Chapter 63 The Princess 1 The princess has taken a liking to you, can I still snatch her away...?
Faced with Xu Xing's sudden hug, Shen Du's ears turned slightly red. He just nodded haphazardly, feeling a little lost. He stiffly raised his arm and finally gently patted Xu Xing's shoulder and back.
Whenever he recalled that moment afterward, all he remembered was the sound of his own racing heart and the smiling face of the person in his arms.
They carried Xu Xing to the ground and gently put her down. Mei Zihan, Xiang Yuquan, and the others immediately came forward to inquire about their physical condition.
Suddenly noticing several intense and undeniable gazes, Shen Du turned around and found that the rather hostile stares came from the group of deer and snake people beside him.
They were just unrelated alien races, and Shen Du didn't care. He only looked Xu Xing carefully to make sure she had no signs of injury before he breathed a sigh of relief. He then belatedly realized that the strong smell of blood at the tip of his nose actually came from his own festering wounds.
Before everyone's eyes, Rong Jun's shattered body turned into specks of black-gold fluorescence that dissipated into the air, completely vanishing without leaving a trace, even his soul, thus severing his path to reincarnation.
Several demons at the peak of the Golden Core stage secretly scanned the area with their divine senses several times, but found nothing.
Strange, where is Rong Jun's demon core? Did he lose his demon core when he dispersed his cultivation?
Mei Zihan sighed as she looked at the distraught Qianqian. Witnessing the death of the last alchemy master of the Jiao Clan was undoubtedly a huge blow to her.
The surviving cultivators were unaware of Bai Ying's identity. Qianqian's calls had been largely ignored in the chaos of battle, and most assumed Bai Ying was a protective divine sense left by a powerful being for a junior. They remarked with lingering fear, "Even after dispersing his cultivation, he's still so formidable. How powerful he must have been in his prime..."
Rong Jun was once a Mahayana stage Venerable, yet he has fallen to such a state. What kind of powerful person could have seriously injured him and forced him to dissipate his cultivation?
Several demons present, who knew the past, gazed thoughtfully at the ice needles that dissipated along with Rong Jun's corpse. Such bone-chilling sword intent could only belong to that Sword Master who had betrayed the demon realm...
"Take away all the tiger clan members who are still alive, as for these demons..."
As Tian Li was giving instructions to his subordinates, the wolf boy Ahao, who had been hiding in the corner, suddenly rushed out. He ran to Yuan Li, who was bound, and opened his arms to shield her, shouting, "Don't hurt my sister!"
"This idiot isn't dead?" Yuan Li was somewhat surprised, but she immediately realized that this was the perfect opportunity for her to escape!
She smiled at Ah Hao, her expression forlorn, "Didn't I tell you to leave this hellhole? Why aren't you leaving?"
Although Ahao knew that it was the demons who attacked him, he did not believe that it was Yuan Li's doing. He pleaded, "My sister did nothing wrong. Please, don't kill her."
That idiot is indeed an idiot; no wonder even his own people don't want him.
Yuan Li felt contempt, but her eyes were filled with emotion. She looked at Xu Xing and Shen Du with pleading eyes, but her attitude was generous and dignified, without any sense of servility.
"Everyone, although I am a demonic cultivator, I am not an evil person. I helped these two fellow Daoists conceal their identities earlier. Helping the Tiger Clan was truly out of necessity."
"I wonder if what this fairy said is true?"
Tian Li looked at Xu Xing with gentle eyes and asked softly.
Xu Xing hesitated for a moment. Although Yuan Li had used demon blood, it was meant to deal with Rong Jun. At the time, she thought Yuan Li was not a kind person and even suspected that she had killed the demon youth. Since the youth was unharmed, she figured it was probably because of her preconceived bad impression of Yuan Li due to her demon identity. Actions speak louder than words; Xu Xing couldn't doubt Yuan Li based on something she hadn't done yet, especially since Yuan Li had indeed helped conceal her and her senior brother's identities.
Thinking of this, Xu Xing still testified on Yuan Li's behalf, "That's right, she discovered our identities before but did not inform the Demon Clan and the Tiger Clan, but I am unaware that she served the Tiger Clan."
