"Yes, I came to take a look."
Yan Chen replied softly.
She had been inside for half an hour and still hadnāt emerged. Of course he had to come check on the situation; otherwise, how could he rest easy?
He never expected to walk in on a scene like this.
āThis Beastman actually wants to form a contract with my little pet.ā
āGood thing I got here in time. Otherwise, by the time my little pet left this Flying Ship, she would have yet another annoying Contractor.ā
Jiang Yunnuan was speechless.
āDude, this is the turf of an Ultimate Venerable Peak! You think you can just waltz in here without permission?ā
Sure enough, just as the thought crossed her mind, a dangerous voice rang out.
"Who are you? Do you think this is a place you can just enter as you please?"
The man narrowed his crimson eyes, flames dancing within them. He radiated an incredibly oppressive aura, and it felt as if the surrounding temperature had instantly spiked.
Yan Chen raised an eyebrow, his voice showing no fear.
"If Iām not supposed to be here, then why am I standing here?"
āAnywhere his power could reach was a place he could go.ā
āThe strong are revered, and power is paramount. In this world, there was nothing he couldnāt do, only things he didnāt want to do.ā
His words were utterly provocative. Jiang Yunnuanās heart leaped into her throat. She quickly slapped a hand over his mouth and turned to Feng Qianyan to apologize.
"Er, my apologies, Admiral Feng. Heās my Contractor. He barged in to check on me when I didnāt come out. I apologize to you on his behalf, and Iāll take him away immediately. Iām truly sorry. Please, Admiral Feng, forgive the intrusion."
After speaking, she began to pull Yan Chen away, but the manās voice stopped them.
"Wait."
"Yes? Is there something else you need, Admiral Feng?"
Jiang Yunnuan stopped, her gaze turning inquisitive. He, however, was staring at Yan Chen, his expression inscrutable.
"Youāre lying!"
"What?"
The abrupt sentence left her utterly baffled, her gaze growing even more inquisitive.
He narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly, his voice absolutely certain.
"He is not your Contractor."
Before arriving, he had reviewed Jiang Yunnuanās file. He knew she had four Contractors, but had recently undergone Contract Termination with two of them.
Now, she had two Contractors remaining.
Those two Contractors were a Feathered Beastman and a Fox Beastman, and both had Cultivation at the Returning Origin Stage.
But this man before him had Ultimate Venerable Peak Cultivation and not a hint of a Beastmanās aura. He was definitely not her Contractor.
Jiang Yunnuan was speechless.
āFor him to speak with such certainty, he must have investigated her. In the face of someone of his rank, her information in the Empire was completely transparent.ā
āSigh. What a careless mistake.ā
But it didnāt matter. She could easily smooth it over.
"Er, he is my Contractor. We just havenāt had the chance to form the contract yet. Weāre going to do it very soon."
Yan Chen was speechless.
āSo certain, are we?ā
āDid I agree to that?ā
"Oh, is that so? Then, how about a match? If you lose, you wonāt be allowed to form a contract with her."
āThey havenāt formed the contract yet. That means thereās still a chance to put a stop to it.ā Feng Qianyanās gaze shifted. He looked at Yan Chen, his agitated features twisting into an arrogant and wild expression, his crimson eyes brimming with provocation.
Before Yan Chen even had a chance to react, Jiang Yunnuan flew into a panic.
She looked at Yan Chen and said frantically, "No, you canāt agree."
āThat guy has Ultimate Venerable Peak Cultivation, an Undying Body, and Rebirth Power! Even if heās killed, he can be reborn from the flames!ā
āWith that kind of heaven-defying power, how could Yan Chen possibly compete with him?ā
āAnd Iām still waiting to form a contract with Yan Chen!ā
"You wonāt agree?"
Feng Qianyan laughed, his voice arrogant. "Then Iāll have to pursue the charge of trespassing. Do you know what the crime and consequences are for trespassing on my territory?"
She didnāt know what the consequences would be, but as for the crime... if he played his Admiral card, the charge would be a serious one.
If he then framed Yan Chen for stealing classified information and branded him an enemy spy, the list of charges would be endless.
Furious, Jiang Yunnuan was racking her brain for a way to handle the situation when suddenly, the hand covering Yan Chenās mouth was pulled away.
He looked at Feng Qianyan and said, "Fine. Iāll compete with you. But if you lose, you are never to appear before her again."
Jiang Yunnuan was speechless.
āItās a good proposal, but is he sure he can win against that Phoenix?ā
Just then, the manās voice, full of confidence and boundless arrogance, rang in her ears.
"Fine. I accept your terms. Letās do this."
With a flick of his wrist, the scene before them changed in a flash. The three of them appeared within a vast, boundless world of nothingness. All around them was a hazy gray expanse, with no structures in sight.
"This is the Void Realm. Woman, you will be the witness to this duel."
As his words fell, Feng Qianyanās figure flickered and he leaped into the sky.
A clear Phoenix Cry rang out as enormous red-feathered wings slowly unfurled from his back. Blazing crimson flames ignited all around him, burning the very space until it began to warp.
Jiang Yunnuan clutched Yan Chenās hand, her face etched with worry as she leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"Yan Chen, he has Ultimate Venerable Peak Cultivation. In addition to his Undying Body, he also wields two super Divine Powers: the Nine Heavens Divine Fire and the World Purification Divine Punishment. Heās incredibly hard to deal with..."
"Letās just run. Please donāt fight him, okay? Iām worried about you."
Seeing her sincere, heartfelt concern, Yan Chenās mood instantly brightened. A faint smile touched his features, which were typically as cool and sharp as ice, and he reached out to gently pinch her nose.
"Underestimating me?"
"Iām not! Iām just worried about you. I donāt want anything to happen to you. Yan Chen, I like you, and you havenāt even formed a contract with me yet..."
Jiang Yunnuan hugged his waist and refused to let go.
āA duel of this level is incredibly dangerous. If one little thing goes wrong, whatāll happen to my mission?ā
āNo, no, no... forget the mission. She simply didnāt want anything to happen to Yan Chen.ā
Yan Chen cupped her face and kissed her on the forehead.
"Donāt worry, Iāll be fine. Heās tough, itās true, but Iām no pushover myself. You should have a little more faith in me."
This was a battle for his pride; he absolutely could not back down.
Besides, having reached his current level of Cultivation, he rarely encountered a worthy opponent. Now that he had finally met his match, he was eager for a good fight.
āOnly in actual combat can one quickly recognize their own shortcomings.ā
"Fine. But you have to promise me that youāll be okay. You absolutely cannot let anything happen to you. Winning or losing, pride or face... none of it is as important as you. At worst, we just wonāt form a contract. Iāll just keep being your pet."
"Okay, I promise. Iāll be perfectly fine."
āWe have to form this contract. I canāt go back on my promise to her.ā Yan Chen lowered his head, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, and gently pried her hands from his waist.
He watched her take a few steps back, then his figure flickered. He strode into the empty air, rising up to appear opposite Feng Qianyan in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Yunnuan craned her neck, her eyes fixed on them without blinking.