CHAPTER 753: CHAPTER 676: ASCEND TO THE PEAK 75

This time, Lu Tianyi came to visit Tan Shuangshuang with a lot of news. He knew what Tan Shuangshuang cared about, so the news he brought was all about the Tan Family in Qingyun City and about Tan Feiyu in the Wuji Sect; all of this information perfectly aligned with Tan Shuangshuang’s interests.

When Lu Tianyi left, he was very satisfied because, unlike in the past, Tan Shuangshuang did not treat him coldly this time. She even invited him to a meal, which made Lu Tianyi, who always wanted to get close to his benefactor, very happy.

Lu Tianyi decided that after he returned, he would focus on gathering more news about the Tan Family in Qingyun City, preparing to share them with his benefactor the next time he came, and he also wanted to build a good relationship with Tan Feiyu, since Tan Shuangshuang obviously cared a lot about this younger brother.

In fact, Tan Shuangshuang felt quite helpless towards Lu Tianyi. Although she constantly reminded herself that she had been reborn and should not dwell on past matters, in reality, she still did. Her rationality warned her that her previous life’s outcome was mostly due to her own actions, and she couldn’t blame others, which made her force herself to let go.

Yet deep down, Tan Shuangshuang couldn’t let go of Liang Ziqian’s betrayal, who promised to be with her but then fell in love with someone else. She couldn’t let go of Hua Qingcheng, who, knowing Liang Ziqian was with her, still accepted his pursuit. She couldn’t let go of Lu Tianyi, Hua Qingcheng’s loyal follower, who constantly targeted her to protect Hua Qingcheng.

After her rebirth, Tan Shuangshuang decided to distance herself from these people because she feared falling into a cycle of revenge, wasting the great opportunity of being reborn. She didn’t want to live again only to be entangled in past grievances, so Tan Shuangshuang chose to abandon the past and start anew.

However, in this life, Lu Tianyi clung to her, always calling her his benefactor and making every effort to please her. What’s rare was that every attempt was particularly aligned with her wishes, making it hard for Tan Shuangshuang to resist him.

Moreover, Tan Shuangshuang even started finding excuses for Lu Tianyi in her heart, thinking that in her previous life, he was indeed targeting her everywhere, but isn’t that also his greatest strength? Remembering acts of kindness.

In this world, many are ungrateful. Today’s savior might stab you tomorrow. But few remember kindness and are constantly eager to repay their debt; isn’t this the commendable quality of Lu Tianyi’s character?

Having found an excuse for herself, Tan Shuangshuang comfortably coexisted with Lu Tianyi, no longer resisting his efforts to please her and generously expressing her gratitude for the news he brought. Tan Shuangshuang planned to maintain a friendship with him in the future.

No matter what, Tan Shuangshuang would not be like Hua Qingcheng, using Lu Tianyi as a subordinate capitalizing on his gratitude, especially after seeing Lu Tianyi’s own talents; she couldn’t bring herself to ruin someone’s future like that.

Not long after Lu Tianyi left, someone unexpected came to visit Tan Shuangshuang. The visitor was Yan Xing, the Manager of the Wanyou Trading House. When Yan Xing arrived, Tan Shuangshuang had just returned from visiting Fei Hu and was sitting alone in the tent, tastelessly gnawing on a Spirit Fruit.

Without Fei Hu around to share, Tan Shuangshuang felt the Spirit Fruit was no longer sweet. The once-enjoyable quiet solitude now felt boring. She had just parted and already missed her furry companion.

Seeing Yan Xing’s arrival, Tan Shuangshuang was puzzled because Yan Xing had no prior rapport with her, so such a sudden visit left her a bit bewildered.

Lately, Yan Xing had been paying a lot of attention to Tan Shuangshuang. Tan Shuangshuang was known for her reclusive nature, preferring to be alone and not indulging in gossip. Still, unbeknownst to her, her reputation among both the Human Clan and the Demon Clan was quite significant now.

