Amidst the lush green mountains, at a steep and sheer cliff face, a startled cry faintly echoed through the swirling mist.
Yao Chen heard Xiao Yan's voice echoing within the cave, and at the same time, his cry for help also resounded in his own mind. He couldn't help but be taken aback. Then, his Soul Power instinctively extended, once again sweeping over the cave that he had already thoroughly searched multiple times.
The cave wasn't large. Yao Chen's Emperor Realm Soul Power easily finished its scan. Just like before, he didn't detect the presence of any other life forms.
However, both Xiao Yan's cry for help, which directly sounded in his mind, and the startled cry still echoing in the cave at that moment, made Yao Chen realize something was wrong. It was likely that an extraordinary being had arrived here!
He didn't reveal himself immediately but continued to lie in wait. Facing an enemy of this caliber, ambushing them from concealment was definitely more effective than engaging in a frontal battle.
"I'm here, don't worry. First, ask about the situation."
He communicated with Xiao Yan telepathically, giving him a reassuring answer, and then cut off the connection.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan forced himself to calm down. He then looked at Zhao Li and noticed that the mysterious person who had suddenly appeared wasn't old and didn't exude any alarming aura. He stood there, and if Xiao Yan hadn't seen him with his own eyes, he wouldn't have even sensed his presence.
This strange feeling made Xiao Yan's heart pound faster, but he still tried his best to look at Zhao Li. Then, under Zhao Li's gaze, a peculiar feeling arose in his heart.
He didn't know if it was just his imagination, but in that instant, a ridiculous feeling actually arose in his heart. The way the other person looked at him seemed to look through him, as if looking at someone else!
"Could there be someone else here?"
Doubt arose in Xiao Yan's heart. He even had an impulse to turn around and look behind him.
Seeing Xiao Yan's expression change from tense to gradually calming down, Zhao Li couldn't help but feel a little surprised. Even with Yao Chen backing him, to be able to do this, this temperament was truly not something ordinary people could possess.
He had a thought, then quietly took out a Memory Stone. Only then did he speak to Xiao Yan:
"Little guy, were you the one who abducted This Seat's Disciple's Disciple?"
Yun Shan's daughter was indeed his Disciple's Disciple, belonging to the same generation as Yun Shan's disciple, Yun Yun. Of course, the real reason Zhao Li cared about these two didn't have much to do with this.
To him, whether it was Yun Yun or Medusa, they actually held a special meaning in his eyes—they were characters from the book who had truly appeared before him!
For these people who appeared in the original story, Zhao Li always had some special feelings. On one hand, he hoped that some regrets in the story could be avoided, but on the other hand, he also hoped that his presence could cause many predetermined Fates to change, evolving into more exciting lives and stories.
Perhaps it was this conflicted and uncertain thought that made him never think about deliberately interfering with anything. Even if he occasionally indulged in some mischief, it was harmless.
But now, Zhao Li found that his strength seemed to have exceeded the norm. Not only were there no worries about Hun Tiandi destroying the world or the Outer Realm Evil Race invading, but there were also very few beings on the Continent that could make him feel apprehensive. He accepted his common taste and did what he wanted.
For example, training the Protagonist, dealing with Hun Tiandi, and provoking his wives...
Upon hearing Zhao Li's words, thoughts raced through Xiao Yan's mind. He quickly pinpointed the reason to the Little Snake he had brought back from the Snake People Royal City this time, and inwardly cried out in bitterness.
If he had accidentally stumbled into someone else's Cultivation place, there might still be room for discussion. But if this person had specifically come for him, then there was really nothing to say. Moreover...
Xiao Yan wasn't stupid; in fact, he was quite shrewd. From these clues, he analyzed a terrifying thought, but once that thought arose, he couldn't suppress it.
The young man in front of him, who didn't seem old, was very likely an existence even more terrifying than Yun Shan!
This wasn't a wild guess. Although he didn't know the specific differences between powerful individuals, his Pharmacist Teacher in the Ring did.
From Yao Chen's reaction, he could glean some clues. For instance, about two hours ago, Old Yao was able to take him away right under Yun Shan's nose, which meant that Yun Shan wasn't capable of detecting his whereabouts.
But now, not only had he traveled an unknown distance, but he had also specifically found such a secluded place, yet someone had still managed to sneak up on him without him knowing. The crucial point was that before he opened his eyes and saw Zhao Li, his Pharmacist Teacher hadn't warned him, as if he hadn't noticed such a person at all!
Yun Shan couldn't detect the Pharmacist Teacher, so the Pharmacist Teacher was greater than Yun Shan. The Pharmacist Teacher couldn't detect this mysterious person, so this mysterious person was greater than the Pharmacist Teacher. Therefore, the young man in front of him was far greater than Yun Shan!
These thoughts flashed through Xiao Yan's mind in an instant. Upon reaching this conclusion, Xiao Yan felt like dying.
To him, a single Yun Shan was already an unattainable and distant existence. If it weren't for his Pharmacist Teacher protecting him, he would have been caught long ago. But now, although he had escaped Yun Shan, he had provoked an even more terrifying existence, leaving him utterly powerless.
A wave of regret surged in Xiao Yan's heart. He had considered that there might be such consequences, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly, so quickly that he didn't even have time to take a gamble and fight for it.
His thoughts raced, but he was helpless. He subconsciously touched his nose, gave a sheepish smile, and said to Zhao Li:
"Senior, how could I possibly have the ability to abduct your Disciple's Disciple? Is there some misunderstanding here?"
At this moment, he could only pretend to be confused while knowing the truth. Moreover, what he said was actually a partial truth; he hadn't abducted her, he had just tricked the child with the Companion Amethyst Source.
However, he knew in his heart that no matter how he argued, it would likely ultimately come down to force. He sighed inwardly, cursing himself for losing his mind at such a crucial moment:
"Xiao Yan, oh Xiao Yan, your hands are just too itchy. A grown man, actually losing his mind over a good-looking snake. Teacher, what should I do now?"
Finally, he didn't forget to seek Old Yao's opinion. An existence like Zhao Li was definitely not someone he could handle. He could only place his hope on the ever-mysterious and powerful Pharmacist Teacher who seemed to have no limits.
But to his surprise, his voice was like a stone sinking into the sea, receiving no response. In that instant, the Pharmacist Teacher seemed to have cut off all contact with him, just like that time in the Xiao Family over a year ago!
"This..."
His heart sank again, and then he felt a huge pressure rise in his heart, as if he was carrying a mountain on his back, and sweat broke out on his forehead.
Zhao Li saw that the Memory Stone was diligently working, having already recorded student Xiao Yan's nervousness. He chuckled inwardly, then added fuel to the fire. With a wave of his hand, the Little Snake, which was wrapped around Xiao Yan's wrist like a colorful ribbon, suddenly landed in his book. He looked at Xiao Yan with a half-smile and asked:
"Little guy, your temperament is quite good, but you're not honest at all. This Little Guy, he's not your pet, is he?"
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