Yun Fan had returned to Jiangnan. Although the small world was considered a sacred place in the eyes of the world, he found himself quite unaccustomed to it.
He preferred the mortal realm, primarily because it felt more grounded.
Today, with nothing pressing to do, Yun Fan went to a bar for a drink, simply to absorb some of the worldly atmosphere.
Ever since he became entangled with the hidden sects, his heart had been restless. Over time, the pressure had grown considerably.
Therefore, he believed that drinking could alleviate stress. Unexpectedly, he ended up getting thoroughly drunk. Though, with his abilities, dispelling the drunkenness was a simple matter.
But he didn't. Perhaps after a night of heavy drinking, he could shed some of his burdens.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to drink alone.
Just then, outside the bar, a sports car worth millions pulled to a stop, and a woman alighted.
The woman was dressed with an air of nobility and elegance. Her beauty was particularly captivating, drawing many gazes.
However, no one dared to approach her at that moment, for her aura was too commanding. Even seasoned bar patrons found themselves lowering their heads, subdued by her presence.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she approached Yun Fan's table and sat down.
She then poured herself a glass of wine.
Yun Fan had noticed her the moment she entered. He realized that this woman was no ordinary person.
Her cultivation was immensely powerful, though ordinary people couldn't perceive it.
She downed the glass of wine and then spoke to Yun Fan, "I'm having a drink with you, do you mind?"
"Not at all, please help yourself!"
Yun Fan replied calmly.
She looked at him, "Everyone else is captivated by my beauty. Why aren't you?"
"Because I'm not interested in you!"
Yun Fan answered directly.
"You..."
The woman's anger flared. For a woman possessing such unparalleled beauty, Yun Fan's words were a fatal blow.
Thus, she declared, "You're asking for a beating!"
"Am I?"
Yun Fan chuckled, "I like how you can't stand me, yet you can't do anything about it!"
"Hmph!"
She snorted, "Stop pretending. You've already sensed my power, haven't you?"
"I'm not pretending!"
Yun Fan retorted, "On the other hand, you're dressed so provocatively. What do you want with me?"
At these words, the woman's fury erupted. This fellow was truly asking for it, but she managed to suppress her anger for the moment.
She took another drink.
"Of course, I'm here to kill you!"
She stated her purpose directly.
A silence fell between them as they faced each other. Yun Fan could tell that her strength was not insignificant; in fact, it was comparable to his own.
He hadn't expected that someone from the Fengchan Land would also enjoy the common atmosphere of the world.
He then asked, "Are you from the Shi family?"
"No!"
The woman replied, "Although I am not from the Shi family, Shi Tianxing, whom you killed, was my fiancé!"
"So, you can't bear to be a widow and wish to avenge him?"
Yun Fan pressed.
The woman let out a cold laugh, "You've misunderstood. From my perspective, I am grateful you killed him! But from the standpoint of Fengchan Land, I must avenge him!"
Her words seemed contradictory, yet they made perfect sense. Clearly, the woman didn't like Shi Tianxing, but she was obligated to avenge him.
"What is your name?"
"Wang You."
She told Yun Fan her name.
Then she asked him, "Do you know why I wanted to share two drinks with you?"
"No, perhaps you didn't want to pay and decided to freeload?"
Hearing this, Wang You nearly lost her temper. This fellow's thought process was truly astonishing.
Little did she know, Yun Fan was currently circulating his Demonic Path energy to dispel the intoxication. The opponent was formidable, and he dared not be careless.
"Drinking with you was to repay you for helping me kill that detestable Shi Tianxing!"
She explained, "Therefore, your favor has been repaid. From now on, I can kill you without reservation, as I do have my principles!"
"To hell with your principles!"
Yun Fan cursed inwardly, speechless. He then said, "There's no need. I can only tell you that you cannot kill me!"
"Is that so?"
Wang You sneered, but still didn't make a move.
This left Yun Fan somewhat bewildered, wondering why Wang You was delaying.
If they weren't in a bar, he would have already made his move.
Wang You then took another sip of wine and said, "It's time to end this. Are you ready to face death?"
"Can we do this in a deserted place?"
Yun Fan suggested, "Here, we might disturb others and cause unnecessary casualties."
"I never thought a demon like you would care about the lives of these ants!"
Wang You was genuinely puzzled, for in her eyes, demons like Yun Fan should be exceptionally cruel.
