"Who are you to dare oppose the Shan Family?" A burly man with a beard stood up, raising his pistol.
He had just lifted his gun, but before he could fire, a chill ran down his wrist. In the next instant, he watched in horror as his hand, still holding the pistol, fell to the ground.
"I am Quentin Shan. I have made many friends among martial artists. In terms of martial lineage, we may all know each other. But the Shan Family has not provoked you—who exactly are you? Why are your methods so ruthless and merciless?" The elder suddenly stood up, fixing his gaze on Joe Di.
Joe Di had already pulled Shana Shan into his embrace, and a dozen fireballs had been hurled out. The Shan Family disciples on both sides, ready to attack, were all reduced to ashes beneath the fireballs.
As the last fireball struck Quentin Shan, he finally heard Joe Di's voice: "I am Joe Di. If the Shan Family wants trouble, you're welcome to find me. From now on, I will reside at Lethe Temple in the Lethe Mountains."
Quentin Shan clearly saw Joe Di throw the fireballs, but as a Sky Stage expert, he found himself unable to dodge them. Terror flashed in his eyes—just what level of strength was this? Innate? Half-Dan? Or someone beyond Half-Dan? Even a Half-Dan expert shouldn't be able to cast fireballs so effortlessly, should they?
When did Earth ever have someone stronger than a Half-Dan expert? The Shan Family had never heard of such a thing.
Joe Di arrived swiftly—and left even faster.
By the time Quentin Shan snapped out of his daze, the flames on his body had already died out. In this hall, everyone scorched by Joe Di's fireballs had turned to ash—except for him.
Quentin Shan felt no joy at all. His meridians were shattered, and even he knew he would not live much longer.
He knew exactly why Joe Di had spared him—it was only to deliver a message.
Without hesitation, Quentin Shan grabbed the phone beside him. As soon as the call connected, he shouted, "Big Brother Gai, everyone from the Shan Family in Dai City has been killed by Joe Di! Joe Di has gone to Lethe Temple in the Lethe Mountains. The Shan Family—"
Quentin Shan's words were abruptly cut off by a terrifying force that left him unable to utter another syllable. He even felt he might explode at any moment.
The sensation was horrifying, yet he could not help but feel it.
This was no accident—it was Joe Di's doing. But how could Joe Di accomplish such a thing?
Suddenly, Quentin Shan realized his mistake. He shouldn't have called home; even if he had to, he absolutely shouldn't have told the Shan Family where Joe Di was. This wasn't about avenging Joe Di—it was bringing disaster upon the Shan Family.
Joe Di was so powerful that even if Maximus Shan, the Shan Family's ancestor, went after him, it would be a road to ruin. What he should have said wasn't Joe Di's location, but a warning to the Shan Family: do not seek out Joe Di. If you do, the Shan Family is finished.
Unfortunately, he couldn't say a single word now. His heart was filled with terror and panic.
Bang! A violent force exploded within Quentin Shan's body. Already burned beyond recognition by the fireballs, Quentin Shan was blown apart by this savage power.
His final thought was just four words: The Shan Family is doomed. In the instant before death, he understood—whether he warned the Shan Family or not, they would inevitably go after Joe Di. For no other reason than they were the Shan Family.
......
Don Gai put down his phone, frowning slightly.
The call had come from Quentin Shan, whose strength ranked among the top three in the Shan Family. Besides Maximus Shan, the family's strongest, and Don Gai, an Innate expert, only Sky Stage Quentin Shan could compare.
The head of the family, Don Shan, was also a Sky Stage expert, but Don Shan spent most of his time managing the family's affairs. In terms of actual strength, Don Shan was definitely not stronger than Quentin Shan. In fact, Don Shan's Sky Stage cultivation was achieved mostly through medicinal resources.
Now Quentin Shan claimed that everyone from the Shan Family who went to Dai City had been killed? And by someone named Joe Di.
How could that be? Not only was Quentin Shan an Innate expert, but he also brought several Earth Stage experts with him. Quentin Shan's words had been cut off halfway—did that mean the assailant killed him right then?
No, this matter must be reported to the family head, Don Shan, immediately. If necessary, even Maximus Shan should be notified. There are many who could kill Quentin Shan, but few who would dare.
......
Joe Di finally felt a bit more at ease. In just a couple of hours, his divine sense could now extend a hundred li.
