Bu Wei

The faceless shell was placed in the corner.

Feng Zizhang’s face turned pale, and Jiang Yizheng silently took two steps back, swallowing hard.

“Senior, who is this?” Jiang Yizheng dared not look, only pointing with her finger.

“An insignificant person.” Ning Buwei didn’t want to say much, looking at the large yellow dog, “Where did this dog come from?”

Jiang Yizheng raised the porcelain spoon in her hand, “Senior, don’t you find this dog somewhat familiar?”

The round-headed big yellow dog barked loudly, obediently lying down on the ground, squinting its eyes and sticking out its tongue, smiling at Ning Buwei.

Ning Xiu made a “pop” sound, blowing a bubble at his father.

Ning Buwei: “…The spoon?”

Jiang Yizheng and Feng Zizhang nodded repeatedly. Feng Zizhang whispered, “This dog has become enlightened! It can understand our conversation.”

“Woof woof!” The big yellow dog barked twice in agreement.

Ning Buwei furrowed his brow.

Originally, this spoon was bought by the shop assistant at the Chengyun Tower in Linjiang City. He initially used it to feed Ning Xiu porridge. Although there was a fluffy little yellow dog painted on it, which Ning Buwei found somewhat disdainful, he didn’t change it because Ning Xiu liked it.

If it was just an enlightened dog, that would be fine, but saying it bluntly, this dog was also painted, fundamentally a lifeless object.

When lifeless objects become living, there must be something peculiar about it.

“Did you do this?” Ning Buwei looked at Ning Xiu nestled in his arms, nibbling on his hand.

“Ah~” Ning Xiu grinned at him, waving his little arms and smearing all the saliva on his father’s front. “Ah~”

Father~ Mother~

Ning Xiu had long sensed Chu Jun’s unique aura, but being young and weak, he could only be obediently held by his father, which didn’t stop him from being happily engrossed in his own world.

Ning Buwei couldn’t communicate with his son, so he looked at the big yellow dog with an unfriendly gaze.

“Woof~” The dog probably sensed his displeasure, weakly barking once, then wagging its tail to appease him.

“Senior, Da Huang is quite smart,” Feng Zizhang spoke up for it, “and it doesn’t shed.”

Jiang Yizheng vigorously nodded, “Father—no, Senior, can we keep him?”

Both of them looked at him expectantly.

Ning Buwei said coldly, “I don’t know what kind of spirit this is, but if it’s bothersome, go find a rope yourself.”

Feng Zizhang stared at him blankly, “Why find a rope?”

Jiang Yizheng lowered his head and whispered, “To hang it.”

Feng Zizhang: “…………”

This girl always knew when to be clever at the wrong time.

Ning Buwei scowled, and the two didn’t dare to provoke his bad mood, quietly standing by the wall.

The big yellow dog also tucked its tail, whimpered, and ran to crouch beside them against the wall, forgetting its own oversized body and accidentally bumping into the faceless shell on the side.

Feng Zizhang instinctively reached out to support it. Although he knew it had no face, meeting it face-to-face still made his heart skip a beat. He carefully placed the shell against the wall, muttering softly, “Da Huang didn’t mean it, daren, you have a large tolerance, please forgive, please forgive.”

Ning Buwei walked up to the big yellow dog, formed a hand seal with one hand, but found that the dog’s bones and flesh were intact, its soul intact, and aside from being unusually large, there was no difference from an ordinary dog.

“Ah~” Ning Xiu was held by Ning Buwei, close to Da Huang. He grabbed the dog’s long hair and tugged hard, causing the big dog to take a small step forward along his force, “Ah~”

Huang Huang~ I da~

A golden contract mark appeared instantly on the big yellow dog’s forehead.

