"How did you do it?"
"Are you sure you didn't use any strength?"
"Several second-ranking fierce beasts, two first-ranking... Oh my heavens!" Shi Yi didn't know how to describe the scene before him; it was simply... otherworldly.
Guang Xiaoyu chuckled slyly, "You guess!"
Of course, it was skill.
Though she was no longer her former self from hundreds of thousands of years ago, lacking the incredible talent and grand Fate Energy she once possessed, she still had her combat skills.
Keen judgment, deep insight.
To her, these low-level fierce beasts were riddled with flaws. By simply seizing an opportunity and delivering a fatal blow, she could slay them.
"You couldn't possibly have a Divine Body, could you?" Shi Yi stared intently at her.
The other party smiled without replying.
The group set off again.
The second phase of Chen Pingping's training wasn't about elevating her realm but enhancing her foundation, beginning with a complete copy of the True Solar Scripture.
This was a powerful Divine Skill.
When Guang Xiaoyu saw the True Solar Scripture, her heart trembled. An indescribable sense of suffocation overwhelmed her as she stuttered, "Senior Brother? This... it couldn't be..."
It was actually a Divine Skill.
What was going on?
A mere mortal Senior Brother had casually handed her a Divine Skill.
Even in the Nine Heavens above, such a thing was exceedingly rare.
How did he have it?
Lao Huang the ox threw her a glance that clearly conveyed the word "country bumpkin."
Hei the little black dog remained as lively and carefree as ever.
The Earth Chicken was round-eyed, obviously having noticed something amiss.
This Human Clan cultivator was not normal.
"It was given by Master," Chen Pingping laughed. "What's up? Is it very powerful?"
GULP!
Guang Xiaoyu swallowed hard. "Master," again.
How could it be merely powerful? It was unbelievably heaven-defying!
Next, she found herself in a dilemma again.
The Nine Revolutions Demon God Skill was indeed formidable, but Senior Brother's True Solar Scripture and One Qi Turns into Three Clarities seemed no less impressive!
What if she stopped cultivating the demon path?
No way!
Once again, she vetoed the thought.
"Senior Brother, does our Master have any more amazing cultivation methods?" Guang Xiaoyu blinked, her mouth almost watering.
"You guess!"
"Senior Brother, just tell me!" Guang Xiaoyu leaned in, unleashing a woman's most lethal tactic: coquetry...
At that moment, she wasn't the Demon Emperor.
Chen Pingping rolled his eyes and said languidly, "If you can defeat someone with a Divine Body, I'll tell you."
On their journey, Shi Yi pondered how to obtain the Earth Chicken, becoming increasingly convinced that the bird was a Spiritual Beast.
But why didn't it run away?
Aren't Spiritual Beasts inherently proud, looking down on cultivators?
It was truly baffling!
However, it didn't matter. As long as they entered the imperial city, hmph! As a prince, I'll have plenty of opportunities to subdue it.
Guang Xiaoyu sat cross-legged on Lao Huang's back, silently comprehending the True Solar Scripture. If she opened her eyes to look at the old ox, she would have noticed something odd.
The spiritual energy fluctuations around Lao Huang were strong, but... undetectable by others.
Moreover, the old ox's steps were light and steady. Regardless of the road conditions, Guang Xiaoyu, perched on its back, had not been jostled even once.
Indeed, it was as stable as an old dog.
After several days of cultivation, she faintly touched the threshold of the True Solar Scripture. This Divine Skill was truly profound, constantly changing, seemingly even more formidable than One Qi Turns into Three Clarities.
Even with the Demon Emperor's experience of over a hundred thousand years, she found herself temporarily unable to grasp it.
Guang Xiaoyu marveled, "This is beyond anything I've ever seen or heard."
「Time passed...」
A journey which should have taken just over ten days was stretched to over a month by them.
When they arrived at the Stone Country's royal capital, it was November. Deep autumn was giving way to winter, and a piercing chill pervaded the air. It seemed likely that snow would fall before long.
Guang Xiaoyu awoke from her cultivation and surveyed the ancient city.
Shi Yi glanced at her and, sensing that her spiritual energy fluctuations had grown denser, his eyelids twitched uncontrollably. He said, "This is my home."
