Chapter 129: Mutual Devouring

In an instant, the Ghost-faced Man regained his composure, his words slightly odd as if intrigued, yet he said nothing further, merely staring at Lu Fan, continuously assessing him, his thoughts unknown.

"The interesting part is still ahead. Wan Li, let me ask you—does the previous upheaval of my Lu family have anything to do with you? My grandmother and Qiuxiang vanished without cause; is it the ghosts of your Wan Ling Hall?"

Lu Fan barked coldly, pointing at the Ghost-faced Man and questioning.

He had already concluded that Qiuxiang and the old lady's disappearance were unrelated to Wan Ling Hall, yet now he pretended ignorance, asking this to test.

"Heh heh! You're not old, but your scheming is considerable!" the Ghost-faced Man chuckled oddly, his gaze burning as he stared into Lu Fan's eyes, as if seeing through him.

Xiulan's eyes flickered; she seemed to have heard something, yet a trace of doubt remained, her gaze constantly shifting between Lu Fan and the Ghost-faced Man.

As for Yang Sheng and his companions, everything was clouded and incomprehensible.

"Oh? Does that mean denial?" Lu Fan narrowed his eyes, suddenly becoming fierce, "Hmph! The deeds of your Wan Ling Hall will be tallied one by one in the future!"

Xiulan's complexion flashed a slight shock, a hint of horror in her eyes. She clearly saw a murderous intent of overwhelming scale in Lu Fan's cold gaze.

But the Ghost-faced Man gave a cold smile, disdainfully saying, "We'll settle it later; is that all your skill? The young master is right here before you—bring it on! I want to see what methods the first of the Bright Moon's younger generation truly possesses!"

A provocation, a full‑blown challenge! Though he used no great force, it deeply unsettled everyone's spirit.

The Yang Sheng group on the side erupted with baseless fury, unable to control themselves, their true qi surging, ready to charge forward. Though the target was Lu Fan, they had only heard words yet were already on the brink of losing control.

Lu Fan gave a faint smile and a clear shout, like thunder echoing in a valley, restraining Yang Sheng and his men. As they recovered, each one's complexion changed dramatically; the earlier emotion still churned in their hearts, utterly unreasonable.

"You all stay aside and do nothing, don't get in the way!"

Yang Sheng and his men are all third‑rank martial masters, considered outstanding talents at Heavenly Source Academy; if others speak to them like this, they may not explode in anger, but they certainly won't show a pleasant expression.

Yet Lu Fan holds a high standing in their eyes, so he gently pushed them aside without any resentment, but when he looked at the Ghost-faced Man, his gaze was filled with apprehensive awe, indescribable.

"Heh heh! Lu Fan, you really think that by making those guys step back my senior brother has no way? You're being far too naive!"

Xiulan chuckled, seeing the people around Lu Fan being humbled, she felt especially pleased and jeered at Lu Fan.

Lu Fan curled his lip, glanced lightly at Xiulan, and laughed, "So you two are senior brother and sister; now many things can be linked. Even from a naive standpoint, you two can inherit the same line and are no less than anyone in a fight!"

As soon as the words fell, the Ghost-faced Man furrowed his brows, seeming to realize something, his gaze shifting toward the Four‑eyed Giant Ape. The beast wore a bizarre grin, its eyes full of mockery; calling it a living man, hardly anyone would dispute.

"Xiulan, watch out!"

The Ghost-faced Man's face turned pale, letting out a startled shout. Yet it was too late; the Four‑eyed Giant Ape leapt into the air, soaring dozens of zhang, its palm the size of a millstone swinging wildly, snatching Xiulan in one grasp.

A thunderous force struck; though Xiulan's strength was remarkable, her delicate body could not resist. Her previously pallid face turned a bloody red, as if about to be crushed.

"Wretched beast, seeking death! Release my junior sister!"

The Ghost-faced Man erupted in fury, his form hovering like a phantom, surging forward. Ghostly qi crackled as he charged at the Four‑eyed Giant Ape.

Lu Fan smiled calmly, slightly curling his finger. The Four‑eyed Giant Ape instantly swung its massive arm, hurling Xiulan's body toward Lu Fan.

"Aoo—"

Demonic primordial energy flared as the Four‑eyed Giant Ape stepped onto the tree trunk, twisted, and lunged at the Ghost-faced Man.

"Boom—boom!"

A series of explosive cracks rang out; the Ghost-faced Man, bare‑handed, matched the Four‑eyed Giant Ape blow for blow. It's known that demon beasts have thick hides; in raw physical power they can span an entire great realm, and with this ape's strength, even a Kaiyuan Realm Martial King might not dare contest its brute force.

Yet the Ghost-faced Man cared not a whit, showing no sign of disadvantage.

On the other side, Lu Fan struck the void a few times; the floating Xiulan's delicate body instantly hovered before him. He did not pause, his two hands moving without hesitation, directly caressing her.

"Pa‑pa‑pa!"

He fired repeatedly, channels of force striking Xiulan's acupoints; she could only wear an angry expression, unable to speak, at Lu Fan's mercy.

"Screech—" a sound, and Lu Fan still felt it insufficient; Xiulan's garments were torn to shreds, reduced to powder. Only a thin, tattered veil remained, covering her delicate jade‑like body.

At this point, Lu Fan gave a slight nod, casually tossed Xiulan to his feet, and did not glance back.

"Lu Fan, what do you mean by this?"

