Dashing Student Chapter 1362: I’ll Go With You

The cultivators from Golden Light Island were wiped out in a single stroke, an event that sent Young Master Lü Yi’s heart hammering against his chest and caused him to plummet from the sky in terror.

Never before had he witnessed such terrifying power.

Chen Nan stood composed, treating the slaughter as nothing more than a minor chore, before extending a hand toward the ocean below to lift Lü Sheng with a surge of mana.

Battered and soaked, Lü Sheng possessed a gruesome wound and had completely shed his previous arrogance, appearing utterly pathetic.

"Spare me! I was ignorant of senior’s true depth of power, please, have mercy!"

Much like his son, Lü Sheng was nothing but a cowardly bully. Recognizing his defeat was absolute, he began to plead for his life, paralyzed by fear.

Chen Nan regarded him with cold disdain. "Wasn't it you who claimed you intended to marry my disciple?"

Lü Sheng’s complexion drained of color instantly. He raised his hand and dealt himself a vicious blow, the sound echoing loudly. After several more strikes, his face was swollen and mangled, proving he had held nothing back.

Dismissing the display with a snort, Chen Nan said, "I'll assist you with that."

Without warning, he struck Lü Sheng so hard it nearly shattered his skull.

"I wouldn't dare... please, spare me..."

Even with his vision blurring from the blows, Lü Sheng continued his desperate begging, but Chen Nan ignored him, instead turning his gaze toward Zhong Ling as if to prompt her.

Comprehending her master’s intent, Zhong Ling took a steady breath, stepped forward, and unleashed a swift sword strike that cleaved Lü Sheng in two.

Chen Nan felt a surge of satisfaction; despite the protection he provided, she needed to forge her own path.

"Ling’er, your master provides this lesson today: combat at the Golden Core Realm is vastly different from the Foundation Establishment Realm. You must exercise far greater caution when eliminating such cultivators."

Zhong Ling remained perplexed until she witnessed a Golden Core erupt from Lü Sheng’s remains, emitting volatile pulses of energy.

Lü Sheng had clearly realized escape was futile and attempted a suicidal detonation of his core, but his plans had been transparent to Chen Nan from the start.

With a mere thought, the Void Breaking Sword manifested and pierced the core, the ensuing crackle marking its complete destruction.

Zhong Ling’s eyes lit up in realization. "Master, I see. To truly slay a Golden Core cultivator, one must ensure the core itself is destroyed."

"Correct. You are sharp. And one final lesson: never overlook the spoils of war. Remember, our Sect is desperately poor!"

Chen Nan chuckled, retrieved Lü Sheng’s storage bag, and tossed it to her.

Gao Xue, standing nearby, rolled her eyes in silence. She hardly believed he was poor, considering he had casually handed over a massive cache of top-grade spirit stones for Zhong Ling’s cultivation earlier on the flying boat.

How could an average cultivator possess such rare, priceless resources?

However, Zhong Ling understood the reality. Their practice of the Myriad Phenomena Skill rendered them invincible within their own realm, granting them mana capacity ten times that of their peers.

Yet, the resource costs were equally astronomical, sometimes hundreds of times higher, which was why they jokingly lamented their poverty.

"Master, I understand, I will remember!" Zhong Ling nodded submissively.

Having cleared all opposition from Golden Light Island, Chen Nan took the trembling Lü Yi and traveled to their stronghold.

Guided by Lü Yi, they raided the island’s treasury, stripping it of every last spirit stone.

Chen Nan cared little for the loot, handing it all to Zhong Ling as resources for her future training.

"Provide a clear account of the ruins you discovered."

He was currently hypersensitive to any news of ruins or secret realms; refining the Breaking Infant Pill required rare ingredients that were otherwise impossible to source.

Only remnants of ancient, undisturbed sites might hold such treasures.

Having witnessed the death of his father, Lü Yi was gripped by terror and dared not withhold a single detail.

"According to my father’s notes, the ruins are hundreds of thousands of years old and have seemingly never been touched before."

"However, we only explored twice before suffering heavy casualties due to the powerful demon beasts inside, and the space only permits entry to those beneath the Third Layer of the Golden Core Realm."

Chen Nan arched a brow. "Are there any spiritual medicines inside?"

"Certainly! Our scouting parties located many varieties that are rarely seen in the outside world," Lü Yi replied quickly.

Chen Nan nodded; he had seen some of these rare, fresh herbs in the treasury earlier.

"In that case, we must make a visit."

Lü Yi’s eyes flickered with a desperate spark. "Senior, I can lead the way! It has drawn quite a crowd, but we discovered it first, and I possess the map!"

Zhong Ling quickly searched the loot and produced a map, which detailed the secret paths within the ruins.

Though incomplete, it was remarkably thorough.

"Good. That settles it. Let’s head to these ruins," Chen Nan declared, heading for the exit.

Lü Yi threw himself to his knees, frantic and pleading, "Senior, take me! I am still of use! As long as you don't kill me, I will do anything!"

Chen Nan offered no answer as Gao Xue and Zhong Ling walked past him.

Moments later, Lü Yi was executed; Chen Nan was not one to leave loose ends.

The trio set off toward the site. The ruins were unique, concealed deep beneath the ocean within a massive pocket of compressed mana.

It had remained hidden for ages, and whoever had created it was undoubtedly a legendary figure.

"Master, if the ruins restrict entry to those below the Third Layer of Golden Core, does that mean I must enter alone?" Zhong Ling asked with evident worry.

Chen Nan smiled, his expression unreadable. "Do not fret, I shall accompany you."

"But how, Master?" she asked curiously.

"Like this."

Chen Nan tapped the air, and a black shadow bled from his fingertip.

It expanded rapidly, taking on human form and mirroring Chen Nan’s own appearance perfectly.

It was a Shadow Clone born of the "Erosion Sun" technique. While it held only a tenth of his true strength, it operated at the Second-Layer Golden Core Realm.

This level of cultivation was perfectly suited to bypass the ruins’ restrictions.

When the initial surprise subsided, Zhong Ling beamed. "This is wonderful! We can explore the ruins together after all."

Chen Nan chuckle, his voice stern yet warm. "Do not assume I will bail you out. Unless you face a truly lethal threat, I shall not intervene."