Chapter 78: The Giant Lobster

Ning Xianyu had no idea what hobbies the great demon lord might have, nor why he had chosen to transform into a little black cat and follow her into the Secret Realm of the Spiritual Pivot. Still, if something could make the great demon lord cast aside his dignity just to get inside, there must truly be treasures of great value within. Given that, she was all the more determined to enter.

She only wondered whether the demon lord would be able to enter at all, considering his advanced age and formidable cultivation. To her surprise, however, the demon lord managed to slip in without mishap.

When the secret realm opened, all the elders joined together to hold the entrance open, allowing the disciples to pass through.

“Remember,” one elder instructed, “the talismans you carry will glow red when your time is up. No matter what you’re facing, everyone must return immediately.”

“If you miss your chance to return, you’ll be trapped in the secret realm for ten thousand years. Cultivation will not advance here, and you won’t survive that long.”

Everyone hurriedly stowed their talismans, fearful of missing their window to leave.

Cradling the demon lord, Ning Xianyu stepped through the entrance, still astonished. Could it be that the entrance was not as restrictive as she’d imagined, and anyone could just stroll in?

As she pondered this, a disciple who had just entered was abruptly ejected. He howled as he was flung out. His master hurried over to ask, “What year were you born?”

The disciple thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, “I miscalculated—today is exactly my two hundredth birthday.”

It turned out that anyone over two hundred was barred from entry, which explained his expulsion.

Good heavens, so the secret realm’s boundaries were real and not just for show.

She looked down at the little black cat in her arms, thinking, You’re quite something, able to deceive even the secret realm.

Once inside, the cultivators dispersed, each choosing a direction to explore.

Everyone glanced at Ning Xianyu, silently asking where to go. She looked at Lin Kaishu, who, with a headache, pointed the way. “Let’s head this way.”

Ning Xianyu agreed, and the group followed his lead.

Lin Kaishu had chosen this path because fewer people were heading that way. Crowding together at the start often led to conflict and wasted time and energy.

As they walked, they gathered quite a few spiritual herbs and fruits along the way.

Ning Xianyu didn’t recognize any of them, and her system was nowhere to be found. She had no choice but to follow along and whispered to the demon lord, “Ancestor, please let me know if you see anything useful—I need to eat too, you know.”

The demon lord ignored her, content to nap on her shoulder.

Initially, everyone assumed this spirit pet, gifted by the ancestor, must be fearsome. Yet, all it did was sleep, not even lifting its head.

Perhaps, like the ancestor himself, it simply didn’t care to interact with others.

The primary goal of this venture into the secret realm was to find the Astrological Stone. Along the way, they were to collect anything of value, so everyone searched diligently.

Ning Xianyu also searched as she walked. At one point, Lin Kaishu mentioned that there was a type of aquatic grass in the lake up ahead—a rare and valuable ingredient for alchemy, with a single stalk fetching ten high-grade spirit stones.

The outer sect disciples were all quite poor, so when they heard how valuable the grass was, they rushed eagerly toward the lake.

Ning Xianyu, hearing its worth, hurried to lead them there.

But as they neared the lakeshore, a monster that looked very much like a giant crayfish burst from the water, snatching a female disciple with one enormous claw and dragging her beneath the surface.

Everyone was startled and rushed to help.

Their attacks landed haphazardly, but the giant crayfish’s shell was impenetrable; their efforts left it entirely unscathed.

Ning Xianyu, clutching the demon lord, whispered, “Ancestor, help us—these are your disciples!”

The demon lord replied telepathically, “Do it yourself.”

Just then, the crayfish, apparently deciding she looked easy prey, stretched out another claw toward her.

Startled, Ning Xianyu instinctively flung the demon lord straight at it.

“Meow—ow!”

He landed squarely on the crayfish’s head. Just as everyone expected him to unleash his power, he and the crayfish both vanished beneath the water.

Not only Lin Kaishu and the others, but even Ning Xianyu herself was stunned.

What did that mean?

They all stood by the lake, staring blankly at the surface.

At first, the water was calm and still.

After a while, bubbles began to rise, as though the lake were being brought to a boil.

Suddenly, the giant crayfish was hurled out of the water, along with the female disciple it had seized.

The others rushed to rescue the disciple, relieved to find she was still breathing.

Only Ning Xianyu remained by the shore, waiting for the demon lord.

Soon enough, he soared out of the water without so much as a wet whisker and landed neatly atop her head, stomping twice for good measure.

“Meow!”

Ning Xianyu, just you wait.

You’re dead.

Lin Kaishu and the others were full of admiration. “As expected of the ancestor’s spirit pet—what power!”

All of them together likely weren’t a match for such a creature; its presence was truly awe-inspiring.

Ning Xianyu forced a laugh and scooped up the little black cat. “Go on and gather the aquatic grass. As for this giant crayfish, it’s mine.”

The shell was so tough—she rather liked it. She planned to have someone forge it into armor. Next time she was in danger, she could just hide inside. Perfect.

As she was feeling pleased, the demon lord spoke again, his voice in her mind.

“Do you really think a shrimp shell can protect you?”

Ning Xianyu smiled. “Why not? It looks pretty sturdy to me.”

“Tch.”

The demon lord sneered at her, but offered no explanation.

Let her waste her effort and make a fool of herself.

He glanced around, then said, “Later, lose the others and head southeast.”

Ning Xianyu looked in the indicated direction—it was a swamp shrouded in mist. She couldn’t help but ask, “What’s over there?”

It looked unmistakably poisonous. Why go there?

The demon lord told her not to ask, just to go.

Ning Xianyu had no choice but to inform Lin Kaishu, “You all gather the aquatic grass here. I have something to attend to alone. Wait for me nearby when you’re done, or contact me with the spirit talisman.”

The talisman provided by the sect not only reminded them when to return but also allowed them to communicate, functioning much like a simple mobile phone—very convenient.

Lin Kaishu didn’t press her for details, merely asking that she return as soon as possible, watching as she went.

Seeing her enter the mist unharmed, he finally understood the vast gap in strength.

Along the way, Ning Xianyu hadn’t shown any particular ability; they’d even thought her a bit unreliable.

Now it was clear—she wasn’t unreliable; she was just keeping a low profile.

Chang Qi and Ding Hong also saw her leave, equally at a loss as to her intentions.

Not that they could have known—Ning Xianyu herself wasn’t sure.

“So what exactly are we doing here?” she asked, wrapping herself and the demon lord in spiritual energy, though she could still feel the miasma gnawing away at her defenses.

She doubted she could go much farther before being consumed by the toxic air.

“Are you angry I threw you in the water and want revenge?”

The demon lord really was petty.