Chapter Six: Farewell on the Journey

Bai Feiyu charged forward like a wild horse unleashed, ferocious and swift beyond belief, leaving behind only afterimages in his wake. Even the ground beneath his feet showed no disturbance, as if nothing more than a gentle breeze had passed by.

In this moment, he lost all sense of time; his mind was consumed by a single thought: pick up everything and run! He quickly slipped deep into the island, scooping up the glowing orbs scattered on the ground—one, two...

"Acquired forty points of mutated ice attribute energy."
"Acquired thirty points of mutated fire attribute energy."
"Acquired fifty points of mutated ice attribute energy."
"..."

The system notifications echoed incessantly in Bai Feiyu’s ears, but he paid them no heed. As he gathered the glowing spheres, he kept a wary eye on his surroundings, nerves taut, dreading the sudden return of the Rainbow-Scaled Python.

"Acquired..." All other sounds faded into insignificance.

"What’s this?" Bai Feiyu’s expression shifted in alarm. The glowing orb had turned into a dull, inert sphere—much larger, about the size of a bloated beer belly. No, this wasn’t an energy orb at all. It was an egg—a Rainbow-Scaled Python’s egg.

Glancing around, he realized he was surrounded by walls; in his frenzy, he had unwittingly ventured all the way into the beast’s den.

Boom—

The ground trembled violently, bits of rock showering down from the cavern ceiling. The Rainbow-Scaled Python had originally left to deal with cultivators like Bai Feiyu, its irritability stoked by their constant harassment—always after its core, always after its eggs. Having only just laid its eggs, its temper was even fiercer than usual.

After dispatching the trespassing cultivators, it immediately sensed a disturbance upon return—a trace of warmth, an intruder in its lair.

Bai Feiyu’s face drained of color in terror. The Rainbow-Scaled Python was back! What to do?

His gaze fell on the egg at his feet. Taking a deep breath, he scooped up the python’s egg and fled the cavern as quickly as his legs would carry him. Under the circumstances, his chances of escaping alone were perhaps twenty percent, but with the egg in hand, he might have a bargaining chip—perhaps enough to save his life.

The Rainbow-Scaled Python’s sensitivity to temperature was legendary; it instantly detected Bai Feiyu’s location and surged forward, tail whipping out to crush him to pulp.

Bai Feiyu had barely cleared the cave when a wave of heat brushed his cheek and every hair on his body bristled in alarm. He turned his head slowly—less than ten centimeters away, a tail thicker than his entire body hovered menacingly.

The python’s eyes glared with savage intent, as if it might swallow him whole. Bai Feiyu stumbled back a few steps, his legs trembling uncontrollably. He had only just escaped death—perhaps the egg in his arms had stayed the python’s wrath.

He raised the egg high, drew a small knife from his belt with his free hand, and pressed the blade to the shell, all while inching slowly backward. The Rainbow-Scaled Python’s bloodshot eyes fixed on him, but its body remained motionless.

So it worked—thank goodness for this egg.

Seeing the python immobilized, Bai Feiyu exhaled in relief and quickened his pace, soon leaving the beast behind. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that its gaze lingered on him, even if he could no longer see it.

His next dilemma: how to return the egg. He knew so long as the python’s egg was in his hands, he would never be safe. Only by returning the egg could he hope for a sliver of survival.

"Bai Feiyu!"

A crisp, commanding voice rang out. Bai Feiyu turned to see Li Yihuan.

He recalled that Li Yihuan was an outer disciple of Gui Xu Sect, at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement—a figure of some repute.

At Li Yihuan’s waist, his storage pouch bulged as if about to burst open. His eyes were fixed intently on the egg in Bai Feiyu’s hands. Though he couldn’t identify the egg’s origin, the aura it radiated left no doubt it was something extraordinary.

Bai Feiyu, a mere second-layer Qi Refinement disciple with no family background, was just another face in the outer sect—taking anything from him would be child’s play. If he refused, well...

Noticing the hint of murderous intent in Li Yihuan’s gaze, Bai Feiyu acted decisively, offering up the egg: "If senior brother wants it, please take it!"

He wasn’t cowed by Li Yihuan; rather, this was the perfect opportunity to shift the blame—why not seize it?

Li Yihuan was momentarily stunned by how easily the egg fell into his hands. Even a fool could see this was no ordinary object. Accepting the egg, he reasoned that Bai Feiyu must have realized he couldn’t keep it and would only lose his life trying.

Hmph, at least he knows his own limits.

"Senior brother, safe travels—I won’t see you off," Bai Feiyu said, bowing slightly.

"Go on, when we return to the sect, I’ll look after you," Li Yihuan replied, elated, failing to grasp the true meaning behind Bai Feiyu’s words.

Safe travels, indeed...

By the time Li Yihuan looked back, Bai Feiyu had vanished without a trace.

Bai Feiyu had already noticed the Rainbow-Scaled Python charging in their direction. If ever there was a time to run, this was it! As he fled, he saw that the python wasn’t pursuing him, but rather, homing in on the location of its egg.

Li Yihuan, safe travels. If you must blame someone, blame your own greed.

Boom—

A monstrous clamor erupted, mingled with screams of agony as the beast rampaged. Bai Feiyu shook his head, unable to suppress a sigh.