"I didn't!"
Yun Fan stated with certainty. How could a consensual act be considered scheming? After all, he hadn't meant for it to happen.
At that moment, Yalan said coldly, "Then why did you absorb my power?"
"I don't know!"
Yun Fan said innocently, "It might be my constitution!"
Upon hearing this, Yalan roughly examined Yun Fan's body and discovered that his constitution was very special, far more than just a simple Yang-aligned, pure Yang body.
She had never seen such a constitution before; it was truly baffling. No wonder he could even refine the Wolf King's Blood Crystal.
Afterward, Yalan let Yun Fan go.
Yun Fan then changed the subject, "I think your current strength is enough to dominate the West. There's no need to go to such great lengths to improve it!"
"Dominate?"
Yalan sneered, "You think the West is too simple. Although I am the Queen of the Blood Race, I am still very weak in front of true powerhouses!"
"True powerhouses?"
Yun Fan was stunned. Did this mean that the West also had ancient families similar to those in China? Moreover, he had read his master's records, which indicated that ancient families were not the peak of Chinese martial power.
Yalan continued, "Of course. Take your Temple of Light, for example. If you really consider it, they are just lapdogs!"
"En?"
Yun Fan was shocked. He never expected that even the powerful Temple of Light was merely a lapdog. This was terrifying.
"The reason I'm improving my strength now is not for myself, but to deal with even stronger existences. After all, they will not allow us, the Blood Race, the Werewolf Race, and other anomalies, to grow powerful!"
"What do they represent?"
Yun Fan asked, confused.
"Angels!"
"What?"
Yun Fan froze. He never imagined that angels truly existed.
Yalan explained, "A thousand years ago, angels were the strongest beings in the West. When angels attacked, anomalies like the Blood Race, werewolves, and witches were wiped out or barely survived. Later, when the angels fell into slumber, we, what they called anomalies, gained space to survive and develop into considerable forces today!"
"But this is only while the angels are asleep. Once they awaken, the powerful forces we have developed over hundreds of years will be no match for them!"
Yun Fan understood. However, that was just in the West. What did it have to do with him in China? Even if angels were powerful, would they dare to invade China?
At this moment, Yalan said to him, "Therefore, I must become stronger. I have a premonition that the angels will awaken in this era!"
Yun Fan said, "I think you're worrying unnecessarily. No matter how strong the angels are, if you can't defeat them, you can just run away!"
"You're thinking too simply. Aside from your China, angels leave no room for survival wherever they go!"
She said with apprehension.
So strong? Yun Fan didn't believe it anyway.
Of course, whether he believed it or not was irrelevant to him. After all, he had his own problems to deal with, so he didn't have the energy for anything else.
At this, Yalan said to him, "I've found that your blood is saturated. Absorbing more won't be of much use to me anymore!"
"Phew!"
Yun Fan inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want to die from excessive blood loss. To die like that as a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator would likely become a laughingstock for eternity.
So, he said to Yalan, "Since it's no longer useful, I think you should give up and try another method!"
"But what if I don't want to give up?"
Yalan said greedily to Yun Fan. Aside from improving her strength, Yun Fan's blood had an innate uniqueness.
It could be said to be her most ideal food. As the Queen of the Blood Race, she was not interested in other blood. Therefore, she had never tasted any other blood since birth.
Yun Fan's blood was truly one of a kind.
It stirred her deep craving for fresh blood.
Yun Fan pouted. In his opinion, Yalan's actions were somewhat akin to hooliganism.
So, he said, "We're not exactly enemies, are we? There's no need to go all out to destroy me. Even though I killed one of your Marquises, he offended me first. I'm not a person who likes to kill."
"You inherited the Wolf King's Blood Crystal, so we are enemies!"
In Yun Fan's view, Yalan's attitude was somewhat biased.
"But I have no connection with the werewolves. I am a native Chinese!"
Yun Fan reiterated.
At this, Yalan said, "Before I uncover your secret, you won't escape my grasp!"
Yun Fan almost fainted. What secret could he possibly have that needed uncovering? But Yalan clearly didn't believe him.
There was no other way. He'd endure for a few more days and then see who was who.
Unable to bear the torment any longer, Yun Fan got up.
"Where are you going?"
She asked Yun Fan.
Yun Fan replied, "I'm going to the Black Dragon Society to make some arrangements!"
Yun Fan knew that the ancient families had made their move, and this time, they weren't sending mere pawns to be defeated.
They had played their trump card right from the start, so he had to make preparations. In a few days, his Third Senior Sister and Ye Ji would come to help.
Therefore, he didn't need to worry too much. Coupled with his breakthrough to peak Foundation Establishment, as long as the opponent didn't send anyone beyond Foundation Establishment, he could defeat them.
However, as of now, the only powerhouse beyond the Foundation Establishment realm he had seen was his master, the Heavenly Master. So, it wasn't a big problem.
"Wait for me at home!"
