"So they're a bunch of scientific madmen?" Ye Lanshan murmured softly, but her voice was too low for anyone to hear clearly.
"What?" Ling Chunian obviously didn't catch it either.
"Oh, nothing. You know where the Twin Fruit is, right? Take me there to have a look." Ye Lanshan's mind was still preoccupied with the Twin Fruit.
"But the Twin Fruit isn't ripe yet." Ling Chunian wasn't unwilling to take her; it was just that since the fruit wasn't ready, wouldn't it be a wasted trip?
"I need to familiarize myself with the terrain there."
This time, everyone coming to seize the Twin Fruit would undoubtedly be elites from major powers. With her current strength insufficient and unwilling to overly rely on Ye Yutian, she naturally had to come up with some schemes.
Thinking about this, Ye Lanshan felt a surge of frustration. Back in her cultivation world, she was a renowned figure who commanded respect, but who would have thought that while cultivating on Mount Hua and weathering a tribulation, she'd end up in this unfamiliar world? Here, she was constantly being suppressed, which irritated her immensely.
"Alright."
Ling Chunian led her out of the cave. Ye Yutian wanted to follow, but Ye Lanshan refused.
"I need you to keep an eye on things here. If you come with me, who's going to look after these injured people?"
"Fine, I'll wait here for you to return." Ye Yutian relented, the deep affection in his eyes piercing straight to Ye Lanshan's heart, making it seem not so difficult to accept him.
But given all the terrible things he'd done to her before, often with murderous intent, it was better not to agree too easily. Besides, with her inner demon still unresolved, how could she possibly think about romance?
"He's so good to you, Chief. I feel like his feelings for you go beyond just being a partner—it's like love." Ling Chunian had never been in love and didn't understand it well, but if even she could sense Ye Yutian's affection, who couldn't?
Ye Lanshan looked at the darkening sky and urged, "While it's not completely dark yet, take me over for a quick look."
"It's right here. And there's not only the Twin Fruit but also the Five Mystic Fruit. What's more, both fruits ripen on the same day." Ling Chunian pointed to the tree next to the Twin Fruit.
"If that's the case, the guardian beast nearby must be quite powerful." Ye Lanshan rubbed her chin, glancing at the two trees, but after staring for a while, she didn't spot any guardian beast.
No one noticed a graceful man step out from behind her. Dressed in a green robe, his slender figure stood as straight as bamboo yet sharp as a sword.
"Hello, young miss. Might I ask if you're looking for something?"
The man's sudden voice startled Ye Lanshan. She immediately turned around and found a truly elegant gentleman, like a refined scholar and a shining pearl of the world.
"We're not looking for anything, just taking a look around."
Ye Lanshan felt that this man wasn't human. No matter how handsome he was, he gave off a beastly vibe.
Her intuition proved correct—he wasn't human but the guardian beast here, the Azure Ox, though his name wasn't Azure Ox but Feng Qing.
"Just taking a look, then? I won't disturb your leisure, miss." Feng Qing's courteous demeanor instantly made him likable.
Ye Lanshan was about to head back, but before she could take a few steps, she felt a gust of wind behind her, and danger followed swiftly.
She leaped aside, landing directly on a tree. "Young master, isn't it a bit improper to ambush someone from behind like this?" Ye Lanshan toyed with the dagger in her hand, narrowing her eyes, a glint of killing intent flashing within.
"Young miss, you misunderstand. I merely saw your impressive strength and wished to spar with you." Feng Qing wasn't angered by his failed strike. His composed manner alone could make anyone forgive his sneak attack.
But Ye Lanshan was no ordinary person. When it came to pretense, she was an expert. No matter how bloody her deeds, she could maintain an ethereal, otherworldly demeanor, so Feng Qing's tricks had no effect on her.
Yet this only piqued Feng Qing's interest in her.
This man was completely different from outsiders—clear-headed, able to assess the situation, and showing no frenzy even at the sight of the Twin Fruit and Five Mystic Fruit, as if they were just ordinary fruits.
Little did he know, Ye Lanshan wasn't unfazed; she simply considered them already hers, so there was no need to rush.
Oh heavens, when did the Sunset Mountain Range produce a man who wasn't part of any organization, was highly skilled, and incredibly handsome? Ling Chunian swallowed hard, staring at Feng Qing with sparkling eyes tinged with a hint of strangeness.
"Since you're so eager to spar, it would be a shame to disappoint you. Ying Huarong, come out and have a match with him."
"Master, are you messing with me? A ninth-tier divine beast, and I'm just a second-tier one. I'd be completely outmatched!"
Ying Huarong had grown smarter following Ye Lanshan, but intelligence didn't equal strength. This was an unwinnable fight, and the opponent even seemed to have a trace of ancient bloodline, crushing him in both lineage and rank.
"A ninth-tier divine beast? So you're quite formidable." Ye Lanshan showed no fear upon hearing this, instead smiling casually. She leaped down from the tree, her scholarly appearance somehow exuding an air of immortality.
"In that case, could you do me a favor?"
Ye Lanshan summoned the Flame Tiger and patted its head. "My contracted beast is just a step away from breaking through to become a divine beast. Could you help him make that breakthrough?"
The Flame Tiger watched this scene, almost in tears. The opponent was a ninth-tier divine beast! If he got angry, they'd all be dead, including their master. Where did she get the nerve to speak so calmly?
"Oh? How can I help? I don't have any way to turn a mystic beast into a divine beast."
How interesting. Why had he never met someone so fascinating before?
"Simple—fight him to the death. Beat him within an inch of his life, and don't stop until he's barely breathing." Ye Lanshan's tone was casual, making it hard to believe those words came from her mouth.
"Are you sure? He's just a small mystic beast. Aren't you afraid I'll kill him?" Feng Qing's lips twitched, a hint of disappointment rising in his heart. He'd thought she might be different, but she was as reckless as the madmen in these mountains.
As he thought this, a murderous intent stirred within him, and he decided to eliminate them all.
"It's fine. Go ahead. Under immense pressure, only through life-and-death trials can you grow stronger." Ye Lanshan seemed to sense Feng Qing's killing intent but paid it no mind.