A few minutes later.
The demon beast's final wave of attack ended, and it was completely bare…
Not a single hair left…
And it seemed the previous attacks had taken quite a toll on it; it was now utterly exhausted…
"So pitiful," Shan Ji couldn't bear to watch. "Big Brother, how about I help it find peace?"
"No," Ye Fan stopped him. "Your demonic energy will scare it, and it won't taste as good. Let your big sister handle it."
As soon as Ye Fan finished speaking, the little demoness appeared beside the foolish bird.
To be precise, she had already helped it find peace.
The little demoness took care of the demon beast's remains, while Ye Fan busied himself with pots and pans.
As for the cross-dressing magnate, Bai Hua Xiu…
He had completely blacked out…
Half an hour later.
When Bai Hua Xiu finally came to his senses, he found himself already seated at the dining table…
Perhaps it was his naturally carefree disposition, but he quickly accepted the situation and began to eat with gusto.
"That dipping sauce is highly poisonous. If you don't want to die, I don't recommend you try it."
Ye Fan's words made Bai Hua Xiu tremble, nearly dropping his chopsticks.
To use poison as a dipping sauce… were all magnates this terrifying…
After a few more casual remarks, Ye Fan and his group finally understood the full story.
It turned out this group had previously discovered a large quantity of rare herbs in a cave ahead and had excitedly begun harvesting them.
Shortly after finishing their harvest, they encountered this sleeping demon beast.
Sensing the beast's terrifying aura, most of them decided to take a detour.
However, a certain individual foolishly set his sights on a nearby demon beast egg…
By the time the others tried to stop him, it was already too late.
At the same time, Bai Hua Xiu admitted that the dangers of the Xie Yan ruins far exceeded his expectations and he planned to return.
However, as he spoke, he subtly tucked his left hand into his sleeve, concealing a spatial ring.
It seemed he hadn't returned entirely empty-handed.
"Since you're heading back, you can escort them too," Ye Fan gestured towards Zhao Ye Lu's wife and daughter. "Hmm… no problem, right?"
"Your senior's command, this junior dare not disobey!" Bai Hua Xiu quickly cupped his hands. "However… what should be done with them after they are brought back?"
"Just take them back to Ge Shan City, and you can arrange the rest from there." As Ye Fan spoke, he took Zhao Ye Lu's corpse out of the ring.
The mother and daughter received the corpse and expressed their profuse gratitude to Ye Fan, then obediently followed Bai Hua Xiu away.
Somewhere in the ruins.
Over three hundred cultivators were engaged in battle with demon beasts.
The strongest among them had reached the Void Comprehension third layer, while the weakest were at the Spirit Transformation fifth layer.
Such a force could be considered mid to upper tier among the entire expeditionary army in the ruins.
Unfortunately, their luck was poor; they had encountered a pack of Soul Devouring Beasts!
One Soul Devouring Beast leader plus over a dozen subordinates!
It could only be said that these cultivators were truly unlucky.
The Soul Devouring Beast leader was only at the Void Comprehension first layer, and its subordinates' realms were uneven, with the weakest at the Spirit Transformation first or second layer.
Logically, these cultivators should have been guaranteed a victory.
However, Soul Devouring Beasts were rather peculiar.
Their offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as their speed, were considered average among demon beasts of the same level.
Perhaps even slightly inferior.
But they possessed a unique and infuriating ability: energy absorption.
Regardless of whether it was a magical attack or a burst from a magic treasure, as long as it was energy, they would devour it!
And what about close-quarters combat?
After all, demon beasts were naturally tough and thick-skinned!
Unless one was a dedicated body cultivator, such an idea was futile.
The battlefield suddenly became bizarre…
A barrage of dazzling magical spells from the cultivators was met by the Soul Devouring Beasts opening their massive mouths and devouring them all.
They even burped!
Furthermore, their claw attacks also had the effect of stealing true energy!
Even if you blocked a claw, a significant amount of true energy would still be drained!
They were truly like hooligans!
A few cultivators, relying on the sharpness of their weapons, attempted physical attacks, and it seemed to have some effect.
A sword strike did draw blood from the Soul Devouring Beasts' bodies, but the wounds healed quickly.
To use a human analogy, it was akin to scratching the surface.
"Guild Leader, we should retreat," a hall master said worriedly. "If this continues, we'll surely die…"
"It's too late…" The Guild Leader, after blocking another Soul Devouring Beast's attack, sighed in despair. "There's no time…"
Unbeknownst to them, a horde of Soul Devouring Beast subordinates had surrounded them.
A rough estimate showed at least a hundred of them!
Their physical strength was inferior…
Their magical attacks were like throwing meat to dogs…
Even just defending against the Soul Devouring Beasts' attacks consumed true energy, and true energy was ultimately finite…
Only two outcomes lay before them now.
First: be worn down to death.
Second: be worn down to death in a very unpleasant manner.
…
As time passed, the scales of victory tilted further and further.
Finally…
A Soul Devouring Beast's claw took the Guild Leader's last wisp of true energy…
The Guild Leader slumped to the ground in despair…
Apart from himself and his nephew, everyone else had been devoured by the Soul Devouring Beasts.
Now that he was crippled, his nephew, who was only at the Spirit Transformation realm, had no hope at all.
The Soul Devouring Beast horde seemed to have eaten their fill and were now smacking their lips in relish.
The Soul Devouring Beast leader stepped forward and, with a mouthful, picked up the Guild Leader.
Perhaps because it resembled a cat, it had inherited some feline traits. The leader shook its head and tossed the Guild Leader into the air.
Then, the Guild Leader's body flew in a parabolic arc towards one of its subordinates.
As the Guild Leader approached, the subordinate swatted him away with a claw.
"Bang, bang, bang…"
The pitiful Guild Leader was thus treated like a football by a group of demon beasts.
"Uncle, think of something!" the trembling nephew on the ground yelled. "If this continues, we're finished!"
The Guild Leader, being batted around like a ball, almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
If I had a way, would I be in this predicament?!
Can't you see that we're already finished?!
Alright… you truly can't see it…
His older brother's son had a serious illness in his childhood, and his mind was a bit slow.
A few minutes later, the Guild Leader was inside the Soul Devouring Beast leader's stomach.
Seeing the terrifying demon beasts approach him step by step, the foolish nephew reached for his spatial ring.
He slowly drew his weapon from the ring: a long staff forged from Black Gold Iron.
Fear breeds aggression.
When a person is terrified to the extreme, they become frenzied!
He knew his mind wasn't very sharp, and the members of his gang often gossiped about him behind his back.
Coupled with his naturally timid nature, he had never dared to resist even when he knew.
But at this moment, his mindset suddenly changed!
What cultivation level, what realm, it no longer mattered!
He had lived his life as a coward.
Now, at the brink of death, he wanted to be a hero!
To be the hero of his own life!
Even if it was only for a moment, even if he would be torn to shreds by the demon beasts the next second, it was enough!
"Come on! Who's afraid of who!"
With bloodshot eyes, the foolish nephew roared and charged towards the Soul Devouring Beast leader!