Chapter 1144: Medusa’s Eye
Zu An had claimed to not be able to distinguish beauty, and Yu Yanluo had felt moved at the time, but she had already realized that he was just teasing her. That was why she really wanted to know how he felt about her appearance.
Yan Xuehen waited for his reply, clearly amused. Her words had the will of a grandmaster infused into them, which would make one subconsciously choose to reply with the truth.
Hmph, let’s see how Yu Yanluo will act once she finds out that this kid really was coveting her beauty. She could then tell her disciple what had happened to show her the true face of this man.
Zu An said with a firm expression, “I saved Yu Yanluo because she helped me when I was in danger in the past. A true man pays back grudges, and also returns gratitude.”
“Is it really only gratitude…” Yu Yanluo murmured, lowering her head. No one could see her current expression.
Yan Xuehen asked, “Is it really just repaying a debt of gratitude? Is that enough for you to squander away your prospects, or maybe even your life? From what I know, even though Yu Yanluo has helped you before, she did not really sacrifice anything back then. You are repaying her several times over in return, and yet you are still saying that you do not covet her beauty?” Even though Yu Yanluo was a fiend race individual, Yan Xuehen had to admit that she was an exceptional beauty. Even she was a bit moved, let alone this perverted fellow.
“Gratitude isn’t something like a business deal; how can it be weighed in terms like that? Sect Master Yan, you’ve made an error here,” Zu An replied, giving her a strange look.
Yan Xuehen nodded slightly. She wasn’t someone truly unreasonable. She realized that there were flaws in what she had said as well.
Zu An continued, “Besides, there are too many pretty girls in this world. For example, Sect Master Yan, you’re a beauty who isn’t inferior to Yu Yanluo in any way. Would I risk my life to save you, though?”
Yan Xuehen was stunned. Meanwhile, Yu Yanluo covered her mouth and secretly laughed. This guy! He’s clearly mocking her, yet he also snuck in a bit of praise. No wonder he’s always so charming.
“You rascal, I am an honorable grandmaster. Would I need a junior like you to save me?” Yan Xuehen replied with a snort. The temperature in the cave dropped a few degrees.
You have successfully trolled Yan Xuehen for +222 +222 +222…
Zu An said, “Sect master, please don’t set up flags randomly like that. The world is variable and fickle, no one knows if this day will one day come.”
Yan Xuehen’s expression remained still as she replied, “Worry not. If that really happened, I would rather die than be saved by you. Furthermore, in a situation that would put me in that much danger, you would already have departed from this world long before me.”
Zu An shrugged and said, “I’m merely explaining that the reason I’m saving Yu Yanluo, apart from our past gratitude, is more importantly because of how well we get along. We’re close friends who connect with each other. Why wouldn’t I be willing to go so far for a friend like that?”
A smile finally appeared on Yu Yanluo’s face. We’re not just close friends, but rather…
Yan Xuehen quickly interjected, cutting her thoughts short. “Out of consideration for the bit of loyalty you have, I will spare your life. However, step aside and let me bring this Snake race criminal back.”
Zu An’s expression changed. He stood in front of Yu Yanluo protectively, replying, “Sect Master Yan, only death awaits her if she’s brought back. I hope that the sect leader can be generous in this matter.”
Yan Xuehen said coldly, “I am only acting like this to erase a hidden danger to the human race. If you insist on going about things the wrong way, I will not mind acting in the heavens’ place to remove one of Chuyan’s inner demons.”
Zu An was speechless. Isn’t that last bit going a bit too far?
This old nun really is doing everything she can to break me and Chuyan up!
He was about to say something, but Yu Yanluo had already stood in front of him, saying, “I have already received young master’s kindness. I am really grateful that you have helped me so much, so I cannot be a burden on you any longer. Please step aside. I will deal with the rest myself.”
She knew that there was no way they could defeat a grandmaster even if the two of them worked together. Rather than both of them going down, it would be better if one of them made it through the situation.
Zu An said with a frown, “I’m not that scared for my life. If I let you die after everything I went through to save you, what meaning would be left in everything I did before?”
Yu Yanluo looked at him quietly through her beautiful eyes. She said through ki, “I know you have good intentions, but what else can we do? If we continue like this, you will just be throwing away your life in vain. If you really still feel that strongly, then please help me search for Maid Xing and the others, and escort them to my hometown safely. I will repay the young master’s gratitude in the next life.”
Zu An shook his head and replied, “Please don’t talk like that anymore. I won’t abandon you here.”
