As Luo Zihan ran, holding the little boy, she noticed the increasingly desolate surroundings of the suburban area, where not a single figure could be seen. Her brows furrowed slightly.
"Little friend, are you sure it's here? There’s no—"
Before she could finish her sentence, a strong sense of heart palpitations suddenly washed over her.
Luo Zihan's eyebrows twitched violently, and she instinctively slapped the small boy in her arms away.
After the slap, she realized it was a mistake; with the boy's frail body, he couldn't possibly withstand her powerful blow.
"Sorry, big sister..."
Luo Zihan stopped her words. She looked at the child in front of her, whose mouth was already split from ear to ear, his skin covered in scales, and her brows furrowed deeply.
"You all tricked me?!"
All that responded to her was the small monster's menacing roar and the heavy pressure emanating from it.
"A golden elixir stage monster?!"
Seeing this, Luo Zihan's initial lightheartedness was replaced by a growing heaviness in her heart.
How could such a small, rundown city like Lin'an possibly have a golden elixir stage monster?!
As she summoned her spirit weapon—the Qing Shuang Sword—she quietly activated her divine sense and pressed the emergency button on the Heavenly Master token.
Every province and city has golden elixir stage Heavenly Masters stationed to keep watch. Although she didn't know where this golden elixir stage monster had come from, since it dared to show itself, it wouldn't be allowed to live on and cause more harm!
In the next second, the ground beneath Luo Zihan suddenly began to vibrate violently.
She leaped up to evade, but as she looked at the scene below, her heart sank.
A hideous giant mouth suddenly burst out from the ground where she had just stood, releasing a strong, foul odor. Corrosive saliva dripped from the mouth, eroding the ground and creating dark pits.
Another golden elixir stage monster!
Worse still, the moment that long, snake-like monster appeared, it threw its head back and let out a silent roar.
The invisible sound waves spread out, echoing through the space, blocking the mysterious fluctuations emitted by the Heavenly Master token.
Seeing this, Luo Zihan's mood became even heavier.
In the world of Heavenly Masters, monsters are typically known for their ferocity, irrationality, and lack of intelligence. However, this time, whether it was the initial bait or the subsequent targeted coordination, it all pointed to a severe reality—
That group of monsters was beginning to possess intelligence and understood cooperation.
Monsters have tough skin and flesh, devoid of fear or doubt. In one-on-one situations, an average cultivator generally cannot compete with a monster of equal strength.
The death of a monster usually occurs either when a high-level cultivator strikes down a lower-level monster or when several cultivators team up to besiege a single monster.
However, once a monster gains intelligence and begins to employ strategies, cultivators who rely on their old experiences will find themselves in deep trouble.
They need to find a way to send the news out...
In the next moment, the small monster pounced on her while she was distracted, and the long snake-like monster spat a large glob of venom as cover.
With one swing of her sword, she knocked the pouncing small monster away. Using the rebound from the sword, Luo Zihan retreated several steps, narrowly avoiding the oncoming glob of venom.
Still thinking about sending the message, she decided to focus on surviving first.
Channeling her spirit energy to alleviate the soreness in her shocked wrist, Luo Zihan looked at the two monsters that were coming at her again, her mood growing increasingly heavy.
This time, she had been careless.
---
At the moment Luo Zihan sent out her distress signal, the trio waiting to take the subway back at the Lin'an West Station suddenly became serious.
They pulled out their Heavenly Master tokens from their bags or pockets, watching the flickering orange light on them, their brows furrowing.
"Third Uncle, someone is calling for help."
"Let’s go, we can help them and still catch the train back."
The three stood up, but just as they did, the light on the Heavenly Master token suddenly vanished.
Watching the distress signal disappear and the interface return to calm, their hearts tightened instantly.
Once the distress signal on the Heavenly Master token is activated, it doesn't easily disappear. For it to extinguish so quickly was unprecedented...
Thinking this, Xu Hong'an turned to his companions, Xia Wenzhuo and Xu Shan, and instructed, "Be careful; the situation over there seems a bit suspicious."
