"Attack!"
The two great elders were determined to kill Yun Fan at this moment, so they attacked ruthlessly, each move deadly.
Under the pressure of the two elders, Yun Fan was forced to use his berserk power, confronting two Golden Core cultivators with his own Golden Core strength.
"Boom!"
After one exchange, Yun Fan retreated several steps. It had to be said that the two elders were too strong, and even Yun Fan could not match them.
The Jiang family elder said, "Even if you have briefly stepped into the Golden Core stage, you are merely a pseudo-Golden Core. The gap between you and our true Golden Core experts is vast!"
"That's right. Today, we will let you experience what a true Golden Core expert is before you die!" the Ji family elder said disdainfully.
Then, the two attacked simultaneously. At the Golden Core stage, combat was no longer just about simple fist and foot collisions. With every move and stance, they could kill with qi.
Instantly, an invisible aura surged towards Yun Fan. With his keen senses, Yun Fan swiftly evaded it.
"Bang!"
The aura struck a stone weighing about four to five tons. In an instant, the stone exploded. This was the terrifying condensation of qi into blades. It had to be said that the difference between a Golden Core expert and those below was as vast as heaven and earth. Even though Yun Fan's physical strength had reached the level of a Golden Core expert, he had not yet cultivated true qi. He could not truly condense qi into blades.
The next moment, the two elders swiftly moved, forming a qi blade, intending to slice Yun Fan in half. At this critical juncture, Yun Fan drew his Han Guang sword to contend with it.
"You are too weak!" The two elders sneered. In their eyes, Yun Fan was no different from a child, vulnerable and insignificant before powerful adults like them.
"Slash!"
The qi blade descended. Yun Fan was in a desperate situation. Facing the pincer attack of two peak Golden Core experts, Yun Fan's predicament became extremely dire. It had to be said that although there were only two words separating "half-step Golden Core" and "Golden Core expert," the difference between them was like heaven and earth. However, Yun Fan was still struggling to hold on, as he had no other choice in his current state.
"Kid, stop struggling. You're just unlucky to have encountered us!" The Ji family elder leaped up, rising seven to eight meters high, and then slammed his palm down. The surrounding vegetation immediately shattered.
Yun Fan raised his Han Guang sword to block his attack. But the next moment, the Jiang family elder launched a surprise attack from behind, hitting Yun Fan. Although it was not a palm strike, even the qi was enough to severely wound Yun Fan.
"Pfft!"
Yun Fan spat out a mouthful of blood. He could block the move, but he could not withstand the force. If he could step into the Golden Core realm, the movements of these two would be like slow motion before him.
"Still not despairing?" The two elders looked at Yun Fan with amusement. They noticed that Yun Fan had not gone berserk, so perhaps they were mistaken. But that didn't matter. Regardless of his state, Yun Fan had to die. Even if they were mistaken, they would still kill Yun Fan. If the Old Heavenly Master returned one day, they could use this as an excuse. By then, there would be no one to verify the truth.
Little did they know, if their suspicions were true, the Old Heavenly Master would likely annihilate both their families. This was the wrath of Guigu, and how many forces in the world could withstand the fury of the Guigu sect? Even those sacred lands might not be able to.
Yun Fan was very clear-headed at this moment. He knew that with his current strength, defeating two Golden Core experts was pure fantasy. Therefore, without any hesitation, realizing he was outmatched, he unleashed a sword strike.
"Seeking death!" The two men condensed their true qi into protective shields and blocked Yun Fan's strike. The sword radiated a chilling light, freezing the surroundings. This was the terrifying power of Han Guang and Shui Han combined. The two elders felt a lingering fear. If Yun Fan were on the same level as them, this single strike would have cost them half their lives. As for Yun Fan now, he couldn't even touch the hair on their heads.
However, as the cold air dissipated, they discovered that Yun Fan had vanished without a trace.
"Pursue!" The two immediately gave chase. Unfortunately, Yun Fan was no longer careless this time. Without any trace of his presence, they couldn't find him at all.
"Damn it!" The two were furious. They had been able to kill Yun Fan steadily, but instead, he had escaped. Although Yun Fan was like a fish in a barrel, they felt extremely humiliated.
"It's fine, he can't escape. Since he has turned into a demon, he will die no matter where he flees!"
"Indeed!" The two elders stopped pursuing and returned to their respective families.
...
"What? Junior Brother is a demon?" At the Yang family, Yang Xue Jian asked in disbelief.
