Walking Together

Over the next few days, the two of them traveled together, hunting demonic beasts within the secret realm.

Deep within the secret realm, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was so rich that it had almost materialized into a physical form.

This was the core area of the Tianyuan Secret Realm, known as the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, a habitat for countless powerful demonic beasts.

Rolling mountains and towering ancient trees dominated the landscape. Each tree was hundreds of years old, with trunks so thick it would take over a dozen people to embrace them. The canopy blotted out the sky and the sun, slicing the sunlight into countless fragmented spots that scattered across the dead-leaf-covered ground.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and demonic aura, the lingering traces of countless slaughters between cultivators and demonic beasts.

However, rather than calling them companions, it was more accurate to say that Bai Qianqiu was dragging along a dead weight.

Ye Xuan acted entirely like a young master who had come to the secret realm for a sightseeing tour.

When facing ferocious demonic beasts, he would always lazily hide in the back.

At this moment, Bai Qianqiu was engaged in a fierce battle with a mid-Nascent Soul stage Crimson Flame Demonic Ape.

Standing thirty feet tall, the demonic ape was covered in crimson fur, each strand resembling burning flames. Its eyes were like two blood-colored gems, radiating a bloodthirsty glint.

The Crimson Flame Demonic Ape beat its chest with both fists, letting out a deafening roar. The surrounding trees shook violently from the soundwaves, causing leaves to fall like rain.

Bai Qianqiu stood with her sword in hand, her eyes calm and focused.

Vertical Sword Art, Army Breaker!

Bai Qianqiu shouted sharply, her figure darting forward like lightning. Her speed was so incredible that she left a series of afterimages in the air, making it impossible to distinguish her true body. The sword light was like a bolt of silver lightning, thrusting straight toward the demonic ape's throat.

Clang!

The demonic ape reacted incredibly fast, crossing its arms in front of its chest to defend itself. The tip of the sword pierced its arm, producing a loud ringing sound like clashing metal, sending sparks flying in all directions.

What tough skin! Bai Qianqiu frowned slightly.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Ye Xuan's lazy voice drifted over from behind her:

That Army Breaker move was executed decently, but the sword intent wasn't condensed enough. Look, you should compress the sword qi into a single point instead of spreading it out. Only then can you break through its defense.

He spoke logically and clearly, as if he were truly a swordmaster.

Bai Qianqiu's mouth twitched, and she barely resisted the urge to turn around and stab him.

Right at that moment, the demonic ape seized the opportunity to counterattack. It suddenly opened its massive maw, spewing a ball of scorching fire that lunged at Bai Qianqiu like a fire dragon.

Horizontal Sword Art, Severing Flow!

Bai Qianqiu swept her sword horizontally, unleashing a streak of silver sword qi across the air that cleaved the flames in two. The sword qi continued with unabated momentum, slashing directly into the demonic ape's chest and leaving a wound so deep that bone was visible.

Stung by the pain, the demonic ape grew even more frenzied. It pounded the ground with its fists, causing the entire earth to quake. Countless massive boulders erupted from the ground, shooting toward Bai Qianqiu like cannonballs.

Bai Qianqiu's figure flickered as she wove through the gaps between the boulders. Her swordplay grew faster and faster, the sword light forming a silver waterfall that enveloped the demonic ape.

Not far away, a few passing rogue cultivators witnessed this scene.

Look! That's Bai Qianqiu from the Sword God Palace!

Heavens, she's actually fighting a Crimson Flame Demonic Ape one-on-one! That's a mid-Nascent Soul stage demonic beast!

As expected of the Holy Maiden of the Sword God Palace, this swordplay is simply divine!

The rogue cultivators hid in the distance, their eyes filled with envy and awe.

Huh? Who is that man in white hiding in the back?

It looks like... Ye Xuan? That Soft Rice King?

Damn, it really is him! Why is he here?

Can't you see? Bai Qianqiu is risking her life in the front, and he's watching the show from the back!

Tsk, tsk, tsk, truly worthy of being the Soft Rice King, he's leeching off Bai Qianqiu again!

The rogue cultivators whispered among themselves, their eyes full of disdain and jealousy.

The battle reached a white-hot stage. Bai Qianqiu's sword moved faster and faster, while the demonic ape's attacks became increasingly furious. The entire battlefield was shrouded in sword qi and flames, forming a massive energy storm.

Suddenly, a massive Ironclad Rhino charged over, viciously ramming toward Ye Xuan.

