Divine Grotto

The Divine Grotto lay in the middle of a plain, where the tall grass reached a man's waist and wild wolves howled. The place was remote, with few signs of human life.

The group entered the grassland. Great wolves leapt out at them along the way as they made their way through the mugwort, wary and on guard.

The setting sun dyed the sky red, and the fiery clouds made the vast grassland seem even more desolate.

A stone mountain stretched across their path, majestic and immense. It was the only mountain on the grassland, and its presence seemed jarring. It towered above them, and halfway up its slopes was a dark cave whose depths were unknowable. It emanated an inexplicable aura.

A group of living beings had already gathered at the foot of the mountain. Every one of them was powerful, their eyes wary and their faces brimming with ferocity.

The leaders were especially extraordinary, each born with a striking appearance. There was the Nine-Headed Golden Lion, golden all over; a silver giant more than ten meters tall; and a humanoid creature with a golden horn on its head and a pair of wings on its back.

Behind each of them stood a group of followers, including many human geniuses. But now they had been subdued and reduced to servants.

"You're finally here. You took too long," the Silver-Blooded Giant said, his voice booming like a great bell and shaking the mountainside.

"Brother Little White, is that Golden Lion the one who said he'd take me as his battle pet?" Little One asked Bai Yixin beside him, pointing at the Nine-Headed Golden Lion from among the crowd.

"That's right." Bai Yixin nodded. A battle servant was no different from a battle pet.

"..." Little One's face showed a flicker of anger, along with some hesitation. On the one hand, he didn't want to cause trouble for Bai Yixin. On the other, his "bear-anger" was rising, and he wanted to teach that loudmouthed Nine-Headed Golden Lion a lesson. He asked,

"Brother Little White, can I go beat it up?"

"You can kill it if you want. I promised Huo Ling'er I wouldn't go looking for trouble, but that doesn't include you. If you decide to act, then do as I taught you: if you can launch a sneak attack, aim to kill with a single strike."

Bai Yixin was quite pleased. Though he hadn't seen Little One in a long time, the boy had grown wilder but still listened to him.

"I also want to find out what braised lion's head tastes like."

"Okay!٩(•̤̀ᵕ•̤́๑)ᵒᵏᵎᵎᵎᵎ"

Little One nodded solemnly. His eyes shone with anticipation as he watched the Nine-Headed Golden Lion, and he quietly set his power in motion, preparing to land a vicious blow.

Bai Yixin wasn't worried that Little One would lose to the Nine-Headed Golden Lion. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that, after his—no, his patient and earnest instruction—Little One was far stronger than he had been at this point in the original story.

With a surprise attack on top of that, Little One should have no trouble gravely wounding the Nine-Headed Golden Lion in a single blow.

If Bai Yixin used sword intent to ambush the lion, he was confident he could sever all nine of its heads at once.

But since he had promised Huo Ling'er, Bai Yixin naturally wouldn't act unless the other side made trouble first.

Besides, Bai Yixin was in the midst of digesting Purple Cloud Heart. He would refine it faster if he focused on it. He could fight, but it was best not to for the time being.

A cauldron could be used to make pills, and naturally it could also be used to refine medicine.

At the center of a towering platform above a vast purple-gold sea, an ancient Purple Gold Giant Cauldron sat. Inside it, a half-melted heart that resembled a purple diamond glowed with precious light. Wisps of purple mist rose from it, then liquefied and flowed down to the bottom of the cauldron, gathering into a pool of purple Spirit Liquid.

"Once I finish this medicine, eating a Golden Lion should be enough to open the seventh Heavenly Cave. That should also give my body a boost, and then I won't be far from the seventh level of Foundation Establishment." Bai Yixin thought it over.

Since the Nine-Turn Heavenly Art was a dual-cultivation method, his spiritual power and cultivation had long since reached the required level. What held Bai Yixin back from breaking through to the seventh level of Foundation Establishment was that his body still wasn't strong enough. He estimated it would take a few more days.

Bai Yixin glanced at Huo Ling'er, who was speaking with the Nine-Headed Golden Lion, the Silver-Blooded Giant, and the Feather King. He had said he would help her defy fate and change her destiny, but he didn't actually have any good ideas.

For now, all Bai Yixin could do was keep Little One and Huo Ling'er from forming a bond. If they had no connection, then their fates would naturally be different. But the real problem was that Anlan and Sin Province would capture them both. How was he supposed to deal with that? (ﾟoﾟ;?

Unless he threw himself into winning Huo Ling'er over, Bai Yixin doubted that mere words from him would persuade the Fire Emperor and Huo Ling'er to evacuate Sin Province.

Well, because of his past life, Bai Yixin already had a favorable impression of Huo Ling'er. And after meeting her, he had to admit she was as stunning as the rumors claimed. But beautiful faces were a dime a dozen, while a fascinating soul was one in ten thousand. Whether Huo Ling'er was truly right for Bai Yixin remained to be seen.

