After saying those words, Bai Cang stood up and walked away.

Qiao Xuan sat kneeling on the ground, touching the golden ring around his neck. Oh no, there’s no way to escape now. If he dared to run, Bai Cang would definitely take his life.

What should he do now…

But before he could come up with a solution, Qiao Xuan felt the golden ring around his neck suddenly tighten, making it hard for him to breathe. He grabbed the edge of the ring, trying to pry it loose, but it was useless. Ahhh, is he going to die?! Didn’t they just say he was still useful for the time being?!

Tears welled up in Qiao Xuan’s eyes as he rolled off the high platform. Wait… the ring seemed to loosen a bit…

Qiao Xuan looked up at Bai Cang, who was walking farther away. When the ring tightened again, he scrambled forward a few steps, and sure enough, the ring loosened.

It seemed like he could only move within a hundred meters of Bai Cang.

Damn it!

Qiao Xuan angrily flipped Bai Cang off from behind, but grudgingly followed him.

In front of the main hall of the Demon Palace, hundreds of demonic cultivators stood in silence. When they saw Bai Cang emerge, they all knelt in reverence, chanting, “Greetings to the Demon Lord!”

The atmosphere was imposing, the killing intent almost tangible.

Kui Yuan and Ji Xiao stood at the forefront, bowing respectfully to Bai Cang.

Qiao Xuan trailed behind Bai Cang from a distance, feeling nervous. What was going on? Why did this look like they were about to stir up trouble? He didn’t want to be part of this at all, but he couldn’t move more than a hundred meters away from Bai Cang!

This guy was going to be the death of him!

Bai Cang raised his hand slightly, and the group of demonic cultivators stood up.

Bai Cang spoke calmly, “Let’s go.”

With a wave of his hand, a black flying ship appeared out of thin air. Bai Cang leaped onto the ship, followed closely by Kui Yuan and Ji Xiao, who stood on either side of him. The rest of the several hundred demonic cultivators also summoned their flying swords and took to the air.

Qiao Xuan: …

Thankfully, these demonic cultivators were well-disciplined and didn’t give him a second glance. But still, Qiao Xuan felt completely out of place. He didn’t fit into this scene at all!

Bai Cang didn’t seem to care about Qiao Xuan’s feelings though. He didn’t even spare him a look as the flying ship rose into the clouds, with the several hundred demonic cultivators following suit!

Crap! Qiao Xuan scrambled to retrieve a long-forgotten flying sword from his storage pouch and hurriedly flew after them.

One hundred meters, one hundred meters, one hundred meters!

These demonic cultivators were all experts from the Western Wasteland, and Bai Cang was on a whole other level. The group flew at an insane speed. Qiao Xuan had to give it his all just to keep up. Falling behind meant death! Of course, he had to stick close!

This wasn’t like leisurely flying around, this was a life-or-death race…

Qiao Xuan cautiously glanced at the black flying ship ahead, wondering if he could hop on and hitch a ride, so he wouldn’t have to work so hard to fly… But when he focused his gaze, he saw that Kui Yuan had turned around at some point. His eyes, as big as copper bells, were staring right at him, wide open, with drool dripping from his mouth as if he was staring at a delicious meal…

Qiao Xuan: … Never mind, flying is fine. Consider it exercise.

And so, they flew for three days and three nights.

Bai Cang sat comfortably on the flying ship, Ji Xiao stood respectfully at his side, and Kui Yuan… drooled at Qiao Xuan for the entire journey.

Qiao Xuan was utterly exhausted. He hadn’t slept a wink for three days, fearing that falling behind would be the end of him. He ate a lot of dust along the way and was tired as a dog… Finally, they arrived!

The large group came to a stop at the edge of a deep abyss. It was so dark that the bottom couldn’t be seen, like an endless pit of hell. The inside was pitch black, swirling with mist, and faint wails could be heard coming from within. Near the abyss’s edge was a stretch of grayish-white buildings, looking as if they were made from piled-up bones, eerie and cold.

After a moment, a group of demonic cultivators flew out from the white buildings.

Leading them was an old man with an immortal-like demeanor, dressed in a gray-white robe and carrying a black sword on his back. He looked kind and gentle, more like a righteous cultivator than a demonic one.

When he saw Bai Cang, he hurried forward and bowed respectfully, “Zheng Xin greets the Demon Lord.”

Qiao Xuan, hiding behind the crowd, curiously eyed the old Daoist. He looked like a good person, his name even sounded like a good person’s name—completely out of place in the Western Wasteland. Plus, his name was unique for this region. Qiao Xuan felt like he’d heard it somewhere before…

Wait, he remembered!

Isn’t this the infamous Zheng Xin from Wan Ren Sect?

That would make this place the Burial Abyss.