"In that case, spare her life, seal her magic, and banish her from the demon realm. As for the other demons... kill them all on the spot."
Upon hearing this, Tian Li quickly made a decision.
Xu Xing was somewhat surprised. This young priest of the deer clan was dressed in white robes and looked like a handsome holy son. He didn't expect him to be so decisive and ruthless. Just then, he saw Tian Li turn his head and look at him again, revealing a gentle smile.
Na Yun sealed Yuan Li's meridians, saying, "The seal will be broken after you leave the demon realm. Leave quickly."
Suppressing the pain, Yuan Li lowered her head, concealing the resentment in her eyes. If they were going to release her, why seal her magic? It's clear that these demons are just as hypocritical as humans!
She hadn't even entered the Guixu Secret Realm yet, how could she be willing to lose her magic?
The wolf boy, Ahao, silently helped Yuan Li up. Seeing that Yuan Li, weakened by the sealing of her magic, could only lean on his shoulder, a deeply hidden excitement flashed deep in his eyes. If only his sister had never been without magic, she would never leave him in her weakened state…
Na Yun was kind-hearted by nature. Seeing that A Hao was determined to take Yuan Li away, she couldn't help but remind him, "She is a demon after all. How can there be sibling affection between different races? Why don't you come with us? I will safely send you back to the wolf clan's territory."
Noticing that Ahao paused, Yuan Li whispered, "Don't listen to her. You've long been rejected by the wolf clan. Only I want you. Quick! Take me away from here."
Ah Hao's eyes brightened slightly. Of course, he had no attachment to the wolf clan. The pause just now was because he seemed to have stepped on some round, hard object. He lifted his foot to look, but the ground was empty, with nothing there.
"Ah Hao!" Na Yun was about to persuade him again, but Tian Li stopped her. "There's no need to try to keep him. He can't go back to the wolf clan, but he might be able to establish himself in the demon realm."
Tian Li's gaze inadvertently swept past A Hao's feet, her smile deepening.
Unaware of Yuan Li's whereabouts, Xu Xing was looking at Shen Du with concern. The fight had left him with many injuries, and his back was still bleeding.
Xu Xing rummaged through her backpack with her divine sense and her gaze paused. There was an unfamiliar object where she had placed the purple glass token. It was a snowflake-shaped silver-white crystal, right next to the glass token.
Xu Xing's body had just been temporarily borrowed by Wei Shengyue, and his consciousness was somewhat blurred. He was not quite sure what she had done, but he could guess that this must have been left behind by her.
Xu Xing looked up at the towering palace-like building not far away, wondering if this was the key to the Guixu Secret Realm.
Senior Wei Shengyue is such a wonderful demon! He even paid for borrowing my body! Thinking that the last wisp of his soul had already dissipated, Xu Xing's excitement subsided considerably, and he felt a little melancholy.
She was still concerned about Chen Du's injuries, so she temporarily put down the snowflake crystal and took out a Restoration Pill.
Looking up, Xu Xing called out "Senior Brother." As Shen Du opened his mouth to respond, Xu Xing quickly stuffed a fourth-tier Restoration Pill into his mouth. The healing effect of the high-tier pill was immediate. Almost instantly, Shen Du felt a warmth in his dantian, the bleeding on his back stopped, and the color of his lips, which had become somewhat pale due to excessive blood loss, also returned.
"A fourth-tier pill? You should keep it for yourself. I'm at the Golden Core stage; my wounds will heal quickly, no..."
Seeing Xu Xing glaring at him angrily, Chen Du pursed his lips and wisely refrained from saying anything more.
"Senior brother, never again do something like using your back to shield someone from a knife! I have a protective magic weapon; I won't die from a hit," Xu Xing warned sternly.
Senior brother is good in every way, except he takes his body too lightly. Even the strongest bodies of cultivators can't withstand such abuse! Those sharp tiger claws! He actually blocked them without even thinking, really…
"Okay, I understand."
Shen Du lowered his eyes and agreed. Seeing Xu Xing's serious and deliberately solemn expression, he slightly curled his fingers at his side, suppressing the urge to pat the other's head.
