Chapter 2042 - 2038: Li Yunhuo’s Threat
Ye Fan’s departure was not because he was tired of Zhao Lina, or because he didn’t want to continue talking to her, but rather because he truly had matters to attend to.
This matter was quite urgent for him and needed to be addressed immediately. It involved Zhuo Junwu, specifically the whereabouts of Li Yunhuo.
Li Yunhuo deliberately reached out to him, inviting him to meet, and upon knowing that Li Yunhuo was not killed by Pan Gu and Fu Xi, Ye Fan had no choice but to go over and check the situation, thus temporarily setting Zhao Lina aside.
After leaving Mingde County, Ye Fan immediately headed to where Li Yunhuo was, in a star region very close to the Milky Way.
Li Yunhuo was alone at this time, seeming to have sustained injuries. Ye Fan could easily defeat Li Yunhuo, but he did not do so.
"Why did you call me here?" Ye Fan asked.
Li Yunhuo looked at Ye Fan and said, "You shouldn’t ask like that. You know, I previously fought with Pan Gu and Fu Xi. These two inflicted significant damage on me, and it’s quite fortunate I managed to escape. If not for your help, I’d likely be killed by them next."
"That has nothing to do with me," Ye Fan said, "Not notifying them of your whereabouts is already a sign of goodwill. Li Yunhuo, you have been using me from the beginning, and I’ve chosen not to fuss over it. What you represent is the force of the Heavenly Tribulation, which is antagonistic to cultivators and humans. I won’t be helping you with anything."
Li Yunhuo said, "I know you, Ye Fan, won’t help me, but it doesn’t mean I won’t come to see you. Ye Fan, you might already know, the Heavenly Tribulation is about to destroy all living spiritual forces in the universe, including yourself. If you continue to be stubborn, I don’t care, but have you thought about how to handle the next Heavenly Tribulation after this one?"
"That’s too far in the future for me to consider," Ye Fan said, "The next Heavenly Tribulation could be hundreds of thousands, even millions or billions of years away. How much impact does that have on me? What I can do is protect those around me during this Heavenly Tribulation. By the time the next one arrives, I’ll have better ways to resolve it. You don’t need to worry about me!"
Li Yunhuo said coldly, "What good methods do you have to resolve it? By the next Heavenly Tribulation, you will surely die as well. Your opposition to me now is meaningless. After I die, humans are sure to cultivate representatives of new Heavenly Tribulation forces. That person will certainly want to kill you. You’ll face many opponents!"
"Is this the purpose of you speaking to me?" Ye Fan seemed somewhat disappointed and said, "I thought you would offer me something tempting, but it turns out it’s just threats and intimidation. The Heavenly Tribulation is about to happen, and forming an allegiance with its forces is impossible. I haven’t killed you yet, which is already giving you face. If you continue being obsessed, don’t blame me for being equally harsh with you!"
Li Yunhuo said angrily, "Ye Fan, do you want to kill me? Ha, ha. Killing me won’t benefit you at all. Can you defeat Pan Gu and Fu Xi? After the Heavenly Tribulation, everything will still return to its original state. Why not cooperate with me? I can assure you that after the Heavenly Tribulation, you and those around you, even people on Earth, can remain safe and unaware that the Heavenly Tribulation ever happened. You can then use Earth as a base to create more intelligent life forms, and you would be the Creator God. Everyone would heed your wishes, even beings would regard you as a god... Isn’t this better than facing the Heavenly Tribulation and those ancient cultivators alone?"
Ye Fan said, "It seems you haven’t given up. Let me put it this way: eliminate this thought completely. I will never help you!"
Ye Fan’s attitude was very firm, which made Li Yunhuo quite angry.
He wanted to kill Ye Fan directly, but lacked the ability to do so. From Li Yunhuo’s perspective, only Ye Fan and the Chosen One beside him would aid Pan Gu and Fu Xi. Without Ye Fan and the Chosen One, a Heavenly Tribulation alone could destroy all worldly life, including Pan Gu and Fu Xi.
"What if I bring out something to exchange with you?" Li Yunhuo asked.
Ye Fan frowned and said, "What exchange conditions do you have? A Divine weapon? Or perhaps a promise about the future? If it’s just these, you can’t sway me."
Li Yunhuo appeared confident and said, "What if I use the lives of those around you as leverage? You must understand, though you can kill me, you can’t simultaneously guarantee the safety of those around you while defeating me. I won’t give you much chance, or rather, even if you kill me now, after the Heavenly Tribulation, all those around you will perish... including everyone on Earth! Haha, you ought to listen to me, right?"
Ye Fan looked at Li Yunhuo coldly and said, "I won’t give you this opportunity."
"Ye Fan, don’t be ungrateful. I’m still negotiating with you. Do you think Pan Gu and Fu Xi will reason with you? The people around you will sooner or later die; it’s just a matter of whose hands they perish by. In the most crucial moment, Pan Gu and Fu Xi might even trigger the power within you, making you lose control and see yourself kill those close to you. If that day truly comes, you should realize how tragic it is for you!" Li Yunhuo said.
Ye Fan thought for a moment, indeed sensing the gravity of what Li Yunhuo described, yet he obviously showed no sign of yielding.
Li Yunhuo said, "I’m now using those close to you to blackmail you. You know your third senior brother... which is Shen Biancheng, is now on Earth. Returning won’t help you; you can’t find him. And Bai He, these are people you once trusted. Now they can kill those close to you at any moment, relieving you of future worries. When the Heavenly Tribulation and ancient cultivators arrive simultaneously, will you seek revenge, defeat me, and overcome the Heavenly Tribulation, or listen to me now and ensure the safety of those around you until I spare them? Do you really want to let those women you love die?"
"You’re seeking death!" Ye Fan’s power was gathering.
Li Yunhuo said, "Whether I’m seeking death is no longer relevant. The most important thing is, you must listen to me now, or everyone around you will die one by one. This is my final act of mercy, Ye Fan. I now aim to change the cosmic rules at all costs, and you are the key figure. If you don’t heed my words, then everything is in vain. Do you think I’ll let you have a good life?"