Devour

Chapter 446 A Golden Opportunity

Alone in his quiet room, Cheng Bai let out a sigh of relief. With a slight thought, he summoned the Four Symbols Cauldron to observe the progress of the weapon forging. The cauldron's light was subdued, and a majestic blade could be vaguely seen slowly condensing, exuding a chilling sharpness.

Cheng Bai used hand seals to deduce: "It will take four more days to forge the treasured sword after fusing various rare and precious materials. This is truly a massive undertaking!"

His eyes gleamed with excitement, and in a daze, he could already see the treasured sword appear out of nowhere, opening up endless possibilities: "With the help of this treasure, my combat power will surely reach new heights."

Immediately, Cheng Bai sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes and focused inward, holding his breath and concentrating on the art of refining the sacrificial vessel. His divine consciousness was closely connected with the Four Symbols Cauldron, immersing him in the perfect forging process.

All was silent; it was the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), the darkest and coldest time of day.

Cheng Bai suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing like lightning. His incredibly sharp Phoenix Force, like an invisible net, spread in all directions, capturing a figure that was rapidly passing by nearby.

The power of all things possessed by that person was subtly different from that of other living beings, mixed with a unique aura of death and decay. Ordinary cultivators could not detect it, but it made Cheng Bai's vigilance rise sharply: "It's Huang Yunzi! He really couldn't hold back and was going to join forces with the Bone Emperor to launch an attack."

With his divine sense locking onto Huang Yunzi's whereabouts, Cheng Bai's mind raced: "The Bone Emperor was willing to sacrifice his three corpse clones to bring the Bone Lotus to perfection, which can be described as his meticulous efforts to create the ancient sword saint 'Sword Prison'. I cannot let him get his way and leave behind a major threat."

A strong sense of crisis washed over him, and Cheng Bai pondered a solution: "The only way is to kill this fiend and refine the Bone Lotus! This will not only eliminate the root of the problem but also prevent the human prodigy from suffering a terrible fate and having his sword bone stolen."

The matter was of great importance. Dealing with Huang Yunzi wasn't difficult, but the Bone Emperor paired with the Bone Lotus was no small matter. Cheng Bai knew he couldn't win alone, but he didn't want to waste time.

He leaped off the bed with the speed of a ghost, waved his hand to put away the Four Symbols Cauldron, and with a flick of his body, he disappeared into the room like a wisp of green smoke.

Upon arriving at Bei Tingjun's door, Cheng Bai's divine sense urgently entered the room: "Sister Bei, come quickly! Don't miss this golden opportunity!"

Inside the room, Bei Tingjun, having recently consumed the Flawless Nirvana Pill, tossed and turned in bed. She felt a warm, comfortable sensation throughout her body and was unusually excited when suddenly Cheng Bai's thoughts exploded in her mind: "...Don't miss this golden opportunity!"

"He...he changed his mind?!" Bei Tingjun couldn't help but tremble, then her heart pounded like a drum, and her cheeks flushed a deep, intoxicating red.

"Could it be that he finally couldn't resist the loneliness and wanted to take me tonight?" Bei Tingjun was filled with embarrassment mixed with a hint of anticipation, her heart unable to calm down.

She hurriedly got up, lit the lamp, and carefully checked her makeup in front of the bronze mirror on the dressing table, tidying her cloud-like hair and smoothing her disheveled silk robe. Meanwhile, her mind was already wandering, dreaming of beautiful moments, whether tender and enchanting or passionate and exhilarating.

After lingering for a moment, Bei Tingjun took a deep breath, composed himself, and opened the door with feigned calmness.

Outside the door, Cheng Bai stood tall and elegant, his brows slightly furrowed, a hint of impatience in his eyes.

After finally waiting for the succubus to move out of the door, Cheng Bai didn't have time to examine her closely to see if she was any different from usual. He hurriedly waved and said, "Come with me quickly, I'll explain on the way."

Filled with a mix of daydreams and bewilderment, Bei Tingjun gave a blank "Oh," and then followed him from the top floor into the quiet night, speeding through the deserted streets and rooftops.

The night breeze was slightly cool, but it couldn't dispel the feeling of spring.

Bei Tingjun covered his burning cheek with one hand, his heart pounding like a deer: "Your Excellency is in such a hurry, could it be... that you want to find a quiet and secluded place to emulate lovers in the human world and flirt leisurely under the flowers and moon?"

She grew increasingly flustered: "This... how should I cooperate? I have no experience at all..."

Cheng Bai had no idea that the female demon beside him was having countless tender moments playing out in her mind. He was only concerned with leading her through the streets and alleys, chasing after the shadows in the distance, and heading west of the academy.

Passing by the inkstone-washing pool bathed in the soft moonlight, the water ripples gently, reflecting the sparse shadows on the pool's edge, and a faint fragrance floats in the air, creating a hazy, ink-wash-like scene.

