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"I know, I understand how you feel."
Wei Yang reached out and gently wrapped an arm around Xiao Yan's shoulder, stretching his legs straight to relax his body, shifting to a more comfortable position as he leaned back against the tree trunk.
He understood Xiao Yan's feelings. When someone is willing to risk their life to save another, how could the one who was saved possibly feel at ease?
The deep guilt, along with that heavy psychological burden, is often enough to suffocate a person. Sometimes, gratitude can be even more tormenting than hatred.
"You and Yao Lao were both targets of the Hall of Souls. Keeping one safe is always better than both being taken in one sweep."
Wei Yang spoke gently, comforting him: "If you hadn't happened to be in seclusion back then, you and Yao Lao would have both been captured by the Hall of Souls.
If that had happened, even if I managed to rescue you both today, you would have fallen too far behind, and you wouldn't have become a Dou Zun."
"Yao Lao chose to step forward back then precisely to give you those few years to grow stronger, didn't he?"
Xiao Yan stayed silent.
Indeed, if he hadn't happened to be in seclusion at that time, when that peak Dou Zong enforcer from Hall of Souls attacked, there's no way he would have just stood by and watched Yao Lao be taken. He would definitely have fought to the death.
And the result, most likely, would have been both he and Yao Lao captured together. If it had really turned out that way, let alone achieving Dou Zun now, even having a fragment of soul left to barely cling to life would have been considered lucky.
Even if Wei Yang had managed to save their master and disciple later, and even refined new bodies for them, so what. Losing the Flame Mantra, losing all those Heavenly Flames.
Even if he had been revived, he would have been just an ordinary Dou Wang at best. With that, how could he ever take revenge against Hall of Souls?
"Alright, enough being sentimental." Wei Yang gave Xiao Yan's shoulder a little shake, smiling as he said, "Just treat Yao Lao well in the future. And besides, kill more of those Hall of Souls Elders to vent his anger for him, that'll do."
As he spoke, Wei Yang's tone carried a trace of smugness: "Look at me, I've killed so many of those Hall of Souls elders that I can't even count them on one hand anymore."
Hearing that, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes at Wei Yang, then gave a helpless laugh. On that point, he really couldn't compare with Wei Yang. Then Xiao Yan's gaze turned ice cold, his teeth clenched as he growled with hatred: "Hall of Souls!"
In this world, when it came to hatred toward Hall of Souls, there were probably very few who could surpass Xiao Yan.
Wei Yang shook his head lightly at the sight, sighing inwardly. Hun Tiandi truly was a remarkable figure of his generation.
When Xiao Xuan was alive, he endured. In the end, Xiao Xuan died. Later, even Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun were defeated by him one after another.
He was so close to success.
Unfortunately, he happened to run into Xiao Yan.
Schemes planned over half a lifetime, a plan spanning a thousand years, all destroyed by Xiao Yan, who had risen in less than twenty years. Not only did he fail at the last step, he himself perished, his soul destroyed. A tragedy to the extreme.
And now, in this timeline, it was even worse, because there was also Wei Yang. This unlucky fellow… it was like getting stuck in a hell-difficulty dungeon, with basically no chance of clearing it. Unless he hacked the system. Uh, no, even that wasn't possible.
The beastly roars echoed through the mountains for most of the night before finally showing signs of fading away. By now it was that in-between time, when dawn was just about to break but darkness had yet to fully recede.
Wei Yang, who had been resting with eyes closed, suddenly snapped them open, a smile tugging at his lips. He then raised his hand toward the tree above, beckoning to Zi Yan, who was perched on a branch, bored to the point of drowsiness.
Swoosh!
At the sight, little Zi Yan instantly perked up, her petite figure leaping down from the branch, landing quickly in front of Wei Yang. Her crystal-like lavender eyes sparkled as she stared at Wei Yang, her voice soft and curious: "Why did you call me?"
Wei Yang reached out to pat her little head, then smiled as he pointed forward and said: "There, about five li ahead, there's a swarm of Stone Swallowing Demon Ant out hunting for food. Go catch their Ant Queen and bring it back."
Zi Yan froze for a moment, puzzled: "The Ant Queen? What do you want that for?"
