Li Xue’s Five Elements Flying Shuttle immediately manifested, shielding her body. Her divine sense had been monitoring their surroundings constantly; even without Li Lin’s warning, she had already sensed the approaching danger.
A crimson tail whipped toward her. The shuttle flashed with light, easily parrying the blow. With a flick of her finger, a streak of sword light shot toward the tail. Upon being struck, the tail sank back into the depths of the pond, followed by a series of pained howls from below.
Li Xue intended to press her advantage. From the look of it, whatever that creature was, it had not yet reached the Transformation Stage. Suddenly, a ripple of divine sense washed over her, emanating from the Yin Spirit Grass.
“Stop hitting Lord Chi Ze! If you make us angry, we’ll activate the array!” the Yin Spirit Grass squeaked, summoning its courage.
“Oh?” Li Xue said, her interest piqued. “You know how to control the array? Then why didn’t you activate it just now?”
“That… that’s because you carry the aura of the Celestial Immortal, so I didn’t!” the grass replied.
Li Xue understood now. This array had undoubtedly been laid down by that ancestor of the Bai family, the Great Luo Celestial Immortal. She observed the valley and realized that aside from "Lord Chi Ze" beneath the water, there were no other significant threats.
Li Lin and Hei Yan walked to the edge of the pond, staring into the water in contemplation. Li Xue, however, crouched down and asked the Yin Spirit Grass kindly, “We were transported here by accident. May I ask what your name is?”
“I am Ling Xiaoyin. Are you from the Bai family?” Ling Xiaoyin asked curiously. It figured that anyone associated with the Celestial Immortal wouldn't be dangerous, so its courage grew considerably.
“I have some history with the Bai family. Look, it was this jade tablet that led us here.” Li Xue showed the tablet to Ling Xiaoyin.
Evidently, Ling Xiaoyin had been lonely for a very long time since gaining sentience. It quickly explained the origins of the celestial array in great detail. Ordinarily, a spirit plant that had only recently gained sentience wouldn't possess such high consciousness. However, this Yin Spirit Grass had coincidentally saved the Great Luo Celestial Immortal, Bai Yixing, by waking him from a deep slumber. To show his gratitude, he had not only bestowed a cultivation technique upon the little grass but also gave it the Hundred Flowers Jade Celestial Dew—a rarity even in the Immortal Realm—and a Spirit Storing Ring. Consequently, the Yin Spirit Grass’s intelligence was now comparable to that of a human cultivator.
Bai Yixing, the Great Luo Celestial Immortal, was also known as the White Fiend Luo Tian, the head of the ten Great Luo Celestial Immortals. It was said that the White Fiend Luo Tian could annihilate five Great Demon Generals of the Demon Realm with a single smile. Anyone in the Immortal Realm who offended him would likewise vanish into ash at his smile. Because his surname was Bai, he was feared as the White Fiend.
As it turned out, this celestial array was meant to protect the Yin Spirit Grass. The monster in the deep pond was a Red Marsh Flood Dragon, a rare creature possessing a bloodline legacy from the God Realm. It was only one step away from transformation and had been tasked by the Great Luo Celestial Immortal to guard the grass.
*Another God Realm legacy,* Li Xue thought to herself.
Hei Yan, however, looked deep in thought. A Red Marsh Flood Dragon with a God Realm legacy from the Dragon Clan; a Yin Spirit Grass that gained sentience in only five hundred years from the Sprite Clan; plus Zi Ying of the Phoenix Clan; and himself of the Black Wolf Clan… Was his Mistress truly connected to the God Realm?
Hei Yan suddenly reverted to his form as the Black Wolf King. “Awoo!” His howl echoed through the entire valley. While it didn't affect Li Xue or Li Lin, Ling Xiaoyin trembled violently. Seeing this, Li Xue placed a defensive barrier around the grass, which finally stopped its shaking.
The deep pond suddenly erupted as a flood dragon soared into the sky. It circled once before hovering in mid-air, staring at the Black Wolf King in shock. “Black Wolf Guard? Why are you here?” it asked, its voice trembling.
