Martial Peak - Rise Of The Human Emperor-Chapter 65-Returning!

Just as Xia Ning Chang was carefully tending to Yang Kai's wounds and monitoring the subtle energy fluctuations from the Nine Yin Dew Crystal she had just refined, a sudden change occurred. Without any warning, the Nine Yin Eight Locks formation burst apart like shattered glass, the swirling energies dissipating into thin air.

The sun had risen—its golden rays piercing through the misty mountain valley, shining down with boundless vitality. Under the radiance of daybreak, the ancient formation crumbled, its power erased by nature's force.

Unaware of the passage of time, Xia Ning Chang blinked in surprise. Her entire focus had been on Yang Kai, so much so that she hadn't even noticed that dawn had already arrived. Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sudden ripple of energy washing over her—a gentle yet commanding force that sent a chill up her spine.

Her body stiffened instinctively. Lifting her gaze, her heart trembled.

"Master!" she cried out emotionally.

Meng Wu Ya had appeared like a phantom, standing before her in the warm sunlight. For a moment, she felt like a child lost in a storm, only to finally see a familiar lighthouse guiding her home. Her composure shattered, and the floodgates of emotion opened. Tears streamed down her cheeks like pearls on a broken string. She hadn't even realized just how frightened and overwhelmed she had been—until she saw him.

Meng Wu Ya's expression was initially stern, having prepared himself to deliver a scolding for her reckless actions. But as his gaze shifted from her tear-stained face to the figure of Yang Kai and then to the surroundings, his brows furrowed with worry.

"What happened here?" he asked gravely, though his tone softened upon seeing her distress.

The old man had waited outside the Nine Yin Eight Locks formation for most of the night. He hadn't dared to intervene, assuming that the formation was successfully drawing in the Nine Yin Dew Crystal. After all, he had spent years preparing for this moment—all they needed was for Yang Kai to fulfill his role. Once that was done, everything should have gone smoothly.

Even if it required his beloved disciple to suffer a little inconvenience, he believed the result would be worth it.

Still, the night had not passed easily. Meng Wu Ya was restless the entire time, not only because of the unpredictable dangers of the Black Wind Mountains, but because of guilt. A master being drugged by his own disciple—it was absurd. Who else under the heavens would experience such indignity? But that wasn't the main source of his unease. No, what truly unsettled him was sending Xia Ning Chang deep into the mountains alone. What if something had gone wrong?

He had planned to reprimand her, but upon seeing her face, her body trembling with exhaustion and fear, all his carefully prepared words disappeared. Then, his eyes drifted to Yang Kai.

The youth was silent, standing there like a motionless stone statue. His clothes were tattered, his body covered in blood and dirt. He didn't say a word. Just stood there, eyes distant, his breathing slow but steady.

Meng Wu Ya let out a long internal sigh.

"Fate," he muttered under his breath. "Even with a thousand precautions, fate finds its way through."

He looked at Xia Ning Chang again, and his heart sank further. Her shy and dependent expression, the subtle way she kept glancing at Yang Kai, the gentle worry in her tone—it was all too clear.

Meng Wu Ya felt like a father who had raised a precious daughter with care and love, only to watch her give her heart to another man without hesitation. There was sorrow in his chest, but not anger. It was more the ache of watching someone grow up and become their own person.

His wandering gaze then landed on the remnants of battle. The corpses of Wen Fei Chen and Long Hui lay cold and lifeless in the valley.

All doubts vanished from his mind.

The killing intent within him flared. A powerful wave of suppressed fury surged from his chest, but he held it down. His face grew colder than ice.

Now wasn't the time to ask questions. There would be plenty of opportunities later to uncover the details of what had transpired.

Regret gnawed at him. If he had just broken through the formation earlier, perhaps none of this would've happened. Perhaps Xia Ning Chang wouldn't have needed to risk herself. Perhaps Yang Kai wouldn't be in this state.

His fists clenched. His old heart, usually indifferent to worldly matters, burned with guilt and anger.

Taking a long breath, Meng Wu Ya steadied himself. He couldn't afford to lose composure.

"Disciple," he asked gently, "did you obtain the Nine Yin Dew Crystal?"

Still trembling, Xia Ning Chang nodded slowly.

"Then go refine it," Meng Wu Ya instructed calmly. "You don't need to worry about Yang Kai. With me here, he Will be fine."

