Controlling Cheng Qianqian's flying spiritual artifact was naturally no difficult task for Ye Xiaoyao.
Although her flying spiritual artifact could not compare to Elder Huoyun's, its speed was still extraordinary. Even so, Cheng Qianqian repeatedly urged Ye Xiaoyao to go faster and faster.
"Senior Sister Cheng, what was that good show you mentioned just now..." Ye Xiaoyao asked with some curiosity.
After all, he was now considered a member of Huoyun Peak.
"You wouldn't know about this..." Cheng Qianqian's gossipy heart was instantly hooked, and she immediately began to explain.
However, most of what she recounted was already known to Ye Xiaoyao, because these were all his own experiences.
What Ye Xiaoyao did not know was that over the past few days, the Lihuo Sect's assessment in the Tianhuo Kingdom had concluded, and the disciples who passed the assessment had been brought back to the outer peaks.
As for Elder Qingyang, because he had been too self-serving during the assessment and caused the sect massive losses, he was sentenced to ten years of wall-facing penance at Fentian Cliff.
However, Elder Qingyang's disciple, Dang Zhengqing, felt a deep sense of injustice for his master and vowed to settle accounts with Ye Xiaoyao.
Of course, if it were merely this, Cheng Qianqian would not have been in such a rush to hurry over.
What was even more important was that Lin Yuyan's public rejection by Ye Xiaoyao had also spread throughout the Lihuo Sect.
Especially the news that Ye Xiaoyao had ultimately been brought to Huoyun Peak led many people to suspect that Ye Xiaoyao was simply playing hard to get, and that he was actually still willing to be with Lin Yuyan.
This instantly blew the lid off among the geniuses of the Lihuo Sect!
You must know that among the geniuses of the Lihuo Sect, quite a few were pursuing Lin Yuyan, yet she had never even deigned to look at them properly.
Now, this suddenly emerged Ye Xiaoyao naturally became the target of public criticism.
It was said that many people had already headed to Huoyun Peak, determined to tear off Ye Xiaoyao's hypocritical mask.
Finally, Cheng Qianqian said, "Of course, besides watching the show, I also brought plenty of medicinal pills. Just in case that Ye Xiaoyao really gets hurt, I can treat him!"
"After all, Yuyan is my best friend. At a time like this, I have to help her!"
Hearing this, Ye Xiaoyao felt his head swell with a massive headache!
He had zero interest in caring about the friendship between Cheng Qianqian and Lin Yuyan; what worried him far more was how he had inexplicably become the public enemy of the younger generation in the Lihuo Sect?
At this moment, a burst of radiance suddenly appeared ahead.
Although Ye Xiaoyao was able to control the flying spiritual artifact using the Immortal Realm array techniques he comprehended from the Nine Dragons Fire Control Formula, his understanding of the Qingyun Continent's array formations was still limited.
It wasn't until the moment the radiance surged that he realized someone had set up an array ahead of time to intercept them.
Though he immediately circulated his array mantra to control the forward speed of the flying spiritual artifact, it still crashed head-on into the barrier.
Boom...
Amid a deafening roar, the array controlling the flying spiritual artifact instantly burst apart continuously, and the artifact began plunging downward at high speed.
When the powerful impact struck, Ye Xiaoyao could not help but take several steps back before barely steadying himself.
Cheng Qianqian, however, spat out a mouthful of blood.
Though she quickly swallowed a medicinal pill to drain the deadly paleness from her face, her aura still abruptly turned exceptionally weak.
Ye Xiaoyao made a prompt and decisive decision, wrapping an arm around Cheng Qianqian's slender waist as the two of them instantly shot up into the air.
Just as they left, the flying spiritual artifact crashed directly into the ground, shattering into countless pieces amidst a thunderous explosion.
"This..." Cheng Qianqian trembled all over in terror.
She knew that if Ye Xiaoyao hadn't rescued her in the nick of time, she would likely be lying on the ground heavily injured right now.
Immediately afterward, she realized she was being held in Ye Xiaoyao's arms, and a complex mixture of feelings welled up in her heart.
She knew Ye Xiaoyao was saving her, but being held by a strange man like this for the very first time—and without even being able to struggle—left Cheng Qianqian with no idea how to react.
"Brat, cut off that hand you used to hold Qianqian with your own hands!" Just as the two of them landed, a cold voice rang out, and a figure stood right in front of them.
"Sun Jicheng? What are you trying to do?" Cheng Qianqian's gaze tightened as she saw who had arrived.
