A slender figure slowly emerged from the darkness. Bai Xian stepped out, a strange smile on his face, and repeated, "I thought you... forgot about me."
Even Jian Lin, usually slow to notice, sensed something was wrong. She took a step back, gripping the Demon Lord's arm, and whispered to him, "This isn't Bai Xian, is it?"
"It's the Man-Eating Flower King," the Demon Lord replied softly. "It seems to have gained sentience, which means it can be considered a demon."
In this world, all things, be they strange flowers or exotic beasts, had only one standard for being classified as a demon: sentience.
The monsters within the secret realm, no matter how powerful, were not considered demons because they lacked sentience and acted solely on instinct for survival and combat.
The Man-Eating Flower King, capable of transforming into Bai Xian's likeness and communicating with people, could indeed be considered a demon. According to the previous regulations, the guardian of the secret realm, the Guanlan Sect, would have promptly dealt with any such transformed beings. In hindsight, it was likely due to the internal chaos that they failed to detect the Man-Eating Flower King's transformation.
However, Jian Lin didn't care. So what if it was a demon? She hadn't killed one before.
She raised her hand, forming a hand seal to gather spiritual energy, and put on a friendly expression. "How could we forget you? Come, Bai Xian, let's go out together."
The fake Bai Xian walked closer, his eyes vacant, and asked in a low voice, "Are we good friends?"
"Yes, we are good friends," Jian Lin continued to entice him. "Come and play with me."
The fake Bai Xian gave a strange smile and moved closer to Jian Lin. Seeing that the distance was sufficient, she quickly extended her hand and struck him with spiritual energy. Jian Lin was now at the Golden Core stage, and her seemingly casual strike was not to be underestimated.
To her surprise, the spiritual energy passed directly through the fake Bai Xian's body and struck the man-eating flower cage behind him with a *poof*. Several plump branches were severed, oozing thick sap.
The fake Bai Xian stopped, looked down at his chest, and then stiffly raised his head. "Why did you lie? We are good friends. Why did you hit me? I even prepared a gift for you?"
The scene was quite unsettling. Jian Lin hid behind the Demon Lord, tugging his arm and urging him to say something. Prompted by Jian Lin, the Demon Lord nonchalantly spoke, "What gift did you prepare for us? Let us see it."
Jian Lin was startled and glared at the Demon Lord. Was he really going to befriend this demon?
The fake Bai Xian smiled again and slowly opened his palm, revealing a plump, crimson fruit the size of a palm. "This is a gift, a sweet and precious fruit. It only bears one fruit every three hundred years."
The Demon Lord narrowed his eyes and examined it closely. He then turned to Jian Lin and said, "That fruit seems to be the precious treasure within this barrier."
Jian Lin was a little confused, finding the current situation rather chaotic. The process of finding the treasure was too simple. The fake Bai Xian, though seemingly formidable, also appeared somewhat dim-witted.
"If you hand me the fruit, we can be good friends," the Demon Lord said, extending his hand.
The fake Bai Xian's eyes slowly shifted. He raised his hand and pointed at Jian Lin. "She hit me. I don't like her. Kill her, and we'll be good friends."
"Certainly," the Demon Lord said without hesitation, raising his hand and sending Jian Lin flying with a palm strike.
The moment she was sent flying, Jian Lin understood the Demon Lord's intention. She closed her eyes, held her breath, and feigned death, her limbs going limp. With a *bang*, she crashed against the wall of the flower cage and slid down along its curved surface.
Though feigning death, her senses remained intact. She felt the sturdy flower branches of the cage beneath her loosen, and with a *snap*, she fell into another space. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw nothing but dense roots, as if she were trapped in a giant woven bag.
"A'Pei, is that you?" a voice suddenly called out. It was Bai Xian!
Jian Lin followed the sound. Through the gaps in the woven bag, she saw Bai Xian trapped in another section. Fortunately, he wasn't submerged in sap.
"It's me!" Jian Lin's hushed voice couldn't hide her excitement. "Bai Xian, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. The man-eating flowers don't seem to distinguish me as food, so they haven't attacked me. Later, the Man-Eating Flower King captured me and trapped me here," Bai Xian explained.
"Then just let it trap you!" Jian Lin said, exasperated. "Compared to the Man-Eating Flower King, you're just a minor demon when it comes to cunning. As a Grand Priest, being trapped by it, aren't you ashamed?"
"No, you know nothing. You're the one who's ashamed," Bai Xian retorted. "This is a spirit demon that has evolved over tens of thousands of years in the secret realm. In the demon realm, most demons would bow before it. What could I possibly do?"
"What? I thought this was a demon you were gifting to the Guanlan Sect!" Jian Lin confessed, admitting her thoughts.
Bai Xian fell silent. Not gifting this one didn't mean he hadn't gifted others. Jian Lin chuckled. Her guess was correct; they were indeed in cahoots.
Just as Jian Lin was about to continue berating Bai Xian, a loud noise suddenly echoed, and the flower cage shook violently, as if a battle was taking place above. Jian Lin couldn't wait. How could she miss a fight? She hadn't sparred or practiced her swordplay since reaching the Golden Core stage.