Yang Can said, "This is a public announcement from the Ji and Jiang families. From today onwards, the small world will be sealed to eliminate the demon!"
Hearing this, Yang Xue Jian immediately shook her head, "Impossible! How could Junior Brother be a demon? They must be framing him!"
"The evidence is conclusive!" Yang Can tried to persuade Yang Xue Jian, "Little Xue, if Yun Fan is a demon, he is an extremely dangerous existence. If he is not killed, the small world will face a catastrophe, and it might even spread to the entire Barren Lands! Therefore, from today onwards, you must sever all contact with him!"
"No!" Yang Xue Jian refused, "Let alone him not being a demon, even if he were, I would never abandon him. He will always be my Junior Brother!"
"Alas!" Yang Can sighed, "He is only your Junior Brother. You must know that once he is labeled a demon, it means he will die soon!"
"I don't care!" Yang Xue Jian said, "No matter what he becomes, he is my Junior Brother! Now that he is in trouble, I hope you, Father, can help him!" Yang Xue Jian had learned that the small world was sealed, and Yun Fan could not get out. However, the Yang family possessed a passage, and she only hoped Yun Fan could escape. Otherwise, in the small world, Yun Fan would surely die.
"I will absolutely not defy the taboos of the small world to open the door for him. Don't even think about it!" Yang Can said, "You stay out of this, or he will implicate you!" With that, he left without allowing Yang Xue Jian to refuse.
However, Yang Xue Jian was not going to sit idly by. After Yang Can left, she went to the secret chamber and retrieved the key to opening a passage out of the small world.
As night fell, Yang Xue Jian left the Yang family again, only to be intercepted by Yang Can.
"You are being foolish!" Yang Can reprimanded her, "Doing this will not only implicate you but also endanger our Yang family!"
Yang Xue Jian remained silent, but she knew that even if she secretly helped Yun Fan, it would not implicate the Yang family. Yang Jun Hao was already dead, so who would suspect her! However, she understood that her father, Yang Can, would not let Yun Fan off, especially since the outside world was spreading rumors of Yun Fan turning into a demon. But she firmly believed that her Junior Brother had not turned into a demon. Even if everyone stood against Yun Fan, she would stand with him.
At this moment, Yang Xue Jian did not act impulsively or childishly. Instead, she handed over the key and turned back into the Yang family. Yang Can breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Yang Xue Jian didn't act recklessly, it was fine. Even though their relationship was very close, so close that Yang Xue Jian was willing to go to any lengths for Yun Fan, he still did not wish for Yun Fan to live. After all, the example from a thousand years ago was still there, where even land immortals had perished in that battle, leading to a gap in top-tier experts within the small world. A thousand years later, no land immortals had been born. Only the Holy Maiden of Yaochi had this potential.
However, he was unaware that a figure had already left the Yang family during this critical moment. This person was Yang Tai Cang. He held the true key, and this time, he was acting on Yang Xue Jian's orders to find Yun Fan. This was Yang Xue Jian's instruction. Although Yang Tai Cang knew he had committed a grave offense against the Yang family, he still had to help the future family head. Although he had not interacted with Yun Fan for long, he did not believe Yun Fan had turned into a demon. This was likely a conspiracy.
...
After escaping the pursuit of the two elders, Yun Fan felt the weight of the entire world against him for the first time. If he had been in the past, it wouldn't have mattered if the world was his enemy, but this time, he lacked confidence. If what these two families were spreading was true, what should he do? He was not afraid of death, but he was afraid of impacting his parents and the Guigu sect. His original plan had been disrupted, and Yun Fan did not know what to do. He wandered aimlessly. Fortunately, his mind was clear, and he decided to advance his plan to save people. This time, he could not rely on anyone. He had initially planned to rely on his parents and Yang Xue Jian for help, but now, to avoid implicating them, Yun Fan intended to complete the task alone. Once it was done, he would leave the small world. If he truly became a demon, then ending his life would be acceptable.
However, his pursuit did not cease. After the major ancient families sealed the small world, they further restricted his movement areas. Even with a carpet-search by the various forces, his whereabouts would soon be found. In less than three days, he was targeted by several people, all of whom were Golden Core experts. After all, he was only a half-step Golden Core. Therefore, these forces would not send half-step Golden Core cultivators to be mere targets. Helpless, Yun Fan began a life on the run, and even saving people became a distant hope. However, Yun Fan did not lose heart. Given time, breaking through to the Golden Core realm would change the situation. Unfortunately, the number of people围剿 him grew. By the fourth day, he was being pursued by four Golden Core experts. In desperation, Yun Fan saw a bottomless abyss ahead and leaped into it. The four Golden Core experts chased him to the edge of the abyss and stopped.
