With this thought, Zhou Yan let out a sigh of relief and closed his eyes.