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……
As Chi Huo spoke, the corner of his mouth twitched. Even he privately believed that Wei Feng was utterly unworthy of Su Yan — the man wasn't even fit to carry her shoes.
But this was a golden opportunity to deal a blow to Ice Heart Valley. As long as they could force Ice Heart Valley to capitulate here, Fire Radiance Sect would gain a massive advantage in the conflicts to come.
Most importantly, they could use this matter to attack Luo Li's state of mind, creating a crack in her mental fortitude.
If it succeeded, it would inevitably become a heart demon for Luo Li, making any further progress in her cultivation impossible.
And he himself would be able to advance his own cultivation even further. With both sides shifting in balance like that, Chilan Star would surely become Fire Radiance Sect's domain in the days to come.
The moment Chi Huo finished speaking, Ran Yunting stepped forward, her expression cold and severe. "Delusional thinking! Su Yan is our Ice Heart Valley's Core Disciple — how could she ever be married off to an outsider? She will spend her entire life right here in Ice Heart Valley. She's not going anywhere!"
Chi Huo let out an eerie chuckle, looking at Ran Yunting. "If this old man isn't mistaken, what she cultivates should be your Ice Heart Valley's closely guarded secret — the Ice Jade Art, correct?"
"What if it is?" Ran Yunting had no idea what he was scheming.
"If it is, then this is simple. This old man can see that she has already developed mortal attachments. Her icy heart has been clouded, and she's already suffering backlash from the technique — and it seems quite severe at that… Mm, with a condition like hers, I'd say in a year or two at most, all her cultivation will scatter and she'll end up as nothing more than an ordinary woman. What use would she be to your Ice Heart Valley then?"
Ran Yunting's expression shifted subtly, and she inwardly acknowledged Chi Huo Old Freak's sharp eye.
Su Yan's condition was deeply concealed — only she, as her master, had been able to sense any signs of it. Yet Chi Huo had seen through it at first glance, the very first time he laid eyes on Su Yan.
In that moment, Ran Yunting's face grew dark as storm clouds. She cast a glance at Su Yan, and the disappointment in her eyes was plain for all to see.
But Su Yan seemed not to notice at all. There wasn't even a flicker of change in her expression — she simply wore that blissful smile, standing there nestled against Yang Kai's side. As far as she was concerned, cultivation and strength were nothing but fleeting clouds. As long as she could be with Yang Kai, even death would be worth it.
Ran Yunting was even more disappointed.
"Su Yan…" Yang Kai stared in shock at the beautiful woman beside him, her lovely eyes gazing at him unwaveringly.
He quickly released his spiritual sense and probed Su Yan's body, finally detecting the problem.
The aura within Su Yan's body was indeed fluctuating and unstable — a clear sign of backlash from her own cultivation technique. The condition was still relatively mild for now, but given enough time, it would only grow worse.
"It's fine," Su Yan said softly with a gentle smile, her expression serene, showing no worry whatsoever for her own fate.
"I'll find a way to resolve it for you." Yang Kai took a deep breath, his expression grave as he looked at her and made his promise.
"If you would simply kill yourself, you could resolve the crisis she's facing right now!" Ran Yunting's fury surged, and she shouted at Yang Kai harshly.
"Master, please don't say things like that!" The smile on Su Yan's face vanished in an instant. Her delicate brows drew together tightly, her expression turning serious. "If Junior Brother dies, I will not live on alone!"
Ran Yunting opened her mouth, stunned, staring blankly at Su Yan with an expression of pure astonishment.
This was the first time Su Yan had ever spoken to her in such a manner, and it shook Ran Yunting to her core. All along, Su Yan had been completely obedient to her — whatever Ran Yunting asked of her, this disciple would accomplish tenfold, a hundredfold. It had made her exceedingly satisfied and had caused her to place enormous expectations upon her.
But today, Su Yan had defied her.
It seemed that she — the master who had painstakingly trained her and pinned such lofty hopes upon her — meant less in Su Yan's heart than some young nobody.
Ran Yunting let out a cold laugh, her expression icy. She fixed Yang Kai with a long, deep look and said in a low voice, "Boy, you've ruined Su Yan. Even if you die, it won't be enough to atone for your sins!"
With that, she retreated once more, closing her eyes as though she wanted nothing more to do with what came next.
"Whether I've ruined Senior Sister or not isn't your call to make. Who do you think you are?" Yang Kai snorted coldly.
"Enough! This farce ends here!" Chi Huo rose to his feet, his eyes blazing like twin flames as he fixed Luo Li with a penetrating stare. "This old man has already stated his intentions. Luo Li, it's time for you to make your choice. Hand the girl over, and this old man will leave immediately. If you don't…"
His words carried an unmistakable threat.
Every elder of Ice Heart Valley turned pale.
Luo Li regarded Chi Huo with a calm glance, then turned her head toward Luo Hai, her cherry lips parting softly. "Is this Master Luo Hai's intention?"
She understood better than anyone why Chi Huo had dared to come to Ice Abyss Island with such fanfare, demanding their most outstanding disciple so brazenly — at the root of it all was Luo Hai backing him from behind.
Without Luo Hai, Chi Huo wouldn't dare set foot within a thousand miles of Ice Abyss Island.
Upon hearing this, Luo Hai smiled and said mildly, "Junior Sister Luo Li, that's not a reasonable thing to say. This matter is between your Ice Heart Valley and Chi Huo's Fire Radiance Sect. I merely happened to be passing through and decided to join in the fun."
His tone shifted, and he continued, "However, I do think that what Chi Huo says isn't wrong. This disciple called Su Yan is indeed gifted, but if she's suffering backlash from the Ice Jade Art, I'm afraid she'll never amount to much in the future. Why not simply marry her off to Wei Feng? That way your two families can forge a marriage alliance, resolve the enmity between your factions, and live in peace from now on. Wouldn't that be a wonderful outcome?"