"Don't worry, this place is safe now," Ye Fan said with a slight smile. "If nothing unexpected happens, those guys are still alive and well, just teleported elsewhere."
Combined with the insights of the little demon girl and the others, there were indeed no formations in sight.
However, quite a few were hidden around.
By utilizing the repulsive properties between formations, constructing a teleportation array without a formation base was not difficult.
At least, it was a simple matter for Ye Fan.
It was just that this kind of teleportation was usually short-range. Zhao Yelu and the others should still be inside the ruins.
At the same time, Ye Fan also came to a conclusion: the owner of this ruin was absolutely bored out of their mind!
Because the method used for such teleportation was usually for pranks or mischief. Anyone with a normal brain wouldn't do such a thankless and troublesome thing.
Hmm…
Wait a minute…
Someone with an abnormal brain…
Thinking of this, a figure with a left eye that darted around erratically immediately popped into Ye Fan's mind…
If it were that old man, there was indeed such a possibility…
"Let's go, let's take a look."
After walking for about half an hour, Ye Fan and the others encountered the first group of cultivators.
These people didn't seem to be together before. They were currently forced to cooperate to fight a demon beast.
Seeing Ye Fan and the others appear, these people quickly pleaded for help, "Fellow Daoists, could you lend a hand?"
"I'm sorry," Ye Fan signaled. "As you can see, our cultivation is too low."
The person seeking help noticed Ye Fan's group's situation: the highest-ranked woman was only at the early Nascent Soul stage, and the man speaking was barely at the Foundation Establishment stage…
As a result, as soon as he was distracted, he was hit by the demon beast's claw…
"Brother, why don't we help them?" Xiang Jun asked with a confused expression. "Isn't helping people a joyful thing?"
"Brother Jiao, there are too many cultivators in the world, we can't help them all," Ye Fan said earnestly. "Flowers that don't go through storms cannot grow. I'm doing this for their own good."
"That seems to be true…" Xiang Jun mumbled, and said no more.
After walking for a while longer, the group arrived in front of a building.
The plaque above the door was gone.
However, the door was open, and they could vaguely see other cultivators inside.
Upon entering, Ye Fan realized it was a building similar to a library, and the cultivators there were busy searching for treasures on the bookshelves.
However, judging by the expressions on their faces, the results seemed unsatisfactory.
"Why are there only these miscellaneous books and records? Is the owner of this place sick?" a cultivator grumbled, throwing down the book in his hand and pulling out another.
The other cultivators also shook their heads in regret.
They had originally thought there would be some cultivation manuals, but it turned out to be an empty joy…
Ye Fan's eyes lit up at this, and he quickly walked over to the bookshelf beside him.
After a quick glance and finding that what the other cultivators said was true, Ye Fan casually collected the books on the shelf into his spatial storage!
No need to rush now, he could look at them slowly after returning.
Ye Fan's actions were met with a great deal of disdainful glances.
However, after seeing Ye Fan's cultivation level, they understood.
A newbie who had just started cultivating, it was normal for him to be interested in these things.
By the time Ye Fan finished collecting the last book, the other cultivators had already left.
Just as Ye Fan was about to leave, Xiang Jun suddenly spoke.
"Brother, there's something above," Xiang Jun said, pointing to the roof. "A faint life aura."
"I'll do it!" The little demon girl immediately flew into the air and tore a large hole in the roof in a few moves.
"So there's a hidden compartment here… Huh? It seems to be a book."
Soon, the little demon girl flew back and handed the book she had just obtained to Ye Fan.
As soon as he opened it, Ye Fan raised an eyebrow.
No wonder Xiang Jun could sense a life aura.
These characters were written with ink soaked in the leaves of the World Tree!
The reason Ye Fan was so sure was that this smell was too familiar!
However, the smell was very faint, likely because it was too diluted.
If it were undiluted ink, the other cultivators would probably have noticed it long ago.
Shaking off his distracting thoughts, Ye Fan began to read seriously.
"This place is so vast, yet it seems deserted?"
"Strange, where have all the people gone?"
"Seventh, is it real or not?"
"The loach is glowing, the lamp is huge, five legs."
"So many little ones, they're sick, are they together?"
…
The first page only contained a few lines of text, and the rest was blank.
"Ye Fan, what does this even mean?" The little demon girl next to him looked completely bewildered. "Why is it so nonsensical? I can't understand it at all!"
"I don't understand it either," Ye Fan replied with a headache.
These writings looked like the ravings of a madman, and no normal person could possibly understand them.
The person who wrote such ramblings must have a mental problem!
Thinking of this, the figure of that old man once again appeared in Ye Fan's mind…
Hmm…
To be honest, it was entirely possible!
If that's the case…
Although the World Tree was not as powerful as Xiang Jun's Tree of Life, it was still considered top-tier in the cultivation world.
Being able to obtain ink soaked in World Tree leaves, this old man's identity seemed increasingly unfathomable…
Being good friends with such a person, the other old man must also be extraordinary…
"Alright, let's go look elsewhere."
Ye Fan put the book back into his ring, planning to show it to the two old men later.
After walking for a while longer, Ye Fan noticed something was wrong.
The space inside was clearly much larger than it appeared from the outside.
Along the way, they had seen many traces of battles, and bodies had begun to appear on the road.
The little demon girl also maximized her 'housekeeper' talent.
Regardless of the quality, she didn't let go of any spatial rings.
She was now walking and examining her spoils, looking like a little treasure hunter.
After passing through the plaza ahead, the group arrived at a garden.
The garden appeared to have seen even more intense fighting and was already in ruins.
The ground was covered in bloodstains and corpses, and the corpses looked almost intact.
Judging by the broken edges, they seemed to have been torn apart by sheer force. Many cultivators also had arm-thick holes pierced through them.
Ye Fan smacked his lips.
Based on the shape and depth of the holes, they were likely caused by the claws and teeth of a demon beast.
This demon beast's eating habits were truly unrefined…
"Huh?" The little demon girl, who was in the process of looting, suddenly exclaimed, "Gang Leader?"