Chapter 558: Chapter 557: Undercurrents Surge

Inside the secret realm, Ye Fan and Mu Keqing had encountered other martial artist prodigies. They had all coexisted peacefully for the most part, but that was likely to change. Everyone knew that once the True Dragon Blood Essence appeared, all-out violence would erupt.

At that moment, Ye Fan found a thousand-year-old spiritual material and excitedly tucked it into his pants.

There was no other way! It wasn’t that he wanted to be so cunning and sleazy, but that minx Mu Keqing was just too shrewd. Every time he found something valuable, he had to hand it over. Mu Keqing had promised to share a portion with him after their expedition in the secret realm ended, but he didn’t believe her for a second. He had to look out for himself. Once he digested this thousand-year-old spiritual material, he might even be able to undergo another minor nirvana. So, he absolutely had to hide it! Tucked away in such a... secret... place, he’d like to see what Mu Keqing could do about it.

"Hand it over!"

A delicate hand quickly reached toward him.

Ye Fan asked, puzzled, "Hand over what?"

"Cut the crap, I saw everything," Mu Keqing said. "Are you going to give it to me or not?"

"Give you what? Haven’t I handed over all the good stuff I’ve found? Have a conscience!" he whined, playing the part of the aggrieved victim. He was a natural actor, after all.

"Stop putting on an act for me!" Mu Keqing snapped, grabbing his ear.

"I really don’t have anything hidden! If you don’t believe me, look!" Ye Fan said, spinning around to show there was nothing behind him.

But Mu Keqing wasn’t convinced. She immediately reached for his pants.

"Whoa, don’t just grab at things!"

Ye Fan was speechless and even blushed, but Mu Keqing didn’t stop. Just then, she yelped and jumped back.

"What’s wrong?" he asked, seeing she had screamed in fright.

With a look of terror, Mu Keqing stammered, "There’s a snake in your pants! A really big one! I’m terrified of snakes!"

She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

Ye Fan was utterly speechless, unsure of what to say. That was no snake; that was a man’s dignity!

He said awkwardly, "I told you I wasn’t hiding any spiritual materials. Let’s go! If I find anything good, I’ll hand it over."

"Hmph!"

Mu Keqing silently seethed, logging the grievance away. She was a vengeful woman, after all. After being played by Ye Fan like this, she would absolutely not let him off the hook.

The two left, bickering playfully.

After they were gone, two new figures arrived: Duan Tianya and Ximen Hengcheng.

Ximen Hengcheng spoke first. "Brother Duan, I’ve seen Gui Hai Yidao and the others forming several alliances. We have to make a move!"

"Otherwise, a single Mu Chen Dong could annihilate all our factions combined!"

This was no exaggeration. Two martial artists who had undergone four minor nirvanas were not equivalent to one who had undergone eight; the distinctions in power were far more nuanced than that.

Duan Tianya said, "Mu Chen Dong is indeed strong, but don’t forget, there are more than ten major factions here in the secret realm. There’s no way his journey will be a smooth one."

"He might be able to fend off two, three, or even four people, but can he fend off ten? Besides, there are far more than ten of us on this expedition."

Though aloof, Duan Tianya was able to analyze the situation with impressive speed.

Ximen Hengcheng added, "That may be true, but I think the True Dragon Blood Essence will appear in a few days!"

"Even if Mu Chen Dong manages to get the True Dragon Blood Essence, his situation will be dire if we all attack him at once," Duan Tianya stated.

Ximen Hengcheng nodded. The True Dragon Blood Essence was critically important to them.

At this moment, Duan Tianya declared, "Right now, I believe our priority isn’t hunting for the True Dragon Blood Essence. It’s eliminating that kid first!"

"That brat dared to insult the Ximen Family and even slapped Bai Yi twice. I will kill him!"

Duan Tianya’s attitude was incredibly arrogant, but with his extraordinary birth, such pride was to be expected.

"Alright," Ximen Hengcheng said. "But he’s always with Mu Keqing. It seems we’ll have to lure her away first."

Although the two of them could easily kill Ye Fan together, attacking him in front of Mu Keqing would inevitably leave them open to blame. If they were going to do this, they had to do it cleanly.

Duan Tianya continued, "According to the ancient map of this secret realm, Dragon Valley is a hundred miles ahead. It’s a maze of intersecting paths, making it easy to get lost. I think we can make our move there. You’ll be responsible for luring Mu Keqing away, and I’ll lead that kid into a trap. I’ll strike first. If he’s lucky enough to escape, you’ll deliver the finishing blow. I refuse to believe he can survive both of our attacks!"

Duan Tianya’s plan was vicious. Though it was not yet in motion, he had already devised a meticulous scheme.

"Alright!" Ximen Hengcheng agreed immediately, wasting no words.

The plan was feasible and not at all risky, as long as they didn’t confront Mu Keqing directly. Even if she found out they were the killers, they had ways to deflect the accusation. In their minds, the plan was a guaranteed success for one reason alone: they possessed the detailed ancient map of the entire secret realm. This map had fallen out of the realm when it was first discovered and could even lead them to the True Dragon Blood Essence.

But for now, the True Dragon Blood Essence was a hot potato. No one dared to be the first to grab it, at least not until things cooled down. The two men immediately moved to follow their targets, slinking forward like ghosts in the shadows.

「That night」

As Ye Fan gazed at the countless stars twinkling in the sky, his thoughts drifted to his family, his women, and his brothers back home. I wonder if they’re doing well. A wave of homesickness washed over him, that particular ache for loved ones that always felt sharper during quiet moments of reflection.

Suddenly, Mu Keqing waved a hand in front of his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Ye Fan asked.

"Nothing! Just teasing you! By the way, what are you thinking about? Sometimes you’re so crude, and other times, you’re surprisingly refined," Mu Keqing remarked.

Ye Fan chuckled. "Well, it’s normal for a man to be a little rough around the edges."

"You seem like a man with a story, Yezi. Are you thinking about your women?" she asked.

Ye Fan nodded. "As a matter of fact, I am."

"Are they as beautiful as I am?" Mu Keqing puffed out her chest, her meaning clear: no one in the world was more beautiful than her; at best, someone might be considered her equal, but that was already a great compliment.

Ye Fan didn’t say a word, instead giving her a look that told her to figure it out for herself.

Mu Keqing glared at him angrily.

"What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying I’m not beautiful?" she demanded.

"You’re beautiful! You’re the most beautiful woman in the world!" Ye Fan could only lie through his teeth. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

But Mu Keqing was relentless. "Excuses! You’re just placating me!"

"I’m not placating you!" Ye Fan insisted.

"Hmph! Tell me, how are your women better than me?"

It seemed her anger wouldn’t be appeased until she had proven her superiority.