Chapter 31: Then Why Don’t You Take Another Look Behind You?

Yes.

Just moments ago, Luo Jiutian once again activated the Chaotic Blossom Eyes.

That surge of spiritual force seeped through his gaze, invading Luo Chen’s sea of consciousness and seizing control.

In truth, the Chaotic Blossom Eyes carried a fatal flaw—

So long as the opponent had their guard up, its effects were drastically weakened, even rendered useless outright.

That was why Luo Jiutian had refrained from using it for so many chapters.
He had saved it for this precise moment.

Now, as Luo Chen snapped back to himself, he abruptly staggered a step back and shouted:

“Don’t let Luo Jiutian fool you! Just now I was caught in his illusion—that’s why I said those things!”

The stone chamber fell into silence once more.

Su Zimo’s gaze tightened, his voice dropping a pitch lower.
“Controlled? Do you think we’ll believe such an excuse?”

Su Xinyuan stared at Luo Chen, her expression tangled, unable to utter a word.

Luo Jiutian’s face burned with righteous anger.
“Master, you can’t just wash your hands of your crimes by dumping all the filth on me! You confessed so readily just now, and now you claim it was me?”

“Shut up!” Luo Chen snapped coldly, cutting him off.
“Stop trying to drive a wedge between us!”

He looked toward the Su family disciples, forcing himself to stay calm.
“Think about it. If I truly intended to rip apart our alliance, I would’ve struck the moment we first met Luo Jiutian. Why wait until now?”

Luo Jiutian let out a mocking laugh.
“At that time, Su Zimo and Su Xinyuan were the only ones present. Of course you didn’t want to act yet—your goal was to wipe them all out in one fell swoop.”

“Utter nonsense!” Luo Chen’s voice rose sharp with indignation.
“What possible benefit would I gain? Hurting others without helping myself—that’s the work of a madman!”

The air in the chamber grew taut with tension.

The Su clan disciples shifted uncomfortably, faces betraying hesitation as they listened to the back-and-forth.
They were wavering.

Luo Chen, naturally, saw their indecision. He pressed the advantage.
“Brother Su, whatever’s happened, we are allies. Why not join forces to finish Luo Jiutian first? Everything else can be settled afterward.”

Su Zimo’s eyes flickered, gaze darting between Luo Chen and Luo Jiutian.

It was true—whatever the truth might be, if they could take this chance to rid themselves of Luo Jiutian, the Su family would have one less threat looming overhead.

After a moment’s thought, Su Zimo slowly nodded.
“In that case, I will believe in Young Master Luo once more.”

Su Xinyuan shot him a glance, lips trembling before she forced a thin smile.
“I have no objections.”

With those words, the Su family’s stance aligned.

A trace of triumph curled across Luo Chen’s lips.
He turned his gaze on Luo Jiutian.
“Brother Jiutian, it seems the situation isn’t looking too good for you.”

Luo Jiutian first widened his eyes in mock astonishment, then allowed his features to twist into panic.
“Su Zimo, you fool! Teaming up with Luo Chen is no different than digging your own grave!”

Su Zimo flicked open his folding fan, that familiar insincere smile returning to his face.
“Brother Luo, you worry too much. The Su clan knows its own interests.”

Hearing this, Luo Jiutian’s expression sank.

Not far away, Luo Chen’s smile deepened into arrogance.
“Why so quiet, Brother Jiutian? Not to your liking? Or do you still think you have some chance to turn things around?”

He strode a step closer, his voice rising, saturated with smug certainty.
“Your road ends here. Not even Heaven itself could save you now!”

But before he could revel in his triumph for long, Luo Jiutian’s lips curved in a faint, chilling smile.
“Is that so? Then why don’t you… take another look behind you?”

Luo Chen froze.
His heart lurched.
He whipped around sharply.

What he saw made his blood run cold.

A beastly visage loomed there, faint yet vivid—a phantasmal head with sunken eyes, jagged horns jutting from either side, and a mouth bristling with dense, predatory fangs.