Upon hearing this, both nodded solemnly but didn’t take it too seriously.
Third Uncle was a golden elixir stage cultivator, skilled in talisman formations; what kind of monster could pose a threat to him?
It was just that Lin'an was a small city, and the cultivators here hadn’t seen much of the world; they likely struggled against even weak monsters. This seemed like an opportunity to earn some points...
With a casual attitude, Xu Shan and Xia Wenzhuo followed Xu Hong'an as they ran toward the location where the distress signal had originated.
When they arrived, seeing the large and small monsters both exuding golden elixir stage pressure, they deeply felt their cheeks burn with embarrassment.
What was wrong with this small, rundown city? The spirit energy here was obviously insufficient; how could such powerful figures keep appearing?
First, there was that mysterious youth who excelled in formations, whose strength even Third Uncle couldn’t fathom, and now there were these two golden elixir stage monsters that seemingly came from some corner.
Recalling how he had initially looked down upon Lin'an based on the theory of "talented people and a favorable environment," Xia Wenzhuo felt a flush of shame on his face.
This wasn’t a poor, rundown city; it was clearly a hidden gem filled with extraordinary talents!
---
In a basement on the outskirts of the capital, a pale and thin man in a black robe rapidly tapped his fingers in the air, as if manipulating something.
He watched Luo Zihan, who was agilely dodging the attacks of the two monsters, appearing somewhat disheveled yet still unscathed, and couldn’t help but curse.
"Why is she so nimble? Wouldn’t it be better for her to let my two little cuties eat her?!"
Seeing his controlled monsters miss their attack once again, the man’s expression grew increasingly grim.
“Once I catch you, I’ll have them slowly chew you to pieces! You will pay for your current mischief!!”
“The Luo family is just the worst!”
After another failed attack, the man in the black robe roared in frustration.
Indeed, as everyone knows, magical beasts lack intelligence. The reason these two beasts appear so "intelligent" is that the man in the black robe is manipulating them from behind.
After a stalemate for a while, the black-robed man finally used the long beast to trap Luo Zihan’s movements completely.
Seeing the serious expression on Luo Zihan's face reflected in the mirror, the black-robed man felt a surge of pride.
“Jump, dodge, I want to see how far you can hop this time!”
Manipulating the small creature to leap high, the black-robed man launched a deadly strike at Luo Zihan.
“Die! Become a corpse beneath my throne and serve as a stepping stone on my path to godhood!”
“Damn! How did these guys sneak in here!”
Just as he was executing his ultimate attack with the small beast, an invisible barrier established by the long beast was touched.
The black-robed man looked at Xu Hong’an and the other two suddenly emerging, his expression filled with rage.
And at that moment of distraction, Luo Zihan seized the opportunity when the two beasts froze, leaping out of the encirclement. Her toes lightly tapped the ground a few times, and she appeared next to Xu Hong’an like a shadow.
Glancing at the three people rushing in, Luo Zihan quietly said, “The Xu family’s Golden Core? Perfect timing! Let’s team up and kill these two beasts!”
Seeing the four people successfully teaming up, the black-robed man felt he was about to explode with anger.
What happened? Everything was going so smoothly before, how did it suddenly turn so unfortunate!
Unable to hold back, he slammed his hand on the control line in front of him, his face twisting with anger.
“Hah… Hah, what if there are two Golden Cores! Does that mean you have more numbers? I’m not afraid of you! Die, die, die! All of you, just die!”
He raised his head, revealing a pale, emaciated face with dark pupils filled with ferocity.
“Night Owl, stop your task and take the Dream Butterfly to kill them!”
“Yes, my king,” came a hoarse and cold reply from the distant void.
---
“Luo Zihan, you actually reached the Golden Core stage? When did this happen?!”
Looking at the girl before him, whose strength was now on par with his, Xu Hong’an felt his worldview shattered.
How are these younger generations cultivating? It seems like reaching the Golden Core is as easy as child's play! Why didn’t I feel this way before?!
“Uncle Xu, focus! First, let’s kill these two beasts, and we can catch up later.”
