The Sleeping Beast in Paradise Lost

Xiao Chen had not expected Jin Sanyi and Hai Yuntian to be drawn to this coastal town. What force could have stirred them? The old fisherman had said that many strange people seemed to be living in seclusion in the area.

This seemingly ordinary little town by the sea appeared to have an unknown face.

Xiao Chen did not follow them into the tavern. Instead, he sat down in a tea house not far away. Though he could not taste the fragrant brew, he ordered a pot of Dragon Well tea anyway.

The sea breeze brushed gently past, carrying the faint, salty scent of seawater. In the distance, dozens of seabirds traced graceful arcs through the long sky before diving toward the azure ocean.

It was an unremarkable little town. Autumn had arrived, and falling leaves danced like yellow butterflies in the breeze. Xiao Chen sat there, quietly sensing. The spiritual energy around him seemed slightly abnormal.

The energy all seemed to surge from the mountain range to the west. It was not particularly dense—if one did not pay close attention, it would be impossible to detect.

Half an hour later, Jin Sanyi and Hai Yuntian descended from the tavern. The lecherous man swept a few falling yellow leaves away from Hai Yuntian's front with his wide sleeve, his peach-blossom eyes gleaming with a sly light as he spoke ingratiatingly: "Hai-Hai-Hai, Bro... this this way, the path path path is uneven, be be be careful."

Hai Yuntian's robes fluttered, his face as fair as jade, enough to make even women jealous. He ignored Jin Sanyi and walked straight ahead.

"Hai-Hai-Hai, Bro... if if if we become in-laws, that's a tru tru truly formidable alliance. The the the whole world would be ours!"

"Don't don't don't ignore me, Third Bro! I mean, look at me—I'm a fine figure of a man. Not not not quite as handsome as Pan An, but I can can can still rival Song Yu! Your sister and I would be a pearl per per perfect match, a marriage made in heaven!"

"Seize seize seize the day, don't miss out! A a a brilliant talent like me—who who who in this world doesn't know my name? Don't don't don't get mad—a deal's a deal, and I'm not not not dying to be your brother-in-law..."

From a distance, Xiao Chen stared, dumbfounded. What nonsense was this? The lecherous man's face was thicker than a city wall.

Jin Sanyi and Hai Yuntian left the town, heading toward the mountain range to the west.

Half an hour later, Xiao Chen also left the tea house and walked westward slowly, as if out for a stroll.

Though autumn had arrived, the mountain range showed no sign of desolation. Yellow leaves were rare; the vegetation was lush and verdant, and the deeper he went, the more the plants gleamed with emerald vitality.

The source of the spiritual energy lay deep in the mountains. There was definitely a spirit vein here.

Within the mountain range, Xiao Chen discovered a sheer cliff with waves of spiritual energy emanating from it. Was this the cliff the old fisherman had mentioned, where the little white beast often appeared?

He flew up to it and found the scenery beautiful. There were many old ginseng plants in the forest, along with other spiritual treasures.

But clearly, this place had long been abandoned by the little beast. It had not visited for a very long time. Xiao Chen sighed inwardly. Had he missed the little one again?

He flew down from the cliff and continued deeper into the mountains. Before long, he found traces left by other cultivators. The farther he went, the more his heart trembled—the spiritual energy was gradually growing denser.

After traveling another twenty-some li, he discovered an unusually spiritual stream winding through the mountains, flowing like liquid jade through the forest.

Xiao Chen grew increasingly astonished. Could this mountain range near the sea be a divine vein sealed for thousands of ages?

When he followed the stream to the foot of a verdant green mountain, he found a stone cave. The water flowed out from within.

This little one really is the bane of all heavenly treasures. It actually found this mysterious space and came here to dig up celestial herbs.

After so many years apart, he was finally about to see Keke. Xiao Chen quickened his pace.

Passing through a jade-green pine forest, Xiao Chen expected to find more extraordinary spiritual treasures ahead.

The scenery ahead was equally enchanting. Flowers bloomed in splendor, fairy grass carpeted the ground, and strange divine trees dotted the landscape, laden with golden and crimson fruits.

Gentle creatures such as squirrels, rabbits, and deer frolicked happily about.

Suddenly, Xiao Chen heard faint dragon roars. A dozen black dots circled in the distant sky. Those were... Sacred Dragons!

What were they doing here?

Xiao Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he rushed forward, fearing something might happen.

The fairyland-like paradise showed more and more traces of cultivators. Xiao Chen spotted some hidden experts.

Soon, he even saw a few corpses, clearly from battles not long ago.

Ahead, over a dozen Sacred Dragons circled in the sky, their colossal bodies blotting out the sun like clouds, casting large shadows below.

The terrain ahead was gentle. Flowers bloomed, fairy grass spread, and clear springs gurgled peacefully through the serene pure land.