"He actually entered that place. How interesting!" The four Golden Core experts showed playful and mocking smiles. This abyss, though seemingly ordinary, was not simple. It was one of the two forbidden lands in the small world, the Abyss Forbidden Zone. Speaking of the Abyss Forbidden Zone, although it was not as terrifying as the Blood Prison Forbidden Zone where the Old Heavenly Master fell, no one dared to enter it. This forbidden zone was extraordinary. Legend had it that a thousand years ago, a person who had turned into a demon was trapped in a formation by the Guigu Heavenly Master of that generation, resulting in a mutual destruction. For a thousand years, many strong individuals who dared to try their luck had entered it, including Golden Core experts. But none of them ever came out alive. What horrors lay within was unknown. However, one thing was certain: all martial artists who entered would eventually die, and even Golden Core experts could not escape, let alone Yun Fan, a mere half-step Golden Core. Therefore, in their view, Yun Fan was doomed to die, with no chance of survival. For a thousand years, two individuals who had turned into demons had perished within. It had to be said that the Abyss Forbidden Zone was truly a nemesis to demonized martial artists. Thus, everyone left with peace of mind.
...
Yun Fan, who had fallen into the Abyss Forbidden Zone, was unaware of its status as a forbidden land. However, upon seeing that no one was pursuing him from behind, he breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, Yun Fan was enraged. He was the contemporary sect leader of Guigu, yet he was being bullied like a stray dog. He planned to lie low here, develop his strength, and then settle accounts with these people after breaking through to the Golden Core realm. It was a pity for the few women who had become prisoners of the Holy Land of Yaochi. However, he firmly believed that day was not far off. Just then, Yun Fan felt a familiar aura.
"Guigu formation!" Yun Fan recognized at a glance that a formation had been set up here, a formation belonging to the Guigu sect. This formation was incredibly powerful, far superior to even the modified formation by his master. It was known that formations had always been one of the Guigu sect's greatest strengths. In the earliest times, Guigu formations could shatter heaven and earth. However, due to the passage of time, many powerful formations had been lost, but their core remained the same. Inherited to his generation, the Guigu formations had long lost their core. Even the formation he inherited now was something his master, the Old Heavenly Master, had deduced based on patterns. He then began to study this formation and discovered that it was not from this era, dating back at least several hundred or even a thousand years. This meant that this formation, having endured so long, still possessed its power, proving the might of the Guigu sect. There was a reason why they could suppress so many ancient forces. In the center of the formation, there were many withered bones, indicating that they had been killed by the formation in their lifetime. Although this formation was a terrifying killing formation with ever-changing rules, Yun Fan, as the inheritor of the Guigu sect, had learned the core essence of the Guigu sect, making it not difficult for him to avoid the killing array. Afterward, Yun Fan continued to the depths of the abyss and discovered two more withered bones. To him, this was no longer unusual, but the words carved on the stone walls caught his attention.
"The world calls me a demon, yet they do not know that this demon is their savior. When they needed me, I was their savior. When they no longer needed me, I became a demon! I am the demon, and what is wrong with sacrificing myself for righteousness?"
After reciting this passage, Yun Fan was instantly shaken. He quickly shifted his gaze to the opposite stone wall. There was also a line of text, but the handwriting was different, leading him to conclude that these two lines of text were not from the same person. It was clear that these two lines of text were carved by the two withered bones, with different handwriting and varying depths of inscription. It was evident that the martial artist who carved the first line possessed greater strength and profoundness. He then recited the second line of text: "Our Guigu sect has always taken it upon itself to care for the world, yet we were unknowingly exploited. Truly foolish, truly laughable! I have failed Guigu, and I have failed the world!!!"
Indeed, these were left by the ancient sages of the Guigu sect. Although these two lines of text provided insufficient information, Yun Fan quickly deduced the key points. It seemed the ancient sages of the Guigu sect had been exploited, possibly to kill this senior who was called a demon by the world. As for why he was called a demon, Yun Fan did not know, as there was not enough information. Perhaps the sacred lands held records of the specific reasons. However, he did not wish to concern himself with these matters. His only goal now was to become stronger, as only with strength could he gain a foothold. Just as he was about to bury the two withered bones, several items fell from a gap behind them.
[The protagonist is too weak, I can't stand it. He must be reformed. Only a protagonist who is awesome all the way can be called a protagonist.]