Chapter Sixty-Four: A Demonic Pet?

This voice was deep and resonant, clearly not that of the Snowveil Sect disciple who had presided over the entrance to the valley at the beginning.

Even though he noticed the difference, Chen Xiang paid it no mind.

He quickened his pace and soon reached the mouth of the valley, where he saw the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel standing swaggeringly among the returning cultivators. The surrounding cultivators evidently wanted nothing to do with it and had left a small clearing around the creature.

Within the cultivation world, the relationship between demon beasts and human cultivators was ever-changing. Sometimes, a cultivator who strayed into a demon beast’s territory would be mercilessly slain; at other times, cultivators relied on materials from demon beasts for alchemy and forging. Yet whenever there was an invasion from foreign realms, those of higher cultivation would join forces with demon beasts and Earth-level cultivators to resist the enemy together.

Moreover, no one here recognized that the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel was, in fact, a divine beast, so none of them paid it particular attention.

The Seven-Colored Pipi Eel itself was unconcerned with how the other cultivators viewed it. At this moment, it was clearly excited; as soon as Chen Xiang appeared, before he could utter a word, it called out loudly, “Hey, kid! I’m over here! Come on!”

Hearing this, Chen Xiang frowned slightly. Damn, you’ve just drawn everyone’s attention to us. How am I supposed to secretly remove your mark later? He felt an urge to draw out his Coiling Dragon Staff and practice his Dog-Beating Stick Technique for a bit, but managed to suppress the killing intent rising within him.

All the cultivators present had heard the shout and turned to look at Chen Xiang. Some even recognized him as the one who had just given the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel a thorough beating.

“Huh? Wasn’t this youth trying to kill that demon beast just now? Why do they seem to be getting along so well now?”

“I think that demon beast must be his spirit pet. Maybe it made some mistake earlier and angered him.”

“Besides, this young man’s strength is impressive, and that beast is quite peculiar. I have no idea what kind of demon beast it is. Do you know, fellow cultivator?”

“No idea. Who would know what such an ugly beast is?”

...

Hearing the murmurs around him, Chen Xiang couldn’t help but laugh and cast the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel a look of affectionate concern, much like a master would regard his pet.

Though its head was small, the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel’s hearing was excellent. Upon catching the gossip, it immediately shouted back, “Damn it, you’re the pets! Your whole family are pets! I am—”

“Smack.”

Just as the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel was about to reveal its identity, a figure suddenly appeared behind it and slapped it on the head, burying it in the snow.

Seeing the expressions of the cultivators darken after hearing the Eel’s words, Chen Xiang cupped his fists in apology and said, “Haha, fellow cultivators, please don’t mind it. I only just captured this beast, and its wild nature is yet to be tamed, so it tends to speak out of turn. I hope you all can be forgiving!”

As he spoke, Chen Xiang deliberately released a trace of his own cultivation aura, laced with the chill of his Ice Spirit Root, just enough for them to sense.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd as they sensed Chen Xiang’s cultivation.

“Peak of the Core Formation stage? And so young?”

“Not only that, but he has a pure Ice Spirit Root. A genius of the highest order!”

“With such cultivation at his age, even if he doesn’t pass this trial, the Snowveil Sect will surely recruit him!”

...

They were all in awe of Chen Xiang, each instantly forgetting whatever the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel had said just moments before.

Among this group of cultivators, Chen Xiang’s cultivation surpassed most. Even the Nascent Soul cultivators had nothing to say after seeing his talent. He was very likely to become someone the Snowveil Sect would pay special attention to—not someone to provoke.

The slap he’d given the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel hadn’t been hard; the moment Chen Xiang finished speaking, the Eel shot out of the snow.

It glared at Chen Xiang and said, “Kid, I don’t recall offending you, so why did you hit me again?”

Chen Xiang rolled his eyes at it and transmitted mentally, “Are you an idiot? If you reveal your identity here, won’t everyone know you’re a treasure trove? If you want to die quickly, by all means, keep talking—I won’t stop you!”

“Uh...” The Seven-Colored Pipi Eel was momentarily speechless. It hadn’t considered that. Unexpectedly, the boy had saved it once more, leaving the beast feeling slightly embarrassed.

At that moment, the mist array at the mouth of the Frozen Valley rumbled open, revealing the exit.

The cultivators near the entrance began to file out in a steady stream.

Chen Xiang turned and said, “Hey, Pipi Eel, stay close to me when we’re outside. I’ll find an opportunity to remove your mark.”

The Seven-Colored Pipi Eel grumbled, “Can’t you do it as soon as we’re out? What if that person notices?”

Chen Xiang was at a loss for words. Were you really so afraid of that person? Who knew if that person was dead or alive by now? There was no way they’d be hanging around just to watch you.

“With so many people around, how am I supposed to do it? What if someone notices? Are you ready to take responsibility?”

“How about this: I’ll put a barrier on you first, to isolate the mark. That way, that person won’t be able to sense anything,” Chen Xiang said casually.

The Seven-Colored Pipi Eel eyed him suspiciously. “Are you sure you can do it?”

Without another word, Chen Xiang smacked it on the head. “Whether I can or not is none of your concern. If you don’t trust me, then don’t come out.”

The Seven-Colored Pipi Eel immediately wilted and had no choice but to agree.

Chen Xiang casually cast a simple restriction inside the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel’s body, just enough to wrap around the faint mark so that only the Eel could sense it. He was confident the beast wouldn’t check for itself anyway.

“It’s done,” Chen Xiang said.

“That’s it?” The Seven-Colored Pipi Eel’s eyes widened. It hadn’t even been a second! Still, when it probed within, it did sense a small restriction inside its body.

“Let’s go,” Chen Xiang said, not waiting for a reply as he strode toward the valley exit.

The Seven-Colored Pipi Eel had no choice but to follow.

Outside the valley was a high platform where the trial participants were gathered. Standing atop it were not the same Snowveil Sect disciples as before, but several Nascent Soul cultivators with stern faces and imposing auras.

Chen Xiang used his system to scan their auras and found that all were at the eighth or ninth level of the Nascent Soul stage, with some even at the Nascent Soul’s peak. The three at the center, however, were extraordinary—Chen Xiang couldn’t even gauge their cultivation, but there was no need to guess: they were definitely Soul Transformation cultivators.

A chill ran through Chen Xiang’s heart. This was his first time seeing Soul Transformation cultivators, and to encounter three at once! Something must have happened to warrant their presence.

Sweeping his divine sense over the crowd, he estimated that roughly two thousand cultivators remained—meaning over three thousand had been left behind forever in Frozen Valley.

Chen Xiang found a corner to stand in, with the Seven-Colored Pipi Eel obediently behind him, its aura so well concealed that nobody noticed them.

All the cultivators, upon seeing the lineup atop the platform, fell silent, not daring to make a sound.

At that moment, a Nascent Soul cultivator stepped forward and announced in a deep voice, “Congratulations to all fellow cultivators for making it out of the valley. My name is Zhou Hong, and I serve as an elder of the Snowveil Sect. In a moment, disciples will come to tally your achievements. But first, allow me to ask one question!”

Hearing that Elder Zhou Hong had something to inquire about, all the cultivators looked about in confusion, not knowing what to expect.

Zhou Hong continued, “May I ask which master alchemist was refining a sixth-grade pill within Frozen Valley? Would that esteemed cultivator please step forward and reveal themselves?”

“To be continued...”