Chapter 38: Xie Yan, the Real Dog

What if I win? Yuan Yao stared at him.

Xie Yan seemed to have heard something funny, letting out a muffled chuckle from his throat, "With just you, you think you can beat me?"

Yuan Yao said calmly, "Xie Yan, don't be so arrogant. If I win, you'll have to call me boss whenever you see me."

"Dream on." The red lips beneath his mask coldly uttered two words.

As soon as his words fell, Yuan Yao suddenly lifted her leg and kicked hard at his shin.

"You!" Xie Yan never expected her to use this move; a sharp pain shot through his shin, making him slightly dazed—just then Yuan Yao seized the chance to break free from his hold and quickly retreated several steps.

"Carefree First Style——"

"Drawing Sword to Level Heaven!"

Yuan Yao swiftly swung her sword.

Xie Yan casually shifted his body to dodge, easily avoiding the attack, a hint of mockery curling at the corner of his mouth; immediately he gripped his longsword, moved, and slashed fiercely at Yuan Yao.

The sword shadows fell like a sudden storm, forcing Yuan Yao, caught off guard, to continually retreat to avoid his attacks.

Yet Yuan Yao still found it hard to withstand Xie Yan's airtight swordsmanship, and several wounds of varying depth quickly appeared on her body.

Yuan Yao's eyes narrowed slightly; as Xie Yan's sword swept horizontally, she suddenly leapt up, using momentum to stomp hard on his blade with her foot.

Xie Yan frowned, his eyes revealing disdain.

He instantly turned his wrist, flipping the blade, turning the originally downward chop into a cold light that shot straight up at Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao's expression shifted slightly; she quickly stepped back and swung her sword toward Xie Yan.

Clang——

The two swords clashed!

Yuan Yao felt numbness spreading through her arm and tiger's mouth, her face turning slightly pale.

Xie Yan's swordsmanship was extremely formidable; in less than ten exchanges he had driven Yuan Yao into a desperate situation.

He placed his longsword horizontally across Yuan Yao's neck and said coldly, "From now on, whenever you see me, take a detour; where I am, there is no place for you."

"What if there's no detour?" Yuan Yao asked seriously.

Xie Yan furrowed his brows, his tone icy: "Stop playing with words; if you dare appear before me again and dare to kick me, I'll chop off your limbs."

Hearing those words, Yuan Yao felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

That's right—her fourth senior brother had said similar things when he was angry.

Her fourth senior brother was even harsher; he wanted to turn himself into a human pig.

Yuan Yao blinked and looked at him.

"Did you hear that?" Xie Yan said, somewhat impatient.

Yuan Yao nodded, "I heard."

But she didn't comply.

If she had obeyed, how would she ever get a chance to win him over?

Moreover, if she became stronger, then Xie Yan would likely run away upon seeing her.

In Yuan Yao's mind arose the image of her blasting Xie Yan with a hammer, Xie Yan panicking and scrambling to flee…

Just thinking about it felt satisfying.

And by the time she came to her senses, Xie Yan had already vanished.

Yuan Yao looked around, but found no trace of Xie Yan.

At that moment, the golden egg rolled over to her side.

——Take me out!

Yuan Yao stared at the golden egg before her, then swung her fist and hammered it a few times, shouting, "Ungrateful egg!"

The golden egg, stars flashing before its eyes from the blows, immediately tried to flee.

Yuan Yao lifted her leg and kicked it hard into the lake.

Boom!

The lake surface splashed up large sheets of water.

"Come here!" Yuan Yao said, looking at the golden egg still trying to escape, and gave a cold laugh.

The golden egg, having to rely on a person, could only tremble as it approached Yuan Yao, whereupon she gave it a fierce beating.

Golden Egg: "Waa waa waa, you're bullying the egg too much."

"If you want to get out, then you have to follow me!" Yuan Yao reached out and touched the eggshell, speaking earnestly: "Although I don't know what kind you are, I really need a little spirit pet right now, so you can be my spirit pet."

Most of her fellow senior brothers and sisters already kept little spirit pets, and she wanted one too.

The golden egg protested: "I don't want to be a spirit pet!"

It is, after all, a purebred descendant of an ancient divine beast—how could it possibly be a human's spirit pet?!

Yuan Yao cupped the golden egg in both hands and asked gently, "Tell me, whose spirit pet do you want to become?"

The golden egg shivered: "... you."

Yuan Yao nodded satisfactorily: "Then let's establish a master-servant contract now."

Golden Egg: "An equal contract! No master-servant contract!"

Although it had submitted, it still wanted to retain the dignity of being a descendant of an ancient divine beast.

Yuan Yao thought for a moment, then said, "That works too."

Thus, Yuan Yao and the golden egg exchanged their essence blood and established an equal contract.

Meanwhile, a white-clad youth standing on a tree in the distance took in this scene.

He indeed wanted that ancient divine beast.

But that ancient divine beast clearly leaned more toward Yuan Yao.

In the night, through leaves gently brushed by the wind, he gazed at Yuan Yao for a few seconds; his left hand unconsciously rubbed the emerald green jade gourd at his waist.

Yuan Yao seemed to sense someone staring at her, and actually looked in Xie Yan's direction.

Xie Yan did not dodge.

The two just locked eyes.

The wind seemed to pause for a moment.

The boy poured spiritual power into the secret treasure key, and in that instant both were transported away.

Yuan Yao's figure swayed, and when she cleared her vision, she found herself back at the place before they were transported.

And beside her was Xie Yan.

Several cultivators stationed on the spot, seeing the two return, their faces slightly changed, and they exchanged a glance.

They saw the golden egg in Yuan Yao's arms.

Just that look, and it was not ordinary.

Their hearts heated, and greed flickered in their eyes.

Their gazes lingered on Xie Yan and Yuan Yao.

Xie Yan didn't even glance at them, walking straight past their sides.

"Stop!" The several cultivators exchanged a glance and immediately shouted.

Xie Yan did not stop.

Seeing this, the several cultivators quickly caught up and surrounded him.

Xie Yan's steps paused slightly, and he said coldly, "Make way."

"Hand over the secret treasure!" one of them said arrogantly.

"It's with her." Upon hearing that, Xie Yan turned and glanced at Yuan Yao.

As soon as those words were spoken, the several Golden Core Realm cultivators all turned their gaze to Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao's face changed; she first quickly sent the golden egg into her spirit pet space, then said speechlessly, "Xie Yan, you shameless wretch—clearly you've drained the secret treasure! You didn't even spare the tables and chairs inside!"

Xie Yan raised his eyebrows, "Clearly it was you who did it."

"Xie Yan, you're really a dog—do you believe I'll expose your weakness?"

"As you wish."

"Anyone who knows must die!"

"If he hadn't sworn not to kill her, she would have to die too."

Yuan Yao looked at the several cultivators and sighed, "I'm only at the Initial Foundation Establishment stage—how could I possibly contend with a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator for the secret treasure?"

Upon hearing the three words "Nascent Soul Realm," the several cultivators' faces drastically changed, they immediately stepped back two steps, and looked incredulously at the ghost-faced youth before them.

A cultivator warily asked, "Is what she said true?"

Xie Yan: "False."

Hearing that, the several Golden Core Realm cultivators immediately turned and ran.

Normally in such a situation, saying 'false' definitely means 'true'!

Xie Yan: "?"