Chapter Twenty: Reunion with the Little Demon, A Fierce Beating for the Qilin Ancestor

As that cold, indifferent voice echoed through the air, a figure clad in strange attire appeared at the scene—it was Chen Xing, dressed in sportswear.

Ancestor Qi’s heart gave a jolt. For this person to arrive without his notice, his cultivation must be at least on par with his own.

As soon as Chen Xing came to a halt, a figure had already thrown herself into his arms. “Brother! Brother! You’re finally back!” Tears of excitement streamed down her face—it was Little Demon.

By his side, Nüwa was visibly moved as well upon seeing Chen Xing, but when her gaze fell on Little Demon clinging to him, her expression grew complicated: envy, wistfulness, and a touch of jealousy flickered across her features.

But Chen Xing found himself in an awkward predicament. Little Demon had grown into a young woman, and now, with her in his arms, he was at a loss for what to do with his hands and feet.

For someone who had never been in a romantic relationship before, the scent of the girl in his arms stirred a restless feeling within him, leaving Chen Xing uneasy.

Little Demon had once been just a small child—he had carried her around daily without a second thought. But now...

He managed a wry smile, his right hand awkwardly stroking Little Demon’s long, silky hair, comforting her gently: “There, there. I’m back now, Little Demon, don’t cry.”

Gradually, Little Demon stopped sobbing, but she buried her head in Chen Xing’s chest, refusing to look up. If anyone could see her face at that moment, they would have noticed her once rosy cheeks now flushed scarlet, as if they might drip water.

Little Demon’s own heart was in turmoil. She had been so overwhelmed to finally see her brother again after tens of thousands of years that she instinctively threw herself into his arms as she used to. But as calm returned, she suddenly remembered she was no longer a child, and her face flushed with embarrassment, unwilling to lift her head.

Watching the affectionate scene before him, Ancestor Qi’s expression grew thunderous, almost dripping with fury. As the leader of the mighty Qilin Clan, one of the most powerful in the Primal World, he was being utterly ignored by these people.

“How dare you address me in such a manner!” Ancestor Qi’s eyes blazed with killing intent, and the assembled Qilin clan members glared angrily at Chen Xing.

Now that Chen Xing had arrived, Fuxi and Nüwa no longer worried about the situation. Nüwa pursed her lips, ignoring Ancestor Qi, and stepped forward to whisper softly in Little Demon’s ear. At her words, Little Demon’s face reddened further, and she cast a glance at Chen Xing before quietly stepping to Nüwa’s side.

“My, how impressive!” Chen Xing mocked, shooting Ancestor Qi a sardonic glance, not even sparing a look for the other Qilin clansmen.

“Insolence! My royal father is the chief of the Qilin Clan! Kneel and surrender at once, and hand over the two women behind you. I might persuade my father to spare your lives!” sneered Qi Bai, who, after being scolded earlier, now strutted out arrogantly.

Chen Xing’s playful demeanor darkened. He had intended to toy with these Qilin clan members for a bit longer, but his amusement was quickly fading.

“How do you wish to die?” Chen Xing’s voice was icy as it left his lips.

“You dare—” Qi Bai barely got the words out before Chen Xing extended his right hand. In an instant, Qi Bai, who had been dozens of yards away, was seized by the throat, his neck tightly gripped by Chen Xing’s right hand.

Ancestor Qi hadn’t anticipated that Chen Xing would strike so decisively; even his own late quasi-saint cultivation couldn’t follow Chen Xing’s movements. It was as if Qi Bai had always been in Chen Xing’s grasp.

Ancestor Qi’s heart sank—he realized there would be no peaceful resolution today. In a somber tone, he said, “Fellow Daoist, my son was at fault today. Might you let him go? Let us write off today’s events.”

“When he insulted my sister and friend, his fate was sealed. He must die today!” Chen Xing replied coldly.

As an Earthling, Chen Xing could tolerate those who treated him as an equal, but how many men on Earth would stand for someone harassing the women at their side? In his heart, Qi Bai’s death sentence had already been passed.

“Are you not afraid of endless retribution from the Qilin Clan?” Ancestor Qi’s voice was grim; his aura exploded outward, an atmosphere of world-destroying power spreading through the air.

Chen Xing sneered, channeling his power. Qi Bai, a mid-stage Golden Immortal, had no power to resist and turned to ash in an instant.

Ancestor Qi’s eyes bulged with rage. With a roar, he bellowed, “Kill!” and charged at Chen Xing, who only snorted coldly before advancing to meet him, not even bothering to use his magic. They clashed, and the thuds of flesh meeting flesh resounded from the battle circle.

The Qilin clan’s top experts surged forward toward Fuxi and Nüwa, but Nüwa intercepted Fuxi with a cold snort. In her hand, the Star Pearl expanded to a hundred feet, spinning like a planet to crush her foes.

The Qilin experts, whose highest cultivation was only at the level of Golden Immortal, were no match for Nüwa. In the blink of an eye, casualties mounted.

