Lin Wan was nestled there, watching Luo Zixuan diligently replace all the furniture.
After finishing the furniture, and with Luo Zixuan's sparkling eyes fixed on him, Lin Wan comfortably settled on the soft sofa, rarely showing a gentle smile towards Luo Zixuan.
"Thank you for your hard work; your room is that one."
？？？
！！！
Luo Zixuan, who had been blissfully lost in Lin Wan's rare kindness, suddenly had reality’s harsh fist come crashing down. The dreamy pink bubbles surrounding him were mercilessly burst by Lin Wan.
Looking at Lin Wan, who was snuggled on the sofa, clearly thinking “Why aren’t you leaving yet?” Luo Zixuan clenched his fists, determined to strive for his happiness.
Blinking, Luo Zixuan observed the unsuspecting Lin Wan and felt his ears redden at the thought of what he was about to do.
"Then I’ll go change clothes first and then cook." Luo Zixuan said, trying to cover up his nervousness.
Thinking of Luo Zixuan's exceptional cooking skills, Lin Wan couldn’t help but swallow hard, his eyes shining a little brighter.
"I want braised fish for dinner tonight!"
"Of course."
After mentally reaffirming his plan, Luo Zixuan stood up and walked towards the door, feeling his palms slightly sweat from nervousness.
"Then... I’ll go change now."
"Mm, go ahead."
Lin Wan's mind was filled with the thought of the braised fish he wanted for dinner, completely oblivious to anything strange about Luo Zixuan.
Seeing this, Luo Zixuan's eyes dimmed, and he pursed his lips in frustration as he returned to his room.
After he left, Lin Wan took all his spirit pets out of the space.
He placed the spirit plants in white jade pots on the balcony and gently rubbed their leaves, earnestly reminding them, “You can roam freely when there are no outsiders, but when there are guests, you mustn’t run around!”
“Ying!”
Watching the cute and lively spirit plants, petting the fluffy ball in his arms, and feeling the starry silk on his arm making soft noises, Lin Wan fully appreciated the joy of being surrounded by affection at that moment.
Just as he was engrossed in cuddling the fluffy creature, the defensive array suddenly alerted him that someone was approaching.
Lin Wan pulled up the monitoring array that covered the entire villa and glanced at it, discovering that Wang Youqian and Wang Gaofei were standing at the door.
What was going on? Hadn't they just left? Did something happen that made them come back so quickly?
Lin Wan stepped outside, opened the door to let them in, and then asked with concern, “Uncle Wang, why did you come back? Is something wrong?”
As the two entered the room, the door to the guest room behind Lin Wan opened silently.
Under their gaze, a tall, handsome man dressed in a very tight nightgown stepped out of the room.
Wang Gaofei & Wang Youqian: ?
His voice was steady, and his gaze toward Lin Wan was very gentle.
Wang Gaofei & Wang Youqian: ??
“Ze Zhi...”
Luo Zixuan, who had been holding back sweet nothings in the room for a long time, stepped out only to find two uninvited guests interrupting his moment.
“Who are you?”
Frowning, Luo Zixuan looked at the two who had disturbed their world of sweet confessions, his tone somewhat unfriendly.
Wang Gaofei & Wang Youqian: ???
The two stared at the tall man in front of them, who was glaring at them with hostility, their eyes filled with shock.
So, this is the kind of person the master likes?!
Following Wang Youqian’s astonished gaze, Lin Wan saw Luo Zixuan dressed like that and instantly felt overwhelmed.
“Who told you to come out like this? Hurry up and change!”
Not only had he failed to charm his partner, but now he was also scolded. Luo Zixuan felt quite aggrieved.
However, his way of expressing grievance was a bit different.
With a stern face, he scanned Wang Youqian and his son with a detached gaze, successfully making the two shiver. Then he nodded at Lin Wan, trying to appear magnanimous, and turned back into the room.
After Luo Zixuan left, Lin Wan felt incredibly awkward under Wang Youqian and his son's astonished gaze.
“That’s a friend of mine, staying here temporarily.”
He forced a smile at the two and briefly explained before trying to change the subject.
“By the way, Uncle Wang, why did you suddenly come back? Did something happen?”
