Xihe had clearly underestimated this ill-fated bond. Not only was Tongtian sticking to her and refusing to leave, but Changxi was also clinging to Tongtian the entire way (hanging on with her teeth).
This made Xihe’s hands itch to stroke her sister, but she couldn’t. The whole journey, she wore a cold expression, repeatedly uttering icy words in an attempt to drive Tongtian away. Yet, like a dogskin plaster, he stubbornly refused to budge.
As long as Tongtian stayed, Changxi wouldn’t allow herself to be held, clinging to Tongtian as an accessory every day. Faced with her sister’s stubbornness, Xihe was utterly helpless.
Battlefields came and went, and elixirs were brewed batch after batch.
The Witch Clan took turns seeking her out, while the Demon Clan, at Xihe’s request, always sent Bai Ze.
Except for the first time he saw Tongtian, when Bai Ze paused briefly to greet him, he largely ignored him afterward.
Bai Ze was a Great Demon of the Demon Clan. Though his combat prowess wasn’t particularly outstanding, his abilities were far from simple—he could deduce all things and knew everything under heaven.
Of course, such deductions worked for ordinary matters. For significant events like the Heavenly Secrets Tribulation, given his cultivation level, attempting to deduce them would result in a Heavenly Dao backlash that would cost him his life.
Even with many limitations to his abilities, Bai Ze was still worth befriending—far more valuable than those Great Demons who were all brawn and no brains.
Only when selling elixirs would Changxi return to Xihe’s shoulder, because she wanted to eat heavenly materials and earthly treasures.
This child was like a bottomless pit. Not only did she devour Innate Spiritual Roots, but she also accepted anything else without hesitation, eating as much as she was given. Every time Bai Ze came to deliver treasures, he watched with heartache as Changxi hugged and gnawed on them.
This was hardly a case of innate deficiency—it was more like raising a pig. No… even pigs weren’t fed like this. Of course, Bai Ze concealed these thoughts perfectly, never letting them show.
“The Witch Clan has been acting strangely lately, mostly retreating without fighting. The Celestial Court has also suffered heavy casualties and intends to take this opportunity to recuperate for a while. Battlefields will likely decrease significantly. If you have the time, Fellow Daoist Xihe, perhaps you should visit the Western Region.”
Hearing Bai Ze’s words, Xihe’s eyes flickered slightly. She knew Bai Ze must have deduced something related to her and was subtly hinting at it.
Those two bald donkeys from Lingshan in the Western Region had been defeated by her and surely harbored deep hatred. Thinking about it, they had been unusually quiet these past years.
A dog that bites doesn’t bark—she really ought to go see what they were up to.
She nodded slightly. “Thank you, Fellow Daoist. The Celestial Emperor has many Great Demons under his command. Even if you were allotted a share of the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Pill, it would likely be just a single grain. By chance, I’ve opened the furnace and refined some more Nine Revolutions Mysterious Pills. These three are for you, Fellow Daoist. May you soon achieve Da Luo Dao Fruit Perfection.”
Bai Ze accepted them with neither humility nor arrogance, thanked her, and left promptly.
Watching the retreating figure in white, Xihe thought to herself that this move had indeed been the right one.
Suddenly, a wall of flesh blocked her view. Tongtian glanced sideways. “Is he better-looking than me?”
“At least you have some self-awareness.”
Tongtian gritted his teeth, wishing he could wash out those rabbit-like eyes of hers. Were they blind?
But as he stared, his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. His gaze drifted downward, lingering on those cold yet enticing lips…
“Do you have a second Innate Spiritual Root?”
The sudden question snapped Tongtian back to reality. He realized he had unconsciously leaned in, his face now extremely close to those sweetly fragrant lips.
Recalling Xihe’s words, he felt both amused and exasperated. “If I produce a second Innate Spiritual Root, can I continue?”
“Yes!”
The crisp, straightforward reply stirred a wicked thought in Tongtian. He leaned close to her ear, his voice thick with desire. “Can I do anything I want?”
