Chapter 48

Unlike the overjoyed little cub, the overwhelming pressure belonging to the Heavenly Demon realm caused Chu Xingyun’s expression to instantly tense up.

Demonic energy billowed across the vault of heaven, making it feel as though thick, ink-black storm clouds had enveloped the entire Chu Imperial Dynasty.

There followed the sound of deafening, unbridled laughter.

How could such a demonic dragon, dangerous and terrifying, fail to put one on high alert?

Yet, judging by the cub's familiar and casual greeting, this seemed to be a dragon they already knew.

Chu Xingyun immediately thought of that deeply buried underground "secret" at the Primeval Sect—the one the elders always stammered and stuttered over when mentioned.

Viewed in that light, the origin of this black dragon was easy to guess.

However, guessing the black dragon's origin was the easy part.

What baffled Chu Xingyun was that, according to his impression, that "secret" was suppressed deep within the restrictive talismans of the Primeval Sect and should have been utterly impossible to release.

Yet now, this black dragon looked completely carefree, as if it had truly regained its freedom.

At that moment, Chu Xingyun’s spiritual sword materialized in his palm. He watched the black dragon tumbling and soaring across the horizon, only for it to arrive right above their heads in the blink of an eye, and his guard went up.

Could this black dragon have secretly broken through the restrictions, regained its freedom, and flown straight here to exact revenge?

Having been suppressed for who knows how many millennia, it must harbor a deep hatred for the Primeval Sect. Now that it was free, venting its frustrations on the Primeval Sect Leader’s only daughter would surely feel deeply satisfying.

Because of this suspicion, Chu Xingyun grew increasingly vigilant.

He felt fortunate that he had already advanced to the Great Vehicle realm, giving him the ability to contend against a Heavenly Demon powerhouse.

The black dragon let out a series of long roars, thrashing about within the pitch-black demonic energy. One could tell at a glance it was no benevolent beast. After churning above the crowd for a long time, its gaze fell upon the little fiend below who still dared to point fingers at it.

A fierce glint flashed through its eyes. It suddenly roared, thrusting its massive dragon head downward and shouting loudly, "Little imp, you didn't expect this, did you?! You didn't expect old... this seat to see the light of day again, did you?! Get up here right now! Let this seat show you how I'll deal with you."

"Come down!" The little cub neither practiced cultivation nor knew how to fly; how could she possibly go up into the sky?

Far from being frightened by the black dragon's ferocious appearance, she instead found it wonderfully fragrant. She gave her little nose a sniff and urged it to come down.

"...Do you take this seat for a fool?" Come down and get dried into dragon jerky?!

The black dragon roared loudly, "You get up here!"

"Come down!" The little cub pointed insistently, raising her voice.

"Get up here!"

"Come down!"

Chu Xingyun silently watched the two of them shouting at each other across the air, feeling that neither of them possessed an overabundance of intelligence.

"Since Senior has already broken free, you should cherish your freedom rather than making mistakes and plunging back into evil ways, harming both others and yourself." He steadied his little junior sister, who was tilting her small head and shouting with great enthusiasm, ensuring her spirit remained thoroughly unsuppressed. At the same time, he issued a gentle yet stern warning: "There are countless powerhouses in the Primeval Sect. If Senior wishes to harm my little junior sister, even if my abilities fall short today, I will surely fight you to the death. Senior would do well to consider whether the gains outweigh the losses."

He shielded the cub, steadfastly refusing to abandon her even though he knew her enemy was right before them. The black dragon could only let out a cold snort.

However, when its gaze met the cub's stubbornly thrust-out little neck, it landed on the collar of her garments.

The faint, fingernail-sized scales visible beneath the collar instantly shattered the black dragon's composure.

"Is this seat that shameful to you? Why must you hide the Black Dragon's Heart-Protecting Armor inside your clothes?"

Why not hang it on the outside?

Was wearing armor embedded with black dragon scales something to be deeply ashamed of?

Chu Xingyun fell into deep contemplation, wondering if the black dragon’s head had been scrambled back when it was suppressed.

What kind of situation was this, having water in one's brain?

