I Said Get Lost. Are You Deaf?

He was so slow, and he was charging straight at me. Did that really count as a sneak attack?

As that thought crossed his mind, Xiao Yao's body reacted under the No-Self spell. He reached out almost instinctively and grabbed the fur at the back of the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox's neck, lifting it right up!

The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox froze. Zhuo Dongxuan and the others did too.

A moment later, Xiao Yao came to his senses and froze as well, though he didn't show any surprise.

I can defend myself unconsciously. Is that my body's instinct, or the effect of No-Self?

"Ying, ying, ying!"

The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox's long, well-built limbs flailed forward, claws bared. It looked pretty dangerous.

But paired with that silly-looking fox face, which seemed to be grinning foolishly, Xiao Yao couldn't help wondering whether the thing was really capable of hurting anyone.

Seeing this, Xiao Xueyu seemed to remember something. "Young Clan Leader, I don't think the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox is trying to attack you. It seems to think you're one of its kind."

"One of its kind? But I'm human!" Xiao Yao asked, baffled.

Xiao Xueyu shook her head. "I'm not sure. That's just my guess, based on a fox spirit pet I kept years ago."

Xiao Yao gave a slight nod. He hadn't expected Xiao Xueyu to come up with a reliable explanation anyway.

He looked at the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox. Its fur was unbelievably soft, smooth, and glossy, and it was beautiful and adorable. A tender feeling stirred in his heart.

He also noticed that the fox had pursed its little mouth, its red eyes misted with tears. Its limbs no longer flailed as they had before. It looked like a wronged little wife who'd suffered some terrible injustice.

Sensing no murderous intent, Xiao Yao relaxed a little. He lifted the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox into his arms and supported it with his left hand.

The Nine-tailed Celestial Fox lay there obediently. It even rubbed against Xiao Yao's stomach before falling asleep with a soft, steady breath.

Xiao Yao's face twitched. Was the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox just that trusting, or was it so sleepy it had decided to sleep first and ask questions later?

Either way, the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox had latched onto him for now!

Being latched onto by a divine beast of the Emperor Tier didn't seem so bad.

Whoosh!

Xiao Yao leaped up and landed on the ground above.

As soon as he steadied himself, the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox in his left arm burst into dazzling white light.

Is it evolving? Xiao Yao wondered.

The light soon shrank, and the weight in his left arm lessened considerably.

When the light vanished completely, the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox had become smaller, even more adorable and cute.

The only thing that hadn't changed was that it was still sleeping soundly, breathing softly.

Xiao Yao gently stroked the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox with his right hand. It felt so wonderful that he could hardly bear to stop.

"Young Clan Leader, our next plan is to head to Dao Origin Valley. It's suitable for all our clan members to cultivate there."

As soon as Xiao Xueyu finished speaking, Zhuo Dongxuan hurriedly added, "The members of our Mysterious Moon Society can go there too. We can travel together."

The other Mysterious Moon Society cultivators stared at Zhuo Dongxuan, wide-eyed. It was clearly a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Still, with a big shot like Xiao Yao around, they'd feel safe wherever they went.

Xiao Yao nodded. "Mm. Dao Origin Valley is also a good place to improve our strength, but I'm going to Sword Mark Peak. So, we'll meet again at the Immortal Palace!"

Zhuo Dongxuan felt as if the wind had swept her off her feet. She'd actually guessed that Xiao Yao would most likely head to Sword Mark Peak, where sword cultivators could make greater strides.

But Xiao Yao was the Young Clan Leader. He was more likely to stay with his own clan members.

Xiao Xueyu didn't ask Xiao Yao to go with them to Dao Origin Valley. She knew that neither she nor the Xiao Clan members should hold him back.

"All right! We'll meet again at the Immortal Palace!"

Xiao Yao turned to Zhuo Dongxuan, his expression serious and his tone solemn. "Which direction is Sword Mark Peak?"

Zhuo Dongxuan was speechless. She'd just thought Xiao Yao was interested in her!

She raised her slender hand and pointed toward Sword Mark Peak. "Fly about two hundred li in that direction and you'll reach it!"

"Thanks!"

Xiao Yao stepped onto the Saint Artifact, the Taiyan Sword. Before flying off on his sword, he said, "Saintess, if you and my clan members aren't going the same way after Dao Origin Valley, you don't have to stay with them."

"Also, please look after my clan members during your trip to Dao Origin Valley. I'll report everything to Society Mistress Song."