High above, Ancestor Qi was filled with regret. He had thought that with his powerful physique, he could hold the upper hand even if Chen Xing’s cultivation matched his own.

He hadn’t expected Chen Xing to overwhelm him physically, leaving him battered and unable to retaliate. Even his quasi-saint power-laden attacks failed to harm Chen Xing in the slightest. Such a feat was unheard of in the Primal World—who was this man?

With a furious roar, Ancestor Qi transformed into his true form—a massive, earthen-yellow qilin a hundred feet long, treading on clouds in the heavens. In this form, he desperately tried to flee—there was no way to win this fight; he was being utterly crushed.

Seeing Ancestor Qi’s true form retreating in panic, Chen Xing stopped his beating and stood in the sky, watching him withdraw.

“Who are you, truly? With such power, why trouble the Qilin Clan?” Ancestor Qi asked, his massive maw trembling with fear.

Chen Xing couldn’t help but laugh. After being thrashed, this fellow still tried to play the victim. He was about to charge forward and beat him again.

“Please, wait, Fellow Daoist!” Ancestor Qi called out through gritted teeth, enduring his pain.

He realized that if he didn’t yield now, not only would he fail to avenge his son, but neither he nor his followers would leave alive today.

Looking down at his clan’s battered ranks, Ancestor Qi felt a pang of anguish. These were the backbone of his tribe, and to lose so many at once filled him with wrath—if only Qi Bai could come back to life, he would have killed him himself for causing such disaster.

Chen Xing regarded Ancestor Qi with a half-smile. “What, you’re done fighting?”

“No, no more!” Ancestor Qi shook his enormous head repeatedly.

“I killed your son,” Chen Xing remarked. “Don’t you want revenge?”

“That unfilial son brought shame upon your cherished companions—his death was deserved.” Ancestor Qi shook his head vigorously.

At his words, Little Demon’s face, standing beside Nüwa, turned scarlet again and she lowered her head even further.

Even Nüwa, in the midst of slaughtering the Qilin experts, paused her incantations and put away the Star Pearl, secretly delighted: “This Ancestor Qi isn’t so bad after all. I suppose I won’t kill the rest of his followers.”

Even Chen Xing felt a bit embarrassed by Ancestor Qi’s statement. After all, it was said in front of the two women, and he wasn’t sure how to respond.

Moreover, Chen Xing never intended to kill Ancestor Qi; as one of the central figures in this tribulation, killing him would only bring more trouble.

Just as Chen Xing considered letting things go, Nüwa spoke up. “Ancestor Qi, you and your clan besieged my sanctuary for so long, even breaking the mountain-protecting array. You can’t expect me to just let this go, can you?”

Ancestor Qi was left speechless.

Looking at the corpses of his slain clansmen below, his heart ached bitterly. So many of his warriors dead—who could he blame?

He quickly answered, “This was the fault of my Qilin Clan. Naturally, we will compensate for your losses.”

Chen Xing was uninterested in what compensation Ancestor Qi could provide, but since Nüwa had spoken, he casually inquired, “And what exactly can you offer?”

Ancestor Qi breathed a sigh of relief. If he could preserve his own life and those of his remaining tribe, any price was acceptable.

He resumed his human form, and with great reluctance produced several items from his robes, handing them to Chen Xing.

He knew that these people before him were among the Primal World’s top experts—there was no point in trying to fool them. The treasures he handed over were all precious, the least of them a mid-grade innate spiritual treasure, the finest a supreme-grade innate spiritual treasure. But there was no other choice—better to lose fortune than life.

Chen Xing examined the three treasures: a mid-grade innate spirit sword; a set of twelve azure beads—supreme-grade innate spirit treasures—destined in the future for Zhao Gongming during the Investiture of the Gods, later seized by Burning Lamp and transformed into the Twenty-Four Heavens. These twelve, it seemed, were not among those twenty-four. Chen Xing’s lips curled—he knew if all thirty-six beads were gathered, they would become a supreme innate treasure, rivaling the Seven Treasure Wondrous Tree in Zhunti’s hands.

But with only this incomplete set, he paid them little heed.

The third treasure, however, caught his eye: a nondescript, pitch-black bead. It appeared to be just another mid-grade innate spiritual treasure, but Chen Xing instantly recognized its true nature.

Stowing away the three items, Chen Xing said coolly, “Since you’ve compensated us, you may leave.”

Ancestor Qi bowed deeply and was about to lead the survivors away, when a voice called out, “Hold on! There are four of us here, and you’ve only offered three treasures. Isn’t that a bit unfair?” It was Nüwa who spoke.

Ancestor Qi’s face grew even more woeful—he had brought only these three treasures, yet Nüwa was still pressing him.

He could only sigh and, after some thought, said, “On Buzhou Mountain is a formation that’s nearly impossible to breach, but within lies a treasure beyond compare. I have no more treasures with me, but will you accept this as compensation?”