CHAPTER 357: CHAPTER 230: WILL ANYONE PAY ATTENTION TO YOU WITH SUCH ENTHUSIASM?_2

"Wen, watch closely!"

At his side, Tan Yuanshan let out a low shout as Spiritual Qi burst from his palm, transforming into a shining golden sword wind three feet long.

WHOOSH! Before Wen Zhixing could react, the sword wind shot rapidly towards the Fortune Fragment.

Suddenly, a devil beast, its head pierced, materialized before them. This devil beast was covered in dark green skin, with eyes like bells and teeth like files. Though it had no aura, its gaze remained cold and resentful.

"Brother Tan, you..."

Wen Zhixing was somewhat surprised; Tan Yuanshan’s perception was incredibly keen.

"This is a common type of devil beast in the Devil Ruins, a specter. It can hide in the void, making it hard to guard against. However, its strength is low, so there’s no need for excessive concern. Once you locate it, attacking the center of its forehead will kill it instantly," Tan Yuanshan explained with a slight smile.

Weak strength, huh... Wen Zhixing mused, looking at the devil beast that had died instantly. He clearly sensed its strength had reached the Sixth Realm. Yet it was no match for Tan Yuanshan in a single exchange.

"Wen, there are many types of devil beasts here. In a moment, I can give you an introduction..."

Tan Yuanshan’s smile was amiable, but before he could finish speaking, his figure flashed and disappeared. When he reappeared, he was tens of meters away in the void.

Looking into the distance, one could see a dark cloud mixed with strange noises, surging rapidly in this direction.

"These are..."

Wen Zhixing took a closer look and realized that this was no devil cloud. It was a multitude of winged, flying devil beasts, countless and densely packed.

"Hahaha, Wen, you are truly fortunate! These are also devil beasts from the Devil Ruins, known as ghost bats. It’s rare to see so many ghost bats moving together. Just watch for now. To deal with such devil beasts, one must use thunder techniques to utterly destroy their divine souls!"

Tan Yuanshan was still ahead, but his voice slowly reached Wen Zhixing’s ears.

BOOM!

Suddenly, myriad serpentine lightning bolts appeared in the sky dome, dense and obscuring the sun.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The thunder cracked, lightning flickering and exploding in the sky, transforming into countless smaller electric serpents scattering in all directions. A series of dense explosions erupted as large flocks of ghost bats shrieked piercingly, tumbling and continuously falling from the air.

Tan Yuanshan hovered in the void, his body enveloped in thunder light. His demeanor was calm, yet he exuded an air of superiority.

This Tan Yuanshan... he’s so powerful! Wen Zhixing’s eyes showed shock; he realized he had completely underestimated Tan Yuanshan’s strength. If he had encountered such a large flock of ghost bats, he would have only been able to run away. After all, each one possessed the strength of the Sixth Realm; how could he possibly be their opponent? Yet, in Tan Yuanshan’s hands, a single thunder technique had completely obliterated their divine souls.

Wait a minute... their divine souls completely obliterated! Wen Zhixing suddenly snapped back to his senses from his amazement—he wasn’t here to admire Tan Yuanshan’s decimation of devil beasts; collecting remnant souls was his objective.

He looked up only to see the ghost bats turn to ash amidst the myriad of lightning snakes! This was utter annihilation.

Seeing this scene, Wen Zhixing’s heart practically bled.

Damn it! Brother Tan, please go easy on them! Leave some remnant souls for me!

Wen Zhixing nearly spoke up to plead for the devil beasts, but after a moment’s thought, he held back.

A moment later, Tan Yuanshan returned, having eradicated all the devil beasts in the area. Even the specter from before was struck by a falling lightning snake and wiped out of existence.

"Wen, did you see? The Devil Ruins are treacherous. Even on the periphery, you must not let your guard down." Tan Yuanshan’s complexion was slightly flushed as he kindly reminded, "Next time, you shouldn’t come here alone."

"Thank you, Brother Tan. I will bear it in mind," Wen Zhixing said with a stiff smile, almost moved to tears.

