Li Changqing took a few steps forward, a playful smile appearing on his face as he said, "This is a matter between Liu Yiyi and Wang Yan. If they're willing to exchange, then let them. Ye Fan, you're meddling too much."
"Slap!"
Ye Fan didn't say a word. He swung his right hand forcefully, slapping Li Changqing's face. The sound was so loud that it stunned everyone. Li Changqing flew sideways like a scarecrow, tumbling over two meters away. The force of the slap was immense.
He crashed to the ground, half of his face immediately swelling up, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His head was dizzy, and it took him a while to regain his senses before he angrily shouted, "You…"
But Ye Fan didn't even glance at him, his sheer disdain turning him into invisible air, completely ignoring his existence.
"Hand it over!" Ye Fan spoke calmly, looking directly at Liu Yun Zhi and Wang Yan.
Li Changqing struggled to stand up, furious, and rushed toward Ye Fan to grab his collar. But unfortunately for him, before he could even touch the fabric, Ye Fan spun around and slapped his other cheek. Once again, he didn't even look at him, swatting him away like he was a fly.
Once again, the slap was powerful. Li Changqing flew through the air and crashed into a large tree, completely dazed.
"Hand it over!" Ye Fan repeated, still calm, his eyes fixed on Wang Yan and Liu Yun Zhi.
At this point, Wang Yan was thoroughly stunned. Her gaze flickered nervously, and she dared not meet Ye Fan's eyes. Looking away, she said, "I didn't say I wouldn't give it to her. I've been discussing it with her…"
But her words lacked conviction. As she continued, she faltered and said, "Since Yiyi changed her mind, I can give it back to her, alright?"
With that, she took the string of gleaming prayer beads off her wrist and was about to hand them to Ye Fan. At this moment, Liu Yun Zhi, who had been silent until now, spoke up, "Ye Fan, you're going too far. What do you think you're doing to Li Changqing?"
Only then did Li Changqing finally regain his senses and started shouting again, charging toward Ye Fan. Pang Bo, standing to the side, sneered and said, "Asking for trouble. Want to try charging again and see what happens?"
Upon hearing these words, Li Changqing hesitated, yelling from a distance but not daring to take another step forward.
"Why are you treating Li Changqing like this?" Liu Yun Zhi questioned Ye Fan.
"Why did you hit me?" Li Changqing shouted angrily.
"Do I really need to explain or reason with a fly? Just swat it away," Ye Fan said coldly, directed at Liu Yun Zhi, still not looking at Li Changqing.
"W-What… What are you saying?" At this moment, Li Changqing's face was swollen, and he was so furious he almost spat blood. He could see it clearly now: Ye Fan looked at Liu Yun Zhi with contempt, and for him, he was totally disregarded, as if he didn't even exist. This was a huge blow to his pride.
Ye Fan stretched his right hand forward, and Wang Yan quickly placed the prayer beads in his hand, retreating a few steps without daring to look him in the eye.
"We all know that Yiyi has had a tough few years. She's been severely impacted, her character and mindset have changed. She's become weak and lacks confidence. Such psychological trauma requires long-term adjustment. I hope you'll tone it down a bit, watch your words and actions, and don't bully her in this condition. Don't be so shameless!" Ye Fan warned Wang Yan in a low voice.
Hearing these heavy words, Wang Yan's face turned pale, a mix of shame and anger, but mostly fear. She took a few steps back, not daring to say anything further.
"Ye Fan, you've gone too far!" Liu Yun Zhi's face darkened.
The others watched this scene without saying much. Just as everyone thought Ye Fan was about to turn and leave, they suddenly saw him swing his fist and punch Liu Yun Zhi hard in the face.
In an instant, Liu Yun Zhi's nose and mouth spewed blood, his face flushed, and he fell backward to the ground.
"You…" He never expected that Ye Fan would lay a hand on him as well.
"I've been ignoring you, yet you keep provoking me. Do you really think I have a good temper?" Ye Fan glanced at him indifferently, full of disdain, and turned to leave.
"Ye Fan!" Liu Yun Zhi gritted his teeth, lying on the ground, wiping the blood from his nose and mouth as he shouted, "You wait!"
Upon hearing this, Pang Bo immediately rushed over, lifting his foot and kicking Liu Yun Zhi, saying, "Who do you think you're talking to? Want to do something? Tell me!"
"Bang! Bang! Bang…"
He kicked Liu Yun Zhi repeatedly, sending him flying a great distance. Finally, Liu Yun Zhi lost consciousness.
The others watched without intervening. In fact, many of them didn't like Liu Yun Zhi, and back in their old world, it might have been bearable. But now, in this new world, they didn't need to care about his so-called status.
Even the few people who might have wanted to speak up for Liu Yun Zhi remained silent, knowing that once Ye Fan showed his strength, it was best not to provoke him.
"Everyone saw that, right…" Li Changqing, still not understanding the situation, shouted to the others around him.
Aside from Pang Bo, no one responded. Pang Bo, having just kicked Liu Yun Zhi, walked over and answered, "Yeah, we saw it, all of us."
"Bang! Bang! Bang…"
Pang Bo's large feet kicked Li Changqing like a sandbag, sending him flying and rolling through the air, screaming in pain.
The group didn't stop to linger and continued on their journey. Wang Yan helped Liu Yun Zhi and Li Changqing up, and the three of them trailed behind.
At this moment, Liu Yun Zhi and Li Changqing were seething with anger. They had lost all face and felt completely humiliated. It was clear now that Ye Fan had never taken them seriously. Their actions had been utterly ignored, as if they were inconsequential, like clowns who didn't deserve any attention. When Ye Fan had enough, he swatted them away like flies, without even considering them as equals.
The most painful blow was this: to be treated like a mere dog, unworthy of being considered a peer.
An hour later, the group had crossed a low mountain, and they could clearly see a building in the distance on a high mountain. Meanwhile, the roars of beasts in the surrounding mountains grew louder, signaling they were about to leave this ancient forbidden land.
"We'll stop and rest for a bit after we go a little further," someone suggested. After traveling most of the day through the mountains, everyone was clearly feeling tired.
After crossing another peak, the group finally saw birds flying around. They had entered a vibrant world, with bird songs, animal calls, and lush vegetation. It was no longer the desolate and lifeless place they had been in.
"There's a rabbit!"
"Over there, a badger!"
Upon seeing the wildlife, many couldn't help but drool. Eating wild fruits had gotten too bland for them.
"Hey, there's some writing on that stone wall!" someone noticed ahead, spotting a stone wall with large ancient characters carved into it.
The first three characters were ones the group had already seen: "Ancient Forbidden." The fourth character was confirmed to be "Land."
"Why are we seeing these four characters again? Does this mean we haven't left the forbidden land?" someone questioned.
"No, this actually proves we've made it out. This is likely the edge of the Ancient Forbidden Land. We've finally made it out safely."
"Let's rest here. I believe we'll see signs of civilization soon."
The group started to gather in small circles, resting and considering their plans for when they left the land. Clearly, they would soon go their separate ways.
"I'll go see what Liu Yun Zhi and the others are up to. They seem suspicious," Pang Bo said, standing up and heading toward the nearby woods.
Not long after, Pang Bo returned and whispered a few words in Ye Fan's ear.
"We're almost out of the mountains. The group will soon split up. Given how mysterious this world is, there are likely gods or immortals here. If those three gain power, they will become a threat. It's better to deal with them now," Ye Fan said calmly, standing up as he spoke. His tone was light, but he had already decided the fate of the three individuals.