"This Stone Swallowing Demon Ant swarm lives in these mountains. They run rampant and no beast dares provoke them. They're extremely familiar with the terrain here, which can help us locate the Hall of Souls branch."
Wei Yang explained briefly, then added: "So, catch the Queen and make it lead the way. Whether we can find Hall of Souls quickly depends on you."
"Don't worry, leave it to me." At those words, Zi Yan perked up with excitement, patting her small chest with confidence. Then her figure flickered, and she dashed headlong into the forest shrouded with icy mist.
The commotion naturally woke the others who had been dozing, and they all opened their eyes.
Hearing the conversation between Wei Yang and Zi Yan, Feng Zun Zhe and Tie Jian Zun Zhe both changed expressions instantly.
"Stone Swallowing Demon Ants?" Feng Zun Zhe exclaimed in shock: "Wei Yang, how could you let that little girl provoke them?"
Everyone stared in the direction Zi Yan had vanished, mouths half open, at a loss for words.
The Stone Swallowing Demon Ant swarm was one of the most terrifying magic beasts in the Death Soul Mountain Range. It wasn't because their individual strength was great, but because of their horrifying numbers, which reached into the tens of millions.
The dreadful reputation of the Death Soul Mountain Range was partly due to the icy mists, but even more so because of one type of magic beast. That beast was none other than the fearsome Stone Swallowing Demon Ant swarm.
Individually, their levels weren't actually very high, usually only around Rank 3 or Rank 4. But their terrifying aspect lay in their sheer numbers.
That overwhelming tide of ants, numbering in the hundreds of millions, when it surged forth like a flood, even a Rank 8 magic beast could only retreat in avoidance, not daring to face them head-on.
What's more, these Stone Swallowing Demon Ant could consume any flesh and blood that blocked their path.
In the Death Soul Mountain Range, wherever their ant tides passed, not a blade of grass would remain, only countless white bones covering the ground, without even a trace of blood left.
Anyone who entered the Death Soul Mountain Range, once they ran into such an ant tide, was essentially facing certain death.
Because they had wings, they could fly, and their speed was not slow. If not for the fact that these ants only lived in the freezing mist of these mountains, likely even outside the mountains no one would dare to live nearby.
One could say most of the dreadful reputation of the Death Soul Mountain Range was due to this terrifying swarm. Now, it was already bad luck to encounter them, but Wei Yang actually asked Zi Yan to go and catch the Ant Queen?
Under the questioning and shocked stares of the group, Wei Yang simply waved his hand, stood up, and didn't bother to explain.
And soon.
Swoosh!
In the astonished gazes of the crowd, a petite figure darted out from the icy mist ahead, unharmed, and stopped in front of Wei Yang.
It was Zi Yan.
And on her shoulder crouched a half-foot-long giant ant with a dark-golden body and eight wings.
"This."
"That's the Stone Swallowing Demon Ant Queen!"
Seeing the dark-golden, eight-winged giant ant, Feng Zun Zhe and Tie Jian Zun Zhe's faces changed drastically.
"Wei Yang, I did it." Seeing everyone's expressions, Zi Yan puffed out her chest proudly, raised her chin and spoke in a crisp, triumphant tone.
"Impressive." Wei Yang gave her a thumbs up, praising her without the slightest stinginess.
"Hehe." Zi Yan tilted her little head back with a smug laugh. Then she quickly added: "Let's go, this big guy knows where Hall of Souls's base is."
Hearing her words, Feng Zun Zhe still hadn't reacted. Then, when he looked at the supposedly ferocious Ant Queen of legend, now sitting obediently and tame on Zi Yan's shoulder, he seemed to understand something.
He gave Zi Yan a strange look, and couldn't help but mutter softly: "This old man misjudged her, I didn't expect this little girl to be someone hiding such depths."
Everyone else wore expressions full of amazement. They had thought she was just a little girl tagging along for the ride, but she actually had such ability.
After his initial surprise, Xiao Yan suddenly realized. The Ancient Void Dragon, known as the Sovereign of Ten Thousand Beasts.
That kind of bloodline pressure, for low-ranked magic beasts like these, indeed carried an inexplicable power of suppression.
"Let's head out. Zi Yan, make it lead the way." Wei Yang waved his hand with a smile.
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