"Urgh…"
Huanxi, her throat gripped tightly, felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation. Her survival instincts urged her to open her mouth and cry for help, but despite her efforts, not a single sound escaped.
"Let's see who we have here. Oh, isn't this Bailu's handmaid? Who would've thought you're a traitor?"
Yun Fan sneered coldly, his grip tightening even further.
'Crack, crack…'
The sound of straining cervical vertebrae echoed as they buckled under the pressure. Yet, Yun Fan's heart remained utterly unmoved.
In the original storyline, Huanxi had conspired with some Vidyadhara to assassinate the still-immature Bailu. Had they not run into the Trailblazers, they might have succeeded.
Judging by her actions just now, this woman was likely a spy planted by the Dragon Masters at Bailu's side.
In the original plot, after being defeated, Huanxi and the other conspiring Vidyadhara were sent to the Ten-Lords Commission for judgment.
However, with the Vidyadhara's longevity and their secret art of reincarnation, she would eventually see the light of day again.
From an ordinary person's perspective, being judged by the Ten-Lords Commission was already a severe punishment. But Yun Fan… he wasn't so kind. Compared to judgment, he preferred to eliminate threats entirely, leaving no loose ends!
"Miss Huanxi, farewell."
A cold smile curled on Yun Fan's lips. The next moment, under Huanxi's terrified gaze, her body began to dissolve.
The dissolution was painless, but it allowed her to vividly feel her existence fading away.
Gradually, consumed by fear and panic, the handmaid named Huanxi vanished from the world forever.
After finishing this, Yun Fan casually flicked his fingers, brushing off the dust on his collar as if he had done something utterly trivial.
Staring at the now-empty secluded spot, the youth's face was filled with coldness and disdain.
"A-Fan, where are you? A-Fan…!"
At that moment, a shout came from not far away, rising and falling, growing closer then fading.
Hearing the voice, the icy expression on Yun Fan's face melted like snow, replaced by a faint smile.
"A-Fan, you're here!"
The voice drew nearer, and soon, the girl who had sensed Yun Fan's presence stepped lightly into the alley.
Indeed, it was Bailu. About three meters from Yun Fan, she stopped, hands on her hips, tilting her head up to look at the dark-haired youth who towered over her by nearly two heads. Her tail swayed unconsciously behind her.
"A-Fan, what are you doing here?" Bailu asked curiously, lightly tapping her lips with her finger.
Yun Fan smiled gently, patting the little one's head fondly. "Nothing much, just taking care of a rat."
"A rat? There are rats in the Vidyadhara residence too?"
Bailu tilted her head in confusion but didn't dwell on it. Instead, she quickly stepped forward, grabbing Yun Fan's arm.
"Forget that for now. Come on, let's go! You promised to take me for Jade Sparrow skewers!"
— — — —
"Heh, the Vidyadhara really are a bunch of useless trash. Under Lord Nanook's blessing, their so-called art of reincarnation is utterly meaningless."
Sitting on a 'throne' made of the piled corpses of the Dragon Masters, Zephyro shook his head disdainfully.
He had thought these Dragon Masters would at least provide some amusement, some thrill. But they were so weak—he barely exerted any effort, and they were all gone. Truly a disgrace to their reputation.
After sitting on the pile of corpses for a while, growing increasingly bored, Zephyro yawned and casually conjured a fiery mirror to contact Phantylia on the other side.
"Hey, Phantylia, what the hell are you up to? Isn't it time for me to make my move yet?!"
Picking at his ear, Zephyro growled impatiently at Phantylia.
Two or three days ago, he had already arrived in the star system near the Luofu. Just as he was about to launch an attack on the Xianzhou Luofu, Phantylia contacted him, telling him to hold off.
As fellow Emanators of Destruction, they didn't exactly see eye to eye, but he figured he'd give her some face.
But Phantylia kept making him wait, over and over. By now, Zephyro had been waiting for a full two or three days.
"It's not time yet. An irreversible variable has appeared on the Xianzhou. We need to wait a bit longer until I have more…"
After a moment of thought, Phantylia finally responded to Zephyro's question.
But to her surprise, Zephyro, already fed up, didn't let her finish. The fiery-tempered Lord of Extinction cut her off mid-sentence.
"Phantylia, I've given you enough face. Tell me straight—how much longer do I have to wait?!"
Flames began to rise from Zephyro's body, and his eyes turned a deep crimson, as if molten lava flowed within them, ready to erupt at any moment.
Perhaps sensing that Zephyro was truly angry, Phantylia fell silent for a moment. Just as he was about to lose his patience entirely, she finally spoke.
"About another week or so."
As Phantylia's words landed, Zephyro's body froze, and the surrounding air fell silent.
'Snap!'
Lighting a cigar, Zephyro's fingers tapped rhythmically on his knee. After a long pause, he let out a cold scoff.
"Hmph! Heh, Phantylia, you really think highly of yourself, don't you? I don't have time to play your little house games."
"From now on, I'm acting on my own!" Extinguishing his cigar, Zephyro stood up from his 'throne,' spreading his arms wide as if embracing something.
"Wait, what do you mean?!" Hearing Zephyro's words, a sense of foreboding welled up in Phantylia's heart. She had a feeling this man was about to cause trouble.
If it was just trouble, that'd be fine. But if he ruined her plans, that would be unforgivable!
Phantylia had long coveted the Xianzhou's Ambrosial Arbor. As a Heliobus without a true physical body, she could only drift or reside within others.
With the power of Abundance, she could forge a perfect physical form for herself.
If Zephyro ruined this…
Damn it!