The rhino had been attracted by the commotion of the battle. It was enormous, standing a full twenty feet tall, and its entire body was covered in thick iron armor, with every plate gleaming with a metallic luster.

The rhino's speed was incredibly fast, like an out-of-control chariot, ploughing a deep trench into the ground wherever it passed.

Surrounding trees were smashed to splinters, and giant boulders were sent flying. The whole scene looked like the world was collapsing.

Watch out! Bai Qianqiu cried out in alarm. She wanted to fall back to help him but was entangled by the demonic ape.

The rogue cultivators hiding in the distance also saw this scene.

It's over! That Soft Rice King is going to be crushed to death!

Serves him right! Who told him not to fight properly and just hide in the back!

Look! Why isn't he dodging?

Ye Xuan didn't even try to dodge, allowing the rhino to crash right into his body.

He even yawned, looking thoroughly bored.

Clang!

A loud crash rang out like clashing metal.

The rhino's horn snapped, sending fragments flying everywhere.

The rhino, weighing thousands of pounds, was unexpectedly sent flying backward by the rebound force, crashing heavily into the ground and smashing out a massive crater.

Ye Xuan, however, merely patted the dust off his clothes, completely unharmed.

Faintly, a layer of pale golden light could be seen flowing across the surface of his body. The light wasn't blinding, but it gave off a feeling of absolute indestructibility.

What?

The rogue cultivators' eyes widened in disbelief, unable to trust what they had just seen.

He... he actually tanked the charge of an Ironclad Rhino head-on?

That's enough power to shatter a mountain peak!

What kind of physique is this? This is too monstrous!

The rogue cultivators were so shocked they were rendered speechless.

Bai Qianqiu was also taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered. She had long guessed that Ye Xuan was not simple, and now her suspicions were merely confirmed.

The next moment, dozens of Wind Demon Wolves swarmed in to attack.

These Wind Demon Wolves were pack-dwelling demonic beasts, and every single one of them possessed a mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivation.

They had slender builds, covered entirely in cyan fur, and their eyes flickered with a ghostly green light. The most terrifying aspect was their speed; they were as fast as gusts of wind, making it simply impossible for anyone to track them.

Awooo!

Dozens of Wind Demon Wolves lunged from all directions, forming an airtight encirclement. Their sharp claws gleamed with a cold light, each swipe capable of tearing through steel.

Oh no!

Bai Qianqiu's expression changed. She wanted to rescue him, but it was already too late.

The rogue cultivators also watched the scene nervously.

It's really over this time! Surrounded by so many Wind Demon Wolves, even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator would meet their end!

That Soft Rice King is dead for sure!

However, what happened next made everyone's eyes widen.

Ye Xuan's figure instantly became illusory. Like a fish entering the sea or a bird returning to the forest, he wove freely through the dense barrage of attacks without a single leaf touching his body.

His movement technique was incredibly profound. Every step landed in the most perfect position, and every dodge was executed flawlessly. Out of all the Wind Demon Wolves' attacks, not a single one managed to touch the corner of his clothes.

Even more miraculously, his figure left behind a series of afterimages as he moved.

These afterimages were so lifelike that the Wind Demon Wolves couldn't distinguish the true body from the illusions.

My god... what kind of movement technique is this?

It's too fast! I can't even see his movements clearly!

"This... could this be the legendary Kunpeng's Carefree Wander?"

The jaws of the several rogue cultivators nearly dropped to the ground in shock.

A Wind Demon Wolf took advantage of the gap in Ye Xuan's evasion to launch a sneak attack from the side. Its speed was extremely fast, its sharp claws heading straight for Ye Xuan's throat.

Ye Xuan frowned slightly, seemingly a bit impatient.

With a casual wave of his hand, a pale golden sword qi slashed out from his fingertips.

The sword qi appeared very thin, only about the thickness of a strand of hair, yet it exuded a terrifyingly oppressive aura. Wherever the sword qi passed, the space slightly distorted, emitting a hissing sound.

"Pfft!"

The Wind Demon Wolf's body was instantly split in two. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, without a single drop of blood spilling out. It lost its life before it could even process what had just happened.

Not only that, but the sword qi continued forward with unabated momentum, slicing all the trees and boulders along its path in half. Finally, after flying for hundreds of meters, the sword qi slowly dissipated.

The rogue cultivators gasped in horror, backing away in fright.

"What... what kind of sword qi is this? This is way too terrifying!"

