Chapter 121: The Clan Leader of Kunlun Is Called Kunlun!

"Drip, drip." Accompanied by the sound of water droplets, Yang Fan regained consciousness.

The moment he woke up, Yang Fan felt pain racking his entire body. As he shifted slightly, he grimaced and let out a sharp cry of pain. Forcing himself to sit up, he leaned against the stone wall behind him and surveyed his surroundings. It was a massive cavern, with a river flowing slowly through it.

After resting for a while and circulating his inner energy to cover his body, the pain subsided. Only then did Yang Fan have the leisure to rejoice that he had survived. He didn't know how long he had been unconscious—perhaps a day, perhaps ten. But that didn't matter. The key was that he was alive and had escaped the Azure Eagle.

At the mere thought of the Azure Eagle, a surge of rage burned within him. "Damn it, you bastard bird, you just wait for me. Once I reach the Tenth Rank, I’ll pluck every single one of your feathers off," Yang Fan muttered fiercely to himself.

"A noble ambition, the Tenth Rank. Hehehe!" A voice suddenly echoed from deep within the cave.

Yang Fan jumped to his feet, only to wince and nearly cry out in pain again. The voice from the cave spoke once more.

"Be careful, don't move around so much. Your body is incredibly fragile right now. To fall from the Endless Cliff and not die—I don't know what kind of luck you have. Little one, rest where you are. Once you've recovered, come and see me, the Old Ancestor!"

The voice then faded. Yang Fan could tell that the person wasn't speaking aloud, as there was no echo in the vast cavern. It was telepathic communication, just like when Li Tian had spoken to him before.

Yang Fan sat down cautiously, his face bitter. Does this count as escaping a tiger's den only to fall into a wolf's lair? He knew he couldn't afford to provoke someone capable of telepathy. As he rested, he looked around, suddenly remembering something. His blade was gone. He shook his head; let it go. As long as he was alive, everything else was secondary.

***

Three days later, after Yang Fan finished eating a fat, fresh fish he had caught from the river, the voice from three days ago returned.

"Little one, it seems you haven't taken what the Old Ancestor said to heart. I told you to rest and then come see me, but instead, you've been eating and drinking in my cave for three days without any intention of coming over. I truly wasted my effort saving you!"

Hearing this, Yang Fan stood up quickly, his mind racing. Whether or not to go wasn't the question; he had to go. The cave he was in was enclosed, with an underground river flowing forward, and there was only one path leading deeper into the mountain. If he wanted to leave, he had to move forward.

Yang Fan wondered who this person was and what they wanted. He couldn't figure it out, but since the person claimed to have saved him, they likely harbored no ill will. He began to walk forward. His physical pain had mostly subsided; the fat fish in the river were packed with spiritual energy, which was excellent for nourishing the body. After eating them for a few days, his wounds had nearly healed—the puncture wound on his shoulder was even starting to sprout new flesh.

***

Following the river, Yang Fan walked for a full half-hour before he saw flames flickering ahead. The path became increasingly hot, and he was drenched in sweat. When he finally reached the end, he was stunned.

It was another massive cavern, but the floor was filled with rolling magma. Surging subterranean fire baked the entire space. In the center of the flames sat a small platform, where a man was chained by four heavy iron links.

As Yang Fan arrived, the man opened his eyes and looked at him. With just one glance, Yang Fan felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and a mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips.

Seeing Yang Fan vomit blood, the man said with some embarrassment, "My apologies, little one. It’s been too long since I’ve seen a living soul, and I was eager to get a better look. I didn't expect your endurance to be so poor..."

Yang Fan raised his head, looking warily at the man surrounded by magma, remaining silent for a long time.

***

The man also fell silent for a while before he began to speak to himself, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Kunlun, former patriarch of the Kunlun Tribe. This is the Endless Cliff."

Yang Fan listened intently. After speaking, Kunlun paused and asked with surprise, "Are you not astonished? I am the patriarch of the Kunlun Tribe!"

"Why should I be?" Yang Fan asked, puzzled.

"You don't know the Kunlun Tribe?" Kunlun asked.

"Should I?" Yang Fan replied.

Kunlun felt a sense of helplessness. *Yes, why would he know?* The Kunlun Tribe had vanished, and he was likely the last patriarch and the last remaining member. It was natural for this child not to know. Putting away his memories, Kunlun continued, "Little one, which tribe are you from?"

Yang Fan’s eyes darted as he replied, "The Kunpeng Tribe!"

"Kunpeng? How have I never heard of this tribe? Is it a minor one?" Kunlun asked.

Yang Fan shook his head. "It's not a minor one; it's one of the top ten major tribes!"

Kunlun sighed. "Very well. Powers change in the outside world, and I have been in this cave for so long that it is only natural I would not know."

Yang Fan nodded noncommittally, his wariness of Kunlun deepening. During his time in the Kunpeng Tribe, he had learned that their true rise occurred three hundred years ago, when Kun Sha emerged and led them into the top ten. If this man named Kunlun hadn't heard of them, and if he wasn't lying, he must be at least three or four hundred years old. A life span of three or four hundred years required at least an Eighth-Rank Venerable status.

Suddenly, Yang Fan felt a chill, and his head grew dizzy. Lightning began to arc uncontrollably over his body, and his eyes flashed with golden light.

Kunlun, in the center of the magma, looked at Yang Fan in disbelief before slowly withdrawing his aura. He had just been probing Yang Fan’s body to determine his origins. He didn't know the Kunpeng Tribe and wanted to see if the boy was lying. He had many enemies, all from top-tier tribes, and he needed to ensure Yang Fan wasn't one of them.

However, the moment his aura touched Yang Fan’s body, before he could even inspect the tribal mark, it was scattered by the lightning within the boy, and the golden light in Yang Fan’s eyes neutralized his mental probe.

Yang Fan regained his senses and took two steps back, looking at Kunlun in the magma with terror.

Kunlun let out a long breath and said, "Don't be afraid. If I wanted to kill you, there would be nowhere for you to run. You are not from this world, are you? You lied to me."

Yang Fan remained silent, staring fixedly at Kunlun. He was wondering how he could survive and what exactly Kunlun wanted.