“Sister Zhao Li, I… I really can’t eat anymore… wuwuwu…”
“M-me too… ugh…”
On the second day of the secret realm’s opening, Zhao Li and her group had already fought their way to the mid-to-late section, reaching the area of the Ten-Thousand-Year Peaches of Immortality.
The magical beasts in this area had long been exterminated by Zhao Li and Yelan, leaving not even an insect egg behind.
The reason the Ten-Thousand-Year Peaches were so precious was precisely because the magical beasts nesting here were extremely ferocious, not something ordinary spirit masters could easily handle.
But when Yelan and Zhao Li entered, it was like the final boss slaughtering a beginner village. They didn’t even need to use spirit techniques. One strike of Crimson Lotus Karmic Flames, one strike of Foxfire, and the dual flames worked in perfect harmony, as if they were traversing unopposed.
As for the two young girls, Chu Rou and Zhi Die, with the protection of defense masters Niu Tai and Zhu Qing, they were perfectly safe.
Though Zhao Li was more inclined to bring the peaches back for her clansmen, she couldn’t ignore these two girls either.
So, they charged straight into the Ten-Thousand-Year Peach area, prioritizing leveling the two girls to 30 first. In the following days, they could then freely gather peaches of various ages for their clansmen.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Peaches indeed yielded extraordinary benefits. Even though the two girls’ comprehension wasn’t as high as Zhao Li’s, after consuming over a dozen peaches, they both reached level 29.
Just one step away from breaking through to Super Spirit Master.
But after reaching level 29, no matter how many peaches they ate, they couldn’t advance that final level.
The two slender girls had already been fed into rounder figures by Zhao Li, their faces puffing up like steamed buns.
Now, the mere sight of a peach made them nauseous.
Zhao Li, however, refused to give up. They were so close!
“Push a little harder! How about… how about some scallions to freshen the taste?”
Zhao Li rummaged through her soul tool and actually pulled out a scallion half a person’s height, along with a jar of fermented bean paste.
Chu Rou & Zhi Die: QAQ~~~~~
Niu Tai and Zhu Qing stared at Zhao Li in shock, thinking: Peaches dipped in scallions? How did you even come up with that?
Only Yelan gazed at Zhao Li with nothing but adoration in her eyes.
Seeing their looks of horror, Zhao Li pouted regretfully and chewed on the scallion herself. “The scallions from our Qingqiu are actually quite tasty, you know…”
Yelan couldn’t resist. “Oh? Let me try.”
Anything her little Zhao Li liked, she wanted to experience firsthand, sharing in her joy.
So, Zhao Li broke off the other half for Yelan, thoughtfully dipping it in some bean paste for her.
The other four took three steps back at the sight of the two munching on scallions.
The scene was too beautiful; they couldn’t bear to watch.
After finishing the scallion, Zhao Li exhaled heavily, her breath reeking of scallion. “No wonder the Ape Monkey tribe always emphasized that the secret realm’s peaches have no effect on spirit masters above level 30. They really cap at 29, huh… sigh.”
As she spoke, her scallion-laden breath wafted over the group.
All four widened their eyes, holding their breath.
The stench, the pungency—it was only slightly better than a skunk’s spray.
The two girls, already stuffed to bursting, were overwhelmed by the foul scallion assault and promptly vomited without a shred of dignity left.
“Whoa!” Zhao Li jumped back in alarm. “What’s wrong with you guys?”
Chu Rou & Zhi Die: … (Wuwuwu QAQ)
Yelan could only shake her head helplessly.
Although Xiao Li’er’s temperament had changed quite a bit, her occasional air headedness remained unchanged. Still just as adorable as ever.
Lier was her beloved wife. She couldn’t bear to, nor would she ever say it was because her breath smelled.
But these two girls were indeed pitiful.
So, she retrieved some spirit medicine of the Asura Clan from her soul tool, along with two flasks of water, and handed them forward gently, saying, “Take one pill each, and you’ll feel much better.”
The two girls’ tear-filled eyes brimmed with gratitude as they shakily accepted the items, then glanced sheepishly at the Niu and Zhu brothers.
