The Happy Little Beast

The little white beast quickly unfurled Paradise Lost, moving with unusual caution. After all the dangers it had weathered over the years, even its inherently pure nature had grown vigilant.

It blinked its bright eyes and stared suspiciously at Xiao Chen, its childish voice trembling. "Who are you?"

All the powerhouses had charged deep into the underground palace; the entrance was empty save for them. Xiao Chen no longer needed to conceal himself. After so many years, their reunion stirred his heart profoundly.

"Keke, don't you recognize me? It's me…"

He stopped suppressing his spiritual fluctuations and let his soul origin fully open. Having passed through a death tribulation and gradually returned as a different life form in the Death World, the essence of his soul had never changed.

"Ya-ya ya-ya…" The little white beast cried out at once. How could it forget such a familiar soul fluctuation? It rushed over, eyes wide with shock, carefully studying Xiao Chen.

"Wuwu…" Then, like an aggrieved child, it burst into loud sobs.

"Don't cry… It's me. I've returned." Xiao Chen sighed with a thousand emotions. After gaining sentience in the Death World, he had slowly evolved from a weak skeleton into a regional powerhouse. The toil and hardship along the way were beyond imagination — enduring all manner of trials to reach this day had been extraordinarily difficult.

"Ya-ya…" The little beast's eyes were full of tears, as if it scarcely dared to believe. Almost timidly, it asked, "Is this real…? Am I dreaming?"

Xiao Chen stepped forward gently and rubbed the beast's furry head. "Don't cry."

As if holding back for ages, the little beast wailed loudly, tears streaming down in rivulets.

"I've lived. I've truly returned… No more tears."

After so many years, they were finally reunited.

"Why have you become like this?" The little beast looked at him worriedly. It could naturally tell that this was the bone body of an undead, not a true living being.

"Heaven wants me to truly understand the mysteries of life and death, to comprehend the origin of life and death. Naturally, I had to experience it for myself." Xiao Chen transmitted a lighthearted intent through his spiritual fluctuations. He did not want the atmosphere to become too heavy and sorrowful.

The little creature was a born optimist, easily satisfied. It soon cast aside its worries, its heart filled with joy at Xiao Chen's return.

"Ya-ya ya-ya…" As if presenting treasures, it opened its Paradise Lost and revealed groves of divine trees, wanting to offer Xiao Chen some rare spirit fruits. But then it suddenly remembered that with his current bone body, he could not enjoy them. Embarrassed, it scratched its head.

Seeing the little thing's charmingly naive manner, Xiao Chen chuckled softly. It was still the same as before — to it, spiritual treasures were the greatest thing in heaven and earth.

"Greedy little thing…"

"Ya-ya ya-ya!" Keke waved its little white paws in protest.

The little creature was overjoyed. It had never thought it would see Xiao Chen again. It laughed happily, but after crying so hard, crystal tears still clung to its long lashes. Watching it, Xiao Chen felt both joy and a trace of melancholy. He quickly wiped the tears away himself.

"Tell me how you've spent all these years. You haven't just been sleeping and gathering spirit herbs, have you?" Xiao Chen deliberately teased the little thing.

This made the little creature murmur in protest. Accustomed to its ya-ya speech, it happily recounted its experiences over the years. But by the end, even it felt embarrassed; many of its "exciting adventures" had to do with spirit herbs — including this discovery of the ancient ruins.

Over the years, the little white beast had faced no small amount of danger, yet now it told its tale cheerfully, without a trace of resentment. The more it acted this way, the worse Xiao Chen felt. The little creature was an orphan in the truest sense — born without parents, it had followed him only to suffer separation by life and death, enduring many heartbreaks.

Yet in the end, the little beast had pulled through on its own. Seeing it so happy, Xiao Chen could not help but be infected. Being easy to satisfy meant being easy to find joy — that was the source of Keke's happiness.

Xiao Chen rubbed its head affectionately.

When the little thing pressed him about his own experiences, Xiao Chen showed it directly through his divine consciousness sea, transmitting the events of the Death World as spiritual imprints. The many happenings in that realm seemed like yesterday.

Keke was filled with curiosity about the world of the dead. Its big eyes sparkled as it muttered about wanting to go see that place, which gave Xiao Chen quite a start.

Reunion — beyond the initial melancholy, there was far more joy.

To avoid being discovered, Xiao Chen and Keke entered Paradise Lost. After so many years apart, there was naturally a great deal to say.

Only after a long while did the little beast begin to lead Xiao Chen on a tour of its home.