Seeing the beautiful scenery, Bei Tingjun's heart fluttered, and her mind began to wander: "Could he... could he be planning to spend the night by the pool? The environment is elegant and pleasant... Ah... I like it very much too."

Cheng Bai kept walking, not paying attention to the scenery, but focusing on determining Huang Yunzi's location. He muttered to himself, "So it turns out that the shortest route to Qingjianlu is from Tinghetai on the west side of the academy, while the longest route is from Zhumapo. Heh! Even when building a scripture pavilion, they prioritize the convenience of high-ranking people."

Before long, they arrived at the spacious gate. Moonstone lamps gleamed on both sides of the gate, and the three large characters "Qingjianlu" were written on the lintel.

As night deepens, this ancient-style building resembles a lurking, colossal beast, bearing witness to the vicissitudes of history and accumulating the flame of civilization.

Cheng Bai stopped and turned back to Bei Tingjun, who was still asleep after being exposed to the cool breeze the whole way, and whispered, "Huang Yunzi just sneaked in here. It seems he's planning to pull off something big before dawn!"

"Huh?" In an instant, all of Betty's wonderful fantasies were shattered by those words.

She suddenly looked up at Cheng Bai's face, which was so close to hers. His deep eyes were clear and calm, without a trace of lust.

Bei Tingjun felt a pang of disappointment and whispered aggrievedly, "Your Majesty... you summoned me in such a hurry because you were tracking down Huang Yunzi? And not... to... to me..." She was too ashamed to utter the words of romance that followed.

Cheng Bai communicated with her through divine sense: "Sister Bei, please don't be offended, the situation is urgent. Huang Yunzi is controlled by the Bone Emperor and came to Qingjian Cottage at night. He must have some ulterior motive."

Hearing this, Bei Tingjun's pretty face flushed red and then turned pale. She wished she could disappear into the ground and said reproachfully, "Your Majesty, you should have said so earlier! You made me think... I thought... Humph! You'd better explain things clearly next time!"

Seeing the rapid shifts in her expression—from embarrassment and frustration to resentment—Cheng Bai immediately understood the situation. He couldn't help but chuckle and teased, "Sister Bei is stunningly beautiful and incomparably charming, captivating everyone's heart. However, because the Bone Emperor carries the Bone Lotus, which is extremely dangerous, she must be dealt with first. Please forgive any negligence."

Bei Tingjun knew that his words were half-joking and half-comforting, and not necessarily sincere, but he still found them comforting and they relieved his depression somewhat.

So she rolled her eyes at Cheng Bai and spat under her breath, "Pah! What high-sounding words! Ignoring a beautiful, vibrant woman, you go and follow a strange, withered skeleton. Oh well, it's all my bad luck, I'm destined to suffer."

Cheng Bai chuckled, said no more, solemnly took out the Question Card, and gently touched the beast-face array pattern on the door of Qingjianlu.

The door hinges emitted a long, sighing groan, "creak... yah...", and then the heavy door slowly opened.

The night was deep and cold, and the hut was secluded and dark.

Stepping across the threshold, a stale, musty, and rotten smell, a mixture of lingering ink and mildew, hits you, piercing your nostrils like a damp, heavy old quilt covering your face, thick and inescapable.

Cheng Bai's tense nerves relaxed slightly. He took a deep breath of the unpleasant air, then slowly exhaled, and whispered, "It's not the smell of death. We still have time."

Upon hearing the commotion, the manager of Qingjianlu came out to greet the uninvited guests.

The old man was dressed in a slightly worn blue robe, and he held up a moonstone lantern in his left hand. The pale light reflected off his deeply lined face.

His disheveled, gray hair resembled withered autumn grass, and his stubble made him look somewhat unkempt. Only his eyes, set in wrinkles, gleamed with a sharp, intelligent light.

The old man squinted at the two of them and asked sternly, "Instead of resting so late, you're here looking for books?"

Cheng Bai was slightly surprised by the manager's quick greeting. Suppressing his doubts, he cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "I apologize for disturbing your peace, sir. I was asked by a friend to find some rare and valuable books. May I ask how I should address you?"

The old man scrutinized the two under the lamplight, giving Bei Tingjun a few more glances before speaking slowly and deliberately: "You possess a Dao Asking Card, so you're a newcomer. Every senior student in the academy knows me, the dignified Academician 'Humble Abode Gentleman'?"

Cheng Bai hurriedly said, "I have heard An Yiren mention your great name before, and I am now honored to meet you in person."

The humble scholar was greatly pleased with this and softened his tone, as was customary, to instruct: "Qingjianlu has many rules, and candlelight, noise, graffiti, and shady dealings are forbidden."

Cheng Bai reached into his Sumeru Mustard Seed and took out his own Moonstone Lantern, its bright light instantly dispelling the surrounding darkness. He smiled and said, "Please see, sir, this is a special spirit stone lamp, so there's no need to worry about candlelight. I know my place, so you can rest assured."