Seeing Xu Hong’an glancing at her as if he wanted to chat, Luo Zihan frowned and reminded him helplessly,
“Both of these beasts are at the Golden Core level. When the battle starts, make sure to stay back with the protective talismans and don’t get caught in the crossfire.”
Despite being of a similar age, this girl was already able to fight alongside her elders, while they had to stay behind, careful not to become a burden.
The contrast and disparity were painfully evident, to the point of being hurtful.
However, in the world of cultivation, strength reigns supreme. They indeed lacked skill, so there was nothing to be said. Moreover, with strong enemies nearby, they could not afford to be sentimental.
Taking two protective talismans from Luo Zihan, Xia Wenzhuo and Xu Shan obediently ran off to avoid the frontlines.
Once the two distanced themselves, Luo Zihan and Xu Hong’an exchanged a glance, their gazes heavy as they looked at the two magical beasts before them.
The two magical beasts exuded a strong pressure of Golden Core level. Instead of showing fear under their scrutiny, they twisted their bodies, putting on an exaggerated display in front of the two.
Luo Zihan & Xu Hong’an: ???
“Are they… provoking us?”
Looking at the bizarre and overly flamboyant movements of the two magical beasts, Xu Hong’an asked uncertainly.
“I don’t know either.” The situation was too strange for Luo Zihan to provide a clear answer.
After thinking for a moment, she gripped her sword and said coldly, “Forget it, let’s go! We’ll kill them, and nothing else matters!”
Truly a fierce girl from the Luo family…
Watching Luo Zihan unleash her sword energy, Xu Hong’an’s brow twitched violently, reinforcing his determination not to be enemies with the Luo family.
Taking a stack of talismans from his spatial ring, Xu Hong’an began a money-burning offensive, throwing talismans while feeling the pain of parting with them.
“Miss Luo, just unleash your attacks, and I’ll cover you!”
---
In a basement on the outskirts of the capital, a very strange scene unfolded.
A man shrouded in a black robe stood silently in the darkness, his hands wildly gesturing as he muttered curses like “die!” in an eerie tone.
Above his head, a screen made of black mist inexplicably coalesced, clearly displaying a battle scene.
“I’m so fed up, fed up, fed up! Night Owl, how long will it take you to get here?!” The black-robed man yelled in anger.
Frozen, stunned, and entangled by vines… the magical beasts he controlled were being delayed endlessly by Xu Hong’an’s various talismans.
What was supposed to be a “fair” two-on-two battle had turned into a situation where he was being crushed due to his lack of manipulation skills and the overwhelming strength of his opponents.
“My king, don’t worry, I’m coming.”
---
Honestly, the saying that the Luo family is full of weirdos is no exaggeration; this girl is incredibly fierce…
Perhaps it was because she had been bullied so harshly before that now, when she finally had the chance to unleash her strength, Luo Zihan wielded her Qing Shuang sword, nimbly dodging around as she relentlessly slashed at the backs of two magical beasts.
Upon receiving Luo Zihan’s signal for the “final strike,” Xu Hong'an felt a pang of urgency and hurriedly threw out all the talismans he had in hand.
The talismans perfectly adhered to the small monster, and under their influence, the creature froze for a moment, unable to evade.
In that instant, Luo Zihan accelerated her steps, suddenly appearing in front of the small monster. With her sword radiating a razor-sharp aura, she fiercely stabbed towards the monster’s heart, aiming for its magic core.
“Monster, perish!”
Just as she was about to pierce the creature, an intense sense of danger surged in her heart.
Luo Zihan forcefully halted her attack, stepping sideways a few paces.
The next moment, a powerful strike descended from above, crashing down exactly where she had just stood. The violent airflow blew her back a few more steps.
“Little girl, such aggression isn’t good.”
As the dust gradually settled, the scene became clearer.
Behind a curtain of sand and dirt, a face covered in cold iron appeared. Perched on his shoulder was a black-purple butterfly.
“Anyone who blocks my king's path will die!”
