Chapter 45 Using a borrowed knife to kill

The full power of a Medium Grade Magic Treasure was far beyond what the heavily injured Luo Ruhai could resist.

Although the saying that the Red Lotus Karmic Fire burns all things in the world is somewhat exaggerated, it was very easy to kill a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator.

Accompanied by a heartbreaking scream, the Red Lotus Karmic Fire burned Luo Ruhai to ashes from the inside out, leaving not even a trace after a slight breeze blew.

If Ye Fan hadn't deliberately concealed the power of the red lotus sword and waited for the final moment to strike, taking down Luo Ruhai would have been truly difficult.

This also made him realize just how vast the gap was between the Qi Refining Realm and the Foundation Establishment Realm, understanding that he needed to achieve a Breakthrough sooner to have more confidence.

Even though he had killed Luo Ruhai, Ye Fan couldn't feel any joy at all.

"Even the Storage Pouch was destroyed?!"

Ye Fan’s mouth twitched with heartache; that was the Storage Pouch of a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator, which surely contained many things.

But now everything was gone, and it took him great effort to catch his breath.

Murong Wan paused briefly before rushing forward to check, and only when she found Ye Fan safe and sound did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"Why is the power of your single strike so strong? Even a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator couldn't block it?"

This red lotus sword was given by her personally, but the power it displayed clearly didn't match that of a Medium Grade Magical Artifact.

Ye Fan could only casually laugh it off, saying it was his full-power strike and that he succeeded only because Luo Ruhai was too severely injured.

Although Murong Wan was somewhat doubtful, she didn't press the matter further; saving him and tending to his injuries was the most important thing right now.

The fierce battle just now had almost overturned the entire great hall, and quite a few unlucky palace maids had died tragically in the process.

The two could do nothing about it and could only save those who were still alive first.

After a round of rescue efforts, about fifty people survived, including the two princesses from the Zhongshan Kingdom.

However, their conditions were uniformly poor, clearly suffering from excessive depletion of Yin Essence, reaching an irreversible stage.

Even if they survived today, their lifespan would be greatly reduced, and it was uncertain if they could last three to five years.

"What a disaster."

Ye Fan couldn't help but curse, finally understanding the dire situation the Joyous Union Sect had faced back then.

If they hadn't used decisive measures to execute the lawless Disciples, the Joyous Union Sect would likely have been jointly destroyed by interested parties using it as an excuse.

Just as the two were preparing to find a secluded place to recover their Origin Qi, an unexpected crisis quietly struck.

"Luo Ruhai is truly trash, actually killed by two Qi Refining Realm Disciples."

"However, this further confirms that the murderers of my younger brother are you two."

A cold voice sounded without warning, and Ye Fan and Murong Wan suddenly felt a prickling sensation on their scalps.

A man who looked to be around forty years old had entered the great hall at some unknown time. He showed no intention of concealing his cultivation; the pressure emanating from him as a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator was suffocating.

"Stronger than Luo Ruhai!"

Ye Fan's pupils contracted sharply, countless clues connecting in his mind; the truth was already quite clear.

"You are a member of the Yan Family... Yan Jingyun's older brother?!" Ye Fan asked with a grim face.

Yan Jinghun looked at Ye Fan with a hint of appreciation, clearly not expecting him to react so quickly.

"Not bad. No wonder that piece of trash died by your hands; your mind works quite fast," Yan Jinghun said with a cold snort.

Murong Wan had heard before that Yan Jingyun had an older brother who was a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator, but she hadn't expected to meet him under these circumstances.

The two had just gone through a fierce battle and hadn't recovered their Origin Qi, yet now they had to face Yan Jinghun. The situation was exceptionally grim.

Only Ye Fan appeared relatively calm, even analyzing the situation to himself.

"If my guess is correct, the Yan Family bribed the Azure Dragon Hall with underhanded methods, deliberately confusing the mission difficulty, intending to use Luo Ruhai's hands to eliminate us."

"Too bad fate plays tricks on man; Luo Ruhai was unexpectedly killed by us in return, so you have no choice but to step in personally."

Murong Wan had expected Yan Jinghun to deny it slightly, but she didn't expect him to admit everything so readily.

This made her face even uglier, because it meant the other party absolutely had no intention of letting the two of them leave alive.

"I saw your battle clearly just now; you two are indeed talented, but unfortunately, you offended my Yan Family. You must die here today."

"Can we make a deal? You let us go, and in the future, we'll go our separate ways. I guarantee I'll pretend nothing ever happened," Ye Fan said after some thought.

"I have to admit you have courage, trying to negotiate even at this stage, but unfortunately, you are destined to die here."

Strictly speaking, Ye Fan killing Yan Jingyun had actually helped Yan Jinghun.

Although the two were biological brothers, they were also competitors for the position of Family Head.

Although Yan Jinghun had the advantage of being born earlier and had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was inferior to his younger brother in terms of innate talent.

As Yan Jingyun's cultivation advanced over the years, his supporters within the Family grew more numerous, which made Yan Jinghun feel an unprecedented sense of crisis.

Once Yan Jingyun successfully achieved the Foundation Establishment Realm, his prestige would inevitably soar, and the position of Family Head would almost certainly fall to him.

But Yan Jinghun never dreamed that his brother would actually die during the trial. Upon hearing the news, he was so excited that he didn't sleep for several days and almost wanted to bring gifts to thank Ye Fan.

If he had simply stayed put with peace of mind, Yan Jinghun would most likely have become the next Family Head, but he inexplicably didn't plan to do so.

Although Yan Jingyun was dead, there were still several powerful heirs in the Family.

While they weren't as threatening as Yan Jingyun, they were still a hidden danger.

To completely secure his position as the heir, Yan Jinghun intended to win over his younger brother's former supporters. The best approach was undoubtedly to act under the banner of avenging his brother.

Once he had this righteous banner, his supporters within the Family would inevitably surge, and the position of Family Head would be within easy reach.

To this end, Yan Jinghun put in considerable effort, contacting Family members and Disciples within the Joyous Union Sect to secretly bribe them and tamper with the mission issued by the Azure Dragon Hall, attempting a scheme of borrowing a knife to kill someone.

Although Yan Jinghun considered his plan foolproof, he still followed in secret to observe in case of any unexpected developments, and as it turned out, he was right.

The combat strength of the two completely exceeded Yan Jinghun's expectations; they actually managed to kill Luo Ruhai in return.

Ye Fan's mysterious finger techniques and the ferocious red lotus sword deeply intimidated Yan Jinghun, who felt that if he had faced them directly the first time, he too would have suffered a loss.

The Magical Artifact capable of defending against and reflecting a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator made him drool with envy; his mouth was practically watering.

"Seeing as you helped me kill Yan Jingyun, I'll give you one last chance to say your last words," Yan Jinghun said with a cold smile.

"Is there no room for negotiation?" Ye Fan asked, unwilling to give up.

"None left. If these are your last words, you can die now," Yan Jinghun said, showing some impatience.

"Since that is the case... Wan'er, are you willing to die with me?"