"This is the Immortal Tree I found on Mount Tai. Mortals who eat its fruit will never grow old." Keke's voice was still childish and soft. Pointing proudly at a tree no more than two meters tall, it said happily, "Yellow Fur wanted it too, always fighting me over it on Mount Tai, but I beat him and chased him away."

Xiao Chen was surprised. He remembered that nickname well — it was what the little beast had called the Golden Lion King. The Golden Lion King was one of the most fearsome beings under heaven, yet the little beast had defeated him again. One could imagine how fierce that battle had been.

This Immortal Tree had emerald green branches and leaves, as if carved from green jade, while its trunk was golden, as if cast from pure gold. The whole divine tree looked extraordinarily非凡 just by sight. On it hung a sparse dozen or so crystal-clear red fruits, glowing like rubies and filling the air with rich fragrance.

"Originally, the branches were covered with fruit — lots and lots. But they were so delicious. I wanted to save half, but…" Here, the little white beast blinked its big eyes and showed an unusually embarrassed expression. It mumbled, "In the end, I couldn't help it. I ate them every day, and before I knew it, they were almost gone… But from now on I'll hold back. I'll keep the rest for you."

Xiao Chen could not help but laugh.

"This one is very special too. I call it the Silver Dragon Tree." The little beast pointed at a divine tree whose trunk was entirely silver-white, its leaves like white jade. The tree stood five or six meters tall, its main trunk coiling like a horned dragon, extraordinarily lifelike. On it hung twenty or thirty silver fruits, their fragrance intoxicating.

"I found it in a sealed place on the southwestern border of the Nine Provinces. There were nine huge snakes guarding it, which gave me a real scare!" The little beast seemed to tremble at the memory, patting its chest. "Oh, I said it wrong — it was one snake with nine heads. It lied to me, said it had planted the tree. When I saw through the lie, it claimed the tree was its chance to transform into a Nine-Headed Dragon. It even ambushed me, but I… I beat it and ran it off."

The little thing recounted this nonchalantly, but Xiao Chen was stunned. If he was not mistaken, that great snake must have been the Nine-Headed Serpent, one of the Nine Provinces' top experts.

Keke reeled off the rare divine trees in Paradise Lost as if counting family heirlooms. The realm blazed with green light and sacred radiance — a thousand auspicious rays intertwined.

Finally, it pointed to three newly planted divine saplings: the Flat Peach, the Azure Pine, and the Divine Lotus. The Divine Lotus shone with a myriad of colors, its seeds each crystal clear. The Azure Pine was like green jade, glittering all over, hung with multicolored pine nuts. The Flat Peach Tree soared a hundred meters tall, surrounded by endless auspicious light — it was the ancestral root of the immortal peaches.

"I only found these three in the ancient ruins, but I'm sure there are other divine spirit roots. I'll find them all one day." As it spoke, the little white beast's eyes sparkled, little stars dancing within them.

"I have a gift for you — another treasure tree." Xiao Chen took out the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree, which blazed with multicolored light and overflowed with auspicious energy.

"It doesn't bear fruit…" the little beast muttered.

Xiao Chen was amused. This little creature was far too focused on eating! After all, this was a true treasure tree.

"Seeing how many fruit-bearing spirit trees you've gathered, I wanted to give you something different."

"What good is a tree that doesn't bear fruit? My own treasure tree is far better…" the little white beast grumbled.

A flash of radiance, and Keke's palm-sized Sacred Tree appeared. Its five jade leaves shimmered with brilliant light, actually dimming the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree in Xiao Chen's hand. It could suppress half-ancestor-level supreme treasures!

"Eh…" Xiao Chen was astonished. Remembering the many wonders of that little Sacred Tree, he took it from Keke and let its root tendrils touch the Wonderful Tree.

Dots of light flowed. The Dragon Clan Sacred Tree rippled with auspicious colors, its roots seeming to gain vivid life in an instant, tightly entwining the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree. Finally, they even burrowed into the Wonderful Tree's substance.

Wave after wave of divine power, like water ripples, was drawn out and sent up the Sacred Tree's branches by the roots.

Xiao Chen was astounded. He had never imagined that Keke's little tree could absorb the essence of a sacred artifact.

"Ya-ya!" The little beast cried out happily. The Dragon Clan Sacred Tree had not evolved for years, and now it was absorbing the divine source of a sacred relic. There would surely be a change!

The Dragon Clan Sacred Tree was only a palm high, but the radiance it released was incomparably dazzling — a thousand auspicious lights, ten thousand auspicious colors, unceasingly drawing divine power from the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree.

This was a startling transformation. The Dragon Clan Sacred Tree grew brighter and brighter, while the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree steadily dimmed. Though the little Sacred Tree had seemed unchanged for years, its speed of absorbing external power was now countless times faster than in the past.

