Chapter 466: 葬花吟

Yun Che’s speed was swift, but still vastly inferior to Ye Xinghan’s. The distance between them rapidly closed, and within roughly ten breaths, they were already within a hundred zhang of each other. Yun Che tightly embraced Feng Xue’er, clenching his teeth, his mind racing as he desperately sought a way to escape. At that moment, he suddenly felt the aura locking onto him abruptly disappear, and even his sense of danger largely vanished.

Yun Che quickly turned his head, startlingly discovering a snow-white, elegant figure slowly descending from above. The figure positioned itself in front of Ye Xinghan, and a powerful aura forcefully blocked his energy and his path forward.

“That’s… Ji Qianrou!?”

Yun Che’s heart suddenly settled significantly. He let out a sharp breath and once again accelerated, surging straight ahead.

“Oh, little Hanhan, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry? I happen to have nothing to do, do you need my help?” Ji Qianrou said, twirling his fingers and blinking his charming “peach blossom” eyes as he smiled at Ye Xinghan. The invisible aura he emitted completely sealed off Ye Xinghan’s path, making it impossible for him to advance another step.

The moment Ji Qianrou appeared, Ye Xinghan sensed trouble. Given Ji Qianrou’s nature, it was impossible for him to appear so coincidentally without a purpose. It was highly likely he had already secretly witnessed everything. Ye Xinghan’s face darkened. “Ji Qianrou, move aside at once. Don’t ruin my plans.”

“Oh my, little Hanhan is so fierce,” Ji Qianrou said, feigning an injured and startled expression. But then his charming face immediately bloomed into a radiant smile. “However, little Hanhan looks truly adorable when angry; I just can’t help but want to caress you… Little Hanhan, come here and let me give your face a good stroke.”

“You…” Ye Xinghan shuddered, instinctively taking a step back, then gritted his teeth and said, “Ji Qianrou, I’ve felt someone watching from somewhere for a while now, and it turns out it was you. We are both from the Sacred Grounds, so let’s cut the nonsense! You know who I’m chasing; move aside immediately, and I, Ye Xinghan, will owe you a favor! Otherwise… Hmph! You have no deep ties with the Phoenix Sect; it’s not worth becoming my mortal enemy over a sect that’s about to decline!”

“Phoenix Sect?” Ji Qianrou’s eyes darted, then he burst into a fit of laughter, shaking with mirth. “You mean that little girl from the Phoenix Sect? She’s quite likable, but her life or death has absolutely nothing to do with me. I just found it amusing watching you and little Cheche chase each other, so I couldn’t resist jumping in to add a little difficulty to your little game of pursuit. It’ll be even more fun, won’t it, hmm!”

“Yun Che?” Ye Xinghan’s brow furrowed in confusion. Ji Qianrou, standing before him, had forcefully blocked him, not for Feng Xue’er’s sake, but for Yun Che’s.

Although Ye Xinghan possessed a Tyrant Profound Weapon, he was no match for Ji Qianrou. If Ji Qianrou chose to engage, Ye Xinghan wouldn't even be able to escape his grasp. He said in a deep voice, “What benefit did that Yun Che give you? For the dignified Jade-faced Demon Monarch to serve a Cangling boy not yet twenty years old! Truly laughable.”

“Serve? Little Hanhan, you’ve got it wrong,” Ji Qianrou said, wagging a finger. “I merely said I wanted to join in on the game between little Hanhan and little Cheche. There are still ten hours until this world closes. If the game ends so quickly, there’ll be nothing left to play for the rest of the time. How boring, right? *Swoosh—*”

Ji Qianrou raised his right hand. Between his snow-white fingers, a vibrant red petal had appeared at some point. With a slight flick of his finger, the petal, as if carried by a gentle breeze, floated leisurely towards Ye Xinghan. When it was less than a zhang away, its speed abruptly accelerated, shooting forward in an instant and drawing a persistent red line across the space.

Ye Xinghan tilted his head, the red streak almost grazing his throat. The chill of that instant made his heart stop abruptly. He struggled to maintain a calm expression as he grimly stated, “You want to kill me?”

“Oh dear, little Hanhan’s words are so frightening. How could I bear to kill little Hanhan?” Ji Qianrou shook his head, denying it with an eager expression. He certainly possessed the ability to kill Ye Xinghan, and within this world, he could do so without any repercussions. However, Ji Qianrou was well aware that Ye Xinghan surely carried a soul imprint personally left by the Heavenly Sovereign Ye Miexie of the Sun Moon Divine Hall. Should Ye Xinghan die, the memories and sights he experienced shortly before his death would immediately transmit to Ye Miexie’s soul, revealing the identity of his killer.

Although Ji Qianrou was arrogant and unrestrained, he wasn’t so reckless as to provoke the killing intent of a Heavenly Sovereign. Moreover, Ye Xinghan’s death would not merely involve personal grudges but the entire feud between the Sun Moon Divine Hall and the Supreme Ocean Palace.

“However, if little Hanhan isn’t obedient, then as an elder, a small lesson is definitely in order, wouldn’t you agree, little Hanhan, hmm?” Ji Qianrou said with a beaming smile.

