Early the next morning, Li Ye and Chu Qingyi, still deep in sleep, were roused by the tantalizing aroma of food wafting through the air, their stomachs growling with hunger.
Exchanging a glance, they instantly understood each other's thoughts. After a quick wash, they stepped out of their room.
As they had guessed, Li Xuan had already prepared breakfast.
On the simple wooden table were a few modest dishes, a plate of plump steamed buns, and three bowls of mushroom and shredded pork congee.
The enticing fragrance drifted into the couple's noses, prompting them to quicken their steps.
"Xuan, no matter how many delicacies I've tasted out there, nothing compares to your cooking. In my eyes, even the finest chefs can't hold a candle to you," Li Ye praised eagerly, grabbing a large bun and taking a big bite before he could finish speaking.
"Thank you for the compliment, Father," Li Xuan replied with a smile, though inwardly, he was thoroughly pleased with the praise.
Though he had felt some resentment over Li Ye's sudden return the day before, upon reflection, he realized this was his adoptive father after all. Besides, the Ministry of Justice was busy, and Li Ye would likely leave again in a few days. Then, he and Chu Qingyi could return to their quiet life together.
With this realization, Li Xuan's gloom vanished, and even the way he looked at Li Ye grew warmer.
"I mean every word, Xuan. Your cooking is truly exceptional!" Li Ye mumbled, his mouth still full of bun.
"Father, can't that bun keep you quiet?" Li Xuan chuckled, his gaze subtly shifting to Chu Qingyi, who sat diagonally across from him.
She remained silent, quietly enjoying her breakfast.
"By the way, Xuan, Qingyi and I have to go out today. You'll have lunch on your own—no need to wait for us," Li Ye said.
"Go out? Where? When will you be back?" Li Xuan's voice rose sharply, laced with urgency, as he instinctively stood up.
In his haste, the chopsticks in his hand clattered to the floor, and the porcelain bowl before him nearly toppled over.
Both Li Ye and Chu Qingyi stared in surprise, especially Li Ye, who hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Li Xuan.
The atmosphere grew oddly tense.
After a moment, Li Xuan, noticing their puzzled looks, quickly explained, "I was just curious. What are you going to do this time? Can I come along?"
As he spoke, he sat back down, picked up the chopsticks from the floor, and absentmindedly stirred them into his congee, ignoring the dirt clinging to them.
Across from him, Chu Qingyi watched as dark, unidentified specks from the chopsticks swirled into the porridge, her appetite vanishing instantly.
"Xuan, we have official duties to attend to, not just a casual outing," Li Ye explained patiently, seeing Li Xuan's earnest expression.
"Official duties? What duties? Mother isn't part of the Ministry of Justice. What duties could she possibly have?" Li Xuan grew even more confused.
Chu Qingyi was the sole bright spot in his otherwise monotonous life, and he certainly didn't want her to disappear from his sight.
"This matter concerns both of us, and Qingyi is now quite powerful—a rare asset for the Judicial Department," Li Ye explained. "Xiao Xuan, don't worry. We're just going to investigate and will return soon."
"Then... if you'll be back soon, take me along," Li Xuan pleaded, his tone tinged with urgency.
As father and son remained at an impasse, Chu Qingyi, standing nearby, spoke calmly, "The journey is long and arduous. Bringing you along would be inconvenient."
Hearing Chu Qingyi's words, Li Xuan, though reluctant, had no choice but to accept the decision.
"Alright then... be careful and come back soon," he mumbled, sounding dejected.
Strange, when did Xiao Xuan become so obedient to Qingyi?
Li Ye, observing his son's subdued demeanor, found it odd but didn't dwell on it, attributing it to Chu Qingyi's commanding presence.
After the meal, the couple packed lightly and set off.
However, their battle with the Mystic Spirit Serpent had taken place months ago. At the time, they had been flung by its tail and landed near Jinling City by chance, so their memory of the serpent's general whereabouts had grown hazy.
Relying on fragmented recollections, they journeyed on, pausing frequently. Several hours later, they finally arrived at the site of their previous confrontation with the serpent.
Silently, they stood before a vast, barren clearing that starkly contrasted with its surroundings. Exposed earth stretched out, crisscrossed with dense, winding cracks, leading to a bottomless pit.
The land was devoid of vegetation, scarred everywhere with traces of battle.
Surrounded by towering, lush trees, the clearing stood out as an anomaly.
The couple remained silent, gazing at the scene before them, their emotions in turmoil.
Memories flooded back, and Chu Qingyi seemed to see herself once again, fearlessly shielding Li Ye.
She couldn't fathom what had driven her then—to step forward without hesitation, risking her life to protect him against an unbeatable foe.
Yet, one thing was certain: in that moment, she had acted almost instinctively, prepared to sacrifice everything the instant she moved forward.
Back then, her devotion to Li Ye had been terrifyingly profound.
But her deep affection had only been met with his betrayal.
Unconsciously, she asked herself: if given another chance, would she make the same choice?
