Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Let’s Call It Duoduo
Hearing Lu Sangjiu’s explanation, the other two finally understood.
Feng Lin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he still said, "In any case, it was destined to be with you."
Chi Yan was even happier, saying, "So it didn’t choose me, not because it actually despised me?"
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
’Chi Yan’s thoughts really are as simple as ever.’
Although Lu Sangjiu hadn’t actively sought to form a contract with this Snow Cloud Beast, it was, in the end, a very capable demon beast, and she had definitely gotten the better end of the deal.
So, she generously took out the Cold Ice Crystal Stones and said, "In that case, you two can take your pick first!"
But as soon as the Cold Ice Crystal Stones were out, the Snow Cloud Beast, with lightning-fast reflexes, snatched one away, hugging it tightly and refusing to let go!
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
She only needed one glance to see that it was holding the oldest of the Cold Ice Crystal Stones, one that looked to be about three thousand years old...
She had just told the other two to pick first, and her own little beast had snatched the best one.
The slap in the face came so fast, Lu Sangjiu was instantly mortified.
She shot the Snow Cloud Beast an angry glare and was about to snatch the Crystal Stone back.
But before she could, Feng Lin said with a gentle smile, "Let it be. It came for this in the first place. If they’re separated, its cultivation will likely suffer."
They could all tell that the Snow Cloud Beast had likely mutated because it had been cultivating while guarding this three-thousand-year-old Cold Ice Crystal Stone.
Chi Yan readily nodded as well. "Exactly! If we tear them apart, won’t the Snow Cloud Beast be furious? Besides, I was just going to sell these for money anyway. Not getting the three-thousand-year-old one is fine; I’ll just take a few more of the others."
Seeing how considerate they both were, Lu Sangjiu was touched and stopped hesitating. She nodded decisively. "In that case, you two can split the remaining pieces!"
There were seven Cold Ice Crystal Stones in total. She had taken one, so the remaining six were split evenly between the other two.
Although none of the remaining stones could compare to the three-thousand-year-old one, the greater quantity made up for it, so it wasn’t a bad deal for them.
Even so, Lu Sangjiu felt she’d taken advantage of them and couldn’t help but add, "When we find anything else, you two get first pick. Consider it my thanks!"
Hearing this, Chi Yan and Feng Lin didn’t refuse, simply smiling in acceptance.
After the three of them had divided the spoils and the Snow Cloud Beast’s injuries had stabilized, they began to search for a way out.
All was quiet outside, but it was obvious that they, along with the Golden Bell, had been completely buried inside the cave.
Chi Yan was a Body Cultivator, making him the strongest of the three.
He tried pushing the Golden Bell, but it wouldn’t budge an inch. With a pained expression, he said, "It’s wedged in tight. I can’t move it at all."
Feng Lin knocked on the ground. "The ground is frozen solid, too. Digging our way out seems impossible."
Lu Sangjiu thought for a moment, then reached out and poked the Snow Cloud Beast, which was lying on the ground like a limp noodle. "Got any ideas?"
The Snow Cloud Beast let out a pair of weak cries, and Lu Sangjiu nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent. It says that once it’s feeling a bit better, it can dig us out."
Feng Lin had a sudden realization. "How could I forget? Snow Cloud Beasts are nicknamed ’ice mice.’ They can tunnel through the hardest frozen mountains, and this one is a mutated Beast King, no less."
And so, they didn’t need to waste any more effort. They simply fed the Snow Cloud Beast high-quality Healing Pills and waited for it to recover.
Of course, the three humans also took the time to heal. After a day and a night, all of them had recovered to their peak condition.
Later, feeling idle and bored, Lu Sangjiu came up with a name for the Snow Cloud Beast.
"You’re so soft and white, just like a fluffy little cloud. From now on, your name is Duoduo!"
"Come on, Duoduo, smile for me!"
Snow Cloud Beast: "...Chirp?"
’Master, don’t you like imposing beasts? Is the name Duoduo imposing at all???’
Lu Sangjiu gave a slight smile. "You don’t like the name?"
The Snow Cloud Beast sensed a hint of killing intent in Lu Sangjiu’s smile and immediately let out a loud "CHIRP."
It was its cowardly way of saying that the name was exceptionally good!
’Even though I’m a male beast, if Master says my name is Duoduo, then Duoduo it is. I really, really don’t think it sounds girly at all!’
「Two days later.」
Fueled by a mountain of various Healing Pills, the fully recovered Duoduo finally dug everyone out of the cave.
They didn’t know where they had emerged, but in any case, there was no one else in sight.
After a brief rest, Lu Sangjiu had Duoduo lead the way, and the trio headed toward the mountain’s summit.
They had already reaped a bountiful harvest on Qishan, but since they had come all this way, it would be a huge waste not to dig up some Thousand-year-old Cold Iron Ore.
At this moment, the summit of Qishan was swarming with nearly all the most powerful cultivators who had entered the Secret Realm.
Although they had all come for the Thousand-year-old Cold Iron Ore, no conflicts had broken out just yet.
There was plenty of ore on the summit, so there was no need to fight over it for the time being. Instead, everyone was struggling with the problem of how to excavate it.
After all, the summit was frigid, and everything was covered in ice—not ordinary ice, but a kind with a hardness comparable to metal.
To excavate the ore, everyone had to pull out all the stops.
Gu Jue and Liu Xi, who had just arrived at the summit, didn’t start mining. Instead, they scanned their surroundings, searching for Lu Sangjiu and Chi Yan.
After a moment, Gu Jue frowned slightly. "Did something happen to them?"
He had lost time chasing after Liu Xi, and then lost more time when he found some Spirit Grass.
Logically, Lu Sangjiu and Chi Yan should have reached the summit long before him. ’So why aren’t they here?’
Liu Xi had still been sulking at Gu Jue, but his words made her feel a pang of guilt... After all, they wouldn’t have gotten separated if it weren’t for her.
"They should... be fine, right? Lu Sangjiu and Chi Yan aren’t weak."
But Gu Jue said flatly, "No one who makes it this far is weak."
The implication was clear: Lu Sangjiu and Chi Yan might be strong, but so was everyone else here. If they ran into someone looking for trouble, they wouldn’t necessarily escape unscathed.
Liu Xi bit her lip, her jealousy flaring up again. "Senior Brother... you’re far too concerned about Lu Sangjiu. You don’t actually like her, do you?"
Gu Jue frowned. "If you put half this much thought into your cultivation, you wouldn’t still be in the Golden Core Early Stage."
Liu Xi felt hurt but persisted stubbornly, "So you *don’t* like Lu Sangjiu, then?"
A flicker of impatience crossed Gu Jue’s face, but he knew that not answering would only make Liu Xi press the issue.
So, he patiently gave a serious answer. "I don’t. I just see that Mr. Lu has excellent talent and is a kind, passionate person. Unfortunately, her poor health means she won’t live long, so I’m merely showing her a bit more concern."
Liu Xi knew her Senior Brother was above lying. Hearing his explanation, her face broke into a wide smile. "I knew you wouldn’t like anyone else, Senior Brother!"
Then Gu Jue mercilessly added, "And I don’t like you, either."
Liu Xi: "..."
The smile that had just bloomed on her face instantly collapsed.
But she had gotten the answer she wanted, so she didn’t bicker with Gu Jue. Instead, she returned to the previous topic. "Well, if you’re that worried, should we go look for Lu Sangjiu and the others?"
