In the early morning light, the tranquil cave finally revealed a glimpse of the sky. Shen Tanqi now realized that this cave wasn’t as closed off as he initially thought.
Last night, he struggled for quite some time without success, suffering needlessly.
Bai Long was no longer by his side. It seemed that the so-called weakness he mentioned was likely just a ploy for attention during his mating season.
It’s a good thing, leaving would spare them both the awkwardness. Shen Tanqi propped himself up and walked towards the spot where daylight seeped in, but a golden barrier suddenly lit up in front of him.
He was startled, and upon closer inspection, he noticed that there were still a few lines of text on the barrier.
“I’m going to gather herbs to cure Junior Brother’s Gu poisoning.”
So, the absence of the dragon in the morning meant it had gone to collect herbs for his junior brother. Shen Tanqi pursed his lips, finding it hard to determine if this white dragon was friend or foe. If it was good-hearted, it had playfully tormented him all night, and if it was malicious, it meticulously remembered every word he said.
However, as his gaze reached the next line, Shen Tanqi’s mouth twitched slightly.
“Rest assured and don’t move around during your pregnancy.”
Pregnancy? It’s a known fact that men can’t bear children.
Did this clueless dragon lack basic human knowledge?
He pushed against the barrier, attempting to escape the cave, only to find the barrier suddenly transforming into a large bubble, enveloping him entirely.
Another line of text appeared in front of his eyes.
“Don’t stray too far.”
The tone was somewhat helpless, as if the dragon had long expected Shen Tanqi would not listen to its words, specially using this barrier bubble to protect him.
The golden barrier bubble didn’t block the air, seemingly only meant to shield him from external harm. Reaching out to touch it, the seemingly rigid barrier felt incredibly soft, like falling onto a cloud even if he tumbled inside.
Shen Tanqi couldn’t help but chuckle. This white dragon, appearing aloof and indifferent, was surprisingly meticulous in its actions.
Seems like it was treating him like a pregnant husband after all.
However, at first, Shen Tanqi wasn’t sure what role this barrier would play. When he reached the edge of the cave, it suddenly dawned on him.
No wonder the system had transported him to the nearest safe location, which happened to be a cave at the bottom of the Bloodthirst Cliff. The entrance to the cave was protected by a formation. Outside, a horrifying black mist filled with toxic gases covered everything, with animal corpses and deep swamps scattered around.
For an ordinary person, stepping in at will would make survival nearly impossible without risking death.
Shen Tanqi hesitated but chose to step outside the cave. The barrier bubble indeed kept all the poisonous mist and fog outside, meaning he could go anywhere safely.
Casually stepping on the bubble, he ventured out. The place looked extremely desolate, far from a location one would expect humans to inhabit. The ground was littered with various dried bones, making Shen Tanqi tremble with fear.
If not for the barrier, he probably wouldn’t dare to come out even if beaten to death.
This time, however, Shen Tanqi was more interested in finding something to eat. He had gone hungry yesterday, finishing most of Bai Long’s provisions. With the dragon leaving early in the morning, he hadn’t had a chance to remind it or know if it would remember.
He certainly didn’t want to starve in this eerie place.
Looking around, there was no sign of any living creatures, and even most plants seemed to be dead. There wasn’t even a clean water pond.
After wandering for a while, Shen Tanqi finally found a red mushroom under a hundred-year-old tree with a circumference of three people.
But, red umbrella, white stem…
Forget it.
It’s better to wait until Bai Long returns and then ask him to buy food.
Just as Shen Tanqi turned to leave, a sharp arrow suddenly shot towards him. Surprised, he tried to block it with his hand, but before the arrow could touch a single strand of his hair, the barrier bubble shattered it like a mantis blocking a cart.
Shen Tanqi: …
This thing is amazing!
It can even prevent assassinations; it’s truly the dream-like golden finger that lazy players fantasize about.
Just as he was feeling delighted, a terrified shout echoed around him.
“Hey, is this the legendary Absolute Demon Barrier?”
Shen Tanqi: ?
Who’s talking?
Following the voice, Shen Tanqi looked toward the ground where the ‘arrow’ surprisingly had a mouth and began talking.
“It’s me, your grandpa!”
Shen Tanqi fell silent for a moment, picked up a stone from the ground, and expressionlessly smashed it on the ‘arrow.’
