Twisting Black and White

The airship soared through the air, while in the distance, the sea of clouds surged. Occasionally, a bird would fly by, leaving behind a few clear cries that blended into the faint whisper of the wind high in the sky.

Ding Ran quickly snapped out of her brief moment of confusion.

He looked at his healed wound, then at the composed young nobleman and the expressionless Golden Core Realm servant before him, and an overwhelming surge of excitement welled up in his eyes.

He immediately knelt down and performed a deep bow, his voice trembling slightly. "Thank you so much, young master, for saving my life! Thank you so much, senior, for your timely treatment!"

Wang Si remained expressionless and stood silently to the side, as if nothing had happened.

Lu Yang waved his hand casually, "Get up, no need to be so agitated."

Ding Ran then quickly got up.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, then respectfully took out an egg from the Storage Bag at his waist.

The egg was about the size of a human head and was pale golden in color.

The surface of the eggshell is covered with flowing lines of gold and blue, the lines intricate and mysterious, appearing and disappearing like living things, and gleaming with a warm luster under the sunlight.

Lu Yang sensed a very faint life fluctuation within it, indicating that some kind of life was being nurtured within.

Ding Ran held the beast egg in both hands and explained, "Young Master, this is the egg of the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng. I found it in a secret realm, but because it was left there for many years, its signs of life are now very weak."

As he said this, his mind was racing.

Ding Ran considered himself a person who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment, always repaying kindness and settling scores.

His original injuries were extremely severe, and he had also used the Blood-Burning Secret Method. If it weren't for this senior's intervention, using Wood Dao Law Technique to smooth his meridians and heal his wounds, it would have been almost impossible for him to recover to his current state.

The fact that this noble young man was willing to let his servant treat his injuries was, to him, a true act of saving his life.

Furthermore, since this young master is currently protecting him, he would never hesitate to part with the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg, even though it is precious.

His only regret was that during his escape, he had used up most of his trump cards, elixirs, and talismans.

The losses were devastating!

Moreover, he also got into trouble with the Chen Household.

Chen Chuanmo is a core disciple of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain and holds a high position within the sect. Perhaps Ten Thousand Beast Mountain will also stand up for Chen Chuanmo.

Thinking of this, Ding Ran's heart sank a little.

But...

Ding Ran glanced again at the composed and elegant young nobleman before her.

This young master is accompanied and protected by a Nascent Soul Realm stage servant. Such a grand display suggests that the power behind him must be far stronger than that of the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain!

If this young master is willing to mediate...

Then he and the Ding Household might still have a glimmer of hope!

He felt both apprehensive and hopeful.

I wonder if this young master would be willing to help him out of this predicament, for the sake of this Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng egg?

While Ding Ran was lost in thought, Lu Yang and Mu Yunxue both looked at the beast egg with some surprise.

Mu Yunxue stood beside Lu Yang, her plain white dress fluttering slightly in the wind.

Her cool, clear eyes fell on the pale golden eggshell, and a rare hint of surprise appeared on her face.

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow slightly. "Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng? The Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng from the Heaven Severing Mountain Range?"

Ding Ran nodded hurriedly and said respectfully, "Indeed, young master! It is indeed the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg!"

A strange feeling arose in Lu Yang's heart.

I'm pretty lucky.

How could someone who was simply on their way to Jing Province encounter such a fortuitous fortuitous opportunity?

Once the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng grows up, it can advance to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Although this level of combat power is nothing to Lu Yang.

He already had three puppet bodyguards at the Peak Nascent Soul, so a mere Nascent Soul Realm Demon Beast was not enough to move him.

But in the context of the entire cultivation Immortal Realm, this thing is a truly valuable item!

If I don't need it myself, I can give it away later.

He has no use for his own women.

After all, if a woman's favorability reaches 100 points, the system will definitely give her five puppet bodyguards.

However, it could be given to the Lu Household; perhaps it could even be trained into their Lu Household's guardian spirit beast?

Alternatively, rewarding them later to followers who might find them useful would also be a good option.

I just don't know how to hatch these eggs?

Lu Yang's mind raced with thoughts, but he didn't show it on his face.

He looked at Ding Ran, who was respectfully holding the beast egg, and chuckled, "You're giving it to me?"

Ding Ran nodded vigorously, his face earnest, and said, "Yes, I, Ding Ran, clearly distinguish between gratitude and resentment. You saved my life, young master, and I have no way to repay you. The only thing I have that could possibly catch your eye is this!"

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, his gaze passing over Ding Ran and landing on Deng Qi and the others in the distance, whose expressions were not good. He asked, "You were chasing after you because of this egg?"