Beside her, Li Ye's feelings were equally complex. He surveyed the surroundings, taking in the lingering signs of battle months later, as the brutal events of that day resurfaced in his mind.
Due to inadequate preparation and the recklessness of their first venture beyond the Heavenly Master's residence, they had impulsively challenged the Mystic Spirit Serpent, leading to their devastating defeat.
At the time, witnessing the serpent's true power had left him paralyzed with fear. Convinced death was inevitable, he had despaired—until he beheld an unforgettable sight: Chu Qingyi's delicate figure suddenly appeared before him. After pushing him to safety, she unleashed her primordial immortal energy, ready to fight the serpent to the death.
He still remembered her turning to glance back at him, her radiant eyes filled with deep affection and boundless tenderness.
If it weren't for her back then, he would likely have long since become a wandering soul beneath the Nine Springs.
A surge of emotions—guilt, regret, heartache—welled up within him. Li Ye glanced at Chu Qingyi beside him, his eyes filled with deep affection.
"Judging by the situation, the Mystic Spirit Serpent has long since left this place," Chu Qingyi remarked calmly.
"Yes, there's no trace of that beast's activity within a hundred-mile radius," Li Ye replied. He had already secretly extended his divine sense to investigate and found that only some relatively weak demonic beasts roamed this forest. There had been no sign of the Mystic Spirit Serpent for quite some time.
They were deep in a remote mountain range, not far from Jinling City, yet it was a place rarely visited by humans, with only traces of animal activity.
Since Jinling City was a small border town, there were many such desolate mountains in the surrounding area, providing a natural habitat for demonic beasts. As a result, few commoners ventured here.
"What should we do now?" Li Ye asked. Unconsciously, he had come to regard Chu Qingyi as his anchor, seeking her opinion before taking any action.
"Let's look around. We might find something," Chu Qingyi said, having no better plan for the moment and deciding to explore further.
"Alright," Li Ye nodded in agreement.
The mountain range was vast. To save time, the two agreed on their respective directions and a rendezvous point before each activating their immortal arts and speeding off in opposite directions.
Chu Qingyi headed west alone, flying close to the ground. This allowed her to observe her surroundings up close without drawing too much attention from nearby demonic beasts.
After about an hour, she still had found nothing.
Along her path, aside from towering ancient trees that blocked out the sky, there were occasionally a few unintelligent demonic beasts gathered together.
As she neared the edge of the mountain range, where the towering trees gave way to more open woodland, she still hadn't discovered any clues.
Just as she was about to head to the rendezvous point with Li Ye, several demonic beasts suddenly came into view.
These beasts hadn't noticed Chu Qingyi. They were gathered together, eyeing a few majestic lions drinking at a lakeside. The beasts seemed poised to strike, likely planning to attack the lions.
It appeared to be an ordinary hunting scene among demonic beasts. Only high-level beasts with shapeshifting abilities could transcend the need for food like cultivators, while those with low intelligence still relied on prey to satisfy their hunger.
Knowing this, Chu Qingyi initially intended to turn and leave. But just as she stirred the immortal energy within her, a sudden insight flashed through her mind.
Wait!
Sensing something amiss, Chu Qingyi quickly concealed her aura and hid herself where the demonic beasts couldn't detect her.
The beasts remained hidden, motionless as they watched the lions. Chu Qingyi did the same, but like the mantis stalking the cicada unaware of the oriole behind, her focus was on these very beasts.
In the Mysterious Continent, regardless of their species or level of intelligence, most demon beasts tend to act alone. They often look down upon those weaker than themselves, making group activities a rarity. Even the sight of several demon beasts gathering to hunt, as seen now, was uncommon.
From her observations, only one of these demon beasts—a lion-tiger hybrid—possessed significant strength. The rest were low-intelligence sword-wolf beasts.
Under normal circumstances, the lion-tiger hybrid would likely consider itself superior and disdain associating with sword-wolf beasts, while the solitary sword-wolf beasts would not travel in groups.
Yet their current behavior was peculiar. Not only had they gathered to hunt—an unusual act in itself—but they were also moving with extreme caution, lurking in the shadows and waiting for the right moment to strike.
Such behavior seemed inconsistent with their relatively low intelligence, raising Chu Qingyi's suspicions.
Hiding in the shadows, she concealed her presence as much as possible, even suppressing her aura entirely as a precaution.
Her eyes remained fixed on the demon beasts, searching for any clues in their actions.
Just then, the male lions by the lake began to rise one after another, appearing ready to depart.
Chu Qingyi had expected the demon beasts to launch an attack at this moment, but to her surprise, they remained hidden and took no action.
This puzzled her, but she could only continue observing.
The male lions strolled leisurely through the forest, occasionally shaking their heads or tilting them to survey their surroundings, completely unaware of the danger slowly closing in.
Following closely behind were the demon beasts, weaving agilely through the undergrowth as they sought cover while maintaining a steady pace behind the lions.
And behind them, Chu Qingyi followed in silence.
