"Husband, don't do anything foolish for my sake..."
Xueyi stared intently at Ling Fan, her heart aching to the extreme at that moment.
Crystal tears slid silently down her cheeks.
Unknowingly, her face was already streaked with tears.
"Silly girl! You are my wife!"
Ling Fan smiled faintly, gently reaching out to wipe away the tear stains on Xueyi's face.
That smile returned to its usual composure and calmness, like the gentle warm breeze of April, blowing into Lan Xueyi's soul.
*Puff!*
The blood fire, like an enraged beast, surged along Ling Fan's hand, intent on burning him to ashes as well.
Ling Fan's eyes suddenly turned cold.
A mere blood fire, daring to be so presumptuous!
A vast and terrifying power emanated from Ling Fan's body. He lightly shook his palm.
The blood fire, which had been extremely unruly, having shattered three protective jade talismans and eighty-one small water dragon wall formations, was directly annihilated by the shock.
The borrowed power of fate, obtained at the cost of ninety-nine percent of his lifespan, could not be challenged by such a meager blood fire!
Ling Fan formed a hand seal and pointed it at Xueyi.
*Boom!*
An invisible, immense power descended, enveloping her.
The blood fire on and within Xueyi's body was instantly extinguished, as if doused with an endless stream of ice-cold water.
It didn't even have a chance to struggle!
Xueyi looked at herself in disbelief. Beneath her snow-white skin, the previously violent and rampant blood fire had completely subsided...
This was the first tribulation of the Nine Deaths Spirit Phoenix Body, something that even the Vermillion Bird Profound Fire Grand Formation could barely suppress...
And it had been resolved so easily!
What heavy price had Ling Fan paid just now to possess such unimaginable power?
She was both shocked and overjoyed, and also felt immense heartache for Ling Fan.
Immediately after, a deep weariness washed over her.
Ling Fan gently picked her up. Her skin felt slightly cool to the touch, smooth and lustrous, like the finest mutton-fat jade.
Xueyi's pretty face flushed slightly, but she didn't struggle, allowing Ling Fan to hold her and place her on the bed.
Ling Fan helped her dress, then pulled up the quilt to cover her. He tucked it in and said, "Rest now, I have some things to attend to."
Xueyi nodded and then fell into a deep sleep.
Even in her dreams, a sweet smile of happiness graced her lips.
The nearly seven-day ordeal of blood fire had transformed almost all of her mortal blood into the Spirit Phoenix bloodline, leaving her utterly exhausted.
Ling Fan gazed at her dotingly. As he turned away, his eyes suddenly became incomparably cold.
Since his rebirth, he had never felt such intense killing intent!
The destruction of the Vermillion Bird Profound Fire Grand Formation.
Nearly causing Xueyi's demise.
Forcing him to use forbidden techniques like the Great Underworld Wheel Art, exhausting his lifespan!
This debt of vengeance was so profound that even all the waters of the Three Rivers, Four Seas, and Five Lakes could not wash it away.
No matter who it was.
They would die!
...
Not long ago.
The Vermillion Bird Profound Fire Grand Formation outside Lan Family Fort was finally completely destroyed, with formation base materials worth millions rendered useless.
Nearly a thousand powerhouses from the City Lord's Mansion surged towards Lan Family Fort like a flood of beasts.
Lan Tianxiong, Lan Junjie, Li Shan, and all other Lan family members, except those who were killed, were captured and lined up kneeling before Li Yuanzheng.
Even Liang Hutu had been defeated by Li Yuanzheng. A terrifying black spiritual sword had pinned his body to the wall of Lan Family Fort, leaving him barely clinging to life.
At this moment.
It was precisely when Ling Fan was performing the Great Underworld Wheel Art.
Everyone was startled and couldn't help but look up at the sky in unison.
Although they couldn't see what was happening, they clearly sensed an incredibly magnificent, grand, and awe-inspiring aura descending upon Lan Family Fort.
Li Yuanzheng's expression changed.
What unforeseen event had occurred inside Lan Family Fort?
No!
He couldn't delay any longer.