"A single streak of sword qi can slay a late-stage Nascent Soul demonic beast?"

"And he just waved his hand casually! If he used his full strength, how powerful would he be?"

The rogue cultivators were too shocked to speak.

Only then did they realize that the man before them, known as the Soft Rice King, was definitely not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

As night fell, Bai Qianqiu and Ye Xuan made camp in a cave.

The cave was not large but very dry. Some glowing moss grew at the entrance, providing a faint illumination.

Ye Xuan started a campfire at the entrance and began preparing the spirit fish.

His technique was extremely skilled, every movement precise and perfectly executed. When scaling, the fish scales drifted down like snowflakes; when gutting, the organs were removed intact without puncturing the gallbladder in the slightest; when marinating, various precious spirit herb powders were evenly sprinkled over the fish.

Before long, a rich, roasted aroma filled the air. The fish skin was golden and crispy, while the meat was tender and juicy.

The scent was so enticing that it drew the surrounding small animals to peek out. A few bold spirit rabbits even quietly approached the cave, hoping to get a share.

Bai Qianqiu elegantly finished her last bite, sticking out her tongue to lick the grease from the corner of her lips. A hint of amusement appeared in her eyes as she looked at Ye Xuan:

"Your cooking skills are quite good, Soft Rice King."

Her tone carried a hint of teasing, but her eyes shone with satisfaction.

After eating Ye Xuan's cooking for the past few days, she had almost forgotten what inedia felt like.

"Crack."

The branch in Ye Xuan's hand snapped.

He snapped his head up, visible annoyance in his eyes: "Can you stop calling me the Soft Rice King?!"

Seeing him bristle with anger actually put Bai Qianqiu in a great mood.

She propped her chin on one hand. The firelight reflected on her breathtakingly beautiful profile, adding a touch of bewitching charm.

She found that teasing Ye Xuan was a very amusing pastime.

On the surface, this man seemed cynical and carefree, but in reality, he had many hidden sides.

Over the next few days, gloomy winds blew through the secret realm, and murderous intent lurked everywhere.

As the two traveled along, whether it was rare thousand-year spirit herbs or companion spirit ores guarded by demonic beasts, Ye Xuan couldn't even be bothered to bat an eyelid at them.

At this moment, they arrived at a place called the Medicine Valley.

This was the most densely populated area for spirit herbs in the secret realm, with precious spirit herbs growing everywhere. There were Thousand-Year Ginsengs, Ten-Thousand-Year Lingzhi Mushrooms, and various exotic flora whose names couldn't even be identified.

The air was thick with a rich medicinal fragrance; just taking a single breath made one feel the spiritual power inside their body increasing.

Bai Qianqiu pocketed a Nine-Bends Spirit Ginseng that emanated a lustrous glow. When she turned back to look at Ye Xuan, who stood with his arms crossed and a thoroughly bored expression on his face, she finally couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"The world calls you the Soft Rice King, and looking at it now, the title really isn't wrong."

She spoke with a double meaning, her eyes holding a bit of probing curiosity: "Such a great opportunity is right in front of you, yet you remain unmoved. It seems you've been fed too well on a daily basis?"

She wasn't wrong.

This Nine-Bends Spirit Ginseng was worth at least a million spirit stones. Even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator would be green with envy upon seeing it.

But Ye Xuan didn't even spare it a glance, as if it were just an ordinary weed.

"Opportunity?"

Ye Xuan lazily glanced at the spirit ginseng, as if looking at trash:

"How do these count as opportunities?"

His tone was full of disdain. In his eyes, these so-called heavenly treasures were absolute garbage compared to the things Wu Lingxiao and Zi Yao had given him.

"Compared to what the Empress bestowed upon you, they indeed don't count for much," Bai Qianqiu pointed out meaningfully.

She recalled the priceless dharma treasures and pills on Ye Xuan's person and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Although this man was called the Soft Rice King, the soft rice he was eating was truly too delicious.

Hearing this, a bone-chilling coldness suddenly flashed through Ye Xuan's originally lazy eyes. The curve of his lips was cruel and tyrannical:

"These are nothing. Just wait... Sooner or later, there will come a day when I make them spit it all out, with interest."

The chill in his tone was actually a few degrees more piercing than the gloomy winds of this secret realm.

This chill made even Bai Qianqiu involuntarily shudder.

She could feel that the hatred in Ye Xuan's heart had already seeped deep into his bones, impossible to dissolve.