Chapter 33 Highway Robbery

Seeing the group of people suddenly appear, Yun Li couldn't help but become nervous.

"Senior Brother, be careful."

"Don't worry."

Ye Fan sized up the fellow Disciples in front of him. There were over a dozen people, all appearing to be at the Qi Refining Realm, Second or Third Level. The strongest was only at the Fourth Level, seemingly just ordinary Outer Sect Disciples.

Before Ye Fan could ask anything, this group exposed their intentions.

"We are all fellow Disciples. If you are smart and hand over half your Yao Cores, we will let you pass. If you stubbornly refuse, don't blame us for being impolite."

More than a dozen Magical Artifact swords were brandished brightly, waiting for Ye Fan to make a decision.

"Roadside robbery?"

Ye Fan was stunned and almost laughed out loud. He hadn't expected there to be people like this during the Trial Assembly.

Instead of hunting wild Yao Beasts, they were robbing lone Disciples on the main path.

It had to be said that although this method was despicable, the cost-effectiveness was extremely high.

Compared to fighting with Yao Beasts, roadside robbery was undoubtedly lower risk.

Facing this kind of lineup, unless one encountered a Prodigy Disciple like Murong Wan, few could escape by fighting alone.

These guys were also very clever, only demanding half the Yao Cores, completely denying anyone the chance to fight to the death. Over these few days, they had indeed reaped substantial rewards.

Seeing Ye Fan's indifferent expression, the leading few Disciples began to lose patience and prepared to teach him a lesson.

"Attack!"

The dozen or so people attacked almost simultaneously, but Ye Fan didn't move an inch. He lightly pointed his Mysterious Jade Finger into the void, easily shattering their Magical Artifacts, and repelled everyone dozens of steps with the residual force alone.

"Crap, we've run into someone tough."

Everyone's expression changed drastically, but it was too late to turn and flee.

"Whoever moves another step will suffer the same fate as this rock."

Ye Fan gently tapped the void, and a giant rock several feet away instantly shattered.

The exaggerated power crushed everyone's worldview, scaring them so much that they dared not move an inch.

They racked their brains but couldn't figure out when such a monster had appeared among the young Disciples. This level of strength probably couldn't be matched even by the Prodigies of the various peaks.

"Esteemed... Senior Brother... We were very rude just now... Please be magnanimous and let us go like we were nothing but a fart."

These guys were truly capable of bending and stretching. As soon as they saw Ye Fan's formidable strength, they immediately changed their tune.

Ye Fan was too lazy to bother with these people. Out of consideration for them being fellow Disciples, he didn't intend to take their lives.

"According to your rules, leave half the Yao Cores, and then scram."

Hearing this, everyone trembled with heartache, but no one dared to utter another word of nonsense. After leaving the Yao Cores, they hastily fled the scene.

Ye Fan checked them over; they totaled over fifty, which was a huge sum for any Disciple.

"Yun Li, these are for you. It should be enough to secure a good ranking."

Ye Fan casually tossed the Yao Cores to Yun Li. She was stunned for a moment before being overjoyed, her pretty face couldn't help but blush again.

Having seen Ye Fan hunt so many Yao Beasts these past few days, Yun Li had also been envious.

But since Ye Fan had saved her life, how could she bring herself to ask for Yao Cores? She could only watch wistfully.

"Is this considered a betrothal gift?"

Yun Li teased him casually. Ye Fan naturally wouldn't show weakness.

"You aren't worth this much."

"You! Stinky Senior Brother! I curse you to never find a Dao Companion in this lifetime!"

"That's not right... You already have a Dao Companion... Let me think of another curse... I curse you to be impotent for life!"

"If I am impotent, wouldn't you have to live as a widow?"

Ye Fan's words broke Yun Li's composure again. She could only huffily accept the Storage Pouch.

But inwardly, she was delighted, especially unable to forget what Ye Fan had said a few days ago.

"Regarding my cultivation, I still need your help to cover it up a bit. I don't want others to know."

"No one knows? Does your Dao Companion not know either?" Yun Li asked, blinking her eyes.

"She doesn't know either. This is a secret belonging only to the two of us."

"A secret belonging only to the two of us."

Ye Fan's few words made Yun Li's heart flutter, and she still felt shy thinking about it.

"Stinky Senior Brother, hiding your cultivation even from your own Dao Companion, you must not be a good person."

Before them was the destination of this trial: Yin Yang Mountain. From afar, it looked towering into the clouds, and up close, it was unknown how many thousands of feet high it was.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain was only the beginning. Even with Ye Fan's pace, it would take several days to reach the summit.

There were many routes into the mountain. Ye Fan casually chose one and gave Yun Li a meaningful look.

Her pretty face flushed slightly, and then, as if nothing had happened, she jumped into Ye Fan's embrace. Everything was so natural.

Ye Fan had thought it would be much safer after entering the mountain, but who knew that the trouble had only just begun.

With only the last few days of the trial remaining, the competition among the many Disciples became increasingly fierce.

Robbery like before was considered relatively mild; at least they only sought wealth and didn't take lives.

Some were even more extreme, choosing to kill to silence witnesses to prevent any accidents.

Ye Fan encountered several similar incidents, and for those who wanted his life, Ye Fan showed no mercy.

"Why bother?"

Ye Fan shook his head with some helplessness and flicked his finger, causing the opponent's head to explode.

The Secret Realm trial should have been a good opportunity for fellow Disciples to spar and improve together, but somehow, it had turned into a bloody arena. Even the successive Sect Heads were powerless to change this.

Especially this session, the competition seemed even more intense, with a casualty rate far exceeding previous Trial Assemblies.

However, thanks to these people, the Yao Cores in Ye Fan's hands already exceeded two hundred, and Yun Li had also obtained nearly a hundred.

This achievement in previous trials could almost guarantee first place. The excited Yun Li couldn't close her eyes for several days.

Seeing that they were less than a day's journey from the summit, Ye Fan couldn't help but breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Who knew that in the next second, dozens of figures rushed out from all directions, and the person leading them had a familiar face.

"Yan Jingyun?"

Looking at the ferocious smiling face before him, Ye Fan was slightly stunned, thinking that what was meant to come would eventually come; he had actually run into this fellow.

Yan Jingyun had waited for this very moment for more than ten days, almost thinking Ye Fan had died in the Secret Realm.

Since entering the Secret Realm, Yan Jingyun had relied on Talismans to continuously expand his power, hunting Yao Beasts while rushing toward Yin Yang Mountain.

During this time, he had lost quite a few subordinates; his original hundred or so men were now less than half, but even so, he didn't think Ye Fan had any chance of escaping alive.

"The one surnamed Ye, we finally meet."

Yan Jingyun sneered.

"Is that the Prodigy from Dragon Head Peak, Yan Jingyun?"

Yun Li recognized the opponent at a glance and couldn't help but sweat for Ye Fan.

After all, Yan Jingyun was a famous Prodigy. His Qi Refining Realm, Seventh Level cultivation meant few opponents among the young Disciples, let alone the dozens of men accompanying him.

Yan Jingyun glanced at Yun Li beside him, clearly recognizing her too.

Yan Jingyun secretly cursed Ye Fan's cursed good luck with women. It was one thing for Murong Wan to fancy him, but to have the pearl of Pill Cauldron Peak with him as well made him feel jealous.

"But so what? You will ultimately die beneath my sword."