She gritted her teeth and hurried them along. Fu Yuan snorted, then reluctantly joined forces with Ming Ye to set up a Barrier.
Then, the three of them slipped away under the cover of darkness.
WHOOSH...
The man inside the Barrier suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze icy, so cold it made oneâs heart hammer in their chest.
He looked at the box to the side, and wisps of black energy began to swirl between his brows.
âTo get rid of me, she actually dared to drug me!â
âHeh, Jiang Yunnuan, I gave you a chance. Youâre the one who forced my hand!â
ăMeanwhile.ă
They hadnât gone far when both Fu Yuan and Ming Ye suddenly shuddered, their auras falling into disarray. They stopped in their tracks at the same time and turned to look back.
"Whatâs wrong?"
Seeing their reaction, Jiang Yunnuan stopped as well and looked up at them.
"The Barrierâs been broken!"
âWhat?â
âThe Barrier was broken?â
âCould Jun Yao be in danger?â
Her heart skipped a beat. She instinctively thought of that mysterious chicken thief and couldnât help but turn and sprint back. Suddenly, her vision plunged into darkness.
"Jiang Yunnuan..."
Faintly, she heard the panicked urgency in Fu Yuanâs voice.
âWhatâs happening?â
Her vision flickered from black to bright.
Jiang Yunnuan found herself in a wondrous world.
A massive, ancient tree towered before her, and beneath it sat a young, handsome man, cross-legged.
The manâs long, satin-like hair fell loosely over his shoulders. His eyes were like the cold moon, his face like pure snow. He seemed like an otherworldly Immortal, exuding a cold detachment, as if he stood apart from the rest of the world.
A whole roasted chicken sat on the ground beside him.
Sensing the disturbance, the man lifted his gaze, a hint of surprise surfacing in his moon-cold eyes.
"Human... you were able to enter my Domain?"
âDomain?â
Jiang Yunnuan froze. Suddenly, the systemâs voice echoed in her mind.
[Ding! New conquest target triggered. Target information unlocked.]
[Host, Host! The fifth conquest target is unlocked! You can access your farm now! Congrats, congrats!]
[Wow, this conquest target is really something else! Does the Host want to see his info?]
Without waiting for Jiang Yunnuanâs reply, the system pulled up the manâs information on its own.
Yan Chen: Creation Divine Tree [Mutated Tree]
Age: 20
Height: Human Form: 192cm, Tree Form: N/A
Weight: Human Form: 82kg, Tree Form: N/A
Birthday: N/A
Talent Skills: Devouring, Life Force, Earth Power, Origin Power, Transform into Thousands [Evolving]
Current Cultivation Level: Ultimate Venerable Stage
Current affinity: 30
Jiang Yunnuan was dumbfounded after a single glance at the information.
âUltimate Venerable Stage?â
âJust how strong is that?â
âHow many Jun Yaos would it take just to withstand a single one of his attacks?â
When her eyes landed on his Talent Skills, she felt her vision dim. He already had so many skills, and every single one looked ridiculously powerful, yet one of them was still evolving.
âThis guy is a major powerhouse. Is he really someone I can afford to mess with?â
âWait a minute, the shape of that tree behind him... it looks kind of familiar!â
An image flashed through Jiang Yunnuanâs mind: the large tree from that night, the one that had disappeared after she and Jun Yao had dirtied it.
âIt couldnât be... this tree, could it?â
Her eyes flew wide, a mix of anxiety and awkwardness churning within her.
"How did you get into my Domain?"
When she didnât answer, the man rose to his feet. Though he was a great distance away, he took a single step and instantly traversed the space, appearing right in front of her.
An immense pressure instantly bore down on her. Jiang Yunnuan felt like she was drowning, gasping for air.
"Th-that... um, I donât know either. I was just running, and then everything changed. By the time I could see again, I was here. Iâm so sorry for trespassing, but I honestly have no idea how I got here. C-could you send me back out?"
âI vanished so suddenly. Fu Yuan and the others must be worried sick.â
âAs for "conquering" him... heh. This guy is at the Ultimate Venerable Stage. Heâs absolutely not someone I can afford to mess with right now. Iâll worry about that later.â
[Host, this is a golden opportunity! Beg him to form a pact with you! If he really sends you away, how will you ever find him again?]
The systemâs frantic voice rang in her head like a devilâs whisper.
Infinitely annoyed, Jiang Yunnuan simply frowned and blocked the system.
âBeg him to form a pact?â
âAre you kidding me?â
âDo you think an expert of his caliber would form a pact with me just because I asked nicely?â
âHeâs more likely to just devour me whole.â
âDidnât you see? His very first Talent Skill is Devouring!â
âI have no desire to become tree fertilizer.â
"My Domain... is it some place you can come and go as you please?"
The manâs voice was as cold and crisp as snow, utterly devoid of emotion, yet it carried an infinite weight.
Jiang Yunnuanâs scalp prickled, and a chill crawled over her entire body.
"Then... what is it that you want?"