Having followed the pair for over a month, and having felt stifled for just as long, he could finally raise his head, though his heart couldn't help but taste bitterness.
"Not to boast, but here, I am the supreme authority," he said, casting a sideways glance at the Earth Chicken.
Unfortunately, the Earth Chicken continued to ignore him.
This made Shi Yi very displeased.
Chen Pingping asked, "You're the supreme authority? Do you have the final say?"
Satisfied with the response, he chuckled, "Of course. As long as you're not committing murder or arson, I can settle any matter for you."
"Then... you should make the Divine Body concede defeat!" Chen Pingping said with a smile.
"..."
Uh!
After all, he wasn't supreme enough.
He would still have to rely on his own efforts.
Chen Pingping's smile faded.
Seeing this, Shi Yi's expression took on a tinge of embarrassment. He hastily said, "Except for anything to do with that and with Yuan Martial Academy."
"Make way, make way... out of the way for this young master..." A haughty voice came from behind, along with a lot of other noisy clamor.
A dozen or so extravagantly dressed young men were quickly approaching.
The one who spoke was named Shangguan Yumo, a student from Yuan Martial Academy. Not only that, but his status and background were even somewhat stronger than that of the Prince of Stone Country.
He walked directly up to Guang Xiaoyu, his face cold. "Are you Guang Xiaoyu from the Wuji Sect?"
"Is there a problem?" Guang Xiaoyu frowned.
"I hear you want to challenge the Divine Body?"
"What's it to you?" Guang Xiaoyu retorted.
"Heh." Shangguan Yumo sneered coldly.
At that moment, one of the young men scrutinized her. "What a country bumpkin, riding a cow into town!"
"And there's a dog there too!"
"Um... and an Earth Chicken, hahaha..."
"That cow looks good, nice and fat. Brothers, looks like we're in for a treat tonight." The youths casually sealed the fate of Lao Huang the ox with their words.
Guang Xiaoyu was astonished. In broad daylight, under the clear skies, they were brazenly planning to eat her pet?
Such blatant disrespect for the Demon Emperor! They completely disregard my existence!
Shi Yi, standing by, looked grim.
He had just reaffirmed, "This is my home," assuring them to be at ease, but the next moment, a group from Yuan Martial Academy popped up and, right in front of him, started clamoring to eat Lao Huang the cow and the Earth Chicken...
HUM!
Shi Yi raised his hand, and a Sword Slash fell, causing the youths to stumble backward. With a cold voice, he said, "These are the pets of this Prince's friends. Who dares to eat them?"
Shangguan Yumo's face twisted with anger. "Shi Yi, you've got some nerve to strike a student of Yuan Martial Academy! Do you have a death wish?"
Shi Yi was almost amused by his words.
This was Stone Country's royal capital, and he was a Prince of Stone Country.
The lines he usually said when bullying others, almost verbatim, were now being thrown at him by an outsider scolding him in such a tone.
Damn it!
Shi Yi grew angry and was about to strike him.
"Stop!" A group of soldiers rapidly approached, led by a middle-aged general with a stern face and deep eyes, clad in golden armor and of no low rank.
The middle-aged general surveyed the scene and only then grasped the situation: the Prince had come into conflict with people from Yuan Martial Academy.
Normally, no matter who the Prince had a dispute with, he would undoubtedly have them taken away.
But if it involved Yuan Martial Academy, the matter couldn't be handled so simply.
Shi Yi barked, "General Luo, you've arrived just in time! These ruffians have the audacity to provoke me, the Prince. Arrest them immediately."
The general wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and approached Shi Yi, whispering, "Your Highness, the old dean has returned."
The former Grand State Master.
A mighty presence that even the royal family of Stone Country must fear; hence, often the royal family does not dare to meddle with Yuan Martial Academy.
Chen Pingping narrowed his eyes. He roughly understood now: within this ancient city were entities even the Stone Country royal family feared. He patted Shi Yi on the shoulder and smiled, "Don't worry, perhaps they are just joking?"
"Who's joking?" one of the youths scoffed. "Our young master is going to eat that cow today, and that Earth Chicken..."