In just one hour, the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree had gone completely dark, while the Dragon Clan Sacred Tree blazed with boundless glory, more extraordinary than ever. In the end, the Seven Treasures Wonderful Tree turned into a withered branch, devoid of any divine energy fluctuation. Xiao Chen gave it a gentle breath, and it crumbled to ash!

This result was utterly shocking, making Xiao Chen feel as if he were dreaming. The little Sacred Tree in his palm was nearly heaven-defying!

"Oh oh oh, it's sprouting a leaf!" Keke rejoiced, rolling with the treasure tree across the fragrant grass like a mischievous child.

Xiao Chen found, to his amazement, that the little Sacred Tree had pushed out a tiny purple bud, no larger than a grain of rice, yet brimming with vibrant life — the nascent form of a sixth leaf of purple jade!

"This… It might be even more powerful than the Basder Ancient Spear or the Skeleton King Banner."

Xiao Chen took the little Sacred Tree back in his hand and gave it a gentle wave; immediately, streams of auspicious energy flowed out. But he found it seemed a bit unsuitable as a weapon.

Keke seemed to remember something. It beckoned toward the depths of the spirit garden, and an ancient War Sword flew over.

"Here — for you." The little beast handed the War Sword to Xiao Chen.

"Twenty-four War Swords, plus the four from the Blue Lotus Celestial Maiden, plus this one — that makes twenty-nine that have appeared so far." Xiao Chen gently stroked the War Sword. It was impossible not to have thoughts about the other twenty War Swords and the 'one that evades.' Still, these things depended on fate. Even if one exhausted all effort to gather them, completion was not guaranteed.

They talked for a long time in Paradise Lost. Then Xiao Chen said to the joyous little beast, "Let's go out and take a look."

"Mm." The little thing blinked its spirited big eyes, looking mischievous. It had come to the underground palace specifically to stir up trouble and gain something.

Deep in the underground palace, the roar of battle shook the heavens. Clearly, no true victor had yet emerged. Terrifying waves of force pulsed from within — whether from the palace's sealing formations or from the kings' fearsome energy was impossible to tell.

Xiao Chen put away the War Sword. "Let's enter separately. For a while, we'll pretend not to know each other. It's not yet time to reveal my identity…"

The little beast nodded, understanding.

"Once inside, don't fight. Just observe from a distance and wait for the right moment."

"Mm, I understand." The little beast nodded seriously. "That's how I used to gather spirit herbs — I never made a move until the very end."

This clever little creature made Xiao Chen laugh despite himself.

Just as they separated and flew toward the depths of the underground palace, a violent energy fluctuation erupted at the entrance. A golden-haired youth, his whole body wreathed in golden divine flames, swept his gaze arrogantly across the world, exuding soaring battle intent as he charged into the palace. It was the Golden Lion King.

He obviously discovered Keke. Two beams of light, several meters long, shot from his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the little beast. In fair duels, he had only two defeats in his life — both at Keke's hands. It was as if the little beast was his natural bane.

"Yellow Fur, do you want to fight again? I'm not afraid of you!" Keke's childish voice rang out.

The Golden Lion King had an urge to tear his hair out, but in the end he restrained himself. Now was not the time for a fierce battle with the little beast. He gave a cold snort and flew toward the depths of the underground palace.

Xiao Chen felt like laughing. To have the mighty Golden Lion King called "Yellow Fur" by a little creature — he must be utterly speechless with frustration.

The underground palace seemed to be its own separate space, vast and boundless. The place where the kings fought was strewn with white bones, and murderous aura soared to the heavens. Distant figures moved in a blur — all the kings were locked in chaotic battle. This was not yet the sealed site of the King Banner, but the fighting had already become a life-and-death melee.

The Asura King fought several alien kings alone, his strength unfathomable. The Battle God King was nowhere to be seen.

As he drew near, Xiao Chen gestured to Keke, signaling it to hide carefully.

"Don't worry. We'll work together — success is certain." The little creature muttered carelessly, looking very confident.

Just then, Yin Ying and Yan Qingcheng, who had already left, charged back into the underground palace. Beside them, apart from Gold and the little Winged Dragon Lena, there was also a Five-Colored Peacock King! Five-colored divine light blazed as an alien king who ambushed them was sent flying by the Peacock King — its dominance was unmistakable.

"Clatter…"

"Rumble…"

Deep in the palace, the sound of iron chains rattled. The Asura King violently shook several shackles, thick as buckets, not only sending several alien kings tumbling away but also smashing open the door to the sealed region. He charged in first.