Encountering Liu Ruyan Again

"How are you up?"

Just then, a voice of surprise came from beside Lin Chen.

He turned his head and saw a bright-eyed, white-toothed young girl staring at him anxiously.

Lin Chen's starry eyes flickered. "You saved me?"

"Those beasts are coming—you'd better leave now!" The girl didn't answer his question, instead urging him on. "Any later and it'll be too late."

"Leave?"

Lin Chen gave a faint smile. "Since you didn't take advantage of my weakness, how could I abandon you to your fate? Take me to your leader. Tell him I can resolve this crisis."

The girl was visibly stunned, looking Lin Chen over with suspicion. "But you..."

"I'm already fine." Lin Chen extended his hand, and with a puff, a red flame appeared in his palm.

In this pitch-black night, it blazed brilliantly.

Seeing this, the suspicion in the girl's eyes instantly vanished, replaced by delight.

She grabbed Lin Chen's arm and ran forward. "Come on, I'll take you to the leader."

The two jogged along and soon reached the edge of the valley.

Here, layers of defenses had already been erected.

Watchtowers over ten meters tall stood among the fortifications.

A rough-featured man was directing people, forming a human wall.

"Chief, I found someone to help!" The little girl tugged Lin Chen to the front and shouted loudly.

The rough man paused, glanced at her, and barked, "Get back to the cellar!"

"Chief, I'm serious—he's a cultivator, he can help us!" The girl refused to give up, continuing to yell.

The rough man finally looked up at Lin Chen, and his face twisted with anger. "Bullshit cultivator—he can't even stand steady."

"Xiao Lan, he's nothing but a jinx. Those beasts were probably lured here by him," someone nearby scolded.

The rough man snorted coldly. "Xiao Lan, I didn't kick him out only out of respect for your father. Get back there before I change my mind."

"You..." Xiao Lan's eyes brimmed with tears at the scolding, her face full of grievance.

Lin Chen stepped forward, shielding Xiao Lan behind him, and smiled. "Which eye of yours saw I'm a jinx? And which eye saw I lured the Demon Beasts here?"

"Do I need to see it? You showed up, and the beasts showed up. If you didn't lure them, who did?"

Hearing this, Lin Chen found himself unable to argue.

He simply summoned a beam of light and flew into the air, his sword art stirring as two Flying Swords circled around him.

From afar, he looked like a bright moon shining in the sky.

Those who had just been slandering him fell silent.

The fierce, hostile stares instantly turned to fear.

Gulp... gulp...

Strange sounds came from their throats, and sweat the size of beans rolled down their foreheads.

Especially the rough man—his eyes bulged like copper bells.

If he had known Lin Chen was this powerful, he would have politely begged for his help.

Now, with just a few words, he had offended him.

If Lin Chen simply left, he would become a sinner.

"Watch closely."

At that moment, Lin Chen in midair let out a loud shout and shot out like lightning.

The crowd only saw a flash of lightning darting through the surrounding mountains.

Blades of sword-light wove into a net, threading through the forest.

The people couldn't see deep into the dense woods.

But they could hear the Demon Beasts' screams.

And they could smell the faint scent of blood drifting over.

Ooo...

In just a quarter of an hour, Lin Chen crushed the beast horde with overwhelming force.

At this moment, the mountains were littered with Demon Beast corpses.

The rest fled with their tails between their legs.

But Lin Chen didn't stop there. He turned into a streak of light and chased straight after the beast leader.

Only then did the people in the valley snap back to reality.

The scene was dead silent.

They could even hear the sound of demon beast blood pooling into streams, gurgling as it flowed down.

"Xiao... Xiao Lan, did he... did he say anything?" The burly man swallowed hard, stammering.

For someone of that caliber, wiping them all out would take but a moment.

He had just thoroughly offended the man.

A flicker of fear stirred in his heart.

Xiao Lan lifted her head to gaze at the distant sky, her small face brimming with pride.

All the grievances she had just endured instantly vanished like smoke.

"My little ancestor, please just say something!" the burly man pleaded, nearly begging.

