Chen Fan turned on the light. As the beam shone, he saw not just one person, but another woman beside Ye Yunchen, her long hair dripping wet and clinging to him.
The other Nanyang Grandmaster was nowhere to be seen.
Chen Fan remained silent, merely shining the light on Ye Yunchen, his expression inscrutable and his intentions unclear.
"Chen Tianjiao?"
Ye Yunchen finally reacted, calling out the name.
On the vast ocean, possessing a kayak undoubtedly offered the greatest chance of survival. It wasn't surprising that Ye Yunchen's first thought was of Chen Fan.
After all, the destruction of the cargo ship was entirely Chen Fan's doing.
Therefore, the one appearing now in a kayak was most likely Chen Fan.
Chen Fan did not reply. Instead, he raised the Tian Cong Yun Sword and unleashed a sword strike from the air.
Sword energy descended, agitating the seawater.
"Brother Chen, why the hostility?"
From Chen Fan's figure and the nature of his attack, Ye Yunchen was certain it was him. He sighed theatrically.
The woman beside him reached out, and a large mass of seawater suddenly flew up, forming an inverted waterfall that shattered the incoming sword energy and cascaded down.
"Brother Chen, I bear you no ill will," Ye Yunchen said quickly.
"Is that so?" Chen Fan ceased his attack and retorted, "You are from Tiandao, here for the Dragon-Patterned Luopan in my hand. Is that also without malice?"
Ye Yunchen fell silent for a moment before admitting, "I was indeed ordered to find a way to obtain the Dragon-Patterned Luopan from you.
"But after knowing each other for so long, when have I ever truly attacked you?"
Chen Fan countered, "That's because you had reservations. If you had truly attacked, you wouldn't be able to speak now."
"I am, of course, deeply convinced of Brother Chen's strength."
Ye Yunchen continued, "Indeed, I am from the Tiandao organization. My master, Zun Xin, is the founder of Tiandao.
"There is also someone you surely know, Su Yuhua, whose Yuhua Group is also under Tiandao's control. His failure in Hangjiang led to me being sent to the capital!
"Rebuilding the Sihai Gang was merely a ruse!"
Chen Fan let out a cold laugh. "So candid?"
"Since Brother Chen mentioned Tiandao, it means my two senior brothers have already spoken. There's no point in hiding anything further."
Ye Yunchen forced a bitter smile. "However, you should know that I am merely a pawn of my master. When the Sihai Gang was destroyed, he saved me with ulterior motives.
"If you kill me, in the current situation, it would be difficult for me to resist. But doing so would not benefit Brother Chen much."
"Oh?"
Chen Fan said indifferently, "I'd be interested to hear what you have to say."
"My master is determined to obtain the Dragon-Patterned Luopan."
"The reason he hasn't come himself is that he knows you haven't gathered all the fragments of the Dragon-Patterned Luopan."
Ye Yunchen explained, "If I die here, my master will come in person next time.
"So what?" Chen Fan said calmly.
"You are not his match, at least not yet. And my master is a terrifying individual, prone to fits of rage and possessing a cruel disposition.
Ye Yunchen continued, "I have always wanted to break free from his control. If you keep me alive, you gain someone to keep him in check."
"Is there such a need?" Chen Fan stated impassively.
"My master's strength far surpasses martial arts grandmasters like Zuo Lizhou. He cultivates certain special secret techniques and has produced seven or eight martial arts grandmasters under his tutelage.
"Through these secret techniques, he is no different from a terrestrial immortal who has crossed the threshold of heaven and man.
"An enemy so determined to obtain the Dragon-Patterned Luopan is someone Brother Chen would not want to face."
Chen Fan replied, "This is still not enough. The reasons you've given are insufficient for me to let you go."
"I told you I can keep him in check, and I might even betray him when necessary. Ye Yunchen said, "Keep me alive, and when you want to obtain the Dragon-Patterned Luopan fragment that Tiandao possesses, I can provide you with information."
"Can I still trust you?" Chen Fan sneered.
"Our interests align," Ye Yunchen said. "My mission has failed, and I will undoubtedly face punishment upon my return. But I still want to escape my master's control.
"The Dragon-Patterned Luopan is of little consequence to me; it's only my master who is so determined to have it."
Chen Fan remained noncommittal. "Tell me all the information you have about the Dragon-Patterned Luopan."
"I don't know much."
Ye Yunchen said, "I only know that it is a key artifact for opening a secret realm within Kunlun. Its origins also seem to be extraordinary.
"However, the artifact alone may not be enough; specific conditions are also required, but I am unaware of what those are.
"As for anything else, my knowledge is less than yours."
He spread his hands. "Brother Chen, if you insist on killing me, then I have nothing more to say."
Chen Fan turned off the light and said, "Let's go. Good luck to you."
"Thank you, Brother Chen," Ye Yunchen expressed his gratitude and, with the woman, swam away.
Chen Fan truly harbored little killing intent towards Ye Yunchen.
Furthermore, Ye Yunchen was indeed an intelligent person, and his words had swayed Chen Fan.
Keeping him alive was more useful than killing him.
Of course, Ye Yunchen himself posed little threat to him.
Just then, a colossal wave surged upwards.
Chen Fan's senses immediately sharpened. He turned his head and saw a dark figure in the air, indistinct, almost invisible.
Following closely was a second figure rising from the water, soaring like a roc, lunging towards the kayak.
The momentum was overwhelming, the killing intent chilling.
Chen Fan's pupils constricted.
"Damn it!"
Ze shouted, grabbing his gun and unleashing a burst of fire.
But after firing the burst, the second figure in mid-air twisted as if it had grown wings, managing to evade the spray of bullets.
The first, indistinct figure had already descended, an icy aura emanating from it, causing one's breath to catch.
Feng Qianluan cried out in alarm, "It's Yin Ya Zi!"
The baleful energy was too distinct; Feng Qianluan remembered it vividly.
Under this baleful energy, Su Yingxia felt as if she could barely breathe, her respiration nearly ceasing.
Chen Fan ignored the figure behind him, stepping over Su Yingxia, and swung the Tian Cong Yun Sword.
Sword energy crisscrossed, a single blade of cold light.
The indistinct figure contorted and solidified, pressing down with a claw, which managed to lock onto the sword.
Yin Ya Zi's attack was perfectly timed, a sudden burst, executed with exquisite precision.
Chen Fan did not dwell on why Yin Ya Zi had appeared.
Shining the light on Ye Yunchen earlier had obviously revealed their position. Yin Ya Zi might have encountered the previous attackers and was now tracking them.
A dragon's roar echoed, and the sword energy spun wildly, transforming into a storm.
Yin Ya Zi's body twisted, and its form seemed to merge with the darkness as it was sent flying backward.
His strength was immense, but the force he drew from the water to propel himself was clearly insufficient.
In contrast, Chen Fan, standing on the kayak, exerted a far greater force when he drew his sword, even though it caused the kayak to dip.
Moreover, Yin Ya Zi had been in the water for a considerable time, which naturally affected his condition.
With a plop, the flying Yin Ya Zi fell back into the water.
But at that very moment, the other figure attacked from the air.
"Be careful!"
Feng Qianluan dared not involve herself in a battle of this magnitude. She hunched down, quickly shouting a warning.