After being reborn as an ugly cannon fodder, my appearance stats are off the charts!

"I didn't intend to tell anyone about these past events, especially after you became the young master of Zhaoyue Manor," Shi Xin said with a distant gaze, "Over the years, I've investigated many things in private..."

According to Shi Xin, he knew some of the shortcomings of E Feng's Heavenly Demon True Technique, Xie Shihong's Nine Breaths Profound Technique, and Zhong Lijun's Embryo Transformation Limitless Shadowless Record.

In particular, the "Taihua Wuji Wuyinglu" technique, once cultivated to a certain level, will cause the cultivator to revert to childhood every so often. During this period of childhood, the cultivator may also lose all martial arts skills. Therefore, since the time of the city lord Zhong Lijun, those who have cultivated this technique in Moling City have always been elusive and unpredictable.

Shi Xin also investigated the origins of Xie Shihong and the other two, wanting to know if they still had any blood relatives or children alive.

In the end, all that could be found was that Zhong Lijun had a younger brother named Xiang, but it was unclear which Xiang he was referring to.

As for that younger brother, a few years after Zhongli Jun and the other two suddenly appeared, he went into a state of demonic possession while practicing the Taihua Wuji Wuyinglu... All that is known is that he never appeared again after that, presumably he has passed away.

Shi Xin said that after entering Zhaoyue Manor, the more he observed Xie Shihong's martial arts, the more certain he became that without the presence of E Feng and Zhong Lijun, Xie Shihong's skills were truly unmatched—therefore, it is impossible for anyone to defeat them!

Even their apprentices can never surpass their masters.

Because these three cultivation methods are not easy to master to the highest level. Even if one works hard and spends decades cultivating, one may not be able to reach the highest level. Perhaps after many more years of hard work day and night, a hundred years or even longer, one may have the opportunity to break through... if the cultivator has not died of old age by then.

Upon closer examination, the fact that Xie Shihong and the other two were able to achieve such mastery of their divine skills in their early twenties is not solely due to talent or hard work. It can only mean that they received external assistance while cultivating their divine skills.

Why did the recent rumors about that divine pill attract Xie Shihong and his companions? It's one thing for ordinary people hoping for instant success, but these people were already at the pinnacle of the world; why would they believe such a divine object could exist? The only explanation is that they might have actually obtained something similar in the past…

In Shi Xin's view, as long as Xie Shihong and the other two exist, no one can deal with them. Everyone can only wait until they die of old age or natural causes. But judging from their still young appearance, they should be able to live for a long time.

Therefore, Shi Xin previously thought that avenging the Han family was hopeless, and seeing that Han Tianshuo was already the young master of the manor... His original plan was to help Han Tianshuo survive the life-or-death battle, and then he would have a bright future... However, plans can't keep up with changes. Now that Han Tianshuo is being hunted down, he has no choice but to show up and tell him these deeper truths.

As Shi Xin spoke, he appeared deeply moved.

Yan An's gaze fell on Han Tianshuo.

Only he knew that Han Tianshuo had a protagonist's storyline.

In Yan An's cannon fodder storyline, Han Tianshuo is chased by his fellow disciples and falls off a cliff. After learning about the secrets of the past from Shi Xin, Yan An becomes more certain that the cliff he fell off is the "Hidden Dragon Abyss".

It's not because the name of this place sounds like the place where the male protagonist has a cheat ability, but because of the existence of Shi Xin.

Although this man may have once been a servant of the Han family, over the years, that relationship has completely vanished in name only. No one would believe that Shi Xin and Han Tianshuo had any deep master-servant bond. If Shi Xin didn't have ulterior motives, he probably wouldn't have addressed Han Tianshuo as "young master" at all.

Now that Shi Xin has appeared and said so much, his real purpose is to get Han Tianshuo to go to Qianlong Abyss. So, in the original story, Shi Xin would naturally want Han Tianshuo to go to Qianlong Abyss as well. And could Shi Xin have been behind the scenes in Han Tianshuo's eventual fall off the cliff?

Shi Xin noticed Han Tianshuo's hesitation, but who else could be behind this hesitation?

Now is a critical moment. Should Han Tianshuo take a gamble and go to Yangcheng to explore the Hidden Dragon Abyss, or continue to escape with the Holy Son? The former is almost certain to lead to certain death, while the latter is a temptation that even gods would find hard to resist. What more could one ask for than to stay by the Holy Son's side?