Qiao Xuan looked at the immortal-looking, humble old man in front of them and couldn’t help but sneer inwardly. He’d heard of this old demon back when he was Qing Xun. Zheng Xin had a reputation for being a treacherous and vile scoundrel, tricking countless people with his righteous appearance. Eventually, his true nature was revealed, and no one fell for his tricks anymore.

This old demon had some skills though. Nine hundred years ago, he was already a prominent figure in the Western Wasteland, ruling over this Burial Abyss. No wonder he was still alive.

Back then, Zheng Xin had an even bigger reputation than Bai Cang. But now, he was bowing and scraping before him—proof that in the Western Wasteland, strength was the ultimate authority.

Qiao Xuan wondered what Bai Cang was doing here. Judging by the tension, it didn’t look like he came for a friendly chat…

Zheng Xin, clearly aware that Bai Cang’s visit wasn’t amicable, trembled slightly and put on a fawning smile, nervously explaining, “Regarding the Yin Ming Stones I was supposed to deliver this month, I’ve had my men working day and night to mine them. But recently, we were attacked by a beast, which is why I couldn’t deliver the stones to the Holy Palace on time. I beg the Demon Lord for forgiveness and a few more days to make it right.”

The Burial Abyss bordered the demon-beast territories, and the beasts and demonic cultivators often clashed, so it wasn’t unheard of for beasts to attack.

Bai Cang glanced at him, the corners of his lips lifting slightly, his voice chilly, “Oh? What kind of beast dares to steal from me?”

Zheng Xin’s face twisted with fear, his expression pitiful. “It seemed… it might have been related to the Snow Mountain Beast Lord…”

Bai Cang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Ji Xiao took a step forward, sneering, “Zheng Xin, the Snow Mountain Beast Lord guards the boundary of Yin and Yang, hundreds of thousands of miles from here. He usually doesn’t meddle in outside affairs. If you’re going to make excuses, at least make them believable.”

Zheng Xin quickly tried to explain, “Please, Left Envoy, don’t be angry. I was just guessing. I can’t be sure. It’s just that the creature that attacked us resembled the evil flood dragon under the Snow Mountain Beast Lord…”

Qiao Xuan, watching the exchange from the safety of the crowd, had no intention of getting involved in this scheming conversation.

But what kind of powerful figure was this Snow Mountain Beast Lord? He hadn’t heard of them before.

Kui Yuan, impatient after failing to spot Qiao Xuan, wiped the drool from his mouth and bellowed, “Where’s this evil flood dragon then? How dare it ruin my lord’s plans! I’ll eat it whole. I haven’t had anything decent to eat lately!”

As he spoke, his stomach grumbled loudly, as if to emphasize his hunger.

Cold sweat beaded on Qiao Xuan’s forehead, and he stealthily tried to make himself even less noticeable.

Zheng Xin, visibly terrified of Kui Yuan, shrank back, his face twisted with worry. “I… I don’t know where it is…”

Kui Yuan grabbed Zheng Xin by the collar, spraying spit all over his face as he shouted, “Take me to where it happened!”

Zheng Xin’s face paled, and he trembled as he stammered, “Right-Right Envoy, please… Please put me down, and I’ll take you and the Demon Lord there right away…”

Ji Xiao stepped in, placing a hand on Kui Yuan’s shoulder, his lips curling into a smile. “Calm down. Let’s go take a look first.”

Kui Yuan, though hot-headed, always listened to Ji Xiao. Reluctantly, he let Zheng Xin go.

Zheng Xin, looking like a pitiful figure, climbed to his feet. His imposing demonic aura from before was completely gone. Even Qiao Xuan couldn’t help but feel sorry for him for a brief second.

Shaking, Zheng Xin led the way as they walked along the edge of the Burial Abyss. Inside the abyss, steps had been carved into the rock walls, forming a precarious staircase. Each step was made from cut stone slabs, driven deep into the wall. From below, the sound of metal clashing rang out faintly—it seemed miners were hard at work.

Yin Ming Stones were unique to the Burial Abyss, a special material that was incredibly difficult to mine. Sometimes, miners would fall into the abyss, never to be heard from again, swallowed by the darkness.

As they walked, Zheng Xin pointed ahead, speaking in a low voice, “It happened right there. We were about to transport the Yin Ming Stones when we were attacked by the beast. The stones we had mined also fell into the abyss…”

Everyone looked ahead.

Sure enough, there were signs of a struggle. A section of the staircase had been destroyed, and a deep claw mark marred the rock wall, left by what appeared to be a large creature.

So far, it looked like Zheng Xin was telling the truth. It seemed they had indeed been attacked by a beast…

Zheng Xin kept his head low, speaking timidly, “This place is dangerous. Maybe we should head back…”

Bai Cang seemed to consider his words, then smiled and said, “Sure.”

