The fierce beasts stood frozen in place, blinking incessantly, wondering if their ears were playing tricks on them.
“You… you’re really leaving?” Taowu’s voice was thick with exhaustion, and a flicker of excitement.
Heaven knew!
What a life they’d been leading these past few centuries!
Feng Qingran gave a firm nod. “My fasting pills are all gone, so I can’t stay any longer. If you want me to, though, I could actually still—”
“No… no need! You’re leaving… we’re just too… too heartbroken!” Yingzhao cut her off before she could finish.
The little demon was finally leaving; they absolutely had to see her off with all due ceremony!
“Yingzhao is right, you shouldn’t stay. What if you went hungry here?” Hundun chimed in, feigning sorrow.
Oh heavens!
It was finally going to be free from this misery!
For centuries now, Feng Qingran had made them accompany her in physical cultivation training.
But she truly had no concept of treating beasts as living creatures!
They had to draw the arrays themselves, trapping themselves within mountains of blades and seas of fire, constantly practicing alongside Feng Qingran…
The crux was, within these arrays, their own power was suppressed to a level just slightly above Feng Qingran’s.
Even so, they hadn’t managed to gain the slightest advantage!
They’d been perpetually in a state of getting ruthlessly pummeled by Feng Qingran.
Consequently, many of the fierce beasts now sported bruised and swollen faces; some even hobbled around on crutches…
Of course, there were also those who fled the mountains of blades and seas of fire, refusing ever to enter again.
Those beasts were dragged off to reclaim wasteland, painstakingly planting seeds provided by Feng Qingran.
No snacking along the way was allowed.
If they dared to sneak a bite, a single talisman or a vial of poison from Feng Qingran would plunge them into utter agony!
By the time they thought to rebel, it was already too late.
That contract scroll they’d signed with Feng Qingran… damn it all, it turned out to be a binding pact!
And besides the line stating, “We voluntarily agree to cooperate with Feng Qingran,”
There was another line of tiny text that none of them had noticed: “Should any party wish to withdraw mid-cooperation, they must agree to one demand from Feng Qingran, with final interpretive authority resting solely with Feng Qingran.”
It was practically a tyrannical clause!
Every time Hundun remembered this, it gnashed its teeth in fury.
The deepest pit it had ever fallen into was one dug by Feng Qingran’s scheming!
A faint smile played on Feng Qingran’s lips, her apricot-shaped eyes gleaming. “I was actually thinking of staying a few more days to keep you company, but… never mind.”
“After I leave, the rules within the Ten Directions Domain must still be upheld. If I find out anyone breaks them, next time I come back…” Feng Qingran’s voice carried a chilling edge.
All the fierce beasts nodded earnestly, though inwardly they were overjoyed.
Once Feng Qingran was gone, they’d destroy that teleportation array! Then no one could ever enter again!
Feng Qingran rested a hand on her chin. “Oh right, I promised back then that I could take one of you out with me. Who wants to come?”
Hearing this, every single beast shook its head vehemently!
They felt much safer inside the Ten Directions Domain.
“Miss Feng, that won’t be necessary. We’re used to life here in the Ten Directions Domain; no need to go out.” Yingzhao stamped a hoof, sporting a pair of black eyes, and managed to squeeze out a strained smile.
Feng Qingran observed Yingzhao—a human face, a horse’s body, with four wings on its back. Taking such a beast outside would be both terrifying and imposing…
A shame it didn’t want to leave.
“Fine then. I’m leaving tomorrow. If any of you change your minds, you can come find me anytime.” With that, Taotie dutifully stepped forward.
Feng Qingran leapt lightly onto Taotie’s back.
The assembled beasts watched as Feng Qingran departed, following her figure until it vanished from sight.
Instantly, the entire mountain of blades and sea of fire erupted in celebration.
“Holy crap! The little demon is finally leaving! If she stayed any longer, I’d have died in this hellscape…”
“Once she’s gone, I’m eating my fill! No more worrying about punishment or being locked in that dark room…”
“Wah… I’ve never met a human more terrifying than her. Just how is her brain wired?”
“Why can her head hold so much stuff? Arrays, incantations, alchemy, poison-making… There must be at least a thousand books on all that, right? And she memorized every single one…”
“And that sleeve of hers—it holds more than even our dimensional spaces! It’s like it’s bottomless…”
“Stop talking and help dismantle these arrays! We’ll be free tomorrow!”
……
The beasts chattered away, completely unaware their words were all being heard by Feng Qingran.
High above the clouds.
Taotie fawned, “Master, I’m not like them. I will absolutely abide by the rules you’ve set.”
“Don’t force yourself if you don’t want to follow them. You’ll learn to comply soon enough, after you’ve suffered a few more setbacks.” Feng Qingran waved a hand, signaling Taotie to take her back.
She had been able to stay in the Ten Directions Domain this long entirely thanks to the items Mo Jinghong had prepared.
It was as if Mo Jinghong understood her perfectly; his preparations were exceedingly thorough.
Every hundred years, she would discover a storage pouch in her sleeve.
These pouches always contained exactly what she needed.
Otherwise, she would have definitely found alternative methods to deal with this pack of fierce beasts.
Soon, the pair arrived back at Qi’s territory.
Taotie halted a considerable distance from the courtyard.
“Master, you’ll have to walk the rest of the way yourself. I don’t dare go any closer.” Taotie set Feng Qingran down, then turned and flew away.
The memory from ten thousand years ago, of Qi tearing Xiangliu apart with his bare hands, remained a lingering trauma for all the fierce beasts. Taotie never wanted to lay eyes on Qi again in this lifetime.