The ‘arrow’ yelped in pain and grumbled, “You’re just a measly Golden Core cultivator, daring to throw stones at your grandpa. Go out and inquire about it; your grandpa is one of the Eight Blood Demons in Bloodthirst Cliff!”
Shen Tanqi lifted a large stone.
“Wait, wait, let’s talk.”
Hearing this, Shen Tanqi satisfactorily put down the stone and sat in front of it to negotiate. “So, you claim to be one of what?”
The ‘arrow’ understood the situation and, realizing it couldn’t provoke Shen Tanqi, reluctantly explained, “This place is where the vile Rongyun Sect detains demons who have committed heinous crimes and killed countless people. The demons imprisoned here have at least five hundred years of cultivation. The Eight Blood Demons are the most powerful among them.”
Hearing this, Shen Tanqi thought for a moment and asked, “What about you?”
The ‘arrow’ tried to lift itself from the ground, attempting to regain some dignity. “Me? I’ll tell you that I’m also one of the Eight Blood Demons. I almost took you down just now. Wait until I get up…”
“Just tell the truth unless you want to be cut into a toothpick.”
“…Whimper.”
After the threat, the arrow finally gave in. It climbed up from the ground, emitting a dense mist, and transformed into a small black dog.
The little black dog, with a drooping tail, looked particularly pitiful. “I am the demon envoy sent by Mei Wuning, one of the Eight Blood Demons, to guard the entrance of Bloodthirst Cliff.”
Shen Tanqi understood, “Oh… a watchdog.”
The little black dog barked angrily at him, “I’m not just a watchdog, your whole family is a bunch of watchdogs! Due to my cultivation regression, I can only reluctantly maintain an offensive and defensive form. If you had seen my original majestic demon appearance, you would probably have been scared out of your wits by now.”
Shen Tanqi fell into a brief silence, unwilling to expose the truth.
So, the offensive form is an arrow, and the defensive form is a dog…
Combining them, it’s an arrow-dog, huh.
“I won’t bother with you. I haven’t completed my master’s task yet,” the little black dog swayed its tail, wiggled its butt, and was about to leave.
Seeing it leaving in a hurry, Shen Tanqi quickly called out to stop it, “What task do you have?”
The little black dog turned to look at him, disdainfully saying, “As the guardian of the entrance, I have to keep an eye on whether any foolish humans fall down from Bloodthirst Cliff at any time, slaughter them, and serve them as snacks for my master.”
So, the legends about demons eating humans were true.
Shen Tanqi couldn’t help but shiver, finding the little black dog before him a bit more terrifying.
He was originally intending to return to the cave, but he suddenly heard the departing little black muttering to itself, “If I can’t find any living humans again, I’m afraid my master will have to settle for eating mudskippers this month. Sigh…”
Why did this sound so much like what the Big Bad Wolf says when it can’t catch any sheep?
But, living mudskippers?
Shen Tanqi’s eyes lit up, immediately stepping on the barrier bubble to run in front of the little black dog, blocking its way.
Annoyed, the little black dog asked, “What’s the matter?”
Shen Tanqi grinned and said, “Tell me where you catch those mudskippers.”
“Why should I tell you?” The little black dog huffed, flexing his four tiny legs as he circled around Shen Tanqi before walking away.
Seeing its attitude, Shen Tanqi reached through the barrier, grabbed the little black dog’s tail, and with a light smile, asked, “Tell me or not?”
With its tail caught, the little black dog struggled in pain and realized it couldn’t escape the clutches of this annoying human. It snarled, reluctantly opening its mouth, “Let go! You rude thing. Fine, I’ll take you there.”
Good, a bit of resistance but not too much.
Shen Tanqi smiled and released it, allowing the little black dog to lead the way in front of him.
The path was overgrown with weeds, and shrubs covered the ground. Occasionally, they encountered small streams with extremely murky water, resembling sludge from sewage discharge. It didn’t seem like there would be any living water sources, let alone fish inside.
However, under the guidance of the little black dog, the plants along the road slowly regained vitality visible to the naked eye. As they reached the end, Shen Tanqi even saw new shoots on old trees, and the pond water flowed gently. Though not a breathtaking sight, it was lush and green.
Suddenly, Shen Tanqi felt like a wanderer from Wu Ling stumbling into a hidden Peach Blossom Spring. The current scene seemed completely different from what he had seen just moments ago.
It seems that the demons aren’t fond of living in dark and foul-smelling places either.
