On the land of the Primordial World, upon Softbone Prairie.
The Soft-Bone Rabbit Race, which had lived here for generations, had been rejoicing because many female rabbits had successfully given birth to a whole brood of little rabbits today. But suddenly, purple clouds filled the sky, followed by multicolored radiance and auspicious clouds of merit. The sight left this weak little race utterly dumbfounded.
Then the auspicious clouds of merit descended upon a supposedly "unoccupied" spot not far from them. The purple clouds and multicolored radiance vanished, followed by a thud that shook the earth several times. A neither loud nor quiet snoring came from that direction. This bizarre scene terrified every one of them, leaving them afraid that some danger would soon befall them.
In truth, the Soft-Bone Rabbit Race had survived to this day in the peril-ridden Primordial World, and even retained a prairie as its ancestral territory, largely because they reproduced so rapidly and their meat had a pleasant texture. Thus, many powerful factions let them live here and even actively protected them, only coming from time to time to sweep up a batch of rabbits and take them home as food.
Yes, they were being penned in and raised as food. They understood that themselves, but there was nothing they could do. Life had to go on, after all.
Now, knowing little about cultivation and possessing short lifespans, they had never even heard what those earlier manifestations signified, let alone seen them. As they listened to the snoring coming from a short distance ahead, they looked at one another, none daring to approach. Yet they could not simply ignore it either. This was their ancestral territory!
Amid their indecision and hesitation, a young woman finally emerged from the rabbits. She had taken on "half" an innate Dao body: her overall appearance was human, but her ears were still upright rabbit ears. Her name was Bai Yu. A hundred years ago, she had happened upon a Brilliant Gold Radish and eaten it, greatly increasing her magical power and becoming a Profound Immortal in one leap. Only then had she been able to take human form. She was also the strongest member of the Soft-Bone Rabbit Race at present.
"I'll go take a look. All of you, stay back," Bai Yu told the clansfolk around her.
At her words, the surrounding rabbits immediately turned and hopped away, leaving the spot to her.
It was not that they lacked loyalty. They simply truly did not dare go over there.
"Ah!" Seeing this, Bai Yu sighed. She could hardly call herself disappointed in her clansfolk. After all, their magical power really was too weak. They could not even protect themselves, so how could they investigate an unknown situation? Still, her heart ached for the Soft-Bone Rabbit Race. Why were the other races all so powerful, while they could only serve as food for them?
Bai Yu refused to accept it, but... she had no power to change it either.
The strength of a Profound Immortal was indeed respectable among the ordinary races of the Primordial World, but in the eyes of those powerful factions, it was not worth mentioning!
She took a deep breath and stopped herself from dwelling on the matter. Then Bai Yu looked toward the source of the mysterious snoring ahead, clenched her fists, and strode toward it, step by step.
With every step, her heart trembled uncontrollably. Yes, she was afraid of dying too.
But!
In the end, she still reached Gungun's side.
"Snore, snore, snore~" Gungun, who was invisible and lying on the ground fast asleep, seemed not to notice that someone had come to his side. Or perhaps he had noticed but did not care. Sleep came first. A little rabbit was not worth bothering with.
Bai Yu could not see Gungun, but she could hear his snoring. She swallowed, then crouched down and reached toward the source of the sound.
"Hm?" Suddenly, she felt something round, furry, plump, and quite soft beneath her hand. What was this?
Bai Yu felt around elsewhere. This time, her hand landed on Gungun's big belly. She even gave it a light pat and found it very springy.
"How strange. What on earth is this thing?" After touching it so many times without anything happening, Bai Yu's nervousness gradually faded,
and she wondered to herself. In the void, Houtu noticed the little rabbit's actions, but like Gungun, she paid them no mind. After all, it was only a little rabbit, nothing worth mentioning.
Then she too closed her eyes and continued contemplating the Dao.
The sun rose in the east and set in the west, day after day. Soon, half a month had passed.
That day, space rippled above the prairie. Then a handsome young man wearing purple divine armor, with a pair of dragon horns on his forehead and a basket of fruit in his hand, stepped out of it.
It was Ao Yue.
Following Taiyi's reminder, he had made a special trip to prepare some spirit fruits for Gungun before setting out. That had delayed him, which was why he had only arrived now.
And the moment he arrived, he saw something that astonished him.
Seeing straight through Gungun's invisibility spell, he spotted the big fat bear lying a short distance ahead, his limbs spread out as he slept soundly. That was nothing remarkable. The crucial thing was that a group of little rabbits were hopping about on his belly, plainly treating it as a playground. This...
Ao Yue was not quite sure what to say about it.
Still, a dignified Great Immortal was letting a group of newborn Soft-Bone Rabbits trample and play on his belly without showing the slightest anger. This fellow certainly had a good temper.
Ao Yue thought this to himself, then strode toward him.
"Squeak? Aaaah!!!" The little Soft-Bone Rabbits playing on Gungun's belly spotted Ao Yue. Their gazes lingered on the dragon horns on his forehead, and then they all took fright. They hurriedly fled, crying as they ran home.
There were also some older Soft-Bone Rabbits nearby. They too were terrified at the sight of Ao Yue.
The Dragon Race!
Even though they had already lost the right to compete for the position of the dominant race of heaven and earth, they were still supreme overlords to weak races like theirs. Had this dragon come here to catch and eat them?
At that thought, all the Soft-Bone Rabbits, young and old alike, turned and fled with astonishing speed.
Ao Yue glanced at them but paid them no mind. He walked straight to Gungun's side and waved his hand, making the grass beneath his feet perfectly clean. Then he sat down properly and set the fruit basket beside him.
"Mm?" The instant Ao Yue-or rather, the fruit basket-settled onto the ground, Gungun caught its fragrance. His nose suddenly twitched, and he made an adorably soft nasal sound.
Ao Yue paused at the sight, then turned toward the fruit basket beside him. He took out an Azure Cloud Fruit and held it before Gungun's mouth.
"Awroo~" Catching the scent, Gungun instantly opened his mouth and lifted his head slightly, biting down on the spirit fruit. Then his head dropped back onto the ground, and he began chewing in great mouthfuls. Throughout it all, his eyes remained closed.
Yes, he was eating in his sleep.
"..." At the sight, the corner of Ao Yue's eye twitched slightly. Somehow, he felt that this big fat bear was far happier than he was, despite being the Eastern Emperor's exalted protector, the Ancestral Dragon's eldest legitimate son, and the crown prince of the Dragon Race.
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