Translator: Tamon Translation Checker: Silavin A cool breeze drifted beneath the sacred fig, where a square stone table was set. Chen Changan and the demons were around it, the table holding jade pieces in four neat lines. Mahjong! Touba Ye held a tile with a frown, plagued with indecision. Hong Yi held her chin with a lazy look, whining, “What’s taking you so long to consider every time, you slow ox? You’re making Young Master wait forever. Are you playing or not?” “No rush, just let me think.” She Zini knocked the table. “Hurry it up. I’ll be pushing up daisies with you around.” Touba Ye grumbled and slammed a tile, “You two rookies are always in a rush. There!” “A full suit, sorry but I win.” Chen Changan laid out his tiles. Touba Ye whined, “See? You rushed me, and Young Master won again. I was this close to making a bamboo suit too.” “Don’t blame us for your stupidity.” “I certainly wouldn’t have put down the chicken if I were you.” (Tamon: one bamboo in Chinese is called a chicken/fowl, due to the image on it.) Hong Yi rolled her eyes. Chen Changan chuckled at the demons arguing. [It’s so refreshing to dominate.] The three found Mahjong a novelty, having never seen it before, or played it. What was more, Mahjong wasn’t there just to pass the time, it was actually helping the demons get a clearer sense of the world and its nature. It was beyond their comprehension. If they kept playing with Chen Changan, they felt the 5th layer of Nascent Soul would be just around the corner. “Young Master, again!” Chen Changan looked at the time, “It’s noon already. Let’s take a break and continue after lunch.” “Bao’er should be coming back by now.” “Draconic Fowl King lives on Cutlet Mountain. Miss Bao’er is more than enough to bring one back.” “Young Master, there’s no need to worry about her.” “I guess.” Chen Changan nodded. The demons told him of this Cutlet Mountain being a few thousand miles off of Soaring Immortal Mountain, though it had no dangerous demons around. Even that Draconic Fowl King was a Golden Core at best. She Zini said the fowl had a trace of an immortal beast bloodline, making its meat a delicacy. Chen Changan was about to send the demons after one for a barbecue, but Ling Bao’er volunteered so he let her go instead. Around a dozen miles away, Ling Bao’er was on her sword, carrying a chicken even larger than her, as she flew home. “It’s almost noon. Master must be hungry. I better step on it.” She used her spiritual power to go faster. As she flew towards Soaring Immortal Mountain, she saw a red streak on the horizon coming right for her. The red light vanished and the sudden appearance of a man startled her. He was an old man with decrepit features and a bald head. His bloodthirsty eyes landed on Ling Bao’er. “Girl, I sense Batian on you. Did you kill him?” Ling Bao’er felt pain from his icy tone and the deadly aura he released. She knew she was in danger. [Damn it, he’s from Evil Dragon Den!] [Master only sent me out for some game and I happened to stumble on someone from the Evil Dragon Den!] Ling Bao’er was at the Golden Core Stage, but the old codger had an even stronger aura. The pressure she felt was the same one the three demons gave off. That meant he could only be a Nascent Soul expert. “That’s why Evil Dragon Den has been rampant over the years. They have a Nascent Soul!” She felt no fear as she spoke while trying to come up with a plan of action. “You’re quite cocky, being so young and yet at the Golden Core Stage. But it’s still not enough to kill Batian. Answer me, who did it?” The tone was filled with bloodthirst. It also contained a power that pierced Ling Bao’er’s soul, making her pale and unable to withstand it. Nascent Soul experts were a terrifying existence. The Sacred Immortal Sword sensed the threat to its user and released its immortal power into a sword barrier, protecting her life. The mighty immortal sword surrendered before Chen Changan’s Absolute Domain and, with Ling Bao’er as its new Master, it would protect her. Ling Bao’er breathed easier. The old man squinted. “That sword!” He could feel the Sacred Immortal Sword’s immortal power. “Is that the fallen immortal treasure?” He was the Grand Elder of Evil Dragon Den, Li Feihong, a deadly 4th layer Nascent Soul expert, and Li Batian’s father. He had come to Myriad Mountains to get revenge for Li Batian’s death but was more interested in seeking out the immortal treasure. Only for it to show up out of the blue right before him in the hands of a wee lass. Ling Bao’er huffed, “That’s right! So don’t give me grief or you’ll be sorry.” Li Feihong struck at once, startling Ling Bao’er. “Girl, you won’t escape!” Li Feihong blocked her retreat. His terrible spiritual power was like a flood, turning into a ghastly claw. The fingers glinted coldly as they shot for the Sacred Immortal Sword. It was only due to her increased talent and senses that she was quick to react. She held the chicken in one hand while striking with the immortal sword in the other. She was at the 4th layer of Golden Core Stage, a whole stage below Li Feihong. Logic would say she couldn’t block even a casual attack. To him, he felt taking the Sacred Immortal Sword was the easiest thing in the world. Only to find, to his shock, that his attempt was thwarted. Ling Bao’er’s slash at the ghost claw’s weakness. She thus had no trouble blocking it. “You actually stopped it!” Li Feihong gasped. “She isn’t strong, but with the immortal item helping her, she struck the ghost claw’s weakness. Was it a fluke or intentional?” Li Feihong muttered as his eyes shone sinisterly. It would be another matter if Ling Bao’er actually found out the attack’s weakness. [To find it in such a short time, the girl must be of 7th grade talent or higher!] Ling Bao’er paled and gasped. She did block the attack, but it took everything she had to do it. The immortal sword was mighty, but it took a heavy toll on one’s spiritual power, not to mention it protected her as well. [I need to save the Sacred Immortal Sword as a last resort. A Nascent Soul is too strong. Master increased my talent, bolstering my strength, but I’m still just in the Golden Core Stage. The gap between us isn’t enough for talent to cover. Even with the Sacred Immortal Sword, it uses way too much spiritual power. I have so little of it to use it as I want. I must flee to Soaring Immortal Mountain!] She was no match for Li Feihong, but she just had to get to her Master’s side and a finger from him would kill this old geezer. “Girl, didn’t your dad ever tell you to never get distracted in a fight?” Li Feihong struck again, not going easy with her young age or lower cultivation. The sudden punch caught Ling Bao’er by surprise, smashing her into a mountain.