Chapter 14: The Demon Lord Comes to the Rescue

The sudden downpour thickened the mists of the Profound Sea Mystical Realm, rendering them ever more impenetrable. The events had unfolded too swiftly—her companion, the Fairy Liuying, had been separated from her in an instant.

Xiaohuayan stumbled along in a sorry state for half an hour, muttering to herself under her breath. “I wonder where Liuying is now. Alas! It’s all my fault for being so weak in spiritual power.” With a heavy sigh, she carelessly slipped and fell into a nearby muddy pit, further staining her already tangled garments with streaks of dark, heavy filth.

Shivering, she spat out a mouthful of bitter mud, feeling her heart knot with frustration. “If I stick to the sacred principle that a poor life is better than a good death, I must find Liuying. Once I escape this Profound Sea Mystical Realm, I’ll have to seek out the Xuan Yuan Pearl as well.” Xiaohuayan stubbornly lifted her gaze.

As dusk descended, the rain ceased, casting an air of profound mystery over the entire realm. Somewhere in the Divine Realm, within the Hall of Hundred Blossoms in the Dream of Water and Sky, Bei Ming Yanhuo’s expression was detached and austere, yet a subtle frown furrowed his brow—he wondered how that little flower spirit was faring within the Profound Sea Mystical Realm.

If she were to die, who would help him find the Flower of Forgotten Bones? With that thought, his figure flickered and, in the blink of an eye, he arrived within the misty domain.

Within this shrouded world where the sky was veiled and the sun hidden, the interplay of fog rendered all things illusory and unreal. Just as Xiaohuayan was consumed by worry, the Fairy Shuangrao appeared before her. Overjoyed, Xiaohuayan hurried over.

“Fairy Shuangrao!”

A fleeting shadow crossed Shuangrao’s eyes, gone so quickly no one would notice. “Little flower sprite, you made me suffer punishment in Zhouchuan and now still have the nerve to join our trials here in the Profound Sea Mystical Realm?” As Xiaohuayan approached, Shuangrao shoved her, unaware that the abyss lay just beside them.

A twisted smile crept across Shuangrao’s delicate face, hatred clear in her gaze, her lips trembling with the thrill of jealousy. With a sudden cry, Xiaohuayan had no time to react before she tumbled into the depths below.

A few small stones rolled from the edge at her feet. Shuangrao’s lips curled in satisfaction as she withdrew her foot. “You, of all people, want to become Lord Lanshu’s disciple? Die, then!”

As Shuangrao was about to leave, a sudden shadow materialized before her, freezing her in terror. “Who are you?” she stammered, her heart gripped by dread before the overwhelming power she sensed from the figure.

Bei Ming Yanhuo turned, seizing Shuangrao by the throat with a single hand, lifting her effortlessly as his gaze grew menacing. “Let me send you to the afterlife.”

Shuangrao gasped for breath, clawing desperately at his wrist to break free. “A lowly fairy like you isn’t worthy of knowing my name,” Bei Ming Yanhuo sneered. “Killing you would only sully my hands.”

With that, he flung her aside with a flick, sending her five meters through the air. Shuangrao crashed to the ground, blood spilling from her lips as she shrank back, trembling and gasping for breath.

Towering above her, Bei Ming Yanhuo gave her no further notice. Suddenly, all light and color fled the Profound Sea Mystical Realm. All living things fell silent, not daring to stir.

A jet of Netherworld Flame, laced with chilling cold, swept forth and enveloped Shuangrao. In an instant she was reduced to ashes, not even a scream left behind.

The dim moonlight spilled over an old tree at the edge of the Ink Abyss, casting shadows that seemed to watch the depths below, as though every ancient tree along the cliff bore silent, unblinking eyes.

The wind stirred the branches, and the cold seeped into one’s bones, making sweat break out upon the brow.

Bei Ming Yanhuo moved unhurriedly to the brink, peering over where Xiaohuayan had fallen. Without a moment’s hesitation, he leapt into the Ink Abyss.

The Profound Sea Mystical Realm—Ink Abyss.

This was the ancient dwelling of spirit beasts, the abyss of a hundred beasts, its depths said to be ten thousand fathoms. An old saying went: “Every abyss has an end, only the human heart is unfathomable.”

All things possess spirit, and so do the demon beasts—what makes a spirit beast but a heart inclined to goodness?

A fierce wind howled past Xiaohuayan’s ears as she lay at the bottom, pain wracking her body. Slowly, she regained consciousness, opening her eyes in terror. Gasping for breath, she tried to rise, but her injuries from the fall rendered her unable to move.

Her clothes were already torn by the sharp rocks of the cliff, her body bloodied and battered, white robes stained crimson. A fresh cut, left by the cold wind, marked her beautiful face, the scar faint yet visible.

Enduring the pain, Xiaohuayan crawled inch by inch toward a large boulder. Glancing around, she saw the abyss was desolate and silent, but in the darkness, pairs of red eyes watched, waiting for their chance.

“Spirit beasts,” she whispered warily. In her current state, she was nothing more than a tempting morsel.

Despairing, she squeezed her eyes shut and pleaded, “Don’t eat me—I’m just a peach blossom, not at all fragrant. My spiritual power is poor; eating me would do you no good, only get stuck in your teeth!”

Bei Ming Yanhuo landed at the bottom and immediately caught sight of Xiaohuayan, bloodied and filthy, huddled beside a boulder like a drenched chick. Watching her babble helplessly, desperately trying to preserve her life, he felt a mischievous urge to tease her.

He stepped forward; the wind rustled the leaves, making a soft sound at his feet.

The noise startled Xiaohuayan so thoroughly she burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. “A lowly little flower sprite like me—if I disappeared, no one would ever notice or care.”

As he listened to her lament that no one would notice her absence, Bei Ming Yanhuo felt his heart ache sharply, as though his very soul were dying upon the banks of the River of Forgetfulness.

“Wuu... Ah! Ice Block, save me!”

Moved by her cry for help, his heart softened. He made a sound and nudged her with his foot, ceasing to frighten her further.

Bei Ming Yanhuo did not know when this little flower sprite had given him such an unusual nickname. Though it made his anger flare, he suppressed it.

Startled by his touch, Xiaohuayan opened her eyes in panic. All her fear and distress flashed across her face. Without letting go, she clung to Bei Ming Yanhuo’s leg.

“Ice Block, you’ve come to save me!”

Bei Ming Yanhuo looked down at the filthy Xiaohuayan with disdain. “Take your dirty hands off me, little flower sprite. Do you hear me? Or I’ll kill you.”