With the addition of these two Golden Core magical beasts, chaos erupted once more.
The situation reversed, and the previously dominant Luo Zihan and her companion found themselves once again on the losing side, with things turning dire.
After being pushed back for a while, if it weren't for Luo Zihan occasionally checking on him, Xu Hong'an felt he would have been severely injured by now.
While they were struggling, Xu Hong'an's phone vibrated in his pocket, indicating a new message.
He pulled out his phone and glanced at it, and suddenly, a spark of excitement ignited in his previously low spirits. It was as if he had just had a revelation, and his eyes shone with bright light.
“Luo, the cultivator!”
Ducking to avoid an attack, Xu Hong'an shouted excitedly to Luo Zihan.
“Do you know? I just received a text message reminding me to pay my bill!”
Luo Zihan: ???
Upon hearing what he shouted, Luo Zihan felt she might go crazy.
“What’s wrong with you! At a time like this, you’re worried about your phone bill instead of whether you can make it out alive?!” Her tone was filled with disbelief.
“I don’t mean it like that! What I mean is, although this beast’s barrier blocks the Celestial Master’s signal, it doesn’t block China Mobile’s signal! We can call for help!”
Black-robed man: ???
What kind of ridiculous operation is this? Is the Tianshi Association this low? Calling for help?!
At this, the black-robed man, who was frantically controlling three magical beasts in the basement, was momentarily stunned, a sudden panic rising in his heart.
His pause in action caused the three magical beasts he was controlling to come to a standstill, appearing quite comical.
With the magical beasts frozen, Xu Hong'an was freed to act.
He hastily took out his phone, opened his contacts, and dialed Wang Youqian’s number.
For some unknown reason, the first person who popped into Xu Hong'an’s mind in this life-and-death situation was Lin Wan.
He hoped desperately that Lin would answer. That boy, whose strength he couldn't even gauge, was their only hope. If he didn't come, they might really perish here today!
Xu Hong'an anxiously watched the four magical beasts that had inexplicably frozen, silently praying in his heart.
Just then, while the black-robed man was frozen by Xu Hong'an’s unexpected action, he suddenly heard his subordinate's hoarse and gloomy voice in his ear.
“My king, don’t worry. We have four Golden Core-level combatants on our side. Even if they call the Celestial Master stationed in Lin'an, they still won’t be able to defeat us.”
“My king, the opportunity is fleeting, we must seize it!”
Upon hearing the raspy calls from his subordinate, the black-robed man immediately snapped back to reality.
…That makes sense! Even if someone really comes, they still have a guaranteed advantage of four against three, so why be afraid of anything!
Realizing this, the black-robed man quickly directed the three magical beasts toward Xu Hong'an.
“Quickly, interrupt his call! We can't let him relay any information back!”
He had brought nearly all his resources to prepare for a bloody cleansing of Lin'an, planning to use the entire city as a sacrifice to summon higher-level magical beasts. Then he would use this as leverage to implement his next plan.
If Xu Hong'an managed to send out the news, and if they prepared for an evacuation, wouldn’t he suffer a huge loss?
“Quick, we must stop him!”
---
On the battlefield at Lin'an West Station, Luo Zihan instinctively thought Xu Hong'an was calling the Golden Core Celestial Master stationed in Lin'an—Master Zhang.
Thus, facing the four magical beasts rushing toward them, she stepped in front of Xu Hong'an, her tone full of resolve.
“Quickly, I’ll hold them off! You call! Our sacrifice doesn’t matter; the message must reach Master Zhang!”
Xu Hong'an: ??? What does this have to do with Old Master Zhang?
He swiftly clicked the red button to dial, softly explaining while sounding quite disdainful.
“I’m not calling him; that old geezer can’t even defeat me. Why would I call him?”
Xu Hong'an was quite clear in his thoughts. If he called for help, it had to be someone who could actually carry the team!
However, upon hearing this, everyone else present, aside from him, froze in surprise, including the magical beasts.
Moments later, the black-robed man in the basement, thousands of miles away, was the first to react, unable to contain his sneer
“Ha ha ha ha! Fool! You don’t even know how to send a message! I was just worried, but now, Lin An, it’s all mine!!”