Li Xue and Li Lin narrowed their eyes at the mention of the "Black Wolf Guard." It seemed Hei Yan had quite a history of his own.
Hei Yan said, “Red Marsh Flood Dragon, shall we talk?”
The dragon pondered for a long while before nodding. As for what they discussed, neither Li Xue nor Li Lin knew; they spoke in some language of the God Realm. Regardless, Li Xue decided that if Hei Yan didn't give her a satisfactory explanation later, she would throw him back into the Dream Realm and let Xiao Ming settle the score once he finished his secluded cultivation.
Li Xue had a pleasant chat with Ling Xiaoyin. The grass was simple and adorable, and Li Xue liked her very much. She truly wanted to transplant her into the Dream Realm, where it would be safer and faster for her to cultivate.
“Mistress!” Hei Yan ran over and said to Li Xue, “Mistress, A-Ze wants to become your spirit beast!”
Li Xue blinked, surprised. “You two talked for all that time just to come up with this? Why?”
Hei Yan realized he had to tell the truth now, or he wouldn't be able to fool her. “Mistress, you know the legends about the gates to the God Realm closing millions of years ago, right?” Seeing Li Xue nod, he continued, “We are descendants of the God Race who were abandoned in the lower realms. Only by following a master like you—someone who has the potential to become a god—do we have a chance to return to the God Realm. That is why Chi Ze wants to be your spirit beast as well!”
“What is this 'Black Wolf Guard' business?” Li Lin asked coldly from the side.
“Most of my Black Wolf Clan served as guardians for the divine palaces of the gods. We were known as the Black Wolf Guards, famous even in the God Realm. Since Chi Ze has a God Realm legacy, he recognized me instantly,” Hei Yan explained.
“What do I need so many spirit beasts for? I already have the Purple Phoenix,” Li Xue said.
“One can never have too many spirit beasts. Besides, Chi Ze is close to transforming; he will be a great help in the future. I just heard from him that this place is Planet Jinming, where Nascent Soul cultivators are as common as pedestrians on the street,” Hei Yan urged.
“Master, I have a gift for you!” The Red Marsh Flood Dragon scrambled back into the pond and returned a moment later, holding something in its claws which it offered to Li Xue with both hands. Li Xue looked at it suspiciously; she didn't recognize it.
“This is Red Abyss Stone! Chi Ze, you’re something else, actually hiding a treasure like this!” Hei Yan was visibly excited.
Li Xue felt a jolt of excitement as well. Wasn't the Red Abyss Stone one of the materials needed to forge Five Elements treasures? Suddenly, she felt a wave of emotion. These creatures abandoned by the God Race were willing to go to such lengths just for a chance to return home. It was heart-wrenching.
She glanced at Li Lin to seek his opinion. Li Lin’s eyes flickered, but he felt there was no harm in it and nodded.
If any other cultivator in the cultivation world saw this, they would have felt the urge to beat them. Anyone else would have fought tooth and nail for such a high-level spirit beast, yet here were Li Xue and her son, hesitating for ages.
“Then… what about me?” a tiny voice asked. It was Ling Xiaoyin, swaying her leaves.
“Can a spirit plant recognize a master too?” Li Xue asked Hei Yan, confused.
Hei Yan twitched slightly. “You can just let her live in the Dream Realm. If she wants to come out and play, she can do so at any time!”
Hearing that she could come out to play whenever she wanted, Ling Xiaoyin immediately agreed. “Then I want to go! Please take me with you! Lord Chi Ze is leaving too, and I don't want to stay here alone!”
“Master, please take her. I promised the Great Luo Celestial Immortal that I would look after her,” Chi Ze pleaded as well.
“OK, no problem!” Li Xue agreed wholeheartedly. She already liked Ling Xiaoyin and was more than happy to bring her into the Dream Realm.
Soon, Li Xue signed a spirit beast contract with the Red Marsh Flood Dragon. She looked around the valley and asked, “What about this celestial array? We can’t take it with us, can we?”
