"I never expected that the brown sugar water Master boiled for me would actually have medicinal effects," Lin Yaoyao muttered with emotion.
Although she had no idea what was wrong with Master's head to suddenly brew her brown sugar water, overall, it was undeniably beneficial for her cultivation.
She could feel that her cultivation speed had improved quite a bit.
If she drank a bowl every day, she could break through to the Mid Foundation Establishment in a short time.
Thinking of Master boiling brown sugar water for her, a wave of warmth flowed through Lin Yaoyao's heart.
"However, what did Master mean when he kept telling me to drink more hot water?" Lin Yaoyao couldn't figure it out.
Seeing that his disciple had quieted down, Yekong finally returned to the edge of the Bitter Sea and sat down.
Ah, there are seven days every month when she is so hard to handle.
He really needed to find a little dao boy.
With a little dao boy to keep the disciple company, whenever the disciple was in a bad mood, she could take it out on him.
Otherwise, his little Xiao Hei wouldn't even have a place to take root.
The ant nest had been kicked away in one of her kicks.
Pity!
Yekong felt a bit sorry for Xiao Hei; the poor thing hadn't done anything wrong, yet got its nest kicked by his own disciple.
Hmm... I'll go out and pick one up tomorrow.
Thinking of this, Yekong continued fishing.
Qi Condensation +1...
Outside the Stellar River Sect.
After two days of asking around, Bai Wuchen had finally figured out the Stellar River Sect and Xiaoyao Peak.
Xiaoyao Peak was simply his ideal place for cultivation!
Once he went there, with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, wouldn't it be a piece of cake to become the master of the place?
"Tonight, I'll sneak in quietly," Bai Wuchen thought to himself.
By then, once this Emperor regains his strength, I'll make the whole world kneel before me!
At this thought, Bai Wuchen couldn't help laughing out loud.
"Ah, poor child, here's a copper coin, go buy a steamed bun to eat."
A passing pedestrian saw Bai Wuchen sitting by the wall giggling foolishly and tossed a copper coin to him.
"Thank you, sir, thank you, si..."
Wait, I'm not a beggar!
Screw you!
Bai Wuchen angrily threw the copper coin onto the ground.
He had stayed in the beggar den too long and gotten assimilated.
A moment later,
Bai Wuchen was holding a fragrant steamed bun in both hands, eating it with great relish.
"So good~"
...
...
Midnight.
Well-fed and satisfied, Bai Wuchen looked in the direction of the Stellar River Sect and crept forward.
The Stellar River Sect was heavily guarded.
At the edge of the main gate, eight disciples were standing guard in all directions.
However, this couldn't stump Bai Wuchen.
He leaped into the bushes, moving like a shadow without making the slightest sound, sneaking closer at a very slow speed.
He inched forward bit by bit, wanting to enter the Stellar River Sect before dawn.
Otherwise, once day broke and the view opened up, trying to sneak in would be even harder.
Outside the sect gate.
When the starlight shone down, Bai Wuchen didn't move a muscle, hiding deep in the brush.
He only resumed advancing when the moonlight faded.
The main gate was only three hundred meters away from him.
At his current turtle speed of crawling forward, it would take him more than two hours to reach it.
There was no help for it; cultivators' senses were extremely sharp, and the slightest rustle could alert them.
Especially the disciples guarding the gate, who underwent extremely strict training.
As long as they spotted anything unusual, first of all, they would thrust a sword through it before asking questions.
Furthermore, the Stellar River Sect's guard was still not lifted after the incident with the Molue Palace Ancestor.
Therefore, the number of gate-guarding disciples had suddenly increased significantly, and all of them were elite disciples.
Once anyone tried to sneak in, they would shut the main gate immediately.
"Rustle!"
Beside Bai Wuchen, a snake slithered past, making a very faint sound.
As soon as it slithered, a long sword descended with pinpoint accuracy, pinning the snake right to the ground!
The disciple reached out with a grab, and the long sword flew back with the long snake dangling from it.
