He sat on the bedside, lost in thought, his eyes vacant, his mind filled with Lin Meng's enchanting silhouette.
"Heh, Li Tianyou, Li Tianyou, you coward."
A moment later, Li Tianyou took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. Then, he shed his clothes, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate the "Overlord's Art."
This cultivation technique could condense a tyrannical vortex, temper the body, and enhance strength.
"Hmm?"
As soon as he started cultivating, Li Tianyou felt a warm current surge, flowing into his limbs and bones, nourishing his meridians, and even penetrating his marrow.
"Strange, I haven't cultivated, so why is there a warm current?"
Li Tianyou opened his eyes. He rubbed his nose, filled with confusion.
But he quickly reacted, his face breaking into ecstatic joy.
He could feel his body slowly recovering.
Zhou Yan had broken his arm, causing him immense pain, but at the same time, it had brought him great benefit.
"Could this be a blessing in disguise?"
Li Tianyou guessed, then closed his eyes and resumed his cultivation.
...
The next day, when Li Tianyou woke up, he felt refreshed all over, as if he had been reborn.
"Last night's harvest was immense."
He checked his physical condition and found that his meridians were exceptionally smooth, and his physical strength had increased significantly, reaching the level of a thousand jin.
He believed that with his physical strength alone, he could easily defeat a Hua Jin Grandmaster!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, he noticed a thumb-thick scar on his left wrist, faintly bluish, twisting like a snake.
"What is this?"
He examined the scar closely and found it was circular, shaped like a snake.
"Hiss!"
He gasped in cold air. The scar was located precisely at the corresponding position of the Azure Dragon mark on his wrist, giving him a sense of familiarity.
For some reason, this scar seemed to have fused with his blood, forming an inseparable connection.
"Could it be that the Azure Dragon mark on my wrist was caused by this snake-like tattoo?"
He looked skeptical. The mark was very peculiar, and he had tried to remove it numerous times without success.
"It seems I need to find out."
Zhou Yan's words echoed in his mind, and Li Tianyou's eyes lit up. He remembered the old woman.
"Yes, I should go ask her."
With that thought, Zhou Yan quickly dressed and prepared to leave.
"Where do you want to go?"
At that moment, a slightly aged voice sounded.
"Uh..."
Zhou Yan was startled, then turned around to look at the old woman who had appeared at the door at some point.
"May I ask you something, how much do you know about my origins?"
Zhou Yan clasped his fists respectfully and asked.
This old woman was the proprietress of the hotel, well-known in the city. Li Tianyou had heard Lin Meng mention her before, so he dared not be disrespectful.
"Hmph, I don't know much."
The old woman snorted, her tone unfriendly. "I've seen too many people like you. Generally, you're abandoned and then killed. So, I advise you to give up early!"
With that, she turned to leave.
"Hey, Madam..."
Watching the old woman gradually walk away, Zhou Yan's mouth twitched. He felt scorned.
"Forget it, I'll ask that old hag when I get a chance."
He sighed and shook his head, then returned to his room to continue cultivating.
...
Meanwhile.
Lin Meng went alone to the desolate outskirts, beneath a large tree.
"Zhou Yan! You get out here!"
She shouted loudly, but there was still no response.
"You despicable scoundrel, if you don't give me an explanation today, I will not rest until I'm satisfied."
Lin Meng stamped her foot furiously. She had been waiting in this small village all night, and the person still refused to show himself.
"You just wait!"
She glared fiercely at the cave where Zhou Yan was.
Zhou Yan was a martial artist, very strong. He could easily kill her, but she wasn't afraid.
After all, she had a strong background, with a group of followers and a Grandmaster-level expert.
However, she hadn't expected that she would wait here so desperately, and that person would completely disregard her, not only not appearing but also hiding.
"You come out!"
Lin Meng's chest heaved with anger. She stomped her feet in frustration, her eyes turning red.
"This is good too, it saves me trouble."
Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps approached.
"Who's there?"
Lin Meng raised her head alertly, looking in the direction of the sound, but saw nothing.
"Stop playing tricks!"
Lin Meng sneered and rushed towards the direction of the footsteps, wanting to catch the scoundrel who dared to play tricks on her and teach him a lesson.
Unfortunately, the sound had vanished, as if it had never existed.
"Who are you?"
Lin Meng frowned, but she quickly relaxed.
Only this village had people around. Since no one had appeared for so long, they were probably dead.
"Haha!"
Suddenly, a wild laugh echoed from ahead.
Lin Meng's expression changed drastically. She looked up and saw a grim-faced man in a black robe slowly approaching her.
"There are only the two of us here. How long do you plan to hide?"
Lin Meng shouted coldly, her heart filled with dread.
She never expected that someone was hiding in this place, let alone that their cultivation had reached the Hua Jin level, far surpassing hers!
Her mind raced as she contemplated an escape plan.
"I don't want to fight with a woman. Surrender obediently."
The man spoke indifferently, his eyes cold.
"Who exactly are you?"
Lin Meng gritted her teeth. She felt her cultivation being suppressed, unable to exert her full strength, even weaker than an ordinary person!
"I don't care who you are, but you'd better not provoke me, or you'll die a terrible death."
She threatened, but her heart was filled with apprehension.
"Haha, I really don't understand why a young girl like you always likes to provoke powerful beings."
The man shook his head, expressing his confusion.
"Who are you?"
Lin Meng's face was grim, but she still patiently asked.
"You don't need to know who I am, but you must come back with me."
The man spoke, his tone icy, with a hint of authority that allowed no refusal.
"Dream on!"
Lin Meng snorted, refusing to agree.
"In that case, don't blame me for being impolite!"
As the words fell, the man's figure blurred instantly, appearing beside Lin Meng. He extended his right hand, grabbed her by the neck, and then applied slight pressure with his fingers.
Lin Meng struggled to breathe, her face flushed red, her body trembling, clearly subdued by the opponent.
"You... let... let me go..."
Lin Meng choked out a few words with difficulty.
"Are you going to be stubborn until the end, or do you really think I dare not kill you?"
The man's eyes flickered, his voice deep.
Although his voice was calm, it exuded a potent killing intent that sent chills down one's spine, like a deep abyss that dared not be resisted.
Lin Meng's eyes darted around, her heart filled with hesitation. She knew that if she didn't comply, she would likely die a miserable death.