As soon as he said this, the Mysterious Moon Society cultivators, who'd been a little dissatisfied, broke into smiles.

Because if he reported it to Society Mistress Song, that meant they'd earned credit for providing protection—and could receive a reward from her.

Watching his figure grow smaller and smaller in the distance, Zhuo Dongxuan couldn't calm down for a long time.

With just two sentences, Xiao Yao had gotten the Mysterious Moon Society cultivators to protect them willingly. He was far too skilled at manipulating people!

Sword Mark Peak.

A deep, enormous sword scar ran across the front of the towering mountain.

More than ten thousand cultivators had gathered there, but there were only five thousand spots where they could receive insights from the sword scar.

Many cultivators, especially those with lower cultivation, could only wait in line.

Sea Opening Realm cultivators, on the other hand, could cut straight in.

And if they spotted a good position, they could even make the cultivator occupying it move aside.

Naturally, this all depended on being stronger than the person being asked to give up their spot.

Whoosh!

Looking down at the long line below, Xiao Yao pursed his lips. "Damn! I didn't expect there to be a line here too."

Since this was his first time here, Xiao Yao didn't know that people could cut in line.

But even if he'd known the rules, he wouldn't have cut in. In his previous life, he'd been a model student.

Before he could land, a boy of thirteen or fourteen, slightly shorter than him and dressed in blue, flew over. The boy glanced at the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox in Xiao Yao's arms.

"Kid, I've taken a liking to the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox you're holding!"

"I advise you not to be stupid. Hand it over to me right now. Otherwise, once my grandpa gets here, things won't be so easy to settle!"

Xiao Yao merely gave him a cold look. "Get lost!"

The boy in blue couldn't help smiling. The corners of his mouth lifted, as if something amusing had come to mind.

"You wretch! You stole my Nine-tailed Celestial Fox and then told me to get lost. How can anyone be so wicked? Give it back right now! At most, I'll cut off your hands and feet and gouge out your eyes for being too blind to recognize greatness. Then I'll let you go."

Xiao Yao, who'd been looking for a good spot, flew into a rage. "I said get lost! Are you deaf?"

"You wretch! How dare you yell at me? Senior brothers and sisters, come and do something about him!" the boy in blue shouted.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Three sharp sword beams shot toward them, and a man and two women appeared in front of Xiao Yao.

"Sir, hand the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox over to our Young Master at once, or don't blame us for showing no mercy."

Xiao Yao glanced at them. The man was at the third layer of the Law Condensation Realm. Of the two women, one was at the peak of the sixth layer, and the other at the peak of the ninth.

A bunch of trash. How dare they talk to him like that?

He didn't feel like wasting his breath. The Saint Artifact, the Taiyan Sword, chimed as it flew from beneath his feet into his right hand. Then he casually swung it once.

At that moment, the Sea Opening Realm cultivators below sensed Xiao Yao's cultivation.

"Holy crap! He looks like a kid, but he's already at the Sea Opening Realm Second Layer Peak!"

"He's definitely some old monster who's returned to his youth, pretending to be a child here."

"Tsk, tsk! The Heavenly Sword Society's young master is in for it!"

"This venerable one thinks it's the boy holding the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox who's in for it. The Heavenly Sword Society's Society Master is at the peak of the ninth layer of the Sea Opening Realm, after all."

Meanwhile, the sword beam Xiao Yao had unleashed poured forth, already just a hair's breadth from the four of them.

In another instant, it would kill them all.

But just then, a green sword beam shot over from the distance, accompanied by an angry shout. "You're a Sea Opening Realm cultivator, yet you're attacking my disciple and grandson? Have you no shame?"

The boy in blue and the three Heavenly Sword Society disciples had been deathly pale, but color returned to their faces. The Heavenly Sword Society's Society Master had arrived. They were sure their lives were saved!

The boy in blue glanced at the Nine-tailed Celestial Fox, which was yawning, and wanted even more to make it his own.

He hurriedly played the victim, squeezing out two tears. "Grandpa! This guy stole my Nine-tailed Celestial Fox. He even wanted to gouge out my eyes and then cut off my arms and legs!"

"How outrageous!" shouted Yu Yangbo, Society Master of the Heavenly Sword Society.

In the blink of an eye, his tall, white-haired figure appeared in front of the boy in blue.

But when he saw Xiao Yao, Yu Yangbo's heart lurched. He murmured, "How did you end up here, you god of slaughter?"