If she complied, would that scoundrel harm her?
Zhou Yan was a devil!
Lin Meng grew more fearful, regretting her moment of curiosity that led her to this desolate place, only to invite disaster. She was truly finished.
But what could she do?
Her opponent was a master of Hua Jin. How could a weak woman like her possibly contend with him?
"Fine, I'll go back with you, but I hope you won't bully me!"
She gritted her teeth and finally compromised.
...
Night fell, and stars dotted the sky.
"You lot, eat these things."
A man in black sat at a table, throwing a pile of food onto it and instructing four young men behind him.
"Yes!"
The four young men nodded, crouched down, grabbed the food in their hands, and devoured it.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Lin Meng coughed violently. Her throat felt as if it were being sliced by a knife, burning and painful, as if it would explode.
She was shocked. This man had used an aphrodisiac on her, rendering her immobile, forcing her to let the youths eat and drink.
"You... cough! Cough, cough!"
Lin Meng coughed violently, her cheeks flushed red, her eyes bloodshot. She coughed incessantly, unable to quell the searing pain.
"Are you full?"
The man in black asked indifferently, his eyes sharp.
Zhou Yan glanced at the delicacies on the table and nodded with satisfaction, "I am full."
"Since you're full, let's go!"
The man in black stood up and walked out.
Lin Meng struggled to stand, clutching her fiercely aching throat, and followed behind the man in black.
"Lin Meng!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from ahead.
Lin Meng stopped abruptly and looked towards the sound. Upon seeing the approaching person, her face lit up with excitement, "Master!"
The man in black heard this and immediately turned his head, looking at the white-clad youth who had appeared. His brows were furrowed with confusion, "Who are you?"
Zhou Yan was also taken aback when he saw the white-clad youth. He then narrowed his eyes and scrutinized him, "Who are you?"
"Heh, you don't remember me, but I remember you. I even helped you deal with that old witch back then, and you still owe me a favor."
The white-clad youth smiled, his gaze fixed on Zhou Yan, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"You helped me deal with the old witch?!"
A cold glint shot from Zhou Yan's eyes as he stared intently at the white-clad youth, a killing intent stirring deep within him.
"That's right. I'm here to collect the life you owe me!"
The white-clad youth snorted coldly, his killing intent surging.
"Heh, kid, aren't you being a bit too arrogant!"
The man in black sneered.
"Whether I'm arrogant or not, we'll find out when we try."
The white-clad youth said coldly. He extended his palm, clenched his five fingers in the air, and the space instantly distorted, forming a massive spatial rift.
"Power of Space?!"
The man in black's pupils contracted. His expression became grave, but he did not retreat. Instead, he continued to advance.
"Rumble!"
The two spatial rifts collided, unleashing a wave of destruction, pulverizing the loose stones on the ground.
Zhou Yan staggered, nearly falling to the ground. He looked at the white-clad youth with extreme fear, his eyes filled with terror.
"You... who exactly are you!"
Zhou Yan's voice trembled. He was inwardly terrified, not expecting this youth to also be a Hua Jin master, and one far superior to him!
"My surname is Bai, and my given name is Yan."
The white-clad youth sneered. His body emanated a terrifying killing intent, causing Zhou Yan to tremble and retreat repeatedly.
"You are no match for them. Hurry and leave, or else..."
"Or else what?"
The white-clad youth scoffed, "If they want to kill you, you won't escape their pursuit even if you flee to the ends of the earth!"
"Hmph, we'll see."
Zhou Yan roared in anger and turned to run.
"Trying to escape? No way!"
The man in black sneered and moved swiftly.
He spread his arms like eagle claws and lunged for the white-clad youth's neck.
This was the unique martial art of the black-robed man, Eagle Claw Skill. The eagle claws contained extremely potent internal energy, capable of breaking through any defense and tearing enemies apart!
"Hmph! Petty trick!"
The white-clad youth smiled dismissively, waved his hand, and a gust of wind blew towards Zhou Yan.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
Fists met, and Zhou Yan was sent flying backward, crashing into the trunk of a towering ancient tree.
"Bang--"
The tree trunk collapsed, and Zhou Yan fell to the ground.
"Zhou Yan!"
Lin Meng's heart clenched when she witnessed this.
"Zhou Yan, what's going on?"
The man in black frowned, looking somewhat confused. He had clearly had the upper hand moments ago, so why had Zhou Yan suddenly become so weak?
He felt an unsettling unease but couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.
"You are working together!"
Lin Meng shouted, her heart filled with grief and indignation.
She knew Zhou Yan's character and was certain he would never do something so despicable.
However, the current situation forced her to doubt.
The man in black was startled by her words.
He carefully examined the white-clad youth, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
"Do you two know each other?"
The white-clad youth smiled faintly, a hint of playfulness in his eyes.
He did know Zhou Yan, but they were old acquaintances, though Zhou Yan was unwilling to admit it.
"Yes, we know each other."
Lin Meng said bitterly, teeth clenched.
"Heh, it seems you have a past grievance."
The man in black grinned, his gaze sweeping over the white-clad youth.
"Kid, I advise you to surrender obediently, or don't blame me for being merciless!"
"Heh, that remains to be seen if you have the ability."
The white-clad youth chuckled, completely unfazed by the man in black's threat.
"Good, good! If that's the case, then don't blame me for being rude!"
The man in black roared, his figure vanishing instantly from his spot. The next second, he appeared before the white-clad youth, his hands extended like iron pincers, aiming for the youth's neck.
The white-clad youth tilted his head slightly, evading the attack. Then, he lifted his leg and fiercely kicked the man in black's chest.
"Bang--"
The man in black grunted, flying backward and falling to the ground again.
Zhou Yan stared blankly. He never expected his most revered elder brother to be defeated by this stranger!
"Who exactly are you?!"
Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, looking at the white-clad youth with anger.
"My name is Bai Yunxiang."
Bai Yunxiang said indifferently.
"Bai, Bai Yunxiang?!"
Zhou Yan's face instantly turned ashen. He stared at Bai Yunxiang in disbelief, profound shock appearing in his eyes.
He never imagined that the youth before him was Bai Yunxiang.
This was the second-ranked on the Heavenly Ranking!
The top three on the Heavenly Ranking all possessed incredibly terrifying strength. For instance, the second-ranked, Bai Yun Ao Tian, had reached the peak of Hua Jin.
"Impossible!"
Zhou Yan shook his head, unable to believe what was happening.
"If you don't believe me, feel free to try."