Ding Ran's spirits lifted, realizing this was a good opportunity. He quickly explained, "Exactly! That secret realm was discovered by my friend Deng Qi and me. We found the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg and some other resources there. We agreed on how to divide them: I would take the egg, and Deng Qi would get the other resources. Who would have thought that after leaving the secret realm, he would sell this information to a core disciple of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain, which led to this relentless pursuit!"

With that, he knelt down again, his voice earnest. "Young Master! Ding Ran dare to beg you to mediate my troubles with that core disciple of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain! Ding Ran serve you like a slave to repay your kindness!"

These words resonated powerfully, echoing across the deck of the airship.

Upon hearing this, Deng Qi's expression changed drastically.

His originally honest and unassuming face quickly contorted with grief and indignation. "Brother Ding Ran, stop! Do you really think someone like this young master would be fooled by your sweet talk?"

Ding Ran was startled and looked up at Deng Qi in surprise, momentarily unable to react.

Lu Yang and Mu Yunxue's gazes then turned to Deng Qi.

Lu Yang initially felt quite sympathetic towards Ding Ran after listening to her story.

After all, being able to explore a secret realm together indicates a very good relationship.

I never expected to be stabbed in the back by my own friend.

Anyone would find that hard to accept.

Of course, to be honest, this kind of thing is quite common in the cultivation Immortal Realm.

Too many cultivators have betrayed or even killed their closest relatives because of a fortuitous opportunity or a treasure.

Lu Yang felt that he was quite lucky.

At least the Lu Household Lineage, though weaker, is very united.

The Golden Rainbow Sword Sect is also a righteous sect with strict rules and orderly conduct.

Many low-level Rogue Cultivators, however, live far less stable lives.

Now, someone is actually saying that Ding Ran is lying?

Lu Yang sized up the person who spoke.

The man was stocky and wore a brown, coarse cloth robe. He had an honest face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, and he was easy to look at.

He seemed thoughtful, then raised an eyebrow and said, "You wouldn't happen to be Deng Qi, would you?"

Deng Qi immediately cupped his hands in respect, his face filled with utmost reverence, and said loudly, "Yes, young master, I am Deng Qi! Brother Ding Ran and I were originally friends, and together we discovered that secret realm. However, Brother Ding Ran launched a sneak attack at the last moment, injuring me before taking away the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg. Young master, although the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg shows weak signs of life, it is still an extremely precious item. Who wouldn't want to fight for it? How could I possibly give it away to someone else so easily?"

The four disciples from Ten Thousand Beast Mountain standing nearby exchanged glances.

The middle-aged man who was leading the group immediately adopted a righteous and indignant demeanor and loudly echoed, "Fellow Daoist Deng Qi is right! This originally belonged to Fellow Daoist Deng Qi. After his Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg was stolen, he informed our senior brothers. Our senior brothers are very close to Fellow Daoist Deng Qi, which is why they stepped in to help him retrieve the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg from that scoundrel Ding Ran!"

Another disciple chimed in, "That's right! Ding Ran is the Bandit Cultivator who stole the treasure!"

"..."

The four disciples of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain weren't fools; they immediately understood Deng Qi 'Deng Qi intention from the moment he spoke.

Turning the tables!

Anyway, this young nobleman had no idea what really happened.

What Ding Ran said may not necessarily be true.

They could easily come up with a story that suits them!

In this way, even if the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg cannot be retrieved.

At least in this young nobleman's mind, they were victims.

Perhaps this young master will let them go?

They might even look down on Ding Ran because of this and drive him away.

Even if we can't bring back the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng Egg, we can still make amends by capturing Ding Ran and handing him over to Senior Brother Chen Chuanmo!

Ding Ran understood immediately after hearing what the five people said.

His face turned incredibly ugly, filled with shock and anger. Pointing at Deng Qi, he shouted fiercely, "You... you've turned black into white! Deng Qi, you beast! I, Ding Ran, considered you a close friend! I never imagined you would be this kind of person! You clearly sold this information, trying to profit from both sides!"

Deng Qi slowly shook his head, looking at Ding Ran with a pained expression, his tone filled with deep disappointment. "Brother Ding Ran... even at this point, you're still making excuses. I still have the scars from your sneak attack on my back."

Ding Ran trembled with rage and roared, "Bullshit! Those were the wounds I sustained when I broke through your encirclement while you were attacking me! Don't make false accusations!"

He abruptly turned to look at Lu Yang, his heart sinking. He cried out urgently, "Young Master! Everything I've said is true! If it's even half a lie, may I be struck by lightning!"

He was genuinely afraid that this young master would recognize him as Bandit Cultivator who had tried to steal the Nine Heavens Golden-Winged Peng's egg!

If that's the case, then his request will likely be unfulfilled.