As time passed, Chu Qingyi grew increasingly uneasy. She noticed that the demon beasts' actions defied their supposed intelligence. They moved in an orderly formation, maintaining an optimal distance from the lions. They quickly found hiding spots, with the lion-tiger hybrid directing the group. Several sword-wolf beasts flanked the formation to monitor the lions' movements, while others scanned the surroundings for cover. Their roles were clearly defined, and their coordination was seamless.
Such behavior was far beyond what demon beasts of this level should be capable of.
Sensing something amiss, Chu Qingyi's mood grew heavier, and she paid even closer attention to the demon beasts.
She had a faint suspicion that these creatures were somehow connected to the strange occurrences outside Jinling City.
To uncover the truth, she had no choice but to continue following them.
The tracking process was undeniably tedious. She observed her surroundings while remaining vigilant of any movements ahead.
Just as her patience began to wear thin, the terrain ahead suddenly opened up. The male lions changed direction and disappeared into the forest on the left.
Her heart skipped a beat—had the lions detected the demon beasts behind them?
Instinctively, she glanced at the demon beasts. To her surprise, they showed no signs of panic. Instead, they seemed excited. Upon receiving a command from the lion-tiger hybrid, they advanced toward the forest.
Chu Qingyi followed closely behind.
Only after entering the forest did she realize it held secrets of its own.
A hidden cave appeared before her eyes, from which the low growls of a male lion occasionally echoed.
So that's it...
Chu Qingyi thought to herself, then saw the demon beasts finally lose their patience and rush into the cave in a swarm.
Immediately afterward, the cave echoed with the furious roars of the male lions and the sounds of battle as the two sides clashed.
Hidden in the shadows, Chu Qingyi listened to the roars not far away, her inner shock beyond words.
It was only until now that she fully understood the true intentions of these demon beasts.
From the very beginning, their goal was not merely the few male lions before them, but the entire lion pride behind them.
Male lions are social animals, led by an adult male who guides his mates and offspring in a communal life. By locating their den, the entire pride could be wiped out in one fell swoop.
Earlier by the lake, only a few male lions were visible, with no trace of lionesses or cubs.
Those demon beasts must have realized this, patiently tracking them all the way to their den, intent on uprooting them completely.
Such intelligence might not be rare among humans, but among demon beasts incapable of shapeshifting, it was an utterly terrifying existence!
Understanding everything, Chu Qingyi realized the gravity of the situation. Watching the trembling cave, she knew the male lions' defeat was only a matter of time.
Sure enough, after a few breaths, the sounds of battle ceased within the cave, replaced by a few strange cries filled with unmistakable excitement.
Then came the tearing sounds of teeth piercing flesh.
Chu Qingyi stared intently at the cave. The intense light could not penetrate the pitch-black interior, barely illuminating a few meters around the entrance.
Faint, shadowy figures were reflected at the cave's mouth, and from time to time, bones stained with blood and shreds of flesh rolled out.
Just standing outside, Chu Qingyi could imagine the ferocious, snarling faces of the demon beasts inside the cave.
After about half an hour, the cave finally fell silent.
Led by the lion-tiger beast, the demon beasts emerged one after another, swaggering with an air of triumph.
It was time.
Chu Qingyi murmured to herself, then channeled the immortal energy within her body, gathering it into her palm. She aimed at the lion-tiger beast and struck forward.
Bang!
With a tremendous sound, the unprepared lion-tiger beast was sent flying backward, crashing through several giant trees before finally coming to a stop.
Everywhere the lion-tiger beast passed, the giant trees were snapped in half, their collapse stirring up clouds of dust and startling nearby birds, which flapped their wings frantically to escape the area.
The attacked lion-tiger beast fell to the ground, instantly lifeless.
Chu Qingyi glanced indifferently at the now-dead lion-tiger beast and withdrew the immortal energy she had released.
For her current self, her strength had greatly improved compared to when she first arrived in Jinling City. If she had possessed this level of power during her battle with the Mystic Spirit Python, the outcome would have been uncertain.
The immortal energy within her surged like turbulent waves, joyfully churning up and down. This was her first time taking action after her breakthrough, and the feeling of abundant power filled her with an overwhelming sense of security.
She roughly estimated that although she was still some distance from the Yin-Yang Convergence realm, breaking through was merely a matter of time.
The remaining few Sword Wolf Beasts were instantly thrown into a state of disarray without their leader. Clearly terrified, they had no idea how to react.
Especially when facing the enemy exuding such a powerful and threatening aura, they had completely lost the will to resist, their limbs trembling uncontrollably.
Chu Qingyi did not attack these Sword Wolf Beasts. Instead, she quietly stepped forward to observe them up close.
As she had suspected, these Sword Wolf Beasts were merely ordinary low-level demonic beasts, with strength only at the Yellow Tier Low Level. Among demonic beasts, they belonged to the category with weaker talent and lower combat prowess.
The leading Lion-Tiger Beast earlier had only been at the Yellow Tier Mid Level.
As Chu Qingyi approached, the fear in their eyes grew more pronounced. Their fur bristled, their tails tucked between their hind legs, and they emitted low, whimpering growls.
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