Yun Fan said directly to Yalan. After all, he knew Yalan wouldn't leave.
However, Yalan said, "No, what if you escape? I'm going with you!"
Yun Fan was speechless. It seemed Yalan hadn't heard the saying, "A monk can run away, but a temple cannot." Jiangnan was practically his second base of operations.
Where could he possibly run?
But if she wanted to follow, so be it! As long as Yalan wasn't trying to suck his blood, she was a beautiful and aloof goddess.
Having such a goddess follow him certainly elevated his status.
Afterward, the two of them arrived at the Black Dragon Society.
"Yo! Boss, you've got a new beauty by your side again, and a Western one at that!"
Lei Bao said enviously.
He was already accustomed to it. Ever since he started following Yun Fan, Yun Fan had always been surrounded by various beauties.
Moreover, in his heart, he believed that only Yun Fan deserved to be surrounded by such stunning women.
Yun Fan was about to explain when Hei Long, who was beside him, also said, "I heard Western women have strong stamina. Boss, can you handle it?"
In their minds, with so many beautiful women around Yun Fan, he'd need more than just two stainless steel kidneys.
Yun Fan felt that these two were finished.
Indeed, at that moment, Yalan's eyes turned cold, and with a casual strike, both of them were sent flying.
Looking at the two who had fainted, Yun Fan was truly speechless. Why would they provoke this being for no reason? Even he couldn't afford to offend her.
Just then, Ye Qingcheng called.
Yun Fan answered Ye Qingcheng's call.
"Yun Fan, where are you?"
"I'm in Jiangnan. Is something wrong?"
Yun Fan asked, confused.
Ye Qingcheng said hurriedly on the phone, "Something has happened. Several elders from your Long family have died. Their bodies were left at the doorstep. Two died yesterday, and three died today. It's clear that the enemy wants to exterminate your Long family!"
Hearing this, Yun Fan's eyes turned cold. The Long family was his family. Although there were some black sheep, he had already dealt with them.
It seemed the enemy was targeting the Long family this time.
"Have you found any clues?"
He asked Ye Qingcheng.
Ye Qingcheng replied, "My mo... My sister went to investigate. It seems she even exchanged blows with the enemy, but the situation is not optimistic. She was injured and is in seclusion for recovery. Before she went into seclusion, she told me not to leave the Ye family and to tell you not to come to Jinling!"
She continued to analyze, "The enemy's strength is formidable. My sister might not want you to come and die, but I still told you the situation. It seems the enemy wants to torment your Long family to death slowly. Just how much hatred is this?"
Yun Fan said, "No matter how much hatred there is, it needs to be resolved. Don't act rashly. I'll be there immediately!"
After that, Yun Fan hung up without giving Ye Qingcheng a chance to refuse.
After hanging up the phone, he was a bit troubled. Although he had broken through to peak Foundation Establishment, his strength had not yet recovered, which made things difficult.
Fortunately, he had a free helper by his side. Not exactly free, though! After all, he had paid a considerable price.
So, he said to Yalan, "Come with me to Jinling."
"Why go to Jinling?"
Yalan hadn't heard Yun Fan's conversation with Ye Qingcheng.
Yun Fan said, "See how considerate I am? I have something to do in Jinling, but I'm bringing you along, just in case you're afraid I'll run away."
However, Yalan was not stupid. She immediately said, "I won't help you, regardless."
"You don't need to help. I can handle it myself!"
Yun Fan said calmly. Once Yalan boarded this ship, it wouldn't be solely up to her to decide.
...
Jinling.
Upon arriving at the Ye family, Yun Fan examined the five bodies from the Long family. They had all been killed with a single blow.
The entire Long family was in a state of panic, fearing that they would be next.
Earlier, Ye Ji had proposed handing over the Long family to Yun Fan, so it would no longer be part of the Ye family, but Yun Fan had refused. This matter would have to wait until his father returned.
Therefore, the Long family was currently part of the Ye family.
Seeing Yun Fan's return, the entire Long family breathed a sigh of relief.
"Young Master, you must avenge them! Our Long family members cannot have died in vain!"
Everyone pleaded with Yun Fan.
Yun Fan said, "I came to Jinling precisely for this matter. Have you found out who the killer is?"
Everyone shook their heads. These individuals had died very mysteriously, so they didn't know who the killer was. Clearly, they were not privy to such information.
"It's the Jiang family, the Jiang family!"
An elder exclaimed in shock.
"The Jiang family?"
Yun Fan had long known that the Long family and the Jiang family were enemies, but he hadn't expected them to resort to such tactics.
So, he asked the elder, "Third Grand Uncle, do you know why my Long family and the Jiang family are enemies?"
"Sigh!"
The elder sighed, "I know. I didn't expect that after nearly a hundred years since my Long family came to the mortal world, the Jiang family still wouldn't let us go!"
"What exactly is going on?"
Yun Fan pressed, wanting to know the origin of this feud.
The elder took out a small booklet and handed it to Yun Fan, saying, "It's all in here. You'll know once you read it!"