Bai Yixin had just one saying for that: let nature take its course.

If the worst came to the worst, he could simply carry Huo Ling'er and the others off. That would change her fate all the same.

"Kill!"

Above Little One's head, a volcanic crater appeared. Crimson "lava" roiled within it, and a golden treasure hovered amid dazzling rays of light before shooting out to slash at the Golden Lion.

It was the Golden Dragon Scissors Little One had obtained from a Pangolin Sacrificial Spirit. Made from two golden bones, they looked like two dragons entwined together, their sharp radiance seeming able to pierce anything and break through everything.

The Golden Dragon Scissors shot forward in an instant, roaring like dragons and serpents. All living beings trembled, unable to resist the urge to drop to their knees and submit!

The Nine-Headed Golden Lion was startled and dodged at once, transforming into a streak of Golden Light as it raced across the grassland. It darted east, then west, like a brilliant golden sea of lightning sweeping across the plain. With a series of whooshes, its light streaked across the grassland, dyeing it gold.

It burst into motion, moving at astonishing speed. With a sharp crack, the Golden Bone Shears swept past and cleaved through a stone mountain. The top half collapsed and rumbled down, raising endless clouds of dust.

"Roar..."

The lion's roar shook the sky. A string of prayer beads flew out from the Nine-Headed Golden Lion's body. They seemed to be made of gold, each bead crystal clear and gleaming. Their light fell like nine worlds descending to crush everything as they collided with the bone shears.

The thunderous clash shook the area. Divine radiance filled the air, and the aura was so overwhelming that dazzling light swallowed the grassland. Everyone shuddered, their legs trembling.

Even though the Nine-Headed Golden Lion had keen instincts and reacted in time, the treasure bestowed by its elders was still unable to fully block Little One's strike.

The Golden Lion was horrified and tried to dodge, but it was too late. Four soft thuds rang out as the four heads on its left were severed. Blood gushed from the wounds, and the heads fell to the ground.

"Who are you?! Why did you attack me?!"

The Nine-Headed Lion spat out nine flying swords, which slashed continuously and finally blocked Little One's successive attacks. It roared furiously.

These were another set of terrifying treasures, with two different forms. They shifted between sharp swords and lion fangs, shining brilliantly like nine suns descending to suppress their foes.

"Weren't you the one who said you'd take me as your battle pet? I'm here. Let's see what you can do." Little One sneered. "At this level, you're better off being my battle pet!"

Little One glanced at Bai Yixin, who had silently stepped in front of the Silver-Blooded Giant and the Feather King, blocking their path. The corner of his mouth lifted before he turned back to the Nine-Headed Golden Lion and attacked with unrestrained force.

"Little lion, get in the bowl!"

"This way's closed." Bai Yixin watched the Silver-Blooded Giant and Feather King, who seemed ready to make a move.

"You ignorant brat, you dare block my way?!"

The Silver-Blooded Giant, who had originally planned to sit back and watch the two sides fight, was hot-tempered. Seeing some random person step out and speak to him like that, he strode forward and reached for Bai Yixin with a hand as large as a winnowing basket, intent on crushing him.

Bai Yixin leapt up and threw a simple, direct punch at the Silver-Blooded Giant. His fist collided with the giant's enormous hand, and a peal of thunder rang across the sky as Runes erupted.

The Silver-Blooded Giant roared and staggered backward. Blood dripped from his enormous hand; Bai Yixin had punched straight through it.

Bai Yixin had been about to take advantage of the Silver-Blooded Giant's contempt and kick him in the head. But he changed direction and kicked the Feather King instead.

"Boom!"

As it turned out, the Feather King had also taken offense at Bai Yixin's words and seized the chance to launch a sneak attack. He flapped his wings, sending the Five-Colored Divine Feathers flying like divine arrows piercing the sky. The metallic clash rang in their ears.

"Crack!"

Bai Yixin's entire right leg glowed as golden lightning erupted from it, sweeping through the feathers with a series of clangs. In the end, he and the Feather King met in a head-on clash.

The mugwort across the grassland toppled flat as a wave of force swept over it. Many boulders went flying.

Bai Yixin fell to the ground, while the Feather King was blasted away by a tremendous force. Blood trickled from all seven orifices.

That kick had nearly killed the Feather King!

"You!" Huo Ling'er's beautiful eyes widened. Hadn't they agreed not to start trouble?

What? I didn't start anything.

I was just standing there and said, "This way's closed." That was all.

That was how Bai Yixin would have explained it.

Yes, Bai Yixin had done it on purpose. He knew the Silver-Blooded Giant and the Feather King wouldn't act because of Little One's strength. They would stand by and watch Little One fight the Nine-Headed Golden Lion, since they weren't allies. Why would they help?