He thought to himself that he would rather be the one injured than see Xu Xing injured. The magical artifact could save her life, but it couldn't shield her from the pain of being attacked, while he could.
On the other side, the group of humans bid farewell: "We are very grateful to the Junior High Priest for leading the Deer Clan and the Snake Clan to help us escape. Although this matter was caused by the Tiger Clan, we will definitely report the situation after we return to our sect. It will not involve other demon clans, nor will it affect the relationship between the human realm and the demon realm."
Tian Li smiled slightly, turned his head and nodded in acknowledgment. Several deer clan members then stepped forward with the things they had prepared in advance. "The fact that you were trapped in the secret realm was also due to the negligence of the snake and deer clans. These are Qinglu Pills and Wangchen Pills made by our clan's alchemists. They are just a small gift, please accept them, fellow Daoists."
The Clear Dew Pill can remove impurities from the body, while the Forget-Dust Pill has the effect of suppressing inner demons and distracting thoughts. Both are rare and wonderful medicines.
A human alchemist took the bottle and saw that there were two bottles of each kind of pill, all of which were of the fourth rank. Such generosity was truly worthy of the young priest of the Deer Clan!
Some cultivators, concerned with saving face, wanted to be polite, since although the Tiger Clan had tricked them, their entry into the secret realm was voluntary, and there was no reason to completely blame it on the Demon Clan.
However, fourth-grade pills are truly extraordinary. The highest cultivation level among them is only Golden Core, which is not comparable to the abundant resources of those high-level cultivators. Moreover, this time they not only gained nothing from entering this Ghost Secret Realm, but also lost a lot of pills and magic artifacts. It would be good if they could make up for some of their losses.
After accepting the pills, everyone's impression of the Deer Clan improved even further.
"High Priest, do you know where this suddenly appearing palace comes from?"
The human cultivators naturally guessed that the palace that suddenly appeared after the collapse of the Exploration Realm was the legendary remains of a ninth-level alchemist. However, this was the territory of the demon realm, and that alchemy master was also a demon. Even Tiger Lord Rong Jun could not enter the gate, so they had no idea how to get in. They wanted to try to find out from Tian Li.
Tian Li did not hide anything, "The entrance to the Guixu Secret Realm is indeed good, but Senior Wei Sheng suddenly perished back then without leaving any clues, and our clan has not yet found the key."
"I see. In that case, we will not disturb the High Priest any longer and will take our leave!" The crowd did not press for answers on the spot, but whether they believed Tian Li's explanation was another matter entirely.
Many cultivators were quietly observing the female cultivator who had just subdued the Blazing Flame with a mysterious magic artifact and was still possessed by the divine consciousness of a powerful being. Although they wanted to strike up a conversation, they could only give up when they saw that she was surrounded by many Golden Core cultivators.
They secretly memorized the figures and appearances of this group of cultivators, hoping to discreetly investigate their identities. With such powerful magical artifacts, they might be core disciples of a major sect. Following them might provide an opportunity to enter the Guixu Secret Realm...
One by one, the cultivators left. Apart from the snake clan and the deer clan, only Xu Xing, Chen Du, Mei Zihan and others remained in the same place.
"Senior Brother Xiang, shall we also return to Luocang City and meet up with Linglan?" Xu Xing suggested.
Senior Brother Chen Du needs time to recuperate. The Guixu Secret Realm has just appeared and will inevitably attract attention. Going in now would be too conspicuous. It would be better to discuss it later.
Having not had a chance to interject, Li Yuan quickly said, "I'll go with you!"
Xu Xing frowned. "Fellow Daoist Li, why don't you return to your sect first? You've lost so many magical artifacts. What if you encounter danger if you stay in the Demon Realm?"
Li Yuan opened his mouth, intending to say confidently that with Chen Du and Xiang Yuquan there, both being disciples of the same sect, how could they not protect him?
But Xu Xing looked away the next moment. Seeing her nonchalant expression, Li Yuan felt deflated for some reason. His deliberately puffed-out chest slowly collapsed, and he was speechless for a moment.