Shi Xin harbored deep resentment, but aloud advised, "Young Master, do you really intend to slink away to some unknown place and hide? Don't you want revenge? Don't you want to become the new number one in the world... can you bear to let the Holy Son continue to wander with you?"

Han Tianshuo clenched his knuckles.

Shi Xin then turned to face Yan An, but kept his eyes down and avoided eye contact with Yan An.

"Your Highness, since your disappearance, the Hidden Demon Sect and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion have been locked in a fierce battle for the past half month... Now, the news of your elopement with the young master is common knowledge. However, it's inevitable that some people will speculate and wonder what makes the young master so exceptional that he can surpass both the White Demon E Feng and the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Master Wuming..."

It seems that Wuxiang is most likely the master of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion...

Yan An was still a little puzzled.

How could he have eloped with Han Tianshuo?

Six months ago, Han Tianshuo was hunted down and has been on the run ever since.

He disappeared six months later.

Logically speaking, no one should know that they met in Linjiang City, let alone know that they escaped together by waterway...

How could they have figured out so quickly that they eloped together?

Are there really no secrets left in the martial arts world?

Han Tianshuo clenched his fists.

After a moment, he looked at Yan An and said, "Holy Son, I have made up my mind to go to Yang City."

Yan An simply watched him quietly.

"Are you willing to wait for me? Wait for me to come back to you alive!" Han Tianshuo's voice trembled as he said this, almost ashamed. Looking at the Holy Son, he felt like he was indulging in wishful thinking. What did he have that made the Holy Son wait for him?

"I won't wait for you," Yan An said softly, "because I'm going with you."

Han Tianshuo was already in a daze.

Extreme ecstasy and an equal degree of fear distorted his expression.

Overjoyed at the favor bestowed upon him by Yan An.

How could Yan'an be allowed to go to such a dangerous place?

Beside him, Shi Xin lowered his head deeply, and only then did his face reveal a ferocious expression.

When Shi Xin entered Zhaoyue Manor, he was already quite old, which meant he was unlikely to be qualified to enter the inner manor as a core disciple to cultivate the Nine Breaths Profound Technique.

He could only place his hopes on divine objects.

Whether it's to enhance one's skills, regain youth, or prolong life, it's all good.

He originally intended to secretly plot to force Han Tianshuo into the Hidden Dragon Abyss, betting that Han Tianshuo would come out alive, and that he would have the opportunity to obtain a divine object similar to the rumored elixir from Han Tianshuo—whether by appealing to the emotions of the loyal servant or by using the ashes of Han Tianshuo's parents, which had been hidden in advance.

Of course, it doesn't matter if Han Tianshuo doesn't come out alive.

It's simply a matter of trying other methods.

But at this moment... he really wished he had some kind of Soul Transfer Pill that could allow him to exchange souls with Han Tianshuo... then, the person the Holy Son was looking at now would be him.

………………

Hidden Dragon Abyss.

This place is located on a desolate mountain at the border of Yangcheng and Ruiyuncheng.

Only by seeing it with one's own eyes can one realize that Shi Xin's previous description of this abyssal maw was not an exaggeration at all.

The poisonous mist and deathly aura swirling from the bottom of the cliff are already rising upwards, which is probably why this mountain has become such a barren wasteland. After all, the mountains in the distance surrounding this desolate mountain are still lush and green.

Yan An covered his mouth and nose and leaned closer to look. The nearest cliff face was still barely visible, and it was a dark red.

The further down you look, the darker it gets, until you can't see anything at all.

It was as if what they were gazing upon was not a scene of the human world, but a true hellish realm.

It evokes a primal fear in people.

Yan An strongly suspected that the Hidden Dragon Abyss might be the kind of cheat code set up only for the male protagonist, allowing him to survive if he went down there.

Someone like him, whose reincarnation would essentially result in cannon fodder, would simply die.

The sky here was dim and the land was desolate. Even the wind was dark and gloomy, stirring up Yan An's light gray robes and his long hair that hung down his back, like an invisible hand trying to pull this dazzling pearl into the abyss-like rift.

Han Tianshuo was terrified. He suddenly grabbed Yan An's shoulders and pulled him back several steps.