"Huh, here comes another one. What’s going on today?" Tan Yuanshan turned his head once more towards the distance; clearly, another devil beast had appeared. They were appearing much more frequently than before.

His mind raced. He was about to destroy it instantly and then explain its characteristics to Wen Zhixing. However, just as he raised his arm, Wen Zhixing grabbed it.

"Wen?" Tan Yuanshan turned his head.

"Brother Tan, wait. I have a rather presumptuous request," Wen Zhixing cleared his throat and said.

"Speak, Wen." Tan Yuanshan was very courteous; despite his overwhelming strength, he carried no airs.

"May I be the one to slay this devil beast?" Wen Zhixing bowed with his hands clasped, a sincere look on his face. "I have come here for the purpose of training."

"That... it was my oversight." Tan Yuanshan reacted, quickly clasping his hands in a bow as well. He understood Wen Zhixing’s intention.

"Thank you, Brother Tan."

Wen Zhixing sighed in relief.

Good. Now it’s time to collect remnant souls. If I can handle it, I will. If not, I’ll let Brother Tan take over. Perfect!

「Meanwhile,」

In Si Nanyan’s residence within the Purple Cloud Divine Sect, two visitors had arrived.

In the reception hall, Si Nanyan sat in the host’s seat, while Ning Xiaoyu was preparing tea for the guests. Feng Ruoli stood aside, looking as if she would follow Si Nanyan’s lead in everything. To have mutual support, Si Nanyan, Feng Ruoli, and Ning Xiaoyu all lived together. As for Zhang Tiancheng, he lived alone; having not been seen for many days, his whereabouts were unknown.

At the moment, one handsome man was cheerfully speaking to Si Nanyan, who sat nearby, "Junior Sister Nanyan, the legacy of Peach Blossom Bay has recently been unveiled. How about we go together? Perhaps we might find some fortune."

This charming man was Lu Shangxing, an inner sect disciple of the Purple Cloud Divine Sect. His status was not low. The very day he first laid eyes on Si Nanyan, Lu Shangxing was captivated by her stunning beauty. Sometimes, it’s just about that initial spark. Feng Ruoli was not bad either, but it was Si Nanyan who caught his eye. Especially the indifference Si Nanyan’s eyes held for all worldly things; it made him all the more obsessed. Thus, these days, he often found excuses to visit.

The other person sat to the side, his gaze sweeping over Si Nanyan’s figure back and forth. That look was somewhat frivolous, his lips curled into a subtle smile.

"I won’t go."

However, Si Nanyan rejected him outright, without a hint of tact in her voice. She looked displeased, especially with the gaze of the companion Lu Shangxing had brought, which she found very disagreeable.

Lu Shangxing’s expression stiffened slightly. Although he knew Si Nanyan was unlikely to agree, he still felt uncomfortable. His patience was starting to wear thin after all these days.

"Junior Sister Nanyan..."

Lu Shangxing tried to speak again, but Si Nanyan’s eyes clearly showed disgust.

"Lu Shangxing, please leave. I’m not in the mood to deal with you."

Her tone was incredibly detached. Aside from Wen Zhixing, she had almost no desire to pay attention to anyone else. The words she spoke were always straightforward; she didn’t understand subtleties.

After speaking, Si Nanyan got up to leave without hesitation.

Lu Shangxing’s face began to darken; Si Nanyan was essentially slapping his face in public.

"Senior Brother Lu, my junior sister is just like this. Please don’t take it to heart," Feng Ruoli hurriedly spoke up, trying to diffuse the tension.

"Hahaha, look at that, Junior Brother Lu. With all your attentiveness, does she even care?" the companion who came with Lu Shangxing laughed derisively.

Lu Shangxing clenched his fists tightly.

Si Nanyan, who had been about to leave, sensed something amiss. She frowned and stopped.

"Senior Brothers, it’s all a misunderstanding," Feng Ruoli quickly interjected softly, a sense of foreboding washing over her.

"I’ve told you, you have to be forceful with women! Just a few new disciples, and they dare to give you attitude? Who gave them the nerve!" the man sneered, completely ignoring Feng Ruoli.