Ye Xinghan clenched his fists, practically seething with rage. His prey had been within reach just moments ago; he was on the verge of seizing Feng Xue’er’s body and bloodline… especially her bloodline, which was crucial for him to become the future ruler of the continent—something he absolutely had to obtain. Yet, Ji Qianrou had inconveniently popped out of nowhere!

“Ji Qianrou, I usually respect you as an elder, which is why I’ve always shown you deference. Don’t… presume upon my generosity!” Convinced that Ji Qianrou wouldn’t kill him, Ye Xinghan’s tone instantly hardened due to his anxiety, attempting to overwhelm him with his status and authority as a young master of a Sacred Ground.

“Oh dear…” Ji Qianrou, unfazed, remained smiling. “This perfect face of mine, you see, is the most important thing to me in this life, something I absolutely must have. But as for the ‘face’ little Hanhan offers… I don’t want it at all.”

“You…”

Just as Ye Xinghan uttered a single word, his eyes suddenly flashed. He swiftly launched an attack, two bursts of profound light radiating forth, heading directly for Ji Qianrou.

“Sun-Moon Cage!!”

Ye Xinghan’s first move was the Sun Moon Divine Hall’s most potent sealing profound art, aiming to forcibly immobilize Ji Qianrou before he could react.

Facing Ye Xinghan’s sudden attack, Ji Qianrou’s expression remained unchanged; not even the elegant, alluring curve of his lips wavered. Only two of his fingers flickered slightly, and two rose-red petals drifted gracefully to his left and right.

*Ping! Ping!*

The Sun-Moon Profound Light, imbued with potent sealing power, exploded like soap bubbles the moment it touched the two petals, unleashing incredibly turbulent storms that dispersed outwards. Standing calmly between the two storms, not a single strand of Ji Qianrou’s hair or a corner of his robes was stirred. He extended his five fingers, each shimmering with a different colored light, presenting an extraordinarily dazzling sight. His charming eyes narrowed, and he said with a delicate smile, “Little Hanhan really isn’t being good, is he? Well then, I suppose I’ll have to give you a small lesson.”

“Ji Qianrou, don’t think I’m afraid of you! I’d like to see what you can possibly do to me today!”

Ye Xinghan’s gaze turned sinister. The Sun-Moon Tribulation unfurled in his hand, his entire body flashing with profound light, and immensely powerful profound energy surged forth like a tsunami.

“Yin-Yang Annihilation! …Die!!”

Facing the terrifying killing move, Ji Qianrou’s expression remained as gentle as a spring breeze. He gently twisted his wrist, twirling his fingers, the colorful lights on his fingertips interchanging, creating a vibrant display. “Little Hanhan, be sure to fully appreciate this beautiful… Funeral—Flower—Song… Oh.”

As the final note left his lips, the colorful lights on Ji Qianrou’s five fingers simultaneously flared. Instantly, yellow, red, pink, green, blue, white, brown… petals of every color swirled forth, as if a magnificent, vibrant rain of flowers had suddenly begun.

The surging Yin-Yang energy, launched at him, plunged into the rain of petals and then grew smaller and smaller… It completely vanished when it was still several zhang away from Ji Qianrou, leaving no trace, no sound.

“Wh…at!?”

Ye Xinghan had often heard of Ji Qianrou’s formidable power, but he had never personally fought him. He had absolutely no idea that his petals could be so terrifying! Just then, a wind infused with a rich floral scent picked up, carrying a multitude of petals towards Ye Xinghan. Ye Xinghan’s pupils contracted, and he instinctively retreated, but after just one step back, intense tearing forces emanated from in front of him… More precisely, from every single petal! These forces were so immense that he was practically unable to resist, forced to watch as the petals came into contact with his body one by one.

The first petal landed on his shoulder… It was clearly just a petal, yet in that instant, he distinctly felt as if a mountain had pressed down on his shoulder, causing his floating body to plummet sharply. Immediately after, the second, third, fourth, fifth… more and more petals settled onto him. With each additional petal, Ye Xinghan’s body grew heavier. After dozens of petals, he could no longer stay afloat and crashed violently from the air.

Even after landing, the immense pressure prevented him from even standing, forcing him down onto his knees… Finally, his entire upper body was pressed firmly against the cold, hard ground, unable to even lift his head.

“Ji… Qian… Rou!!” Ye Xinghan’s head was pressed to the ground as he roared in a hoarse voice, “I will never let you go! If you ever fall into my hands, I…”

A petal directly adhered to Ye Xinghan’s mouth, preventing him from making another sound. Ji Qianrou shook his head, lamenting with a theatrical sigh, “Young people are so prone to impulsiveness. Even now, you dare to be so stubborn. Aren’t you afraid that if I get angry, I might accidentally sever your head? A severed head, with blood spraying like blossoms from the throat… Oh… now *that* is the most exquisitely beautiful and intoxicating sight in the human world.”

Petals continued to fall, gradually covering the ground below. In the center, a not-so-tall mound of flowers formed. Within this mound, Ye Xinghan was completely buried, not even a corner of his robes visible.

Ji Qianrou’s body slowly floated into the air. He murmured softly to himself, “Owing someone a favor is always the most annoying feeling. Now, I’ve finally repaid it. I wonder how long little Hanhan will be buried… *Swoosh*, if little Cheche still gets caught by little Hanhan, then it’s not my fault, hmm? Hehehehehe…”