266: Chapter 266 A Well-Intentioned Warning

Ye Tian did not let his guard down; he cupped his hands and said, "Miss Yun's methods are divine; I only succeeded by luck."

"By luck?"

Yun Zhiying chuckled and shook her head. "There isn't that much luck in this world.

It is because your Dao Heart is firm enough, your will is strong enough, and your Opportunity is also good enough."

She paused, her beautiful eyes shifting as she looked at the wary Dragon Ape on Ye Tian's shoulder, then back at Ye Tian, saying meaningfully, "However, the wind will always destroy the tree that stands out from the forest.

You should understand the principle that possessing a treasure brings trouble."

Her tone shifted, carrying a hint of warning: "Shadow Calamity Tower is by no means as simple as you imagine.

Its internal structure is intricate, and its factions are deeply entrenched.

The 'Illusion Division' I belong to is but the tip of the iceberg.

There is the 'Black Fiend' lineage that issues wanted notices, the 'Blade Division' in charge of assassinations and frontal assaults, the 'Incantation Division' skilled in Formations and curses... and even more hidden departments.

You possess great treasures and have repeatedly opposed Shadow Calamity Tower; they will never let this matter rest.

Furthermore..."

She looked at Ye Tian with deep eyes. "You seem to harbor secrets that even I cannot see through.

Certain individuals in other departments of Shadow Calamity Tower have likely already set their sights on you.

When traveling in the future, you must be extremely careful."

Ye Tian felt a chill in his heart.

He had long known Shadow Calamity Tower was powerful, but he hadn't expected the internal structure to be so complex.

Yun Zhiying's Illusion Division was already this difficult to deal with; then the other departments...

Moreover, had she also sensed the existence of the chaos bead?

"Thank you for informing me, Miss Yun."

Ye Tian said in a heavy voice; regardless of her purpose, this reminder was useful to him.

"No need to thank me."

Yun Zhiying waved her hand, her bare feet tapping lightly as her figure floated backward. "Today's battle was quite exhilarating.

I look forward to your growth.

I hope that when we meet next time, you can give me more surprises."

She gave Ye Tian a deep look, and then her figure quickly faded, turning into petals of mandalas that dissipated with the wind, leaving only a lingering fragrance and an ethereal voice echoing through the maple forest: "The game... has only just begun, young master.

Stay alive, and don't disappoint me..."

The fragrant wind dispersed, and the figure vanished.

Ye Tian stood in place for a long time before slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air.

The clothes on his back were already soaked with cold sweat.

This battle with Yun Zhiying seemed like a draw, and he had even glimpsed a sliver of her emotions, but he knew that he was actually at a disadvantage.

She had taken the initiative to withdraw the barrier and had not truly fought with her full strength.

If it were truly a life-or-death struggle, given her unfathomable cultivation and bizarrely unpredictable illusions, his chances of winning would be extremely slim even with the help of the ancient sword pill and the Dragon Ape.

"Shadow Calamity Tower... Illusion Division, Black Fiend, Blade Division, Incantation Division..."

Ye Tian silently repeated these names, the pressure in his heart suddenly increasing.

If one Yun Zhiying was already this difficult, what kind of colossus must the entire Shadow Calamity Tower be?

Being targeted by such an organization, the path ahead was destined to be covered in thorns.

I must become stronger faster!

Only by possessing enough power can I deal with all crises and grasp my own destiny!

"Senior Brother, are you okay? Just now... what happened just now? Where is that woman?"

Hou Xiaojie ran over with lingering fear.

"I'm fine, she's gone."

Ye Tian patted Hou Xiaojie's shoulder and looked at the Dragon Ape on his shoulder, who had also breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks for protecting Xiao Jie just now."

"Master is too polite; that woman is too wicked. I almost fell for her tricks too."

The Dragon Ape scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed, and then said indignantly, "Next time we meet, I'll definitely let her taste my power!"

Ye Tian smiled and said nothing.

He knew that with Yun Zhiying's cultivation and methods, even if the Dragon Ape fully recovered, he might not be her match.

But he appreciated the sentiment.

"Let's go, continue our journey. Destination: Yunni City."

