Chapter 49

Zou Jibai didn’t respond quickly enough before a black blur rushed toward him—the very sheep he had just criticized.
Now that it was close, Zou Jibai noticed that the rope tied to the sheep wasn’t an ordinary rope, but a Demon Binding Rope. A sudden thought flashed through his mind, and an unbelievable guess formed.
Could it be...is this the Devourer Beast?
Unfortunately, Zou Jibai didn’t have much time to ponder this, as the Devourer Beast had already started to angrily attack him. Though it was still technically a beast, its ancestors were divine beasts, and it could understand simple commands.
To say that the Devourer Beast was weak and ugly was a grave insult.
Ye Zinan acted quickly, jumping out of the way and making sure to distance himself from Zou Jibai. Luo Han watched this scene with a sigh, "It’s too cramped here. How about we move to another place?"
The three quickly found a more spacious spot to sit and resumed their conversation, ignoring Zou Jibai, who was angrily being chased by the Devourer Beast. To be honest, Ye Zinan was a bit surprised. He had initially thought the sheep looked familiar, but he never expected Luo Han to be strange enough to keep the Devourer Beast as a pet.
A black, seemingly docile animal tied to a tree—who would think of it as an ancient, vicious beast? During their battle, as soon as they saw the Devourer Beast, they had attacked it, and it was fierce and menacing. Ye Zinan couldn’t imagine the Devourer Beast calmly grazing under a tree.
So, we can't really blame Zou Jibai for jumping to conclusions. It's just that he's so straightforward, and he spoke his mind without thinking.
This was truly an unimaginable situation, yet after so many shocks, Ye Zinan was able to quickly adjust himself: "The Devourer Beast, was it you two who tamed it?"
"Kind of," Luo Han casually replied, not willing to discuss it further. "But at least the mission was completed. The beast agreed to follow us. Once we meet with Star Lord Gu Xing outside, we’ll have them figure out how to extract the Demon Suppression Stone from its stomach. That way, we won't harm the beast, and we can also solve the problem of the Celestial Palace. It’s a win-win."
It sounded so simple, almost like picking herbs, as easy as rolling up one's sleeves. Ye Zinan felt a little dazed, not quite understanding how everything had unfolded so quickly.
He had fallen behind for just three days, and the hardest task in the entire immortal realm was already solved. Ye Zinan felt a bit embarrassed and asked, "How are your injuries? You tamed the Devourer Beast while injured, didn’t you suffer a lot?"
"It’s fine," Luo Han replied. "My injuries weren’t serious, but Ling Qingxiao’s were. Luckily, the medicine from before was still available. Otherwise, I would have had to go back and give Ling Zhongyu a beating."
"It’s all because of Ling Qingxiao. If it had been anyone else in that position, they would have died from the powerful spiritual energy impact," Ye Zinan said, visibly angry. "After you two disappeared, it wasn’t just me, many people suspected Ling Zhongyu. But his cousin just lost her mind and insisted that Ling Zhongyu wasn’t involved. We didn’t have evidence, so in the end, it was left unresolved."
Ling Qingxiao had not spoken during the conversation, but upon hearing this, he paused briefly. "Su Yinyue testified for Ling Zhongyu?"
"Yes," Ye Zinan sighed. "We’re familiar with each other, and I’m telling you this because I trust you. The immortal realm always says the Dragon Clan is overly sentimental, and the Bird Clan is foolishly devoted, but I think your cousin’s stubbornness is no less than the Bird Clan's. Even if we only recognize one partner in our lifetime and risk our lives to protect them, we would never go as far as to be so blind to everything else."
Luo Han suddenly had an idea and chimed in, "Maybe it’s because she’s from the Yinglong Clan. Yinglong has wings, so perhaps she inherited some of the Bird Clan’s traits?"
Ye Zinan, slightly offended, responded, "Let’s stay on topic and not blame everything on the Bird Clan."
Luo Han felt that this speculation was likely true, but didn’t feel it was appropriate to mention it in front of Ye Zinan and Ling Qingxiao. So, she changed the subject, sighing with regret. "Su Yinyue was supposed to be the hope of the Yinglong Clan, but instead, she’s so narrow-minded. What a pity."
Ling Qingxiao remained silent. He wasn’t close to Su Yinyue and didn’t care much about her, but he did share half of her bloodline. If Su Yinyue kept going down this path, the decline of Yinglong would be inevitable, and it troubled him somewhat.
Ye Zinan spoke for a while, and gradually, he felt more relaxed, even starting to experience a sense of peaceful leisure. Ye Zinan asked, "Now that we have the Devourer Beast, what do we do next?"
Their mission was to obtain the beast, and now that it was secured, there was no need for them to rejoin the main group. Ling Qingxiao snapped out of his thoughts and said, "There’s a traitor in the Western Sea, it’s not safe to stay long. Before entering the sea, Star Lord Gu Xing gave me an emergency escape token in case of danger."
