Chapter 380 136: A Spine-chilling Surprise for the Blood Immortal Sect, Could It Be Jiang Lan?

Many of the Disciples from Yijian Palace had become retainers of Prince Zhenbei's Mansion.

Although he was on good terms with Xiao Teng, he had no desire to become a retainer or Tributor, so the two interacted as equals.

That was why he had only attended the recent gatherings out of respect for Xiao Teng.

'The Southern Hunting drill is the day after tomorrow. The Imperial Capital has been awfully calm these past few days, but the greater the calm, the more you can feel the storm brewing just beneath the surface...'

Walking down the wide street, Ye Ming felt it was much more peaceful and quiet than usual, with far fewer cultivators around.

After the conflict in Qianyuan Prefecture, an increasing number of people in the Imperial Capital were paying attention to him.

Thus, while on the surface he was still staying at his original inn, he had in fact found a secluded courtyard to live in, allowing him to avoid disturbances.

Not many people knew his current residence—only a few trustworthy individuals like Xiao Teng. As a result, Ye Ming had enjoyed a rare period of peace these last few days, with almost no one coming to cause him trouble.

After crossing the empty, strangely peaceful street, Ye Ming headed for the entrance to a small alley. Deep inside was the residence he had been staying in lately.

'Careful. A presence is tracking you...'

However, just as Ye Ming stepped into the mouth of the alley, Old Ghost's shocked and shaken voice rang out in his mind.

At that same moment, Ye Ming sensed it himself. His expression changed, his eyes growing cold as he looked toward the source of the presence.

Atop the wall, the hazy moonlight coalesced into a shimmering, rosy mist.

A tall, indistinct figure in white stood there silently, its eyes indifferent and calm, looking down upon him. It exuded a terrifying aura that made his heart pound.

He couldn't see its face, which seemed to be shrouded in mist.

'Run!'

Before Ye Ming had a chance to react, Old Ghost's anxious warning echoed in his mind again.

BOOM!!!

The Void suddenly shuddered. A terrifying amount of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi converged, drawn together to form an immense palm that slammed down toward him.

The attack was clearly immense, yet the entire alley seemed to be trapped in a dead silence, with not a single tremor escaping its confines.

Ye Ming moved to defend himself, but for some reason, the flow of time around him seemed to decelerate.

His own movements became as sluggish as if he were trapped in a quagmire, and even his thoughts grew stagnant.

'This is horrifying! I never imagined I'd encounter such a terrifying technique. Is this some kind of time domain?'

PFFT...

His defensive posture froze for a moment.

The massive hand of Spiritual Energy slammed down, engulfing Ye Ming's body. The impact sent a violent tremor through him, as if he had been struck by an entire mountain range. He flew backward, blood spraying from his mouth, not knowing how many of his ribs had just shattered.

At the critical moment, Ye Ming activated a Divine Soul Treasure. A cold, snow-like aura washed over him, and his sluggish thoughts became much clearer.

His face was a mask of terror. Utterly horrified, he immediately swallowed several Elixir Pills, then got up and fled without the slightest hesitation.

Unbelievably, the commotion hadn't alerted a single Patrol Guard.

This proved that his attacker had completely concealed their presence and all power fluctuations. 'If they had used their full strength to kill me,' he thought, 'I wouldn't have even had the chance to escape.'

'Who could this be? Why attack me out of nowhere? And why does this aura feel vaguely familiar?'

'Could it be Jiang Lan?'

Ye Ming's expression was grim, a mixture of shock and anger. He couldn't make any sense of it.

He hurriedly fled deeper into the alley, but just as he tried to take to the air, a vast and terrifying aura descended from the sky. It was immensely heavy, as if it could collapse the very Void.

At that moment, he saw it clearly. It was a wisp of substance like the Profound Yellow Mother Qi, wrapping around a Token-like object. It was about the size of a fist, floating there before plummeting directly toward him.

Terrifying, thread-like cracks appeared in the surrounding Void. If it hit him, he would be reduced to a bloody paste.

"Jiang Lan..."

Ye Ming recognized it as the very same wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi he had drawn out back in Qianyuan Prefecture. His expression became utterly grim as he gritted his teeth, his fists cracking.

But he had no more time to think. Pained by the loss, he activated a Jade Pill. It looked somewhat decayed but was filled with a Buddhist aura. The moment he crushed it, a strange light enveloped him.

At that same moment, the wisp of Profound Yellow Mother Qi descended. It struck him with a sickening thud, and a spray of blood erupted. Then, all traces of his aura at that location vanished completely.

'An injury like this should be enough to keep him laid up for a while...'

Watching Ye Ming activate the Jade Buddha Pill and escape, Jiang Lan's figure slowly floated down. The Heaven-Reaching Stele turned into a streak of light and returned to his body.

With a casual wave of his hand, all auras and traces in the area vanished completely.

As far as he was concerned, there was no benefit to killing Ye Ming right now. He had only wounded him severely. What he needed was for Ye Ming to be unable to show his face for some time.

「Meanwhile, in the Garden of Osmanthus」

Breathing in the familiar fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, Xiao Teng smiled as he navigated the garden with practiced ease. He passed through several archways and down pavilion corridors until, at last, in the inner courtyard, he saw the graceful figure he had been dreaming of day and night.

Xie Jianjia sat within a pavilion, apparently awaiting his arrival. Her slender, flawless hands were gracefully preparing tea.