Upon hearing this, Wang Youqian and his son immediately shifted their focus.
“That's right, something did happen. Xiao Wan, it seems I’ve caused you some trouble.”
Rubbing his bald head awkwardly, Wang Youqian said, “After I set up that spirit-gathering array you gave me, three celestial masters came, insisting on buying the array. When I told them it wasn’t for sale, they weren’t pleased. I could tell from their demeanor that they wouldn’t give up easily, so I came to get some help.”
“Hmm? Are celestial masters nowadays so overbearing?”
Seeing the conflicted expression on Wang Youqian's chubby face, Lin Wan furrowed his brows and decided to check on those celestial masters to see just how arrogant they could be.
“Let’s go; I’ll go see for myself.”
Upon seeing this, Wang Youqian finally relaxed.
Hmph, even though those celestial masters were from the Xia and Xu families, he just had a feeling they weren’t as powerful as Xiao Wan!
---
Meanwhile, at the Wang family's villa
Xia Wenzhuo sat on the sofa, marveling at the spirit-gathering array that had appeared.
In front of him, Xu Shan and his third uncle were crouched down, enthusiastically discussing the array, spouting technical terms that he couldn’t understand.
“Master, this is definitely a masterwork!”
Staring at the spirit-gathering array for too long had made his head dizzy.
While Xia Wenzhuo was lost in thought, Xu Shan’s excited shout brought him back to reality.
“Look at the structure of this circuit; how precise and perfect is the utilization of spirit energy!”
“Not a single bit of spirit energy is wasted; it’s utilized perfectly, and the structure is free of any redundancy. The person who drew this array must possess extremely deep knowledge of formations. If I’m not mistaken, this array must have been created by that old senior who drew the wealth-gathering array!”
“It must be someone extraordinary hidden from the world!”
A stream of praises flowed from Xu Hongan’s mouth as he fervently admired the “great expert” who created the array, expressing his admiration and longing, almost eager to meet this master in person to convey his respect.
Seeing how he glorified the creator of the array, a sense of unease crept into Xia Wenzhuo’s heart.
“Third Uncle, do you think that strong-arming our way into buying this will anger that old senior?”
“Why would it? You just sit around all day and overthink.”
To observe the spirit-gathering array more conveniently, Xu Hong'an plopped down onto the floor, meticulously studying the exquisite array while casually dismissing his naive nephew.
“Just think, a great expert capable of drawing such an array must have profound strength. Do you think a nouveau riche like Wang Youqian can connect with such a person?”
“Wang Youqian is probably like that couple selling buns, who stumbled upon a good fortune and established a good relationship, receiving a casual gift from the senior. Have we had any issues since buying that food truck?”
“The formation, which seems incredibly profound to us, is probably just a casual effort for the senior.”
“Such a senior truly seeks the path with a noble character!”
After enthusiastically praising the unknown elder, Xu Hong'an immersed himself back into their discussion.
“A formation as exquisite as this is truly wasted here. We should take it back for in-depth research and then use it to benefit society and the people!”
Xu Hong’an was clearly ready to demand it forcefully, putting on a flattering act for himself.
At that moment, the door of the Wang family's villa opened.
The trio of cultivators turned at the sound and saw three people returning—besides Wang Youqian and Wang Gaofei, there was also a youthful boy with a very delicate face.
Seeing this, Xu Hong’an felt deeply disappointed.
Previously, he had thought that Wang Youqian had managed to find a powerful senior to call upon for help, but it turned out that he had only brought back an ordinary person. Clearly, one should not harbor unrealistic fantasies.
Xu Hong’an’s gaze lightly swept over Lin Wan. Without hesitation, he unleashed his golden core consciousness towards Lin Wan, thoroughly probing his aura.
Ha, he thought Wang Youqian was serious when he rushed over, but it turns out he had just returned with an ordinary person.
If there was any difference, it was just that the boy’s face was slightly more attractive.
But what use is a pretty face? They were not like those foolish rich folks in the capital who were enamored by beauty; that kind of charm would not work on them.
As Wang Youqian was about to speak, Xu Hong’an coldly interrupted him, his expression filled with an air of superiority.