"Mm!"
Yun Fan took the booklet and went to a private room.
After reading the booklet, Yun Fan understood the entire story. It turned out that a hundred years ago, the Long family was also an ancient family.
Of course, ancient families were ranked. The Long family was not among the strongest, but rather an unremarkable one.
The daughter of the contemporary Long family patriarch was as beautiful as a flower, captivating all who saw her. She later married the descendant of the Zheng family, a family of comparable strength to the Long family.
The nightmare began then. On her wedding day, many guests attended, and even a very important figure from the Jiang family came to offer congratulations.
That person was the fourth son of the Jiang family patriarch, Jiang Wuzun. Jiang Wuzun was exceptionally talented and was being groomed to be the next Jiang family patriarch.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Wuzun's character was despicable. He was lustful and, on the wedding night, he violated the Long family's嫡女.
The Long family's嫡女 committed suicide on the spot. Upon hearing the news, the Long family patriarch was furious. He allied with the Zheng family to seek justice for his daughter.
However, the Zheng family was timid and refused to cooperate. In his rage, the Long family patriarch killed Jiang Wuzun, whose strength was not yet formidable at the time, and then led the Long family to flee to the mortal world.
The Jiang family was enraged and launched a pursuit against the Long family. To buy time for his family to escape, the Long family patriarch willingly engaged the Jiang family experts.
After the Long family patriarch died, the Long family successfully escaped to the mortal world, believing they could evade the Jiang family's pursuit.
Unexpectedly, several decades later, the Long family was still found by Jiang family experts, about twenty years ago.
However, by then, his father was already very strong and had killed several Jiang family assassins.
Just as the Long family was preparing to send out their true powerhouses, his master, the Heavenly Master, intervened, making the Jiang family hesitant to act rashly.
But the Jiang family was not willing to give up, especially the lineage of Jiang Wuzun's descendants, who harbored deep hatred for the Long family.
Therefore, they secretly orchestrated a series of schemes that led to his mother being severely injured and near death. His father, while taking his mother to the Medicine King Valley, encountered another ambush and has been missing since.
If not for the intervention of his master, the Heavenly Master, the Long family, including himself, would have long ceased to exist.
Reading this, Yun Fan was filled with rage. Of course, he didn't think it was the fault of the Long family patriarch from the past.
As a father, seeking revenge for his daughter was a natural course of action. If it were him, he would have done the same without hesitation.
Now that his master, the Heavenly Master, was no longer present, the Jiang family had become restless again. Unlike their previous clandestine operations, this time they were acting openly.
"Bring it on! Since it's a generational feud, let it be settled in my generation!"
Yun Fan said coldly.
Then, he put down the booklet and went to see Ye Ji.
Ye Ji's condition was very poor; she had sustained severe injuries. Upon seeing Yun Fan arrive, she said angrily, "Little brother, didn't I tell you not to come? Why didn't you listen to me?"
Yun Fan replied, "Sister, this is my Long family's business. How could I not come?"
"But the enemy's strength is formidable!"
Ye Ji said with apprehension. "I don't know exactly how many powerhouses have arrived, but I exchanged blows with one of them. He possessed the strength of peak Foundation Establishment. I was no match for him. If the enemy hadn't wanted to toy with the Long family and torment them slowly, I might not have even had a chance to escape!"
Hearing this, Yun Fan said, "Sister, don't worry. I have good news for you. I've broken through to peak Foundation Establishment!"
"What?"
Ye Ji looked at Yun Fan in shock. She couldn't believe that in less than a month, Yun Fan had broken through to peak Foundation Establishment.
He was indeed the disciple chosen by the Heavenly Master. The Heavenly Master had told her years ago that Yun Fan would one day surpass him.
Back then, she had thought it seemed impossible, as the Heavenly Master was too powerful and even ancient families were wary of him.
Now, she fully believed what the Heavenly Master had said back then.
"Then I can rest assured!"
Ye Ji said with relief. She knew Yun Fan's combat power. He was invincible within the same realm and sufficient to handle this crisis.
Yun Fan said, "However, my strength has not yet recovered to its peak. After killing Ji Hao last time, my strength was not in optimal condition."
"Ah!"
Ye Ji quickly said to Yun Fan, "In that case, little brother, you should leave first. If you keep the green hills, you'll never run out of firewood. Fight them after you recover to your peak."
"No need. I brought a helper with me!"
Yun Fan said calmly.
"Helper?"
Just as Ye Ji was wondering, Yalan's figure appeared. She said coldly, "I hope you can see the situation clearly. I am not your helper!"
Upon seeing Yalan, Ye Ji's expression changed drastically. More surprising than Yun Fan's breakthrough was how much he liked to flirt. How could he have hooked up with another woman in such a short time?
In fact, she had misunderstood Yun Fan. This time, he hadn't hooked up with anyone; Yalan had come to him. Clearly, Ye Ji wouldn't believe it.