CHAPTER 463: CHAPTER 463: WHY KICK ME?

The moment Shisan saw Jiang Ni’er, he felt as if he were meeting a Great Emperor. That crushing pressure extended from the physical to the Divine Soul, from the Dantian to the Sea of Consciousness. It was terrifying. He felt somewhat suffocated and equally frightened.

"Let’s go..." Chen Pingping shouted.

Jiang Ni’er paused, halting her steps. After hesitating for a moment, she no longer paid attention to Shisan.

THUD!

Shisan stumbled backward and collapsed on the ground, his face pale and his lips quivering. "I want to go home, I want to go home..." He wanted to flee this place. After getting up, he really ran.

Gu Mang, who was behind him, was taken aback, having no clue what had just happened.

Lan Qingshui spoke up, "That little girl is trouble."

Under everyone’s gaze, Chen Pingping and his group stepped into the Dragon Soul Secret Realm.

"He’s gone in."

"Should we go too?"

"Of course! If he’s not afraid, what are we afraid of?"

"That’s true..." After a brief discussion, many made their decision. If Chen Pingping dared to enter the Dragon Soul Secret Realm, what was there for them to fear? What if there really was a Great Opportunity inside the Secret Realm? No one could resist the temptation.

Gu Mang exchanged glances with Lan Qingshui, then followed them in too.

...

The mountains here were very, very tall. Each one stood erect, resembling a sword about to be unsheathed when viewed from afar—sharp and imposing, like a sword mausoleum. The trees were massive and incredibly sturdy, with vines weaving wantonly, all bursting with life. The breeze was gentle and quiet; the falling leaves were silent.

Everything within the Dragon Soul Secret Realm felt eternal. Standing here, one could not perceive the passage of time. An ancient, timeworn simplicity, sealed for ages, washed over them, filling everyone’s heart.

I’m back again.

Guang Xiaoyu took a deep breath, her lips unintentionally curling into a smile. She was deeply moved. After all, she had been here before under a different identity, and now she stepped into the Secret Realm once more as Guang Xiaoyu.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, she glanced at Chen Pingping beside her, a sense of pride welling in her heart. "Senior Brother, it’s my turn to shine now. No matter what you want, I, the Emperor, can help you obtain it."

"Let’s set off! Our goal is the ’Emperor’s Body’!" Chen Pingping declared, full of fighting spirit.

Guang Xiaoyu was speechless.

She was no longer the Demon Emperor. Rashly approaching the Emperor’s Body was no different from courting death, was it? But this was her Senior Brother’s goal. Even if it meant courting death, she had to accomplish it.

Guang Xiaoyu’s gaze began to firm.

At this moment, the Earth Chicken strutted out, head held high. "Very good! Now it’s my time to shine! You Human Clan kids, follow my lead..."

BANG!

Guang Xiaoyu delivered a kick.

Damn it! She had waited so many years for a chance to shine, and now this darn old hen was trying to stir up trouble?

"Ouch! Who is it? Who dares to ambush me?" The Earth Chicken glared, her eyes wide. When she saw it was Guang Xiaoyu, a hostile look crossed her face, because she, too, wanted a chance to shine.

Chen Pingping had said that after their trip to the Dragon Soul Secret Realm, he would take her to the Star Sea to find the remains of the Ancient Phoenix.

"Little Xiaoyu, why did you kick me?" the Earth Chicken asked, glaring sideways.

"You talk too much."

"Impossible! As everyone knows, I speak the least..." the Earth Chicken retorted, aggrieved. "Besides, I have a feeling I’ve been here before."

"No, you haven’t," Guang Xiaoyu refuted.

"I really have..."

"Alright, you can shut up now." Guang Xiaoyu smiled faintly, strode over, hooked Chen Pingping’s arm, and giggled, "Senior Brother, you’re not going to believe an old hen, are you?"

Everyone was startled.

The Earth Chicken was furious. She, the descendant of the Ancient Phoenix, was being called an old hen? This was preposterous! She flapped her wings, ready to rush over.

Guang Xiaoyu then said, "Senior Brother, look... this old hen wants to bully me! Boo hoo, I’m so scared."

The Earth Chicken was dumbfounded.

The others were equally perplexed.

Acting coy—it was a woman’s innate talent. Guang Xiaoyu glanced at the Earth Chicken, looking quite pleased with herself.

The Earth Chicken was stunned. It wasn’t because Guang Xiaoyu had cleverly played the victim; she wasn’t that petty. Rather, it was because she had witnessed Guang Xiaoyu acting coquettishly.

Recalling all the little things from the past, whenever Guang Xiaoyu did something wrong or wanted something, she just had to act coquettishly, and Chen Pingping would inevitably give in. Human Clan women are truly fearsome! Anyway, she could never bring herself to do that. Humph! How could she, the proud descendant of the Ancient Phoenix, possibly resort to such tactics?

