"No, I won''t let you do that!


    How can I trust you when you threaten me so openly?"


    Mo Fan asked, refusing to let Ashen enter his sea of consciousness.


    Ashen''s voice became strict as he advised:


    "Stop being stubborn, Iam giving you a way out.


    Take it and live out the rest of your life peacefully.


    Isn''t that what you wanted?"


    "This isn''t a way out,


    you are just forcing me todie"


    Mo Fan shouted in opposition.


    Meanwhile, the people who were present all began to whisper and murmur, voicingouttheir opinions.


    "Why isn''t Mo Fan just epting the lord''s offer?"


    "Isn''t he telling the truth?"


    "Who knows?maybehe was lying all along and is now afraid of his lie gettingexposed"


    "Yeah, If he is telling thetruththen he shouldn''t have anything tohide"


    "Right, he is just increasing problems for everyone!"


    "I say that Lord should just force him to open his sea ofconsciousness"


    "Anyhow, it seems that Mo Fan is in the wronghere"


    Mo Fan heard all this and was baffled.


    Was letting someone enter their sea of consciousness a simple matter?


    Why were these people so casual about it, ming him for refusing this proposal?


    At this moment, Ashen''s voice reached his ears:


    "Alright, My patience is running out.


    Let''s do this.


    I will count to threeandyou will open your sea of consciousness, otherwise, thepatriarchwill slit yourthroat"


    Ashen gestured thepatriarchto capture Mo Fan.


    "Huh?" Mo Fan''s eyes widened at this unreasonable proposal as he noticed thepatriarchrushing at him.


    He attempted to run awaybuts, his meager self was not the match for thePatriarchwhowas at the peak of Nascent soul realm.


    "Release me, you bastard!


    Let me go!"


    Mo Fan yelled, attempting to get out of thepatriarch''sgrip, however,soonfound thepatriarch''ssword touching his neck.


    "Mo Fan, looks like today is the day you die, my nephew!"


    Thepatriarchwhispered into Mo Fan''s ears.


    "One!"


    Ashen began his count as a frightened expression revealed itself on Mo Fan''s countenance.


    "Two!"


    At this moment, Mo Fan felt the sword tightening at his neck, making a sting upon touch.


    He felt his heart racing faster.


    Hedecided tolet Ashen enter his mind rather than die a meaningless death.


    At least leaving his fate to Ashen and his luck, was better than certain death.


    He opened his mouth to announce his intentions, however, before he could do so,


    Boom!


    A punch connected to thepatriarch''shandthat washolding the sword, making the sword fall out of his hand.


    The man who punched him took Mo Fan and retreated to the back, trying to make his escape.


    This man was mixedin the audience who had gathered to watch the event of the family.


    "Stop him!" Thepatriarchshouted before gaining his bnce.


    The servants and Mo Yi''s fatherappeared in front of the man to stop him, however, he wasn''t scared at all as he released his aura, revealing his cultivation.


    "Peak stage of Nascent soul realm?" Everyone shouted in shock with wide eyes.


    However, they soon calmed down as thepatriarchappeared in front of the man and Mo Fan to engage him.


    Sowhat,if he was a peak nascent soul realm cultivator?


    Wasn''t thepatriarchalso in the same realm?


    Also, this was the Mo family, thepatriarch''sterritory.


    He had an advantage here.


    Themanhoweverdidn''t seem fazed at all as he whistled.


    Whoosh!


    Four more men appeared from the audience, clearing out a way while twoof themengaged thepatriarch.


    Ashen nodded at Mo Chen, gesturing for him to join the fight.


    Mo Chen obeyed Ashen''smand, getting down to help thePatriarchfight off the men.


    The other two men engaged with the guards, servants, and elders of the Mo Family, making way for the escape of the man holding Mo Fan.


    Ashen, however,wasn''t one of those viins who would sit back and wait without fighting.


    Thosetypes of viins onlydie after the protagonist returns stronger to takehisrevenge.


    Ashenmade use ofhis movement skill, appearing in front of the man holding Mo Fan.


    The man''s eyes widened upon seeing Ashen appear in front of him so fast.


    "Get out of my way if you don''t want to die!" The man threatened, releasing his powerful aura.


    Ashen scoffed in response to his threat,ughing it off:


    "Hahaha, You know what, I want to die, Please kill me if you can!"