Among the Human Clan cultivators, especially the low-level cultivators in the army, Tan Shuangshuang was greatly admired. Even the Demon Clan held a strong impression of her because Tan Shuangshuang had killed too many High-level Demons sent to assassinate her.

Everyone knows that the Demon Clan is a world enemy, yet few realize that the brain of the Demon Clan, like that of a Magic Beast, contains a Core. This Core is the cultivation resource most favored by Demon Cultivators, akin to ordinary cultivators using Spirit Stones.

Don’t think that because a Demon Cultivator carries the word "demon" they’re connected to the Demon Clan. In fact, Demon Cultivators are scarcely different from ordinary cultivators. The only difference lies in that while ordinary cultivators absorb nature’s spiritual energy for cultivation, Demon Cultivators absorb Yin Qi present between heaven and earth.

Places rich in Yin Qi are often gloomy or eerie, and over time, people have developed a certain fear when it comes to Demon Cultivators. But in reality, aside from the fact that they don’t cultivate by absorbing spiritual energy, they have no difference from ordinary cultivators; they are not cruel, nor abnormal, nor would they kill without reason. They are far removed from the Demon Clan, and in fact, Demon Cultivators can even be considered as a nemesis to the Demon Clan.

Firstly, the Core of the Demon Clan is filled with a dark aura, which only Demon Cultivators can absorb and transform into the Yin Qi they need. Secondly, the most dreaded poison gas of the Demon Clan acts like a tonic for Demon Cultivators, completely harmless to them.

So even though Demon Cultivators are often associated with eerie and terrifying impressions, their reputation is not bad. In fact, because of their restraint effect on the Demon Clan, they are indispensable on battlefields against the Demon Clan, and therefore, their reputation is not only untarnished but relatively respected.

However, the Yin Qi required by Demon Cultivators is not easy to find, and places heavy with Yin Qi that are suitable for Demon Cultivators are intolerable to ordinary cultivators. This has contributed to the withdrawn personalities often seen among Demon Cultivators; for instance, in terms of camp accommodation, human cultivators and Magic Beasts can live together, but Demon Cultivators can only stay in their own specific Yin Qi-rich camps.

During battles, Demon Cultivators, like Magic Beasts, have their own battle areas, mostly because the Yin Qi emitted during Demon Cultivators’ attacks can affect their teammates.

Fighting alongside Demon Cultivators might lead to a situation where foes haven’t been taken down yet, and teammates fall first, leading to awkward scenarios. Therefore, Demon Cultivators have always fought alone or with each other, not suited to fighting alongside ordinary cultivators.

Since the Core of the Demon Clan is beneficial to Demon Cultivators, the Cores of fallen demons on the battlefield belong entirely to them. Demon Cultivators are stationed year-round on battlefields against the Demon Clan, and the Yin Qi needed for their cultivation isn’t readily available. The only supplements for cultivation they have might just be the Cores of the Demon Clan.

The purpose of Yan Xing visiting Tan Shuangshuang was straightforward: he hoped that after killing the Demon Clan on the battlefield, Tan Shuangshuang could conveniently collect those Cores. Otherwise, by the time the battle ends, the heads of the High-level Demons slain by Tan Shuangshuang, along with the Cores inside, would be crushed by combatants, which would truly be a waste because the Cores of Advanced Demons aren’t easy to come by.

As a power even potentially surpassing a nation, Wanyou Trading House naturally has Demon Cultivators under its wing. While Tan Shuangshuang specifically targets High-level Demons for their demise in battles, she takes none of the Cores, making it utterly wasteful.

Of course, during serious business talks, although Yan Xing would strive for maximum benefits, he wasn’t the sort to exploit people, so he straightforwardly said to Tan Shuangshuang: "Miss Tan, as long as you’re willing to collect the Cores of the Demon Clan you’ve killed and hand them over to me, I won’t take them for free. I’ll offer one Mid-grade Spirit Stone for each Demon Core you collect. How about that? I believe, with your skills, after the battle, you will definitely have accumulated a great number of Spirit Stones!"