Misunderstanding

<Detected that one of them has an unstable dao heart>

<Detected that one of them has negative feelings towards the other>

<Failed to fulfill the second requirement>

<Your attempt to enter the tomb is rejected>

Upon hearing the mysterious voice, Ye Fan felt as if he'd been struck by lightning, his shock palpable.

Ji Rongmei snapped back to her senses, realizing she had underestimated the tomb's mechanisms. The fact that this ancient tomb could sense Ye Fan's unstable dao heart and detect her malicious intentions toward him was truly amazing.

Xiao Chen slowly approached Ye Fan, who lay on the ground, a mocking smile curling on his lips.

"Haha, did you really think you could fool me with that trick?" he taunted with disdain. "Watching you act like a fool was quite entertaining."

Hearing this, Ye Fan's eyes widened even further. He knew he had been thoroughly outplayed by Xiao Chen and clenched his teeth in frustration.

"Did you know about the test from the very beginning?" he demanded, his face twisted in fury.

Ye Fan could hardly stomach being so easily manipulated.

Unwilling to accept his defeat, Ye Fan quickly snapped back at him, his expression dark with blood trickling from his lips."Urgh, if it weren't for the treasure map, you'd be the one crying at the entrance of the tomb."

Xiao Chen and Ji Rongmei merely scoffed at Ye Fan's weak attempt to save face. It was clear he refused to accept his failure. After all, a genuine test meant to choose a worthy successor wouldn't include the conditions in the treasure map. There hadn't been any mention of this requirement.

With disdainful shakes of their heads, Xiao Chen and Ji Rongmei silently dismissed his excuses.

Seething with murderous intent, Ye Fan recalled that the tomb required two people to enter. With a feigned air of defeat, he turned to Xiao Chen, his words heavy with bitterness.

"You can tell your companion to step out now that you've won," he said, his tone laced with resentment.

His words left Xiao Chen and Ji Rongmei speechless—they couldn't believe he was still trying to put on an act!

By now, Xiao Chen had become Ye Fan's heart demon, and anyone close to Xiao Chen was automatically considered a mortal enemy to Ye Fan.

Seeing through his intentions, Xiao Chen burst into laughter.

"Haha, do you really think of yourself as a skilled actor with such pathetic acting skills?" he scoffed with contempt.

"Whoever my companion is," Xiao Chen retorted with a smirk, "that's none of your business."

As Ye Fan listened to Xiao Chen's words, his anger flared up.

Knowing that Xiao Chen couldn't harm him while under the protection of his senior, he decided to retaliate, wanting to turn Xiao Chen against Rongmei.

However, just as he was about to act, the aftereffects of Astral Fusion Mastery struck him like a ton of bricks.

"Ahhh, no!" Ye Fan's agonized cry echoed through the air as he writhed on the ground like a cockroach.

Watching him, Xiao Chen felt a surge of revenge and satisfaction. *Hehe, this is just a small payback, and there's more to come.*

He was determined to seize every opportunity that belonged to Ye Fan, including his relationships, background, and ultimately, his very physique and destiny.

As these thoughts filled his mind, the dao of darkness and light surged uncontrollably.

Ji Rongmei was puzzled after witnessing the scene.

The presence of both darkness and light made it impossible for her to ignore.

Had it been only the Dao of Darkness, she would have immediately labeled Xiao Chen as an evil cultivator. However, the presence of the Dao of Light made it difficult for her to guess what kind of person he truly was.

"Could it be... he is just like me?" she thought, her face filled with uncertainty as she looked at Xiao Chen. The memories of the massacre of her Ji clan resurfaced in her mind.

At that time, she had narrowly escaped, thanks to her grandfather's sacrifice.

In the past, she had been on the verge of becoming an evil cultivator, driven by her thirst for revenge.

But her gentle personality, along with her Infernal Lotus sacred bloodline, prevented her from becoming a mindless slaughterer.

Now, witnessing Xiao Chen being surrounded by both the Dao of Light and the Dao of Darkness, Ji Rongmei was at a loss for words.

This was the man who had made her heart race. She knew that there was more to Xiao Chen than met the eye.

'Does he have a past similar to mine?' As this thought crossed her mind, she found herself drawn to him, her curiosity reaching its peak.

At the same time, Xiao Chen was startled upon hearing the system prompts.

[Ding! It is detected Ji Rongmei's favorability has reached 50]

[Ding! It is detected Ji rongmei, future companion of the Son of Destiny has developed a crush on the host and plundered 400 destiny value]

'What the? Where did this come from?' Xiao Chen was stunned as he read the system messages.

'Don't tell me... my guess was actually correct?' His expression froze in disbelief, wondering what Rongmei could have seen in him to develop a crush.

'Wait, did she just see the Dao of Light and Darkness?' His face lit up with realization.

As a powerhouse beyond the Transcend Tribulation realm, even her damaged soul wouldn't have stopped her from perceiving the Dao particles in the void.

'Did she misunderstand something? But even if she did, that alone wouldn't be enough for her to develop a crush on me!'

'It's only possible if she was already attracted to me from the start.' Xiao Chen narrrowed his brows, trying to figure what could have triggered her sudden feelings.

Then, he remembered Ji Rongmei's lonely past.

After her clan was massacred, she had devoted herself to cultivating all alone and even worked under the very ones responsible for the whole mess.

Although his own past couldn't compare to hers, Xiao Chen had also lived a lonely life.

This was one of the reasons he pitied Rongmei—he could empathize with her pain.

'Despite her past, she's the opposite of me, a villain.' Xiao Chen thought with a smile, feeling an inexplicable connection to her.

His gaze shifted to the jade pendant hanging from Ye Fan's neck, and his eyes seemed to pierce its surface, locking onto Ji Rongmei's.

A few moments later, Xiao Chen spoke with a teasing smile. "Redhead, have you seen enough?"

"It's about time you came out of the nest "

Ji Rongmei snapped back to her senses at his words, her cheeks flushing with anger.

It was the first time anyone had riled her up so easily, yet she knew her reaction wasn't out of anger.

After a moment of calming herself, Rongmei thought with a helpless smile. 'I guess there's no point hiding now'