Li Yuan suddenly realized that in Xu Xing's eyes, he was not her friend at all, so she didn't even bother to give him a glance.
"Mere magical artifacts! I'm a weapon refiner too, of course I can refine many more! Who are you looking down on?!"
Li Yuan's sudden increase in volume startled Xu Xing. Seeing him turn and leave, she looked bewildered. "Senior Brother Xiang, how come you're with Li Yuan?"
Xiang Yuquan had clearly already experienced Li Yuan's temper. He said helplessly, "We met him on the way. He somehow got a glass token. I also wanted to explore this secret realm, so I borrowed his token and came along."
"Don't worry, Fellow Daoist Li must have returned to Luocang City first."
After this incident, the matter of the fourth-order Thunderburst Bead was considered settled, and Xu Xing no longer cared about Li Yuan's whereabouts.
"Mei..." Xu Xing was thinking about how to hint to Mei Zihan and the others that he might have a way to enter the Guixu Secret Realm when he saw a wooden puppet coming from a distance, hopping and skipping over.
The puppet looked more like a wooden doll, swaying its round body as it circled around Mei Zihan's feet. Mei Zihan smiled, indicating that everyone should not be nervous, and raised his hand to make a gesture.
"Senior Brother! Junior Sister, are you alright?!"
Soon, He Yue and Xiang Di, who had been waiting outside the secret realm, appeared. The wooden puppet returned to Xiang Di's hand. "During this time, there has been boiling magma and lightning in the sky above this secret realm. When I saw the secret realm shattering just now, I thought it was just an illusion, so I sent the puppet to test it out first."
"We're fine. This is a long story, let's talk about it when we get back."
He Yue looked at Qianqian, who was lost in thought, "Qianqian, what's wrong..."
Mei Zihan shook his head and sighed softly. He had finally met the legendary senior of the Jiao Clan, only to witness his soul being scattered. This matter could only be resolved by Qianqian herself.
Seeing that these cultivators were about to leave, Yunxi was still racking her brains trying to figure out how to keep the princess alone when Tianli spoke first, "Fairy, please wait."
"Me?" Xu Xing turned around, feigning composure. "Is there anything else?"
Could it be that they discovered she might have a key?
"We were able to escape this secret realm thanks to the fairy's help. The fairy should be an honored guest of our clan. This is our clan's token. With it, we can move freely in the Deer Clan's territory."
Tian Li stepped forward, holding a deer antler necklace. She seemed about to put it around Xu Xing's neck, but Xu Xing, unaccustomed to such close proximity to strangers, instinctively took a step back. Tian Li, seemingly realizing her actions were somewhat offensive, smiled apologetically and handed the necklace to Xu Xing.
"Thank you." Shen Du took the necklace and turned to Xu Xing in a low voice, "I'll keep it for you."
Xu Xing didn't mind that her senior brother's belongings were all in her backpack. Seeing that Shen Du put the necklace into her storage ring with ease, she didn't even raise an eyebrow.
Tian Li's smile remained unchanged, but she didn't look at Chen Du. She still greeted Xu Xing politely, "My name is Tian Li. May I ask your name, Fairy?"
Yunxi gritted her teeth inwardly. You deer clan junior priest, you actually tried to seduce the princess with that face! And you keep calling her "fairy", you call everyone else "fellow Daoist", but when it comes to the princess you become a fairy?
The cunning "all-white" person!
However, Tian Li is indeed beautiful, and her appearance is among the best of all the demon men. Thinking of the hundreds or even thousands of male concubines around the Snake King Sheng Qing, Yun Xi couldn't help but worry that the princess might inherit the king's philandering ways. Thinking about it carefully, apart from that plain-looking sword cultivator, the others who appeared around the princess were all quite good-looking!
Yunxi immediately felt a sense of crisis. If that was the case, then she would have to hurry up and find more handsome men when she got back, since the king had already gathered almost all the exceptionally good-looking demons in the snake clan's territory to his side...
The deer clan's junior priest was really polite, giving him both pills and a necklace. Xu Xing felt a little embarrassed. "My name is Xu Xing, you can just call me by my name."
