Below the thundering cascade of the waterfall lay a vast, inky pool—a cauldron of perpetual shadow and spray, rumored to be bottomless. The surface was deceptively still, a polished mirror reflecting the majestic cliffs towering above.
Lord Pig and Xiao Bai stood together on a smooth, water-worn boulder at the pool's edge. Xiao Bai had quickly adjusted to the golden creature's bizarre, bombastic personality, finding his arrogance somehow charming rather than annoying.
"Xiao Bai, wait right here for a moment," Zhu Hao announced, puffing out his golden chest with exaggerated importance. "I, your Lord Pig, shall personally procure our meal. Regular fish simply won't do for a celestial traveler and his beautiful companion—I must catch a Golden Carp!"
Before Xiao Bai could voice her agreement or concern, Lord Pig executed a flawless, if slightly rotund, dive.
Splash!
He plunged into the depths. The difference between the surface air and the pool's interior was staggering.
"The water is shockingly cold! Something is profoundly wrong!" Zhu Hao thought, his internal alarms blaring. The water temperature here was dozens of degrees lower than the natural spring water feeding the waterfall.
This wasn't merely a deep pool; this was a wellspring for intense, concentrated Yin energy, likely connected to a demonic lair. He immediately activated his internal energy to maintain a warm core, preparing for an ambush.
He swam forward, his large, bright eyes quickly adjusting to the murky, green-tinged gloom. The silence of the depths was unsettling, broken only by the muffled roar of the waterfall far above.
Suddenly, a flash of brilliant gold pierced the gloom directly ahead.
"What a ridiculously large Golden Carp!"
A magnificent fish, nearly a meter long, shimmered into view. Its scales were pure, unblemished gold, and two foot-long, imposing golden whiskers framed its mouth, giving it an ancient, almost dragon-like appearance. Its ink-black eyes, shot through with a faint, predatory golden light, fixed instantly on the strange, furry intruder.
"Could it be that this overgrown minnow has become a spirit?" Zhu Hao mused, an avaricious glint in his eyes. A Golden Carp that had begun to cultivate spiritual energy would be incredibly rich in energy and experience. This isn't just lunch; this is a three-course buffet of cultivation resources!
He spread the Flying Eight Wings on his back. Though they could cut through air, they were even more devastating when powered by Zhu Hao's Level 4 strength in the high-density medium of water, turning him into a living, guided torpedo.
"Where did this ignorant pig demon come from? How dare you swim so presumptuously in front of the Xuanshui Cave? You are absolutely courting a swift death!"
The voice was arrogant, cold, and dripping with disdain—the Golden Carp spoke with the pride of royalty.
"Ah, it truly is a spirit. Perfect. Lord Pig only consumes monsters with aspirations! Ordinary fish are beneath my dignity. And you, arrogant fish, are the exact right size for Lord Pig's lunch!" Zhu Hao retorted, his figure already transforming into a golden streak of light.
The Golden Carp was utterly enraged, but internally dismissed the attack. It calculated the energy signature of the diminutive creature and recognized it as a nascent, unconventional True Qi—not the refined, concentrated Magic Power that defined true demons or immortal cultivators.
"Little pig, you are utterly clueless!" the carp sneered. "I, the general of the Xuanshui Cave, possess a sliver of ancient Dragon Blood! My golden scales are invulnerable; even a Golden Core cultivator would struggle to breach them! You haven't even formed a single golden elixir, yet you wish to challenge me? Pathetic!"
The Carp was confident. It had cultivated to the very peak of the Foundation Building realm; in a few short years, it would attempt to condense its Golden Elixir and finally transform into a human, or perhaps a Dragon-Ape hybrid. It had no reason to fear a tiny, un-transformed beast.
Laugh!
The golden light flashed, faster than the Carp's proud eyes could track. Zhu Hao, fueled by the power of a Level 4 Pig God, was an engine of pure, brutal efficiency.
The Carp's arrogance instantly dissolved into pure, frozen terror. Its ink-black eyes widened into saucers. It felt no pain, only a sudden, strange lightness. A clean, thin, crimson line appeared diagonally across its thick neck.
The Flying Eight Wings, sharpened by Level 4 energy, had functioned not merely as sharp blades, but as the cosmic edge of destiny. The vaunted, "impenetrable" golden scales offered no resistance whatsoever, proving the Carp's pride was entirely unwarranted. Its head, still wearing an expression of disbelief, slowly began to drift from its body.
"Killed Golden Carp, Energy +40, Experience +40, Magical Power: Water Control (New!)"
"A tiny monster dares challenge Lord Pig? Ha! The audacity!" Zhu Hao scoffed, collecting his prize. The substantial boost to his reserves was highly satisfying.
He quickly scanned the area from which the Carp had emerged. On the surface, nothing. The Carp mentioned the Xuanshui Cave. Zhu Hao knew there had to be a hidden entrance—this whole pool screamed of a significant demonic stronghold.
"There's definitely something suspicious here! That Carp didn't just stumble upon the name 'Xuanshui Cave' by coincidence; it's the headquarters!"
Zhu Hao realized he was missing a vital utility. His current set of senses were insufficient for locating hidden spiritual barriers. He called up the Light of the Pig God panel and began sifting through his often-ignored, passively acquired Magical Powers.
His eyes zeroed in on an old, dusty entry: Four-Eyed Cat Pupil. He'd gained it eons ago from killing a low-level soul beast. It offered basic night vision and limited spiritual sight, but it was a foundation.
"Get the Magical Power Four-Eyed Cat Pupil and... upgrade the Magical Power!"
A thought solidified into a command, and the system responded instantly.
