The sounds of laughter and joy filled Ji Mo's teaching quarters.
To celebrate his three students bringing him honor, Ji Mo personally cooked a lavish feast for them.
Ji Hanhan's culinary skills were top-notch. The dishes he prepared were a symphony of color, aroma, and taste, leaving Lin Mengmeng and the other two students in a state of delighted gluttony, praising him repeatedly.
However, Ji Mo wasn't entirely satisfied. The ingredients for the dishes were simply not good enough. The vegetables lacked the freshness of those he grew himself, and the meat wasn't as flavorful as the wild game he hunted.
He felt his culinary talents hadn't been fully showcased. He promised to take the three students back to his home someday to let them taste some real wild game.
In the courtyard, Ya Zi looked on with a crestfallen expression. Their joy was theirs, and he had nothing.
He had lived alone in the Dragon's Lair for so many years, yearning for companionship. Yet, due to the inherent pride of the dragon race and a desire to save face, he had never truly integrated with others.
Now, smelling the tantalizing aroma of the delicious food and seeing even the Duobao Snake feasting at the table, his heart felt even more desolate.
"Joy is for others' celebration; solitude is one's own freedom."
Ya Zi gazed at the starry sky at a forty-five-degree angle, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and silently told himself to be strong.
Just then, a dark shadow streaked across the sky. Ye Xiao had arrived.
As a peak Demon Emperor, Ye Xiao feared no one except Song Zhenwei.
This place was the most secluded southern district of Langya Academy. As long as he didn't cause too much of a disturbance, he wasn't worried about alerting Song Zhenwei.
Ye Xiao was quite cautious. He circled in the air a few times, confirmed there was no danger, and then swooped down.
"Peak Demon Emperor realm!"
Ya Zi was the first to detect Ye Xiao and felt a surge of panic.
If he were at his full strength, he wouldn't fear Ye Xiao. But after Ji Mo took his dragon pearl, his cultivation had plummeted, leaving him with less than a tenth of his former power.
Although he had recently condensed a new dragon pearl, it had been too short a time. His cultivation was only at the Demon Saint realm, making him no match for Ye Xiao.
"A nascent Ya Zi!"
Ye Xiao also spotted Ya Zi in the courtyard, his pupils glowing with a fierce green light.
Instantly, a greedy expression surfaced on his face. This Ya Zi possessed dragon blood, a potent tonic. If he could devour it, the benefits would be immeasurable.
"Roar..."
Ya Zi's fur stood on end, his back arched. He sensed a fatal danger.
He was furious. A dragon trapped in shallow waters was being preyed upon by a mere bird. How dare this foolish bird try to eat him!
Alas, his strength was insufficient. He could only flee.
Ya Zi made a swift decision and bolted towards the nearby house, certain that only Ji Mo could save his life at this moment.
"Heh heh, trying to escape?"
Ye Xiao flapped his wings, his form transforming into a streak of black light. He instantly landed in the courtyard, his claws flashing with a chilling radiance as he lunged at Ya Zi.
The disparity in their strength was too great. Ya Zi couldn't dodge and was caught directly.
"Today is truly my lucky day. By devouring this Ya Zi, my strength will undoubtedly soar. Perhaps I can even break through my current limitations and touch upon the Immortal Realm."
Ye Xiao was ecstatic, grinning widely as he let out a hearty laugh.
Then, he opened his cavernous maw, intending to swallow Ya Zi whole.
At this moment, Ya Zi could no longer afford to maintain his dignity. He opened his throat and cried out, "Ji Mo, save me..."
"Haha, screaming your lungs out is useless. Who can save you?"
Ye Xiao directly swallowed Ya Zi whole.
*Crunch!*
The door creaked open. Ji Mo, having heard the commotion, pushed the door open and stepped out of the room.
He looked up and saw a large black bird swallowing his cat.
His first reaction wasn't to rush to Ya Zi's rescue, but rather to lick his lips and say, "Today is truly my lucky day. A wild game has delivered itself to my doorstep!"
He had just been lamenting the lack of good ingredients, and here, upon opening the door, he encountered such a large wild bird. It truly brought joy to his heart.
Ye Xiao almost choked. How could the words of this human be so familiar, almost identical to what he had just said?
Lin Mengmeng and the other two students also emerged. Sensing the terrifying pressure emanating from Ye Xiao, their faces immediately changed color.
Peak Demon Emperor!
And this one had ill intentions, radiating a dense killing intent, and had even swallowed Ya Zi alive.
"You guys are in for a treat. After I deal with this big bird, I'll add it as a dish for you."
Ji Mo rolled up his sleeves and charged directly at Ye Xiao.
Lin Mengmeng and the other two exchanged glances. What had they just heard? Mr. Ji was going to capture this peak Demon Emperor to add to their meal.
"Master, be careful."
Lin Mengmeng couldn't help but remind him.
Wang Wenjian and Xuan Yang, however, showed no concern. After all, Ji Mo could resonate with the Dao; his strength must be incredibly formidable.
"Don't worry, Mengmeng. This feathered creature, though it looks intimidating, is actually all show and no substance. It's easy to handle. Hurry and find some firewood. I'll catch the bird and roast it for you later."
Ji Mo appeared relaxed, without a hint of pressure, and instructed his three students to prepare firewood.
Feathered creature?
Roast it?
Ye Xiao wondered if he was hallucinating.
A human with no spiritual energy fluctuations was boasting about eating him?
A cruel expression appeared on its face. It intended to tear this ignorant and foolish human to shreds and then devour him bit by bit.
Gazing at the charging Ji Mo, Ye Xiao was filled with disdain. He extended his claws, comparable to Emperor Artifacts, and swiped at him without mercy.
It was confident that with a slight exertion of force, this human would be reduced to a pulp.
*Crack!*
A crisp bone-snapping sound echoed.
Ye Xiao watched in disbelief as his claw was broken off. Then, his body lost its balance, and he was violently slammed onto the ground.
Ji Mo was truly efficient. After snapping Ye Xiao's claw, he grabbed it and swung it around, smashing it against the ground.
*Pfft...*
Ye Xiao's bones felt like they were coming apart. His internal organs suffered immense impact, causing him to spew blood. Even the Ya Zi he had just swallowed was expelled.
Ya Zi, having narrowly escaped death, looked on in terror. Then, as he opened his eyes, he saw a familiar scene.
Ji Mo was holding one of Ye Xiao's legs, using him as a hammer and repeatedly smashing him against the ground.
He had suffered a similar miserable experience in the Dragon's Lair. That kind of torment was something he never wanted to experience again.
Feathers flew, and blood splattered. Large craters appeared in the courtyard. Ye Xiao let out piercing screams, while Lin Mengmeng and the other two watched, stunned.
Was this their master's true strength? Easily overpowering a peak Demon Emperor, not even using a trace of spiritual energy. He was too powerful!
"Smash him! Smash him to death!"
Ya Zi, being petty by nature, and remembering being swallowed alive, was even more incensed. He clenched his claws and shouted incessantly, wishing Ji Mo would smash Ye Xiao into a bloody mess.
Having been saved by Ji Mo and seeing him exact such revenge on his behalf, Ya Zi felt a surge of gratitude. He began to look upon Ji Mo with a more favorable view.