Du Yu's heart was in turmoil.

You lose your cool when you care too much.

After waiting anxiously in the courtyard for several days, every time he glanced at the Red Bamboo House, he could only sense the increasingly violent fluctuations of Demon Breath inside—the person within showed no signs of stopping.

Du Yu wasn't sure if he should send some fruits or tea inside.

His master was in there, not eating or drinking for days—he was really failing at being a disciple.

In the end, it was Little Fen Yang who talked Du Yu out of it.

In reality, at Master Qing's Level, food and water weren't really necessary anymore—a few months without eating would be nothing.

Yang Qingqing's Demon Soul could connect with the world, drawing all needed energy from nature itself.

Hunger, thirst, these feelings would arise—but they were just "feelings."

These sensations might affect your spirit, but they wouldn't interfere with your body's function.

Convinced by Little Fen Yang, Du Yu waited outside for five bitter days until Master finally emerged from seclusion!

It was a lazy afternoon.

Du Yu was lying back in a bamboo chair in the courtyard, holding Xiaoyan in his arms, the man and his pet both fast asleep.

Red Leaf, cultivating inside Du Yu, was the first to sense the sudden drop in Demon Breath.

Red Leaf: "Du Yu."

"Hm?" Du Yu woke from his dream, following the message sent through the Contract, and looked toward the distant Red Bamboo House.

After two or three seconds, realization dawned—Du Yu's heart filled with joy. Still holding Xiaoyan, he stood up immediately.

The reason Xiaoyan was able to curl up in his arms was, of course, because she had just advanced a few days earlier. This was her time to relax.

From a cultivation perspective, she should be like Ghost Firefly—sleeping in Du Yu's Acupoint Home.

Du Yu hadn't even reached the doorway when the red bamboo door was pushed open.

A graceful figure appeared before his eyes.

The woman looked radiant and ethereal, making Du Yu stare, completely dumbfounded.

Wow—so hunger really brings out your glow, huh?

Because Yang Qingqing had just made her breakthrough, she hadn't yet suppressed her aura. The moment her eyes met Du Yu's…

Du Yu felt like a tidal wave crashed over him, as if he were a little boat tossed about in a raging storm.

A sense of awe rose up from the depths of his heart.

She was very gentle, for on normal days, Du Yu never felt this sense of oppression from her.

"Qing… Master Qing," Du Yu stammered, "Did it work?"

"Mm. Your Xiaobai also reaped a lot." Yang Qingqing brushed her palm across her forehead, sending it forward.

The snowy Immortal Deer appeared quietly.

Bai Yujing looked absolutely dazzling, the blossoms on her antlers glowing with gentle light.

She raised her Deer Head high and gave a graceful deer cry: "Nai~~~"

"Ying~" Xiaoyan crouched on Du Yu's shoulder, stretching her tail tip to nuzzle the Immortal Deer's cheek.

Du Yu's eyes lit up—Xiaobai was now about the same size as Bai Lu and Yiren!

Now, Du Yu and Xiaobai were basically eye-to-eye, and compared with five days ago, she had grown nearly ten centimeters taller.

Plus, with those long antlers and blossoms blooming from the branches, visually speaking, she was already taller than Du Yu.

Du Yu: "Celestial Peak?"

Yang Qingqing smiled gently. "Mm."

Whoa~

Du Yu cupped Bai Yujing's Deer Head, gently stroking her cheek.

Turns out, if you want to level up fast, you really have to hire a substitute trainer!

Du Yu did have the Shadow Gu Tower inside him, but even so, Xiaoyan was only at Celestial Great Success Stage!

But Bai Yujing…

Master Qing herself was the supreme treasure nourishing Bai Yujing!

Demon Taming Generals blaze a trail, step by step to heaven—while little Bai Yujing just tags along behind Master Qing and gets boosted straight to Celestial Peak?

You're asking to be reported at this rate~

Sigh…

If only I'd tossed Little Tai Sui inside her body before Master Qing's advancement, maybe we'd have another Celestial on our hands.

Of course, Du Yu only dared to think this to himself.

Theoretically, that would totally maximize benefits. But here's the thing: Demon Pets are sentient—and have personalities, too!

Demon Pets aren't emotionless objects, and definitely not just a pile of cold stats.

Tearing up a contract on a whim could bring a slew of problems, with endless consequences.

Only with someone like Red Leaf—because Du Yu made it clear right from the start: "I don't own you."

As for how their relationship grew later, that's another matter entirely.

Xiaoyan: "Ying~"

Du Yu tilted his head, rubbing his cheek softly against Xiaoyan's, sending calming feelings through their Contract.

Speaking of which, this fox and deer duo is really something. Back when Xiaobai just got into Celestial Level, she already outpaced Yan Ruyu.

On their adventure in Shiyan City·Demon Spirit Realm, Xiaoyan, driven by envy and longing, jump-started her advancement!

Luckily, Du Yu and Little Fen Yang had her back.

That day in the bear cave, she'd made Du Yu into a "noodle-legged shrimp," barely scraping into Celestial Level, just managing to keep up with Bai Yujing's pace.

And now, Xiaobai was ahead again…

You gotta know, Xiaoyan's growth rate was already freakishly fast—not only was she putting in genuine effort, she even had backup from the Shadow Gu Tower!

And even with that, Xiaoyan was still a little behind. So the only possible issue… must be with the Demon Tamer…

Certain person, you're just not good enough!

At this moment, that "certain person" was still lost in dual emotions: admiring the elegant Immortal Deer and comforting his beautiful Fire Fox.

Well, I may be weak—but I'm shameless!

Hands on Bai Yujing, cheek against Xiaoyan—that's what it means to be a mature Demon Tamer, right?

Yang Qingqing gazed at the scene before her, more than satisfied. "Looks like it's time for me to get started on that promise to give you a new Demon Pet."

