Chapter 130

Lu Fan's gaze turned gloomy; he quietly watched the ghost-faced man's fleeing back vanish into nothing, then walked over to Xiulan, slowly crouched down, casually tapped two major acupoints, and said leisurely:

"Your eyesight is really a bit off; every time something changes, your companions abandon you, to the point I can't even bear to watch!"

Xiulan lightly bit her lip, her eyes filled with hatred, and coldly said, "Lu Fan, you're digging your own grave!" She glanced around at the beast shadows and snarled, "I see this formation collapsing—what will you do then?"

Lu Fan smiled faintly, offhandedly said, "Since I can summon the beast tide, I naturally have a way to drive them away—no need for you to worry."

He paused slightly, scanning Xiulan's whole body; her thin clothing could hardly block his gaze. Frightened, Xiulan trembled all over, curled up, arms tightly clasped before her chest, a picture of delicate vulnerability.

"You're overthinking! I just wanted to make sure you weren't hiding any talismanic treasures." Lu Fan shook his head slightly, then slowly rose, casually pulling a warrior's robe from his cosmic pouch at his waist and tossing it onto Xiulan.

"Take it; this is for you, but I need to mention something first." His eyes turned slightly stern as he looked at the bone ring on Xiulan's finger, and he said solemnly, "Place both hands where I can see them; if I catch you forming even half a seal, I'll strip you naked. Those hidden talismans beneath your undergarments, including this bone ring, will then be mine!"

As his words fell, Xiulan's expression turned completely icy; her clenched hands gripped the warrior's robe's collar, her body shuddering twice uncontrollably. The secret she had carefully concealed was so easily seen through by Lu Fan—before him, she had nowhere to hide!

"Boom—"

A beast shadow tens of zhang in size suddenly burst apart, kicking up a whirlwind; its power was ordinary, but the light formation above it became disordered.

The force surged, sheets of dark light peeled off and drifted away. The Kun Python that had been standing firm let out a hissing moan, clearly about to break free of Lu Fan's control.

Yang Sheng and the few beside him paled, only now realizing they were in the midst of the beast tide, each panicking, not knowing what to do.

"Hmph! What's there to panic about!" Yang Sheng snorted coldly, for the first time dissatisfied with these companions around him, and directly rebuked:

"This formation is just something Lu Fan casually condensed; even if it dissipates and vanishes, it's no big deal. Since he could form it once, he can certainly do it again—we needn't worry!"

He said that, yet unconsciously glanced at Lu Fan, hoping to see a trace of calm composure on him.

Lu Fan waved his hand and said bluntly, "The Beast Control Spirit Formation can be used once only; once it disperses, there will be no further protection. For now there's still some time—seize the opportunity and reap your own fortunes!"

As his words fell, he turned, passed through the hazy beast shadows, reached the two trembling demonic beasts beside each other, and with a sweeping hand ignited talisman fire.

In an instant, both demonic beasts were engulfed; only two shrill wails were heard, the two ferocious beasts turned to ash, leaving only two palm-sized beast shadows, within which faintly glowed a remarkable demonic beast crystal core.

"Crack!" two sounds, as each hand struck it, demonic essence surged and firelight flowed.

"Return to Origin One Qi"

Lu Fan let out a sudden loud shout, his hands coiling a suction force that swallowed the surrounding void; in the blink of an eye, only two talisman fires remained floating in midair, with nothing else.

He gave a faint smile, glanced around, immediately chose another direction, and leapt forth. Thus he again slew a demonic beast and began refining it.

Yang Sheng and the others stared dumbfounded—not because of Lu Fan's miraculous, inscrutable methods, but because Lu Fan moved through the beast tide, and most demonic beasts regarded him as if he were invisible, like a transparent person.

This beast tide had clearly descended into chaos, with beasts slaughtering each other, devouring and tearing, utterly disordered. It was not under Lu Fan's formation control, yet his conduct was truly baffling.

"I understand now, that's how it is!" Xiulan, wrapped in the warrior's robe, her bright eyes shining with excitement, was quite thrilled.

Yang Sheng and the others came over, gazing curiously, quite puzzled, asking, "What have you figured out? What exactly is going on with this scene?"

Xiulan furrowed her brows, then explained, "These demonic beasts gather for the dragon origin purple qi. Each beast possesses some amount of it, and only when their levels are similar can they devour one another. Lu Fan has previously slaughtered so many beasts that his dragon origin purple qi is tens or hundreds of times that of an ordinary beast, so these beasts simply won't bother him."