It was staring straight at him.

Meanwhile, back in the heart of the secret realm—

The battle between the Li clan and the Xiao clan still raged on.

Yet to the careful observer, it was clear that the Li family was slowly but surely falling behind.

Xiao Yan raised his sword, catching Li Daming’s heavy punch. He smiled lightly.
“Brother Li, call it here. That would be best for both sides. Of the ‘Essence-Tempering Persimmons,’ our Xiao clan is willing to part with one for you.”

Li Daming sneered, his fist slamming through the air with enough force to tear it.
His strike landed heavy, but not nearly as swift or sharp as before—his movements had begun to slow.

“Give us one persimmon?” Li Daming’s voice dropped, rough with fury.
“You think we’re beggars to be tossed scraps?”

He drew a deep breath, forcing his wavering strength into steadiness.
“There are ten Essence-Tempering Persimmons here. And you Xiao clan would keep nine for yourselves? How greedy can you be!”

With that, he lunged again, fist roaring through the air toward Xiao Yan.

But Xiao Yan sidestepped with ease. The punch missed, and when Li Daming steadied himself again, beads of sweat were already rolling down his brow.

The smile faded from Xiao Yan’s face, though his tone remained even.
“For us to concede even one is already magnanimous. Keep this up, and your Li family may not walk away with a single fruit.”

At his signal, the Xiao clan disciples advanced in unison, their combined momentum sharp as blades.

The Li clan had no choice but to draw closer together, the noose tightening around them.

“Enough!” Li Daming snarled, his teeth grinding.
“You think we fear you?”

“Brother Li, open your eyes and look carefully.” Xiao Yan gestured at the exhausted faces of the Li clan disciples.
“How much longer can they endure?”

Li Daming’s gaze turned frigid. He said nothing.

Of course he knew—dragging this fight out was ruinous for the Li family.
But to surrender outright? He could not accept it.

Then, suddenly—

A crushing pressure swept over the battlefield.

Both,Li clan and Xiao clan,were slammed in place, pinned as though by invisible mountains. Breathing itself grew impossible.

Xiao Yan forced himself upright, refusing to bend a knee, but sweat poured from his temples.
His expression twisted.
“What… What is this? Could it be… a beast breaking out in the secret realm?”

No one answered.

Not because they were unwilling, but because they could not.
Even Li Daming, already weakened, collapsed to his knees under the weight.

Panic spread like wildfire.

Every soul struggled desperately against the oppression, but their efforts were useless.
Their breaths turned shallow, their limbs stiff as stone, even the twitch of a finger became unbearable effort.

And then, from the distant sky, a crimson light appeared.

Every head tilted upward instinctively.

A figure descended from above, wrapped in that burning scarlet glow.

It was a young girl.

Her crimson gown trailed in the wind, her figure slender, her features sweet and beautiful—yet her face carried not a trace of a smile.

Her calm expression was so still, so cold, it chilled the heart.

It was none other than Su Wan’er.

Only now did everyone understand.

The suffocating force pressing them into the dirt was emanating from her alone.

They had counted and calculated every possibility—
But none of them had ever imagined that the cheerful little girl who always smiled could harbor such unfathomable power.

“Su… Senior,” Xiao Yan stammered, his voice trembling under the weight.
“What brings you here? If… if you desire the Essence-Tempering Persimmons, I will fetch them for you at once.”

He yielded instantly.

Against this kind of might—might that brushed the edge of annihilation—struggle was meaningless.

But Su Wan’er spared him no glance.

Her gaze fixed coldly on Xiao Yan.
“You. Have you seen my Brother Jiutian?”

Xiao Yan blinked, stunned. It took him a beat to grasp whom she meant.

“…Ah. You must mean Brother Jiutian. He passed by not long ago—headed that way.”

He pointed quickly toward the direction Luo Jiutian had fled earlier.

Su Wan’er’s eyes flickered, her composure barely shifting.

Without another word, her form blurred into a streak of red light, vanishing in that very direction.