Chapter 381 136: A Horrifying Surprise for the Blood Immortal Sect, Could It Be Jiang Lan?

She was rather slender, dressed in a long, pale yellow satin gown from the Cloud Smoke Palace. A sea-green sash was cinched at her waist, further accentuating her tall, graceful figure.

Her delicate features were picturesque, enhanced by a touch of makeup that gave her an air of cool grace. Her dark hair was swept casually into a bun, secured by an unadorned jade hairpin. She had a long, fair neck, projecting an aura of refined elegance.

"Jian Jia..." Xiao Teng strode over, his face beaming with excitement.

Ye Shiyin smiled gently and said in a soft voice, "Brother Xiao Teng, it's been a while."

"But you seem to be moving around just fine. Looks like you're all better. You had me worried for nothing."

Xiao Teng gave a sheepish grin, embarrassed at being caught in his lie. He then sat down across from her and said, "It's all because I was coming to see you. My injuries healed right up."

Ye Shiyin rolled her eyes at him. "Since when did you learn to be such a smooth-talker, Brother Xiao Teng? I was worried sick."

Seeing her every expression, Xiao Teng felt a warmth spread through his heart. He smiled. "I'm overjoyed to be the subject of your concern, Jian Jia."

"Have some tea, Brother Xiao Teng..."

Ye Shiyin lowered her gaze, seemingly unable to meet his ardent stare, and passed him the cup of tea that was in front of her.

As Xiao Teng drank his tea, he began to relax. He then started to talk with her, pouring out his heart and speaking of his longing for her.

Ye Shiyin listened to his words, a faint, gentle smile gracing her lips the entire time. She would occasionally chime in with agreement or a word of praise, which made Xiao Teng absolutely ecstatic.

Then, she took the opportunity to ask about the matter she had previously requested his help with.

"Regarding the Spirit Turtle Divination Shell, I haven't found any clues. My only hope is to see if my Master knows anything, given his vast knowledge."

"The Southern Hunting is about to begin, so it's not a good time for me to seek an audience and trouble my Master. I'll have to wait until it's over to see if I can ask him to help with the search," Xiao Teng replied with a serious expression.

The Master he spoke of was, of course, the National Master, Ge Qixing.

"That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Brother Xiao Teng." A brilliant smile instantly bloomed on Ye Shiyin's face.

Seeing her so happy that he could help, Xiao Teng's heart swelled with accomplishment and contentment. He was just about to ask her how she had been recently.

But a strange, bone-chilling aura suddenly filled the courtyard, causing his expression to change instantly. At the same time, his Pupil of Truth flared with a warning.

"Who's there?"

Xiao Teng whipped his head around, the smile in his eyes vanishing, replaced by a grave and icy stare.

Ye Shiyin, however, seemed not to understand, her face a mask of confusion.

"What's wrong, Brother Xiao Teng...?" she asked.

A sense of dread washed over Xiao Teng as a terrible suspicion dawned on him. His gaze swept the area as he snarled, "Who's there? Get out here! What kind of coward hides in the shadows?"

"Heh heh..."

"Quite alert, to be able to sense even that."

A chilling, somewhat ethereal laugh echoed from not far in front of Xiao Teng.

His eyes went cold. In a flash, he was lunging forward, swinging his fist in a powerful strike.

However, the massive impact he expected never came. His fist seemed to be stopped mid-air by some strange energy, unable to land its blow.

Xiao Teng was shaken. The next moment, a figure with a blurred face, seemingly wreathed in a bloody light, materialized before him.

Alarm bells screamed in his mind. Runes flickered to life on his fist as starlight began to converge there. The power of this punch was even more astonishing, like a clap of thunder.

But the blurry figure vanished in a flicker, seeming to melt into the darkness. When it reappeared, it was already inside the pavilion... right behind Ye Shiyin.

A deathly pale, bloodless hand seized her long, slender neck.

Ye Shiyin's expression changed. She was about to resist as a brilliant fiery light erupted from her body. The faint image of an Immortal Phoenix flickered in her eyes as she prepared to strike the figure behind her.

However, that deathly pale hand suddenly tightened its grip. Blood-red markings seemed to spread from it, and she let out a pained grunt as all the power she had just summoned instantly dissipated.

"Don't even think about resisting. You'll die."

The cold, indifferent voice spoke again, accompanied by a sickening CRACK, like bone splintering. The color drained from Ye Shiyin's face, her breathing grew ragged, and her body contorted in agony as she began to suffocate.

"You..."

"Let go of Jian Jia, now!"

Witnessing this, Xiao Teng's expression became impossibly grim. No matter how slow on the uptake he might be, he understood now. He had been... followed.

Otherwise, how could this bizarre figure have appeared out of thin air?

"Heh... Young Master Xiao tells me to let her go, so I should just let her go?" the cold, indifferent voice sneered, its grip not loosening in the slightest.

Ye Shiyin's face was a mask of pain, a fiery light flickering deep in her eyes as she tried to struggle.

'She had never imagined that simply asking Xiao Teng to meet tonight to inquire about the Spirit Turtle Divination Shell would lead to something like this...'

"Stop it!"

"Who in the hell are you?"

Seeing the immense pain on Xie Jianjia's face, Xiao Teng's own expression twisted as he snarled.