Chapter 149: Spiritual Artifact, Mo Yuan

Silence.

The scene was deathly still.

Witnessing this, everyone present was dumbfounded, their mouths agape in shock.

A few seconds later...

“Yifan, your father is proud of you—no, you are your father’s pride!”

Su Zhenguo’s heart surged with emotion, his words barely coherent.

At times, he truly wondered if Yifan had spent the past five years cultivating immortality.

“This...”

The old man in the azure robe finally came to his senses, utterly speechless from the shock.

This kid must be a prodigy!

That was his full-strength sword strike. Though not at his peak as before, it was still more than enough to slay a Martial Saint-level expert.

Even a Martial God would be severely wounded, yet it hadn’t harmed him in the slightest!

“No, impossible!”

Seeing this, Mu Chen staggered, nearly collapsing to the ground. After a brief hesitation, he turned and tried to flee.

“Trying to run now? Don’t you think it’s a bit late?”

Su Yifan swung his sword at him.

“Pfft!”

Mu Chen’s head was severed instantly, blood gushing forth.

“No! You brat, how dare you kill my disciple?!”

Seeing Mu Chen’s death, the aura of the old man in the azure robe erupted again.

“I kill you, and what can you do to me? Do you really think you’re my match?”

No sooner had he spoken.

Su Yifan reached out from a distance.

A massive hand, formed from condensed spiritual energy, instantly grabbed the old man, immobilizing him.

“What? This is...”

“Enough talk. The dead should look like the dead.”

Su Yifan clenched his palm.

“Bang!”

The old man’s phantom exploded in an instant.

Looking at the spiritual weapon Morayuan that fell to the ground, Su Yifan reached out and grabbed it.

“Not bad, not bad. Though it’s a bit dark, my sister should like it.”

After a quick inspection confirming it was fine, Su Yifan tucked Morayuan away, then began plundering the belongings of the Lingjian Sect members.

Before long.

Having finished gathering, Su Yifan counted and found twenty-five thousand spirit stones. There were also numerous spirit medicines of various kinds.

“A first-rate sect indeed. Although their strength is lacking, they surely have many good things!”

Su Yifan muttered to himself.

Then, a spiritual flame flickered to life in his hand, burning the corpses of the Lingjian Sect members thoroughly.

At that moment.

From a tall building several hundred meters away, a black figure observed the scene and immediately turned to leave.

“Hm?”

Su Yifan sensed something amiss. Moving slightly, he vanished from where he stood the next moment.

Within a few breaths’ time, Su Yifan reappeared behind the black figure.

“What?!”

The man seemed to sense someone behind him and spun around.

But just as he turned.

A large hand suddenly appeared, gripping his throat and lifting him off the ground.

“Y-You, how did you—”

Before he could speak further.

Su Yifan gave him no chance and began extracting his soul.

Moments later…

“Bang!”

Su Yifan slapped him hard. The man instantly dissolved into a mist of blood.

“No wonder Leng Bufan arrived so quickly. So all of this was your doing. You really played your cards well.”

After handling the scene, Su Yifan returned home.

At that moment, Su Zhenguo, Zhang Hong, and Xu Shuyan approached.

“Yifan, where did you go just now?”

Su Zhenguo asked.

“Nothing much, just crushed a bug.”

Su Yifan shook his head, then noticed Xie Wei was no longer there, so he asked:

“Where’s Xie Wei?”

“Oh, you mean Little Wei? She’s already left. Do you need to see her?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Su Yifan said as he looked at Xu Shuyan. “Let’s go, I’ll take you home.”

Hearing this, Xu Shuyan snapped out of her thoughts and nodded. “Okay. Then Uncle and Auntie, I’ll head back now.”

“Sure, come visit again when you have time.”

Su Zhenguo and his wife nodded in unison.

Watching the two youngsters leave, Su Zhenguo took Zhang Hong’s hand and headed inside.

“Why are you pulling me? Don’t tell me you want to—No way!”

Zhang Hong, suspecting her mischievous husband, immediately refused.

“Honghong, what are you thinking? I’m pulling you back to cultivate. We can’t always hide behind our son.”

Su Zhenguo spoke solemnly.

Seeing his earnest expression, Zhang Hong frowned. “Just cultivation? Nothing else?”

“Honghong, what’s with that look? You doubt me? Do you think your husband is just that kind of man?”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“If not, then stop talking and let’s go.”

...

Twenty minutes later.

The car stopped in front of a private apartment building.

“We’re here.”

Su Yifan spoke.

Hearing his voice, Xu Shuyan slowly lifted her downcast head, uttered an “oh,” and unbuckled her seatbelt, preparing to get out.

At that moment,

She paused.

“What’s wrong?”

Su Yifan asked, noticing her hesitation.

Taking a deep breath and summoning courage, Xu Shuyan said, “Um... is she your girlfriend?”

“She?”

Su Yifan furrowed his brow, then thought of Xie Wei and shook his head.

“No.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Shuyan exhaled the breath she’d been holding.

Then she asked, “Then have you ever...”

Before she could finish,

Su Yifan interrupted gently, “Shuyan, I know what you mean, but we... that’s impossible.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he finally said it.

He knew it might hurt Xu Shuyan, but there was no other way.

Better to cut it clean now than to let things get tangled later.

Besides, in his heart, only the beautiful Master held his affection; there was no room for anyone else.

“Why?”

Xu Shuyan mustered courage and looked toward Su Yifan.

“Because we’re from different worlds. You have your own path to follow.”

Su Yifan said earnestly.

Hearing this, Xu Shuyan seemed to understand.

Different worlds?

Does he mean because he’s not a martial artist?

Is it impossible to be together if one isn’t?

More than a minute passed in silence; the two said nothing.

Finally,

Xu Shuyan pushed the car door open and stepped out.

With a bang, the door closed.

“Vroom—vroom—”

Su Yifan started the car.

Just as he was about to press the accelerator and leave,

Xu Shuyan’s voice came softly through the window.

“Yifan, back then... did you ever like me? Even just a little?”

“I’m sorry.”

Leaving only these words,

Su Yifan pressed the accelerator and drove away.

Watching the car disappear into the distance, Xu Shuyan stood there dazed.

Did he truly never like her?

Could it be that all these years,

It was only her own wishful thinking?

No one knew how long she stood there, until the sky darkened...