Chapter 1913: Chapter 1909: Verifying the Chosen One
Ye Fan once again returned to the Pan Gu Secret Realm, entering the second layer of the secret realm. He needed to find Xi He and demand the return of Tantai Wanrong, who had been controlled by Xi He.
Upon arriving at the second layer of the secret realm, he discovered it was deserted and seemed to have just undergone a disaster. The lush forests had been destroyed, turned into scorched earth. The mountains, rivers, and lakes appeared to have dried up in a short time, resembling the destruction of a planet. What caused all of this, Ye Fan did not yet know.
Ye Fan probed around; it seemed a great battle had recently taken place here. As for who the opposing sides were, he also had no idea.
He thought to himself, "Fortunately, I had everyone taken out of the second layer of the Pan Gu Secret Realm in advance. But I don’t know the situation with Xi He and Tantai Wanrong. If this battle involved Xi He fighting someone else, I’m not sure what her condition is now!"
Just as Ye Fan was feeling a bit worried, Xi He appeared beside him, her face carrying a sense of melancholy, seemingly unable to accept the changes in the second layer of the secret realm.
"What exactly happened here?" Ye Fan asked.
"Isn’t it obvious? You’ve seen what you needed to see. Someone wanted to destroy this place... Actually, all of this is irreversible. Once the peace here was broken, the current outcome was inevitable, and you are the main culprit!" Tantai Wanrong said.
Ye Fan said, "What do you mean, are you saying that I caused all this?"
"If not you, then who else? You might not believe it, but I’m telling you, you yourself are the mastermind behind all this. You’re my master, so I don’t have the right to criticize you, but since the day you appeared here, the signs have been gradually manifesting... I’ve never lied to you!" Xi He said.
Ye Fan frowned and said, "You want to blame everything on me, but I won’t accept it. I’m asking you now, who caused this destruction? Pan Gu, Fu Xi, or is it Nuwa, or some other Ancient Power? Even an Immortal’s cultivation could completely annihilate this place. Humans are so fragile in front of Cultivators, and the human living environment seems even more fragile. Humans can even destroy their own habitats, and if Cultivators can destroy a planet in an instant, let alone an Immortal or an Ancient Power!"
"Perhaps you’re right in thinking this way!" Xi He suddenly sighed and said, "What destroyed all this wasn’t a single person. No one would have the idle interest to destroy the second layer of the secret realm. Even Pan Gu and Fu Xi wouldn’t be interested in doing so, nor would I. This is the result of two forces colliding... Since you arrived, there’s been a strange force condensing here, which gradually grew stronger and collided with the Spiritual Energy from the first layer of the secret realm, resulting in the current state..."
Ye Fan said, "You’re saying it wasn’t caused by humans, but by a force that emerged from within the second layer of the secret realm itself?"
Xi He nodded and said, "I’ve said before, from the Ancient Era, Pan Gu and Fu Xi discovered that the way forces condense isn’t limited to living beings alone. Besides life forms, there are many mysterious ways, which even Pan Gu and Fu Xi cannot decipher. These methods aren’t decided by creators like Pan Gu and Fu Xi, but by those creators on an even higher level. Do you understand?"
Ye Fan looked at Xi He but said nothing in the end. He felt Xi He might be hiding something from him.
"I don’t care what the second layer of the secret realm has turned into now." Ye Fan said, "I’ve entrusted Tantai Wanrong to you for a long time. If you’re looking for the so-called chosen one, shouldn’t you have already determined whether she is one or not? Can you give her back to me now?"
Xi He shook her head and said, "Unfortunately, I still haven’t proven whether she is or isn’t!"
"What do you mean, you want to... not return her, continue to detain her?" Ye Fan frowned and said.
"Perhaps you won’t be satisfied, but I can only say that there are some secrets about her unknown to you. Don’t you care about these yourself?" Xi He asked.
Ye Fan said, "The matters concerning her, we will discuss ourselves, you don’t need to tell me. I just want to ensure her safety and take her back now."
"Give me one more day, just one day, 24 hours. If measured by Earth’s time, that would be ten days. I can show you her current situation, letting you know for sure that she is perfectly safe..."
As she spoke, Xi He opened an illusionary space, allowing Ye Fan to see Tantai Wanrong within. Tantai Wanrong seemed immersed in a blissful joy, showing no signs of harm, and she lacked consciousness, as if in a dream.
"Are you numbing her with spiritual manipulation?" Ye Fan asked.
"To you... maybe it seems that way, but I haven’t inflicted any mental torture on her. The dreams she’s experiencing will vanish like a fleeting moment when she wakes up, leaving no impact on her life." Xi He said, "I want to use this method to gauge her attraction to some ancient powers. As far as I know, the celestial calamity power inherently repels the chosen one, so I’ll use a minimal amount of ancient celestial calamity power to test her reaction. If there’s no repulsion, it means she isn’t the chosen one."
Ye Fan squinted and said, "This ancient celestial calamity power seems to be something even I can’t formally oppose."
"But you must trust she has the capability." Xi He said, "Ye Fan, please don’t use your own judgment to evaluate the matters I face. Although you are my master now, I don’t need to explain every matter to you. Our goal is the same now, which is to find the chosen one. Hurting her gives me no advantage. Are you just trying to get me killed? Moreover, I assure you, even if we find the chosen one by your side, I’ll never harm this woman. I will help enhance her cultivation so she can truly assist you, is that satisfactory?"
Ye Fan felt relatively satisfied hearing these words. He nodded and said, "Fine, I’ll give you one more day. If after a day you still can’t provide an answer, even if more time is needed to verify, I won’t give you any more chances!"
