Chapter 180: Chapter 133: Where on Earth Is Jiang Yunnuan? Why Did You Lose Her?
"By the way, Ming Ye, do you think the sea will hurt Nuannuan? When we went looking, we only saw that bastard. We didn’t see Nuannuan. I don’t know what’s become of her now..."
Si Xie wanted to kill Fu Yuan.
’It was all that damn guy’s fault for insisting on taking Nuannuan under the sea. That’s why things turned out this way.’
’If anything really happened to Nuannuan, he would never let that bastard get away with it.’
"She’d be fine with Fu Yuan, but if she left his side, it’s hard to say. The sea is treacherous, and Jiang Yunnuan isn’t an idiot. She definitely wouldn’t have left on her own, so..."
At this, Ming Ye paused. Frowning, Si Xie impatiently and irritably cut him off.
"So the reason we couldn’t find Nuannuan is that something must have happened to her, right? I didn’t sense that her life was in danger, so she must have been kidnapped and hidden somewhere, waiting for us to rescue her."
"Ming Ye, I’ll take care of your brother. You go back under the sea and look for Nuannuan. Remember to ask around among the Sea Clan. If you can’t find her, then drag that bastard Fu Yuan out. He might know what happened."
He had already angered the sea, so he probably wouldn’t be allowed back in. If he tried to enter again, there was no telling what kind of severe consequences it might trigger.
That’s why he could only entrust this entire matter to Ming Ye.
Ming Ye nodded, gently placing Ming Yue on the ground.
"Alright, I’ll go find Jiang Yunnuan. I’m leaving my brother with you. Si Xie, you’d better watch him carefully. If anything happens to him, don’t blame me for turning on you."
"Rest assured. I’ll take good care of your brother. If anything happens to him on my watch, you can have my head."
Si Xie patted his chest, vowing solemnly.
Seeing this, Ming Ye said no more. His figure flickered, and transforming into a dragon, he plunged into the sea.
The sea was still raging, and the entire seabed trembled. A terrifying, world-ending aura, like a divine punishment, sent the countless members of the Sea Clan into a panic, yet Ming Ye remained completely unaffected.
He swam on, searching as he went...
With no clues, he decided to go find Fu Yuan.
Before long, he arrived at the spot where Fu Yuan had been.
Unlike when they had left, Fu Yuan was now in a trance, sitting cross-legged on the stone platform with his eyes closed. An immense vortex swirled above his head, and streams of pure, formidable power poured down from it into his body.
’Is he... breaking through?’
Ming Ye had never seen a breakthrough like this before. Reverting to his human form, he stood to one side to observe.
After observing for a moment, he realized that Fu Yuan was unconscious. This breakthrough, therefore, wasn’t something he had initiated himself. Rather, it was triggered by the sea, and he was just a passive recipient.
’I wonder how long this breakthrough will take.’
Ming Ye tore his gaze away and scanned the surroundings, hoping to find any sentient members of the Sea Clan.
’Fu Yuan must have lost consciousness here, which means Jiang Yunnuan must have also disappeared from this spot. If I can find any marine life, I might get a clue to her whereabouts.’
Soon, however, he was disappointed. Whether it was out of fear for the power of Fu Yuan’s bloodline or not, there wasn’t a single living creature for miles in any direction—only seagrass and strange rock formations.
With no other choice, Ming Ye could only wait patiently for Fu Yuan’s breakthrough to finish.
Fortunately, Fu Yuan’s breakthrough was progressing much faster than expected. Just over ten minutes later, the aura emanating from him suddenly surged.
The massive vortex dissolved into a stream of light that flowed entirely into his body. As the sea slowly calmed, he finally opened his eyes.
"You’re awake?"
Ming Ye appeared before him in a flash, frowning as he sized him up.
’What a formidable aura. After refining the Power of the Sea, this guy actually broke through directly to the level of a Half-step Ultimate Venerable. A breakthrough speed like that is truly enviable.’
"Why are you here? Where’s Nuannuan?"
Fu Yuan started at the sight of him, then his thoughts suddenly flew to Jiang Yunnuan. He looked around anxiously, and when he saw no sign of her, his expression immediately turned to one of panic.
Ming Ye’s eyes narrowed as he reprimanded him in a low voice, "You have the nerve to ask? Weren’t you the one who brought her into the sea? How can you not know where she is? I’m the one who should be asking you where the hell Jiang Yunnuan is! How did you lose her?"
At his words, Fu Yuan’s face turned grim. He closed his eyes, racking his brain, and finally managed to recall a few things.
"I think... my breakthrough was suddenly interrupted by a formidable power, and after that, I don’t remember anything. This is bad. Something must have happened to Nuannuan!"
"Hah. You’re really something else. Getting attacked during a breakthrough on your own turf. What are you going to do now? If you can’t get Jiang Yunnuan back, I’d like to see how you’ll answer to Si Xie and Yan Chen. And I doubt Jun Yao will let you off the hook, either."
Ming Ye mocked him without mercy.
"Nuannuan’s life isn’t in danger yet. As long as she’s alive, I will find her!"
The moment the words left his mouth, Fu Yuan closed his eyes and activated his ability as the Lord of the Sea, reading the ocean’s memories.
A few minutes later, he opened his eyes. With a wave of his hand, the water before them formed a Water Mirror, and a series of scenes began to play out across its surface.
"I’m about to have a breakthrough. We can talk about whatever it is after I’m done. Just remember not to wander off."
In the image, after giving Jiang Yunnuan this instruction, Fu Yuan created a Barrier, sat down on the spot, and began his Cultivation.
Jiang Yunnuan watched him for a few seconds, then opened her Light Brain. Ming Ye knew she was trying to contact Si Xie, but because he had been in the middle of his Cultivation at the time, she hadn’t been able to reach him.
"Did that guy fall asleep?"
Then, she took a short video of Fu Yuan and sent it with a voice message.
After sending the voice message, she collapsed, unconscious.
Just then, a shadowy figure emerged from a patch of coral. It watched her quietly through the water for a moment, then raised a hand to destroy the Barrier Fu Yuan had created.
CRACK! The Barrier shattered. Fu Yuan coughed up blood and fell unconscious. The figure walked over, kicked the unconscious Fu Yuan aside, and lifted Jiang Yunnuan from the ground.
The image in the Water Mirror froze.
Fu Yuan’s eyes widened in shock and fury as he glared at the shadowy figure.
"Ming Ye, doesn’t the look in his eyes when he watches Nuannuan seem familiar?"
"It does. It’s even more intense than the way you and Si Xie look at Jiang Yunnuan. A gaze like that... I’ve only ever seen it on one person..."
Ming Ye frowned at the figure, shrouded in darkness from head to toe, as the image of a face unconsciously surfaced in his mind.
Hearing this, Fu Yuan gritted his teeth, his brow tightly furrowed. "Jun Yao!" he bit out, his voice sharp and certain.
’Ming Ye was right. He had only ever seen a gaze like that on one person: Jun Yao. It could only be Jun Yao.’
’Obsessive, sick, insane, and domineering!’
’Whenever he looked at Jiang Yunnuan, his eyes were like those of a psychopath.’
"That damn bastard. He disappeared for so long, I actually thought he’d given up on Nuannuan. I never imagined it was all just a facade he’d deliberately created."
"To be able to find Nuannuan so precisely under the sea without a contract... it seems he was following us from the moment we entered the water, maybe even earlier. And yet... I never detected him."