Ye Zinan was stunned, his breath almost halting. "So, we…"
"We're leaving the Western Sea now," Ling Qingxiao replied.
Luo Han let out a long sigh of relief. "Finally, we can leave. Let’s not waste any more time, let’s move."
Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao had all their belongings with them, so they only needed to do a quick check before leaving. They stood up, preparing to depart. Zou Jibai had just managed to escape the Devourer Beast’s pursuit and was panting as he ran over. He found his companions ready to leave, as if they were heading somewhere.
Zou Jibai was momentarily confused, then carefully asked, "What’s going on?"
"Get ready, we’re leaving," Luo Han said, seeing that the beast was still chasing Zou Jibai. She was losing patience and threatened, "Stop it, don’t interfere with our business."
The beast bared its teeth, exuding a murderous aura. But upon hearing Luo Han’s words, it actually stopped, letting out a soft, aggrieved "Ying" sound.
Zou Jibai was left stunned, not knowing whether to be afraid of the Devourer Beast or Luo Han, who casually uttered frightening threats.
Ling Qingxiao ignored the commotion around them. He extended his hand, and a small golden token slowly materialized in his palm. He held the token and then said, "This token was given as an emergency measure. Since we’re leaving the Western Sea, we can’t predict where it will lead us. Prepare yourselves; we may be teleported beyond the Milky Way."
Luo Han felt something was off and asked, "Are you saying we might leave the Immortal Realm?"
Ling Qingxiao nodded. "That’s a possibility."
The Immortal Realm is divided by the Milky Way, and mortals gaze at it during the Qixi Festival, unaware that the Milky Way is a river connecting heaven and earth. Above the Milky Way are the thirty-six heavens of the Celestial Realm. Beyond the Milky Way lies the land, where demons, monsters, and humans dwell.
The Western Sea is located at the edge of the Milky Way, so if they are randomly teleported, it’s possible they’ll be sent beyond it.
Luo Han glanced back at the Devourer Beast, worry appearing in her eyes. If it were just the three of them, being sent beyond the Immortal Realm wouldn’t be a big deal, but with the beast...
It could be dangerous.
Ling Qingxiao, noticing Luo Han’s concern, said, "That’s just one possibility. The more likely scenario is that we’ll end up near the sea."
Luo Han understood that this was a gamble. Unfortunately, she was part of the team, and couldn’t give Ling Qingxiao any luck boosts. She could only hope for his good fortune. "Alright, I’m ready. Let’s begin."
The token in Ling Qingxiao’s palm began to glow with golden light. The light grew stronger, enveloping the four of them and the Devourer Beast. Then, with a flash, they all vanished from their original location.
The familiar weightlessness hit, and when Luo Han landed, she staggered slightly. As she swayed, a cool hand gently gripped her arm. Ling Qingxiao waited for her to steady herself before slowly retracting his hand.
The other two were in similar situations. The four of them looked around, and for a moment, no one spoke.
The trees were dense, the vegetation lush and vibrant. Not far away, a city with a distinctly exotic atmosphere rose from the ground, and even from a distance, they could feel its bustling noise and commotion.
This...didn’t seem like the Immortal Realm.
Luo Han felt a bad premonition rising in her heart. She quietly nudged Ling Qingxiao's sleeve. "We...?"
Ling Qingxiao, for once, was at a loss for words. He sighed and said helplessly, "We’ve been transported to the Demon Realm. Ahead is Da Ming City."
The Demon Realm? Luo Han was speechless for a moment, but after a while, she tried to save face. "It’s fine. At least we weren’t transported to the Devil Realm."
Earlier, she had relentlessly mocked Zou Jibai for being unlucky, but now, seeing that Ling Qingxiao wasn’t much better, she couldn't help but think he was equally unfortunate.
Da Ming City was well-known across the six realms. It belonged to the Demon Realm, but it wasn’t entirely a city of demons.
There was a widely circulated piece of doggerel in the six realms: "A hundred years of peace and worry-free city, a long-lasting and safe Da Ming City." Both lines were sarcastic, and the second line referred to Da Ming City.
Da Ming City stood on the border of the Demon Tribe, bordering the Demon Territory, and not far away was the Heavenly Realm’s Milky Way. It had always been a place where humans, demons, and monsters mixed—chaotic and dangerous. Although it was named "Da Ming" (Great Brightness), it was actually a den of vice, a haven for every kind of corruption, a "nocturnal city" where crime ran rampant.
The law didn’t apply in Da Ming, and it was said that in Da Ming City, whether it was a fugitive wanted by the Immortal Realm, ruthless bandits from the Demon Realm, or forbidden species from the six realms, as long as you had money, Da Ming City would welcome you with open arms.
On the other hand, if you didn’t have money, no matter how high your status, it wouldn’t matter.
No one asked about your identity, only your money.
