The incoming figure moved with astonishing speed—so fast that in the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Xiao Lingyu.
Seeing the other party land before him and calmly retract the wings behind his back, Xiao Lingyu stepped back half a pace and quietly observed him. He knew Kunpeng came from the Illusion Demon Realm, and even Old Ghost Head had said the man was of the demon race. But until now, Xiao Lingyu had never truly understood what “demon race” meant.
Now that Kunpeng stood before him without any concealment, his enormous wings seamlessly connected to his body without the slightest sense of discord. Xiao Lingyu could not even find a trace of unnaturalness. A breeze passed by, and the wings behind Kunpeng shimmered once before disappearing completely. When Xiao Lingyu looked again, Kunpeng had already returned to the same gentle, courteous young man he had met outside the marketplace.
Kunpeng smiled warmly at Xiao Lingyu, as though nothing unpleasant had ever happened between them.
“Fellow Daoist Xiao, the Chu Tian Secret Realm is filled with danger everywhere. Why not join forces?”
Xiao Lingyu’s expression remained unchanged.
“Thank you for the offer, but I am going to find my senior brother. I’m afraid I cannot team up with you.”
Kunpeng did not give up.
“Is Fellow Daoist Chu also nearby? That works out perfectly—we three can join forces, and it will be even safer.”
Xiao Lingyu frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly, then simply refused.
“I am not used to teaming up with strangers. I will have to decline your kindness.”
Kunpeng had not expected such a direct refusal. The information he had gathered beforehand all described Xiao Lingyu as gentle, agreeable, and easygoing. But now, looking at the man’s cold expression, Kunpeng felt a flicker of confusion.
Had he taken offense over what happened in the marketplace?
Cough. Although what he did there was indeed somewhat improper, one matter should not affect another. For Zhu Yurun’s sake, he had to travel with Xiao Lingyu inside the Chu Tian Secret Realm.
Thinking of this, Kunpeng’s smile deepened.
“Although I have not met Fellow Daoist Xiao many times, I have long heard of your reputation and have admired you for a long time. Please do not treat me as a stranger.”
Xiao Lingyu studied him for a moment.
He had not fully understood the Illusion Demon Realm’s intentions toward him before, but the incident at the marketplace had confirmed one thing: their true target was Zhu Yurun.
It seemed Kunpeng knew Zhu Yurun’s identity and intended to use him to seek treasures within the Chu Tian Secret Realm.
A cold light flashed in Xiao Lingyu’s eyes. Did they think he was easy to bully?
With a flick of his hand, the Water Moon Wheel shot forward like lightning.
Kunpeng, who had just been smiling, was forced to retreat in haste, narrowly avoiding the attack. Seeing the Water Moon Wheel stop just inches from him, he broke into a cold sweat. When he looked back at Xiao Lingyu’s expressionless face, he immediately understood that further entanglement was no longer appropriate.
Xiao Lingyu had no intention of forming a deadly feud with him. As Chu Mingwei had said, although Kunpeng’s behavior was unpleasant, Xiao Lingyu did not sense any true malice from him. Moreover, demon race techniques were unpredictable; he could not guarantee he could kill Kunpeng cleanly without alerting the Illusion Demon Realm.
Having delivered a warning strike, Xiao Lingyu said coldly:
“My temper is not good. I suggest you stay away from me.”
With that, he stepped onto the Water Moon Wheel and left at high speed.
Behind him, Kunpeng stood still for a long time, staring in the direction Xiao Lingyu had gone. Then he bit open his tongue and spat out a mouthful of essence blood. The blood transformed midair into a strange symbol, which silently dissolved in the direction Xiao Lingyu had flown.
Xiao Lingyu traveled for a long while before finally confirming that Kunpeng was not pursuing him. Only then did he let out a breath of relief.
Carefully extending his spiritual sense to check the surroundings, he confirmed there was no danger before allowing a faint trace of disappointment to surface.
The Chu Tian Secret Realm was vast beyond imagination. So many cultivators had entered this time, yet in all his rapid travel, he had not encountered a single person.
Thinking of his senior brother, whose whereabouts were still unknown, Xiao Lingyu sent out a transmission talisman in resignation, briefly and objectively describing his current location in the hope that, if his senior brother passed by, he could find him.
After sending the message, Xiao Lingyu looked around once more and finally settled down to properly search for treasures.
The first thing he did was release Zhu Yurun.
Unlike in the Wu City ruins, Zhu Yurun practically jumped out of the spirit beast pouch this time.
“Little monster, the smell here is so good.”
Old Ghost Head sneered.
“Little White, you do have good taste.”
Zhu Yurun immediately protested.
“Little pig is naturally very good at judging things!”