Saying this, a hint of envy and jealousy appeared in her eyes; she turned her gaze to Yang Sheng and the others, sneering, "Hmph! You lot are useless—you've just gotten lucky, sticking by Lu Fan's side yet still dawdling, wasting such a heaven-defying opportunity!"

Having said all that, Yang Sheng and the others finally came to a realization; they no longer cared about being angry at Xiulan, and eagerly rushed toward the outer demonic beasts.

Lu Fan's body overflowed with dragon origin purple qi, leaving almost no beast nearby with a matching amount. Yang Sheng and the others, however, possessed only the faint trace of dragon origin purple qi they'd inexplicably brought upon entering the secret realm—practically negligible.

Immediately demonic beasts lunged at them, yet they joined forces; plus these beasts had already expended much of their demonic essence in prior fights and even suffered notable injuries, making them no match for the group.

In short order, demonic beasts fell to the ground. They dug out the demon cores, took out special artifacts to collect the essences, then tossed aside the carcasses and went on to hunt other beasts.

This spot could be considered the beast tide's center; even the weakest were third-rank demonic beasts. Under normal circumstances, with Qiu Sheng's group's strength, hunting any one would consume considerable energy, and a careless mistake could even injure someone.

Yet at this moment, in the time it takes to finish half a cup of tea, they could jointly slay one. Demon cores and beast souls streamed into their cosmic pouches at an astonishing speed—just as Lu Fan said, this truly was their fortune.

After who knows how long, centered on the Kun Python, within a radius of a thousand zhang there was not a single living demonic beast. Blood soaked the earth, limbs and arms lay scattered everywhere—like a hell on earth.

Xiulan idly twisted her fingers, looking quite conflicted. Seeing Lu Fan absent, she truly wanted to make a small move, even to flee then and there. But the intimidation Lu Fan had imposed on her was too great; she had no confidence to dispel his restriction.

If the matter were exposed and he discovered it, losing the talismanic treasures would be minor; being stripped naked by him would leave her, a young lady, with nowhere to put her face to 37? Wait line 38 missing? Actually we need line 38. Let's continue.

We missed line 38. Let's output line 38 now.

Thinking of this, her face flushed inexplicably; her pallid complexion gained a bit of color, losing its previous ferocious terror.

Now continue lines 39-60.

We need to ensure we output all lines 1-60. Let's produce them sequentially.

We have up to line 37 done. Need line 38 onward.

Let's write them.

【38】 Thinking of this, her face flushed inexplicably; her pallid complexion gained a bit of color, losing its previous ferocious terror.

"What are you thinking about?"

A soft sound rang in her ear; her expression stalled, her body froze—yet she saw Lu Fan emerge from behind a broken tree, walking leisurely, with two strange shadows trailing behind him.

The Four-Eyed Giant Ape's gray fur had entirely turned purple; as it moved, it swayed slightly, faintly scattering a wisp of purple qi.

The Demon Scorpion waved its two large pincers; on its originally jet-black hard shell now appeared dense purple streaks, making it look exceptionally ferocious at a glance.

These two ferocious demonic beasts had clearly devoured countless demonic beast crystal cores and essences, undergoing mutation; their extremely rich dragon origin purple qi was clear proof.

Xiulan suddenly came to her senses, embarrassed, and asked, "You've subdued these two wicked beasts?"

Having consumed so much dragon origin purple qi—and who knows how many beasts they've slaughtered—these two are surely vicious beyond compare. Yet they follow Lu Fan so meekly behind him, naturally because he has subdued them.

She asked merely to have something to say, to cover up her earlier agitation.

Lu Fan glanced briefly at Xiulan, then raised his hand and pointed at the Kun Python, saying, "The Beast Control Spirit Formation is about to collapse; this fellow has gained quite a few benefits and likely won't let us leave easily—let these two wicked beasts block him for a moment!"

Before his words even finished, the few remaining fuzzy beast shadows around them exploded. A gloomy wind swirled, turning into a suction force that gathered toward the Kun Python.

"Howl—"

At that moment the Kun Python regained clarity, raised its head and let out a great howl, from its mouth shooting a black light that instantly pierced the light formation above, which was just about to dissipate.

At the same time, an indescribably majestic aura gradually rose on the Kun Python; myriad beasts paid homage, and although only a few hours had passed, it still gained considerable benefit.

