Why is Xiaoqiu called Xiaoqiu?
Because autumn is a romantic and beautiful season.
...
Well.
Actually, it's because that guy was picked up in autumn.
Chen Wuyou still finds this a bit hard to believe to this day.
As an ancient exotic species, the Crimson Flame Qilin possesses an extremely powerful bloodline. Basically, as long as it can successfully reach adulthood, it easily enters the Spiritization Realm (Above Xuanling).
Therefore, within the borders of the Jiuyang Dynasty, barring any force majeure, nothing could snatch its cub away from an adult Crimson Flame Qilin.
Yet, when Chen Wuyou and Shangguan Mo found it, the little guy was on the verge of death.
...
Tianxiang Mountain, Lake of Flaming Moon.
As the largest lake within the Tianxiang Mountain Range, the Lake of Flaming Moon spans an area almost half the size of the Xuanyang Sect. It earned the name "Flaming Moon" because a thousand meters beneath the lake bed lies a vein of fiery ore. The violent fire-type spiritual energy it contains has accumulated day after day, gradually seeping upward, causing the water temperature here to be much higher than average.
Because of this, however, it became the ideal habitat for the Crimson Flame Qilin.
Chen Wuyou set off with Shangguan Mo from Bishui Peak, and after a full two hours, they finally reached the shore of the Lake of Flaming Moon.
"Xiaoqiu, we've come to see you!"
Shangguan Mo shouted loudly toward the depths of the lake.
The sound waves stirred up gentle ripples across the calm surface of the water.
A moment later, the earth beneath the two of them began to tremble violently.
"Based on all these years of experience," Chen Wuyou said calmly, "we should back up a bit."
With that, Chen Wuyou scooped up Shangguan Mo and retreated more than a dozen steps in a row.
The next instant, a fiery red shadow suddenly leaped up from beneath the water.
With a lion's head, deer's antlers, elk's body, and ox's tail, its towering form like a mountain, its red scales blazing like flames, it raised its head to the sky and roared, filling all beasts with terror.
It was none other than the Crimson Flame Qilin.
The moment it left the lake water, scorching flames instantly ignited across the Crimson Flame Qilin's body.
"Xiaoqiu, long time no see... Could you please put the fire away first?" Chen Wuyou greeted it while gathering his spiritual power to resist the oncoming wave of heat.
Hearing this, Xiaoqiu shook its crimson mane and obediently reined the flames back into its body.
"Wow, Xiaoqiu!"
Once the flames vanished, a overjoyed Shangguan Mo ran straight up to Xiaoqiu.
Xiaoqiu lowered its massive head very cooperatively, accepting the young girl's caresses.
Chen Wuyou looked at Shangguan Mo, who was barely bigger than one of the Crimson Flame Qilin's eyes, and couldn't help exclaiming: "Xiaoqiu, it's only been half a year since we last met, haven't you grown way too fast?"
He still remembered that the last time they met, Xiaoqiu was at most half its current size.
Roar, roar.
"What did you say?" Chen Wuyou asked with a puzzled frown.
"Xiaoqiu says," Shangguan Mo explained, "it's because the food here is so good that it grew this fast."
Roar, roaar~
"Xiaoqiu says I'm totally right. Thank you, Xiaoqiu!" Shangguan Mo pressed her chubby little face against Xiaoqiu and rubbed affectionately.
Hearing this, the corners of Chen Wuyou's mouth twitched repeatedly.
Since when did his Mo'er learn beast speech?
Besides, for Xiaoqiu to grow to such a massive size in such a short time, could this guy have cleared out the entire mineral vein at the bottom of the lake?
If that were really the case, the old man would definitely slaughter him like a fattened pig...
...
For the rest of the time, Chen Wuyou hung from an ancient tree, leisurely watching Shangguan Mo and Xiaoqiu frolic.
Although they made quite a commotion, this was still the territory of the Xuanyang Sect, and coupled with the Crimson Flame Qilin's own imposing aura, Chen Wuyou wasn't worried at all about any uninvited guests showing up.
"I have to stay home and keep Mo'er company tomorrow, which means I can't go to the Mu Family, nor can I visit Tianxiang Pavilion. I wonder if they'll miss me?"
"Shall I sneak over tomorrow night to take a look?"
Leaning against the tree trunk, Chen Wuyou looked at the gradually darkening sky and pondered his plan.
"Brother Wuyou."
An elegant male voice reached Chen Wuyou's ears.
"Hmm?" Chen Wuyou followed the sound and saw an exceptionally refined young man standing not far away under the tree, looking up at him.
"Who might you be?" Chen Wuyou flipped down to the ground and asked.
The man smiled faintly and replied: "I am Qi Mingzhi. We have met before, Brother Wuyou. Surely you haven't forgotten?"
"Uh." Chen Wuyou scratched his head, answering quite directly, "I actually did forget."
"Hehe, no matter, no matter." Qi Mingzhi's expression remained unchanged. "I am the personal disciple of the Yuying Sect Master."
"Oh?" Chen Wuyou raised an eyebrow. "With the Imperial Tournament in full swing right now, why aren't you participating? What are you doing here?"
"Ah, it's a pity to speak of it. The Imperial Tournament has an age limit of twenty. Mingzhi is already overage, so I was turned away."
"Well, that truly is a pity." Chen Wuyou nodded in understanding.
"I wonder what brings Brother Mingzhi here today?"
"Although it's rather abrupt," Qi Mingzhi suddenly cupped his fists at Chen Wuyou, "I am visiting today because I have a favor to ask."
"You came all the way to the Xuanyang Sect at a time like this just to ask for my help?"
Qi Mingzhi's expression suddenly turned somewhat awkward. "Actually, I originally wanted to discuss this with Sect Master Li, but on the way, I was stopped by the Elder Sect Master Shangguan."
