C18 There Are Always Crooked Trees on the Edge of the Cliff

As Yeh Hongchen watched Ye Bufan standing motionless at the cliff's edge, a wave of helplessness washed over him.

'Could this guy have really jumped? Maybe he's down there mastering incredible martial arts, ready to come back and show up the Ye family, join a major power, or even become part of his Dust Ending Palace, and then...

"Yeh Hongchen! You've driven me to this! I, Ye Bufan, vow that if I survive this ordeal, you will meet your end at my hands!"

While Yeh Hongchen was internally ranting, Ye Bufan turned to face him, his eyes filled with resentment.

Without giving Yeh Hongchen a chance to respond, he leapt backward off the cliff in a move that was nothing short of dramatic.

Yeh Hongchen saw this not as a desperate plunge, but as a pivotal moment in a person's life!

"Stop this madness! I didn't come to kill you!" Yeh Hongchen sprang into action, his speed surpassing Ye Bufan's, and he too plummeted over the edge.

Whoosh!

The rush of wind past Ye Bufan's ears was undeniable, and though he wouldn't admit it, fear took hold. His eyes shut tight, he made a silent vow to eliminate Yeh Hongchen if the opportunity arose.

But then, he felt a strong grip on his hand, and his descent came to an abrupt halt above the cliff!

With one hand, Yeh Hongchen held onto Ye Bufan, while the other frantically searched the cliff face until, by sheer luck, he grasped a crooked tree.

A crooked tree? Well, that's protagonist luck for you!

Hanging onto the crooked tree, Yeh Hongchen couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"Yeh Hongchen?"

Below him, a voice echoed in confusion. Ye Bufan gazed up, bewildered as to why Yeh Hongchen would save him. After all, the cliff's depths were unfathomable, and even for someone at the peak of the Innate late period like Yeh Hongchen, a fall meant certain death.

"Quiet! Climb up and make it count!" Yeh Hongchen commanded sternly, pulling with all his might.

Ye Bufan was hoisted onto the tree in an instant, but before Yeh Hongchen could follow, the spot where he held began to give way.

Snap!

Yeh Hongchen plummeted off a cliff, unprepared and unable to see the bottom.

Feeling the fierce wind howling past his ears, Yeh Hongchen lamented in his heart, "Truly, this is a protagonist's crooked tree—so terrifyingly deceptive. It's ensnared me!"

Ye Bufan watched, wide-eyed and speechless, as Yeh Hongchen descended and quickly vanished from sight, his mind struggling to comprehend the unfolding events.

"Could I have been mistaken? Was Yeh Hongchen not here to kill me? Otherwise, why would he..." As the thought crossed his mind, Ye Bufan's face flickered between hope and despair, his thoughts in disarray.

Little did he know, Yeh Hongchen simply didn't want him to fall and inadvertently activate his accursed protagonist's aura.

Having fallen for what seemed like an eternity, Yeh Hongchen was now fully attuned to his surroundings. He didn't want to die, so he had no choice but to tread the path laid out for a main character.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, a gust of wind, even stronger than the one that had sent him tumbling, swept through Yeh Hongchen's hair, bringing a glimmer of hope to his eyes.

"If my guess is correct, this wind is the key!" Yeh Hongchen thought, a thrill of excitement coursing through him.

The next instant, pinpointing the wind's origin, he channeled over half of his Innate Spiritual Qi to summon a Stellar Energy Barrier.

Though the barrier was shattered by the brutal wind in under three seconds, for Yeh Hongchen, it was a stroke of luck.

As the barrier faded, Yeh Hongchen executed his martial arts technique, his body becoming as graceful and light as a swallow.