Seeing Xu Yaâs resolute expression and the look in her eyes, Qin Feng quickly raised his head and stopped her. "Donât be in such a hurry to shatter your soul! Just hear me out. It wonât be too late for you to die after Iâm done!"
"What do you want to say?" Xu Yaâs face was cold. Now that she had let go of everything, she had nothing left to fear. It was just that Xu Ya felt a bit indignant. She, a powerful expert of the Condensing Vein Realm, had painstakingly schemed against a boy at the Martial Arts Fourth Layer. Not only had she failed to kill him, but she had fallen into his hands and become his slave...
Qin Fengâs gaze swept over Xu Yaâs expression. He frowned slightly and said faintly, "Iâm just advising you to think it through. Once you shatter your soul, you will suffer complete Soul Scattering and vanish from this world forever. Everything you are will turn to ash, leaving not a single trace behind!"
A flicker of hesitation flashed through Xu Yaâs beautiful eyes, but a moment later, her resolve returned. "So what? Itâs better than being violated, enslaved, and forced to live a life worse than death, suffering endless humiliation at your hands!"
"Violated?" Qin Feng cast a meaningful glance at Xu Yaâs alluring, exposed body.
A chill ran down Xu Yaâs spine. She was startled to realize her silk robes were still half-undone. She quickly crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Qin Feng in fury. But in doing so, her firm, snow-white bosom only seemed more voluptuous, as if about to burst from her clothes.
âAs expected of a married woman, what a figure!â Qin Fengâs heart stirred. Having already tasted forbidden fruit, his body now craved more.
âNo way, I canât let a bombshell like this kill herself!â A few less-than-proper thoughts flashed through Qin Fengâs mind.
"Xu Ya, you donât have to worry. I, Qin Feng, have always preferred to win people over with virtue; I never like to use force! Rest assured, I wonât make you do anything you donât want to," Qin Feng said, spouting utter nonsense.
"Hmph! You think I would believe you?" A cold sneer touched Xu Yaâs exquisitely beautiful face. Despite her words, the resolve in her eyes had softened. Xu Ya was a clever woman, and the cleverer a person is, the less they want to die.
Qin Feng saw the change in her expression and rejoiced inwardly. He propped up his exhausted body, slowly dragged himself over to a pillar in the main hall, and leaned against it before continuing.
"You donât have to believe me, but the choice is ultimately in your hands. Though I can dictate whether you live or die, I cannot control your will. If I ever try to force you to do something against your will, it wonât be too late to shatter your soul then."
Xu Ya considered this carefully, a ripple of emotion stirring in her beautiful eyes. Qin Feng was right. He could control her life and death through that strange Abyssal Mark, but he couldnât control her will.
If she was unwilling, she could shatter her soul at any time. Xu Yaâs expression softened.
What Xu Ya didnât know was that this was all a trap. Qin Feng was a master of manipulating peopleâs hearts. Like an old demon, he was well-versed in such arts. He knew that all taboos, rules, boundaries, and defenses could be slowly eroded and broken down. As long as the plan was well-designed and executed step by step, one could gradually nibble away until they could finally devour everything whole.
Qin Feng took in her expression. Seeing that she had taken the bait, he began to further alleviate her concerns.
"And think about it," he continued, "Iâm just a Martial Artist in the Late Stage of Martial Arts Fourth Realm, while youâre a powerhouse in the Condensing Vein Realm. Even if I wanted to be improper with you, I probably couldnât pull it off, could I?"
Qin Feng was speaking the truth. He had confirmed this with that other woman. The physical body of a Martial Artist in the Condensing Vein Realm was terrifyingly powerful. Even if one were to lie on the bed and not move, he wouldnât be able to handle it.
That time by the river, if the woman hadnât been severely injured and unconscious, Qin Feng might not have been able to take advantage of her. Even then, his back had been sore for days afterward.
Qin Fengâs words made Xu Yaâs beautiful eyes light up, and she relaxed completely. She sized him up, her gaze now tinged with relief.
But that look struck Qin Feng the wrong way. He seethed internally. âTch, whatâs with that look? Is she looking down on me?! Big deal, so youâre in the Condensing Vein Realm. Just you wait! When I break through to the Condensing Vein Realm, Iâll do you a hundred times over!â
"But donât get happy too soon!" Qin Fengâs face darkened, his tone shifting as his gaze fell upon the Zuo Brothers, who were frozen into blocks of ice.
A rare sadness surfaced in Qin Fengâs eyes. He was moved by the Zuo Brothersâ loyalty and sacrifice. If they hadnât risked their lives to buy him time, Qin Feng might not have been able to summon the Abyssal Demon Map to suppress Xu Ya.
