Chapter 30: It’s Not That He Lacks Restraint, It’s the Little Disciple… Part 1

Feng Xixing instinctively raised his hand, shielding the little black cat with his sleeve before turning back to Xu Quanfeng. “It’s nothing. Junior Brother Lin had some urgent business and left first.”

Xu Quanfeng looked at him for a moment, a trace of suspicion flickering in his expression.

Feng Xixing thought he had been discovered. He narrowed his eyes, already considering whether to silence this man, when Xu Quanfeng asked, puzzled, “Junior Brother Feng… did something good happen to you?”

Feng Xixing froze, only then realizing the corners of his own mouth were unconsciously turned up.

He coughed lightly, his fingertips subconsciously rubbing the little furball a couple of times. He forced the corners of his lips down. “Nothing. I was just thinking about that Demonic Beast escaping.”

The Demonic Beast had fled, and he could smile this happily?

Xu Quanfeng felt he truly did not understand what the younger generation of disciples was thinking.

The trail left by the Vine Tree Demon was a chaotic mess. Large swaths of the sandy ground were covered in marks from its lashing branches. It looked as though, injured, it had fled in a panic. But the trail ultimately led off in one direction.

Xu Quanfeng looked over. Further away, the tracks vanished completely beneath the desert.

Just what kind of person was that Junior Brother Lin, to single-handedly hold off a Core Formation Mid Stage Demonic Beast?

“Do we pursue?” Xu Quanfeng looked at Feng Xixing. After all, he had promised them two Demon Cores.

Feng Xixing nodded, his face cold.

He had no real interest in the Demon Core or the Purple Ice Soul Stone, but the thought of Lin Chuyun nearly being killed by the Vine Tree Demon made his own killing intent surge uncontrollably.

If he could not feel the warmth of the little black ball in his palm right now, Feng Xixing even suspected he would directly succumb to Devil Fall.

Seeing the murderous aura radiating from him, Xu Quanfeng asked no further questions. He was the first to mount his sword and fly off in the direction the trail pointed, using Sword Flight.

Yan Sha, having rested enough, rushed over just in time to see Xu Quanfeng’s departing figure.

He hesitated, then landed beside Feng Xixing first. He glanced around and lowered his voice. “Where is Immortal Lord Lin?”

Could it be that the Vine Tree Demon had finished him off?

Feng Xixing subtly pressed a hand over the warmth at his chest. “Shizun had business.”

Yan Sha eyed him suspiciously. He felt something was off, but couldn’t put his finger on it.

He scratched the back of his head. Seeing Feng Xixing not moving, he asked again, “Junior Brother Feng, aren’t you going after the Tree Demon?”

Feng Xixing frowned. “Wait a moment.”

Wait a moment? Wait for what?

Yan Sha wanted to press the question but caught Feng Xixing’s sidelong glance. He knew that look all too well. Every time Junior Brother Feng was about to beat him up, he would give him that exact, dismissive look.

Yan Sha shut his mouth instantly. Before Feng Xixing could erupt, he silently fled on his flying sword.

Once no one else was around, Feng Xixing lowered the sleeve he had kept raised. The little black ball was still in his palm, sleeping soundly and peacefully. All the people coming and going hadn’t woken it.

So lazy.

Feng Xixing helplessly fiddled with the tiny ears. The little black ball seemed displeased, burying its face deeper into his palm and using a paw to cover its furry ear.

It clearly meant ‘do not touch’.

He couldn’t help but smile wryly. He decided not to tease the little creature and carefully tucked the small black cat into his robes.

A familiar warmth came from his chest, as if a missing half had slotted perfectly back into place.

Feng Xixing suddenly found it harder to deny Yan Sha’s earlier words. He might indeed come to like the little black cat—after all, who could reject an adorable creature?—but he would never be able to like the real Lin Chuyun.

Having left late, by the time Feng Xixing arrived at the Cold Pool, Yan Sha and Xu Quanfeng had already been standing there for a long time.

The temperature near the Cold Pool was the polar opposite of the volcano. Yan Sha kept frowning incessantly. Feng Xixing, however, liked this place very much. The familiar temperature reminded him of the Ice Pool behind his mountain.

“Strange…” Xu Quanfeng stared at the water of the Cold Pool, his brow furrowed deeply.

Bubbles were constantly rising to the pool’s surface, as if many people were hiding underneath.

Xu Quanfeng tried to cut the water’s surface with Wind Blades. Yet the moment the blades touched the water, it was as if they were swallowed, not causing even a single ripple.

Neither man dared to rashly enter the water. Their spiritual power would be severely weakened inside the Cold Pool. If the Vine Tree Demon ambushed them then, they would both likely perish here.

In this situation, only Feng Xixing was suitable to investigate below. Both men involuntarily looked at him.

But Feng Xixing touched the little black bundle in his robes and hesitated.

If he were alone, entering the water would be no issue. But he had a little furball with him.

Although the little furball behaved obediently, sitting quietly whenever they touched water, its tail always flicked back and forth impatiently. It was clearly very averse to water.

Thinking this, Feng Xixing decisively abandoned the idea of going in. He half-knelt by the Cold Pool and touched the water’s surface with the tip of his right index finger.

Starting from his fingertip, a layer of Frost rapidly spread, freezing the water’s surface.