Its massive body slowly lifted, its abdomen swelling and flattening, widening like a strange fish. Apart from the ferocious snake head and sturdy giant tail, one could still faintly make out the shape of a python.

"Has this beast advanced a stage?"

Xiulan's face turned to shock, her mouth opened wide, as if she'd been frightened stiff.

"Hmm! In aura it's already a fifth-rank demonic beast, just lacking a bit of refinement; devouring these two should about do it!"

Lu Fan nodded, his gaze calm as he watched the fierce light blaze, his Kun Python staring him down fixedly, yet he wore an indifferent expression.

In that demeanor, seen through the Kun Python's lantern‑large eyes, fury welled up beyond words. It bore the bloodline of an ancient strange beast, rarely matched within the secret realm, yet having been controlled by Lu Fan for a long time, its dignity was lost; now being slighted further, its meager intelligence was overwhelmed by instinct and erupted completely.

"Howl!"

A short, powerful roar rang out; the Kun Python's mighty tail flicked, moving with the speed of thunder and tide, arriving before Lu Fan in an instant. Its jaws opened, its flattened belly suddenly bulging, producing a suction force that began to devour everything around him.

"You're in such a hurry—let these two keep you company for a while!"

Now ensure each line is on a single line with 【N】 prefix. Let's output.

【1】 Lu Fan's gaze turned gloomy; he quietly watched the ghost-faced man's fleeing back vanish into nothing, then walked over to Xiulan, slowly crouched down, casually tapped two major acupoints, and said leisurely:

【2】 "Your eyesight is really a bit off; every time something changes, your companions abandon you, to the point I can't even bear to watch!"

【3】 Xiulan lightly bit her lip, her eyes filled with hatred, and coldly said, "Lu Fan, you're digging your own grave!" She glanced around at the beast shadows and snarled, "I see this formation collapsing—what will you do then?"

【4】 Lu Fan smiled faintly, offhandedly said, "Since I can summon the beast tide, I naturally have a way to drive them away—no need for you to worry."

【5】 He paused slightly, scanning Xiulan's whole body; her thin clothing could hardly block his gaze. Frightened, Xiulan trembled all over, curled up, arms tightly clasped before her chest, a picture of delicate vulnerability.

【6】 "You're overthinking! I just wanted to make sure you weren't hiding any talismanic treasures." Lu Fan shook his head slightly, then slowly rose, casually pulling a warrior's robe from his cosmic pouch at his waist and tossing it onto Xiulan.

【7】 "Take it; this is for you, but I need to mention something first." His eyes turned slightly stern as he looked at the bone ring on Xiulan's finger, and he said solemnly, "Place both hands where I can see them; if I catch you forming even half a seal, I'll strip you naked. Those hidden talismans beneath your undergarments, including this bone ring, will then be mine!"

【8】 As his words fell, Xiulan's expression turned completely icy; her clenched hands gripped the warrior's robe's collar, her body shuddering twice uncontrollably. The secret she had carefully concealed was so easily seen through by Lu Fan—before him, she had nowhere to hide!

【9】 "Boom—"

【10】 A beast shadow tens of zhang in size suddenly burst apart, kicking up a whirlwind; its power was ordinary, but the light formation above it became disordered.

【11】 The force surged, sheets of dark light peeled off and drifted away. The Kun Python that had been standing firm let out a hissing moan, clearly about to break free of Lu Fan's control.

【12】 Yang Sheng and the few beside him paled, only now realizing they were in the midst of the beast tide, each panicking, not knowing what to do.

【13】 "Hmph! What's there to panic about!" Yang Sheng snorted coldly, for the first time dissatisfied with these companions around him, and directly rebuked:

【14】 "This formation is just something Lu Fan casually condensed; even if it dissipates and vanishes, it's no big deal. Since he could form it once, he can certainly do it again—we needn't worry!"

【15】 He said that, yet unconsciously glanced at Lu Fan, hoping to see a trace of calm composure on him.

【16】 Lu Fan waved his hand and said bluntly, "The Beast Control Spirit Formation can be used once only; once it disperses, there will be no further protection. For now there's still some time—seize the opportunity and reap your own fortunes!"

【17】 As his words fell, he turned, passed through the hazy beast shadows, reached the two trembling demonic beasts beside each other, and with a sweeping hand ignited talisman fire.

