The young man saw this and shouted Ah-Lan's name twice. Seeing no response, he quickly climbed the hill, and what he saw shocked him to the core.

"Mani Temple is gone? Mani Temple is gone?!"

The young man looked at the distant collapsed mountain, which was originally the site of Mani Temple. Despite usually emitting a holy golden glow with majestic power, in their eyes, all they saw beneath these peaceful lights was sin.

Now that the Buddha statues have collapsed, the mountains are shattered, and the entire Mani Temple has completely vanished. Even the Foot Sheep Farm buildings, once visible with its music, have been consumed by fire, no longer existing.

It was also clear that the clan members trapped in Foot Sheep Farm had likely perished in this great fire.

The young man's gaze was filled with both sorrow and joy, his heart enveloped with indescribable emotions.

After a long while, tears flowed as he spoke mournfully.

"It's good that it burned, it burned."

"Do you also think I did the right thing?"

A calm voice came from not far away, startling the boy and girl. Already on edge, they were surprised to find a stranger suddenly standing nearby.

The young man quickly composed himself, drew his dagger from his waist, and moved in front of Ah-Lan, watching Lu Ren with full alertness.

Lu Ren glanced at him indifferently but paid no mind, his eyes quietly fixed on the ruins where Mani Temple once stood.

Now there remained only a charred, pitch-black ruin.

The young man gritted his teeth, "Did you set this fire?!"

Lu Ren nodded slightly, "This land held too much sin; trying to eliminate it all would be too time-consuming. It was better to burn it away entirely."

Hearing Lu Ren's candid admission, though understanding the fire starter possessed unimaginable power, the nonchalant attitude made the young man's eyes red with anger.

"Do you realize there were many innocent people inside?"

"I know."

Seeing Lu Ren's unabashed demeanor, the young man was at a loss for words, pointing at Lu Ren but unable to speak for a long time.

"Aren't you two alive? I actually left a sliver of hope, and the fire did not emit thick smoke or penetrate underground."

Lu Ren spoke calmly, "Perhaps your task now is to search for the lost clan members, leave this plain, and venture deep within to prosper anew."

The young man's hand holding the dagger clenched and unclenched, finally he spoke in defeat, "We are just mortals, how could we have a chance? When the monks of Mani Temple return from the outside and see this scene, our death date will also arrive."

"You have good temperament." Lu Ren could not help but admire. In such circumstances, amidst such turbulent emotions, still attempting to evoke pity and bind Lu Ren with guilt.

Unfortunately, Lu Ren was no saint, or perhaps he had already done enough for these people's plight.

"Even without this fire, do you think those captured by Mani Temple monks would meet a good end? Either they are used as sacrifices for Magical Treasures or culinary expertise and longevity techniques, or consumed piece by piece."

Lu Ren calmly stated, "I am liberating them from the Sea of Suffering."

The young man was speechless before Lu Ren's words. The truth was, with their power, facing Mani Temple with Extraordinary Attributes was like lambs to the slaughter; those monks didn't capture them all, likely a cat-and-mouse game purely for entertainment in their dull days.

Turning to the two young boys and girls.

"You are free."

With that, Lu Ren left resolutely.

Seeing Lu Ren getting farther, the young man became anxious, prescient as he was. If Lu Ren truly left without expressing anything himself, he feared he would be consumed by a lifetime of unresolvable emotions, living in regret forever.

He knelt with a thump before Lu Ren, shouting, "Ah-Nu shamelessly requests the Immortal to show us a path to survival."

Lu Ren, seemingly unaware, continued on his way.

Seeing this, Ah-Lan also knelt with a thump, her desperation evident.

"Now there's only the two of us. How can we survive in this desolate land? We dare not hope for the Immortal's rescue, only that the Immortal points to a clear path!"

Lu Ren sighed inwardly, ultimately stopping and turning, looking at these two youths barely sixteen years old.

His expression was calm, "Tell me a reason for me to guide you."

Ah-Lan's face was sorrowful, though her gaze revealed despair, it carried a strong will to live.

"I once asked the elders of my clan why our fate was so tragic, yet still we sought survival. If death could relieve us from facing this, those Mani Temple monsters would have no other means."

At this moment, her eyes sparkled brightly.

"My elders once said to me, even ants are greedily fond of life, not to mention humans—even if we are altered to grow quickly and have shortened lifespans, we still wish to live!"

Lu Ren's expression remained calm, yet his heart grasped a subtle understanding. After a while, he pointed two hundred miles away to a mountain towering ten thousand meters high.

He flicked his finger and shot a golden light that transformed into a thread, swiftly flying to the mountain peak.

Facing Ah-Lan and Ah-Nu's gaze, his expression indifferent, "I have placed something at the mountain's peak that can change your lives. If you both can climb it, that opportunity will be yours."

Ah-Lan and Ah-Nu exchanged a glance, turning back planning to plead again, only to find Lu Ren had already vanished without a trace.

Not to mention Immortal Path cultivation, even in Beidou Emperor Star's environment, learning any True Skill—without money one must grit through, work hard for two or three years to grind temperament, prove character, before basic lessons could begin.

Things easily obtained are inherently uncherished.

Moreover, these two youths were quite astute. Without a lasting memory imprinted upon them, how could such a life-changing opportunity be valued?

Confirming Lu Ren's disappearance, Ah-Lan remained silent for a long time before softly saying, "Ah-Nu, this is our only chance to change ourselves."

Ah-Nu gazed at the mountain two hundred miles away, nodding resolutely, "We can climb it!"

...

...

Speaking not of Ah-Lan and Ah-Nu, even if they were unfortunate to perish on the path, it meant nothing to Lu Ren. He had left the opportunity, if ungrasped, then they simply lacked the destiny.

The fire having burned everything that threatened them clean, only the natural barriers and steep mountain terrains blocked them.

For lives long accustomed to guerrilla warfare against Mani Temple, if such a challenge could not be surmounted, dying seemed better sought.

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