Bai Yixin had appeared to keep them from interfering with Little One and merely said a few words. In truth, he was provoking these proud Primordial Remnants, making them strike first.

As far as Bai Yixin was concerned, exploring the Divine Grotto held no appeal. He'd rather kill these two Primordial Remnants and trade them to Huo Ling'er for something good.

There was only an egg inside the Divine Grotto. They could get it without the Silver-Blooded Giant and the others, couldn't they?

"Die!"

Without another word, Bai Yixin swung his leg and unleashed dozens of layers of Runes, sweeping toward the Feather King like surging waves. With a bang, his foot collided with the Feather King.

The Feather King had no time to react. He screamed as all his teeth shattered and blood poured from his mouth. His body shot through the air.

The other living beings scattered. The Feather King crashed to the ground with a bang and couldn't get back up. His jaw was broken, and he howled in agony.

Next, Bai Yixin chased down the Silver-Blooded Giant, who had realized something was wrong and tried to retreat. Golden lightning erupted all over Bai Yixin as he gave it everything he had. The sea of lightning boiled, crashing down on the Silver-Blooded Giant.

Cracks spread across the ground. A humanoid creature smashed into the earth and stones, its body convulsing as it coughed up blood and kicked up a cloud of dust.

"Awooo..."

The Silver-Blooded Giant rolled his eyes and nearly passed out. His powerful body had cracked the rocks beneath him, but he was in agony too, blood spraying from his mouth as he struggled to get back up.

But Bai Yixin grabbed him by the ankle, swung him around, and slammed him into a boulder with a crash. This time, the Silver-Blooded Giant passed out cold, cracks covering his body as silver blood flowed from his wounds.

"Done." Bai Yixin tossed the Silver-Blooded Giant and the Feather King in front of Huo Ling'er, dusted off his hands, and said,

"They're still alive. Do whatever you want with them. How much are they worth?"

As long as he didn't give them time to use their treasures, killing ordinary Primordial Remnants was easy.

Huo Ling'er had never imagined that Bai Yixin was this terrifying. The Silver-Blooded Giant and Feather King, who were on the same level as her, hadn't stood a chance against him. He'd knocked both of them unconscious in just a few moves.

"Human, give us our Feather King back!" A humanoid creature with a single horn on his head and a pair of wings on his back stepped out from among the Feather King's followers. He was of the same race as the Feather King and shouted angrily.

Bai Yixin said nothing. He struck with one palm, and Runes filled the sky as the Dao rang out. Golden lightning surged forward like a wave. With a crack, the horned, winged humanoid flew into the air and turned to charcoal.

"Oh? Anyone else want them?"

As Bai Yixin's gaze swept over them, those he looked at took a few steps back in unison, afraid to meet his eyes.

"You're really giving them to me? I don't have much to trade right now." Huo Ling'er's eyes glittered. She was a little upset that Bai Yixin had killed all the allies she'd brought, but he was all she needed.

"You can owe me for now. I trust that the Fire Kingdom Princess won't skip out on her debt." Bai Yixin wasn't surprised. Who brought that many Treasure Medicines into a Secret Realm, after all?

He had no use for them himself, and he couldn't eat them, so he might as well give them to Huo Ling'er.

As for interrogating them or killing them to extract their Treasure Techniques, there was no point even thinking about it. They would either destroy themselves or have Restrictions in place. It would be a waste of effort, and he didn't lack their arts anyway.

"Let's go in together," Huo Ling'er said, her delicate brows lifting. Her crystal-white face showed a hint of excitement. She knew this was where a deity had fallen.

Bai Yixin stopped in front of the Divine Grotto but didn't enter. Its interior was pitch-black and unfathomably deep. Mournful wails echoed from within, as if many evil spirits were crying out.

"I'm not going in. If you're going to, heed my advice: go quickly, and make sure you're out before dark." Bai Yixin warned her seriously, "I think there's something strange about this place. There's no need to take the risk. I don't think it's worth it."

"Coward!" The Fire Kingdom Princess frowned. Bai Yixin's fighting prowess had impressed her, and she had hoped he would join them. But seeing how readily he refused, she knew there was no changing his mind.

In the end, Huo Ling'er led dozens of human geniuses into the Divine Grotto. Still, she heeded Bai Yixin's advice, moved quickly, and didn't linger inside.

"How was the haul?" Bai Yixin was heating oil in a pot, preparing to cook the Golden Lion's head. He looked at Huo Ling'er as she emerged.

"An egg—the Wolf God's egg..." Huo Ling'er said, her face alight with excitement. She hadn't expected things to go so smoothly.

Beside Huo Ling'er, a cloaked figure carried a package wrapped in Beast Skin, gleaming with golden light. There was no hiding it.

"Wolves lay eggs now? How rare." Bai Yixin watched Little One, who was just about to finish off the Nine-Headed Golden Lion, and spoke without a care.