Because Zhu Yurun had helped set a trap in the marketplace and heavily embarrassed Kunpeng, Xiao Lingyu now looked at him much more favorably. Smiling, he scooped the little pig into his arms.
“Then let’s go find the place with the best smell.”
An hour later, Xiao Lingyu carefully withdrew the Water Moon Sword. In front of him was a large dug-out pit. At the bottom, a strange dark-golden plant avoided the light and hid in the shadows.
Xiao Lingyu had never seen such a plant recorded in cultivation texts. If Zhu Yurun had not insisted that something underground “smelled very good,” he would never have thought a plant could grow beneath the earth.
Old Ghost Head looked at him with disdain.
“This is called Yaoguang. It grows underground and prefers darkness. Even in ancient times, it was extremely rare. It has no medicinal use itself, but when added during alchemy, it can elevate the quality of pills by one rank. In ancient times, alchemists adored it.”
Xiao Lingyu looked regretfully at the single plant in the pit.
“What a pity there’s only one.”
Old Ghost Head was speechless.
“Do you think Yaoguang is some common spirit fruit that grows in bunches?”
Ignoring the mockery, Xiao Lingyu carefully dug out the plant along with the soil around its roots and placed it into a jade box. Seeing the neatly arranged six jade boxes in his storage bag, he patted Zhu Yurun in satisfaction.
Compared to his past life of hardship and danger, having Zhu Yurun now was practically heaven-defying.
Sensing Xiao Lingyu’s good mood, Zhu Yurun immediately grew bolder.
“Little monster, little pig wants snacks.”
Xiao Lingyu smiled and took out a piece of pastry. Frankly, he could not understand Zhu Yurun’s obsession with pastries. According to Old Ghost Head, spirit rhinoceros pigs fed on heavenly treasures, yet Zhu Yurun rarely touched spiritual plants and instead preferred pastries.
While Zhu Yurun happily gnawed on the snack, not far away, Zhu Xier carefully concealed herself, staring at the pastry in his arms with uncontrollable envy. She had not eaten in days, and the smell alone was enough to drive her nearly mad.
Her stomach growled loudly as she hesitated.
She had received Kunpeng’s message. Since his plan to accompany Xiao Lingyu in order to protect Zhu Yurun had failed, she had to change tactics—following Xiao Lingyu from the shadows.
Now that she had finally caught up, seeing Zhu Yurun covered in pastry crumbs made her reconsider everything.
Should she reveal herself and ask for food?
Zhu Xier seriously considered it. Whether Xiao Lingyu was truly as gentle as the rumors said would determine whether he would help her.
She hesitated again and again.
If she didn’t go, she couldn’t resist hunger. If she did, and was ignored, it would only be humiliating—and if this became known in the Illusion Demon Realm, it would be an even greater disgrace.
In the end, hunger won.
Zhu Xier convinced herself: this was simply the instinct of her race.
And so, she rushed toward Xiao Lingyu.
“Be careful—someone is coming.”
Old Ghost Head immediately warned.
Xiao Lingyu summoned the Water Moon Wheel again. A small figure was charging toward them at full speed, raising dust behind her.
As she approached, Xiao Lingyu’s eyes flickered with surprise.
It was another little pig—pink, slightly larger than Zhu Yurun.
He remained alert.
Although it looked harmless, the Chu Tian Secret Realm could not be judged by appearance alone.
But Old Ghost Head suddenly laughed strangely.
“The demon race really is declining.”
Xiao Lingyu frowned.
“Demon race?”
A thought flashed through his mind.
“Zhu Xier?”
Old Ghost Head nodded.
“It seems the demon race is determined to follow you. Even willing to reveal their true form just to get close.”
Xiao Lingyu looked at the pink pig in front of him with a strange expression, unable to connect this creature with the lively, innocent girl he had seen outside the secret realm.
Curious and cautious, he did not expose her identity. On the surface he remained calm, but inwardly he was fully on guard.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Xier paid almost no attention to him. From the moment she arrived, her entire focus was locked onto the pastry in Zhu Yurun’s arms.
“I want it… I want it so badly…”
Her eyes glazed over as saliva almost dripped down.
Zhu Yurun finally sensed the intensity of that gaze and looked up warily.
“This is mine. I won’t give it to you.”
Zhu Xier froze.
“He… he can speak?”
Zhu Yurun looked at her disdainfully.
“Of course I can. I can do lots of things. I’m very powerful.”
Zhu Xier was completely stunned.
Impossible.
Spirit rhinoceros pigs had a very long growth cycle. Zhu Yurun had only been born for a little over ten years—he should still be in a state of basic instinct, unable to speak at all.
She stared at him in shock, then suddenly noticed something even more alarming.
Space ability.
Her expression changed instantly.
This matter must be reported to the Demon Emperor immediately.
Zhu Yurun was no longer under the Illusion Demon Realm’s control.