Yun Fan stated, "All beings are equal. You and I are the same as them; we just live a little longer. After death, we all turn to dust."
"You're quite enlightened!"
Wang You remarked, "Given that you're sharing such profound wisdom with me, I'll grant your request!"
"Get in the car!"
She then drove them to a lake outside Jiangnan City.
The place was serene and far from the hustle and bustle.
At this point, she said to Yun Fan, "Make your move! Don't waste my time!"
Good heavens, this woman dared to steal his lines! He replied, "Ladies first!"
To an observer, they might have appeared to be a couple on a date. In reality, their souls were already locked in a spiritual battle.
Before they even truly fought, Yun Fan retracted his hand.
"What? Have you lost the courage to fight?"
She asked Yun Fan.
Yun Fan countered, "While I don't know if you genuinely intend to kill me, you're toying with me. You have no intention of a decisive battle."
As a cultivator of the Nascent Soul stage, Yun Fan could see through her intentions at a glance. She didn't really want to kill him.
Wang You then asked, "Do you want to know why?"
"Yes!"
Yun Fan nodded.
Wang You explained, "Previously, I intended to kill you. After all, it would earn me a good reputation for avenging my fiancé! But now, I've changed my mind."
"What made you change your mind?"
Yun Fan inquired, puzzled. For someone like Wang You, who considered herself superior, to change her mind about something like this indicated it wasn't a simple matter.
"Because I found something of hers on you?"
She pointed at the sleeve sword in Yun Fan's hand.
Yun Fan immediately took out the sleeve sword. He had thought they were about to fight, so he had retrieved his Second Senior Sister's belongings.
He hadn't expected that it would prevent a decisive battle! In his view, it must have been his Second Senior Sister's immense charm, the sword embodying her presence, that made Wang You hesitate.
Wang You then said, "It seems the rumors are true. She really gave you her sword!"
"And then?"
Yun Fan pressed further.
Wang You continued, "Do you know? There are two people I detest. The first is Shi Tianxing. He failed to pursue me and directly had the Shi family propose marriage to my Wang You Valley. What's more, my Wang You Valley agreed. If you hadn't killed him, I would have had to marry him!"
"But even if you hadn't killed him, he was still doomed to die!"
"Why?"
Yun Fan asked, bewildered.
"Because I planned to kill him on our wedding night!"
Wang You declared sinisterly, "A man as arrogant and incompetent as him is not worthy of me!"
Yun Fan gasped, this woman was truly ruthless. Marrying her would be a gamble with one's life.
"And the other person?"
Yun Fan asked, his curiosity piqued.
"The other person is Linglong!"
She declared, "She is the person I loathe the most, no exceptions!"
"Why do you detest my Second Senior Sister?"
Yun Fan asked, confused.
"Because she alone eclipses all of her peers. That's why I hate her!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Fan immediately stated, "This is simply jealousy!"
He saw through Wang You's intentions at once, but he wasn't surprised by her envy.
They all started from the same point, yet his Second Senior Sister, with her extraordinary talent, overshadowed everyone else her age.
It would be strange if no one was jealous.
Wang You said, "That's right, I'm jealous of her. So what?"
"Since childhood, I've been doted upon. Even within Fengchan Land, I was among the most outstanding. I possessed both beauty and talent, a peerless prodigy, hailed as the most beautiful young woman in Fengchan Land!"
Although her words contained an element of boasting, Yun Fan had to admit that Wang You was indeed stunning, comparable to his Third Senior Sister, Zhao Feiyue.
Coupled with her celestial aura, she even surpassed his Third Senior Sister. However, this was understandable; if his Third Senior Sister were at Wang You's cultivation level, they would be evenly matched.
Wang You continued, "But because of her arrival, the entire Fengchan Land's attention shifted from me to her. All the titles that once belonged to me were stolen by her. Do you understand now how much I detest her?"
Yun Fan, naturally, had to defend his own people. He told Wang You, "There's nothing we can do; my Second Senior Sister is more outstanding than you."
"You're spouting nonsense!"
Wang You gritted her teeth, "She merely had a fortunate starting point. If she hadn't joined the Grand Dao Sect, she wouldn't even be comparable to me, let alone surpass me!"
Hearing Wang You's words, Yun Fan became even more curious about his Second Senior Sister.
Someone who could surpass a peerless prodigy like Wang You in both power and beauty was undoubtedly extraordinary.