“Xu Xing…” Tian Li chuckled as she spoke the name, “Is Fairy Xu an alchemist? The Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines is within our clan’s territory. If you have time, why not come and visit the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines? You can take as many of the spiritual herbs in the valley as you like.”
Noticing Xu Xing's eyes light up, Yunxi felt a sense of unease. There was no reason for the princess to go directly to the deer clan without even visiting the snake clan!
Seeing that Yun was following closely behind, looking eager to introduce herself, Yunxi immediately pushed her aside and moved closer to Xu Xing. "I am Yunxi! From the Snake Clan! Your Majesty... Xu Xing, come and visit our Snake Clan! The Snake Clan's territory is much larger than the Deer Clan's, it's so much fun."
As soon as she finished speaking, she winked at Xu Xing and whispered, "You too, right?"
Among the many people around, not many had seen the scales on Xu Xing's face due to the dust and debris from the explosion. It was the later-arriving demons who saw them most clearly. Yunxi, unsure if Xu Xing was intentionally concealing his identity, cautiously refrained from revealing it directly.
When fighting the Tiger Clan and the Demon Clan earlier, this snake clan member named Yunxi happened to be in front of him and even blocked many attacks for him. Xu Xing had a good impression of her. Moreover, he was very likely to be a snake clan member himself, so he should indeed make a trip to the snake clan.
But the Deer Clan also has the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines...
Hesitantly, Chen Du finally spoke up, "Xu Xu, let's go back to Luo Cang City first. You've lost a lot of spiritual energy, so why don't you rest for a while before considering these things?"
slowly?
Xiang Yuquan, who was watching from the sidelines, raised an eyebrow slightly. A-Xu liked to call Xu Xing by this name, just like Wen Yao and the others. He had never heard Senior Brother Shen call him that before. Had they become so close after not seeing each other for several months?
"Senior brother is right, we should go see Linglan. Let's go back to Luocang City first."
Xu Xing immediately stopped worrying. She looked apologetically at Yunxi and Tianli, "I'll visit the two clans' territories again when I have the chance. Farewell."
"..."
Unexpectedly, Xu Xing didn't choose any of them. How is he going to explain this to the Snake King?
Watching Xu Xing and his group leave, Yunxi's mind raced, and she immediately decided, "You few go back to the Golden Serpent Palace to report, the rest of you come with me, we're going to Luocang City too!"
Na Yun cautiously looked at Tian Li, "Your Highness, then we..."
Although His Highness always has a smiling face, she has been following behind him for a long time and can occasionally catch subtle changes in his emotions. For example, right now, His Highness must not be in a very good mood.
"Let's go back to Luyuan first."
Tian Li looked at Shen Du's back, his eyes darkening slightly. "She took the Illusion Pill. Investigate her identity in the human realm, as well as these other cultivators."
Especially...
That annoying swordsman.
Several days later.
Within Luocang City, every teahouse and tavern was abuzz with the latest news from the demon realm: Tiger Clan Lord Rong Jun had perished while exploring the Ruins; the Guixu Secret Realm had appeared; the Tiger King had been forced to apologize and cede one-third of his territory; and the Snake and Deer Clans were dividing up the Tiger Clan's power, which was growing ever stronger...
At the entrance to a guest room on the third floor of a large restaurant, Yunlan leaned on the railing, staring blankly at the door of the private room on the second floor that Princess Wang had just entered, still holding the bottle of pills Xu Xing had given him in his hand.
Yunlan couldn't understand why the princess would give him a bottle of beast spirit pills.
In ancient times, the demon race and the beast race were indeed one family. However, as some beasts transformed into human form to cultivate, while others could only maintain their beast form, the beast race that transformed into human form gradually evolved into the demon race. Over tens of thousands of years, the demons and beasts gradually diverged into two completely different races.
Unlike the beastmen, who are slow to develop intelligence and even unable to speak, the demons are born with intelligence and deeply resent being lumped together with beastmen. Ironically, the beast contracts created by humans are also effective against some lower-level demons, which led to tensions between humans and demons for a time. However, that was many years ago, and now no one dares to use demons as pets, at least not openly…
Yunlan stared at the Beast Spirit Pill in his hand, his expression conflicted. What did the princess mean by giving him the Beast Spirit Pill?
