小呑呑

The ripples in the space around the ancient battlefield ruins next to the Li Yuan Secret Realm slowly subsided.

Master Qingxuan, the old priest, Ji Kuangshi, Ji Bailie, Chu Yunfan, Mo Yun, Ling Shuang, Tie Pan and others staggered to their feet, their faces still showing the dizziness and shock brought on by the cross-dimensional teleportation.

They looked around, feeling the pure spiritual energy far surpassing that of the lower realms and the ancient, weathered atmosphere of the battlefield. For a moment, they were all somewhat bewildered and shocked.

"Master! Uncle Ji!"

A voice filled with surprise and urgency rang out.

Fang Li, Fang Qingyu, Yun Zhiruo, Fang Yan and others quickly came forward to greet them.

Upon hearing the sound, Master Qingxuan looked over and saw his beloved disciple, who was unharmed and whose aura was even stronger than before. His eyes instantly reddened.

He shoved aside Ji Kuangshi, who stumbled and rushed forward, abandoning all pretense of otherworldly elegance, and pulled Fang Li into his arms, tears streaming down his face: "Disciple! My good disciple! I've missed you so much! Waaah... You scared me to death!" He cried as he rubbed Fang Li's face with the sleeve of his Taoist robe, making Fang Li both laugh and cry, but her heart was filled with warmth.

Ji Kuangshi steadied himself and watched his son Ji Qianqiu run over, full of energy. He then looked at Fang Li, who was standing next to his son and clearly had a close relationship with him. A relieved smile appeared on his dark face, and he nodded repeatedly: "Good, good! It's good that everyone is alright! Good!" He patted Ji Qianqiu's strong shoulder hard and then clasped his hands in greeting to Fang Qingyu and his wife.

Chu Yunfan, Mo Yun, Ling Shuang, Tie Pan and others also stepped forward to greet Fang Li, Ye Wuyang and the others. After being reunited after the disaster, they were all filled with emotion and sighs.

In the warm atmosphere of this reunion, the "troublemaker" who had been subconsciously protected by Master Qingxuan in his Taoist robe suddenly lit up with his big, wet eyes when he saw Fang Li!

"Awooo—!"

It suddenly broke free from Qingxuan Zhenren's embrace, transforming into a small, dark shadow, and pounced into Fang Li's arms! Its little head rubbed against her chest frantically, making soft, whimpering sounds, as if protesting the previous separation and hunger, or expressing the immense joy of reunion.

As it nuzzled against her, it seemed to smell the spiritual energy clinging to Fang Li's hair, and opened its little mouth, instinctively reaching out to nibble...

Fang Li was jolted back a step by this sudden embrace, and instinctively caught the soft, warm little thing.

Looking down at the little beast in her arms, she felt both amused and helpless, and a little bit of guilt about "beating it up" also welled up in her heart.

She gently patted its little head and soothed it softly, "Alright, alright... good boy... little Tun Tun, I didn't recognize you before... I won't let you go hungry anymore, you'll be full! Absolutely full!" She tried to free her hair from its mouth.

The system exclaimed in her mind with the relief of a proud mother: [“Host! (wiping away tears) Mount +1! Although the process was a bit tortuous, it finally successfully recognized its master! It's just that the art style… seems a little different from the majestic and imposing name of the Chaos Devouring Beast… but ugly-cute is cute too!” Oh well, it'll have to do!]

Strangely enough, after rushing into Fang Li's arms and feeling the nourishment of her pure Chaos Dao Foundation, the somewhat unstable Chaos aura around Xiao Tun Tun gradually calmed down and resonated mysteriously with Fang Li's power.

Its appearance seemed to have changed slightly. Although it was still not majestic, the disproportionate proportions had softened a bit, and its dark fur had a more lustrous sheen. It looked... a little more pleasing to the eye!

It rolled comfortably in her arms, making purring noises, and began to slowly absorb energy, entering the growth stage.

This glance was noticed by several men beside him.

Ye Wuyang remained expressionless, but his aura grew colder. His gaze swept over the little beast rubbing against Fang Li's chest, a flicker of displeasure crossing his eyes. What right did this ugly thing have to rub against him like that!

Shen Yunzhou stood with his sword in his arms, his eyes sharp, his brow furrowing slightly. Tsk, an eyesore.

Ji Qianqiu was the most direct. He leaned over and curiously stretched out his finger, trying to poke Xiao Tuntun's head: "Junior sister, what is this ugly little thing? It doesn't look like it has much meat... Can we eat it?"

"Awooo!" Little Tun Tun immediately raised its head warily, bared its still-growing baby teeth at Ji Qianqiu, and made a fierce yet cute threatening sound, while shrinking even tighter into Fang Li's arms.

Fang Li helplessly slapped Ji Qianqiu's hand away: "Senior brother! Stop fooling around! It's Little Tun Tun, my old mount! It's just that now... it's a bit ugly! You can't eat it!"

Xie Chen waved his jade fan, his gaze shifting between Xiao Tuntun and Fang Li, then sweeping over his companions with their varied expressions. A half-smile curved his lips, his eyes deep and unfathomable, as if he were lost in thought.

The joy of their reunion hadn't lasted long before Fang Qingyu solemnly summoned everyone.

In a makeshift council hall, Fang Qingyu broke the brief silence with a deep voice: "Gentlemen, let's put aside our joy for now. I have just received confirmation that the Celestial Court has officially launched the 'Heavenly Punishment Plan' in response to our forceful attempt to bring the Holy Mountain to the capital. Our army is currently searching for us extensively outside."

The atmosphere inside the hall instantly turned tense.

Fang Qingyu's gaze swept over the crowd: "The most urgent task is to improve our strength as soon as possible and integrate all forces that can be united in order to cope with this calamity. Although the Fang Clan of Liyuan still has its foundation, the Immortal Court is powerful and should not be underestimated."

Everyone looked solemn, knowing that this was no exaggeration.

A resolution was quickly reached: Fang Li needed to immediately go into seclusion, utilizing the most abundant resources and environment of the clan's territory to strive for a higher realm and recover or even surpass her previous cultivation level as soon as possible. Ye Wuyang, Shen Yunzhou, Ji Qianqiu, and Xie Chen also went into seclusion. They were exceptionally talented and, having experienced a series of battles and the baptism of the Li Yuan ancestral land, were already on the verge of a breakthrough. At this moment, they were racing against time to improve their strength.

Meanwhile, letters of allegiance bearing the ancient seal of Li Yuan were secretly sent through various channels to reclusive ancient clans, alliances of ascended beings, and powerful rogue cultivators across the myriad realms who harbored old grudges against the Celestial Court, sought freedom, or suffered similar oppression. The messages were concise yet weighty: the Celestial Court's tyranny was about to be purged; those who wished to join forces would resist this tyranny!

A storm is brewing!

An immense pressure and sense of urgency gripped everyone's hearts. Fang Li gently touched the sleeping little Tun Tun in her arms one last time, carefully handing it over to her mother, Yun Zhiruo, for safekeeping. Then, she resolutely turned and headed towards the most central Chaos Secluded Cultivation Cave deep within the clan's territory.

Ye Wuyang, Shen Yunzhou, Ji Qianqiu, and Xie Chen each found a quiet place to cultivate, and their figures disappeared into the swirling chaotic air currents.

Outside the Li Yuan Secret Realm, an invisible storm is gathering. Inside the realm, everyone is racing against time, making final preparations for the impending earth-shattering battle.