“It’s a spiritual pet contract mark! I’ve seen it in ancient texts!” Feng Zizhang standing aside exclaimed, “But the records only mention cultivators at the Golden Core stage and above being able to contract spiritual beasts—”

He’s at the Foundation Building stage, Jiang Yizheng was at the Qi Refinement stage, and Ning Buwei was essentially the same as an ordinary person. Where did they find a Golden Core cultivator?

Ning Buwei looked at Ning Xiu, “Yours?”

“Ah!” Ning Xiu proudly lifted his chin, and the contract mark on his forehead flashed.

I da!

Ning Buwei, who had been in the Nascent Soul Perfect Completion stage for five hundred years, couldn’t find a suitable spiritual pet for a contract. Yet his son managed to contract one just three months after being born—

Although it looked like an ordinary big dog, at least it had something special.

As the old man, the great demon Ning, felt extremely proud and patted his son’s little bottom, “Barely passable.”

“Ever since the near-extinction of the Spirit Clan thirty thousand years ago, most of the spiritual pets raised in the seventeen states can’t be contracted. Even if you reach the Golden Core stage without the right opportunity, it’s impossible,” Feng Zizhang said enviously, “This is the first time I’ve seen a contracted beast.”

“Our little brother is really amazing,” Jiang Yizheng reached out to pat Da Huang’s fur, “just that its head is too big.”

“Woof woof~” Da Huang vigorously wagged its tail, a flash of golden light passed, and the massive creature disappeared, replaced by a palm-sized puppy on the ground, chubby and fluffy, raising its head and calling out to Ning Buwei in a childish voice, “Awoo~ awoo~”

Jiang Yizheng’s heart melted instantly as he picked up the puppy and brought it to Ning Xiu, “Xiao Shan, look, this is Da Huang.”

Ning Buwei’s forehead veins twitched.

What a ridiculous name.

“Ah~” Ning Xiu naturally recognized his little puppy, reaching out with his two tender white arms to embrace it.

This little puppy was light as a feather, so Jiang Yizheng placed it in Ning Xiu’s arms.

The chubby baby hugged the chubby puppy, two pairs of watery eyes looking at Ning Buwei simultaneously, innocent and harmless.

The self-proclaimed ruthless great demon turned his gaze away expressionlessly.

…It’s kind of cute.

“Since it’s your contract beast, then keep it and take care of it yourself,” Ning Buwei instructed Ning Xiu sternly, being a strict father.

Ning Xiu, who didn’t understand at all, blinked and giggled foolishly while holding the furry little puppy.

Ning Buwei picked up the puppy by its nape and brought him closer, asking, “Can it speak human language?”

“Awoo~” The little puppy tilted its head, its four tiny paws paddling in the air.

Ning Buwei: “…”

It seemed that shrinking also took away its brain.

After dealing with the dog, Ning Buwei prepared to deal with this faceless body.

With the little puppy, Ning Xiu lay happily on the bed, completely forgetting about his Bai Bai mother.

Jiang Yizheng sat by the bed, playing with the baby and the puppy alternately, even more gleefully than Ning Xiu.

The Suzaku Broken Knife kept vibrating, and Ning Buwei stood in front of the faceless body, thinking about where to start.

Although Feng Zizhang was afraid, he gathered courage and approached, “Senior, why does this fellow cultivator have no face?”

“It’s just a clone,” Ning Buwei, in a good mood, was easy to talk to, “If you investigate, you’ll find no divine consciousness inside.”

Feng Zizhang asked, “May I try?”

“Feel free,” Ning Buwei agreed generously.

So Feng Zizhang used his spiritual power to investigate and indeed found it as Ning Buwei had said, “But why does he still breathe, with flesh and blood like a real person?”

During his time in the Yunzhong Sect, he mostly stayed at the Thirteenth Peak. He had only read about clones in books, but they never described them as being so lifelike, which was far less impactful than seeing it with his own eyes.

“It indicates formidable cultivation of the true self,” Ning Buwei remarked, also experiencing such a lifelike clone for the first time. He pinched the chin of the clone and rotated it, feeling warmth on his fingertips, which made him uncomfortable, so he let go.