Delay would lead to complications.
He had to act quickly. Only by completely killing Ling Fan could he be truly at ease.
However, he did not enter personally.
Li Yuanzheng was always extremely cautious.
He didn't know what was happening inside, and he wouldn't risk himself until the situation was clear.
He had endured until now, only making his move when he found an opportunity to bring down Ling Fan.
He would not take risks now.
He immediately dispatched as many as five Profound Gang realm powerhouses from the City Lord's Mansion into Lan Family Fort, with orders to kill Ling Fan on sight!
The five Profound Gang realm experts entered one after another.
However, less than ten breaths later.
Those five Profound Gang realm experts were blasted out.
They became five corpses!
Everyone was utterly shocked!
Those were five Profound Gang realm powerhouses, and three of them were in the late Profound Gang realm. Such a formidable lineup could even hold their ground against a quasi-Heavenly Origin realm expert for a while.
Yet, they were killed in the blink of an eye!
Was there a monstrously terrifying entity hidden within Lan Family Fort?
Cold sweat immediately broke out on the foreheads of all the City Lord's Mansion powerhouses.
They felt a sense of unease in their hearts.
For a moment, Lan Family Fort fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.
It was as if a massive stone was pressing down on their hearts, making them feel immense pressure.
*Pat!*
*Pat!*
Unhurried footsteps emerged from within Lan Family Fort.
He was coming out.
He was coming out.
Those City Lord's Mansion powerhouses held their breath, adopting a posture of extreme vigilance.
This was an existence that killed Profound Gang realm experts as easily as slaughtering pigs.
Finally, when a figure appeared at the main entrance of Lan Family Fort.
Everyone's pupils constricted.
Ling Fan!
It was Ling Fan!
How could this be?
Han Qing's eyes were about to pop out.
Li Qingxuan almost leaped from his wheelchair, but having been crippled by Ling Fan, he fell back heavily.
The City Lord's Mansion powerhouses felt an even greater sense of disbelief!
Compared to their shock, all the surviving Lan family members erupted into hysterical cheers of excitement.
Their son-in-law was alive!
Their Lan family would not be destroyed!
On the periphery, many powerhouses from various forces in Jiangnan City had come to gather information.
Hearing the cheers of the Lan family and witnessing this scene, they too wore expressions of utter disbelief.
Damn it!
Shouldn't Ling Fan have died from the backlash of the Lan Family Fort's grand formation?
How was he still alive and kicking!
No.
He didn't seem to be completely unharmed either.
His hair...
Was entirely gray!
And it was a lifeless, dull gray, as if all vitality had been drained.
He was only seventeen or eighteen years old, the prime of youth, like the sun at eight or nine in the morning, full of vigor and life.
How could he be like this!
No one understood what had happened.
"You surnamed Ling, why aren't you dead yet! What kind of monster are you, damn it, this infuriates me!! Where is Xueyi? Did you hide her? Hurry and give her to me!"
Han Qing glared at Ling Fan with utmost venom, gritting his teeth as he spat out these words.
Ling Fan's mind raced. Upon seeing Han Qing appear among the City Lord's Mansion forces, he instantly understood many things.
He let out a cold snort, his gaze towards Han Qing now like that of a dead man.
"Ling Fan, it's even better that you're not dead! I will have my father capture you and bring you before me. I will personally hack you to pieces to avenge my crippled state!!"
Li Qingxuan trembled with excitement, roaring hysterically.
However, Ling Fan completely ignored him.
Let alone him being crippled now, even when Li Qingxuan was at his peak, hailed as the youngest Profound Gang realm expert in Jiangnan City's history, Ling Fan had never taken him seriously.
Ling Fan looked at Li Yuanzheng.
Li Yuanzheng's gaze also met his.
It was as if two invisible beams of electricity collided, and a crackling sound echoed in the air.
"Ling Fan, you truly surprise me. Even this couldn't kill you! But if my guess is correct, you should be at the end of your rope."
Ling Fan smiled coldly, tilting his head slightly, looking down at Li Yuanzheng.
"Killing you is enough!"