"Is it still not clear what I want to do?" Sun Jicheng shrugged his shoulders.
"For the past two years, I've tried every possible way to please you, yet you turned a blind eye. Since sincerity can't move you, I'll just change my approach!"
As he spoke, Sun Jicheng produced a medicinal pill. "With that frail body of yours, the impact from earlier must have damaged your internal organs, right? If you don't have this Rejuvenation Pill, do you think you'll still survive?"
Although Sun Jicheng did not spell it out, his meaning was already abundantly clear.
Cheng Qianqian naturally understood her own condition, but she was still trembling with rage. "Sun Jicheng, have you thought about the consequences of doing this?"
"Consequences? What consequences could there be?" Sun Jicheng laughed heartily.
As he spoke, a Projection Pearl slowly rose into the air.
"With this Projection Pearl recording the entire process, if you dare to report this matter to the sect, I will broadcast everything that happens next to the public. Even if I die, you probably won't have the face to keep living in this world either."
With that, Sun Jicheng glanced at Ye Xiaoyao. "As for you, you can only blame your bad luck!"
"I'm sure the sect won't care about the life or death of a mere handyman disciple!"
Cheng Qianqian spoke up, "This matter has nothing to do with him, there's no need for you to drag an innocent person into this!"
Ye Xiaoyao could not help but look back at the Cheng Qianqian beside him.
Yet Cheng Qianqian said as if it were only natural, "You were innocent to begin with, there's no need to throw your life away for this!"
Ye Xiaoyao, however, said with a helpless sigh, "Senior Sister Cheng, I was already prepared to run away!"
"But now that you've put it this way, how can I possibly have the face to run?"
Ye Xiaoyao wasn't lying. After figuring out the situation, his very first thought—not wanting to invite unnecessary trouble—had been to run.
After all, Sun Jicheng was a practitioner at the Spirit Pill Realm Second Layer, and as a disciple of the Lihuo Sect, the martial techniques he mastered were definitely not something the likes of Gu Qingqing could compare to.
Sun Jicheng, however, let out a disdainful chuckle. "You guessed it—since I've made everything clear right in front of you, do you really think I'd let you stay alive in this world?"
Amidst a fierce shout, Sun Jicheng's figure flashed as he rushed swiftly toward Ye Xiaoyao. The thick spiritual energy coating him and the spiritual sword in his hand was actually wrapped in a layer of scorching spiritual fire.
Not only was his sword momentum fierce, but it was also scorching hot, giving off an irresistible pressure.
Although no martial technique was being employed, this kind of momentum combined with lightning speed was enough to make Cheng Qianqian scream and instinctively close her eyes.
Endless ferocity accompanied by rolling waves of heat constantly assaulted them, and Ye Xiaoyao's gaze tightened.
The thunder purple leaf and fire red leaf of the Sword Dao Seed in his dantian simultaneously flashed with unprecedented radiance!
Ye Xiaoyao knew very well that the other party regarded him as a mere handyman disciple and thus attacked casually, which meant he only had a single chance to strike.
Once the opponent felt pressured and reacted with caution, it would be difficult for him to bridge this gap in cultivation realms.
Although his entire body was already filled with the power of thunder, Ye Xiaoyao exerted tight control over it, ensuring not even the slightest unusual aura could be sensed from his body.
In fact, Sun Jicheng also felt that Ye Xiaoyao had been scared witless by his imposing aura.
He then sneered, "Brat, blame your bad luck. I'll be sure to burn a bit more joss paper for you!"
At this moment, the tip of Sun Jicheng's sword was less than three feet away from Ye Xiaoyao. Ye Xiaoyao's gaze turned fierce, and he let out a cold snort, "You'd better keep that joss paper for yourself!"
With that, Ye Xiaoyao abruptly swung his sword—it was precisely the second stance of the Myriad Forms Devouring Heaven Sword Formula: Wrath of the Heavens, Startling Thunder!
In an instant, the spiritual sword in Ye Xiaoyao's hand was instantly suffused with the cyan-purple of thunder and the crimson-red of blazing fire.
Blending the booming sound of startling thunder with the breathing of raging fire, amidst the interweaving of purple and red, he slashed straight toward Sun Jicheng.
"Man and sword as one? How is that possible? You're just a handyman disciple?" Sun Jicheng was, after all, an inner lineage disciple of the Lihuo Sect.
The moment Ye Xiaoyao made his move, he perceived the profound mystery within and couldn't help crying out in shock.