"Insane, absolutely insane!"
Gui Wu muttered to herself. Whether vows were effective, she didn't know.
But she knew that Chinese people always honored their oaths and rarely broke them once sworn.
This meant Ye Cangtian's wager contained no hidden schemes or tricks, which was what angered her the most.
Was it worth going this mad just to subdue Nanxi?
"I believe you!"
"And I won't let you suffer a loss. If I can't kill you within this year, I swear I will never lay a hand on any Chinese person before I kill you!"
Nanxi said solemnly.
The moment her words fell, a cross-shaped long sword appeared in her hand. Taking advantage of Ye Cangtian's smugness, she instantly thrust it forward.
In the past, when she assassinated Ye Cangtian, she felt some pressure. After all, her strength was inferior, and the possibility of failure was high.
Once she failed, it might enrage Ye Cangtian, who could then cripple her cultivation or even take her life. Thus, she dared not act rashly.
But now that the wager was settled, she had no such burden and could act as she pleased…
"Careful!"
Gui Wu cried out in alarm. Nanxi was too close to Ye Cangtian.
Moreover, the timing of her attack was perfect. Caught off guard, it was indeed difficult to defend against.
Even if she saw Nanxi attack, it would be hard for her to prevent it.
"Heh, it seems you've been holding back for a long time."
Ye Cangtian chuckled, and his figure had already flashed away.
Seeing this, Nanxi was about to turn her sword and pursue, but suddenly her neck was seized, and a tremendous force rendered her immobile.
In an instant, Ye Cangtian had moved to her side and subdued her.
"This…"
Nanxi's eyes widened, and she listlessly lowered her long sword. She had failed, but she didn't understand why.
She clearly saw Ye Cangtian wearing a triumphant smile, thinking he must have been distracted and not paying attention to her.
How could she now feel like everything was under his control?
Thinking this, Nanxi struggled and said angrily, "Bastard, I failed this time, you can let me go now!"
"Heh, you seem to have forgotten something?"
A teasing voice echoed, and Nanxi's heart tightened.
She then remembered that Ye Cangtian had mentioned earlier that if her assassination failed, she would receive a small punishment.
"You, you, what exactly do you want!"
With this thought, Nanxi anxiously questioned him, but as soon as her voice fell, a crisp sound was heard.
Suddenly, her whole body tensed, and intense pain shot from her posterior to her head. The tearing agony made her scream.
The next moment, Nanxi screamed in rage, "Bastard, you scoundrel, you're so vulgar, ah…"
*Slap! Slap!*
Another two crisp sounds, and Ye Cangtian finally released Nanxi.
The moment she regained her freedom, Nanxi instinctively lunged out, wanting to escape Ye Cangtian's clutches.
But due to the intense pain in a certain area, she fell to the ground with a thud, looking utterly disheveled.
"This is the punishment then."
"You must understand, I am also very busy and don't have time to play with you whenever I want."
"So I had to resort to this. I hope you'll think clearly about the consequences before you act!"
Ye Cangtian gave a righteous explanation and then took out several bottles of Xiaohuan Pills from his Qiankun Bag, tossing them to Nanxi.
"The injuries are not serious. Taking one Xiaohuan Pill will allow you to recover in one night. If you wish, you can try to assassinate me every day from now on!"
As he spoke, Ye Cangtian signaled Gui Wu, and then returned to his room.
On the other side, Gui Wu walked forward helplessly and helped Nanxi up. "Alas, with your skill, aren't you just asking for trouble? Think carefully before you make a move next time!"
"I..."
Gui Wu's words struck Nanxi speechless.
What else could she say? The fact was, her skills were lacking, and she could only swallow her humiliation.
She had to make a long-term plan. She couldn't possibly endure such humiliation every day.
…
The next morning.
After bidding farewell to Tang Xinwan and the others, Ye Cangtian boarded a helicopter and flew away from the capital.
Soon, the plane reached a mountainous area.
Ye Cangtian looked down at the forest, observing a flowing stream. The environment was pleasant, and the surrounding area was sparsely populated. He immediately decided to seek a breakthrough here.
After landing, Ye Cangtian quickly surveyed the forest and coincidentally found a dilapidated house.
It was likely left behind by hunters.
After scattering some insect repellent and beast-repelling medicine around the house, Ye Cangtian returned to the wooden cabin and took out the Enlightenment Pill.
He believed Xing Yuan would agree to his action plan.
Even if they didn't agree, the Guangming Hall wouldn't let it go, so the future situation would only become more brutal, and with his current strength, he might not be able to cope.
Therefore, while Zi Long was seeking instructions, he planned to take the Enlightenment Pill to further improve his strength.
He took a deep breath and swallowed the pill.
The pill melted in his mouth, and instantly, a cool stream of energy flowed through the meridians of his limbs and body. It was refreshing and expanded his meridians.
In a mere moment, Ye Cangtian broke through his shackles, reaching the late stage of the Earth level, and his cultivation was still surging…
…
A thousand miles away, outside the Guangming Hall.
In the main hall, the Pope was discussing with Hasal about future advances into the Chinese ruins with a smile, seemingly in a very good mood.
But the next moment, a disheveled figure appeared in the hall, and the Pope's expression froze completely.
"Where did this beggar come from, and how did he get here!"
"Guards, are you all blind?"
"How dare you let a beggar into the hall! How many heads do you have!"
Hasal, looking at the man before him with tattered clothes, messy and dirty hair, and no aura, roared out in anger.
This was the Guangming Hall, not a place for beggars to wander into casually!
Furthermore, he was discussing important matters with the Pope. If this leaked out, the consequences would be unimaginable!
"Hasal, it's me, Qiao..."
As the voice fell, the man looked at Hasal and tidied his hair, his voice hoarse.
At the same time, guards rushed in and quickly confirmed the matter.
Qiao?
Hasal was stunned and exchanged a look with the Pope. Their faces turned extremely grim.
"Qiao, what exactly happened!"
The Pope's voice was icy.
He knew Qiao's strength very well.
After all, Qiao had practiced the Holy Light Praise, a secret technique that made him practically invincible among his peers.
Although this mission to China was fraught with danger, Qiao was not alone; at least three Earth level experts were by his side.
With such a formidable lineup, why had Qiao become like this?
The Pope was utterly perplexed.
*Plop!*
Facing the Pope's inquiry, Qiao knelt directly before him, his hoarse voice tinged with choked sobs. "Your Holiness, your subordinate has failed to live up to your trust…"
"Wait!"
"What are you talking about! Get to the point!"
The Pope interrupted him directly and reprimanded him.
He was very confused. Not long ago, he had received news that Ye Cangtian was certain to die in China, and the Myriad Bone Blood Array at the entrance of the ruins had already been activated.
All of this indicated that the entire operation was going very smoothly, so why was Qiao speaking like this…
"Your Holiness, this operation in China, although Ye Cangtian appeared to be alone, he was well-prepared."
"He had a mermaid by his side, and that mermaid possessed an incredibly powerful golden trident. Under these circumstances, we failed…"
Qiao quickly explained, shifting all the blame for their failure onto Ye Cangtian.
"What!"
"You, along with Xue Ye, Feng Ze, and Po Xiao, the four of you, couldn't defeat Ye Cangtian and the mermaid?"
"What is that mermaid's strength!"
Upon hearing this, the Pope was furious and slammed the table, questioning angrily.
Uh…
At the Pope's words, Qiao's heart tightened, but he still replied in a low voice, "That mermaid was also at the Earth level. Yes, it was because your subordinate was careless and engaged them one by one…"
Hearing this, the Pope finally understood everything. It turned out they had been defeated individually!