While they were still in shock, the phone connected.
---
A few minutes earlier, at Wang Youqian’s house
After the trio left, Lin Wan leaned against the wall, watching Wang Youqian gazing at the empty floor where the Spirit Gathering Array used to be with a pained expression. he smiled and said,
“Uncle Wang, don’t worry about it. I can set up another one.”
As Wang Youqian’s eyes lit up, Lin Wan continued,
“I’ll add some defenses to the Spirit Gathering Array this time. I originally thought it was just a regular small formation, but I didn’t expect it to cause such a big incident. Clearly, I was careless before.”
“By adding a defensive formation, a Spirit Gathering Array, and a secrecy mechanism, it should be fine this time.”
When Xu Hong’an called, Lin Wan was just finishing setting up the upgraded Spirit Gathering Array on the Wang family’s floor.
Wang Youqian answered the phone, and Xu Hong’an's panicked voice echoed through the large living room.
“Is the senior still with you? We’re blocked by four Golden Core-level monsters at the west station in Lin An. Help us!!”
Xu Hong’an had always appeared to Wang Youqian as an ethereal and elegant figure. Even when he previously insisted on buying the Spirit Gathering Array, he had an air of pride typical of a Taoist master.
Never did Wang Youqian expect that so soon, the arrogant Taoist would call him in such a desperate manner, his voice nearly piercing Wang Youqian's eardrums.
“Xu, what’s going on over there…”
Wang Youqian instinctively pressed for more information, but before he could finish, a busy signal came through the phone.
It was evident that the phone on the other end had met with misfortune.
“What the…”
Faced with such a situation, Wang Youqian was at a loss and could only look to Lin Wan for help.
“It’s fine. You two stay here; I’ll go take a look.”
Giving them a reassuring glance, Lin Wan straightened up and opened his delicate white palm.
In front of Wang Youqian and Wang Gaofei’s astonished eyes, Lin Wan’s fingers curled into a claw shape. Then, with a fierce rip, he tore the air apart, creating a large rift in space.
Nodding at Wang Youqian and his son, Lin Wan stepped through the rift, heading toward the west station in Lin An.
---
Bang—
Luo Zihan was limited by her own strength. Even though she had tried her best to protect Xu Hong’an, the phone in his hand was still knocked down by the iron-faced man.
The phone fell to the ground, broken in half, and the next moment, the long beast let out a soundless roar, completely blocking all signals in the area.
Seeing this, even Luo Zihan, whose resolve was firm, couldn't help but feel a tinge of despair.
Furrowing her brows, she stared at the four monsters in front of them, her tone a bit forlorn.
“Your previous call was our last hope. Who did you call?!”
Xu Hong’an had no confidence in the situation.
He didn’t know if Wang Youqian would inform Lin Wan in time, nor did he know if Lin Wan could arrive swiftly, or even if she could successfully withstand the monsters' attacks upon her arrival.
But now was a critical moment. Facing Lo Zihan's inquiry, he couldn’t extinguish her hopes, so he vaguely replied,
“I called a very powerful senior. If we can hold on a bit longer, once that senior arrives, we’ll be fine.”
However, his vague response caused Lo Zihan’s heart to chill.
Xu Hong’an was unaware of the current power dynamics in the cultivation world, but she was very much aware.
How could there be such a powerful senior who could rush over to save them? Those with such strength were all stationed at important locations; there was no way a simple phone call from a regular Golden Core cultivator could summon them.
Even if a powerful being were to make their way here, the distance was far too great for them to arrive in time.
After all, they were facing a numerical disadvantage, and Luo Zihan had already been holding on alone for quite some time. Just as she was distracted for a moment, the iron-faced man seized the opportunity.
Using her own body to block a sword strike aimed at Xu Hong’an, the iron-faced man ruthlessly launched a fatal attack.
“Luo cultivator!”
Seeing this, Xu Hong’an was startled. He threw all the protective talismans he had left at Luo Zihan, hoping to give her a chance to escape.