"It's just a snake, nothing to worry about!" that disciple said.
The others then withdrew their weapons.
From beginning to end, they had never shifted their gazes, nor had they thought of helping.
Bai Wuchen couldn't help swallowing hard.
Has this Stellar River Sect taken the wrong medicine? Why is the management so strict?
If you guys are going to be like this, how am I supposed to sneak in?
Making it so strict, who are you guarding against?
Bai Wuchen was speechless in his heart, lying flat on the ground.
After crawling forward for so long, he had only covered a few meters.
And that was because the distance was still relatively far; if he got any closer, hiding would be even harder.
Bai Wuchen hesitated on the spot for a long time before moving forward again.
Since he had already made up his mind, he could not turn back.
Tonight was exceptionally quiet, with only Bai Wuchen still struggling to get closer.
As dawn broke...
Bai Wuchen managed to crawl laboriously to the vicinity of the main gate.
Just as the day grew fully bright and the sun rose in the east, Bai Wuchen saw the shadow of a gate-guarding disciple appear and instantly transformed into a shadow, merging into their shadows.
This was Bai Wuchen's stealth technique, which allowed him to lurk within other people's shadows.
However, executing it was very difficult; with his current cultivation, he had to get within two meters of the target to hide inside.
Moreover, once discovered, he would be blasted right out.
At daybreak, another batch of gate-guarding disciples appeared to replace the current batch.
After the handover, the eight disciples returned inside the sect, their nerves completely relaxing.
"Finally, we can get some good rest!"
Guarding the mountain actually meant putting one's life on the line; they had to keep their nerves tense all night, and there was even mortal danger.
After all, when a sect was attacked, the gate-guarding disciples were usually the first to die.
Taking advantage of their relaxation, Bai Wuchen sneaked away quietly.
He hadn't expected that once he entered the Stellar River Sect, he could go wherever he pleased.
He never thought sneaking into the Stellar River Sect would be this easy.
Xiaoyao Peak, here I come!
Chapter 25: The picked-up little dao boy
On Xiaoyao Peak.
Yekong was sitting by the edge of the Bitter Sea fishing, just like every other day.
"I keep feeling like there was something I was supposed to do today?" Yekong pondered for a moment.
Forget it, can't remember, won't think about it.
Yekong cleared his mind and focused on fishing.
"Ding, detected that the host requires a dao boy, special quest issued: go down the mountain and take in a dao boy as a disciple. Reward: one special item fishing opportunity."
The System's voice reminded Yekong.
Yekong slapped his forehead. Ah, right, he was supposed to go find a dao boy.
He had suddenly forgotten; that really wasn't right of him.
He still needed to take in a dao boy.
Thinking of this, Yekong put down his fishing rod and walked down the mountain.
For Yekong, taking in a dao boy wasn't difficult.
As long as he found the kid pleasing to the eye, that was enough.
Stellar River Town was right at the foot of the mountain; he could just take a stroll there when the time came.
...
At the foot of Xiaoyao Peak.
Bai Wuchen looked at the somewhat barren mountain with utmost satisfaction.
"With Xiaoyao Peak being so remote, this Emperor can go into seclusion to cultivate here for ten or eight years, and when I come out, I'll be invincible!"
With that, Bai Wuchen started walking up the mountain.
Beneath the starry river, the Demon Cult Ancestor, trapped within the array, suddenly sensed a powerful bloodline oppression bearing down on him, making his breath shallow and his legs tremble.
He collapsed directly to his knees.
This was a suppression of bloodline, an oppression from the depths of the soul!
Whose... presence is this?
The bloodline is actually stronger than even this Ancestor's!
The Molue Palace Ancestor was terrified. In the Lianyun Continent, he was an existence that crowned himself king and ancestor, but now he sensed the appearance of an aura far stronger than his own.
Just a wisp of that demonic Qi felt as though it could obliterate him ten times over!
Whom on earth has the Stellar River Sect provoked?