"Elder Sect Master Shangguan said that if I needed help, I could come to Brother Wuyou."
Chen Wuyou: "..."
He would bet ten spirit stones that absolute wasn't what that old man actually said!
"Cough cough, well, Brother Mingzhi, it's not that I won't help you, but I'm just an ordinary disciple of the Xuanyang Sect. How could I possibly help someone of your standing as a personal disciple of a sect master?"
"If you're an ordinary disciple, Brother Wuyou, why are you wearing a set of pure white robes?" Qi Mingzhi smiled gently.
"As for this," Chen Wuyou tugged at his clothes, a sudden flash of inspiration hitting him, "actually, my clothes were originally grey. They just faded from being washed too many times."
"Brother Mingzhi, you should know as well that I, Chen Wuyou, entered the Xuanyang Sect when I was very young, all alone in the world with only these few clothes to my name."
"?"
Even silk spun from spiritual silkworms could fade?
"Brother Wuyou..." Qi Mingzhi felt rather helpless.
He had truly been driven half-crazy by this old man and young man all afternoon.
"Well, Brother Mingzhi, it's getting late. I need to take this girl of mine back home. You... watch your step on the road."
With that, Chen Wuyou also cupped his fists toward Qi Mingzhi and turned to leave.
"You cannot leave."
A chilling voice, accompanied by the whistling of a sharp weapon cutting through the air, rang out behind Chen Wuyou.
"Yan Ming, stop!" Qi Mingzhi hurriedly cried out to intervene.
The expected impact did not happen.
"Brother Mingzhi, don't worry." Chen Wuyou grinned, raising his right hand high above his head, fingers splaying wide as spiritual power converged to firmly control a dark red heavy sword hovering above him.
"I was just getting a bit bored anyway."
Saying this, Chen Wuyou turned around and raised an eyebrow at the owner of the heavy sword.
A masked man dressed in light black armor, radiating an aggressive aura all over his body.
"Want to play?"
As soon as he finished speaking, before the other party could answer, Chen Wuyou felt the heavy sword above him press a fraction closer.
Not only that, but the man—holding the sword in just one hand—flipped his other hand a few times, summoning a sharp short sword that accurately and fiercely lunged toward Chen Wuyou's chest.
Chen Wuyou's figure suddenly melted into an illusory shadow, causing both blades to miss completely.
The man didn't have time to check his momentum and lost his balance, pitching heavily forward by a few inches.
"Xuanling Realm, First Layer?" Chen Wuyou's ghostly voice sounded right beside the man's ear.
The man's pupils constricted sharply, and the next moment, a tyrannical force slammed into his chest. With a muffled groan, he was sent flying straight up into the sky in lively fashion.
Chen Wuyou tapped his toes, closed the distance, and with another kick, drove him crashing down into the ground.
In an instant, dust swirled and shattered rocks flew in all directions.
Chen Wuyou landed steadily and looked at the motionless figure on the ground, not forgetting to tease, "Care to learn Shadow Shifting Arts? Ten spirit stones and I'll teach you till you master it."
"So strong." Qi Mingzhi inwardly marveled from the side.
This Yan Ming was among the top three inner disciples of the younger generation in the Yuying Sect, possessing the cultivation of the Xuanling First Layer. Even Qi Mingzhi himself would have to expend quite some effort to defeat him.
Ten years ago, an eight-year-old Chen Wuyou burst onto the scene. At an age when most of his peers hadn't even stepped onto the path of martial arts, he swept the entire world with the cultivation of the Spirit Entering Ninth Layer.
It was just a pity that epiphyllum flowers can only stun for a fleeting moment. Over the next ten years, he never displayed his true strength again, yet bizarrely, no one could ever see through his depth. Thus, he gradually faded from the memories of the world.
Some said his talent was exhausted, leaving his cultivation unable to advance an inch; but others believed he chose to keep a low profile to prevent his brilliance from being too dazzling and leading to a premature death.
Now, seeing him in action, Qi Mingzhi believed that even if Chen Wuyou was no longer as brilliantly talented as back then, he was definitely still a match for ordinary geniuses.
"Rest assured, Brother Mingzhi, he's not seriously hurt." Chen Wuyou turned his head and said, "After all, I'm only a tiny bit stronger than him."
Saying this, Chen Wuyou pinched together his two fingers.
"Thank you for showing mercy, Brother Wuyou." Qi Mingzhi still wanted to make an effort. "Brother Wuyou, really won't you reconsider? If this succeeds, I will certainly reward you handsomely."
"Better not, Brother Mingzhi should seek someone else more capable." Chen Wuyou waved his hand in refusal.
Then, Chen Wuyou shouted loudly toward Shangguan Mo's direction: "Mo'er, time to go home!"
For this sentence, Chen Wuyou deliberately gathered his spiritual power to amplify his voice, so even though the girl and the beast were quite far away, they could still hear it clearly.
Roar, roar.
Xiaoqiu was somewhat reluctant to part with Shangguan Mo.
"It's okay, Xiaoqiu." The young girl flashed a bright smile. "Brother Wuyou isn't going out tomorrow, so I can come see you again."
Hearing this, Xiaoqiu reluctantly nodded its massive head in agreement.
Thus, after bidding farewell to Xiaoqiu, Shangguan Mo skipped happily over to Chen Wuyou's side.
"Brother Wuyou, who are they?"
Shangguan Mo approached Chen Wuyou, pointed at Qi Mingzhi and the lying figure of Yan Ming on the ground, and asked in a low voice.
"They? Just two guests."
"Then why is that person sleeping on the ground?"
Qi Mingzhi: "..."
"He's been suffering from insomnia lately, so I... lulled him to sleep."
Qi Mingzhi: "..."