"Sigh." The little cub shook her head and sighed, thinking to herself how she always felt a sense of intellectual superiority when facing the black dragon. At that moment, the black dragon roared and vanished back into the thick demonic energy overhead.

Suddenly, a remarkably tall and handsome man materialized right before the two of them.

The man had long hair like raven feathers, fair and handsome features, and an extremely slender, tall build. He wore crisp, fitted black attire that made him look lithe and graceful.

His aura was extraordinarily abstruse. The entire person seemed composed of only two colors: black and white. The pitch-black garments contrasted against his exceptionally fair complexion, yet casting a single glance at him gave one the eerie sensation of spawning demonic thoughts within.

The man appeared, stepped forward, and raised his head with a cold snort.

Chu Xingyun tightened his grip on his spiritual sword and took two steps back, only to see the black-clad man flick his wrist and toss over a jade slip.

Immortal-grade spiritual energy suffused the jade slip—it carried the aura of the Azure Dragon Grand Elder, Ao Qing.

Seeing that it was Ao Qing’s jade slip, Chu Xingyun reached out and caught it. Sweeping his divine sense across the slip, a look of profound astonishment crossed his face.

"Senior is..."

According to Ao Qing’s jade slip, this black dragon, Ao Xin, was a demonic dragon of the Heavenly Demon realm. He had been suppressed within the Primeval Sect’s restrictions for many years and had once been severely affected by the lingering evil intent of the God-Demon Tomb, making him extremely dangerous.

However, he was kept in check by the cub, and his fundamental dragon nature wasn't entirely evil.

Now that Yu Youyou and Chu Xingyun were traveling outside, where it was not as safe as the Primeval Sect, Ao Qing had released the black dragon and sent him to the cub's side to serve as a lackey... and protector.

After all, a Heavenly Demon powerhouse was no different from an Immortal-grade entity. With him around, even if interested parties discovered that the cub was a descendant of the Gong family or even guessed that her bloodline talent was peerless, they would not dare to lay a hand on her.

Otherwise, Ao Xin was certainly not someone to be trifled with.

Kept in check.

Chu Xingyun pondered the implications of those words in his mind.

A chubby little dumpling actually managed to keep a Heavenly Demon powerhouse in check.

If anyone else had said such a thing, it would sound like a complete joke.

Yet, observing how Ao Xin avoided Yu Youyou's line of sight, he didn't find it strange at all.

Back then at the Gong family estate, even Grand Elder Ao Qing had been subdued and rendered immobile by the cub, let alone the black dragon before them.

His only worry was whether Ao Xin would truly, as Ao Qing hoped, earnestly fulfill his promise to Ao Qing and protect Yu Youyou after being released from the restrictions.

Didn't ordinary fiends usually trick people into releasing them, only to immediately scrap all promises and run away?

Wasn't Ao Qing afraid that Ao Xin would flee?

That, of course, was because... he couldn't run.

Facing Chu Xingyun’s probing and scrutinizing gaze, Ao Xin tried to look completely unconcerned, while internally suffering immensely... That thousand-slash Azure Dragon, Ao Qing!

To this day, every time he thought about how Ao Qing had violently hauled him out of the restrictions by his tail, his tail still ached.

The dragon had been sleeping quite soundly in the restriction, still feeling pleased that the little fiend going out meant fewer risks and a chance to catch up on some good sleep. But who could have predicted that shortly after, he'd be hauled up by the tail and ordered to protect the little fiend... Who wanted freedom?!

Even if he wanted freedom, it would be a freedom far, far away from the little fiend, rather than being sent over to act as this little creature's bodyguard, stuck with her every single day. Who could possibly endure that?

While cursing dragons in his heart, Ao Xin maintained an arrogant expression on the outside.

"Got it now? Ao Qing knew you were puny and didn't trust you, so he told me to keep an eye on her. Listen here, I am not a dragon with a good temper, I'm telling you..."

The scheming black dragon was even trying to drive a wedge in their master-disciple relationship.

"Is Junior Sister still hungry?" Chu Xingyun lowered his head and asked the cub in his arms.

