80: Chapter 80 Hua Yunfei's Fear! The Old Madman Appears!

The two sat opposite each other at the stone table.

Although Ji Ziyue was reluctant, she dutifully poured tea for both of them.

“This tea...”

Hua Yunfei picked up the teacup, and upon smelling it, his expression changed.

“The fragrance is refreshing and contains dao rhyme. Could this be the legendary Enlightenment Tea?”

“Just some leftover tea scraps, not worth mentioning.”

Ye Xuan spoke casually.

Hua Yunfei took a deep look at Ye Xuan, the wariness in his heart deepening.

To be able to casually bring out a divine item like Enlightenment Tea to entertain guests, this Senior Brother Ye's background was even more mysterious than he had imagined.

“I have heard that Senior Brother Hua's Zither Skills are unparalleled, a true marvel of the Tai Xuan Sect.”

Ye Xuan twirled the jade cup in his hand, looking at him with a half-smile.

“Since you brought your zither today, I wonder if you could play a piece?”

“Since Senior Brother is in the mood, Yunfei shall make a humble attempt.”

Hua Yunfei did not decline. He placed the Ancient Zither on his lap and stroked the strings with both hands.

“Zheng—”

The zither music began.

At first, it was like a clear mountain spring, gurgling and flowing, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

But gradually, the tune became high-pitched, like a lone bird battling the sky in a storm, yet always unable to break through that invisible net.

An indescribable loneliness and helplessness were hidden within the music.

It was the mournful cry of a caged bird, the struggle of a fish in a pond.

The piece came to an end.

The lingering sound echoed, refusing to dissipate for a long time.

Hua Yunfei pressed down on the strings, that gentle smile still hanging on his face.

“I have made a fool of myself before Senior Brother.”

Ye Xuan put down his teacup and did not speak immediately. He looked at Hua Yunfei quietly, his eyes as deep as an abyss, as if they could see through the ghosts in a person's heart.

Being watched by such a gaze, the smile on Hua Yunfei's face gradually became somewhat stiff.

“Senior Brother Hua's music is indeed pleasant to the ear.”

Ye Xuan finally spoke.

“Only...”

He leaned forward slightly, his lips moving as a voice exploded directly within Hua Yunfei's Sea of Consciousness.

Voice Transmission.

“As a chess piece that can be discarded at any time, no matter how well you play, you are merely making a wedding dress for others.”

“Holy Son Yaoguang... or perhaps that Dao Protector of the Ruthless Lineage, are they satisfied with your current performance?”

Boom!

These words were like a bolt of lightning, striking ruthlessly atop Hua Yunfei's head.

Hua Yunfei's hand, which had been stroking the zither, jerked violently. A sharp 'snap' sounded as a string broke.

His pupils instantly contracted to the size of pinpricks, his face turned deathly pale in that moment, and cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead, soaking the clothes on his back.

This was his greatest secret!

It was the nightmare buried deepest in his heart, the one he feared most!

He was a descendant of the Ruthless Emperor's discarded lineage, practicing the Demonic Technique, destined to become the Cauldron for the true successor of the Indestructible Heaven Technique—Holy Son Yaoguang.

His entire life was controlled by others; his efforts and his talent were all ultimately just to fulfill someone else's purpose.

This secret was known to absolutely no third person in this world besides him and that Dao Protector!

This Ye Xuan... how did he know?!

Hua Yunfei snapped his head up, staring fixedly at Ye Xuan. The gentleness in his eyes had vanished, replaced by endless terror and killing intent.

The Divine Power within his body began to circulate frantically, and he even felt an impulse to fight to the death.

However.

When he met Ye Xuan's half-smiling eyes, all his impulses were instantly extinguished like a bucket of cold water being poured over them.

He couldn't win.

Setting aside the strength the other had shown when suppressing Ji Haoyue that day, the mere composure of exposing a heavenly secret with a single word just now filled him with a deep, unfathomable dread.

In front of this man, he was like a transparent person with no secrets to speak of.

“Senior Brother Hua, your zither string is broken.”

Ye Xuan's voice rang out again, this time no longer a transmission but normal speech, his tone flat.

This flat voice, however, brought Hua Yunfei back to his senses from his terror.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the stormy waves in his heart and struggling to maintain a surface-level calm.

