A Dish Best Served Cold (The Man In Rage)
Chapter 1609

Ye Fan spoke with regality, his sonorous voice garnering reverence of all who heard.

It was as if he were a monarch returning to take control of his country.

He stomped on the ground forcefully.

With a loud rumble, the earth quaked. A rune appeared beneath the feet of the four greatest Dragon Slayers.

A beam of light shot toward the sky, engulfing the four men.

Soon after, Ye Fan's imposing voice reverberated through the area, "Heed my command, Dragon Slayers. Release your Qi and assemble!"

The moment the order left Ye Fan's lips, Gaius and the rest of his troop hollered and unleashed a blast of energy.

At the same time, the four men extended their arms and touched their palms to the person beside them.

In a split second, their breaths synchronized as they seemed to merge into one.

Just then, Ye Fan surveyed his surroundings and summoned, "Thunder!"

A resounding boom shook the earth.

Strong gusts of wind swept the clouds across the sky and churned the seas.

A thundercloud drew near from the distance as if someone had lassoed it in. It was the epitome of impending doom.

Lightning struck downward.

Like a silvery dragon soaring through the clouds, the flash of light shot through the sky.

The four men were instantly enveloped in blinding white light.

Gaius and his men never imagined that when Ye Fan said he would call upon the heavens and the earth, he meant that he would strike them with lightning. They were on the brink of despair.

Thunder and lightning ruled the skies. How are we

going to survive a lightning bolt?

Unfortunately, by the time they grasped Ye Fan's true intentions, it was too late for them.

The thick, heavy thundercloud descended upon them, taking them into the belly of the beast with its imaginary maw.

Excruciating pain coursed through their bodies.

Despite being Supreme martial artists, the torture was too much for them to bear as they went berserk. "Argh!"

Their agonized howls pierced the still air of the valley.

It felt like they were trudging through hellfire; the burning sensation that overtook them drove them insane.

Multiple times, they felt like they had been pulverized by the thunderclap.

They were already on the verge of breaking down-a volt higher and they would have passed out immediately.

However, whenever they got to the edge of that cliff, ready to plummet to their death, the lightning would weaken just enough for them to catch a few breaths before it reverted to its original intensity.

It was as if someone was manipulatingthe thunderclap, forcing Gaius and his men to dance perilously between life and death, oblivion and alertness.

Time ticked by slowly.

The torment continued for the four men, unrelenting and unremitting.

Their blood-curdling screams echoed throughout the mountains.

They could almost distinguish the sounds of their bones cracking under the deafening boom of thunder.

Ye Fan stood a short distance away, his expression stoic as he watched his subordinates writhe in pain.

It was as if their anguish did not faze him.

He calmly watched them pace before the doors of death.

However, his serenity originated not from a place of cruelty but rather from the knowledge that growth came with a hefty price-just like a piece of crude metal would have to be subjected to raging fire to be cast into a fine sword.

Pain was inevitable, but what did not kill them would make them stronger.

To Ye Fan, the four Dragon Slayers was that piece of crude metal, the thunderclap was the fire, and Ye Fan, the bladesmith.

With the Dragon Slayers as metal, the earth as the furnace, and the thunder as fire, Ye Fan would forge a sword that could conquer the world.

"Ye Fan, Ye Fan!"

Just as Ye Fan was observing the transformation of the Dragon Slayers, a sweet voice called out to him.

Ye Fan turned around to see a gorgeous woman running toward him, her pretty face filled with distraught.

Shocked, Ye Fan hastily warned, "Junie, don't come here!"

However, it was already too late.

Junie had already reached the foot of the mountain.

Tendrils of energy emerged from the thunderclap surged toward Junie.

"No!" With a panicked cry, Ye Fan shot toward Junie like an arrow released from its bow.

In the blink of an eye, he materialized in front of Junie. With a flourish of his sleeve, he released a rush of elemental force that crashed into the thunderclap, disintegrating it instantly upon impact.

He then wrapped an arm around Junie's waist and, with a powerful jump, rescued her from the valley of thunder.

"You rascal, why didn't you stay at Xijiang as you were told? Had I not saved you just now, you would have turned into dust!" Ye Han reprimanded Junie after they reached a safe spot.

"Why are you being so mean? It's not like I knew that place was so dangerous." Chastened, Junie defended herself timidly with her head bowed.

She looked like a young girl who had been bullied.

Ye Fan might be the only person to see the vulnerable side of the renowned goddess.

"Tell me, why were you looking for me?" Ye Fan's anger had dissipated quickly at the sight of the woman's forlorn expression, but he maintained a cold facade as he prompted her to speak.

Ye Fan's question brought Junie back to her senses. "Ye Fan, something's wrong," she said with urgency. "Your wife has been kidnapped from Yunzhou. The kidnapper said that if you don't appear within the next three days, you won't even get to see Qiu Mucheng's remains."

There was a rumble in the distance.

Ye Fan emanated an air of murderous intent that swirled around him like a hurricane.

It scattered the gravel beneath their feet and tossed the fallen leaves.

The temperature dropped to sub-zero degrees.

In seconds, the sense of imminent danger pervaded the entire area, the tension so high that it was palpable.

Everyone had a line that must not be crossed for fear of evoking their wrath, and for Ve Fan, Qiu Mucheng was that line.

Anyone who dared to mess with her would have to face death.

It was already night at Yunzhou.

Rain poured from the heavens.

The sky grew gloomier as the rain fell harder.

Droplets of rain plopped into Yunwu Lake, forming ripples on the quiet surface.

A small boat bobbed gently in the center of the lake as it followed the motion of the undulating water.

On the board sat Qiu Mucheng, her clothes soaking wet. Deprived of an appropriate cover, her frail body trembled in the cold breeze.

Meng Wanyu noticed Qiu Mucheng's situation from where she sat.

She covertly released her elemental force to form a dome that spanned several meters in diameter, thus encapsulating Qiu Mucheng within the energy bubble. Every raindrop that came in contact with the elemental force evaporated instantaneously, creating a mist that cast a whimsical sheen over the two women.

"Thank you," Qiu Mucheng whispered her gratitude as she glanced in Meng Wanyu's direction

"No need to thank me. In fact, I believe I owe you an apology for dragging you into this mess even though you don't deserve it, but I need to meet Ye Fan. This is the only way to lure him out," Meng Wanyu replied impassively.

"And if he doesn't come? Doesn't that mean that all your efforts are in vain?" Qiu Mucheng asked.

Shaking her head, Meng Wanyu disagreed, "Not entirely. If he doesn't show up, you, Angie and I will get to see what a ruthless person he is."

"If Ye Fan callously puts his wife on the backburner, then a man like this is not worth mourning over. Once my idiot of a best friend sees his true colors, she should be able to get over him quickly. After she finds closure, she'll be able to start afresh," Meng Wanyu stated matter-of-factly.

Qiu Mucheng's head drooped lower with each word

Meng Wanyu uttered, overwhelmed by inexplicable dejection.

The rational part of her hoped that Ye Fan would not fall for the trap.

However, the other half of her could not help but wish that nothing would deter her beloved husband from coming to her rescue.

Qiu Mucheng was a jumble of emotions.

She was afraid to see Ye Fan appear, yet she also yearned for his presence.