The figure who arrived beside Qing Lin caught her directly, sweeping her up in a princess carry.
Qing Lin looked weakly at the one holding her. Summoning strength through her exhaustion, she smiled radiantly. "Young Master, I succeeded!"
The one holding her was Xiao Tian, who had never taken his attention off her for a single moment.
"My Qing Lin is the best. I'm proud of you." He pressed a light kiss to her forehead. At his words, the smile on her face refused to fade.
"Little Sister Qing Lin, congratulations! You were amazing!" Han Yue rushed to Xiao Tian's side and showered Qing Lin with praise.
"May I… may I see the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?" A voice thick with tangled emotions and cautious hope broke into their celebration. She Yuyan had struggled to her feet.
Qing Lin looked up at Xiao Tian, seeking his permission.
He nodded gently. "Go ahead."
She Yuyan hurried forward and studied the patterns in Qing Lin's eyes with fierce intensity. They were exactly as the ancient records had described.
"I never imagined I would witness this in my lifetime. It was worth it." Her voice held seven parts excitement and three parts complexity. The excitement came from finally seeing what her Heavenly Serpent Mansion had spent generations tirelessly searching for. The complexity came from the bitter truth that it did not belong to the Heavenly Serpent Mansion. As she stared, her mind began to fog, drifting toward the edge of a trance.
"Wake up!" Xiao Tian's voice lanced directly into her soul.
She Yuyan jolted back to awareness, her eyes filled with lingering fear. She had been too overwhelmed and had forgotten the abilities of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. They were not merely capable of controlling snakes—they also possessed a bewildering power, one that was utterly terrifying. To be ensnared by such a thing during battle would be a fatal threat.
"Since our transaction is complete, we will trouble the Mansion Master no further." Xiao Tian's tone was indifferent.
She Yuyan watched the three of them, her expression growing ever more complicated. A secret breath of relief escaped her. They had no intention of silencing her. She lowered her head, thoughts churning, and finally gritted her teeth as a decision crystallized.
"Wait." She called out urgently.
"Does the Mansion Master have something more to say?" Xiao Tian paused and turned back.
She did not answer with words. Instead, she walked to a wall, formed a hand seal, and opened a hidden compartment. From within, she withdrew a box. "Inside are records of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils compiled by our Heavenly Serpent Mansion. Cultivation methods. Points of caution. You may make a copy." She opened the box, took out a scroll, and held it out.
Xiao Tian studied her with a long, penetrating look. *The Dou Qi Continent truly has more angel investors than I gave it credit for.* This item was critically important to Qing Lin. He did not refuse. He took the scroll, briefly checked it for tampering, and handed it to her.
"Qing'er, take a look."
The scroll functioned similarly to a medicinal formula—one simply received the information directly. Qing Lin wasted no time, channeling her soul power into the scroll to absorb its contents. Roughly three minutes later, she opened her eyes, a spark of excitement flickering within them. The knowledge inside would be immensely useful to her. She looked ready to speak, but Xiao Tian's finger pressed gently against hers, and she held her silence.
He took the scroll from her hand and returned it to She Yuyan. "This gesture of yours may bring you things you never expected."
With that, he led Qing Lin and Han Yue out. A subtle ripple stirred in the void behind them.
She Yuyan felt her Dou Qi return to her control, and a deep breath shuddered out of her. Remembering Xiao Tian's final words, a faint smile touched her lips.
---
"Young Master, we took something so precious from them. Why would she give us something equally important in return?" Qing Lin's voice was full of confusion.
"She has great courage. And she is very intelligent." Xiao Tian produced a recovery pill and placed it gently in Qing Lin's mouth. "Because she wants to invest in us. To gamble on a favor." He briefly explained the Heavenly Serpent Mansion's background and origins. Both girls were sharp. Connecting his words, understanding dawned.
"Junior Xiao Tian, do you mean she used that item to bet on a chance to fulfill her ancestors' lifelong obsession?"
"Exactly. Women are no less capable than men. I have to admire her courage. And she's clever, too." Xiao Tian glanced at Han Yue with a smile.
At his words, both girls' eyes lit up. Such eloquent praise—a true compliment and affirmation for women. The adoration in their gazes as they looked at him was nearly tangible enough to weave silk.
"Indeed, that Ancient Heavenly Serpent's soul was merely a trade good. But the scroll she produced afterward—that was different. It was something genuinely important to us, but for her, it simply meant losing an opportunity to consult it. It's like wagering a small sum for a massive gain. If she succeeds, she profits. If she fails, she loses nothing of true value."
Xiao Yi Xian materialized beside the three. After speaking, she fixed Xiao Tian with an unwavering stare. "I thought you would kill her. What's this? Have you taken a fancy to her? Shall I tie her up for you, so you can taste whether she's moist or not?"
"Don't joke. Her son is older than I am, and I have no interest in widows. Besides, she's not half as beautiful as any of you. I like you all. You're far moister."
The girls' faces flushed scarlet at his words, and they rolled their eyes in unison. Xiao Yi Xian plucked Qing Lin from Xiao Tian's arms. "Go discuss moisture with your water baby, Cai Li."
At that exact moment, far away, Medusa stirred in her cultivation within the palace. She opened her eyes slowly. "Why do I feel as though someone is gossiping about me? It must be that scoundrel Xiao Tian."
Xiao Yi Xian whisked the two girls directly into the Heaven Punishing Divine Realm, leaving Xiao Tian standing alone. At her parting words, a vivid scene of water-play bloomed in Xiao Tian's mind. He loved playing in the water. Every time he did, joy overflowed.
He departed the Heavenly Serpent Mansion and raced back toward the Black-Corner Region at full speed. With his Dou Zong cultivation and Void Piercer Art pushed to its limit, each step devoured a thousand meters. In just over two hours, he arrived at Heaven Punishing Divine Palace. After briefly attending to palace matters, he entered the Heaven Punishing Divine Realm.
Once back, Xiao Tian slipped fully into daddy mode. His two daughters lay nestled in rocking chairs, and he sat between them, gently rocking each with one hand.
"Giggles… Little Brother Xiao Tian, if you keep eating like that, there won't be any left for your daughters. Is that how a father behaves—snatching food from his own children?"
"Exactly, you shameless man. If Ling'er has nothing to eat and starts crying, you can comfort her yourself."
Ya Fei and Yun Yun watched Xiao Tian, still happily devouring leftovers after their recent "Fight the Landlord" game, and scolded him playfully. As expected of things from a cultivation world, there was no unpleasantness—only a faint sweetness and delicate fragrance.
Just as Xiao Tian was lost in his feast, the Heaven Punishing Divine Realm erupted into chaos. The sky above convulsed, awash with surging colors. He sensed the disturbance instantly, threw on his clothes, and appeared atop the palace. The source of the anomaly lay within World Mountain.
"What's happening?" Medusa, Xiao Yi Xian, and the others, drawn by the disturbance, gathered around him.
Xiao Tian's gaze pierced through the mountain itself. Deep within, cracks were spiderwebbing across the mysterious Monster Egg. "That egg is about to hatch."
All the women knew of the two Monster Eggs resting inside World Mountain. "It's finally being born. We've all been so curious about what kind of creature it is. Looking at this anomaly… it seems it won't be simple."