.....

Seeing Chen Yan trying to stand up, Lu Ding stepped forward and kicked him back down.

Right at that moment.

A brilliant light erupted from the fallen Chen Yan's body, spiritual energy running wild as pure white, untainted clouds rose up. An arm reached out from within them, its wide white sleeve sweeping aside to part the clouds on both sides.

Accompanied by ethereal immortal music.

"Young friend, how about showing some mercy and letting him go? Would you do me this favor?"

A seemingly immortal and dignified middle-aged man stood within the clouds, appearing and disappearing intermittently.

As he spoke, intricate patterns and symbols resembling intertwined leaf veins appeared on the pure white clouds.

He's finally here.

Lu Ding had been waiting for him for a long time.

Looking at the figure in the clouds.

Lu Ding raised his foot and stomped down on Chen Yan's already shattered chest, completely crushing it.

Crack.

He glanced up at the Rat Demon's divine projection consciousness: "In front of me, you think you deserve to have face?"

The Rat Demon's expression turned somewhat ugly, but this was the truth - what had emerged was only its divine projection consciousness.

If it weren't for the fact that Shen Qixue couldn't handle Lu Ding, and this girl had already broken with Chen Yan.

The Rat Demon would never have come out, even if beaten to death.

Under normal circumstances, with Shen Qixue around, Chen Yan wouldn't have problems. During this time, it had thoroughly figured out this girl's personality.

Although somewhat arrogant, she would definitely help Chen Yan with all her strength, since he had done her favors.

Unfortunately, she was a bit too weak.

"Young friend, what would it take for you to spare Chen Yan? As the saying goes, it's better to resolve enmity than create it. The matter with the Fang Family happened so long ago, pursuing it now is meaningless, don't you think?"

A faint smile appeared on Lu Ding's face: "You might not understand what I mean."

As soon as these words were spoken.

The Rat Demon instantly understood Lu Ding's meaning.

As long as there was interest, then things would be easy to handle.

With a wave of its hand, it stirred up a great gale, sending stones flying and sand swirling, blowing the onlookers off balance and making it hard for them to keep their eyes open.

Seizing this opportunity.

The Rat Demon used spiritual energy to deliver an object, saying: "I hope young friend can be accommodating, make an exception."

Quite considerate, knowing to clear the area before presenting gifts. It seems practice makes perfect.

As it spoke, the emotional shift in the Rat Demon's tone was accurately caught by Lu Ding.

It's feeling the pain of parting with treasure.

He caught the object, the spiritual energy dispersing.

Revealing its true form - eight small and one large purple fruit, covered in mysterious patterns.

The eight small fruits, each about the size of peanuts, grew around the large fruit connected by root tendrils.

Lu Ding recognized this thing at a glance - [Hate Child Surviving Alone], ranked sixty-ninth among earthly treasures.

Because it's entirely purple, it's also called Hate Purple Surviving Alone.

Its original form is the common Chinese medicinal herb "surviving alone," usually growing under damp, shaded mountain slopes.

Experiencing spring, summer, autumn, and winter - greening in early spring, withering in late autumn.

Year after year, the roots continuously grow, rotting and then growing again, growing and then rotting again.

During this process, with the participation of heaven and earth's spiritual energy, a qualitative change occurs. Every hundred years marks a cycle, until nine small and one large form, transforming from the original stick-like root into a spherical purple root.

Only then does [Hate Child Surviving Alone] fully mature, qualifying as the sixty-ninth ranked heavenly material and earthly treasure.

No wonder the Rat Demon felt the pain - taking out such a treasure, it would be strange if it didn't hurt.

Lu Ding withdrew his leg: "You're quite generous."

The Rat Demon's heart was bleeding. If Chen Yan didn't still have great uses, it would never have taken out [Hate Child Surviving Alone] to buy his life.

But since it had already been given, it wouldn't regret it.

You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. Today it gave out [Hate Child Surviving Alone], but in the future it would definitely use Chen Yan to earn back much more.

Its smile remained on its face, attitude firm: "He shares a deep connection with me. As long as it can save his life, even taking out Hate Child Surviving Alone is worth it!"

"I hope young friend will show mercy."

Seeing his mentor and friend 'No-Leave-Heaven' Great Immortal being so humble before Lu Ding.

The fury in Chen Yan's heart couldn't stop bubbling out.

But he dared to be angry without daring to speak.

Having bent his waist for eighteen years, finally straightening up for just a few years, only to have Lu Ding's flying kick directly break it.

Not to mention never being able to straighten up for the rest of his life, his own father had been cursed and humiliated.

Although it was all true.

But Chen Yan didn't want to acknowledge this truth - he only recognized what was useful to him.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved.

Lu Ding looked down at Chen Yan: "Alright, you can get lost now. This time, you got lucky. But if you meet me again next time, you might not be so fortunate."

He mentally added: Next time means in a little while. You go back first, we'll see each other soon.

These words completely reassured the Rat Demon.

Although the person before him was powerful, he could be negotiated with.

Waving his hand to summon a gentle breeze that lifted the severely injured Chen Yan.

The Rat Demon cupped its hands again: "Thank you, young friend. This humble one will definitely personally visit to express gratitude another day."

Lu Ding waved his hand with an impatient expression: "Get lost, get lost."

The Rat Demon wasn't angered either, just took another look at Lu Ding, firmly memorizing his appearance, thinking to itself: "After returning, I must thoroughly investigate this person's background."

Little did it know that Lu Ding wouldn't give it any time at all.

You go first, I'll follow right after.

Emphasis on efficiency.

As the Rat Demon took Chen Yan away, disappearing into the distant horizon.

Zhan Tingzhou slowly walked up, transmitting his voice:

"It's done. I've placed a hard-to-detect technique on the Rat Demon."

Under the mask, his crooked mouth twisted open, forming an exaggerated curve.

In his previous life, Zhan Tingzhou traveled all over, never knowing how many people he had offended.

If not for relying on these profound and exquisite techniques, he would have died long ago.

Ordinary positioning techniques involve leaving a trace of energy on the enemy, then following that energy to find them.

Such methods are too common and outdated, easily discovered through habitual thinking - they're all thousand-year-old foxes, why play these fairy tales?

Moreover, energy traces require guidance.

But Zhan Tingzhou's techniques don't need guidance.

In his previous life, whenever he fought enemies, he would implant techniques during combat, to ensure that if he couldn't finish them off in one go.

After he ran away, if the enemies tried to catch him, as long as they approached, his techniques would activate.

Simply put, this was for his escape - before going somewhere, he could know in advance if any of his old enemies were there.

In his previous life, Zhan Tingzhou's most outrageous experience was when he went to explore a secret realm, but before even reaching the place, his technique feedback warned him that there were several hundred of his enemies ahead.

Scaring Zhan Tingzhou so much he turned and ran.

Although this technique was for avoiding enemies, if used with reverse thinking, one could continuously approach to trigger the technique feedback and locate the person.

This is the same principle as shouting "Mountain-Splitting Slash" but using "Sweeping Army of Thousands" - the emphasis is on surprise.

Furthermore, it was implanted on the Rat Demon, not Chen Yan - insurance within insurance.

"After it takes Chen Yan back, its consciousness should return to its main body, right?"

Zhan Tingzhou responded: "Under normal circumstances perhaps not, but Chen Yan is so severely injured, it will definitely need to use its main body to save him and preserve Chen Yan's life."

"At that time, when consciousness and main body meet, with two perspectives and two sets of sensations, it will definitely subconsciously withdraw its consciousness."