The young woman's face was flushed with anger, like a little tiger in a rage, and she huffed, "That guy's name is Yang Kai, right? Ever since Brother Fan returned to Purple Plum Valley last time, he's been locked away in seclusion, saying he needs to train hard so he won't lose to some disciple from a second-rate sect. I haven't even seen him for ages, and it's all because of this Yang Kai! Once I get my hands on him this time, I'll make him pay!"
The "Brother Fan" she was talking about was none other than Fan Hong, who had once visited Lingxiao Pavilion.
Luo Xiaoman and Fan Hong were both elite disciples of Purple Plum Valley, having grown up together since childhood. She had long harbored deep feelings for him, but since she hadn't seen her beloved in months, she naturally blamed Yang Kai for everything.
Qiu Yimeng watched her with a gentle smile and said softly, "Sister Xiaoman, don't be so hasty with your anger. Our main purpose this time is to gather intelligence on the Evil Lord — everything else is secondary. Don't mess up the bigger plan!"
Luo Xiaoman huffed in irritation. "I don't care! No matter what, I'm capturing that Yang Kai and dragging him back to Purple Plum Valley this time. I'll have him fight Brother Fair and square, and that'll resolve everything in Brother Fan's heart."
She then tugged on Qiu Yimeng's arm, whining in a coquettish tone, "Sister Qiu, he's just a disciple from a second-rate sect, isn't he? When you're handling the important business later, I'll sneak over with some people and grab him. I promise I won't cause a ruckus."
Qiu Yimeng let out a wry laugh and nodded reluctantly. "Fine, fine. He's just a young disciple. Surely Lingxiao Pavilion won't be so foolish as to make a fuss."
"Hee hee, Sister Qiu is the best!" Luo Xiaoman grinned happily.
But Bai Yunfeng, standing off to the side, gave a light cough and smiled. "Junior Sister Luo, it's not that I'm trying to deflate our own morale and boost his, but that Yang Kai is no pushover. Over a year ago, when he was still at the Separation-Union Realm, he managed to defeat me. My strength is on par with Brother Fan's, and after more than a year, who knows how far he's grown. So even if you manage to capture him and bring him back to Purple Plum Valley for a showdown with Brother Fan... I'm afraid it might not end well..."
"Hmph! How could my Brother Fan possibly lose to someone from a backwater like that?" Luo Xiaoman snorted, then rolled her eyes and added, "Worst case... I'll just pull a few strings behind the scenes. One way or another, I'll make sure Brother Fan beats him."
The group was still chatting when a nine-layer Shenyou Realm expert nearby suddenly frowned. "Miss, something's not right — there don't seem to be many people here!"
Qiu Yimeng's expression shifted slightly. "What do you mean?"
The man immediately released his Divine Sense, and after a moment his face took on a peculiar look. "It appears Lingxiao Pavilion already knew they were in serious trouble and has made preparations. On one side, there are five Shenyou Realm experts standing guard in full readiness. On the other, a large group of people are gathered together — they look like Lingxiao Pavilion's younger generation disciples, and it seems they're about to leave!"
"Dream on!" Qiu Yimeng let out a cold snort. "Send a team to capture all five Shenyou Realm experts. If they resist, kill them without mercy! The rest, follow me!"
"Yes!"
Because the intelligence Bai Yunfeng had provided earlier mentioned two peak Shenyou Realm powerhouses — Ling Taixu and Meng Wuya — the Qiu family had dispatched four peak Shenyou Realm experts for this operation.
With those four leading the charge, they were confident they could handle both Ling Taixu and Meng Wuya.
The large crowd split into two groups in orderly fashion. The four peak Shenyou Realm experts, trailed by seven or eight other Shenyou practitioners, headed straight toward Ling Taixu's position. The rest followed Qiu Yimeng as they rushed toward Kunlong Gorge.
Down in Kunlong Gorge, Yang Kai and Su Yan were enjoying a brief, tender moment of peace when suddenly his expression shifted. He looked up sharply in one direction.
"What's wrong?" Su Yan noticed the change and asked quickly.
"Someone's coming!" Yang Kai's face darkened. He called out urgently, "Hurry it up — they've already found us!"
Above, there were still about twenty young disciples who hadn't been brought down yet. Hearing Yang Kai's shout, the several senior disciples immediately channeled their true yuan, dramatically increasing their speed.
The young disciples were sent down one after another, disappearing into the void passage.
Moments later, everyone had been moved to safety.
"Senior nephew..." The several senior disciples flew off to one side, their expressions taut with vigilance, as though facing a great enemy.
"You all go first!" Yang Kai commanded in a deep voice. "I'll cover the retreat!"
"Got it!" Without hesitation, the group plunged straight into the void passage.
"Where do you think you're going!" A furious roar came from far away. Before the voice had even faded, a beam of light shot toward them like a bolt of white silk.
The speed of the newcomer far exceeded anything Yang Kai had imagined.
Both Yang Kai and Su Yan's expressions tightened. They pooled their true yuan together and struck out simultaneously with a palm toward the oncoming light.
A muffled boom. The light shattered and scattered, and suddenly twenty or thirty figures materialized. Yang Kai and Su Yan both shuddered from the impact, sliding sideways more than thirty feet and nearly plummeting off the edge.
"Yang Kai... we meet again!" From within the crowd, Bai Yunfeng, dressed in white, bared his teeth in a vicious snarl.
Enemies meeting on a narrow path — their eyes burning with hatred. Bai Yunfeng naturally had no reason to show Yang Kai any kindness.
"So you're Yang Kai?" Luo Xiaoman's eyes swept up and down appraisingly. She curled her lip. "You don't look like much. I was expecting three heads and six arms or something. Turns out you're just... ordinary."
Qiu Yimeng wore a faint, pleasant smile, a hint of curiosity flickering in her gaze. But when her eyes fell on Su Yan, her pupils contracted ever so slightly.
From this young woman — as cold and unyielding as a snow mountain that had stood since the dawn of time — Qiu Yimeng felt an immense pressure.
An expert! And one whose strength was at least on par with her own! A flash of astonishment passed through Qiu Yimeng's beautiful eyes. She had never expected that a backwater like Lingxiao Pavilion could harbor such talent.