But the atmosphere was tense. Dozens of experts had gathered here.

Each occupied their own position, some meditating, some resting with closed eyes, some drawing in the essence of heaven and earth to temper their divine weapons. All had secured advantageous ground.

Xiao Chen was greatly surprised to see some familiar faces here.

In the western quadrant, two massive figures drew particular attention. One, a giant whose entire body seemed cast from gold, and another, a giant covered in black beast fur, sat cross-legged in stillness, cradling a golden battle-axe and a pitch-black spiked club respectively. Their auras were overwhelmingly oppressive. They were the Giant King flowing with golden blood and the giant race powerhouse known as Mao Nu, who had fought to a draw with the War Clan King Ma Baao.

Opposite the two giants, in the eastern quadrant, a green-haired man exuded an unchecked, world-dominating arrogance. It was the War Clan's king, Jing Pu.

The kings of the Giant Clan and War Clan had taken positions in the east and west, clearly because of the enmity between them.

Between these two powerful races, other foreign kings sat quietly meditating, forming a buffer that separated the conflicting factions. Among them, a yellow-diamond skeleton stood out—its entire body was as lustrous as crystal jade, sitting motionless like a fossil, clearly a formidable expert.

Xiao Chen had seen it before on Skeleton Island. It was the successor of that crippled old Skeleton King.

In the southern quadrant, there was a stone cliff over twenty meters high, where a single youth sat cross-legged in stillness. He still bore a trace of childishness, as if not yet an adult. It was impossible to gauge the depth of his cultivation, but the fact that he occupied this prominent cliff alone, with no one daring to compete for it, suggested he was a terrifying existence.

"Thi thi this kid is Zhao Zhongyang? Do do doesn't look like it! Still a little guy," came a very faint muttering. The lecherous man and Hai Yuntian were not far from the cliff.

Xiao Chen was startled. That youth, still carrying a hint of childishness, was actually Zhao Zhongyang! He had heard his name for a long time but only now saw him in person. It was somewhat unexpected.

Near the southern cliff, there were also several human cultivators, all seemingly of no weak cultivation. But aside from Ye Jiuzhong, Xiao Chen did not recognize any of them.

In the northern quadrant, in the direction where the small world extended further inward, a clear stream like a jade belt flowed gently through the fragrant grass.

In the stream, only a single girl in white stood barefoot on the pebbles. Her jade toes were crystalline and translucent, gleaming with an alluring luster. The girl's white robes fluttered as she stood alone by the stream, as if she might ride the wind away at any moment.

She was indeed a radiantly beautiful woman, with skin like凝固 fat and eyes like autumn water. She was as fresh and lovely as a tree of flowers piled with snow.

Not far away, Jin Sanyi unconsciously wiped his mouth, then immediately straightened his back. His stutter vanished completely as he put on a sanctimonious air and muttered, "So this is the legendary Snow Dance Fairy? Truly ethereal and pure, a sight that makes one want to protect her. This one—Sis Dance—I like..."

Over a dozen Sacred Dragons circled in the sky above, issuing low roars. At that moment, the peerlessly beautiful girl, Snow Dance, suddenly lifted her head. Her jet-black, waterfall-like hair swept to both sides. Her autumn-water eyes blazed with two brilliant beams of light, and a voice like celestial music echoed through the sky: "How annoying. Go away!"

A surge of overwhelming power swept into the heavens, silencing the dozen Sacred Dragons that had been roaring. For a human cultivator to be so dominant in the presence of so many foreign kings, one could imagine how confident this white-clad girl was.

Xiao Chen was astonished. This girl was surely a top-tier expert on par with Zhao Zhongyang.

Jin Sanyi's mouth formed an 'O' shape. After a long pause, he said, "Da da da... Da da da, Sis Dance is so fierce! But I like it!" The fellow left Hai Yuntian and quickly walked toward the stream. His stutter seemed to vanish as he announced, "Snow Dance appears—who dares to fight? Sis Dance is peerless and graceful, the beauty of the ages, truly the number one jade woman of the Nine Provinces..."

"You have one second to get out of my sight!" True to her name, the white-clad girl swept her icy gaze over, and a terrifying killing intent radiated outward.

Swish!

Jin Sanyi vanished without a word, leaving the surrounding cultivators staring in astonishment.

Back at Hai Yuntian's side, Jin Sanyi wiped a cold sweat and said, "This sister is way too fierce! Sis Yunxue is much gentler... Bro Hai, from now on, we're family."

Hai Yuntian completely ignored him.

All four directions were occupied by top experts, and at the center sat an unparalleled powerhouse.

A purple-robed figure had his back to Xiao Chen, but he recognized him at a glance: the Battle God King, a terrifying king who had reached the Perfected Man realm.