Qin Fengâs gaze fell, ice-cold, upon Xu Ya. "The Zuo Brothers died because of you," he said coldly. "They suffered this calamity while protecting me. I cannot let that go without demanding justice for them!"
"Young friend Qin Feng is right. The men of my Zuo Family cannot die for nothing! No matter who killed them, they must give this old man an answer!" Suddenly, an icy voice filled the hall.
A portly figure abruptly appeared before them. He wore a wide Black Robe with long, drooping sleeves. His sideburns were snow-white, contrasting a healthy, ruddy complexion, yet a terrifying light crackled in his eyes. As his gaze fell upon the two enormous blocks of ice, it was filled with an unconcealable sorrow.
His very presence seemed to make the air in the hall freeze. An indescribably terrifying aura pressed down on the entire space, crushing any thought of resistance.
Zuo Song had arrived quickly. He had rushed here with all his speed after sensing the disturbance, but he was still a step too late.
"Zuo Song! Itâs you!" Xu Yaâs face drained of color, and a trace of fear appeared in her eyes. Zuo Songâs power was far beyond what she had imagined.
"Madam Guan," Zuo Song began, his eyes fixed on the two blocks of solid ice. His gaze was filled with grandfatherly affection, but his words sent a lingering chill through the entire hall. "I never imagined you would think so highly of my two grandsons that you would deign to act personally!"
A cold dread crept over Xu Yaâs skin, and the terrifying pressure of death gripped her heart. She glanced at the Zuo Brothers, encased in ice, and said after a moment of silence, "They arenât dead. Their Vitality has merely been frozen for the time being."
Zuo Song roared with rage. "And how is that different from being dead!" Killing intent erupted from him, and the very Space in the hall began to warp. The remaining tables, chairs, and debris were crushed by this immense force, turning to dust and disintegrating completely.
âSpace Power!â A glint flashed in Qin Fengâs eyes. Despite his rage, Zuo Song was controlling his power well, making sure it didnât affect him.
Qin Feng had recovered some of his strength and managed to struggle to his feet. He had gone to great lengths to stop Xu Ya from shattering her soul; he couldnât let Zuo Song kill her now.
Xu Yaâs face was ashen. Under Zuo Songâs pressure, her body trembled. The enormous gap in their power was so great that she could barely muster the will to resist.
Seeing this, Qin Feng suddenly spoke up. "Old Zuo, calm your anger for a moment! Although the two Brother Zuos have had their Vitality frozen, they can still be saved!"
"What? They can still be saved?" Zuo Song whirled around, his eyes burning as he stared at Qin Feng.
The oppressive aura dissipated, and Xu Ya breathed a sigh of relief. She shot a grateful glance at Qin Feng; if he hadnât spoken, the enraged Zuo Song might have killed her in the next instant. But when she heard Qin Fengâs words, she couldnât help but furrow her delicate brow.
No one understood the Zuo Brothersâ condition better than Xu Ya. She knew all too well the tyrannical nature of her own frozen True Power. Even among the myriad forms of Ice Attribute True Power, its might was ranked near the very top.
The Zuo Brothers were sealed in Profound Ice, and its frigid energy had already invaded their internal organs. Their Vitality was completely sealed off, placing them in a state between life and death.
The Zuo Brothers were not truly dead, but they were on the brink. Within the Profound Ice, their Vitality was frozen, keeping them from dying, but the frigid energy would slowly erode that Vitality. Once it was completely gone, the two brothers would die for good.
To save them, a powerful expert would have to extract the frigid energy that had seeped into their organs. However, their little remaining Vitality was now intertwined with that same frigid energy. If the cold were to be removed, their Vitality would dissipate along with it.
The only hope was to find a Martial Arts Strongman with extremely high attainments in the dao of ice! That was the only possibility!
There were few people in the entire Great Yan Kingdom capable of such a feat, and not a single one in Mountain and River City!
Zuo Song was well aware of this. Both he and Xu Ya looked at Qin Feng, their gazes clearly filled with doubt.
"You donât have to be so doubtful. Others may not be able to save them, but I have a way!" Qin Feng unsteadily rose to his feet, his eyes sweeping over the other two with a faint smile.
An ordinary person certainly couldnât do it, but his Jade Sea Abyss could do it with ease!
The only problem was that he had used the power of the Mystic Turtle Divine Pill to open the Jade Sea Abyss, and it had since sealed itself again. To truly open the Jade Sea Abyss, the first layer of the Endless Abyss, he would have to find a High-level Water Attribute Spiritual Object.