With this thought, Jian Lin forcefully broke free from her restraints, pulled a dagger from her Qiankun bag, infused it with spiritual energy, and began to slash wildly. The branches seemed to have a life of their own, or perhaps it was the Man-Eating Flower King's power. Jian Lin cut one, and another grew back. She held her breath, beginning a race against the Man-Eating Flower King's speed.
While people could create afterimages, Jian Lin carved a path through the branches and then shot out, just in time to see a thick branch whip towards the Demon Lord's back. Without a word, Jian Lin drew her He Yi Sword and met the branch head-on. She used the scabbard to parry, like wielding a large hammer. With a *smack*, the branch was smashed to pieces, splashing a good amount of sap onto Jian Lin's face.
She spat twice, on the verge of tears. This thing was truly disgusting. However, the Man-Eating Flower King's sap was different from the external sap; Jian Lin could actually taste a hint of sweetness.
Enduring the disgust, Jian Lin dodged the sap while fighting. Suddenly, the Demon Lord above said, "Jian Musheng! Look at me! Your master will now teach you the third level of the Mingyue Sword Technique, the first move, 'Against the Current'!"
"Ahhh! Jian Lin flailed, her eyes more confused. "Wait, why teach me now?"
"Because there's a sparring partner, a rare opportunity. Don't miss it," the Demon Lord's voice was excited; it was clear he was thoroughly enjoying the fight. "The second move, 'Dripping Water Pierces Stone'!"
Jian Lin seized the opportunity to learn, mimicking the attacking branches. "Dripping Water Pierces Stone!"
The Demon Lord used a move, and Jian Lin followed suit. Their coordination was seamless, repelling various attacks, causing the Man-Eating Flower King to let out an angry hum. This time, it actually mimicked Jian Lin's voice.
"I hate you."
"You hurt me."
"I never want to see you again!"
The Demon Lord paused, and a branch *slapped* across his face, leaving a bloody gash. Jian Lin quickly shouted, "Hey, that wasn't me! The tone is very different, how can you not tell!"
The Man-Eating Flower King then switched to another voice, this time mimicking the Demon Lord. It spoke in a deep voice, "I like you. Be good, and I will always cherish you."
Jian Lin's entire body felt numb. The voice was indeed similar, and even though she knew it was fake, it still affected her. This was because she genuinely wished the Demon Lord would say, "I will always cherish you."
In her daze, a giant man-eating flower suddenly lunged towards her face. As it moved, it opened its petals, revealing rows of fangs and serrated edges within. Jian Lin couldn't dodge in time. Enduring the pain, she thrust the He Yi Sword into the flower, piercing through the thick sap and directly into the pistil. The flower exploded, drenching Jian Lin in sap.
Fine. This Man-Eating Flower King was truly detestable. She wanted it dead! She flung the sap from her face, her anger surging, her spiritual energy erupting. Raising the He Yi Sword, she charged towards another attacking man-eating flower.
The once dense, dark, and silent cage gradually transformed into broken branches and shattered leaves. Sunlight streamed in, and Jian Lin suddenly saw the scene outside, her eyes widening in shock. All the man-eating flowers, as if sensing the Man-Eating Flower King under attack, turned their blossoms towards it and began to move resolutely in this direction. One pressed against another, the lowest layer already touching the ground.
"Lord Chong Yuan, look!" Jian Lin shouted, calling out to alert him.
Upon noticing, the Demon Lord calmly said, "Don't stop. Find the Man-Eating Flower King's root system. I've already obtained the treasure. We'll trigger the mechanism and move to the next barrier!"
Jian Lin nodded. Before that, she wanted to dig Bai Xian out. Amidst the chaotic lashing of branches, Jian Lin frantically chopped at the lower branches, enduring the pain in her back, grabbed Bai Xian by the collar, and yanked him out forcefully.
"You need to know, returning to the seal is better for both of us," Jian Lin said, panting and in pain.
As she spoke, another branch lashed out. Jian Lin instinctively protected Bai Xian, taking a heavy blow to her back. Bai Xian's eyes trembled. Jian Lin's pained and disheveled state deeply shocked him, and he began to waver.
"I can go back," Bai Xian said weakly. "But you have to promise me that you'll release me after we leave the secret realm."
"I promise," Jian Lin solemnly swore. "This time it's true. If I lie to you, may lightning strike me, and may I die a terrible death. I will release you after leaving the secret realm."
Bai Xian remained silent. He closed his eyes and silently recited his desire to return. Jian Lin took out a jade bell from her Qiankun bag. The sealing technique reactivated, and with a flash of light, Bai Xian disappeared.
Just then, the Demon Lord called out from another corner, "Come here! I've found the mechanism."
Jian Lin immediately got up and fought her way through the obstacles, rushing to the Demon Lord's side. Seeing her approach, the Demon Lord no longer hesitated and directly used his dagger to sever the Man-Eating Flower King's root system.
The Man-Eating Flower King let out a pained wail. Its branches gathered, transforming into a human-like form, and spoke in a mixture of voices, "I just wanted to be friends with you. Why are you doing this to me?"
The human-like form reached out, turning into branches to grab them. Then, with a flash of red light, Jian Lin quickly retreated. The Man-Eating Flower King ultimately failed to catch her.
The scene abruptly changed. They landed on a misty mountainside, with a stream flowing in the distance, converging into a small pool. Jian Lin stared blankly. "This... have we returned to the Guanlan Sect?"