"Then I won’t hold back. You’re really impressive. That old guy was truly no match for you," Yan Yuchu rarely showed such admiration for a peer, speaking straightforwardly and without concealing his feelings.

"No match for him? You underestimate him," Qian Ji responded with a bitter smile.

Only then did Han Yan notice that there was a hint of a sickly flush on his face, and his breathing was irregular, clearly indicating he was injured.

"You’re injured?" Han Yan asked in surprise, instinctively reaching out to hold his wrist and probing with her divine sense.

A trace of scorching and dark Qi was rampaging through his body, and even though he was suppressed, his Ninth Rank Sword Master’s formidable Qi was unable to resist it in the slightest. Wherever the Qi passed, his meridians were shattered, and even his Qi Sea was severely damaged. If it weren’t for Qian Ji and Huayue possessing extremely strong defenses, he would have long been rendered a cripple.

"How could this happen?" Han Yan tried using the Heavenly Heart Technique to refine the Qi, but to no avail, leaving her even more astonished.

"Divine Prison Refining Fire, it is the Reincarnation Fire. Unless you comprehend its ultimate mysteries, each use means experiencing a cycle of life and death," Qian Ji’s voice trembled slightly, beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, indicating he was enduring great pain.

Han Yan remembered how he wasn’t in so much pain even when he was poisoned by the Ten Thousand Ants Devouring Heart Pill last time, which showed how domineering the Divine Prison Refining Fire was.

"But it’s nothing major, I won’t die," Seeing Han Yan’s worried face, Qian Ji added another line, trying to force a comforting smile, but it made people feel even more bitter.

"Just now, thank you..." Han Yan said with a complex expression.

Hearing the words Gai Huangji said before leaving, she knew this matter would definitely not end here, and saving herself and Huayue would undoubtedly bring endless trouble to Qian Ji.

"Do you remember what you said last time at Long Yan Academy?" Qian Ji looked at Han Yan and said word by word, "We are friends."

"Yes, we are friends," Han Yan nodded heavily, her eyes becoming moist.

"Alright, I should go now, be careful," Qian Ji said, managing a smile as he lifted his foot to walk outside.

"Wait, what is your purpose for coming to the Holy Court Continent?" Han Yan suddenly called out to him, asking.

This question, she actually didn’t want to ask, because she had already guessed that Qian Ji came to the Holy Court Continent because of her, otherwise, there wouldn’t have been that betrayal in their past lives. After being reborn, this had also caused her immense pain, which she couldn’t let go, but she now knew there was another reason, a question buried in her heart that would sooner or later become her inner demon.

"I came to the Holy Court Continent for you all. The power of the Guardian of the Gods is too strong, posing a significant threat to the temple. Only by nipping you in the bud can the temple avert future troubles. Of course, this is also true for the Holy Court.

For millions of years, the peaceful coexistence of the Divine Continent and the Holy Court Continent has been due to the existence of the North Abyss Misty Plain and efforts by both the Holy Court and the temple to eliminate each other’s Guardians of the Gods." Qian Ji’s body trembled slightly, yet he spoke candidly.

Huayue and the others didn’t expect him to be so frank, their expressions changed slightly, and they instinctively gripped their sword hilts before loosening their fingers. If Qian Ji really wanted to harm them, there was no need for him to save them earlier, nor to turn against Gai Huangji. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Moreover, he was now severely injured, and Han Yan and Yan Yuchu still had fighting power; if he truly intended harm, he wouldn’t have said it.

"We are friends." Thinking of Qian Ji’s earlier words and seeing his bright, clear eyes like stars in the night, Huayue and others felt deeply ashamed, showing a self-mocking smile on their faces.

"So now, you probably won’t kill us, right?" Han Yan also smiled, playfully asking.

If Qian Ji was evasive, Han Yan might not have been able to completely let go, as the sword from the backstab in her past life brought too much pain, and it would have caused Qian Ji pain too. Though he wasn’t reborn like her, he was still trapped in that painful nightmare he couldn’t escape.

But Qian Ji’s candid explanation of his purpose for coming to the Holy Court Continent actually allowed Han Yan to let out a long sigh of relief. It seems that just like the change in fate for Huayue’s group, Qian Ji’s life trajectory also altered, and the tragedy of the past life might not happen again.

Seeing the smiles on the faces of Huayue and Han Yan, Qian Ji also smiled, his gaze becoming softer and warmer. Such friendship was something he had never experienced, and such trust was something his former self didn’t even dare to dream of.

"The matter of Jiuyou Netherworld, the Lord Divine might not be aware yet. Once the seal of Jiuyou Netherworld is completely broken, it means the world will return to chaos, and not only will the Holy Court Continent be destroyed, but the Divine Continent will also perish. I think under such circumstances, he would retract his order," Qian Ji answered.

"Are you going back?" Han Yan keenly sensed the implication behind his words, asking.

"It’s time for me to go back, but not now, at least not until you’ve advanced to the Sword Saint Realm." When saying this, Qian Ji remained calm and composed.

Hearing this, Han Yan was slightly taken aback, but quickly understood his meaning. Although he had abandoned his original plan and even openly defied the Divine Lord’s orders, the temple’s experts who infiltrated the Holy Court Continent would not betray the temple just because of his word. After all, besides him, the Divine Language Priest, there were Divine Guardian Priests like Gai Huangji. Though not knowing the hierarchy among temple priests, Han Yan could see that a Divine Guardian Priest’s status was not below that of a Divine Language Priest.

It was likely similar to the Holy Court Continent, where the Twelve Saints held lofty status, but it was because they were the Holy Master’s direct disciples, potentially succeeding the Holy Master, though in terms of authority within the Holy Court, someone like Tian Wenliang as a Law Enforcement Elder might not be weaker than them.

It’s certain that the temple’s experts won’t just let Han Yan grow stronger, they will eventually take action. The enemy is hidden while they are exposed; with the temple priests’ various strange and mysterious arts being completely different from the Holy Court Continent, as long as Han Yan hasn’t reached the Sword Saint Realm, she would always be in danger. Qian Ji stayed to protect Han Yan, because no matter how you put it, he was the Divine Language Priest, more familiar with those temple experts’ methods.

"Qian Ji..." Understanding Qian Ji’s reason for staying, Han Yan was deeply moved.

"No need to say thank you anymore, since we’re friends, don’t always hang those two words on your lips," Qian Ji interrupted Han Yan’s words.