The Molue Palace Ancestor couldn't help swallowing hard, genuinely frightened.
However, he recovered quickly.
With such heavy demonic Qi, it must be someone from the Demon Cult; maybe this person could even help him escape later on.
Stellar River Sect, oh Stellar River Sect, you never guessed that a powerful demon lord would break in!
The Demon Cult Ancestor wore a cold, sinister smile.
...
Yekong had just walked a few steps down the mountain when he bumped into a child.
"Huh? I just said I was going to look for a dao boy, and here one is!" Yekong was somewhat surprised.
The child in front of him was only eight or nine years old, clean-looking despite wearing ragged clothes and being covered in dirt and dust, yet quite cute.
And quite pleasing to the eye.
He could definitely be taken as a dao boy!
Bai Wuchen was also frozen in place. He hadn't expected that just as he was about to go up the mountain, he would run into someone coming down.
This luck was unreal!
Just as Bai Wuchen was hesitating whether to run away, he saw Yekong walking straight toward him.
Someone's coming?
Could it be that I've been discovered?
That shouldn't be; I hid so well and didn't leak any aura, who could possibly know?
Could it be that I, the Demon Emperor, am going to die in the Stellar River Sect today?
I'm not resigned to this!
If worst comes to worst, I'll fight him to the death!
Bai Wuchen had already made up his mind to fight him to the bitter end.
"Come up the mountain with me," Yekong walked over and called out.
He didn't ask who the kid was or where he came from; since the boy had reached the foot of his mountain, he might as well just take him in.
He could always ask slowly later.
"Who are you?" Bai Wuchen inquired.
"The Peak Master of Xiaoyao Peak," Yekong replied casually.
The Peak Master of Xiaoyao Peak? A Qi Condensation trash?
Then I have nothing to fear. I can kill him.
Still, it makes sense; who else could it be coming down from Xiaoyao Peak besides its Peak Master?
Sigh, scaring myself over nothing; that was a mistake.
Bai Wuchen felt relieved, put his hands behind his back, and followed Yekong up the mountain.
Along the way, Bai Wuchen looked around, familiarizing himself with the surrounding terrain.
In the future, this place would be his territory.
After going up the mountain, Yekong immediately said:
"Seeing that you are all alone and homeless, how about you take me as your master and stay here on Xiaoyao Peak as a dao boy from now on?"
Take this King as a disciple?
Take a look at your own strength first, do you even deserve to?
When this Emperor roamed the world, you weren't even born yet.
"This disciple pays respects to Master!" Bai Wuchen dropped to one knee and shouted the kowtow greeting.
However, in order to stay on Xiaoyao Peak without being discovered, this King could endure humiliation when necessary.
I'll take you as my master first to get a title, so that no one will suspect me.
If I killed you, it would be troublesome later if someone came knocking or if the Sect Master summoned you and you were nowhere to be found.
Using a piece of trash like you as a shield was just right.
The Demon Emperor mused inwardly, the corners of his mouth curling up involuntarily.
Looking at his expression, Yekong nodded slightly: "Alright, get up."
"Thank you, Master!"
"What's your name?"
"My name is Da... I don't have a name," the Demon Emperor lowered his head and said.
He didn't dare reveal his true name; after all, the name Bai Wuchen was a taboo!
Once spoken, even if he wasn't recognized on the spot, he would be hunted down by the Demon Cult.
The name Bai Wuchen was for him alone to use!
"Then from now on, I'll call you Xiaobai," Yekong named him casually.
The boy was chubby and fair-skinned, so calling him Xiaobai fit quite well.
Now Xiaoyao Peak had Xiao Hei, and now came Xiaobai.
Black and white matched together, working hard without getting tired.
I, the dignified Demon Emperor, am actually being called Xiaobai?
Aren't you bullying people too much!
When giving a name, couldn't you pick something decent?
If word gets out in the future, where will this Emperor's face go?
Whatever, you're just a shield anyway; once I don't need you anymore, I'll just slap you to death, and then no one will ever know my name was Xiaobai.
