In the recent conversation between the Divine Emperor, the Purple Song Sage, and Yun Ye, Jin Lin had already discerned Yun Ye’s true identity. Now that the crisis was resolved, Jin Lin found it somewhat surprising that Yun Ye’s first concern was to inquire about Yun Qingxue’s whereabouts.
*Does the Demon King know Xuexue?* That tone—it sounded undeniably like genuine concern.
Though inwardly taken aback by Yun Ye’s immediate concern for Yun Qingxue, Jin Lin didn’t show it. In truth, the question Yun Ye asked was also the very thing he was most desperate to know at that moment.
*Where is Xuexue? In such a dire situation earlier, was she hurt?*
“Don’t worry, I’ve already sent her away to safety beforehand!” the Purple Song Sage replied gravely.
Hearing this, both Yun Ye and Jin Lin let out a sigh of relief.
—
**The Illusory Realm of Yunhuang**
Inside the dark cave, Yun Qingxue finished reading the book about the Illusory Realm of Yunhuang that the Purple Song Sage had given her, illuminated by the glow of a luminous pearl. She then stood up, her clear and bright eyes scanning the numerous cave openings scattered around her like stars in the night sky.
“Master, does the book mention a way out?” Daisi frowned, her voice laced with worry.
Yun Qingxue shook her head. “The book the master gave me provides a general overview of the things in this illusory realm, but there’s no mention of this particular cave we’re in. It seems we’ll have to rely on our own judgment to find a way out!”
*”Hiss~”* A’dai slithered onto Yun Qingxue’s shoulder, flicking his tongue as if urging her to hurry up. This dark, dreary cave, inhabited by such a foul-smelling monster, was a place A’dai wanted to leave as soon as possible!
“No need to rush. After all the effort we’ve put in, we should at least take some compensation before leaving!” Seemingly hearing A’dai’s thoughts, Yun Qingxue chuckled lightly.
A’dai blinked his round eyes in confusion at her.
*What else could this barren cave possibly offer, aside from that hideous monster he had already poisoned to death?*
“Master, there… doesn’t seem to be anything valuable here?” Daisi voiced her puzzlement outright.
“Who says there isn’t?” Yun Qingxue walked straight to the monster she and A’dai had just slain together.
The monster’s long, fiery-red tongue hung mostly outside its mouth, and its once-impenetrable skin now bore a faint bluish-black hue from A’dai’s venom.
Already terrifying in life, the creature now looked downright unbearable to behold after being poisoned by A’dai.
“M-Master, you don’t mean… this monster, do you? It’s so creepy!” Daisi cautiously approached, as if afraid the fallen creature might suddenly revive.
“That’s exactly what I mean!” Yun Qingxue nodded. “I just read in the book that this monster is called the Flame Golden Flat Frog, a unique creature of the Xuanling Continent. Its tongue is a top-tier material for forging weapons, and its skin is excellent for crafting armor!”
“B-But… its tongue is so tough. How do we even pull it out?” Daisi’s voice trembled slightly. No matter how good a weapon made from such a disgusting and terrifying monster’s tongue might be, she wanted no part of it!
“Simple!” Yun Qingxue smiled, forcing herself not to look at the grotesque sight of the monster. She stepped forward with feigned ease, reached into the creature’s mouth, and after a bit of maneuvering, pulled out its tongue.
“Underneath the skin inside this monster’s mouth is a tendon. Sever it, and the tongue comes right out!” Holding the tongue, Yun Qingxue took the opportunity to educate Daisi and A’dai.
“Then…” Daisi swallowed hard. “Do we… skin it too?”
Yun Qingxue pursed her lips. “No, the tongue is the most valuable part. We’ll leave the skin.”
Hearing this, both Daisi and A’dai exhaled in relief.
The thought of skinning such an ugly beast was too much to bear. Thankfully, their master wasn’t a greedy hoarder!
Yun Qingxue herself sighed in relief. The monster’s death was already horrifying enough—skinning it would have been too much.
Storing the soft, whip-like red tongue in her spatial ring, Yun Qingxue surveyed the surrounding cave openings before turning to A’dai, coiled on her shoulder. “Little Dummy, which path should we take?”
*”Hiss~”* *No idea!*
A’dai’s reply was succinct.
Yun Qingxue then looked at Daisi, who froze for a moment before saying, “This servant will follow whatever the master decides!”
“You’re leaving it to me, but I don’t even know who to ask!” Yun Qingxue groaned, scanning each cave entrance with her bright eyes.
All of them were pitch-black, revealing nothing.
Taking a deep breath, she instructed A’dai and Daisi, “Stay sharp. We don’t know what we might encounter ahead, so stick close to me!”
“Understood, Master.”
*”Hiss~”*
Daisi and A’dai responded in unison. With their acknowledgment, Yun Qingxue examined the cave openings once more before choosing the widest one. Holding the luminous pearl aloft, she led the way inside.
The pearl’s glow illuminated the damp walls on either side of the passage. The deeper they went, the wider the space became.
After walking about fifty meters, the cavern split into three branching paths.
“Which way?” Yun Qingxue muttered, vexed.
A’dai pretended not to hear, looking around aimlessly, while Daisi lowered her head, adopting an obedient *”I’ll follow your lead”* stance. Clearly, Yun Qingxue was now the decision-maker.
After a brief pause, Yun Qingxue made an impulsive choice: “As the saying goes, ‘Men go left, women go right.’ We’ll take the right!”
A’dai: *”…”*
Daisi: *”…”*
*Master, could you be any more arbitrary with your decisions?*
*”Hiss~”* As Yun Qingxue led them toward the rightmost path, A’dai weakly flicked his tongue. *”But I’m male…”*
Though her decision was made on a whim, Yun Qingxue remained highly alert.
Having encountered a thick-skinned monster like the Flame Golden Flat Frog right at the start, who knew what other dangers lurked in this dark cave? Even if things seemed calm now, it might just be the calm before the storm.
In the darkness, countless malicious eyes could be watching them, waiting to strike.
After walking for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the path ahead remained shrouded in darkness beyond the luminous pearl’s reach. Yet faintly, the sound of flowing water could be heard.
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