The Ghost-faced Man smashed the giant ape with a punch, then roared at Lu Fan.

Lu Fan's gaze darkened, he said coldly, "Stop playing dumb with me. While others fear the beast tide and avoid it, you two go against the grain, sneaking in. Don't tell me you merely took the wrong path and blundered into this place!"

The Ghost-faced Man froze at the words, narrowing his eyes, silent, his thoughts unreadable. Lu Fan gave him no time, swinging a large hand to strike the vague silhouette atop the giant python.

In an instant, the phantom "Lu Fan" burst apart, but a mysterious light flashed, forming a swirling aura that dispersed. Simultaneously, the ethereal beast shadow let out a collective howl, unleashing indescribable waves of force.

"Since you dared to break in, apparently prepared for the beast tide's uprising, I will now grant you that!"

He smiled coldly, his voice still hanging. The demon beasts that had come to worship around them all reddened their eyes, each letting out a sky‑piercing howl, their demonic primordial energy surging.

"Roar—"

"Boom—boom!"

In the blink of an eye, the previously peaceful demon beasts began tearing each other apart, revealing their true feral nature—ferocious, brutal, and blood‑thirsty.

The Ghost-faced Man's face froze, looking hideous. Wherever his gaze fell, demon beasts collapsed, blood forming rivers, like a living hell. He felt no pity nor fear for the scene; his true dread was Lu Fan's tactics.

Just a moment ago the beast tide was under the opponent's control; how did it suddenly descend into such savage chaos? Such conduct had no reason. Perhaps he could not fathom the other's intent—that was his real worry.

At that thought, he seemed to recall something, quickly turning his head toward the Four‑eyed Giant Ape. Yet the creature made no move, staring intently, its snarling fangs dripping saliva.

"What's happening? Aren't the surrounding demon beasts all out of control? How is this beast so calm?"

His heart gave a sudden thud, sensing something odd. Yet before the words finished, over a hundred zhang away, a scaly demon scorpion turned its head, leapt into the air, and charged at him.

"Hmph! The thing that draws you in this beast tide is probably the Dragon Yuan Purple Qi, right? Since you wish to refine it, I'll give you a chance!"

Lu Fan let out a cold snort, his voice low yet sounding like thunder cracking in the Ghost-faced Man's mind, and at that moment he finally understood.

"The beasts clash, devouring each other, the Dragon Yuan Purple Qi surges. In the end, the strongest devours, ten thousand withered bones forming a single being—either a man or a beast. Do you truly think it must be you, Lu Fan?"

The powerful demon beasts within the secret realm, sensing the Dragon Yuan Purple Qi, become aware of their surroundings. For the Ghost-faced Man, Lu Fan, and others, escaping the beasts' pursuit is nearly impossible. In this beast tide, the mighty beasts only seek those who wield the potent Dragon Yuan Purple Qi.

Lu Fan now has a formation protecting him, while the Ghost-faced Man, lacking Xiulan's aid, even with his unfathomable power, finds it hard to escape the sea of demon beasts.

Yang Sheng and his men finally understood, looking at Lu Fan in disbelief, awestruck. Yet something still seemed odd: the Dragon Yuan Purple Qi can only be refined and devoured before the Dragon Tower, right?

"Aoo!"

The Four‑eyed Giant Ape let out a short howl, leapt upward, charging toward the demon scorpion and flanking the Ghost-faced Man.

The Ghost-faced Man's face turned pale with shock, his robe fluttering as he transformed into a wisp of ghostly qi that suddenly dispersed.

Bang!

The demonic scorpion giant turtle and the four‑eyed giant ape's iron fists slammed together, howling, but a single strike scattered them; they all turned their heads and rushed toward a big tree.

"What? Damn it, these two beasts have such keen perception!"

The Ghost‑Faced Man's startled cry echoed in the void, then a "crack" rang out, and the big tree was shattered by the giant ape and demonic scorpion.

"Two? Look more closely!" Lu Fan smiled coldly, his voice ethereal and distant, though he stood before everyone, it seemed to come from all directions, "With the strength of your dragon‑origin purple aura, every demonic beast in the Beast Tide, big and small, wants to devour you. So endure it well!"

He needed not say more; the Ghost‑Faced Man already sensed the murderous aura surrounding them. With his power, the giant ape and demonic scorpion were no match, yet now, amid the Beast Tide, he dared not act rashly, fearing it would draw more demonic beasts to swarm.

But at this moment his hesitation was useless. The demonic beasts around, devouring each other, once they reach a certain point will immediately turn on him; packs of wolves lie in wait, and even if he is as fierce as a dragon or tiger, he cannot cope.

"Alright, alright! I, Wan Li, have misjudged this time!" the Ghost‑Faced Man glared coldly at Lu Fan, "Lu Fan, wait. We'll meet again before the Dragon Tower! Without this Beast Tide for you to command, when I see you, what will you use to block me?"

He let out a fierce shout, flicked his sleeve‑robe, and two booming forces surged forth, holding back the giant ape and demonic scorpion. Then, soaring, he seized the black eagle and fled in a scramble.

"Young Lu! This man is formidable; we must not let him escape!"

Yang Sheng and several others shouted repeatedly, clearly having felt the Ghost‑Faced Man's overwhelming power. With the Beast Tide now lending aid, if they cannot subdue him, then before the Dragon Tower, wouldn't it be tenfold or hundredfold more difficult?