Yu Yanluo’s eyes glittered with tears. She was about to say something else, but Yan Xuehen was growing impatient. She snapped, “Are you two done with your mumbling yet? Are you two displaying your affection to me right now or something?” She thought, This guy really is a piece of work. He knows that I am Chuyan’s master, yet he is still flirting with another woman in front of my eyes.
Yu Yanluo blushed, but she didn’t try to persuade Zu An further. Instead, she pushed him aside, then looked up at Yan Xuehen. She didn’t use the World Painting, though. Against a grandmaster, that was no different from a toy. As such, she immediately went with her most powerful skill, knowing that she only had one chance.
Her beautiful gemstone-like eyes flickered with red fiendish radiance, and the entire cave filled with bitter and harsh energy. She slowly rose into the air. Her hair fluttered around, turning into small snakes. Every single snake’s eyes glowed with a faint red light.
All the red lights surrounded Yan Xuehen’s body, and she began to petrify at a visible rate. In just a few breaths of time, her entire body rapidly turned into a stone statue.
Zu An exclaimed in shock, “You killed her?”
He was shocked not only because this was the first time Yu Yanluo had used the power of Medusa’s Eye, but also because Yan Xuehen was Chuyan’s master. How was he going to explain things to Chuyan if she really did die here?
Yu Yanluo’s body grew weak in midair. She seemed to have used up all of her strength, dropping from the sky. Zu An quickly caught her to prevent her from hitting the ground.
The little snakes that had replaced Yu Yanluo’s hair had already closed their eyes, while her own eyes had also returned to their normal color. At that moment, her complexion was pale. She asked, “Do I look really ugly right now?”
Zu An was speechless. What kind of situation were they in right now? And yet, she was still concerned about such things? Hadn’t he already made it clear that her appearance didn’t matter?
“These little snakes are pretty cute,” he said in amusement as he gently lifted a strand of hair.
Yu Yanluo’s entire body trembled, as if she could clearly feel him touching the small snake. She blushed and explained, “I have never used the Medusa’s Eye at full strength before, so I do not know how strong it is. In the end, she is still a grandmaster, so I did not dare to hold back. I am truly sorry; I did not want to do this either.” Only then did she remember that Yan Xuehen was the master of Zu An’s wife.
Zu An sighed and said, “Things have already turned out this way, so just bring her remains to the surface. We’ll find a way to send her back to the White Jade Sect. We can’t just leave her in a place like this that won’t ever see the light of day.”
He hadn’t expected the Medusa’s Eye to be that powerful either. Based on his understanding, the skill was a sort of reason-defying weapon. It wasn’t something that could be evaluated through normal means.
Yan Xuehen had underestimated Yu Yanluo too much and faced the Medusa’s Eye head-on. Zu An carefully walked up to her, scared that she might shatter if he used too much strength.
A cold voice suddenly called out, “At least you have a bit of conscience.”
Zu An jumped in alarm, because the voice had come from the stone statue. He was alarmed. He was just about to take Yu Yanluo and run, but a terrifying pressure surrounded him. He felt a bone-piercing chill attack him, making him feel as if every single cell had been frozen still.
Meanwhile, a layer of frost began to visibly cover the surroundings. This entire cave seemed to have turned into a world of ice and snow.
So this is what a domain is? Zu An realized something. He had sensed a similar thing in Brightmoon City before. Back then, Chu Chuyan had used a forbidden technique to defeat Shi Kun, who had been several cultivation ranks above her. However, the technique’s power from back then couldn't compare to the one right now at all.
Suddenly, the stone statue cracked loudly. Then, its surface broke down inch by inch, ultimately crashing down and revealing Yan Xuehen’s real appearance. Her skin that was normally fair like snow had turned an unnaturally dark red. She said, “I was indeed careless just now. If you were allowed to grow for a bit longer, I might really have been completely petrified. Unfortunately, you will never have that chance.” She took a step forward, clearly about to make a move.
Zu An panicked. He used his Fire Phoenix power to counteract the cold around him. He stood right in front of Yu Yanluo, calling out, “Yanluo, hurry and run!”
A frown spread across Yan Xuehen’s pretty face when she saw his choice. She said, “I planned to spare you before because you still had some filial piety, but it seems you cannot distinguish between right and wrong. In that case, do not blame me for being rude.”
She raised her hand after speaking. At that moment, however, her movements seemed to be accompanied by brittle cracks. She looked down in shock, seeing that her clothes looked like butterflies, scattering into the air piece by piece.