Star Martial Soaring Cloud

As dawn broke, a faint pale white light appeared on the eastern horizon.

The mountain mist had not yet dissipated, and a hazy white veil shrouded the rugged rocks and lush vegetation. Sunlight filtered through the thin mist, casting dappled shadows in front of the cave entrance.

"Miss Su, are you up?"

After receiving an affirmative reply, Wang Xiaocai entered the cave.

Inside the cave, Su Qinhe sat upright on a futon, cultivating and recuperating as the morning sun rose.

Her eyes were slightly closed, and a faint white aura surrounded her, slowly circulating and nourishing her damaged meridians and body.

After a series of battles, coupled with injuries from Qin Wuming's sword energy, although he had stabilized his injuries with pills, his vital energy was depleted and he was also corroded by evil energy. In order to fully recover, he would still need to rest for a few days.

"Miss Su, please rest here and recuperate. I'll go and check out the surrounding area."

Su Qinhe slowly opened her eyes. The fatigue in her eyes had dissipated somewhat, but she still looked a little weak.

She raised her right hand, and a pair of small, exquisite silver bells appeared in her palm. The bells were engraved with fine patterns, and with a gentle movement, they emitted a clear and melodious sound—these were the mother-and-child bells that Wang Xiao had given her earlier.

"Brother Wang, please be careful on this journey."

She handed one of the bells to Wang Xiao, gently touching it with her fingertip, and slowly explained, "These mother and child bells are connected. As long as you shake the bell with your energy, I will immediately sense it and rush over no matter how far apart we are. Conversely, if there is any unusual activity on my side, I will also shake the bell, and you will return immediately upon hearing the sound."

With a serious expression, she carefully instructed, "I am capable of protecting myself now, and I have no shortage of water and food, so you don't need to worry. Just remember not to take any risks lightly."

Wang Xiao took the bell, its surface warm to the touch. He carefully tied it to his waist and nodded gently. "Don't worry, Miss Su, I won't push myself. If anything happens, I'll let you know immediately. Rest well, and I'll be back as soon as possible."

After saying this, he gave a few more detailed instructions, and only after confirming that everything was correct did he turn around and stride out of the cave, his figure quickly disappearing into the morning light in the mountains.

Wang Xiao moved with agility, using the Seven Star Rain Steps to their fullest extent. His figure moved like a flowing wind through the forest, his spiritual senses spread out, vigilantly sensing all the movements around him as he headed north.

The volcanic plain has an undulating terrain, and the ground is covered with dark red volcanic rocks. Occasionally, a few heat-resistant shrubs can be seen stubbornly peeking out from the cracks in the rocks.

The lingering fog added a touch of hazy mystery to this desolate land.

Less than half an hour after they started walking, Wang Xiao suddenly frowned – a faint demonic aura emanated from the air ahead, intense and violent, clearly indicating hostile intent.

He stopped and fixed his gaze on a huge rock in front of him.

The next second, a powerful demonic aura suddenly erupted, like an invisible mountain, crashing down on Wang Xiao, making the air around him seem to freeze, and his steps subconsciously stopped.

Immediately afterwards, a tall figure burst out from behind the boulder and landed with a thud three zhang away from him.

"roar--!"

A deafening roar suddenly erupted, shaking the branches and leaves in the mountains and dispersing some of the mist.

A tall and imposing figure suddenly appeared before Wang Xiao, standing over two meters tall.

It was a bull demon, with a bull's head and a human body, its body as strong as a mountain, covered with thick black hair, and its muscles were bulging, each muscle seemingly containing explosive power.

His head was a huge bull's head, with two curved horns that gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight. His bull eyes, like copper bells, stared intently at Wang Xiao, and two thick wisps of white breath spewed from his nostrils.

What is most striking are his hands. They are incredibly thick and strong, with palms larger than palm-leaf fans when open. His fingertips are covered with a thick layer of calluses, and his nails are as sharp as knives. It is clear at a glance that he is a fierce man who has been through many battles.

The newcomer was none other than Niu Ben, one of the demon generals of Kunlun Grotto Heaven.

His body was surrounded by surging demonic energy, his aura was violent and heavy, and he was clearly at the peak of the Fish Leap Realm.

Wang Xiao felt a chill run down his spine, and his inner energy began to circulate quietly as he prepared for battle. He could clearly sense the chilling killing intent emanating from Niu Ben.

"I'm asking you, did you eat my children?"

The bull demon spoke, its voice like rolling thunder, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

His voice was rough and unpleasant, like two giant rocks rubbing against each other, carrying an undeniable rage.

He stared down at Wang Xiao, his large, bell-shaped eyes filled with violence and murderous intent. He snorted heavily, making a "whooshing" sound, and the black hair all over his body stood on end in anger.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiao was completely stunned, her face filled with bewilderment. She instinctively retorted, "Your children? What children? When did I ever eat your children?"

But as soon as he finished speaking, a scene flashed through his mind from not long ago by the campfire—Master Yuankong was enthusiastically roasting dog meat and even pulled him to eat with him, muttering, "Dog meat rolls three times, even immortals can't stand still."

At the time, the other party "kindly" explained the demon soldiers and generals to him, saying that the demon generals had come and that it would take several hours to arrive.

So, they had already dug a trap for him?

At that moment, Wang Xiao suddenly realized what was going on. The confusion on his face was instantly replaced by helplessness and anger. He couldn't help but curse the unscrupulous monk in his heart.

You damned monk with the one-knife sword!

This isn't an invitation to eat dog meat; it's a clear attempt to shift the blame and make me the scapegoat!

It turns out that the wolf-dog demons were the children of this bull demon!

He instantly understood the cause and effect—it must have been that after Yuan Kong killed the three demon soldiers, this demon general followed the demonic energy mark to find him and mistakenly thought that he had eaten his subordinates.

"There's no such thing as a free lunch! This bald monk dug such a huge pit for me!" Wang Xiao thought to himself, opening his mouth as if to explain, but swallowing the words back down.

Wang Xiao sighed, knowing that this feud was beyond repair today.

He did indeed eat dog meat, and the demonic aura emanating from him was undeniable. Even if he explained the truth, this bull demon, blinded by rage, probably wouldn't believe him and would instead think he was making excuses.

He can't exactly say, "Your children started it, and as a result, they were outmatched and were chopped up by a heartless monk with three blows, roasted and eaten, and he even gave me a piece of meat."

"Stop making excuses!" Niu Ben saw the changes in Wang Xiao's expression, roared, and took a step forward. The ground trembled and cracked open with fine fissures.

"My children all bear the mark of demonic energy I planted within them, and the demonic energy remaining on you comes from them! If you didn't eat them, who else could they be?"

"Alright, alright, since explanations are useless, let's settle this with our skills." Wang Xiao's inner energy slowly circulated, and he decided to stop arguing and frankly said, "I did eat it! But someone else shared it with me!"

Seeing his composed demeanor, Niu Ben's anger subsided considerably. Instead, he grinned, revealing a set of gleaming white fangs: "Good! You've got guts! It's rare to encounter a human who dares to take responsibility. It seems humans aren't all hypocritical and cunning. I, Niu Ben, like tough guys like you! I'll give you a quick death!"

Before he finished speaking, Niu Ben suddenly leaped up, his massive body radiating a violent demonic aura, crashing down on Wang Xiao like a small mountain. His right palm was raised high, its palm swirling with dense demonic energy, carrying immense force as he slammed it into Wang Xiao's chest. The palm wind was sharp and piercing, making Wang Xiao's cheek sting.