“Enough, put away your disgusting tricks. We have no interest in men and are not susceptible to seduction.”
Wang Youqian was taken aback for a moment, and then, upon understanding what Xu Hong’an meant, his chubby face twisted with anger.
How dare they! They were supposed to be heavenly masters from the capital, and yet their minds were filled with such nonsense! They thought they could ask the master to entertain them? They didn’t even take a look at their own ugly faces!
Wang Youqian’s face turned red with anger at Xu Hong’an’s shameless words.
He rolled up his sleeves and, under the bewildered gaze of Xu Hong’an and the others, began to verbally scold them with subtlety and vehemence.
In the eye of the storm, Lin Wan was not particularly furious.
At that moment, he looked at the trio of cultivators, some sitting on the sofa and others on the floor, their faces completely indifferent, and he recognized the arrogance of modern heavenly masters for the first time.
They had only this little bit of strength, and their tempers were already so volatile?
When Xu Hong’an had entered, he had openly manipulated his consciousness to probe Lin Wan without concealing any of his power, leaving Lin Wan completely stunned.
If this were the cultivation world, he could have easily slapped this insubordinate junior to death without anyone daring to say a word against it.
“Boss Wang, let’s skip the small talk. Our time is limited, and we don’t want to waste it here. Name your price for this Spirit Gathering Array; how much are you willing to sell it for?”
After being ridiculed by Wang Youqian, Xu Hong’an directly interrupted him, his tone laced with disdain and pressure.
Wang Youqian felt uncomfortable under Xu Hong’an’s attitude but had to endure it.
This was the reality for heavenly masters today; even if you were rich and powerful in your territory, you had to treat them courteously.
Offending a heavenly master could easily lead to the closure of all doors in the heavenly master community.
More importantly, it wasn’t just him who had offended them; he had also implicated Lin Wan with his behavior.
Lin Wan was strong, but could he really stand against the entire heavenly master world?
Thinking of Lin Wan beside him, Wang Youqian furrowed his brows, beginning to consider how to apologize.
He didn’t mind losing face, but if it meant dragging Lin Wan down and getting him killed in the cultivation world, that would be troublesome…
“Who gave you the right to speak to me like that?”
Before Wang Youqian could think of how to apologize, Lin Wan’s indifferent voice broke in.
???????
The spacious room fell silent instantly.
All eyes turned to Lin Wan, filled with shock.
Did this guy know what he was saying!?
Under the astonished gazes of everyone in the room, Lin Wan remained calm.
He glanced at the three people surrounding the Spirit Gathering Array, a hint of mockery in his expression.
“This Spirit Gathering Array is mine. I can give it to whoever I want. What right do you have to take it by force?”
With that, he lightly pointed his delicate finger in the air, and a powerful wave of spiritual energy, strong enough to leave Xu Hong’an feeling apprehensive, surged forth. In the next moment, the Spirit Gathering Array they were examining shattered instantly.
The shattered array transformed into a dreamlike shower of white light, scattering in an instant under the heartbroken and mournful gazes of Xu Hong’an and the others.
“This…”
The weight of that previous statement was overwhelming, combined with the sight of the perfect formation they coveted breaking before their eyes. The two forces collided, creating a tidal wave of shock that surged through Xu Hong’an and the others' minds.
The impact left their brains blank, and they stared at Lin Wan in a daze, mouths agape, unable to utter a single word.
The delicate-looking youth before them had just claimed that the Spirit Gathering Array was his creation. Did that mean he was the so-called "great senior" they had been desperately seeking?
Looking at Lin Wan’s exquisite, fair face—slightly plump from being raised by Luo Zixuan—Xu Hong’an and the others instinctively wanted to reject this terrifying fact.
Yet, the vision of Lin Wan’s powerful finger flashed back to their minds—those slender, white fingers that looked as delicate as a green onion, yet had unleashed such terrifying power.
Recalling the fleeting surge of spiritual energy, a tightness gripped their hearts, and their gazes toward Lin Wan turned more serious.
“Sorry, we were blind to your greatness and spoke disrespectfully to the senior. Please forgive us, senior.”