After all, they were young ladies. Even if they had already embarrassed themselves once, they couldn’t very well lose their composure further in front of everyone.
Rinsing their mouths and spitting in front of them? How mortifying.
Fortunately, the two brothers weren’t complete blockheads and understood the girls’ modesty.
Niu Tai scratched his cheek and said, “Second Brother, need to answer nature’s call?”
Zhu Qing slapped his forehead. “Yes! I actually do feel a bit urgent! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go…”
Zhao Li watched their fleeing figures and couldn’t help but sigh. “These two! How could they say such crude words like ‘piss and shit’ in front of young ladies? No wonder you’ve been single all these years.”
Chu Rou & Zhi Die: “…”
Old lady, you’re not much better yourself!
The pot calling the kettle black.
Unable to bear the awkward silence that followed Zhao Li’s remark, Yelan kindly picked up the conversation. “Then, in Lier’s opinion, how should one express it properly?”
What girl wouldn’t want to show off in front of the person she liked? Even Zhao Li was no exception.
She thumped her chest proudly and declared, “We cultured folk say it like this! ‘Gazing upon the vastness of heaven and earth, alone I majestically piss—’”
“Stop!” Chu Rou and Zhi Die cried out in unison, tears streaming down their faces.
—Moved by the boundless expanse of the universe, I cannot help but release a grand stream.
As the two girls rinsed their mouths with water, they couldn’t help but wonder: just how formidable would Zhao Li’s future husband have to be to endure her personality?
Meanwhile, Yelan, the future “husband” Zhao Li had already set her heart on, gazed at her with endless adoration.
Even if she spouted vulgarities, even if she farted right in front of Yelan. In her eyes, it would still be unbearably cute.
(Of course, Zhao Li would never do something so uncouth in front of Yelan.)
It just went to show: when love ran deep, it could embrace all flaws—including hers.
…
The Asura Clan’s miraculous medicine truly lived up to its reputation. Shortly after taking it, the bloating and nausea in the two girls’ stomachs vanished completely.
Though, it had no weight-loss effects. They still looked as plump as ever.
Niu Tai and Zhu Qing timed their return perfectly.
The group mounted their young spirit-winged dragons and continued deeper into the secret realm.
Zhao Li set aside her playful demeanor and spoke seriously. “Although Chu Rou and Zhi Die are only one level away, breaking through from 29 to 30 is a major bottleneck. Many spirit masters spend years just trying to overcome this hurdle. Age is a spirit master’s greatest asset. The older you get, the slower your cultivation progresses.”
After reincarnating into the Flower Clan, Zhao Li had seen too many examples of clansmen who took years, even decades, just to reach level 30.
Niu Tai and Zhu Qing nodded in agreement.
Zhao Li continued, “Even if it weren’t for catching this year’s Spirit Combat Young Heroes Tournament, I still think Chu Rou and Zhi Di should seize the opportunity now to break through to level 30.”
During their leisure time picking peaches, Zhao Li explained the Spirit Combat Youth Hero Tournament to them and secured their agreement to participate together.
Just making it to the finals, let alone winning the championship, would elevate the reputations of these young masters from minor clans, earning them reverence among all races.
Their clans, too, could rise from obscurity, their status soaring alongside their own.
Why wouldn’t they seize such an opportunity?
For the Rabbit and Butterfly clans—weak factions long under the protection of Flower-Fruit Mountain—accompanying Zhao Li and Xiyou to the tournament and assisting them there would be the most efficient way to repay the Xi family’s kindness.
Along the way, the Rabbit and Butterfly clans could also make a name for themselves.
No matter how you looked at it, it was a win-win situation.
Zhao Li assessed Chu Rou and Zhi Die’s conditions and said, “If ten-thousand-year peaches aren’t working… then our only hope now lies with the hundred-thousand-year peaches.”
Though the mere thought of eating another peach made them nauseous, their desire to break through the Level 30 bottleneck outweighed their discomfort. They bravely nodded in agreement.
