Fang Yuan's five fingers suddenly clenched, and a green light glowed in his palm. The green wood spiritual energy surged from the [Changchun Qingmu Body] into Ruan Chao'an's body, forcefully pulling this nearly lifeless body back to the realm of the living.
Before knowing the exact situation of Ruan Tianhe, Ruan Chao'an could not die.
With the crackling sound of bones healing, Ruan Chao'an's injuries were stabilized, but his entire being remained frozen, as silent as a statue.
On the surface, he appeared immobile and strong, but in reality, he may have already passed away some time ago.
Fang Yuan, unfazed by Ruan Chao'an's dazed state, lifted this lifeless body and flew into the air, until he encountered the spiritual barrier that enveloped the valley.
"Is it here?" Fang Yuan asked.
"Yes..." Ruan Chao'an's emotionless voice echoed.
Fang Yuan then swiped his fingers in the air, and the heavens and earth suddenly shattered. The fog that had surrounded the area for millennia was torn apart, and a pitch-black palace made of mysterious iron stood tall before them.
Under the power of [Eye of Disaster], even outside the palace, Fang Yuan could see a blue name burning in his vision.
[Human Martial Saint: Ruan Tianhe]
This name was quite imposing, and just by the title alone, Fang Yuan felt a strong desire to have a fight with this person!
Fang Yuan dove down!
With a rumble, the iron door shattered into powder. Fang Yuan stepped through, riding the wind, and as the dust cleared, he finally saw the legendary Human Martial Saint.
An elderly man, frail and hunched, was in the center of the palace. He wore a ragged Taoist robe, his hair and beard like withered grass, and his face was lined with deep wrinkles resembling the rings of an ancient tree.
At this moment, the old man spread his arms like a child pretending to fly, spinning madly within the palace. His body, long accustomed to cultivation, had become thin and tall, like a crane.
It was clear that Ruan Tianhe was immersed in his own world, utterly indifferent to the presence of Fang Yuan and Ruan Chao'an.
Fang Yuan fell into a brief silence. He never expected that the renowned Martial Saint would be so mad.
What surprised him even more was that a copper chain was piercing through Ruan Tianhe's chest, vibrating with a humming sound as his chest rose and fell.
After staring at Ruan Tianhe for a moment, Fang Yuan reached out and gave Ruan Chao'an a tap on the back of his head:
"Stop being sentimental for now, answer me one question. What's with the lock on your master's chest?"
Ruan Chao'an snapped out of his daze and softly explained:
"That's the Soul Lock. It was set by Master himself. He said it was to prevent something... but he never explained in detail what that something is."
"When will he recover?" Fang Yuan asked again.
"Well..." Ruan Chao'an thought for a moment, "Every time Master goes mad, it lasts for at least a few months. And just a few days ago, he was perfectly fine, so..."
"So we have to wait for a few months for him to recover?"
"Pretty much..."
"Eh." Fang Yuan sighed. He wasn't the patient type to wait.
"Tell me, do you think a beating might wake him up?" Fang Yuan suddenly asked an unexpected question.
Ruan Chao'an opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to protest, but after a moment of hesitation, he said, "I... I don't know. After all, no one has ever tried it..."
"Then let's give it a try." Fang Yuan casually said, "A child can't stay mad forever; he's probably just faking it. A good beating might just bring him back to his senses."
Fang Yuan remembered when Gao Shang rose from his coffin. He had been just as crazy, but after a few hundred slaps, his eyes immediately cleared up.
So he didn't mind using his medical skills once more.
"You're really going to attack Master?" Ruan Chao'an asked uneasily.
"I should warn you, although Master is currently out of his mind, he is still a genuine Martial Saint. Senior, you might not be his match."
Fang Yuan's strength was indeed formidable, but judging from their previous encounter, it seemed he had yet to reach the level of a Martial Saint.
Of course, if Fang Yuan had held back at the time, it would be a different story.
Even without Ruan Chao'an's reminder, Fang Yuan knew full well that although Ruan Tianhe was out of his mind, his Martial Saint level was real.
So, to be cautious, it would be best to open up unlimited firepower, ensuring nothing could go wrong.
With this thought, Fang Yuan focused his mind and summoned Yun Shi: "Young Miss, it's time to get back to work..."
He wasn't a true Frost tribe member, so to use [Endless Frozen Abyss], he needed Yun Shi, the spiritual artifact, to help.
"Okay, okay..." Yun Shi's voice immediately echoed within Fang Yuan, full of excitement, "I'm ready!"
"Good..." Fang Yuan nodded slightly, then stepped toward Ruan Tianhe.
At this moment, Ruan Tianhe was still lost in his madness, flailing his arms and playing the role of an "angry bird." He showed no reaction to Fang Yuan's approach.
But Fang Yuan didn't let down his guard. Instead, he grew even more cautious.
[Flash]!
Fang Yuan's figure disappeared in an instant, reappearing behind Ruan Tianhe.
He reached out and placed his hand on Ruan Tianhe's shoulder. At the same time, Yun Shi opened the portal to [Endless Frozen Abyss].
A deep blue light filled the entire palace!
In the next moment, both Fang Yuan and Ruan Tianhe disappeared from the palace.
"This..." Ruan Chao'an stared blankly at the empty hall, completely stunned.
He carefully sensed the surroundings but could not detect any trace of the two.
Only then did he realize that Fang Yuan truly had some hidden cards up his sleeve!
Ruan Chao'an suddenly grew concerned for his master's safety...
---
The freezing snowstorm howled in the endless cold.
In the [Endless Frozen Abyss], Ruan Tianhe's figure appeared extremely small, while Fang Yuan floated in the air, looking down at him.
"To pull him into [Endless Frozen Abyss] so easily, without any resistance... It seems he's really lost his mind. This is a bit troublesome..."
Fang Yuan muttered to himself, weighing his next actions.
Ruan Tianhe in front of him was even more deranged than Gao Shang had been, and Fang Yuan wasn't sure if his "slap therapy" would work again.
At the moment, Fang Yuan had no intention of killing Ruan Tianhe. Instead of ending his life, he wanted to understand what had happened to him.
What was it that could drive a Martial Saint into such a state?
This was a crucial question for Fang Yuan, especially since he was about to reach the Martial Saint realm and didn't want to repeat Ruan Tianhe's fate.
Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly and cautiously asked, "Hey, can you hear me?"
However, Ruan Tianhe didn't respond. The foolish expression on his face suddenly twisted, replaced by deep fear and panic.
He widened his murky eyes, his gaze wildly scanning the icy plains.
"Where... Where is this? Where is this?!" Ruan Tianhe's voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with almost unbearable despair.
"Could it be... I've ascended again? No, no, I can't ascend, I absolutely can't ascend!"
His speech became faster, his voice filled with a nameless terror, as if the words "ascension" had triggered some forbidden memory buried deep inside him.
Suddenly, Ruan Tianhe raised his head and locked his bloodshot eyes onto Fang Yuan in the sky.
His dilated pupils turned blood-red, and he let out a beastly roar, filled with violence and hatred.
"Sky Demon! You must be the Sky Demon! It's you! It's you who brought me here!"
With his roar, Ruan Tianhe's originally blue name instantly turned blood red!