Xihe mimicked his gesture, whispering back in his ear, “Not for kissing, but for viewing.”
Tongtian, for some reason, couldn’t contain his Quasi-Saint spiritual power, which overflowed uncontrollably. After staring intently at Xihe, he kissed her forehead and then vanished.
Xihe raised an eyebrow, relieved to have finally tricked him into leaving.
Just as she was about to take a deep, relaxing breath, a loud “Waaah!” nearly shattered her eardrums.
Seeing Changxi on her shoulder crying hysterically, Xihe couldn’t help but rub her forehead. Damn it, she had forgotten her sister was on her shoulder. After so many years of traveling alone, she had momentarily forgotten she had brought Xihe along this time.
She quickly comforted her, “Don’t overthink it. I was just lying to him. He was getting too annoying following us around.”
Changxi sobbed between hiccups, “But… hic… what if he really brings back an Innate Spiritual Root?”
Xihe chuckled, “First of all, Innate Spiritual Roots are like their owners’ lifelines and not easy to obtain. Even if he somehow manages to bring one back, we’ll just accept it. It’s just a physical form—I don’t care about that.”
“Waaah! I care, hic… I care! Sister, don’t sacrifice so much for me!”
Xihe sighed, “How is this a sacrifice? He’s always watching me anyway. I never said I’d strip naked for him to admire.”
The crying stopped abruptly. Changxi widened her teary eyes and stared at her sister.
Xihe gave her a strange look, gently stroking Changxi’s long ears with amusement.
“I can understand him misunderstanding, but how did you, a little one who hasn’t even taken human form, think of that?”
Changxi avoided her gaze, her white fur turning pink as she buried herself in Xihe’s clothes, refusing to come out. Xihe burst into laughter—her sister was just too adorable.
No, her sister was so cute. What if some scoundrel tricked her away in the future? She had to give her a heads-up.
“Changxi, I have something to tell you.”
The little rabbit head poked out from Xihe’s collar, listening attentively.
Xihe thought for a moment and decided to use herself as an example.
“I don’t like Tongtian, but I don’t dislike him either. In my view, intimacy doesn’t necessarily require mutual affection—not disliking each other is enough. It’s foolish to tie yourself to just one person!”
“As long as it’s not forced and he can be useful, even if something does happen, I don’t think it’s anything shameful. It’s just mutual benefit.”
Changxi’s rabbit eyes widened in shock, her worldview clearly cracking.
Xihe smiled and said, “Take your time to digest this, and strive to become better. The more suitors you have, the more it proves your excellence. When the time comes, it won’t be us sisters begging for exclusivity!”
Changxi tried hard to process these words. Though she didn’t fully understand, in her mind, her sister could never be wrong. She would simply follow her advice.
Having shaken off Tongtian, Xihe finally felt she could breathe freely. Bai Ze had told her to go to the Western Region, and she naturally intended to. But before that, she had to meet that damn turtle again!
Hmph! That Xuan Turtle had treated her like an ant before, not even giving her a chance to speak. But now, with the Black Tortoise essence blood in hand, hehe!
Without further delay, Xihe immediately headed for overseas Penglai.
This time, before diving into the sea, Xihe made thorough preparations, clutching the Ancestral Xuanwu Blood in her palm. This way, as long as that damn turtle sensed it, he wouldn’t blow her away like an ant again.
Sure enough, things went as smoothly as expected. As soon as she entered the sea, she felt a pulling force. Without any effort on her part, the seawater automatically carried her beneath a massive shadow.
Little rabbit Changxi, after all, possessed the cultivation of a Celestial Immortal, so she wasn’t afraid of suffocating in the sea. She nestled firmly in Xihe’s embrace, her red eyes fixed on the colossal creature.
It was truly enormous—so vast that its full form couldn’t be taken in at a glance.
As they drew closer, two emerald-green eyes opened, staring at the two sisters without a word. Yet the sense of oppressive weight continued to intensify, as if mountains upon mountains were pressing down on them.