"No, no, Master Qing—just owe me for now!" Du Yu knew himself well; he'd better get his fox and deer sorted before adding anything new.

Wait—I petted Bai Yujing three times just now, but only rubbed Xiaoyan's cheek twice?

Hmm… That won't do—better even it out.

Yang Qingqing didn't press the point. She spoke softly: "Come with me to the lakeside."

"Oh, sure." Du Yu scooped up Xiaoyan and put her on Bai Yujing's head. "Master Qing, do you want to take a bath? Should I go get your clothes?"

Yang Qingqing gave Du Yu a smile. Behind her, a flower stem had already curled around her change of clothes and delivered them to her hand.

"Uh… Let's go, let's go!" Du Yu hopped on Bai Yujing's back and hurriedly said, "Let's head to the waterfall—the scenery's better there anyway."

Yang Qingqing: "Mm."

By now, the pair were thoroughly familiar with the layout of Bamboo Grove.

They traveled through the bamboo sea, passed by many Tai Sui Bamboo Tribes, and finally arrived at a waterfall area in the north, where the Tai Sui Water Bamboo Tribe gathered.

This spot was particularly beautiful, even specially marked on the map: Echo Falls.

The waterfall wasn't just a single drop—there were three smaller falls, cascading step by step down.

The booming sound of water was nonstop—Du Yu even spotted several lazy Chi Bears snoring away by the lakeside, totally relaxed.

Watching Master Qing stride towards the lake, Du Yu couldn't help but blink.

"Dong!"

With a dull thud, a towering giant tree suddenly landed by the lake.

This wasn't the Tai Sui Water Bamboo Tribe's territory, so there were sentries posted in the dark, as well as many surveillance devices.

Heaven Returning Wood stood tall by the lake, endless branches and leaves extending out, covering the woman in the water.

Du Yu looked at the canopy of branches above, unconsciously craning his neck to gaze up at Heaven Returning Wood.

For a moment, he thought of the Demon Saint·Heaven Returning Wood from the Jade Gourd.

Little Fen Yang: "Hey~ Big tree!"

Du Yu: "..."

Little Fen Yang: "Let's go strip its bark, huh?"

Du Yu: "Don't you dare—this is Master Qing's Demon Pet, not our enemy."

"Tch." Little Fen Yang muttered, "Just a tiny bit, or maybe just pluck a leaf—scaredy-cat~"

Du Yu rolled his eyes—he finally understood: the stronger a tree's power, the higher Little Fen Yang's aggro.

He wasn't all that interested in ordinary trees you'd see around town.

Du Yu gazed up at the over-ten-meter tall giant tree, letting out a silent sigh: "Its defense and healing powers must be crazy strong."

Little Fen Yang: "Stronger than Saint-level Heaven Returning Wood?"

"No, I just mean it's a pity. Back when we fought the Saint-level Heaven Returning Wood, Master Qing didn't dare summon this Heaven Returning Wood."

If they'd had help from Heaven Returning Wood, maybe that Dream Dance Flame Butterfly wouldn't have fallen.

"Yeah…" Little Fen Yang fell silent for a moment, rare for him to sound so serious. "Same-clan Demon Beasts really do exert Racial Suppression."

The ranking of Demon Beasts wasn't for nothing.

The first three levels—Mortal, Earth, and Celestial—were pretty clear-cut distinctions.

The Fourth Level·Spirit Level meant Demon Beasts could condense a complete Demon Soul, connecting with the world, giving their intelligence a huge boost.

The Fifth Level·General Level—meaning "commander"—represented the ability to give orders to other creatures of the same species.

Maybe "command" is a little too strong a word.

But Demon General Level beasts could at least cause their own kind a lot of problems—enough to influence the behavior of their tribe.

Take Demon General Hongye—if she ran into a strange Chi Bear, she could easily tell it to do some non-hazardous task.

This wasn't about powerful creatures bullying the weak, or forcing them to obey.

This was pure natural law: an unwritten Demon Beast Law, woven into the world itself.

In other words, once you reach "General" level, you're basically an internal commander—your tribe gets its own pecking order.

This was why, back on Gourd Mountain, Yang Qingqing didn't dare summon Heaven Returning Wood.

One phrase: Racial Suppression.

In a scenario where Yang Qingqing and the Saint-level Heaven Returning Wood were on different sides, blades drawn—even if the Saint-level didn't make Yang Qingqing's pet Heaven Returning Wood betray her…

…under the law, Heaven Returning Wood would be heavily restricted.

In battle, its feelings and mind would be in constant conflict with the laws of Demon Beasts in the world.

In a fight where death comes in an instant, how can you let yourself be distracted?

For now, Du Yu was still weak—he only understood the basics of this concept.

But one day, when Xiaoyan runs into a Demon General·Five-tailed Fire Fox, and they fight, Du Yu will personally understand the hardship and struggle Xiaoyan faces.

From this angle, picking rare or unique Demon Pets for growth is a great idea.

Because the law is only for creatures of the same race.

No matter how strong Saint-level Heaven Returning Wood is, it can't boss around my Mortal-level Ghost Firefly Fire Type…

Demon Saint?

Heh, so what if you're a Demon Saint—do I even know you?

As Du Yu quietly pondered, he didn't know how long had passed before the branches over the lake's surface suddenly parted.

Master Qing stood midair, walking over on nothing.

The Immortal Master in a fresh set of clothes didn't even have a drop of water on her—her hair wasn't even damp!

Where was the whole "beauty emerges from the bath" moment?

Du Yu couldn't help but purse his lips—he'd thought he might score a new screensaver~

Thinking of Little Fen Yang's earlier dig at him, he started to grumble inwardly:

Seriously, who's the real cheapskate here?

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