Zhao Li turned to Yelan. “Miss Ming, use the Divine Finger to locate the hundred-thousand-year peach tree.”
Yelan focused her will, and soon, the Divine Finger emitted a crimson light, pointing toward the east.
Niu Tai couldn’t help but exclaim, “Incredible! I never imagined the Divine Finger could even locate a hundred-thousand-year peach tree!”
In the Wuji Realm, hundred-thousand-year spirit trees, pets, and beasts were on par with Level 90 spirit masters—all sovereign-tier existences.
Beings of this caliber possessed special concealment methods, making them nearly impossible to find, even if they existed in the world.
Thus, even the Xi family, masters of this secret realm, had never pinpointed the location of the hundred-thousand-year peach tree. They could only speculate that such a divine tree must grow in the deepest part of the realm.
Zhao Li smirked. “Of course! After all, it’s a treasured heirloom of our Qingqiu Celestial Fox lineage.”
Zhu Qing interjected, “Little sister, a divine artifact like this shouldn’t be flaunted carelessly—lest others covet it. How about this? Once we return to our clans, I’ll discuss with my father and send some of our Porcupine clansmen to Qingqiu to bolster your defenses.”
He assumed Zhao Li had merely lent the artifact to Yelan temporarily, never imagining she would generously gift such a treasure to her.
Though “pigs” were often seen as foolish, the Porcupine clan was anything but.
As their young master, Zhu Qing was meticulous and genuinely kind-hearted, which was why he spoke so candidly to Zhao Li.
Yelan silently marveled at how Zhao Li had finally honed her judgment of character.
Though the Porcupine clan was small, their righteousness was boundless.
Niu Tai also thumped his chest in agreement. “Count me in too! The defense of Qingqiu will be our two clans’ responsibility!”
Zhao Li bowed gracefully with a smile. “Then this little sister thanks her two elder brothers.”
She paused before continuing, “Actually, I’ve long considered the idea of mutual exchange among our allied clans. The myriad races today are too insular, focusing solely on their own extreme development. Little do they realize that integrating with others, complementing strengths, and forging alliances is the true path forward.”
Had the myriad races united, the Shadow Realm’s invasion would never have succeeded.
Not only did Niu Tai and Zhu Qing nod in agreement, but even the usually silent Yelan’s eyes gleamed with admiration.
——It was no longer just the attachment of loving someone dear to her, but had elevated to the level of a leader equal to her, admiring her as the future guide of the Qingqiu Fox Clan.
Zhao Li said, “Let’s discuss this matter in detail after we leave the secret realm, together with Xiyou and the others. Not just our three clans, but also the Flower-Fruit Mountain, the Rabbit Clan, the Butterfly Clan, and in the future, more races that will join our alliance. Let us complement each other and share both glory and hardship.”
“Agreed!” The four of them spoke in unison, their eyes filled with determination.
Yelan asked, “Aren’t you counting our Asura Clan in?”
Niu Tai and Zhu Qing exchanged glances, smiling awkwardly.
How could the mighty Asura Clan possibly take an interest in their small clans?
Defense, offense, control—the Asura Clan lacked nothing.
They all turned their eyes to Zhao Li. Along the way, it hadn’t been hard for them to notice that Miss Ming’s attitude toward Zhao Li was different from how she treated them.
Zhao Li laughed and said, “Of course you’re included! I, Zhao Li, swear that I will dedicate my body and soul to protect Qingqiu and the Asura Clan, as well as all our allied clans!”
—How dare a mere Qingqiu boast about protecting the Asura Clan?
Though the other four knew Miss Ming’s deep composure meant she wouldn’t take offense, they couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat for Zhao Li.
Hearing this, Yelan’s heart trembled.
On the dragon’s back, the wind swayed the shadows of the trees, and falling leaves danced in the air, stirring gentle ripples in Yelan’s heart.
Accustomed to being the protector, only now did she realize how sweet it felt to be protected—sweeter than the fragrance of peach blossoms, sweeter than the taste of the peaches of immortality.
It’s so good to have you.