【18】 In an instant, both demonic beasts were engulfed; only two shrill wails were heard, the two ferocious beasts turned to ash, leaving only two palm-sized beast shadows, within which faintly glowed a remarkable demonic beast crystal core.

【19】 "Crack!" two sounds, as each hand struck it, demonic essence surged and firelight flowed.

【20】 "Return to Origin One Qi"

【21】 Lu Fan let out a sudden loud shout, his hands coiling a suction force that swallowed the surrounding void; in the blink of an eye, only two talisman fires remained floating in midair, with nothing else.

【22】 He gave a faint smile, glanced around, immediately chose another direction, and leapt forth. Thus he again slew a demonic beast and began refining it.

【23】 Yang Sheng and the others stared dumbfounded—not because of Lu Fan's miraculous, inscrutable methods, but because Lu Fan moved through the beast tide, and most demonic beasts regarded him as if he were invisible, like a transparent person.

【24】 This beast tide had clearly descended into chaos, with beasts slaughtering each other, devouring and tearing, utterly disordered. It was not under Lu Fan's formation control, yet his conduct was truly baffling.

【25】 "I understand now, that's how it is!" Xiulan, wrapped in the warrior's robe, her bright eyes shining with excitement, was quite thrilled.

【26】 Yang Sheng and the others came over, gazing curiously, quite puzzled, asking, "What have you figured out? What exactly is going on with this scene?"

【27】 Xiulan furrowed her brows, then explained, "These demonic beasts gather for the dragon origin purple qi. Each beast possesses some amount of it, and only when their levels are similar can they devour one another. Lu Fan has previously slaughtered so many beasts that his dragon origin purple qi is tens or hundreds of times that of an ordinary beast, so these beasts simply won't bother him."

【28】 Saying this, a hint of envy and jealousy appeared in her eyes; she turned her gaze to Yang Sheng and the others, sneering, "Hmph! You lot are useless—you've just gotten lucky, sticking by Lu Fan's side yet still dawdling, wasting such a heaven-defying opportunity!"

【29】 Having said all that, Yang Sheng and the others finally came to a realization; they no longer cared about being angry at Xiulan, and eagerly rushed toward the outer demonic beasts.

【30】 Lu Fan's body overflowed with dragon origin purple qi, leaving almost no beast nearby with a matching amount. Yang Sheng and the others, however, possessed only the faint trace of dragon origin purple qi they'd inexplicably brought upon entering the secret realm—practically negligible.

【31】 Immediately demonic beasts lunged at them, yet they joined forces; plus these beasts had already expended much of their demonic essence in prior fights and even suffered notable injuries, making them no match for the group.

【32】 In short order, demonic beasts fell to the ground. They dug out the demon cores, took out special artifacts to collect the essences, then tossed aside the carcasses and went on to hunt other beasts.

【33】 This spot could be considered the beast tide's center; even the weakest were third-rank demonic beasts. Under normal circumstances, with Qiu Sheng's group's strength, hunting any one would consume considerable energy, and a careless mistake could even injure someone.

【34】 Yet at this moment, in the time it takes to finish half a cup of tea, they could jointly slay one. Demon cores and beast souls streamed into their cosmic pouches at an astonishing speed—just as Lu Fan said, this truly was their fortune.

【35】 After who knows how long, centered on the Kun Python, within a radius of a thousand zhang there was not a single living demonic beast. Blood soaked the earth, limbs and arms lay scattered everywhere—like a hell on earth.

【36】 Xiulan idly twisted her fingers, looking quite conflicted. Seeing Lu Fan absent, she truly wanted to make a small move, even to flee then and there. But the intimidation Lu Fan had imposed on her was too great; she had no confidence to dispel his restriction.

【37】 If the matter were exposed and he discovered it, losing the talismanic treasures would be minor; being stripped naked by him would leave her, a young lady, with nowhere to put her face.

【38】 Thinking of this, her face flushed inexplicably; her pallid complexion gained a bit of color, losing its previous ferocious terror.

【39】 "What are you thinking about?"

【40】 A soft sound rang in her ear; her expression stalled, her body froze—yet she saw Lu Fan emerge from behind a broken tree, walking leisurely, with two strange shadows trailing behind him.

【41】 The Four-Eyed Giant Ape's gray fur had entirely turned purple; as it moved, it swayed slightly, faintly scattering a wisp of purple qi.