Being transported to such a chaotic and lawless place, it was unclear whether it was a blessing or a curse. Luo Han had previously mocked Zou Jibai without mercy, but now seeing Ling Qingxiao in a similar situation, she sympathetically consoled him. "A small hermit hides in the wilderness, a great hermit hides in the world. In my opinion, being transported to Da Ming City is much better than being sent to the deep mountains and forests. Da Ming City isn’t governed by laws, and with everything mixed together, we’ll be harder to find by the Demon Tribe."
Although Luo Han meant to comfort him, she wasn’t lying. Ling Qingxiao’s luck seemed to be strangely mysterious—never bad, but always fraught with danger. However, where there is risk, there is opportunity. After surviving the danger, there would be chances.
With things having come this far, there was no point in saying more. Ling Qingxiao collected his emotions and took out the token. "Since we’re here, we should make the best of it. I’ll contact Star Lord Gu Xing to see what their next plan is."
Now that the Devourer Beast was being watched by both the Heavenly and Demon Realms, and the Demon Tribe was already scheming, preparing to intervene at any moment, it was dangerous enough to take the beast out of the Immortal Realm, and appearing in Da Ming City was even riskier.
The immediate course of action was to establish contact with the Celestial Palace as soon as possible. Whether they had to rush back to the Milky Sea or have someone from the Celestial Palace come to the Demon Realm to meet them, it all required careful planning.
At the edge of the Western Sea, Gu Xing and Tianyu, who had changed into military attire, were standing together. He sensed the token vibrate, and as his thoughts moved, the message inside appeared in his mind.
Star Lord Gu Xing was somewhat surprised when he saw the message.
Ling Qingxiao had said that they had successfully found the Devourer Beast, but when leaving the Western Sea, they had been accidentally transported to the Demon Realm. Now, they were standing outside Da Ming City with the beast.
Star Lord Gu Xing’s mood was complicated. Although this was good news, wasn’t it too fast?
Ling Qingxiao and the others had just entered the Western Sea. Gu Xing had thought that it would at least take three to four months, or even a year or two. But now, in less than half a month, Ling Qingxiao was reporting that they had completed the task?
Tianyu noticed that Gu Xing’s expression wasn’t quite right and quietly asked, "What’s wrong?"
Star Lord Gu Xing whispered in Tianyu’s ear, "Ling Qingxiao and the others caught the Devourer Beast, but there’s a traitor in the Western Sea. They couldn’t make it public, and now they’ve secretly left."
A traitor. Tianyu’s face darkened. This was worse than they had expected.
However, there was no point in saying anything now. As soon as Ling Qingxiao and the others caught the beast, they had erased all traces and left quietly. That was the best course of action. Tianyu’s expression was impassive, and in his mind, he quietly transmitted, "We must keep this quiet. Let them stay put, and we’ll send someone to retrieve them. Where are they now?"
"Da Ming City."
This time, even Tianyu Xingjun was taken aback. "The Demon Realm?"
"Yes."
Tianyu and Gu Xing exchanged a glance. They weren’t sure whether to praise their good or bad luck. Da Ming City was indeed a bit far from the Heavenly Realm, but sometimes the best way to hide a grain of sand was to bury it in a desert. In some ways, Da Ming City was the safest place.
Finally, Tianyu said, "Let them stay in Da Ming City for now. Be careful for half a month, and I’ll personally lead a team to retrieve them."
Ling Qingxiao relayed the instructions from Star Lord Gu Xing and Star Lord Tianyu to the other three. When Luo Han heard it, she was excited. "Are we going to stay in Da Ming City?"
Ling Qingxiao could tell what she was thinking just from her expression. Da Ming City was full of vices—gambling houses, brothels, black markets, you name it. Newcomers from the Immortal Realm often dreamed of visiting Da Ming City to broaden their horizons.
If he had a choice, Ling Qingxiao wouldn’t want to settle in such a city. But, alas, the landing spot had been chosen by him.
Ling Qingxiao couldn’t oppose it. He could only sigh and remind Luo Han, "Da Ming City is filled with all kinds of people. We just need to endure for half a month. Don’t cause any trouble."
"I know, I know." Luo Han nodded vigorously, then eagerly asked, "So, are we going into the city now? This is after all the Demon Tribe’s territory. Do we need to change our clothes?"
After she said this, she noticed that Ling Qingxiao’s expression froze for a moment. Luo Han thought he didn’t want to change clothes, so she became even more enthusiastic. "What matters now is hiding our identity. We mustn’t let anyone inside find out that we’re from the Immortal Realm. Don’t be shy! Changing into Demon Tribe attire is absolutely necessary!"
Ling Qingxiao glanced helplessly at Luo Han. “That’s not what I meant.” He paused for a moment before awkwardly continuing, “The Demon Realm doesn’t use spirit stones, but demon coins.”
Luo Han’s smile slowly froze. “So...?”
“So, right now, it’s not about whether we change clothes or not,” Ye Zinan interjected. “It’s that we have no money, little one.”