The Earth Chicken consciously moved to one side, effectively giving up this chance to shine.

Chen Pingping said helplessly, "Alright, let’s set off!" Truth be told, the moment Guang Xiaoyu acted coquettishly, he almost lost his composure.

「At that moment, in the shadows.」

The Emperor Son and Emperor Tian had also followed. Both were the most outstanding young talents of the Purple Gold Divine Clan; they both cultivated an Emperor Scripture and possessed great strength.

However, when they saw the little black dog by Chen Pingping’s side, their expressions turned unnatural, even slightly dark, as past scenes involuntarily resurfaced in their minds.

"It’s just a mere dog," the Emperor Son said indifferently, suppressing the thoughts in his heart.

"Yes!" Emperor Tian echoed.

"Let’s follow them for now. Let them scout the path for us. After we understand Chen Pingping’s purpose, it won’t be too late to kill him," the Emperor Son said, a corner of his mouth lifting.

It was quite a good plan. Unfortunately, they had miscalculated.

As they ventured deeper, the Earth Chicken cleared the way. However, she didn’t completely break the restrictions; she merely opened a passage. Once Chen Pingping’s group passed through, she restored the passage to its original state.

The Emperor Son and Emperor Tian, following behind, couldn’t help but feel their faces darken. The initial few restrictions weren’t too bad, but those that followed became increasingly terrifying. As they pressed on, they encountered disaster and became trapped.

The two could only watch helplessly as Chen Pingping and his group disappeared into the distance.

It wasn’t just them; many other young talents and powerful experts lurking in the shadows were also ensnared by the restrictions. Each of them was utterly speechless.

...

「In the outside world.」

Yang Wuzong had already made all preparations. He had dispatched five Saint Realm powerhouses; including himself, that made six. The remaining Saint Realm experts were all hastening towards the City of Extinction.

Gazing at the entrance to the Dragon Soul Secret Realm, Yang Wuzong couldn’t help but laugh. "Kid, this is the Nine Heavens’ Southern Diaspora Earth, not Heaven Martial!"

The thought of his humiliation that day made Yang Wuzong want to rush into the Dragon Soul Secret Realm right then and there to kill Chen Pingping and wash away the shame with blood. But he held himself back.

There’s no rush. If Chen Pingping doesn’t die in the Secret Realm, then escaping it would only lead him to a dead end anyway. In that case, I might even be able to snatch the Great Opportunity he brings out. Brilliant!

Yang Wuzong chuckled. "Men, go to Spirit Mountain and invite Heavenly Fortune Tao."

A Saint Realm expert spoke up, "Elder, the one who cultivates Heavenly Fortune Tao was just here a moment ago."

"Then why aren’t you chasing after him?" Yang Wuzong glared, then paused and added, "Wait, I’ll go invite him myself." With those words, he quickly gave chase.

Before long, he caught up with Shisan.

Shisan’s steps were unsteady. Upon seeing Yang Wuzong, his face turned deathly pale again, and he stammered, "D-don’t look for me. I’m going back to enter secluded cultivation."

Yang Wuzong smiled faintly and said, "Sir, please lend your aid and help me divine the secrets of that Secret Realm."

"I won’t divine it!" Shisan flatly refused.

"I can help you fend off the calamity, sir."

"I can’t divine it."

"What do you desire, sir?" Yang Wuzong didn’t waste words.

Shisan remained silent.

"I have a Winter Cicada," Yang Wuzong continued, confident. "It lay hidden in the snow for thirty-three years and only emerged from its shell a few months ago. If you like it, sir, I can offer it to you."

On the Southern Diaspora Earth, no one knew that the gentleman on Spirit Mountain loved watching cicadas more than anything—especially Winter Cicadas, because he had never seen one before.

As expected...

Shisan’s eyes bulged, and he asked breathlessly, "Give it to me first." He didn’t want to be deceived.

Yang Wuzong didn’t waste words. "Just a moment." He immediately turned and left.

A few minutes later, he returned, bringing the Winter Cicada, which was placed inside a black box.

After examining it for a moment with his senses, Shisan’s expression turned excited. He snatched the box and said, "You said you would fend off the calamity for me, and... I must warn you, the calamity that will appear this time is no small matter. You must be mentally prepared."

Not long ago, he had performed a divination for Gu Mang, but no calamity had appeared. It wasn’t until he saw Jiang Ni’er that he understood what had happened. It must have been that girl who had blocked it, no... it was also possible that it was the Heavenly Fortune Tao she herself had brought into being. That wasn’t the true Heavenly Fortune Tao. If he were to divine about the Secret Realm now, or anything related to her version of Heavenly Fortune Tao, the ensuing calamity would inevitably be far more terrifying than usual—many, even dozens of times, worse.

Yang Wuzong smiled. "No matter. I brought a Quasi-Emperor Weapon." It can’t possibly strike me dead, can it?