“It is... Yunfei's skills are lacking, I have made a fool of myself before Senior Brother.”

Hua Yunfei's voice was somewhat hoarse, and his hands were trembling slightly.

Ye Xuan stood up, walked to Hua Yunfei's side, reached out, and lightly patted his shoulder.

This movement caused Hua Yunfei's muscles to tense all over, almost making him lash out in a counterattack.

“Don't be nervous.”

Ye Xuan leaned into his ear and whispered.

“I have no ill will toward you. As long as you don't provoke me, I can't be bothered to care about your messy affairs.”

“Whether it's the Demonic Technique or the Indestructible Heaven Technique, in my eyes, they both limit one's own Dao.”

Speaking to this point, Ye Xuan paused, his tone taking on a hint of profound meaning.

“However, I see that you are also a pitiful person.”

“If one day you have an epiphany and no longer want to be that Cauldron... perhaps, I can give you a chance to regain your freedom.”

Regain freedom?

These words seemed to have some sort of magic, ruthlessly striking the softest and most longing part of Hua Yunfei's heart.

He stared blankly at Ye Xuan, a flash of confusion in his eyes, followed by disbelief.

Escaping that fate?

Is that possible?

That was a curse-like destiny left behind by the Ruthless Emperor!

Ye Xuan said no more, simply waving his hand and sitting back down on the stone bench.

“The tea is cold, Senior Brother Hua, please return.”

Hua Yunfei snapped out of his daze.

He picked up his Ancient Zither and, even forgetting to bow, walked out with a panicked expression.

His footsteps were somewhat messy, completely lacking the composure he had when he arrived.

It wasn't until he walked out of the range of Zhuo Peak that Hua Yunfei stopped his pace.

He looked back at that desolate mountain peak, the fear and wariness in his eyes reaching a peak.

“Ye Xuan...”

He silently repeated the name in his heart.

“Just who are you?”

...

Having sent away the terrified Hua Yunfei, Ye Xuan was in a good mood.

Warning this 'pitiful villain' was both to save himself future trouble and to plant a chess piece.

Just then.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from the mountain path.

Ye Fan and Pang Bo ran up, panting heavily.

“Big brother! Something happened!”

Pang Bo started shouting before he even entered the door.

“What is it? Why the panic?”

Ye Xuan picked up his teacup and asked calmly.

“It's... it's a strange man!”

Ye Fan calmed his breathing and explained.

“We were training in the wilderness at the foot of the mountain and encountered a crazed old man. He was in rags with disheveled hair, but his strength was terrifyingly high. Just now, several Tai Xuan Sect Disciples tried to drive him away, but he let out a roar that knocked them unconscious!”

“And...”

Ye Fan paused, his expression somewhat strange.

“That old man kept muttering things like 'dead', 'all dead', 'Immortal Palace', and the like.”

Hearing these keywords, Ye Xuan's originally nonchalant expression instantly froze.

He gently put down the teacup in his hand, letting out a crisp sound.

A crazed old man?

Dead? Immortal Palace?

At this point in time, appearing near the Tai Xuan Sect, who else could that lunatic be but him?

Six thousand years ago, the peerless Prodigy of the Tianxuan Holy Land.

They had used the power of the entire sect to attack the Ancient Forbidden Land, only to be completely wiped out. He was the sole survivor, living on in madness, becoming the 'Old Lunatic' who made the world sigh.

This was a living fossil level existence whose strength was unfathomable and whose footwork was unparalleled in the world.

“It seems the Bronze Immortal Palace is about to emerge.”

Ye Xuan stood up, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

Inside was the Source Root of the Mother Qi of All Things left by his sister, and the Bronze Immortal Palace also involved the secrets of Immortal Ascension.

“Let's go.”

Ye Xuan waved his large sleeve.

“Take me to see him.”

“I want to go too!”

Ji Ziyue, who had been obediently fanning the fire, heard there was something exciting to see and immediately threw down the fan and jumped up.

“And Nannan! Nannan wants to go too!”

Little Nannan ran over on her short legs, holding the Little Squirrel.

Ye Xuan looked at everyone and nodded.

“Then let's go together.”

“It's just as well, I'll take you all to meet that Senior expert.”