Shi Yifan speculated that Yan Yuqin was merely impressed by the Green-clothed Youth’s overwhelming strength, and so, she was eager to offer assistance to Li Yuanba, intending to curry favor by helping him out immediately.
But doing so would add another person to compete for the Ganoderma Ancestor, and how could Shi Yifan be willing to allow that?
He didn’t know exactly what Yan Yuqin and Li Yuanba had discussed earlier, but if she managed to win over Li Yuanba, and the two of them joined forces to suppress him, how could he possibly hold his ground?
Yan Yuqin’s simple remark sent countless calculations and schemes racing through Shi Yifan’s mind as he weighed the pros and cons.
Although Yan Yuqin’s temperamental nature might imply she didn’t have such intricate thoughts, because his own interests were involved, Shi Yifan couldn’t help but overthink. Thus, he spoke up, "Sister Yan, people’s hearts are unpredictable. If we step forward now, Li Yuanba may not appreciate it. Why don’t we stay here, watch the two of them wear each other out, and then reap the benefits as the fishermen? Wouldn’t that be better?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Yuqin turned her gaze toward him and gave Shi Yifan a meaningful look before remarking playfully, "Are you worried, Wulang, that if I gain Li Yuanba’s aid, I’ll swallow up the share that rightfully belongs to you?"
Shi Yifan, seeing his thoughts exposed, showed no embarrassment whatsoever. He let out a chuckle and simply admitted, "Indeed, that’s exactly it. Sister Yan certainly understands my concerns. Our two clans have always been closely allied; why let an outsider profit instead? Wouldn’t you agree?"
Yan Yuqin merely smiled and lightly shook her delicate hand, saying, "Wulang, don’t be so anxious. Li Yuanba is arrogant and proud. At first, I thought I could subdue him, but now it seems that his cultivation is profound, and he can go toe-to-toe with that Green-clothed Strange Man. It seems my initial assumptions were just wishful thinking. He’s unlikely to submit to me. But in Sister Yan’s view, if Li Yuanba were to lose, our current cultivation levels wouldn’t be enough to take down that Green-clothed Man either."
Shi Yifan was taken aback; his brows furrowed as he probed cautiously, "Then what does Sister Yan plan to do?"
Yan Yuqin chuckled lightly and said, "If Wulang is willing to assist, I have a treasure in hand that could take down both of them in one fell swoop."
Shi Yifan exclaimed in disbelief, "What Dharma Treasure is so formidable?"
He racked his brain but couldn’t think of anything within the Yan Clan that could possess such power.
Could it be a Mystical Artifact? But even for a Great Clan like the Yan Clan, a Mystical Artifact wouldn’t be entrusted to someone of her rank.
Yan Yuqin raised her jade-like hand and said, "Wulang, take a look."
With a flick of her slender finger, a small black banner flew out from her flowing sleeves. The banner trembled, releasing waves of chilly black smoke and clouds. Amid the swirling mist, countless pale-skinned Cultivators with blood-colored lips and vacant eyes could vaguely be seen.
Shi Yifan’s eyes widened abruptly as he cried out in shock, "Shen Bodang, Wang Hui, Yan Zhenfeng, Wu Jiaojiao..."
These were all well-known Cultivators whom Yan Yuqin had killed over the years under various pretexts. Among them were even several exceptionally gifted Great Sect Disciples who had been rumored to have mysteriously disappeared. Unexpectedly, they had ended up here, now reduced to walking corpses.
All of a sudden, Shi Yifan recalled something and pointed at the banner with a trembling hand, exclaiming, "You... you’re practicing Evil Sect corpse-refinement techniques?" Follow current novels on NovєlFіre.net
"Wulang truly has keen eyes."
Yan Yuqin praised with a smile, her gaze shifting toward the Green-clothed Youth and Zhang Yan. With a wave of her hand, the banner returned to her grasp. She said, "As long as I can add these two to my Yin Sha Corpse Mourn Banner, no peer of my generation will stand a chance against me!"
Shi Yifan’s mind raced with countless thoughts before a sudden realization struck him, and he exclaimed, "So that’s why your cultivation has flaws! Now it all makes sense!"
"How perceptive of Wulang to notice," Yan Yuqin remarked while toying with the banner, sighing, "To refine this Dharma technique, I compromised the purity of my cultivation. But it hardly matters. No matter how excellent the Yan Clan’s resources are, they would only allow me to ascend to the Hua Dan Realm at most. What’s so special about that? Once this banner is fully refined, it will offer infinite marvels beyond what my clan could ever provide."
Hearing all this, Shi Yifan felt increasingly uneasy. Yan Yuqin’s demeanor and actions today were vastly different from her usual self, rendering her unfamiliar and unsettling. Moreover, these secrets she was revealing should never have been shared with him. The more she spoke, the more alarmed he became. His eye twitched as he asked warily, "What does Sister Yan need me to do to assist you?"
Yan Yuqin turned her delicately sculpted face toward him, her smile radiant like a blossoming flower, as she said, "Precisely, Wulang, I need you to join the banner."
Shi Yifan was horrified upon hearing this. He slapped the Feng Jiao Jinyun Deer beneath him, spurring it forward on clouds of smoke in an attempt to flee. Yet, as he tried to take off, he felt his mount trembling violently, frozen in place and unable to move.