But it was futile; the iron-faced man’s strike was extremely fierce, cutting through several talismans and attacking straight towards Luo Zihan's heart.
In response, Luo Zihan’s eyes hardened, and she prepared to self-destruct.
At that critical moment, a slender, white hand tore through the air, emerging from the void, effortlessly neutralizing the iron-faced man’s deadly strike.
After neutralizing the attack, the hand’s momentum didn’t stop; it lightly slapped the iron-faced man, sending him flying a considerable distance.
“Hmm? Not dead?”
Lin Wan stepped out from the void, reaching out to suppress Luo Zihan's self-detonation. He looked at the severely injured iron-faced man struggling to stand up and frowned slightly.
“Dark iron? How could something like this exist on Earth?” Lin Wan’s brow furrowed tighter as he gazed at the black iron plates surrounding the iron-faced man, which had absorbed most of the damage.
Suddenly, Lin Wan raised an eyebrow.
He looked up into the void, his gaze accurately piercing through space to meet the dark-robed man thousands of miles away.
Casually raising his hand, he crushed the three monsters present into powder. Lin Wan smiled at the fleeing iron-faced man as he disappeared into the void under the anxious gaze of the dark-robed man. Then he extended his delicate finger, gently pointing toward the void.
The dark-robed man felt a jolt of alarm and hurriedly severed his connection with the dark mist.
But it was too late.
In the next second, a powerful sword aura shot out from the still lingering black mist, striking towards the man in the black robe with an unstoppable force.
The sword aura pierced through the man’s chest and then exploded violently, turning his heart into a bloody mess.
The figure of the man in the black robe slowly dissipated, and a surge of black mist suddenly emerged in another corner of the room.
The man, who should have been dead, slowly walked out of the black mist. He looked at the shattered puppet and thought about his completely failed plan, his expression twisted with rage.
"How could he have destroyed my substitute puppet? Who is he? Who on earth dares to ruin my plans? I will capture him and torture him mercilessly, making him regret being born into this world!"
Gasping heavily, the man in the black robe clutched his chest, his face unusually pale.
Using a substitute puppet comes at a price; he was still inevitably gravely injured.
---
Taking advantage of the weak connection, Lin Wan regretfully withdrew his hand, feeling disappointed that the person was just too cunning.
If he had been a little slower, he could have directly approached and taken out the lair…
As Lin Wan sighed internally, he looked at the two people in the distance, covered in dirt and blood, and asked with concern, "Are you both okay?"
Xu Hong'an, who had been rendered weak and sat down on the ground after the crisis was averted, forced a bitter smile, feeling the soreness all over his body, and shook his head sadly.
Meanwhile, Luo Zihan ignoring her own aches, looked at Lin Wan, who was glowing in the sunlight, and her heart raced wildly for the one hundred and eighth time.
She couldn’t help but pull out her phone and send a message to her second brother, Luo Zi'ang, a message she had sent countless times before.
“Luo Ziang, I saw an incredibly handsome guy! I’m in love!”
Just as she was excitedly typing, Lin Wan's gentle voice reached her ears.
"Do you both want to come to my house to rest? I see you both have injuries, and the monster from earlier had toxins. I can treat you when we get back."
Wow! That guy is so cute!
Caught up in excitement, Luo Zihan didn’t notice the calculating glint in the handsome guy's arched brows.
Uncle Wang had mentioned that if he wanted to apply directly for the Tianshi at the Golden Core stage, which required two Tianshi master to jointly recommend him.
He had previously worried about where to find people, but coincidentally, they had delivered themselves to him.
Looking at the dirty and exhausted two, Lin Wan’s eyes were incredibly gentle.
Meanwhile, Luo Zixuan, who was diligently cooking at home, suddenly felt a shiver down his spine, a bad premonition creeping into his heart.
Why hasn’t Wanwan returned yet? He was almost done cooking; he just needed someone to eat…
Wearing a cute pink Snoopy apron, Luo Zixuan's fierce face showed a hint of grievance.
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