【42】 The Demon Scorpion waved its two large pincers; on its originally jet-black hard shell now appeared dense purple streaks, making it look exceptionally ferocious at a glance.

【43】 These two ferocious demonic beasts had clearly devoured countless demonic beast crystal cores and essences, undergoing mutation; their extremely rich dragon origin purple qi was clear proof.

【44】 Xiulan suddenly came to her senses, embarrassed, and asked, "You've subdued these two wicked beasts?"

【45】 Having consumed so much dragon origin purple qi—and who knows how many beasts they've slaughtered—these two are surely vicious beyond compare. Yet they follow Lu Fan so meekly behind him, naturally because he has subdued them.

【46】 She asked merely to have something to say, to cover up her earlier agitation.

【47】 Lu Fan glanced briefly at Xiulan, then raised his hand and pointed at the Kun Python, saying, "The Beast Control Spirit Formation is about to collapse; this fellow has gained quite a few benefits and likely won't let us leave easily—let these two wicked beasts block him for a moment!"

【48】 Before his words even finished, the few remaining fuzzy beast shadows around them exploded. A gloomy wind swirled, turning into a suction force that gathered toward the Kun Python.

【49】 "Howl—"

【50】 At that moment the Kun Python regained clarity, raised its head and let out a great howl, from its mouth shooting a black light that instantly pierced the light formation above, which was just about to dissipate.

【51】 At the same time, an indescribably majestic aura gradually rose on the Kun Python; myriad beasts paid homage, and although only a few hours had passed, it still gained considerable benefit.

【52】 Its massive body slowly lifted, its abdomen swelling and flattening, widening like a strange fish. Apart from the ferocious snake head and sturdy giant tail, one could still faintly make out the shape of a python.

【53】 "Has this beast advanced a stage?"

【54】 Xiulan's face turned to shock, her mouth opened wide, as if she'd been frightened stiff.

【55】 "Hmm! In aura it's already a fifth-rank demonic beast, just lacking a bit of refinement; devouring these two should about do it!"

【56】 Lu Fan nodded, his gaze calm as he watched the fierce light blaze, his Kun Python staring him down fixedly, yet he wore an indifferent expression.

【57】 In that demeanor, seen through the Kun Python's lantern‑large eyes, fury welled up beyond words. It bore the bloodline of an ancient strange beast, rarely matched within the secret realm, yet having been controlled by Lu Fan for a long time, its dignity was lost; now being slighted further, its meager intelligence was overwhelmed by instinct and erupted completely.

【58】 "Howl!"

【59】 A short, powerful roar rang out; the Kun Python's mighty tail flicked, moving with the speed of thunder and tide, arriving before Lu Fan in an instant. Its jaws opened, its flattened belly suddenly bulging, producing a suction force that began to devour everything around him.

【60】 "You're in such a hurry—let these two keep you company for a while!"

Lu Fan gave a faint smile, his form flashing. The suction force lost its target and swept toward the giant ape and the magic scorpion.

Roar!

Click-click!

The giant ape let out a roar, swung its palms and easily dispersed that suction. The magic scorpion waved its huge pincers, kicking up dust, and charged toward the huge fish python.

In an instant, among the beast tide, the three nearly strongest magic beasts fought together. The huge fish python fought two against one, not losing the upper hand. It even had spare energy, occasionally directing its devouring suction toward Lu Fan. Clearly, in its mind, Lu Fan was the mortal enemy.

The disturbance spread outward. Yang Sheng and the others also returned, seeing this scene, all were shocked and dismayed.

Since everyone's here, let's go together with me. Once these three fellows decide the victor, a fifth-rank magic beast must be born. With the might of Dragon Origin Purple Qi, it's probably comparable to a peak fifth-rank magic beast outside!

The star curtain gradually fell, and the tumult of the myriad beasts' roars also gradually calmed. At the break of dawn, Lu Fan and the others arrived at a secluded, tranquil small valley.

Having experienced the whole night's beast tide turmoil, Yang Sheng and the others should have been exhausted beyond measure. Yet last night's heaven-defying opportunity left them all exhilarated, and now they sat cross-legged on the ground, began discussing with each other.

What a haul this night! We probably killed twenty or thirty vicious magic beasts!

Tsk tsk, this time we really struck luck. Even if I were to leave the Dragon Tower Secret Realm now, I'd have no regrets, worthy of this trip.

This time we owe it to President Lu; otherwise, with our strength, not to mention such a haul, we might not even save our lives.