Ye Tian looked toward the northeast; he needed to reach the next city as quickly as possible to gather information while searching for an Opportunity to improve his strength faster.

At the same time, he also needed to start carefully studying the clues for the Taichu Sword Scripture.

Perhaps that supreme sword scripture was one of the key assets for his future confrontation with a colossus like Shadow Calamity Tower.

The two men and one ape set off again, their figures gradually disappearing at the end of the maple forest official road.

After leaving the maple forest that still held Yun Zhiying's lingering fragrance, Ye Tian no longer concealed his True Martial Realm first-level aura. After all, this level of cultivation was considered upper-middle on the road from Cangya County to Yunni City, which could prevent too many petty harassments without being overly conspicuous.

Along the way, Hou Xiaojie's mouth never stopped, especially his endless curiosity about the thrilling yet mysteriously ended "clash" just now.

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, was that sister in red—the one who's impossibly beautiful—the same one who appeared outside Cangya County last time?"

Hou Xiaojie leaned in close to Ye Tian, his eyes sparkling with the light of gossip. "Who is she exactly? She seems so powerful, but it's like she didn't really want to kill us?"

Ye Tian looked straight ahead, too lazy to respond.

When dealing with an existence of Yun Zhiying's level, the more you say, the more mistakes you make; it's better to say less.

Seeing Ye Tian ignore him, Hou Xiaojie got even more excited and began to fill in the blanks himself: "I saw the way that sister looked at you, Senior Brother—it was a bit different!

Even though she was smiling, it felt... well, like a cat seeing an interesting mouse?

No, no, not that bad... oh, anyway, it was just weird!"

He scratched his head, then suddenly lowered his voice and winked. "Senior Brother, do you think... that sister has a thing for you?

I see her cultivation is profound, and she looks like a Heavenly Immortal. If you could become Dao Companions, wouldn't that be... Ouch!"

Before he could finish, Ye Tian had already expressionlessly tapped a finger on a certain spot on the side of Hou Xiaojie's neck.

Hou Xiaojie's mouth instantly fell open, but he could only make breathy sounds. He gesticulated wildly, his face turning red, but he simply couldn't speak.

His mute acupoint had been struck again.

"Noisy."

Ye Tian withdrew his finger and continued walking.

"Pu-ji-ji-ji!"

The Mini Dragon Ape perched on Ye Tian's shoulder saw Hou Xiaojie's predicament and immediately clutched its belly with its small paws, laughing so hard it rolled around on Ye Tian's shoulder, its golden eyes full of schadenfreude.

Hou Xiaojie was so angry he glared at the Dragon Ape, but there was nothing he could do. He could only follow behind dejectedly, using his eyes to express a silent protest.

The world was finally peaceful.

Ye Tian shook his head helplessly in his heart. This Hou Xiaojie had a lively personality and a simple Heart-Nature, but this mouth of his...

After his antics, the tense and oppressive atmosphere from the confrontation with Yun Zhiying had dissipated quite a bit.

However, he quickly pulled his thoughts back on track.

Yun Zhiying's final warning was definitely not without cause. Illusion Division, Black Fiend, Blade Division, Incantation Division... this was only the tip of the iceberg.

And with treasures like the ancient sword pill and chaos bead on him, he had likely truly become a fat sheep in the eyes of some people.

He had to go to Yunni City. It had accessible waterways and well-informed news, making it a good place to find clues for the Taichu Sword Scripture and temporarily avoid the heat, but it would also certainly be fraught with danger.

A few days later, as the sun tilted toward the west, the silhouette of a majestic city appeared on the horizon.

Unlike Cangya County, which was built against a mountain with a rugged style, Yunni City was situated on the banks of the vast Falling Star Lake. Its walls were towering, built from a type of "Cloud-Vein Stone" that shimmered with a faint rosy light. Under the reflection of the setting sun, the entire city seemed shrouded in a layer of flowing rainbow colors, beautiful beyond words, hence its name.

Falling Star Lake was vast and misty. It was said that ancient stars had fallen to the lake bottom, nurturing rare treasures. This also made Yunni City's water systems developed and its commerce prosperous, making it a famous wealthy land in the Northern Region.