    Hearing his response, a puzzled expression appeared on the man''s face as he thought to himself:


    "Is there a screw loose in his head or what?"


    However, soonhispuzzled expression changed, getting reced by horror.


    Ashen smiled at him as he released his 9th-stage origin realm aura.


    This aura was so powerful that the man in front of him felt as ifa mountain had been cedon his headandhe wasn''t alone who felt this way.


    All his friends who hade with him to save Mo Fanwere feelingthe same.


    In an instanttwoof thosemen,fell on their kneesunableto stand up.


    "Origin realm?" The man holding Mo Fan groaned in horror.


    "Looks like our information was iplete!" He grumbled while attempting to resist the pressure he was feeling.


    With the men unable to move, thepatriarchand Mo Chen yed the two men they were fighting before rushing to help the others.


    They knew Ashen didn''t need any help.


    The man looked at Mo Fan as he said: "Kid, looks like we won''t be able to help you in future."


    Saying that, he began to burn his life essence, exchanging his life for power.


    With this newfound strength, he was able to resist Ashen''s pressure.


    In a sh,he vanished from his spot, appearing a little far from Ashen.


    Ashen was surprised at first, however,soonhe understood that it was all because of the amount of life essence this man was burning.


    Ashen feltthat itwould be a waste to follow this man andinstead,targeted Mo Fan.


    He raised his hand, taking out his index finger before aiming at Mo Fan''s head.


    And Shoot!


    The Yin Blossom beam left his fingertip before piercing Mo Fan''s head.


    The man fell down due to being pierced by the beam.


    His hair had all turned white while his face had wrinkles all over his face.


    Ashen rushed to him, wanting to check if he had seen correctly.


    After reaching the man, he turned him around.


    His eyes widened as he failed to find Mo Fan''s corpse.


    "What? Where is he?" Ashen asked with wide eyes open in shock.


    "System, tell me whether Mo Fan is dead or alive?"


    [Ding! Host, The Protagonist Mo Fan is alive right now!]


    "As I suspected!" Ashen murmured before asking:"But how? How did he vanishall of a sudden?"


    "It was the teleportation talisman!"


    Mo Chen appeared with the answer to his question.


    "How do you know that?"


    Ashen asked, curious as to whywas Mo Chenso sure.


    "Because only that would make sense for his sudden disappearance. That talisman is the only way for someone to vanish like this."


    Ashen nodded in understanding, however,soonheard Mo Chen''s question:


    "But who are these menandwhat istheir rtion to Mo Fan?


    Also, why were they ready to even die for Mo Fan?


    Especially thisguy,He burnt his life essence andalsoused a teleportation talisman to save Mo Fan instead of himself.


    Isn''t that peculiar?"


    "Let''s leave that forter, canwe find Mo Fan somehow?


    Like some direction or something?"


    Ashen asked, hoping to find a way to catch him again.


    However, crushing his hopes, Mo Chen shook his head:


    "No, we can''t find where he is right now.


    The teleportation talisman teleports a person to a random ce to some distance.


    Only an inscription and talisman master could read the lingering inscriptions and qi in the air to determine the direction in which Mo Fan has been teleported."


    "Alright, I understand!" Ashen nodded before leaving to sit at his previous seat.


    He fixed his gaze at thePatriarchbefore asking:


    "Hey Patriarch, Tell me everything you know about Mo Fan.


    I need to find him again!"


    ThePatriarchunderstood as he revealed everything he knew.


    Like how Ling Yun was his childhood sweetheart andwas imprisonedin the Vine Bull Sect.


    Also, more or lesssome moreinformation that could be of some use, however, the information about Ling Yun was the most precious one out of them all.


    Getting all that information, Ashen left with Mo Chen, however, now Ashen had a clear destinationin his mind- Vine Bull Sect.


    With Mo Chen apanying him, he appeared in front of Vine Bull Sect after a few hours.


    It wasn''t that far away from the Mo Family''s house.


    Thiswas the top sect in Xuin City, however, in front of Phoenix Feather Sect, It was like an earthworm in front of a dragon.


    "Stop! Who are you? Show your identification!!" The guards of the Vine Bull Sect shouted, stopping Ashen and Mo Chen from entering.


    To this, Ashen just showed his sect token.


    "P-Phoenix Feather Sect?"


    -----------------------------------


    (A/N - Thanks for reading. ^..^)