Ms. Diviner: The Prodigal Daughter's Return Chapter 1435: Her Place in His Heart

"Very well, let's gauge your progress over the years," Yun Qianmo declared, pointing his longsword.

A resounding 'Crack!' echoed as lightning split the night sky, and a surge of sword light pierced the darkness, appearing to cleave the very heavens and earth. As the thunder boomed, both Ye Lanfeng and Yun Qianmo moved simultaneously.

Two beams of sword light blazed across the sky, outshining even the lightning itself.

An overwhelming sword power relentlessly erupted, slamming Huayue and others directly to the ground. The Fifth Prince and Qu Fengting were thrown backward, crashing against the courtyard wall before managing to steady themselves. Their sturdy battle armor, forged from refined steel, displayed a network of spiderweb-like cracks. Blood boiled within their chests, forcing them to spew mouthfuls of crimson fluid.

Meanwhile, the dozens of soldiers armed with the Cloud Piercing Stone Shattering Bows were instantly rendered unconscious, their minds completely blank.

This, they thought just before losing consciousness, is the true might of formidable warriors.

The thunder's roar subsided, the sword lights vanished, and the world was once again plunged into darkness.

Ye Lanfeng and Yun Qianmo had each retreated several steps. A thin trickle of blood seeped from Ye Lanfeng's shoulder, while Yun Qianmo's side also showed signs of bleeding.

Neither had gained an advantage from the clash; their prowess was evenly matched.

Without a moment's pause, they unleashed their sword force once more, charging headlong into another confrontation.

The sword lights collided, and another thunderous peal exploded, sending blood spraying between the two combatants.

Yet, neither showed any inclination to retreat. With a swift shift in their stance, two more streaks of sword light sliced through the night sky.

In the space of a blink, Ye Lanfeng and Yun Qianmo had exchanged nearly a hundred blows.

Blood rained down, blossoming on the ground like crimson roses, making it impossible to discern whose blood it was. The two figures repeatedly crossed paths, moving with such celerity that they appeared as a blur of shadows, rendering even Han Yan's keen eyesight unable to distinguish one from the other.

Han Yan gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, her heart pounding in her throat.

It was only then that she truly comprehended the terrifying power of true fighters in the Sword Saint Realm. Even with her strength forcibly augmented by the Heavenly Destiny Star Plate to the Sword Saint Realm, she recognized her inability to contend with them.

In a duel of this magnitude, she hadn't even the slightest chance to intervene.

Finally, after another brief touch, the two figures separated once more.

Ye Lanfeng's body was slick with blood, his face alarmingly pale. However, hidden behind his mask, Yun Qianmo's expression remained unreadable. Judging by the abundant bloodstains and the constant tightening of his fingers around the sword hilt, he was clearly also sustaining severe injuries.

"Lan Feng, you have certainly not disappointed me," Yun Qianmo stated after a prolonged silence.

"Why did you spare me? Why did you hold back in that final strike?" Ye Lanfeng inquired.

Hearing this, Han Yan and the others were taken aback. From their observation of the final exchange, Ye Lanfeng appeared to have suffered grievous wounds, yet he seemed to be in the leading position. At least, that was their impression. But Ye Lanfeng's words revealed that Yun Qianmo had possessed the opportunity to end his life and had inexplicably shown mercy.

Could it be that Yun Qianmo's strength was so overwhelming that Ye Lanfeng was no match for him?

"If I had killed you, would I have survived?" Yun Qianmo replied nonchalantly.

Han Yan and the others finally felt a sense of relief. Yun Qianmo's might was not demonstrably superior to Ye Lanfeng's; even if he could have slain Ye Lanfeng, it would have come at the cost of mutual destruction.

"Lan Feng, I acknowledge your strength is remarkable, exceeding my prior estimations. However, I advise you to take her and depart," Yun Qianmo added in a calm tone.

"And what if I refuse to leave?" Ye Lanfeng responded with unwavering resolve.

"Hehehe, I had forgotten, given your disposition, how could you possibly depart? Very well, take care then." Yun Qianmo suddenly let out a relieved laugh, turned, and departed, tossing a jade bottle towards Ye Lanfeng.

"Wait..." Ye Lanfeng instinctively caught the jade bottle, calling out urgently.

"I understand your unspoken question, but I cannot provide an answer. Rest assured, you will discover the truth soon enough," Yun Qianmo said, waving his hand as he ascended into the sky and swiftly vanished into the expansive night.

Ye Lanfeng watched Yun Qianmo's receding figure, lost in silent contemplation. His eyes conveyed a sense of loneliness, a touch of bewilderment, and an even stronger current of reluctance.

"Lan Feng." Han Yan approached him, clasping his hand firmly.

"I recall when he was instructing me in swordsmanship, every time I sustained an injury and struggled to continue, he would invariably provide me with a bottle of elixir," Ye Lanfeng recounted as he opened the jade bottle and consumed its contents.

Without a doubt, this was an invaluable Healing Holy Pill. It dissolved instantly, and the wounds plagian Ye Lanfeng's body visibly mended at a rapid pace, replenishing his depleted Qi.

Swiftly, any sign of injury vanished from his form, his aura settling back into its accustomed deep and suppressed state, serene as drifting clouds and gentle wind, yet exuding a palpable pressure akin to a towering mountain summit.

Yet, a bitter curve touched his lips.

"He didn't truly intend to end my life, did he?" Han Yan inquired, clutching his hand.

Initially, Han Yan suspected Yun Qianmo's objective was her demise; Huayue and the others shared this belief, prompting their desperate defense. However, upon deeper contemplation, he had never displayed any murderous intent, only a desire for her to evacuate Beining Pass and Lu'an City.

"If you wish to live, depart from Beining Pass, abandon Lu'an City, or no one can shield you." His words, which at first sounded like an outright threat, now, in retrospect, carried the weight of a solemn warning.

"Should he have desired your death, even I would have been powerless to intervene," Ye Lanfeng let out a sigh.

Though their encounter did not escalate into a fight to the death, just before his departure, he still tossed over a vial of elixir, much like he used to do. However, the emotional chasm between them now felt immense.

He understood that Yun Qianmo, once a figure like a mentor, friend, and brother, had now receded from his life, becoming a solitary shadow vanishing into the depths of the night.

"Do not dwell on it excessively; you remain friends, do you not?" Han Yan, sensing Ye Lanfeng's desolation, offered these words after gazing intently into his forlorn eyes.

"Indeed, we are still friends." Ye Lanfeng suddenly let out a laugh, a sound tinged with both newfound ease and a sense of release.

Yun Qianmo held no genuine obligation towards Han Yan; his act of cautioning her was undeniably for Ye Lanfeng's sake. Aware of Han Yan's profound significance to Ye Lanfeng, he personally intervened to issue the warning. Had Ye Lanfeng not been a factor, Yun Qianmo might have taken it upon himself to remove Han Yan from Beining Pass directly.

Regardless of the reason for his return from the brink of death or the clandestine truths he harbored, the fact that he still considered Ye Lanfeng a friend was, for now, sufficient.

"What precisely are you referring to?" Jiang Yuzhe questioned, his expression one of utter confusion, once again highlighting his somewhat sluggish comprehension.