Chapter 672: The Hypocritical Tiger Yan

"Boom...!"

This sliver of time was enough!

That attack arrived just in time, striking directly onto Peng Tian's back.

Peng Tian spat out a large mouthful of blood, his body flying forward like a kite with a broken string.

Yet Ye Yuan did not look back at Peng Tian's wretched state; instead, he gazed at the figure now standing beside the Azure Spirit Tree.

It was a sturdy middle-aged man with a full beard, exuding an imposing presence.

Before Ye Yuan could speak, Hu Rong and the others cried out in surprise.

"Brother Hu Yan!"

"Chief Hu Yan!"

"Lord Hu Yan! You... you're safe, that's wonderful!"

This sturdy middle-aged man was none other than Hu Yan, the chief of the Dark Demon Tiger Clan!

This was truly a case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind!

Peng Tian never dreamed that Hu Yan would appear here safe and sound!

Without Hu Yan, Peng Tian was the strongest existence in the Dongming Domain.

Over the past ten years, through subtle influence, Peng Tian had come to believe this!

If not for the desire to obtain the Azure Spirit Tree, why would he have endured until now?

Thus, Peng Tian's mental complacency was inevitable. Especially after obtaining the Azure Spirit Tree, he was brimming with ambition—how could he have any vigilance?

So Hu Yan's ambush succeeded!

Actually, it wasn't entirely successful. If not for Ye Yuan's final move, Hu Yan's injury would not have been so severe.

Ye Yuan didn't even need to look back to know that Hu Yan's blow was no light matter; even if Peng Tian didn't die, he would never get up again.

This guy was exceptionally ruthless.

Of course, Ye Yuan had no fondness for Peng Tian, so he naturally felt no sympathy for him.

Hu Yan said calmly, "Hu Rong, you've worked hard all these years."

Just one sentence brought tears to Hu Rong's eyes. He felt that all his efforts over the years were worth it!

Hu Yan had always been the spiritual pillar of the Dark Demon Tiger Clan; even after ten years of silence, this had not changed.

With his appearance, Hu Rong felt the heavy burden completely lifted, because Hu Yan was the backbone of the Tiger Clan.

"As long as Brother Hu Yan is safe, what is a little hardship?" Hu Rong sobbed.

Hu Yan gave him an encouraging smile, but his gaze fell on Ye Yuan.

"How interesting. So many sixth-order experts here didn't notice my presence, yet you, a mere fourth-order martial artist, could sense me!" Hu Yan asked Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan remained expressionless and did not respond, but he was fully alert.

Clearly, if anyone had the deepest schemes, it was Hu Yan.

Peng Tian was no ordinary man, yet Hu Yan had toyed with him in the palm of his hand—that required considerable skill.

Moreover, Ye Yuan realized that Hu Yan's strength seemed to surpass even Peng Yun's, and he had already touched the threshold of the seventh order.

Despite being stronger, he had endured until now, striking only when Peng Tian's defenses were most relaxed—this showed the depth of his cunning.

Ye Yuan had to be wary of such a person. One moment he might be chatting and laughing with you, the next he could launch a sudden attack.

Ye Yuan didn't think Bai Guang could guarantee his safety against someone like that.

However, Ye Yuan had indeed detected Hu Yan's presence early on. Not only was his soul powerful, but he had also been in a state of mind as firm as a rock, fully aware of everything around him.

Although Hu Yan hid very discreetly, so much so that even Peng Tian didn't notice, Ye Yuan had long sensed a very powerful presence nearby.

Seeing Ye Yuan on guard, Hu Yan laughed, "Relax, no need to be so tense. You are a good brother of the Tiger Lord, hence a friend of the Dark Demon Tiger Clan. Capturing the Azure Spirit Tree today is also thanks to you."

Hu Yan's words implied that he intended to take the Azure Spirit Tree for himself, without any intention of consulting Ye Yuan.

Ye Yuan was not surprised. After all these years of scheming, wasn't Hu Yan's goal the Azure Spirit Tree?

It was naturally impossible for him to hand over the Azure Spirit Tree willingly.

"I am very curious. According to Hu Rong's description, you should have been poisoned by the Shadowless Soul Poison. But from the looks of it, not only have you not suffered soul damage, but your strength has actually increased. Could it be that you were just putting on an act for your clan, to draw Peng Tian in and let him be your vanguard?" Ye Yuan suddenly smiled.

Hu Yan showed no surprise on his face, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Ye Yuan's words were somewhat incisive, clearly intended to sow discord between him and his clan.

Indeed, upon hearing Ye Yuan's words, Hu Rong and the others changed color, their expressions turning complex.

"You're only half right. I did want Peng Tian to be my vanguard, but I was indeed poisoned by the Shadowless Soul Poison. However, I didn't expect that not only did I survive, but the torment of the Shadowless Soul Poison actually advanced my strength further. This process lasted about four years, during which I suffered the agony of soul torment every day, living in darkness." Hu Yan explained.

After hearing Hu Yan's explanation, Hu Rong and the others quickly showed relieved expressions.

"Chief Hu Yan, it's our fault for being unable to help you!"

"Yes, we spent ten years setting up the Wood Spirit Trapping Dragon Array, but in the end, we were still no match for the Azure Spirit Tree."

"Brother Hu Yan, I..."

After these words, Hu Rong and the others were deeply self-reproachful.

Seeing this, Ye Yuan sneered inwardly.

This guy's skill in winning people's hearts was surprisingly formidable.

But Ye Yuan would never believe Hu Yan's words.

It might be true that Hu Yan was poisoned, but certainly not as severely as claimed.

Ye Yuan knew all too well the potency of the Shadowless Soul Poison. Even if Hu Yan was a sixth-order expert, if the poisoning was deep, he couldn't have held on.

The talk of living four years in darkness was only enough to deceive naive rookies like Hu Rong.

The only explanation was that Hu Yan's poisoning was not deep. Although a small amount of Shadowless Soul Poison was potent, it was only natural for Hu Yan to use it as an opportunity to advance further.

If it were as he claimed, Hu Yan would have died long ago!

But Ye Yuan did not intend to expose Hu Yan, knowing it would be meaningless.

His earlier attempt at sowing discord was merely to gauge Hu Yan's character.

As expected, he was extremely hypocritical!

"It's fine, you've done enough! I've seen your hard work over the years, and I'm truly grateful. Well, this is not the place to talk; let's return to the clan first."

As he spoke, Hu Yan moved to collect the Azure Spirit Tree.

But Ye Yuan called out inopportunely, "Chief Hu Yan is quite presumptuous! Hu Rong and I had an agreement—the Azure Spirit Tree belongs to me. Don't tell me you didn't know about this agreement!"