They began to walk back up the stairs. But before they got far, a rustling sound echoed from the rock crevices. Within seconds, the sound grew louder, and a flock of red-eyed vultures burst out of the cracks, swarming the sky like a black curtain, blocking out the sun!

Zheng Xin screamed in terror, “The beast is back!”

Then he turned and ran!

In the confusion, Zheng Xin seemed to stumble and fall off the stairs, heading straight into the abyss. But then, a vulture swooped down, and Zheng Xin landed on its back, steadying himself. From a distance, the fear on his face disappeared, replaced by a cold, calculating gaze as he looked at Bai Cang’s group.

At the same time, a massive centipede covered in scales crawled out from the crevices…

Qiao Xuan’s face turned white as he stared at the huge centipede…

What evil flood dragon? It was clearly a centipede demon! This was a trap!

Qiao Xuan grew anxious, instinctively looking toward Bai Cang, but Bai Cang’s expression remained calm. Ji Xiao looked equally composed. Only Kui Yuan was enraged, pointing at Zheng Xin and cursing, “You bastard! You dared to lie to me!”

Qiao Xuan: …

This guy’s really got a food-for-brains level of intelligence.

Zheng Xin, staring at Bai Cang from a distance, felt a flicker of doubt seeing the Demon Lord so unbothered.

He had long been dissatisfied with Bai Cang’s dominance, so he’d allied with the centipede demon, luring Bai Cang into his territory. If they succeeded in killing Bai Cang, wouldn’t the Demon Lord’s throne be his for the taking?

The thought made Zheng Xin’s earlier hesitation disappear, replaced by a growing fervor. He had to kill Bai Cang!

The flock of vultures charged toward Bai Cang!

The centipede demon, with its hard, nearly indestructible scales, plowed through the demonic cultivators like a juggernaut. Ordinary attacks couldn’t even scratch it. The demonic cultivators were clearly at a disadvantage, while Bai Cang’s forces struggled to hold them back.

Kui Yuan fought furiously, smashing vultures left and right. Ji Xiao, his weapon a black silk ribbon, swung it with deadly precision, slicing through vulture after vulture.

Vulture corpses rained down.

Concerned for his own life, Qiao Xuan discreetly inched closer to Bai Cang… positioning himself right behind him, using Bai Cang as a shield…

Bai Cang was the strongest here, so hiding behind him was definitely the safest option. If Bai Cang somehow died, then Qiao Xuan could seize the moment to escape…

The only problem was that the stairs were quite narrow, so he had to stand up straight to avoid bumping into Bai Cang’s back.

Qiao Xuan held his breath, trying to make himself as invisible as possible…

The battle raged on ahead.

Qiao Xuan’s heart pounded wildly in his chest, both nervous and anxious. As much as he disliked Bai Cang, he hoped he could hold out through this wave of attacks. After all, if Bai Cang died, escaping would be a real challenge…

Just then, a half-dead vulture dropped right next to Qiao Xuan’s feet. Its wing and talons clutched the stairs, still struggling and trying to bite him. Without changing his expression, Qiao Xuan calmly kicked the dying bird off the stairs. Even though they were both birds, if this one wanted to eat him, then there was no room for sympathy.

After kicking the bird off, Qiao Xuan looked up, only to find Bai Cang staring back at him.

Qiao Xuan: …

Forcing a smile, Qiao Xuan awkwardly cleared his throat, “You’re busy, don’t worry about me.”

Bai Cang’s lips curled in a sneer, his violet eyes glinting with amusement. This little celestial really had no dignity as someone from the heavens. He’d resisted Bai Cang earlier, but now that danger loomed, he didn’t seem to mind hiding behind a demonic cultivator.

Bai Cang let out a cold chuckle and turned back.

Qiao Xuan could feel the disdain, but for the sake of survival, that was a small price to pay.

His thoughts were interrupted by the centipede demon, which was getting closer. That thing was so gross, and it was almost here!

Just as the centipede demon was within a hundred meters, Bai Cang, who had remained still until now, suddenly moved. A long black blade appeared in his hand, and with a single, effortless slash, he put the blade away and stood calmly in place.

Qiao Xuan’s heart was in his throat…

The centipede demon kept charging forward. When it was just ten meters away…

With a loud snap, the demon’s hard body was sliced in two, its massive frame plummeting into the Burial Abyss below.

At the same time, Ji Xiao’s black silk ribbon extended a hundred meters, swirling through the air and shredding the flock of vultures into nothingness.

As for Kui Yuan, after smashing a few vultures at the start, he realized he was the slowest, so he slunk off to a corner and started munching on some of the vultures, grumbling about how sour and nasty the meat was.

