No matter what, Qing Tan was someone Xiao Yan had personally brought into the Great Thousand World. She was also his disciple's aunt. Both in reason and emotion, Xiao Yan couldn't just stand by and do nothing. As for the Ice Spirit Clan—let alone a mere squad dispatched to Tianluo Continent—even if it were their main headquarters, Xiao Yan wouldn't feel much fear now.
Before leaving the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan, Xiao Yan had left a soul imprint on Qing Tan as a precaution. He simply hadn't bothered to sense it until now. But now that he knew she was also in Tianluo Continent, he immediately released his soul power to follow the trace.
To evade pursuit from the Ice Spirit Clan, Qing Tan was currently hiding in a region called the Nether God Abyss. The terrain there was treacherous, and the peculiar miasma provided some protection. Thus far, the Ice Spirit Clan hadn't managed to track her down. But she knew the miasma wouldn't delay them for long. Once they arrived, her death would be inevitable.
In truth, she still didn't understand why the Ice Spirit Clan wanted to hunt her down. She had merely been carrying out a Nine Nether Enforcement Squad mission when the Ice Spirit Clan suddenly appeared and tried to capture her. Initially, it had only been a Fifth Grade Sovereign, which she could barely fend off. But the pursuers grew stronger and stronger, forcing her to flee continuously until she ended up on Tianluo Continent.
What she didn't know was that the Ice Spirit Clan had even dispatched a Earth Sovereign to capture her. She remained puzzled—she'd never provoked them, so why were they so hell-bent on killing her?
"I wonder how Xiao Yan is doing... I hope I didn't drag him into this mess," Qing Tan murmured softly. Since she hadn't returned to the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan, she hadn't received the news of Xiao Yan's "death." Yet soon after, she shook her head with a wry smile and muttered, "Why do I even care how that guy's doing?"
"I came running across thousands of miles the moment I heard you were in trouble, and here you are, not even worrying about me? Truly heartbreaking," a light chuckle suddenly rang out behind her.
Startled, Qing Tan turned quickly to see Xiao Yan standing behind her with a smile. His eyes swept across the wounds on her body, and he said calmly, "Looks like those Ice Spirit bastards didn't go easy on you."
"You... how are you here?" Qing Tan asked, clearly surprised. But soon after, her eyes landed on Mandala beside Xiao Yan, and her expression became rather odd. She knew this guy had some strange tastes, but to find another woman so quickly was still unexpected.
"Ahem, don't misunderstand. She's just a companion," Xiao Yan quickly coughed and clarified after noticing her gaze. However, Qing Tan's expression didn't change—Xiao Yan's track record simply didn't inspire trust.
Mandala looked confused. The atmosphere between these two suddenly turned strange after she appeared. Still, she didn't dwell on it. She glanced at the dense mist outside and said, "If you two want to catch up, choose another place. The Ice Spirit people will be here soon."
At those words, Qing Tan's expression shifted. She turned to Xiao Yan and said urgently, "Their target is me. You have to leave—now!"
Though she didn't know the Ice Spirit Clan had sent a Earth Sovereign-level expert, she did know there had been a Nine Grade Sovereign among the pursuers. Her impression of Xiao Yan was still stuck at his Sixth Grade Sovereign stage. In her eyes, a gap that large was insurmountable.
"It's too late to leave now—and besides, there's no need," Xiao Yan patted her shoulder gently, then retrieved a bottle of Blood Jade Sky Mending Pills from his spatial ring. "Take these to recover. Stay here and rest. Leave the rest to me. Mandala, I'll leave her to you."
"No problem," Mandala nodded lightly.
With Qing Tan entrusted to Mandala, Xiao Yan turned and left. With his formidable soul power, he quickly located the position of the nearby Ice Spirit clan members. As Mandala had said, they were very close to discovering Qing Tan. If they hadn't arrived in time, she would've been exposed.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath and didn't act rashly. Once near their camp, he slipped into the Heavenly Tomb and opened a narrow fissure. Within the camp, several powerful auras loomed—it was likely the leadership of the operation. Perhaps he could extract some useful information.
As he crept closer, he began to hear conversation coming from within.
"Elder, that little girl's only a Fourth Grade Sovereign. Was it really necessary to send so many people to catch her?" a young-sounding voice asked, voicing the same question Xiao Yan had in mind.
"That girl has ties to the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan. If we sent someone weak and she escaped back to them, it would complicate things. Our clan leader gave strict orders—root her out completely. This way, the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan won't be able to protect her," an aged voice responded.
They assumed that even if the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan received a distress call, at most they'd dispatch a Low Grade Earth Sovereign. Perhaps not even that. A Nine Grade Sovereign would already show considerable regard. But with the elder here, there was no chance that Qing Tan would escape.
"What's her background, though? Why would the clan leader give such an order?" the young voice continued, echoing Xiao Yan's own curiosity.
Qing Tan had only just arrived in the Great Thousand World and had spent most of her time within the Nine Nether Sparrow Clan. She had no history with the Ice Spirit Clan—so why did they want her dead? Could she have accidentally killed the clan leader's secret son while on a mission?
"That… I'm not entirely sure. But I've heard she may carry the royal bloodline of our clan…"
"Royal bloodline? Wouldn't that be all the more reason to bring her back instead of killing her?"
"You're young. Don't ask questions like that... While she does have the royal bloodline, it isn't from the main line. She left the Ice Spirit Clan long ago. The clan leader is worried she might threaten his position, so he's having us eliminate her in secret..."
(End of Chapter)
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