As the Frost appeared, the disturbances on the water grew more violent, as if sensing the danger. But even so, the Vine Tree Demon still did not emerge.

“What’s going on…” Yan Sha muttered to himself, “Could the Tree Demon be fighting something down there?”

His words had just fallen when a figure suddenly shot out from the water’s surface, followed by countless vines.

The person looked incredibly disheveled, his clothes completely soaked. From his struggle with the vines, his exposed skin was covered in purple bruises from the constrictions.

“Bai Linghan?!” Yan Sha cried out in shock.

Xu Quanfeng was also surprised. After all, he had personally witnessed Bai Linghan’s escape. But he quickly realized what Bai Linghan’s plan had been. His face darkened, and his gaze swept over Bai Linghan’s hand. He actually saw Bai Linghan clutching something tightly in his left hand.

“Junior Brother Feng, Junior Brother Yan.” Xu Quanfeng gestured for them to look at Bai Linghan’s left hand.

Because Bai Linghan held it so tightly, Yan Sha couldn’t see exactly what it was. He could only tell it seemed to be a stone.

Could it be the Purple Ice Soul Stone?

Yan Sha instantly panicked and was about to make a move to snatch it back. However, Feng Xixing showed a flicker of surprise upon seeing the stone and moved to stop Yan Sha.

“Junior Brother Feng?” Yan Sha looked at him anxiously. “That could be…”

He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly remembering Xu Quanfeng was still beside them. Although Xu Quanfeng had agreed to give them the treasure, what if its value was so immense he decided to try and take it by force?

Yan Sha silently swallowed the second half of his sentence.

Feng Xixing shook his head, saying only, “That’s not it.” He didn’t explain what the stone actually was.

Bai Linghan’s face was deathly pale. The Green Water Sword in his hand ceaselessly sliced through the vines, but his ankle was still caught. From mid-air, he was ruthlessly slammed down onto the water’s surface.

The impact was brutal. The pain made him grunt, and he spat out another mouthful of blood.

He had already been freezing in the Cold Pool for ages. He had just barely found the Demonic Beast’s lair when he was forcefully dragged out before he could get a good look, crashing into who knows how many stones along the way.

Feeling the treasure in his hand, Bai Linghan’s heart finally eased somewhat. If he hadn’t been quick, this trip would have been a complete disaster!

Bai Linghan had no desire to tangle with the Vine Tree Demon and longed only to escape this place. However, the Vine Tree Demon had no intention of letting him off.

It knew it wouldn’t escape today. Even at its peak, it couldn’t defeat three Golden Core human cultivators, let alone now, badly wounded as it was.

But before that, it would make this thief pay the price!

Bai Linghan had barely severed the vines from one ankle when other vines wrapped around him again. He was on the verge of coughing blood from sheer fury. He didn’t understand why the Vine Tree Demon was targeting him so relentlessly. If it held a grudge, shouldn’t it be against the ones who had fought it?

Seeing people on the shore, he instinctively looked over, his gaze habitually carrying a pitiful, imploring expression.

“This…” Yan Sha looked at Bai Linghan, then at Feng Xixing and Xu Quanfeng, who showed no intention of intervening. Finally, he too silently turned his back, pretending to see nothing.

Bai Linghan gritted his teeth in hatred. This slight distraction slowed his movements, and he was caught by the vines once more.

This time, the Vine Tree Demon held nothing back. Countless vines swiftly wrapped Bai Linghan into a green cocoon, about to drag him below the water’s surface.

Bai Linghan knew he couldn’t hesitate any longer, or he would certainly die here. A flash of resentment passed through his eyes, but he was forced to take out a Wooden Token.

The token looked ordinary. In its center was a cloud design, as if casually carved by someone.

But when Bai Linghan channeled a wisp of Spirit Power into it, the token instantly flashed with a Spiritual Light. Bai Linghan, who had just been tightly bound by the Vine Tree Demon, vanished without a trace.

Xu Quanfeng was stunned for a moment, then silently turned his head to look at Feng Xixing. “That was… a Spirit Token from Spirit Cloud Peak?”

“…” Feng Xixing’s face darkened.

It was indeed Spirit Cloud Peak’s Spirit Token.

A Spirit Token was essentially a life-saving artifact bestowed by a Peak Master upon a valued disciple. In danger, injecting Spirit Power into the token would teleport the user back to the Star Point Sect. The only exception was if they were trapped by a Grand Ascension stage expert.

Spirit Tokens were complex to make and thus extremely rare. Each peak had at most three. The one with the fewest was naturally Spirit Cloud Peak, which only had one.

But he had always thought Spirit Cloud Peak’s Spirit Token was in Lin Chuyun’s hands. Who knew that guy had actually given it to Bai Linghan!

If it weren’t for the people nearby, Feng Xixing would absolutely drag the little black cat out and give it a good—a very good—a very thorough fur-rubbing!

Noticing Feng Xixing’s dark expression, Xu Quanfeng knew his guess was correct. He just hadn’t expected Immortal Lord Lin to be so fond of Bai Linghan, even giving him the only Spirit Token.

He couldn’t help but cast a sympathetic glance at Feng Xixing. Poor Junior Brother Feng. Not only did he lack a Spirit Token, he still didn’t even have a decent Spirit Sword.