This Is What a Villain Is Like

She had long anticipated Jiang Lan’s current attitude, so she wasn’t truly surprised... although she had harbored a little hope that he might accept.

She turned to look at Jiang Lan’s back, remaining silent and wordless.

’The more you deliberately avoid me, the more it proves how unsure you are...’

’If you had truly let go, if I was no longer in your heart, why wouldn’t you dare to open your eyes and really look at me?’

’If you did look at me, I refuse to believe your eyes would be empty.’

Jiang Ruxian noticed that Jiang Lan had been gripping Li Mengning’s hand ever since she arrived. He hadn’t been holding it before, but his grip tightened the moment she appeared.

Seeing Jiang Lan approach, Xiao Teng’s subordinates and followers charged without hesitation. The outcome was obvious. They were completely outmatched. Once surrounded, they were quickly injured one by one, sent flying amidst miserable screams.

Xiao Teng, covered in wounds, remained defiant as Jiang Lan walked toward him. He said bluntly, "Jiang Lan, give up. I’ve already discarded all the Spiritual Objects I was carrying. Even if I can’t take first place in the Qianyuan Prefecture trials, I won’t let you have it."

Jiang Lan had too many men under his command. Knowing he stood little chance of winning, Xiao Teng had already hidden the numerous treasures and windfalls he’d acquired in Qianyuan Prefecture on his way back.

CRACK...

However, the moment he finished speaking, Jiang Lan signaled his men to break both of Xiao Teng’s legs. The excruciating pain instantly drained the color from Xiao Teng’s face, and large beads of cold sweat trickled down his skin.

"You’re a grown man, yet you’re acting so childishly."

"You discarded those points, but doesn’t that mean first place in the Qianyuan Prefecture trials is still mine?"

"Or are you pinning your hopes on someone else?" Jiang Lan asked, looking down on him.

He knew Xiao Teng was still pinning his hopes on Ye Ming, who had ventured into the deepest part of Qianyuan Prefecture.

Finding anyone else might have been difficult for Jiang Lan, but finding Ye Ming would be child’s play.

After all, Ye Ming had provided him with a massive amount of destiny. With the help of the Destiny Dao Fruit, Jiang Lan could easily pinpoint his location.

For Xiao Teng to rely on Ye Ming was practically impossible.

Xiao Teng gritted his teeth, enduring the agonizing pain wracking his body without saying a word.

He was indeed counting on "Zhang Yuan." The Qianyuan Prefecture trials were ending soon. If he could just stall for time, "Zhang Yuan" still had a chance to take the lead.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the chance to tell "Zhang Yuan" where he’d hidden the treasures. The thought had crossed his mind on the way back, but he’d hesitated, wondering if he might successfully rescue Meng Mo and the others and escape unscathed. In that case, he would have been handing over the treasures for nothing. So he had decided to wait and see...

But now, none of it was up to him.

Just then, a shocking roar suddenly echoed from the distant sky.

It was a stunningly brilliant streak of Divine Rainbow, seemingly wreathed in a seven-colored vapor and accompanied by a haze of Chaos.

Something seemed to be wrapped within it. It had shot up from the deepest reaches of Qianyuan Prefecture and was now plummeting rapidly toward them. The Void itself blurred and cracked, as if torn asunder by its immense aura.

This sudden spectacle startled all the young Celestial Prides present.

Many didn’t know what it was, but they could faintly sense its extraordinary and mysterious nature. The moment they reacted, they shot forward, attempting to intercept it.

In an instant, figures wreathed in Divine Rainbows shot into the sky, employing all sorts of techniques to intercept the streak of light.

But clearly, the many young prodigies had underestimated the glowing object. The instant they drew near, they were blasted away by a terrifyingly immense force, sent hurtling backward while coughing up blood, with who knows how many broken ribs.

At the center of the object, a wisp of heavy, bright yellow energy could be seen swirling. It was this very energy that was warping the Void, pressing down on it until it seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Someone’s chasing it!"

"That’s..."

"The Disciple from Yijian Palace who made a name for himself at the auction?"

Just then, some people noticed a figure in hot pursuit behind the mysterious object.

The figure had clearly been chasing it for a long time, all the way from the depths of Qianyuan Prefecture. Even now, they refused to give up.

"How could it be him?"

Many people quickly recognized him, their faces filled with shock and astonishment.

"Zhang Yuan?"

Xiao Teng noticed this as well, and despite the agonizing pain, his face was a mask of shock.

’Ye Ming? The guy’s luck is pretty good, stumbling into a fortuitous encounter like this.’

’But... why do I get the feeling he can’t subdue it?’

Jiang Lan, who had been about to use the Destiny Dao Fruit to track Ye Ming, hadn’t expected this scene either. He looked over, his eyes narrowing.

’But is it just my imagination, or is that glowing object plummeting toward me?’

’No, it’s not coming for me.’

’It must be for Jiang Ruxian behind me.’

Jiang Lan glanced to the side and saw Jiang Ruxian looking right at him, a completely oblivious expression on her face.

The astonishing roar from the sky had captured the attention of everyone in the surrounding mountains, yet she alone seemed completely unfazed.

Noticing his gaze, the corners of her lips curved up slightly into a gentle smile.