Before leaving, Xu Hong'an repeatedly warned the two younger generations not to be reckless. However, he never expected that in the end, it would be he himself who inadvertently offended someone. Thinking of this, Xu Hong'an felt a deep bitterness in his heart.
But no matter how bitter it was, he still had to apologize.
Just from that earlier swift gesture, Xu Hong'an knew that the young man in front of him was definitely much more powerful than he was.
Such a presence was not someone he could provoke, and his family behind him was even less capable of doing so.
"I am willing to donate all my Tianshi points to the senior. I hope the senior can forgive us ignorant juniors and not hold it against us."
"Third Uncle! This..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shan and Xia Wenzhu were both taken aback.
They understood all too well how important Tianshi points were.
Seeing the determination on Xu Hong'an's face, they instinctively wanted to persuade him, but they froze at the moment they opened their mouths.
What right did they have to refuse? To put it bluntly, if Lin Wan were willing to accept the points and let the matter pass, that would already be considered generous.
In the world of cultivation, strength is paramount. This principle was strictly enforced at all times.
As the three of them watched anxiously, Lin Wan slowly furrowed his brows.
He looked at Wang Youqian beside him, his tone full of genuine confusion.
"Uncle Wang, what are Tianshi points?"
??!!
Upon seeing this, Xu Hong'an and the others were filled with complex feelings of shock.
Though they had already guessed that this senior might be a hidden master, they never imagined that in modern society, there could still be a Tianshi who was so out of touch that he didn't even know what Tianshi points were.
How had this senior been cultivating all these years without even knowing what Tianshi points were?
In the Tianshi community, strength is revered above all. Even with all the doubts and confusions in their hearts, faced with Lin Wan, whom they had just "offended," the three of them didn't dare to ask further and carefully explained.
"Senior, it's like this. Tianshi points are..."
---
Meanwhile, while Lin Wan was absorbing modern Tianshi knowledge at the Wang family villa, a graceful figure stepped out of the West Station in Lin'an.
"Finally here. I wonder where Big Brother is. The affiliated jade token isn’t reacting at all..."
Looking at the jade token in her hand, which showed no response, Luo Zihan frowned slightly, worry etched on her face.
This affiliated jade token was made by Luo Zi'ang based on the jade token in the secret chamber. Within a certain range, it could sense the direction of her older brother, Luo Zixuan.
With a sigh, Luo Zihan shouldered her small bag and began to walk out of the station.
As long as she made a complete circle around Lin'an City, she would eventually catch up to her brother's whereabouts!
As long as Luo Zixuan didn’t run off, she would definitely find him!
Her brother shouldn’t be wandering around aimlessly, right?
Recalling how Luo Zixuan had been holed up in the secret chamber for an extended period, Luo Zihan suppressed her uneasiness and tried to encourage herself.
He definitely wouldn’t. Her brother was such a homebody; he wouldn’t be wandering around!
Just as she was trying to reassure herself, an overwhelming sense of being watched suddenly surged in her heart.
"Who?!"
Luo Zihan looked up abruptly, but all she saw was an empty space.
The green leaves swayed gently in the breeze, as if that sudden feeling of danger was just a figment of her imagination.
She should find her brother quickly and leave this place. For some reason, Lin'an always gave her an unsettling feeling...
Furrowing her brow, Luo Zihan continued on her way out.
---
Thousands of miles away in an underground chamber, a figure cloaked in black robes curled his lips into a smile, his expression wild with excitement.
Recalling the scene he had witnessed just before the dark crow he had crushed disappeared, he couldn't help but tremble with excitement.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Heaven helps me! Heaven helps me!"
"I initially just wanted to have a little appetizer, but I didn’t expect the Luo family to sneak into Lin'an, directly walking into the lion's den! Since they are here, they shouldn’t think of leaving!"
"Let them become nourishment for my little pet along with those idiots!"
"Hahahahaha!"
In the empty underground chamber, his chilling laughter echoed repeatedly.
After laughing for a while, the man in the black robe abruptly stopped, his voice filled with malice and resentment.
"Ha, the Luo family has ruined my plans so many times. This time, let you all taste the bitter pain!"
"Hahahaha! Even the heavens are on my side, which means this path is fated for me!"
"And those who oppose me, who defy destiny, will naturally meet their end!"
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