Next to him sat another king, his face hideous and his hair blood-red, exactly like the legendary Asura. Without a doubt, that was the Asura King, an existence equal in stature to the Battle God King.

Not far away was a Fallen Angel girl, her skin white as snow, a pair of jet-black wings gently fluttering. The contrast of black and white made her enchanting and captivating face even more alluring.

And nearby was a girl of completely opposite temperament, with a pair of pure white wings, exuding a sacred aura—an Angel race powerhouse.

The Golden Lion King had also come. He sat in the central area as if no one else existed. Divine light danced around his third vertical eye, burning like sacred flames. He showed utter disregard for everyone else, not even deigning to acknowledge the Battle God King and the Asura King.

In the central area, there were nearly twenty experts, most of them foreign kings. Only a few were human cultivators, but Xiao Chen did not recognize any of them.

In the northern quadrant, in the direction where the small world extended further, aside from a stream flowing gently outward, all ahead was hazy and indistinct, shrouded by layers of mist.

Everyone was waiting here, as if all were anticipating something.

Just then, Jin Sanyi strolled over and looked at Xiao Chen, who had arrived last. "Bro, where you from? You look pretty unfamiliar," he said.

"This humble one has been cultivating in seclusion deep in the mountains and only recently came out to wander. I had no idea the Nine Provinces had changed so much."

Hearing this, Jin Sanyi immediately thought he had met an inexperienced rookie. His enthusiasm surged, and his speech became remarkably fluent. He tried to recruit him: "Bro, it's fate! My name is Jin Sanyi. I feel like I've known you forever. Do you have any sisters at home? Don't get me wrong—if you don't, that's fine too..."

Xiao Chen badly wanted to kick him, but now was not the time to reveal his identity. This guy really never changed his nature.

"Brother Jin, could you tell me what's happened here? Why are so many experts gathered?"

"Heh, this is an ancient ruins. Can't say too much, but just follow Bro here, and I guarantee you'll come out with a big haul. You know what? The path ahead has already been taken over by a little white beast. That crybaby kid and I go way back," Jin Sanyi said, his words flowing smoothly without a hint of a stutter, clearly trying to recruit a new thug.

At that moment, a surge of gale-force wind blew some of the mist away, and Xiao Chen finally saw the scene there.

It really was Keke! It had used Paradise Lost to block the world ahead.

At this moment, the little white beast was sound asleep, with Paradise Lost wide open, barring everyone's path. Within that garden, which could make even a half-ancestor lose their smile, it was filled with heavenly spiritual treasures.

Near the edge of Paradise Lost, there were even newly planted divine herbs.

In a small lake, a giant divine lotus blazed with ten thousand rays of light and a thousand auspicious beams, illuminating the area with dazzling brilliance. In its enormous seedpod, black seeds sparkled crystal clear, and their fragrance drifted on the wind, intoxicating all who smelled it.

Another tree, shaped like a pine but carved from emerald jade, grew tall and straight by the lake, laden with pinecones. The scent of pine filled the air, and every cone held multicolored pine nuts that sparkled—clearly divine items of extraordinary quality.

For the bane of all heavenly treasures—the little white beast—to value something enough to plant it personally in Paradise Lost, it was naturally no ordinary immortal root.

On the other side, a peach tree stood with branches as gnarled and powerful as coiled dragons, rising a hundred meters into the sky, surrounded by endless auspicious light. It was heavy with fruit, covered in bright red, crystalline peaches whose fragrance wafted on the breeze.

Without a doubt, the ancestral root of the Peach Garden had also been dug up by the greedy little one and planted in its own garden.

Jin Sanyi was both envious and jealous. "Tha tha tha that's the ancestral peach root that blooms for ten thousand years, fruits for ten thousand years, and ripens for ten thousand years!" he said.

The ancestral peach root was growing well in Paradise Lost, its entire body shimmering with divine light. The tree held so many immortal peaches that even if the little one ate them every day, it would have enough for several years.

Beneath the peach tree lay many pinecones, lotus seedpods, and peach pits. The little white beast's belly was round and full as it slept soundly.

Beside it stood a wooden sign with a line of crookedly carved words. Xiao Chen stared at it for a long time before deciphering the meaning: Don't bother me while I sleep. But the characters were far too crooked—truly the work of the little one's hand.

Xiao Chen nearly burst out laughing.

Tears welled in his eyes. He had not seen Keke for ten years. Now, finally, he had found it again. The little one was right here, sleeping soundly, guarding its treasures like a miser.

Ye Yun, who had also entered the cave behind Xiao Chen, saw the little beast and was momentarily stunned, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes before she quickly recovered.

The signs of Xiao Chen's old friends were all around, but the human experts did not recognize him now in his new form as purple-diamond skeleton.

"This is one of the sealed lands of the ancient Dao. The curtain of the Dao is about to fall," Ye Yun said lightly, as if sharing a secret with herself.