"Thank you, Master, for the name," Xiaobai cupped his hands in gratitude.
Yekong nodded slightly and swept his divine sense over the boy.
Hoh, he actually had Foundation Establishment strength; not simple at all.
The more Yekong looked at Xiaobai, the more extraordinary he felt the boy was.
Could this kid be the illegitimate child of some major aristocratic family?
Probably so. If he weren't an aristocratic family's illegitimate child, he wouldn't have cultivation, nor would he have been abandoned.
Poor child.
"From now on, try to go down the mountain as little as possible while you're on Xiaoyao Peak," Yekong instructed.
"Understood!" Xiaobai acknowledged.
Anyway, this Emperor had no plans to go down the mountain until my strength was recovered.
"Disciple, come out and meet your Junior Brother," Yekong led Xiaobai to Tao Mountain and called out toward the thatched cottage to Lin Yaoyao.
Hearing the words "Junior Brother," Lin Yaoyao immediately stepped out of the thatched cottage.
Seeing the child next to Master, her brow furrowed instantly.
This Junior Brother is so small.
Where did Master pick up this kid?
Never mind, none of my business.
"Let me introduce you, this is your Junior Brother Xiaobai, and also my dao boy," Yekong said, pointing at Xiaobai.
"Junior Brother Xiaobai!" Lin Yaoyao called out softly.
"Senior Sister," Xiaobai replied weakly.
"Disciple, help Xiaobai build a thatched cottage. Just put it together in any corner here on Tao Mountain," Yekong instructed immediately.
Hearing this, Lin Yaoyao was stunned.
You want me to do this? Build a thatched cottage?
Fine, since you're too lazy to lift a finger anyway, this Emperor will reluctantly help you out.
"Understood," Lin Yaoyao replied.
Lin Yaoyao picked up some thatch and went to help Xiaobai build his cottage.
Xiaobai glanced around. Although Xiaoyao Peak was unimaginably vast, buildings were extremely scarce.
Aside from a grand hall and a pavilion, the only structure was the thatched cottage on Tao Mountain.
Nothing else.
Xiaoyao Peak had an indescribable sense of desolation.
Considering it was supposed to be one of the Nine Peaks, Xiaoyao Peak was dirt poor!
Still, that was fine; being poor meant nobody would set their sights on Xiaoyao Peak, which saved a lot of trouble.
Though Xiaoyao Peak was poor, fortunately it was quiet and had few people.
He would just have to find an opportunity in the future to defeat the so-called Master before him, and then he could rule the roost.
By then, he would make Master his little dao boy and Senior Sister his maid!
This place would be the birthplace of his rise... the rise of this Demon Emperor!
Chapter 26: Destroying my cultivation, I am irreconcilable with you!
Noontime.
Yekong held his fishing rod in one hand, leisurely fishing.
Having taken in a little dao boy, he had obtained a special fishing opportunity.
The fishhook entered the water, creating barely a ripple.
In less than half an hour, Yekong flicked his fishing rod, and the sixth special item fell into his hand.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for fishing out the sixth special item—a lighter!"
"Lighter: Contains boundless True Flame, capable of burning away all impurities and demonic Qi in the world."
Following the system prompt, Yekong also saw the lighter clearly in his hand.
It was a steel-carved lighter, engraved with dragons and phoenixes, entirely golden in color.
It looked quite nice, and when the lid was opened, it made a crisp 'ding' sound.
Ding... ding... ding...
Yekong held it in his hand and played with it for a while. This lighter was completely useless.
"System, since you even gave me a lighter, might as well gift me a pack of cigarettes too," Yekong said in his mind.
The system did not respond.
Giving fire without cigarettes, what use did he have for this lighter?
With the lighter in his left hand and the fishing rod in his right, Yekong sat by the edge of the Bitter Sea, deep in thought.
On Tao Mountain.
Lin Yaoyao had finished building Xiaobai's thatched cottage and was heading off to take a bath when she was called back by Xiaobai.
