Chapter 1580: Self-Strategy

Xie Daoyun's eyes widened. She rarely saw Zu'an make a move, but coming from a prominent family, she had discerning eyes. Yet, the move he just made was beyond her comprehension, though she was deeply impressed.

Opposite him, Scarred Yang Shen had initially worn a look of disdain. After all, Zu'an showed no energy fluctuations, appearing no different from an ordinary person, save for being a bit more handsome.

However, upon witnessing this scene, his face changed drastically, and he immediately roared, "Retreat! Everyone, retreat!"

At that instant, a shiver ran through his entire body. He had traversed various prefectures and counties for many years, and this was the first time he had felt such a sensation.

Unfortunately, his subordinates were excitedly charging towards the "spoils of war" and couldn't hear him.

At this moment, Zu'an didn't forget to turn to Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang and ask, "Are these the rebellious forces of the Demonic Cult?"

The two were staring wide-eyed at the sky, as if watching a deity. Hearing his question, they instinctively shook their heads. "No, they are rebellious bandits from Shuanglong Mountain."

Zu'an had already been quite displeased seeing Xie Daoyun and the Imperial Guards, some wounded, some spitting blood, and these rebels acting so ferociously, completely unlike the righteous army he imagined would act on heaven's behalf. Now, hearing that they had no connection to the Demonic Cult, he no longer had to worry about offending Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei, so he directly activated the Azure Luan Sword Array.

He now simulated divine weapons and artifacts using divine rune schematics. While their power couldn't compare to true heavenly-tier weapons, they were perfectly suited for mass attacks on the battlefield.

Golden sword shadows shot out, each striking the rebel ranks like a cannonball, exploding an area of dozens of meters.

And there were not merely thousands, but tens of thousands of these surging swords.

After a round of sweeping firepower, a fan-shaped empty area appeared closest to the Imperial Guards. There was nothing there—no bodies, no blood—only countless pits of varying depths.

The rebels further back blinked. Where were the ones who had charged ahead just moments ago?

It took them a while to react, then they screamed and ran backward, even faster than their initial charge.

For these rebels, other skills might not be important, but a quick escape was essential. Those who couldn't run fast enough already had tall grass on their graves.

To the rebels, military discipline was like fleeting clouds. They were accustomed to breaking into smaller groups and then finding opportunities to regroup, which had always been the most vexing problem for government forces suppressing bandits.

Scarred Yang Shen had initially wanted to rush over and save his subordinates, but after witnessing the power of that sword array, he decisively turned and ran. Are you kidding? This was an unknown formidable newcomer; going up against him would only mean courting death.

He saw Monk Luzhi already far ahead, running with his two thick legs, and couldn't help but curse under his breath, "This guy is disloyal; he didn't even inform me when he ran."

For years, he had known the essence of escape well and did not use a Grandmaster's ability to fly, as that would clearly invite the enemy to chase him. After seeing Zu'an's incredibly powerful move, he didn't even have the confidence to escape by flying.

His strategy was successful. With thousands of rebels, their retreat truly spread them across the mountains and plains. And since each of them looked rather peculiar, the two blended in, appearing no different from the other rebels.

Zu'an was not a cruel and bloodthirsty person. Seeing the rebels disperse, he hesitated for a moment and did not pursue them to wipe them out completely.

At this time, he felt an inexplicable aura flow into his body, and his level experience bar changed. He had not only broken through to Level 70 but had even gained a small segment.

Although individually these rebels were not top experts, they were all small elite monsters, and their large numbers made their combined experience quite substantial.

Zu'an thought to himself, "Fortunately, I am a person with principles, otherwise, someone else seeking to become stronger would surely cause mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

Just then, Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang came to their senses. "We cannot let the leade—"

Mid-sentence, both stopped talking. They reasoned that since Lord Zu was so powerful, how could he not know that the bandit leader shouldn't be released? Given his ability, capturing them would be as easy as turning over one's hand. Since he had let them go, he must have his reasons, perhaps casting a long line to catch a big fish. If they questioned him now, they would appear naive.

Recalling their earlier doubts and even disdain for Zu'an, their faces burned with shame. Especially since Lord Zu had just warned them, and they had completely disregarded it, stubbornly bringing only a small force, almost leading to disaster, and needing Lord Zu to come to their rescue.

Such is human nature. When Zu'an said the same words before, they thought he was cowardly and afraid of trouble. But after witnessing his world-shattering move, they immediately felt that every word he spoke contained profound mystery, and any lack of understanding was due to their own dullness and failure to grasp the key points.

Zu'an had no idea these two were so adept at self-convincing. He glanced at the many Imperial Guards. Although almost everyone was wounded, fortunately, there were no life-threatening injuries. The wound medicine they carried was enough to stabilize their condition.