“Alright, here are your mudskippers.” The little black dog, with a look of disdain for foolish humans, led Shen Tanqi to the side of a clear channel.
The air here was fresh, the scenery pleasant, and upon closer listening, there were melodious bird songs. Shen Tanqi couldn’t help but feel his mood improving. Stepping towards the riverbank, he found that the barrier bubble could even isolate the river water. Testing it by walking towards the deeper water, he was surprised to find that his shoes and socks remained completely dry.
So, this was the divine dragon’s golden finger!
Shen Tanqi was so excited that his way of addressing Bai Long changed.
He bent down, carefully searching for signs of fish in the channel. In no time, he indeed spotted several plump mudskippers. Rubbing against the barrier on his legs, they swiftly darted into the muddy burrows.
Feeling enthusiastic, Shen Tanqi suddenly recalled his past experiences catching mudskippers with classmates near his hometown. While others might catch only one or two fish after a while, Shen Tanqi’s catches would fill the basket in no time.
It was his specialty.
Concentrating on waiting for a big mudskipper to swim by his feet, just as he was about to catch it with lightning speed, he heard a ‘ping—‘ sound of metal clashing behind him.
Shen Tanqi turned around, utterly bewildered. He saw a pale-faced man in a red robe holding a long sword, pierced into his barrier bubble.
Beside him stood the little black dog, cheering and applauding.
No wonder Shen Tanqi hadn’t seen it for a while; it had gone to fetch reinforcements.
“This is Mei Wuning, one of the Eight Blood Demons and my master. Feeling scared, huh?”
“Master, go for it! Stab him, stab him to death!”
However, no matter how hard Mei Wuning tried, the long sword couldn’t pierce the barrier bubble in the slightest. The situation became somewhat awkward, and Shen Tanqi attempted to advise him, “Uh, this is quite tough… maybe take a break and try again later?”
Mei Wuning was silent and did not say anything. He simply felt like he was being ridiculed. Sweating and gritting his teeth, he continued to exert force without uttering a word.
Shen Tanqi had never seen such a persistent person. He scratched his head and spoke again, “Well, you keep stabbing, and I’ll catch something for dinner.”
The locals here were really strange.
As Shen Tanqi swiftly caught the second plump mudskipper, his clothes couldn’t contain them anymore. He turned to look, and Mei Wuning, originally pale-faced, was now red with anger. His gaze fixed on Shen Tanqi, as if he couldn’t resist the urge to devour him alive.
Seeing Shen Tanqi looking over, Mei Wuning finally spoke coldly, “This is the Absolute Demon Barrier at the Nascent Soul stage, set up by that white dragon to protect you.”
Not a question, but a statement.
It seemed he had encountered Bai Long before.
Shen Tanqi wasn’t very curious about what had happened between them. He securely tucked the caught mudskippers into his clothes, turned around to find some seasoning—salt, vinegar, ginger… Where could he find some vinegar?
But as he was about to leave, Mei Wuning persisted. He stood in front of Shen Tanqi, a sinister smile appearing on his face. He asked in a deep voice, “Who are you to him?”
Who he was.
Shen Tanqi couldn’t come up with an answer.
He thought carefully and replied sincerely, “Absolutely a stranger.”
Mei Wuning squinted his eyes slightly and suddenly laughed, “I don’t believe it. He gave you the Absolute Demon Barrier; you must be acquainted. If I kill you, you wouldn’t be wronged.”
Before Shen Tanqi could respond, Mei Wuning suddenly untied the robe, revealing a striking wound on his chest.
It was an almost devastating wound, about the size of a basketball. The assailant had been decisive and ruthless, seemingly attempting to end his life directly with this move. The wound was visible from the front to the back, the flesh turned out, blood and gore, a gruesome sight.
A move to defeat the enemy without mercy. It seemed Bai Long was outrageously powerful in this world, truly a lifesaving golden finger for the male protagonist.
“If it weren’t for the robust physique of the demon race, I would have died under his hands on the spot.” Mei Wuning leaned over, pressing his forehead against Shen Tanqi’s barrier bubble, his gaze fierce and fixed on him. “Tell me, how will you settle this score for him?”
Shen Tanqi: “…”
He glanced at Mei Wuning, turned around with hands in his pockets, and walked away on the bubble.
It’s none of my business.
If you have the guts, go talk to Bai Long. What’s the use of telling me? I’m heading back to the cave to cook a delicious meal.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