Xia Ning Chang hesitated, looking once more at Yang Kai. "Master, you must promise to take care of him. I—I wouldn't be here if not for him. He shielded me with his body, fought two opponents alone... If he hadn't protected me, I..." Her voice cracked as tears welled up again.

Meng Wu Ya placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Relax. I'll look after him."

Meng Wu Ya withdrew his hand slowly, his gaze lingering on his disciple for a moment longer before shifting to Yang Kai.

Once Xia Ning Chang was far enough not to hear, the old man let out a soft sigh and sat down beside the still-recovering Yang Kai. For a few beats, there was silence—broken only by the rustling wind outside and the soft clinking of pills being prepared in the corner.

Then, Meng Wu Ya narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke in a tone that was calm... too calm.

"Young man," he said, "we need to talk."

Yang Kai, already expecting this, looked up quietly.

"I'm warning you—don't get too close to my disciple."

Yang Kai blinked, but said nothing.

Meng Wu Ya continued, his voice now carrying a thin thread of icy intent. "Xia Ning Chang... she's simple. Naive. Her heart is too soft, and she trusts too easily. I raised her with care, like a daughter. So if you think I'll stand by while some brat tries to seduce her just because he saved her life, you're gravely mistaken."

The corners of Yang Kai's lips twitched slightly, but not out of offense—more like amusement.

"I understand, Senior Meng," he replied calmly, eyes unwavering. "I have no such intentions. But I won't apologize for being by her side, especially when she needed someone."

Meng Wu Ya snorted, "Hmph. I don't like your tone."

"And I don't regret saving her," Yang Kai said bluntly.

For a moment, their eyes locked—one filled with the protective fire of a master, the other with quiet but stubborn resilience.

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After a pause, Meng Wu Ya exhaled and sat back.

"At least you speak like a man," he muttered.

The tension faded slightly. Then his expression shifted again, turning grim.

"Tell me... what happened tonight?"

A wave of pressure surged in the room. A suppressed killing intent flickered in his pupils.

Yang Kai straightened a little, steadying his breathing. "They were from the Blood Group and Storm House."

His voice was composed but low, carefully choosing each word. He gave an accurate enough retelling of the night's events—how they had been surrounded, attacked without warning, how he and Xia Ning Chang had defended themselves.

However, when it came to the part where he had killed nine cultivators and fought off Long Hui and Wen Fei Chen nearly on his own, Yang Kai skillfully skimmed the details. He focused instead on the chaos, the desperation, the risks involved—never fully revealing the truth of how he'd overwhelmed them.

Meng Wu Ya listened quietly, but the vein on his temple pulsed slightly.

By the time Yang Kai finished, the old man's face was like a thundercloud.

"So... the main culprit was you" he murmured.

Yang Kai nodded. "Yes. I dragged Little Senior Sister into this. I don't deny that."

"Hmph," Meng Wu Ya grunted, folding his arms. "Although you were the bait, you weren't the one who set the trap. What matters is that Xia Ning Chang is unharmed."

He paused, then chuckled coldly. "Blood Group... Long Zai Tian... this old man has remembered you!"

The flicker of cold, deep hatred in his eyes could chill bones. Yang Kai had no doubt—trouble was on the horizon for Long Zai Tian.

Despite his irritation, Meng Wu Ya's heart acknowledged the unchangeable truth. If Yang Kai hadn't fought like a madman to protect Xia Ning Chang, she wouldn't have survived, let alone refined the Nine Yin Dew Crystal. Regardless of how uncomfortable he was with their closeness, this debt had been carved deep into his heart.

Meng Wu Ya sighed once more, his sharp aura retracting slightly.

"No matter what happens from here on, this old man will not forget what you did for her."

Yang Kai bowed his head slightly in response but said nothing.

"Let's leave this place," Meng Wu Ya said finally.

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Together, the three of them departed from the Black Wind Mountains.

They didn't return to High Heaven Pavilion right away. Instead, they made their way to a quiet town they had rested at once before.

Finding a small inn, they settled in. Xia Ning Chang remained by Yang Kai's side day and night, tending to his wounds and monitoring his condition. She poured her heart and soul into caring for him.

Though still recovering, Yang Kai watched her silently—grateful, touched.