A person rumored to have once surpassed their master was someone few could admire, whether male or female. Even Yun Fan felt he was leagues behind.
Wang You declared again, "Therefore, since that day, I vowed to surpass her and reclaim everything that belongs to me!"
"Have you surpassed her yet?"
Yun Fan poured cold water on her aspirations.
"Not yet, but I will definitely do so in the future!" Wang You stated firmly.
Yun Fan was at a loss for words with such a mentally warped woman, but it seemed to have little to do with him.
Little did he know, Wang You's intense hatred for both of them stemmed from an encounter with Linglong when the Shi family's proposal was accepted.
The two had an argument, and she was mocked by Linglong for marrying a useless sycophant like Shi Tianxing.
From then on, her hatred for both grew deeper.
After all, before Shi Tianxing had been betrothed to Wang You, he had been Linglong's lapdog, constantly trying to please her, even willing to be a mere admirer for her sake.
He was looked down upon by the people of Fengchan Land and, upon realizing his pursuit of Linglong was futile, turned his attention to Wang You.
Since even Linglong looked down on him, Wang You naturally did the same. She just hadn't expected Shi Tianxing to have the Shi family propose marriage.
This was also why Shi Tianxing had been hesitant to attack Yun Fan when they first encountered each other, upon seeing Linglong's sword.
Because Shi Tianxing knew that if he truly killed Yun Fan, Linglong would never let him off.
Yun Fan then said, "Why not accept reality and just be yourself? Honestly, you might not even be able to surpass my Second Senior Sister!"
Even now, Yun Fan continued to speak favorably of his Second Senior Sister.
However, Wang You responded, "Indeed, I cannot surpass her in strength and talent, but I can surpass her in other ways!"
"What other ways are you referring to?"
Yun Fan looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"You are the man she fancies, and she has even given you her token of love. Therefore, I plan to take you for myself, leaving her with nothing but disappointment!"
Wang You revealed her true objective.
Yun Fan shivered upon hearing this. He hadn't expected Wang You to have such a scheme.
He immediately said, "Stop! If that's your objective, then let's have a decisive battle!"
"What did you say?"
Wang You was enraged. She couldn't believe Yun Fan had rejected her. Her intention was to capture Yun Fan, thereby surpassing Linglong in that regard.
Yet, the reality was so harsh; Yun Fan had directly and decisively refused her, which angered her greatly.
Yun Fan stated, "I advise you not to set your sights on me, because I will not let you succeed!"
At these words, Wang You sneered, "The more you resist, the more excited I become!"
"Ugh..."
Yun Fan's forehead was covered in black lines. He had only ever heard that men could be terrifying when they reached extremes, but he never expected women to be even more terrifying when pushed.
He immediately drew a clear line, "Don't worry, you won't get the chance!"
With that, he turned and left. Since the opponent hadn't made a move, he saw no need to fight.
After all, Wang You's strength was considerable. If a life-or-death battle ensued, even if he could defeat her, it would come at a great cost.
Currently, all he wanted was to break through and become stronger, not to pay such a heavy price.
Watching Yun Fan's retreating back, Wang You sneered, "Linglong, you always managed to suppress me. This time, I'll let you pick up what I've played with!"
With that, she drove away.
...
The next day, Yun Fan emerged from his cultivation chamber, feeling refreshed. Last night, he had studied the Divine Transformation stage.
He discovered that the divisions within this realm were similar to the Nascent Soul stage: early, middle, and peak.
He was currently between the early and middle stages. In his estimation, the expert from the Shi family who had attacked that night was likely at the peak. This was because even a casual strike from that opponent had been unmovable by him. Fortunately, his master had intervened.
Otherwise, he would have been in grave danger.
If the opponent had only been at the middle stage, they wouldn't have instilled such despair in him. Therefore, he could deduce that his master's strength was at least at the peak of the Divine Transformation stage, possibly even surpassing it to reach the legendary Mahayana stage.
Warriors at the Mahayana stage were even rarer. During periods when the secular world was rich in spiritual energy, only one would appear in an era, such as the First Emperor Qin and Emperor Wu of Han; such top-tier experts were Mahayana stage cultivators.
This realm was a distant goal for him. His current objective was to break through to the middle stage of Divine Transformation.
Of course, he also realized that from the Divine Transformation stage onwards, even within the same realm, combat power could vary drastically.
For instance, Shi Tianxing, despite being in the early stage like himself, had been easily defeated by him.