At this rate, in just three more days, he would be able to completely strip away the Toxic Rune. Once he did, his divine sense could effortlessly sweep across the entire Earth.
When Shana Shan awoke, Joe Di had already landed outside Lethe Temple. With Joe Di's healing pills, Shana Shan's injuries were nothing serious.
Joe Di swept his divine sense outward. After so many years, the ruins of Lethe Temple were overgrown with weeds—uncountable generations of them had withered away.
In the distant Lethe Mountains, Joe Di sensed several First-Grade fiend beasts. As for all kinds of savage beasts, they were simply too numerous to count.
This place was clearly remote and rarely visited by people. With so many fiend beasts, any ordinary martial artist coming here would be courting death.
Yet Joe Di discovered a small path among the ruins of Lethe Temple.
Someone had been here—and not just once. Who had the strength and courage to come to such a desolate place as Lethe Temple?
"Joe Di, how did you end up here? Huh, where is this?" Shana Shan came to her senses, surprised and delighted by the surrounding forest.
There was no trace of snow here, clearly it was no longer the Grand Crescent Zone.
Wait, she should have been taken away by the Shan Family. At the time, they were whipping her, demanding to know Joe Di's whereabouts.
"This is the Lethe Mountains. I brought you here," Joe Di said with a smile, still feeling a bit guilty. Shana Shan had risked herself to save him, and in the end, he had taken advantage of her.
That was one thing, but the key was that, during the act, he had mistaken Shana Shan for Manna Zhen. It wasn't that he still longed for Manna Zhen, but rather a lingering obsession deep in his heart.
He was deeply grateful to Shana Shan, for she had helped him sever that lingering obsession with Manna Zhen.
Joe Di believed that love could be nurtured. The first time he met Shana Shan, he felt nothing special, but now she was an indispensable part of his life.
"You saved me? And escaped to the Lethe Mountains?" Shana Shan snapped out of it, looking at Joe Di in surprise and delight.
Joe Di nodded. "Yes, I saved you and brought you here. If you like, I hope you'll live with me from now on. When I leave someday..."
Joe Di hesitated to continue. He knew he had taken possession of Shana Shan without her consent. Now, not only did he want her to live with him, but he also wanted to take her away from Earth when he left. It seemed a bit selfish.
"Of course, I'd naturally go with you. We're already..." Shana Shan blurted out. Having just transitioned from girl to woman, she still felt embarrassed after speaking.
"Wait a moment... I'll set up a place to stay here..." Joe Di said, taking out a Sanctuary Relic from the True Spirit World.
Shana Shan paid no attention to Joe Di's actions; she was thinking about how he had rescued her from the Shan Family.
"Brother Di, how did you rescue me from the Shan Family?" she finally asked. Shana Shan knew well how powerful Quentin Shan was—he was one of the few Sky Stage experts.
"I defeated them and rescued you," Joe Di replied casually. He didn't mention killing all the Shan Family members in Dai City—after all, Shana Shan was one of them, and he didn't want any barriers between them.
"You're a martial artist too? Are you a Sky Stage expert?" Shana Shan realized that if Joe Di wasn't at least Sky Stage, how could he have rescued her from Quentin Shan?
Joe Di shook his head. "I'm not a Sky Stage martial artist..."
Shana Shan wasn't surprised by Joe Di's answer. He looked so young—how could he be Sky Stage? She figured he must have snuck in and rescued her after the Shan Family locked her up.
"Ah..." Shana Shan looked up from her thoughts, just in time to see a stunning, standalone villa appear before her eyes.
But this was supposed to be nothing but ruins...
"Brother Di..." Shana Shan covered her mouth, unable to believe what she saw—Joe Di and the beautiful villa behind him.
Joe Di pointed to his ring. "I have a Quantum Vault Ring. As for this house, I'll explain it to you later."
"Brother Di, you actually have a Quantum Vault Ring?" Shana Shan stared at Joe Di in shock.
This time, it was Joe Di's turn to be surprised. "Shana, you know about Quantum Vault Rings?"
Shana Shan nodded vigorously. Of course she knew—there were only two or three in the whole world, each in the hands of earth-shaking figures. All these Quantum Vault Rings had come from Celestia, and she truly hadn't expected Joe Di to possess one.