Otherwise, Xu Zirong would never have agreed to a contract with such an odd-looking rabbit.
Xu Ziyan thought the highest-grade contract resembled a partnership. It depended entirely on both parties’ willingness to cooperate, and either side could end it without much restriction. At most, it established a means of communication between human and demonic beast.
After all, before taking human form, demonic beasts had a difficult time communicating with humans!
Still, Xu Zirong need not fear betrayal. Even if a spirit-beast contract of this equal kind was dissolved, neither party could harm the other for ten years afterward.
With the strange rabbit in tow, the brothers wandered through the Azure Spirit Secret Realm without any particular destination.
The realm was so vast that Xu Ziyan could barely imagine the size of the mighty ancient sect that had once used the entire place as its mountain headquarters.
Then he remembered that even such a powerful sect had been annihilated in a conflict with a sect from another domain. The great sects of those larger domains were truly frightening.
But none of that had anything to do with Xu Ziyan. ╮(╯▽╰)╭ Aside from the ongoing struggle against demon cultivators, the Xuanyu Domain was relatively peaceful.
Righteous and demonic sects had their disputes, and the great sects schemed privately against one another, but the pressure from demon cultivators kept these conflicts within acceptable bounds.
From that perspective, much of the Xuanyu Domain’s peace could even be attributed to the threat posed by demon cultivators.
With no further summons and no ruins or palaces in sight, the brothers wandered through the secret realm for seven whole days. Since he already had the Golden Behemoth puppet, Xu Ziyan was satisfied with their luck.
“Hm?” Xu Ziyan noticed a figure flying across the sky ahead. The person passed them, then turned around and approached.
“Greetings, fellow Daoists,” the stranger said warmly.
Xu Ziyan returned the salute. “And you are…?”
“I am Zhao Youdao of the Xiaoyuan Sect,” the thin young man said with a smile. “Are you two disciples of the Flowing Light Sect?”
Xu Ziyan nodded. “We are. I’m Xu Ziyan, and this is my younger brother Xu Zirong. What can we do for you, Fellow Daoist Zhao?”
Zhao Youdao’s eyes lit up at the confirmation. “Two disciples from Tianyu Sect and I discovered some ruins that may contain an inheritance from the ancient sect. Would you be interested in exploring them with us?”
Xu Ziyan’s pupils contracted. An inheritance site! But he quickly grew cautious. “Why invite us, Fellow Daoist Zhao? These inheritance sites are usually safe. Surely you don’t need our assistance?”
Zhao Youdao smiled helplessly. “I know they’re generally safe, but this one is unusual. Not dangerous, exactly. There’s a defensive formation at the entrance. A Tianyu Sect disciple and I studied it for two days before understanding the mechanism. Five cultivators have to stand in the five elemental positions and activate a Five Elements Reincarnation Formation together to get inside.”
He looked dispirited as he explained. “The Azure Spirit Secret Realm is enormous. I’ve spent days just searching for people. I was lucky to run into the two of you.”
“I see…” Xu Ziyan nodded. He did not doubt the story. Inheritance sites could have all kinds of entrance requirements, depending on the whims of their creators. One site had reportedly been guarded by a spirit beast that admitted only female cultivators it considered beautiful!
“Would you two join us? The Tianyu Sect disciple and I are almost certain this is a large inheritance site, with at least three inheritances. Once we pass the formation, we can separate and let fate decide who receives what.” Zhao Youdao did not offer any other compensation, since entry itself was an enormous opportunity.
He was not particularly worried Xu Ziyan would refuse. Larger inheritance sites increased the chance of finding a suitable inheritance, and for cultivators such opportunities could be more important than their current cultivation.
“All right! We agree,” Xu Ziyan said without much hesitation. This chance was too good to miss.
Zhao Youdao was delighted. Only about half a month remained before the realm closed, and there was no telling when he might encounter more people. Finding both missing participants at once gave them much more time to select and accept inheritances; failing to finish one before the realm closed would be agonizing.
Xu Ziyan could not gauge Zhao Youdao’s cultivation, which suggested the man was at least mid Foundation Establishment. While following him, Xu Ziyan kept a prudent distance.
The possibility of an ambush was small, but he could not completely rule it out. He even asked Xu Zirong to remain a little farther away, so Xu Zirong might have time to react if Zhao Youdao attacked.
Xu Zirong protested this arrangement, but Xu Ziyan firmly overruled him. His indulgence had limits when Xu Zirong’s safety was involved.
Zhao Youdao did not resent the caution. He would have been just as wary in Xu Ziyan’s place.
The realm was vast, and some demonic cultivators entered without sect escorts. Because the passage limited them all to Foundation Establishment or below, even a late Foundation Establishment attacker would still pose a serious threat to two early Foundation Establishment disciples.
Zhao Youdao had actually told a small lie: before encountering the brothers, he had passed another person. He did not recognize that individual and had felt uneasy about the man’s aura, so he had chosen not to approach.
He was older than Xu Ziyan but also a genuine late Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even a demonic cultivator would have to think carefully before attacking him.
As expected, that stranger had passed without attempting to make contact. This strengthened Zhao Youdao’s suspicion that he was probably a demonic cultivator.
One reason the secret realm was not perfectly safe was precisely because demonic cultivators sometimes entered. They were notorious for killing people over treasure or even over a passing irritation.
Zhao Youdao felt fortunate. Before entering the realm, he had stood behind his sect elder and watched the Flowing Light Sect’s disciples pass into the vortex.
He remembered the Xu brothers from then. A child as young as Xu Zirong reaching Foundation Establishment was extraordinarily striking.
Along the journey Zhao Youdao chatted warmly with Xu Ziyan. Anyone permitted into this realm was among the elite disciples of their sect.
As the eldest disciple of Xiaoyuan Sect’s master, Zhao Youdao was almost certain to inherit leadership one day. Forming friendships with capable cultivators now would pay off later.
Xu Ziyan welcomed his goodwill. He knew that having another friend meant another possible path forward; no one could live entirely alone in this world.
They got along remarkably well. Zhao Youdao was frank and cheerful, and before long they were addressing each other as Brother Xu and Brother Zhao.
Meanwhile, Xu Zirong watched Zhao Youdao’s back with a gloomy expression. Because his brother had ordered him to keep his distance, he could not join their conversation and could only glare resentfully at them.
“How strange. This secret realm is warm as spring. Why did I suddenly feel a chill? Brother Xu, did you feel it?” Zhao Youdao shivered and looked around.
“Hm? Cold? No. Have you caught a chill, Brother Zhao?” Xu Ziyan laughed as soon as he asked, realizing he had forgotten that cultivators did not get ordinary illnesses.
Zhao Youdao laughed as well, taking the remark as a joke, and soon forgot the strange shiver.
After flying for nearly half a day, the three reached sight of a magnificent mountain. A ribbon of white water tumbled from its summit into a deep pool, spraying foam.
“We’re here. The place we’re looking for is behind that waterfall,” Zhao Youdao said, pointing to the silver cascade.
Xu Ziyan nodded. The closer they drew, the more he felt the faint summons unique to an inheritance site. Anyone fused with an Azure Spirit Seal would sense such a place within a certain range.
Since the site was real, Zhao Youdao was much less likely to be deceiving them. Xu Zirong also sent a voice transmission: after asking the surrounding plants, he could confirm that only three people, including Zhao Youdao, had passed through this area.
Now satisfied that Zhao Youdao was trustworthy, Xu Ziyan became friendlier toward him. There was no reason to maintain a stranger’s reserve toward a genuinely amicable righteous-sect disciple.