Only then did Xiao Lan lower her gaze and look at him. "He said he's going to eliminate the lingering threat for us and will be back soon."

She wasn't lying. Those were Lin Chen's exact words, transmitted through Spiritual Sense before he left.

Thud!

Upon hearing that Lin Chen was still coming back, those who had just shouted accusations and framed him all collapsed to the ground, their faces as pale as paper.

At this very moment, Lin Chen had already chased for dozens of li.

The demon beast leader ahead was merely a first-tier peak Great Azure Wolf.

Lin Chen felt that this beast's siege of the valley might truly have been because it sensed his aura.

Could it be trying to devour him to achieve a breakthrough to the second tier?

Lin Chen found it a bit unrealistic.

He didn't kill the Great Azure Wolf outright.

Instead, he followed behind it the entire way.

After crossing two mountains, the demon beast formation scattered on its own.

The Great Azure Wolf ran to the mouth of a cave and, mimicking a human, knelt there, pressing its head to the ground.

"What is this thing bowing to? Is there something inside the cave?"

Lin Chen suppressed his aura, landing on a large tree in the distance, and peered toward the cave.

Tap, tap, tap...

After a long moment, footsteps actually sounded from within.

A slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

When Lin Chen made out the person's face, shock struck him.

It was Huang Mingyuan.

That guy who, during the disciple test, had falsely accused Lin Chen, fought him one-on-one, and been kicked into a eunuch.

"Xiao Qing, who bullied you?"

Just as Lin Chen was lost in thought, Huang Mingyuan spoke.

His voice already carried a feminine tilt, making Lin Chen's skin crawl.

"This guy is already at Qi Condensation Layer 9 Peak?"

After probing with his Spiritual Sense, Lin Chen was even more startled.

This fellow had a dual-attribute superior-grade spirit root. Even with ample resources, he couldn't have advanced this fast.

Unless he had some lucky encounter, or cultivated through slaughter like the Devil Race.

"Brother Huang, why aren't you resting yet?"

Lin Chen was about to descend from the tree when he heard another coquettish, languid voice.

Then, another alluring figure walked out of the cave.

"Liu Ruyan?"

Lin Chen's face was full of shock.

He hadn't expected these two to end up together.

Back then, Liu Ruyan had clearly severed ties with Huang Mingyuan.

Now they were together again—something must have happened in between.

He probed with his Spiritual Sense and found that this woman had also advanced to Qi Condensation Layer 9 Peak.

Lin Chen took a deep breath, suppressing his shock.

He continued observing from the tree.

"Sister Liu, in the Beast Taming Sect, advancing through normal means is too difficult," Huang Mingyuan said, his voice tinged with doubt. "There were no cultivators in that valley—how could Xiao Qing have failed?"

"Brother Huang, your little sister doesn't want you to work so hard. Every time I see you like this, my heart aches."

Liu Ruyan's eyes were hazy with tears, her voice trembling in a way that tugged painfully at the heart.

Huang Mingyuan, though he had lost his balls, still couldn't resist such allure.

He immediately stepped forward and grabbed Liu Ruyan's hand.

"Junior Sister Liu, I am willing to do anything for you. Rest assured, once I have slaughtered everyone in that valley, I can perform the Blood Refining Art to help you break through to the Return to Origin Realm."

Liu Ruyan pretended to wipe away a tear, but as she lowered her head, the corners of her mouth couldn't help curling upward.

"This pair of adulterous dogs actually cultivates the Devil Race's Blood Refining Art—they deserve to die!"

Murderous intent surged in Lin Chen's heart. He moved his hand, guiding his sword technique, and the Flying Sword slowly rose into the air.

"Senior Brother Huang, the master is calling us from inside the cave." Just then, Liu Ruyan suddenly spoke.

Lin Chen silently cursed his bad luck. He hurriedly withdrew his Flying Sword.

But it was already too late.

An aged voice had already echoed from within the cave: "Which fellow daoist is here? Since you've come, why skulk and hide?"