Not Bad, This Place

A flash of blue light, and the bat-like monster's body froze into ice.

At this moment, the faint blue spiritual energy lingering around Luo Xi's fingertips still carried a trace of chill. As she gazed at the icy patterns left on her palm, her beautiful eyes flickered with surprise.

When she had just swiped her palm to freeze the charging bat monster, the sensation of spiritual energy flowing through her meridians had been unusually vivid—most of the time, Luo Xi's cultivation was used to bolster her strength when carrying heavy groceries up the stairs or to preserve freshness with a thin layer of ice at the market. She never expected it to be so effective against actual monsters.

"Wow."

The moment the bat monster turned into an ice sculpture, the crisp sound of cracking ice was accompanied by the final fluttering of its wings, stirring a strange sense of novel accomplishment in Luo Xi's heart.

"Did it work?" She nudged the half-melted ice shards at her feet with her toe.

Seems like her training hadn’t been for nothing.

Beside her, Ye Chuan's figure had already soared into the air. He stood leisurely with his hands in his pockets, his short sleeves fluttering wildly in the sea breeze.

Looking down at the tide of monsters surging from below—grotesque creatures crawling out of fissures in the ground, their claws and fangs bared as they lunged at the group—their numbers were so dense they nearly blanketed the entire clearing.

"Plenty of them, but useless." Ye Chuan merely stood with his hands behind his back, an invisible ripple of spiritual energy radiating from his body. His voice, laced with the oppressive might of a Nascent Soul cultivator, cut through the wind:

"Kneel."

The instant his words fell, an immense gravitational field abruptly descended upon the earth! The frenzied monsters were crushed against the ground as if pressed by an invisible giant hand, the dull cracks of shattering bones echoing one after another.

The frontmost monsters were instantly reduced to bloody mist upon contact with the gravitational field, while those behind didn’t even have time to scream before being pulverized into paste under the intensifying pressure. Pale red blood seeped into the crevices of the ground, quickly pooling into shallow puddles around the fissures.

Finally, even the blood was vaporized by the terrifying surge of spiritual energy!

As for the monsters that hadn’t yet crawled out of the fissures, they were forced back into the depths by the gravitational field, leaving no trace of their struggle behind.

"Oh my god." Wang Yanran instinctively took half a step back. She clearly remembered the last time they encountered a spatial rift—Ye Chuan had needed to draw his sword to slay those monsters. But now, he had just crushed hundreds, if not thousands, into dust with a mere thought?

Freak!

The stinging sensation from the spiritual pressure still lingered on her skin as she stared at his composed figure in midair, muttering in disbelief, "Hey, Ye Chuan… did you get even stronger?"

This oppressive aura was countless times more terrifying than when he had donned that golden armor last time!

Noticing her stunned expression, a faint smirk flickered in Ye Chuan's eyes. "Hard to say."

As the last monster disintegrated into ash under the gravitational field, the black spatial rift in the distance suddenly trembled violently!

The edges of the rift twisted, like fabric being pulled taut by an unseen force. The originally dark, abyssal tear gradually glowed with a faint blue hue, its jagged edges shrinking and fading.

"The rift is moving!" Lan Xiaoke clung to a nearby lamppost, peering down with wide-eyed curiosity. "It's getting smaller!"

The blue glow intensified, and the rift visibly narrowed. The sinister energy seeping from it weakened until, with the final snap of its edges sealing shut, only a faint scorch mark remained on the ground—as if the monstrous rift had never existed.

"These rifts are sustained by the monsters' energy, after all." Ye Chuan slowly descended, his oppressive aura receding. "With the source destroyed, they naturally vanish."

He casually brushed off his short sleeves, as if dusting off non-existent dirt.

"Alright, enjoy the beach." With the monsters effortlessly dealt with, Ye Chuan willed the massive flying vessel to descend.

Rumble…

Once the vessel landed, Luo Xi and the others disembarked.

Unlike the murky yellow waters near the city, the ocean surrounding this island was a crystalline sapphire blue, clear as a gemstone.

"Wow, the beach!" Lan Xiaoke was the most excited, kicking off her shoes and sprinting barefoot—only to yelp and hop on one foot after stepping on something sharp, like a shell.

"The sea." Bai Qianshuang stepped off the vessel. She had already admired the ocean from above, but now, standing on the warm, slightly yielding sand, she felt a peculiar tranquility.

The rhythmic crash of waves against the shore resonated in her ears, each one tugging gently at her heartstrings.

"……" Bai Qianshuang's mood settled into calm as her gaze drifted to the foamy white waves.

"Beautiful, isn't it, Qianshuang?" Lan Xiaoke said.

"It is." Bai Qianshuang replied, her eyes flicking to the other girl's foot. "Did you step on something? Are you hurt?"

"Nah, I thought I cut myself, but I'm fine." Lan Xiaoke wiggled her toes. "See?"

"Good." With that, Bai Qianshuang turned away, leaving Lan Xiaoke standing there.

Lan Xiaoke tilted her head, sensing her friend's mood. "What's wrong, Qianshuang?"

"……"

"Bad mood?"

"No."

"Then you're definitely in a bad mood! Come on, talk to me. Don't bottle it up." Lan Xiaoke nudged Bai Qianshuang's arm playfully.

Bai Qianshuang studied the silver-haired girl before exhaling softly. "It's nothing."

Then she turned and walked toward the rocky shore, leaving Lan Xiaoke behind.

Meanwhile, Ye Chuan stepped onto the sand, scanning the area until his eyes landed on Luo Xi, who had just emerged in a swimsuit.

"Chuan, do I look good?" Luo Xi asked.

"Seen it too many times." Ye Chuan replied offhandedly.

Luo Xi's eyes widened, her cheeks puffing up in indignation. "Hmph! Fine, no more peeking for you!"

"Alright, I'll go admire other girls then."

Luo Xi pinched his arm with crab-like pincers. "You dare!"

Ye Chuan chuckled, tweaking her cheek. "But seriously, you’ve been wearing the same swimsuit for years. Got anything new?"

"What do you mean 'new'? They’re all the same!" Luo Xi huffed, hands on her hips.

"Not really. Look at Lan Xiaoke’s maid-style swimsuit." Ye Chuan pointed at Lan Xiaoke, who was now enthusiastically building a sandcastle.

"You never pick out nice ones for me!" Luo Xi crossed her arms, sticking out her tongue. "I’m going to play with Qianshuang. Bye, meanie!"

Her ponytail bouncing, Luo Xi scampered off.

Ye Chuan watched her go before shifting his gaze to the rocky outcrop in the distance.

"Not bad… perfect for some outdoor fun."