Does Her Highness wish to form a beast contract with him?!
It is true that beast contracts can be formed among demons. Yunlan pursed his lips, feeling somewhat at a loss. Of course, he didn't want to be a beast pet, but if his master was a princess, it might not be impossible. However, he was, after all, a demon with dignity, how could he...
"What are you thinking?!" Yunxi slapped his shoulder hard from behind, startling Yunlan so much that he almost dropped the medicine bottle.
He was about to put the pill bottle into his pocket when Yunxi snatched it away. "This is the pill Her Highness gave you? I didn't expect you to be the first snake clan member to receive this honor. The aura is somewhat familiar; perhaps Her Highness personally refined it."
Before Yunlan could stop her, Yunxi had already opened the medicine bottle. "Beast Spirit Pill?!"
She looked at Yunlan suspiciously, making him blush deeply. He hurriedly protested, "No! I didn't! I didn't agree!"
Under the imposing gaze of his boss, Yunlan swallowed hard and stiffened his neck to assure her, "Don't worry! Our Golden Serpent lineage will never be someone's pet, not even Her Highness the Princess! I won't disgrace the Golden Serpent lineage..."
"Smack—"
Yunxi gave him a sharp flick on the forehead and huffed, "What are you showing off for? The princess has taken a liking to you, do you think I'd try to steal her away?"
"Huh? Steal it?" Yunlan was stunned, her eyes filled with confusion. Aren't demons the most averse to being someone else's pet? Why would they steal it?
"Nonsense! Who else could Her Highness be but a princess?!"
Yunxi glanced at the tightly closed door next door, set up a soundproof barrier, and whispered in Yunlan's ear, "This is a golden opportunity! The first step is to become His Highness's beast pet, and the second step is..."
"Seize the opportunity! Understand? Tonight, go and express your stance to His Highness. Don't keep him waiting too long." Yunxi patted Yunlan's somewhat childish but still handsome face and said earnestly, "The future of the Jinshe lineage depends on you!"
So, he was that important? Because he was still young and had never participated in important clan affairs, this exploration of the Ruins was his first time going out on business. Suddenly being "entrusted with an important task," Yunlan immediately puffed out his chest and loudly assured them, "I understand!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down, that 'all-white' deer from the clan lives next door..."
Dressed entirely in white, Tian Li calmly looked at the door. It had to be said, the snake clan's soundproofing magic was really poorly learned…
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Author's Note: Today's thank-you list is a little long. If you don't like it, you can ignore the author's notes. I usually put the acknowledgments at the very beginning of the author's notes when I write short skits, so you can still see them even if you ignore them. Just unlock them later.
Thanks to Moanshu for the free ticket! *kiss*
Thanks to NiceDudu, SuNianqingcheng, Ruby_, (●—●), 40417003, 80057333, 47442916, 48327367, 63166146, Kanxingxing, Xuanyuanzisi, Mumubai, Moanshu, Luguo, Yiyi, Xingxing, BajizaiJinjiang, Xiaoyuanoo, Wagege, Fengran, Qingtuanmizhou, Qianhen, Maominaitang, and Zuoyedong. Wind, Grape Juice, Ling Si Zi Fei Liang, Perga Dee Fu, Sunset Thinking, tsakmxxj, Ah This, Coming Under the Moon, Light Ink Bamboo, With, Qing Zhi, Uranus Lazy Grass Kui, Depressed, Xin Sen Miao Yan Yao, 123, Yu Qi Chi, Flowers Blooming on the Road, ◎, Huan Ran, Ji, A Fat One, Light Smoke, Sunset Bountiful Year, Jing Chu, Singing Sands Flowing Years, Passing By, Sleep a Little Longer for the Nutrient Solution! =3=
I just found out that a cutie with a number ID fed me nutrient solution. The ID I saw in the backend was blank. I always thought some cuties deliberately chose blank nicknames [crying emoji]. I missed a few before, but I've made up for them all today~ [please]
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