Stop it, Taoist, Your Fight almost Ruins the DAO!

Under his relentless interrogation, Lei Ying simply wished for a swift death and thus revealed some intelligence.

"I hadn't expected that the demon was merely a creature that had wandered into this area, drawn here by the Mystical Primordial Fruit it had swallowed for the sake of duck eggs, only to be caught off guard and beaten by my surprise attack."

"So, what is the source of that strange black aura?"

With a gesture, a grayish-black Demon Core rose from Lei Ying's corpse. After securing the Demon Core, Yi Chen released a hint of pale golden fire onto Lei Ying's remains, quickly engulfing them in a fierce blaze.

This was his prior agreement with Lei Ying; as compensation for parting with some intelligence, Yi Chen could only take her Demon Core, while the rest had to be burned to ashes. Continue your adventure at empire

"Forget it, this trip has yielded another eight hundred Deep Red Points, which is an unexpected pleasure."

"Let's see if the duck egg's dream will reveal any new clues in tomorrow's fragments."

Yi Chen sighed softly, ceasing his contemplation, and shot up into the sky, leaving the area.

...

...

The next day was bright and clear.

The Emerald River flowed quietly like a jade ribbon, its surface seemingly calm, yet with deep, deceptive currents hiding numerous fish.

On the bank at a fishing spot, three fishing rods were laid out.

Yi Chen, with veins popping in frustration, roared in anger:

"Damn it, egg bro, egg lord, you can't even do this? How long have I been teaching you? Are you trying to kill me with frustration?"

Little Miao looked at the enraged Yi Chen, blinking its large eyes innocently.

Upon returning last night, Yi Chen had attempted to pass on the first level of the Minor Pure Yang Skill to Little Miao, to see what its aptitude was. If it was good, there might still be a chance to salvage the situation; even training just one or two levels could help Little Miao last a bit longer.

But Yi Chen had now come to know what cultural illiteracy meant.

Indeed, there are only misgiven names, no misused nicknames.

True to its name, Little Miao could barely recognize most characters; how was he supposed to teach it?

It was unteachable, completely unteachable.

"Little Miao, review what I just taught you. I'll go fishing to relax a bit."

After taking three deep breaths to compose himself, Yi Chen wearily sat down on the shore. Just then, the float on his fishing line quivered.

A tug.

Immediately, the fishing line tightened, and he had hooked a thirty-pound bluefish.

"Nice!"

"Indeed, this is the standard that I, Yi Chengzi, should have."

Overjoyed, Yi Chen scooped up the bluefish with a fishing net, placing it with the rest of his catch. Little Miao timely patted its paws by the side, obsequiously offering congratulations, its sycophancy on full display.

Last night, because the eagle-headed demon disrupted their routine, Little Miao was awakened from its sleep too soon and did not uncover much useful information.

In the future fragments it had seen, there were images of Yi Chen departing, of Lingyang City's fall, and also scenes of a golden sun blazing across the sky; the future was not fixed and unchangeable.

For instance, when Little Miao was cornered and counting down from three, two, one—that was a scene it had seen in its vision.

Yet in reality, Yi Chen intentionally delayed his reaction a fraction of a second longer than anticipated, making the actual outcome slightly different from the vision.

Therefore, according to Yi Chen's worldview, the so-called Mystical Primordial Fruit was like a metaphysical supercomputer, gathering ambient pheromones, refining and extrapolating various possibilities for the future.

Its function was mighty, but not defying the heavens.

Looking at Little Miao beside him diligently gnawing at a book, Yi Chen couldn't help but be speechless. It was as though heaven was spoon-feeding him opportunities that he simply refused to take—ungrateful for such a momentous destiny, and instead, burdened by it.

Had Little Miao possessed suitable aptitude, Yi Chen would have been quite willing to take it into his Hidden Dragon Temple, but alas.

Time slipped by like a lubricant, elusive to the grasp. As Yi Chen painstakingly taught Little Miao to recognize characters and to circulate qi, experiencing the pathways of the Minor Pure Yang Skill, another half-hour passed in a blink.

At that moment, a squad of guards in black armor suddenly appeared, escorting a middle-aged man of gentle demeanor towards Yi Chen's location.

"I am Linglong, the Family Head of the Ling family from Lingyang City, and I have the honor of meeting Daoist Yi."

"I didn't expect you to enjoy such rustic pleasures; it's been quite a search to find you."

"I must thank you for your assistance last night. Without it, our Lingyang City might have added countless more innocent souls to its list of the dead. If Daoist does not despise my humble offering, I've prepared some light refreshments, and I invite you to my Ling family fortress to share a few drinks."

The middle-aged man spoke politely, bowing deeply, with a sincere expression of respect.

Yi Chen glanced at him: "Good, good."

"But how did the Family Head know that I've just caught a thirty-pound bluefish?"

Linglong: "?????"

...

...

The Ling family fortress was perched at the highest point of the mountain, sprawling for miles.

Inside a grand mansion, it was a scene of lively conviviality, with guests mingling and toasting one another.

Yi Chen wasn't particularly surprised that the Family Head recognized him. The Dragon and Tiger List was circulated in all major cities, and as a person of authority in Lingyang City, having a copy was expected. With his flagrant display of prowess the previous night, revealing his identity wasn't strange at all.

As for the Family Head's invitation, naturally, Yi Chen saw no reason to decline.

After revealing his strength yesterday, he had already prepared for an invitation from the City Lord.

During the fight with the beautiful woman and the child, Yi Chen tested his strength in the Primordial Spirit Dragon-Tiger Form, and last night against the eagle-headed demon, he tested his cultivation in his 'Burn Gold' state.

He had proven to be... formidable and powerful.

Now, fully exerting himself, while not as effortless as the Chiyan Army Commander, slaying enforcers like Zhu Buqun of Wujang Prefecture was well within his reach.

With such bizarre events unfolding in Lingyang City, Yi Chen didn't believe for a second that the Ling family had no awareness of the situation.

In fact, it was quite possible that this very Ling family was the root cause behind it all.