The little cub nibbled on the tip of her finger, staring straight at Ao Xin and smacking her lips.

The man's arrogant expression abruptly froze.

"This junior's abilities indeed fall short when facing an Immortal-grade powerhouse. Now that Senior has graced us with your presence to protect my little junior sister, this junior is immensely grateful," Chu Xingyun said gently to Ao Xin. "It's just that my little junior sister is young and innocent, and cannot endure frights. I ask Senior to treat her gently."

This was clearly a polite way of saying: No overbearing tyrants wanted here, please be a gentle, caring big brother instead. Ao Xin’s mouth twitched slightly. He wanted to let out a couple of snorts, but catching sight of the cub's wide, round eyes, he muttered softly, "This seat is naturally gentle."

He unconsciously recalled the words Ao Qing had spoken to him before he left the restriction.

"Ao Xin, you once resented me for suppressing you, but no matter what, I must tell you: I have never regretted suppressing you that day. You had already fallen into a demonic obsession at the time, yet it was not your true heart's desire. If I had waited until you committed a monstrous crime before fighting you to the death, your true heart would likely have been consumed by the slaughter and extreme agony of your actions, and you would have been beyond redemption."

The green-robed man had looked at him and shaken his head, saying, "Releasing you now is not solely for Youyou's sake. You and I grew up together; as long as your demonic thoughts fade, how could I ever wish to see you trapped in a prison? Now that you have regained your freedom, it is also for me to see whether you have truly dispelled the evil intent from the God-Demon Tomb of yesteryear. Ao Xin, do not let me down."

Those earnest exhortations and trust from that person were still vivid in his mind.

Ao Xin paused for a moment, then spoke to Yu Youyou, who was currently sniffing at him with her little nose: "You saved Ao Qing's life. This seat will repay you in the future."

"Huh?" The cub looked bewildered.

She was the one who saved her martial grand-uncle, so why was Ao Xin the one paying her back?

"That fellow... was once my only friend. You saved my friend, so I owe you." The black-haired man let out a cold snort, curling his lip, clenching his fists, and saying grimly, "Even if Ao Qing is to be slaughtered, it has to be done by my own hands. He is not allowed to die by anyone else's."

Such was his hatred that he wouldn't even let others avenge him.

The cub understood. She nodded her small head and looked at Ao Xin with an understanding gaze.

Understood!

She nodded her little head in a very proper manner.

"So Senior is here to protect my little junior sister?"

"What else? She..." This wasn't the Primeval Sect's restriction, and Ao Xin didn't wish to say too much lest an Immortal-grade powerhouse was eavesdropping. He frowned and said, "A Primeval Sect Leader's daughter being dragged around by a little, puny Great Vehicle cultivator like you—that Yu fellow must really be sleeping soundly!"

Weren't they afraid this cub would be snatched away by some powerhouse?

Chu Xingyun instantly thought of the Golden-Hook Immortal-grade entity he had faced that day. He tightened his grip on Yu Youyou and did not refute Ao Xin's words.

He truly needed to become... stronger in order to protect the people he wished to protect.

"Older Brother... is good!" The little cub refused to listen to anyone looking down on her wonderful, wonderful senior brother, and loudly argued back.

Chu Xingyun helplessly rubbed her little head.

In truth, he felt that every single word Ao Xin said was correct.

Everyone called him a genius and a young hero, but in reality, when speaking of the entire cultivation world, his meager cultivation was not worth mentioning in the eyes of true powerhouses.

Anyone else hearing such a critique would likely feel filled with shame and indignation.

Yet for Chu Xingyun, this served as a driving force to spur him on to become a truly powerful individual.

One day, he would no longer need the protection of his elders to keep safe the people he cherished.

"Actually, it's also to give them peace of mind." If anyone guessed that the events at the Gong family that day were related to Yu Youyou, Yu Youyou wouldn't be all that safe anymore.

After all, matters involving the Gong family had already cost them two Great Vehicle powerhouses: the former sect leader and Master Daojun. Ao Qing certainly didn't want news to reach him one day that Chu Xingyun and the cub had gone missing without a trace.