"Senior Sister, does Master go fishing every single day?" Xiaobai walked up to his Senior Sister, asking with puzzlement.
"Mhm," Lin Yaoyao nodded, looking rather helpless.
She had hidden her Master's little fishing rod, only for an ant to ruin everything.
It was infuriating.
Watching Master fish, Xiaobai fell into deep thought.
No wonder Master's cultivation was so weak; he fished every day instead of cultivating.
That was fine, though; fishing to pass the time every day wouldn't affect his own cultivation.
Once he cultivated for a period of time, Xiaoyao Peak would be his to command.
At this thought, Xiaobai couldn't help breaking into a smile.
Seeing Xiaobai's smile, Lin Yaoyao frowned.
What on earth was making Junior Brother Xiaobai so happy?
"Xiaobai," Lin Yaoyao called out.
Don't call me Xiaobai, I am Bai Wuchen... Xiaobai muttered angrily inwardly, while outwardly replying, "Senior Sister, is something the matter?"
Lin Yaoyao's sharp eyes stared at Xiaobai's physique, instantly perceiving his cultivation level.
"I'm quite curious, how can someone as young as you already be at the Foundation Establishment realm?" Lin Yaoyao asked.
Even among aristocratic dynasties that nurtured their family descendants from infancy, it was impossible to reach Foundation Establishment before the age of ten.
At the very least, they had to wait until age eleven when their bones were fully developed before absorbing spiritual energy into the body to begin cultivation.
Even with supreme divine talent, and an ancestor performing empowerment directly onto them, it would still take three years to reach Foundation Establishment.
Instead of achieving Foundation Establishment before turning ten years old.
That was utterly impossible.
Xiaobai avoided Lin Yaoyao's gaze and said weakly, "I don't know why I have cultivation either."
He wasn't sure if he could beat Lin Yaoyao, so he didn't dare reveal his true identity.
Hearing this, Lin Yaoyao frowned; this Junior Brother Xiaobai definitely had problems.
Reaching Foundation Establishment before the age of ten!
Master couldn't tell, but she could.
Master, oh Master, when you take in a dao boy, you should at least investigate his background and identity thoroughly.
What will you do if there's a problem?
Still, with this Emperor here, even if he had issues, she could easily suppress him.
Thinking this, Lin Yaoyao went off to cultivate by the pond.
Watching his Senior Sister leave, Xiaobai let out a covert sigh of relief.
He had to improve his strength as soon as possible, otherwise things would go terribly wrong if Senior Sister found out.
"Xiaobai!" Yekong called out.
Xiaobai was just about to return to his cottage to cultivate when he heard Master call him, and his brows involuntarily knitted together.
What does Master want with me?
Whatever, I might as well go see.
Reluctantly, Xiaobai walked over to the edge of the Bitter Sea and gave Yekong a bow.
"Master!"
Yekong flicked on the lighter and said, "Xiaobai, it's getting cold, come warm yourself by the fire."
Hearing this, Xiaobai looked up at the sun hanging high in the sky.
Does Master have a hole in his head?
Why warm by a fire on such a hot day?
And with just a tiny little flame, are you kidding me?
"Come over here," Yekong called out.
I'm helping you clean out the impurities inside your body.
Xiaobai walked over slowly, stretched out his fair hands, and held them over the tiny flame to warm them.
The flame followed Xiaobai's hands, flowing all over his body and completing a full cycle through his meridians.
"Ah, feels good!" Xiaobai wore an expression of sheer enjoyment.
This flame was completely harmless to the body; it directly burned away the grime and impurities within.
Xiaobai felt a warm glow inside, as if he were lying on a green lawn, basking in the warm sun.
It felt wonderful.
Meanwhile, the demonic Qi within his body transformed into black smoke and gradually dissipated.
That demonic Qi was the demonic cultivation art he had practiced; once it vanished, he would have to start his grueling cultivation all over from scratch.
His previous cultivation was all gone.