Chapter Seventy-Nine: Whoever Takes It Dies

Ning Xianyu walked through the miasma for what felt like ages, but suddenly sensed something was wrong.

“Are we just circling around the same spot?”

This was a secret realm, not particularly large, and yet after all this time she hadn’t found an exit. That was certainly suspicious.

The Demon Lord leapt onto her head, peering around before starting to direct her.

“Five steps to the left… Are you an idiot? Who takes steps that big?”

“Three steps forward. Too small, too small, a bit more.”

“Twenty-two steps to the right. Twenty-two! Can’t you count?”

The Demon Lord was so frustrated he clutched her scalp, nearly ripping out her hair.

Ning Xianyu protested, “But ‘steps’ is such a vague concept. You should say meters—preferably down to the decimeter.”

Honestly, all this talk of steps, when everyone’s stride is different—of course she’d get it wrong.

The Demon Lord ignored her, continuing to issue commands.

One directing, one following, they wandered for a good while before finally finding the right path.

“Stop,” said the Demon Lord.

He extended a cat paw and pressed it forward, as if touching something invisible.

Suddenly, intricate patterns appeared ahead, glowing in a ring, and a door materialized out of thin air.

Ning Xianyu was still amazed when the Demon Lord stomped her head twice. “Open the door.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

She pushed the door open, revealing a courtyard.

Cautiously, she stepped inside and looked around. There were five thatched huts and some flowers, trees, and shrubs, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

The Demon Lord, however, jumped off her head, transforming back into his true form midair.

“Hey, can you really do that?” she exclaimed.

Wouldn’t the secret realm’s protective mechanisms eject him?

But Xuan Yuan Tunhan glanced around and said, “It doesn’t matter. This courtyard dispels all disguises.”

Was such a thing possible?

Xuan Yuan Tunhan strode into one of the huts, retrieved a tea set, and arranged it on the stone table in the courtyard.

Just as Ning Xianyu expected him to make tea, he produced a jug of wine instead and began pouring it into the tea cups.

“If I’m not mistaken, isn’t this the disciple’s wine?”

She recognized it as the wine she’d swiped from Long Yue on Flower Sound Island, which the Demon Lord had confiscated in the Demon Realm.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan ignored her, poured himself a cup, and then spilled one onto the ground.

“Make do with what we have.”

Who was he talking to?

Ning Xianyu was still puzzled when a white figure emerged from the earth.

A ghost?

Startled, she jumped behind the Demon Lord, glaring warily at the shadow.

The shadow swiftly transformed into a handsome man in a flowing white robe, who tidied his sleeves and casually sat at the table, picking up a cup of wine and sniffing it.

“This is Flower Sound Island wine—the floral aroma is too strong, just like Long Yue, too distinctive.”

He named its origin at once, leaving Ning Xianyu even more confused.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan replied, “Wine is wine, no need to be choosy.”

The man smiled, drank another cup, and asked, “How is Long Yue?”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan answered bluntly, “Dead. I killed her.”

The man paused. “Another one dead. Good. They all deserved it.”

His tone was cold as ice. Then he turned his gaze to Ning Xianyu.

“Who’s this child? Where did you find her?”

He leaned forward, looking curiously, but his eyes were chillingly emotionless.

At that moment, Ning Xianyu saw his eyes clearly—devoid of all feeling, like a machine.

He was handsome, but those eyes made his entire face terrifying.

Was he really a ghost?

Xuan Yuan Tunhan swept his sleeves, shielding Ning Xianyu halfway. “Picked her up.”

The man pursed his lips. “So stingy, won’t even let me have a look.”

He turned to Ning Xianyu and smiled, “Little one, isn’t it boring with him? Why not stay and play with me? I have many treasures, all yours.”

With a flourish of his sleeve, a pile of top-grade spirit stones appeared, along with gold, silver, and jewels.

Ning Xianyu glanced at them, feeling even more afraid.

No one offers gifts without a reason; he must have an ulterior motive.

She was a salted fish, but not stupid.

She hid behind the Demon Lord, not daring to show her face.

The man found this amusing and burst out laughing. “What a delightful child.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan said coldly, “Enough with the nonsense. Another ten thousand years have passed—it’s time to leave.”

The man stretched lazily. “Has it really been ten thousand years so soon? Ah, I’ve gotten used to staying here, I don’t want to leave.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan produced a bottle. “Get in yourself.”

The man complained, “You want to use this thing to carry me out? I am a master, can’t you show some respect?”

“Enough talk, get in.”

The man examined the bottle, then smiled. “When I die, put the last trace of my soul in this bottle and leave it by her side.”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan agreed.

The man smiled again. “But she’s already dead, nothing remains. When did you learn to lie?”

As soon as he said this, his figure suddenly expanded, transforming into a fierce ghost and lunging at Xuan Yuan Tunhan.

Ning Xianyu froze in fear, but Xuan Yuan Tunhan simply raised the bottle and the man was sucked inside, vanishing.

The Demon Lord calmly sealed the bottle and tucked it into his sleeve.

From start to finish, Ning Xianyu had no idea what was happening, nor could she make sense of their cryptic conversation.

She did know one thing: the man was gone, but his treasures remained.

“Grandmaster, these…”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan sneered, “Cursed treasures. Anyone who takes them dies. Do you want them?”

“Ah?”

Ning Xianyu hurriedly withdrew her hands, not daring to touch them again.

The Demon Lord was mischievous but never lied, nor would he trick her in such matters.

Just then, she noticed the entire courtyard becoming illusory and distorted, as if it were about to vanish.

Xuan Yuan Tunhan walked to a tree and told her to strike it.

“Hit it hard.”

Confused, Ning Xianyu reached out and channeled all her spiritual power into the tree. The tree instantly changed, transforming into a sword, her hand gripping the hilt.

She looked back at the Demon Lord, who urged, “Hurry, pull it out.”

She didn’t even have time to react, but blindly drew the sword.

It was beautiful, deep blue-black, with strange patterns on the hilt.

The Demon Lord gave her a long, meaningful look and told her to leave.

“The courtyard is about to disappear.”

With that, he exited first.

The moment he stepped out, he reverted from human form back to a cat.

Ning Xianyu rushed after him, voicing her confusion.

“Who was that man just now? Where is he going?”

Xuan Yuan Tunhan jumped onto her head and replied coldly, “He is my grandmaster. He must sacrifice himself to the heavens.”