“I’ve been chatting here with Moon-Pluck Fairy the whole time,” Miss Jing said with a smile.
Xu Zimo turned his gaze to Moon-Pluck Fairy.
She gave a slight nod and replied, “Miss Jing really has been here the whole time. Why do you ask?”
“Nothing. I guess I was overthinking,” Xu Zimo frowned slightly, then asked, “Where are we now?”
“We just left North River City not long ago. Right now, we’re near Fiend Mountain,” Moon-Pluck Fairy replied.
No sooner had her words fallen than a loud bang echoed. The Airship shuddered violently as if struck by something heavy.
“Ship up ahead, stop immediately, or don’t blame us for destroying it!” A shrill voice called from below.
“It’s the rat demons of Fiend Mountain,” Moon-Pluck Fairy’s face changed slightly.
“Fiend Mountain?” Xu Zimo glanced at her. He knew this place carried many unpleasant memories for her.
“Stop the ship. Let’s see what they want,” Xu Zimo said.
The massive vessel slowed to a halt in the void. Then came several loud booms as figures leapt onto the deck.
Xu Zimo looked closely and realized they were rats, rats carrying large sabers.
These rodents had long since cultivated into spirits. They walked upright on two legs, clad in stolen silks of garish colors.
Each one carried a saber almost as big as its body, posturing with exaggerated swagger.
“Moon-Pluck Fairy, our boss invites you over for a little chat,” one rat said in a slick, mocking tone.
“And who is your boss?” Moon-Pluck Fairy frowned.
“You nobles sure are forgetful. Have you already forgotten King Scale-Rat?” the rat replied smugly.
Moon-Pluck Fairy’s face darkened.
The lineage of these Fiend Mountain rats was notoriously tangled. Back when her Immortal Brew Island passed through this area, a dispute broke out, and one of the rats was killed.
That rat, it turned out, was none other than the son of King Scale-Rat.
And rumor had it, King Scale-Rat was one of the most favored grandsons of the Elder Fiend of Fiend Mountain himself. No wonder his name carried such weight across all of North River.
“I don’t want to go,” Moon-Pluck Fairy said flatly.
“That’s not up to you. Whether you want to or not, you’re coming with us,” the rat swaggered forward and said, “Around here, no one dares refuse King Scale-Rat’s summons.”
Moon-Pluck Fairy frowned and cast Xu Zimo a pleading look.
Before the rat could finish gloating, it suddenly felt itself lifted off the ground.
“Who dares lay hands on Grandpa Rat? Do you have a death wish...” It turned its head mid-shout.
Right in front of its eyes was the razor-sharp tip of Shadow Tyrant.
With a swish, green blood sprayed into the air. The rat’s corpse hit the floor with a thud.
The other rats, seeing this, didn’t cower. Instead, their fury ignited, and they howled as they charged forward.
Xu Zimo didn’t bother speaking. Shadow Tyrant’s blade aura swept through the air, cold and merciless.
One by one, the rat corpses fell.
“You killed them all… isn’t that going to cause trouble?” Moon-Pluck Fairy asked with worry.
Moon-Pluck Fairy froze for a moment before replying, “I don’t understand what you mean, Young Master Xu.”
“You understand,” Xu Zimo said calmly.
“By clashing with Fiend Mountain, I’ve essentially avenged you, haven’t I?”
“Why would Young Master Xu think so poorly of me?” Moon-Pluck Fairy went silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Isn’t it true? You knew full well you had grudges with Fiend Mountain, yet instead of taking a detour, you deliberately flew over their territory.” Xu Zimo continued, “You know I never back down. And the little demons of Fiend Mountain are infamous for bullying travelers around here. A clash was inevitable, wasn’t it?”
“You think too much. Passing over Fiend Mountain is simply the fastest route to reach Brahma City,” Moon-Pluck Fairy replied.
Xu Zimo looked at her with steady eyes.
Moon-Pluck Fairy’s body trembled as if struck. She fell hard onto the deck, coughing up a mouthful of blood, her face pale as paper.
“Young Master said you would protect me all the way to Brahma City!” she hurriedly said.
“That doesn’t mean you get to manipulate me,” Xu Zimo replied coldly.
Moon-Pluck Fairy said nothing. She knew she was in the wrong.
“Whatever you decide, I’ll accept,” she said quietly.
“You should be grateful. If not for that jar of Immortal Brew, you’d already be a corpse, and in the worst possible way,” Xu Zimo said.
“I know. As for Wen Yuan’s life or death, I no longer dwell on it,” Moon-Pluck Fairy admitted.
“But my clan’s vengeance is unfulfilled. I carry guilt toward Immortal Brew Island. I wish I could’ve perished alongside them.”
“Whatever. If you try to play tricks again, I won’t wait for others, I’ll personally grant you that wish,” Xu Zimo said, then turned and walked back to his quarters.
His Void Tribulant power was still unstable. The Heart Demon he had just encountered left him wary.
He needed to stabilize his realm first.
‘Upon the Yin-Yang Bridge lies the Heavenly Void. After linking it, one may divine life and death.’
This was an old saying about the five stages of the Grand Emperor Realm.
Power coursed through his meridians, surging across newly opened pathways.
More and more hidden acupoints were breaking open.
Xu Zimo immersed himself in his cultivation, feeling out his new realm, preparing to advance toward the next, the God Unity Stage.
But soon, the ship shuddered again, as if under attack.
“Are those Fiend Mountain pests not finished yet?” Xu Zimo frowned.
He stepped out of his room. The Airship had activated its automatic defenses, a translucent barrier encasing it.
Outside, the void swarmed with countless little demons, surrounding the giant vessel on all sides.
“Humans inside, King Scale-Rat has arrived! Come out and greet him at once!” a sharp rat’s voice shrieked across the air.
The rats wielded all sorts of weapons, dressed in multicolored silks, looking absurdly grotesque.
“They’ve caught up again,” Miss Jing said as she stepped forward.
“These small fry are yours to handle,” Xu Zimo replied.
“And what about you?” she asked.
“Lowering myself to kill them would cheapen me. I can’t be bothered,” Xu Zimo said.
With a wave of his hand, Chaos’ massive form emerged from within the God World. The God Beast’s aura rolled out like a storm.
Miss Jing chuckled from the side. “Your little world really is convenient, you can stash anything in there.”
“Want to take a look inside?” Xu Zimo asked with a smile.
“Sure,” Miss Jing nodded.
“I’m afraid once you go in, you won’t come back out,” Xu Zimo said casually.
“No, I believe you wouldn’t harm me,” Miss Jing replied with a laugh.
“But I’m afraid you might harm me,” Xu Zimo countered.
“Are you implying something, Young Master?” Miss Jing smiled.