Let's talk about Jiang Yan, who, after spending all his Spirit Stones at the Heavenly Secret Pavilion and finally learning Jiang Mei's whereabouts, immediately rushed towards Luoyun Temple without stopping.
However, on the twenty-fourth day of his journey, when he was less than ten thousand li away from Luoyun Temple, Jiang Yan suddenly felt his cultivation Realm irreversibly decline.
He wanted to stop it, but it was useless; he could only watch helplessly as his cultivation Realm rapidly dropped from the Foundation Establishment Stage Middle Stage to the Qi Training Early Stage.
Jiang Yan stood dumbfounded in the wilderness, and after many futile attempts to Cultivate, his mental state collapsed.
He didn't understand why things had turned out this way; Jiang Yan had never heard of any Cultivator whose cultivation Realm would suddenly decline for no reason.
What was most difficult for him to accept was that this lost cultivation Realm could not be recovered through Cultivation.
Jiang Yan half-collapsed, leaning against a crooked-necked tree.
He introspected, appearing as if he were closing his eyes to await death.
The Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse standing beside him also sensed the change in Jiang Yan's aura, and at the same time, it perceived that the Spirit Pet contract it had signed with Jiang Yan was weakening in its binding power due to Jiang Yan's significant loss of strength.
The Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse attempted to forcefully break through the Spirit Pet contract; no horse did not yearn for freedom.
The Spirit Pet contract was bidirectional; as soon as the Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse began to try to break the contract, Jiang Yan, who was slumped on the ground, immediately noticed it.
He angrily opened his eyes, his emotions somewhat out of control, saying, "You beast are truly ungrateful! My Jiang Family has nurtured you for so many years, raising you from a young age to the Xiao Yao Realm, comparable to Foundation Establishment."
"Now my cultivation Realm is only temporarily regressed; it's been less than two quarters of an hour, and you're already impatiently trying to break the contract and devour your master?"
The Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse ignored this unfamiliar human; it simply continued to assault the contract, wanting to release the inherent freedom common to all spirits.
Seeing his cultivation Realm fall and this usually obedient horse quickly turn its back on him, Jiang Yan's already terrible mood exploded even further.
He stood up, constantly reinforcing the Spirit Pet contract between himself and the beast in his Sea of Consciousness, while also taking out a horsewhip from his Storage Pouch.
Gripping the whip handle, Jiang Yan seized the moment while the Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse was fully focused on breaking the contract, and lashed the horse's leg hard with the whip.
This horsewhip was a Magical Artifact; when Jiang Yan Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, the Grand Elder of the Jiang Family had given him this horsewhip and the Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse.
Although Jiang Yan's cultivation Realm was now only Qi Training, with the added power of the Magical Artifact, this whip still caused the unsuspecting Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse to feel intense pain.
It let out a neigh to the sky, wanting to kick this hateful human away.
But as soon as it showed an intention to attack, the binding power of the Spirit Pet contract immediately took effect.
The Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse felt its head splitting with pain and immediately dared not try to attack Jiang Yan again.
Seeing this, Jiang Yan's whip not only did not stop but swung even faster.
He whipped the damned Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse again and again, cursing the beast that dared to betray its master as he whipped.
After venting the anger in his heart, Jiang Yan saw that the areas where the Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse had been whipped were red and swollen, and he himself was out of strength, so he stopped his violent behavior.
"Beast, today your master is in a good mood, so I'll spare your life for now. If I ever catch you trying to betray me again, this young master will beat you to death."
The Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse snorted; it realized that besides hurting a bit when whipped, the human's whip couldn't cause it any substantial harm, so it immediately continued to assault the Spirit Pet contract between them.
"Beast, you dare!"
Jiang Yan was furious, pulling out a Magical Artifact long saber from his Storage Pouch; at this moment, he only wanted to butcher this beast that looked down on him to vent his anger.
The Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse, seeing the human pull out a Sharp Weapon, was not foolish and immediately ran off without a trace.
Seeing this, Jiang Yan still tried to forcefully command the Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse to return through the Spirit Pet contract.
But now his cultivation Realm was an entire major Realm lower than the Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse's; although the Treading Snow Flying Swan Horse couldn't break the contract, it could already ignore Jiang Yan's forced commands.
Jiang Yan waited for a long time, but the damned beast didn't return, and he was so angry his lungs were about to explode.
He used the Magical Artifact long saber to hack at the surrounding weeds and bushes before gradually calming down.
"Traitorous beast! When my cultivation Realm recovers, I'll butcher you and eat your meat first thing!"
After cursing through gritted teeth, Jiang Yan put away his long saber, cast Divine Travel Technique on himself, and began to run towards Luoyun Temple.
If Jiang Yan's cultivation Realm hadn't fallen, even without a horse, he could have traveled by Sword Control Technique.
But now his cultivation Realm was only Qi Training Early Stage, and Sword Control Technique was a Spell that could only be used at Qi Training Late Stage.
Jiang Yan had no choice but to run towards Luoyun Temple at a speed far exceeding that of a Mortal.
As for why Jiang Yan dared to go to Luoyun Temple even with his cultivation Realm fallen, it was mainly because he had a strange self-confidence.
Jiang Yan felt that Zhou Fan was merely a nobody who had emerged from the Fan Realm; even if he only had the Qi Training Stage Third Level cultivation Realm now, he should be able to easily deal with Zhou Fan.
Moreover, even if Zhou Fan really had incredible luck and possessed strength comparable to the Foundation Establishment Stage, Jiang Yan did not fear him.
After all, Jiang Yan was still the Young Lord of the Core Formation power, the Jiang Family; in the Cultivation World, one must not only rely on strength but also on background.
What kind of background could that rustic Zhou Fan, who came from a small Fan Realm, possibly have?
Jiang Yan had already begun to fantasize: when he arrived at Luoyun Temple, he would simply display his identity as the Young Lord of the Jiang Family.
That mere Zhou Fan would immediately bow down, apologize on the spot, and return Jiang Mei to him unharmed.
And he, being a magnanimous person, would not make Zhou Fan cripple his cultivation Realm for the time being, seeing how sensible he was.
After his cultivation Realm returned to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he would then find a random excuse to cripple Zhou Fan.
Jiang Yan felt that his strategy of 'first courtesy, then force,' with a hidden dagger in his smile, was more than enough to deal with a small figure from the Fan Realm.
After taking Jiang Mei back, he could use Jiang Mei's Spirit Stones to buy a carriage, hire a coachman in every other town, and then slowly make his way back.
This would at least give him many years of time, and with such ample time, Jiang Yan didn't believe he still couldn't find a way to restore his cultivation Realm.
With a plan already in his mind, Jiang Yan's steps were swift; he was already impatient to rush to Luoyun Temple and rescue Jiang Mei, his childhood sweetheart, back to his side.
Just like that, Sixteen days later.
Jiang Yan, covered in the scent of earth, finally reached the mountain gate of Luoyun Temple.
He looked at the Luoyun Temple Disciple guarding the gate and said impolitely, "I am Jiang Yan, the Young Lord of the Jiang Family, having traveled thousands of miles for a beauty."
"You all, quickly go and summon Zhou Fan, tell Zhou Fan that his deeds have been exposed, and he's in big trouble!"
"If you want to live, hurry up and come out to see me."】}