“God Transformation Stage?” Feng Zizhang guessed.

“Above Body Fusion Stage,” Ning Buwei frowned, unconsciously rubbing his fingertips.

Feng Zizhang nervously asked, “So, you just directly brought back this person’s shell like that?”

Implicitly asking if you dare provoke such a powerful figure?

“After activating the Concealment Symbol, no one can find him even if he’s in the Mahayana stage for twelve hours,” Ning Buwei expressed confidence in his symbol art, “My things are in this body.”

Feng Zizhang suddenly realized, “Is it the broken knife piece you’ve been looking for?”

Ning Buwei nodded.

Remembering the grim scene when the broken knife was taken out in the wilderness, Feng Zizhang shuddered, “What should we do?”

“It’s just a shell, cutting it open is all,” Ning Buwei turned the broken knife in his hand, speaking coldly, “If you’re afraid of blood, look away.”

Feng Zizhang: “!!!”

****

Yijian Peak.

Immortal cranes led several spiritual boats, riding the wind and moon. Numerous white-robed cultivators descended on swords, their sword trails trailing luminescence like falling meteors in the night.

The sound of chimes and stringed instruments filled the air, ethereal and grand.

Countless night pearls powered by spiritual stones scattered around, illuminating the small peaks as bright as day.

“Greetings, Elder Lingxu.”

“Supreme Elder An.”

“Lishang Pavilion Master.”

“Elder Danyang.”

“Cave Master Yingtian…”

“…”

For a moment, various elders and peak masters exchanged pleasantries and showed respect.

“The Sect Master is here—” a disciple sang out loudly.

Dozens of disciples from the main peaks swiftly descended on swords, respectfully standing on both sides. Following the flow of light, a white-robed cultivator emerged, appearing no more than thirty years old with handsome and deep features, exuding a strong aura that commanded respect just by standing there.

“Greetings, Sect Master!” everyone bowed in unison.

Chu Linyuan waved his hand to signal no need for excessive courtesy and looked towards the rocky forest.

A Supreme Elder asked, “Sect Master, did Venerable Jinghe come out of seclusion here?”

Chu Linyuan nodded solemnly.

He had little knowledge of this martial uncle, and the sudden outburst of anger and pressure from Venerable Jinghe in the middle of the night made him uneasy. He didn’t know who had offended the Venerable, but it indicated that Venerable Jinghe had come out of seclusion. Regardless, he had to bring people to greet him.

“But there’s not much spiritual energy here…” a senior elder with a blessed land whispered, “Why would the esteemed one seclude here?”

“He must have used a concealing technique…”

Ignoring the speculations and whispers of the crowd, Chu Linyuan approached the edge of the rocky forest and performed a respectful disciple’s salute.

As the Sect Master bowed, the numerous Supreme Elders, elders, and chief disciples naturally followed suit, bowing respectfully as disciples.

“The 310th generation disciple Chu Linyuan, along with fellow disciples, respectfully welcomes Venerable Jinghe out of seclusion,” Chu Linyuan spoke respectfully and solemnly, his voice carrying just the right amount of spiritual power to penetrate illusions without being offensive.

“Disciples respectfully welcome Venerable Jinghe out of seclusion—” the crowd behind Chu Linyuan echoed in unison.

Their voices cut through the illusions, and in the void, the green light was completely dispersed by Chu Jun, dissipating into endless illusions.

Sitting cross-legged by the lake, Chu Jun slowly opened his eyes, catching the grand declaration of “Disciples respectfully welcome Venerable Jinghe out of seclusion” just as it reached his ears.

Chu Jun: “…”

Then, the expression of the martial uncle paused.

His manipulated shell was still left in the rocky forest—thinking of this, he quietly released a trace of divine consciousness into the illusion, scanning past the overly enthusiastic young disciples but failing to find his shell.

Where was his shell?