Damn, there’s someone else slacking off like me! Qiao Xuan’s expression was complicated.

The battle ended faster than expected. The overwhelming assault was dealt with in the blink of an eye, the vultures reduced to lifeless corpses…

Qiao Xuan finally relaxed, carefully trailing after Bai Cang as they made their way up.

A short while later, Zheng Xin was dragged back by Ji Xiao and thrown at Bai Cang’s feet.

The old Daoist sobbed pitifully, his voice filled with anguish, “Demon Lord, please spare me! I was forced into this! The centipede demon threatened to eat me if I didn’t comply. I had no choice, I was helpless…”

He cried and begged for mercy, but Bai Cang remained unmoved, his expression cold and indifferent. His eyes were like looking at a dead man.

Zheng Xin, realizing his pleas were futile, rolled his eyes toward Qiao Xuan.

He had noticed Qiao Xuan earlier—not because the youth was particularly good-looking, but because he radiated celestial energy, clearly not from the Western Wasteland. Bai Cang had kept this celestial around, even protecting him in battle. The boy must be important to him. And, most importantly, he seemed kind!

Everyone knew that celestial cultivators were full of compassion!

They wouldn’t let someone die!

Desperation giving way to hope, Zheng Xin crawled toward Qiao Xuan, crying, “Young Master, please help me explain to the Demon Lord! I didn’t mean to do this, I was forced into it…”

His pitiful wails were full of sincerity, making him seem like nothing more than a poor, oppressed old man. And he was so old—who could bear to see an elder like this cry? Anyone with a sense of respect for the elderly would probably lend a hand, right?

Qiao Xuan’s face softened with sympathy. He leaned forward slightly, as if about to help Zheng Xin up.

A flash of cunning crossed Zheng Xin’s eyes, and just as Qiao Xuan bent down, he lunged, clawing at him with his hand!

But Qiao Xuan’s lips curled into a smirk—I’ve been waiting for you to make a move! Twisting his waist sharply, he spun ninety degrees and darted behind Bai Cang!

Ha, dodged you!

Let’s see you try to mess with that!

Zheng Xin’s hand swiped at nothing but air. Not only did he fail to grab Qiao Xuan, but his claw grazed Bai Cang’s robe. His face turned pale as he stared in disbelief at Qiao Xuan, furious and about to shout—

But he never got the chance. Bai Cang raised his hand, gripping Zheng Xin by the throat. With a snap, Zheng Xin’s head lolled to the side, his eyes wide open, staring at Qiao Xuan in disbelief. Even in death, he couldn’t comprehend why Qiao Xuan had done this.

Why hadn’t he saved him?

Qiao Xuan’s expression was icy. Seriously, you actually expected me to save you?

At the very least, I’m a native of the Western Wasteland. Did you really think I was some aloof celestial who doesn’t understand the ways of the world? I’ve seen this trick a hundred times. I knew you were planning to grab me and use me to threaten Bai Cang.

Back in the Heavenly Realm, I was caught by Bai Cang because I was unprepared, and he’s way too powerful. But now that I’m ready, do you think I’d let an old demon like you catch me? You must be joking.

Besides, Bai Cang isn’t Hua Lan. He wouldn’t hesitate to abandon me if it meant saving himself.

If you had succeeded in capturing me, I would have been dead for sure. So, you want me to die? No thanks, I’d rather let you die first.

Qiao Xuan stepped out from behind Bai Cang and looked down at Zheng Xin’s lifeless body, completely unmoved. In fact, he felt like clapping. If this were an ordinary mortal from the Western Wasteland, maybe he would’ve hesitated. But someone like Zheng Xin, an old demon, was definitely no good guy. His death was well-deserved, and Qiao Xuan felt no sympathy at all.

Especially since the old demon had just tried to screw him over!

With the crisis averted, Qiao Xuan began discreetly inching away from Bai Cang, trying to distance himself…

But just as he moved, something felt off.

Qiao Xuan looked up and found Bai Cang staring at him, amusement dancing in his violet eyes. He must’ve been watching for a while. The corners of his lips curled into a mocking smile as he spoke coolly, “Were you just using me?”

Qiao Xuan: …

Let me explain! It’s not what it looks like!

Author’s Note: Hehehe, let the unmasking begin~

There will be 200 random red envelopes for this chapter, muah~

Qiao Xuan: I can’t believe I’m not the only one slacking off here… My feelings are complicated.

Kui Yuan: So sour, so bad… bleh bleh bleh. Waaa, Little Cutie, let me have a bite. drooling.jpg drooling.jpg drooling.jpg

Qiao Xuan: …Get lost [exploding].

Bai Cang steps on Kui Yuan’s head: Touch my person, and you’re asking to die.

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