After dealing with his subordinates, he turned to Xie Daoyun. "How is your condition?"

"My spiritual power is severely overdrawn. I just need some rest," Xie Daoyun replied, blushing.

In truth, such spiritual power overdraw was the most troublesome for a Rune Master; it might take several years of recuperation to fully recover. However, she wasn't concerned about that at all. Instead, her heart was pounding inexplicably fast. Her mind constantly replayed the image of him in mid-air, sword light appearing behind him, and the rebels turning to dust with a raised hand—he was truly so handsome...

"Spiritual power overdraw?" Zu'an was startled, then immediately said seriously, "This cannot be taken lightly. If you don't recover well, it will affect the height of your future cultivation."

He thought for a moment, then took out a small jade bottle and handed it to her. "Drink this?"

"What is it?" Xie Daoyun instinctively asked, but had already obediently opened the jade bottle and took a sip.

One must know that as a young lady from an official family, she had been strictly educated since childhood. Because her elders had seen the corruption and unscrupulousness of officialdom, they had warned her never to casually eat or drink anything given by others, especially men. Yet, years of warnings vanished in the face of Zu'an; she felt not a single trace of wariness.

As the liquid entered her mouth, her eyes instantly lit up. She felt an incredibly concentrated elemental energy flow straight down her throat, quickly spreading throughout her body, thoroughly nourishing her damaged meridians and body. Even the faint pain, dizziness, and nausea in her head were greatly alleviated, and she felt much more refreshed.

This felt like liquefied elemental energy, but no, elemental energy couldn't have such quality; it was entirely like the legendary Heaven and Earth spiritual energy that her teacher used to talk about from ancient times.

Zu'an casually replied, "This is Feather Mountain Spirit Spring, born from the collection of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy. It should have a nourishing effect on your soul."

He had previously possessed many divine artifacts that could heal the soul, such as the Five Aggregates Secret Ganoderma or Purple Frost Divine Milk, but they had all been used. Now, he only had the Feather Mountain Spirit Spring he obtained from the Unknowable Land last time, which might have a similar effect. Although Feather Mountain Spirit Spring was miraculous, it might not be suitable for this specific condition.

Wang Bolin and Zhang Zijiang's eyes almost popped out. Lord Zu was really going all out to impress a girl, casually giving away such a spiritual object? Although they were envious, they also had self-awareness, especially since they had offended him not long ago.

Sigh, both wished they were also women, so perhaps they could also receive some benefits. The two exchanged glances, saw each other's faces, and imagining them as women, their stomachs churned, and they almost vomited directly.

Xie Daoyun was currently gazing at Zu'an with dazed eyes. Although she hadn't heard of Feather Mountain Spirit Spring, the physical sensation was so strong, it was clearly a peerless heavenly treasure. Brother Zu had already given her so many precious things before, like Strange Wood Demonic Sand, and now he was even giving her such a rare divine object…

"Does he also have feelings for me? Oh, but he has a wife! No, Miss Chu has ostensibly divorced him…"

He took deep breaths of fresh air, his chest trembling. Confusion, bewilderment, various emotions surged in his heart.

Where is this?

Then, Shi Yu subconsciously looked around, feeling even more bewildered.

A single dormitory room?

Even if he had been successfully rescued, he should be in a hospital room now.

And his body... how could it be completely unharmed?

Filled with doubt, Shi Yu's gaze quickly swept across the room, finally resting on a mirror by the bed.

The mirror reflected his current appearance: around seventeen or eighteen years old, and very handsome.

But the problem was, this wasn't him!

His former self was a handsome young man in his twenties with an extraordinary demeanor, who had been working for some time.

But now, this appearance looked like that of a high school student...

This change left Shi Yu in a daze for a long time.

Don't tell him the surgery was a success...

His body and appearance had both changed; this wasn't a matter of surgery at all, but rather immortal arts.

He had actually completely transformed into another person!

Could it be... he had transmigrated?

Besides the mirror by the bed, which was clearly placed in a bad feng shui position, Shi Yu also found three books nearby.

Shi Yu picked them up, and the titles instantly silenced him.

"Essential Beast-Rearing Handbook for Novice Breeders"

"Care of Pet Beasts After Childbirth"

"Guide to Evaluating Otherworldly Beast-Eared Girls"

Shi Yu: ???

The first two book titles were still somewhat normal, but what was going on with the last one?

"Cough."

Shi Yu's gaze sharpened, and he reached out, but his arm quickly stiffened.

Just as he was about to open the third book to see what it was, his brain was suddenly hit with a sharp pain, and a flood of memories surged forth.

Icefield City.

Pet Beast Breeding Base.

Intern Pet Beast Breeder.

Beast Tamer?