"Consume eleven points of Energy (11.0000) and Experience (11.0000) to upgrade the Magical Power Four-Eyed Cat Pupil to Purple Demon Pupil!"
Zzzzzzzt!
A scorching, special flow of energy—far more refined and intensely focused than the usual upgrade energy—rushed directly into Zhu Hao's eyes. A burning sensation made him clench his tiny snout, and a strong, deep violet color suddenly flared behind his pupils.
When the pain subsided and he opened his eyes again, the transformation was complete. The water's gloom was gone. He looked forward, and suddenly, all the spiritual fog, optical illusions, and hidden protective barriers dissolved before his sight.
There, precisely where the Carp had appeared, was a massive, ancient archway, invisible to the naked eye but now glowing intensely under the Purple Demon Pupil's light.
"Xuanshui Cave!"
Three colossal characters, carved into the stone in a swirling, jade-green script, hung high above the entrance. The characters were vigorous and ancient, radiating a chilling spiritual energy—the oppressive, predatory aura of a powerful demon, like being instantly stared down by a king cobra.
"Aha! Just as Lord Pig suspected!"
He didn't need a formal report to know that any lair named "King's Cave" would house something far more powerful than a Foundation Building Carp.
"Out of the thirty-six strategies, when facing an unknown sovereign who will be furious about the loss of his prized carp general, running away is absolutely the best one!" Zhu Hao decided without a second thought. Arrogance was for the weak; tactical common sense was for the glorious Pig God.
He grabbed the large Golden Carp with his claws, which seemed to glow under the water, and swam towards the surface with the efficiency of a golden blur.
Meanwhile, Xiao Bai was pacing the edge of the pool, her beautiful eyes filled with growing anxiety. "Why hasn't Lord Pig returned yet? This pond… it feels profoundly unsettling."
Bump!
Suddenly, the pool surface exploded outward. The head and torso of the massive Golden Carp flew high into the air, followed immediately by Zhu Hao, who burst out of the water like a cork, clutching the still-bleeding prize.
"Xiao Bai, behold the majesty of your dinner!" Zhu Hao announced, shaking himself vigorously to shed the water. "The fish is procured! Let us depart immediately and enjoy some well-deserved grilled fish!"
Xiao Bai, seeing the fearsome Carp and the diminutive creature who had clearly just slain it, could only nod mutely. She used her magic power, lifting Zhu Hao and the fish, and they swiftly returned to the cave.
Not long after the pair vanished, the water of the pool began to roil and churn with unnatural violence. A gigantic, thick python—easily a hundred feet long, its scales the color of deep river silt—shot out of the hidden Xuanshui Cave entrance.
"Hmm? The unmistakable scent of Golden Scale and blood... Someone has been fighting here!"
The giant python's snake eyes swept the area. It instantly recognized the metallic scent of its master's general. It quickly dove back into the cave, writhing down the immense, ornate passage.
"My King! The Golden Scale has met with disaster!" the python bellowed as it entered the inner sanctum.
The cavern was breathtakingly huge, the ceiling arching high above a throne of polished, black stone carved in the likeness of a roaring dragon. Half-lying upon this menacing seat was a man cloaked in a deep green robe—the fearsome Xuanshui King. His eyes were cold, calculating, and predatory, like a resting viper.
The King was currently preoccupied, his hands roving over the two captivating, scantily clad women draped beside him.
"What is the meaning of this disturbance?" the green-robed man hissed, his movements halting. He unconsciously tightened his grip on the woman closest to him. She winced faintly, a look of pain crossing her face.
"My Lord, the Golden Scale... he was killed right at the cave entrance! Sliced with unimaginable precision! The murderer is a powerful, unknown demon—or a cultivator—and they took the body!" the python reported, fear evident in its rumbling voice.
The Xuanshui King stopped his pleasurable activity instantly. His arms flexed, veins bulging in fury. Someone had dared to commit a brazen act of murder and theft at his front door?
"Find him! Search every mile of this mountain range and every soul in the nearby city! Catch the murderer, and when you do, bring him to me," the King roared, his voice echoing with demonic malice. "I will not just fry him; I will extract his soul and torture him for a thousand years! If I cannot defend my own threshold, how can I, the Xuanshui King, ever have the face to rule this domain?"
"Yes, My King!" The python immediately slithered away to mobilize the entire subterranean army of demons and lesser spirits.
Back in the cozy, dry cave, an intoxicating aroma began to fill the air. Zhu Hao, with the precision of an ancient culinary master, had filleted the thick fish, skewered it with fire-hardened sticks, and was roasting it over the perfect, low flame. The natural golden hue of the scales had deepened, and the flesh was caramelized and dripping with fat.
"It smells so incredibly good!" Xiao Bai murmured, her nose twitching delicately. Her previous anxiety melted away, replaced by an innocent, hungry anticipation. "Lord Pig, you truly are amazing! You can talk, fly, fight, and now you're a master chef!"
"That is correct, but there is still one thing I cannot do," Zhu Hao replied, his little fat face radiating pride, then suddenly shifting to a deeply meaningful expression.
"Oh? What can the mighty Lord Pig not do?" Xiao Bai asked, highly curious.
"I am, lamentably, unable to… give birth to a baby," Zhu Hao said, looking up at her from her lap and offering a wide, lewdly humorous smile.
Xiao Bai's pretty face flushed instantly, like a perfectly ripe red apple. She reached out, playfully grabbing his little head, and shook him gently. "You are truly incorrigibly humorous!"
"Xiao Bai, come here! The grilled fish is ready! And you should eat every bite, that was a very rare, high-energy fish," Zhu Hao commanded, presenting the golden, sizzling fish.
"Mmm!" Xiao Bai nodded, her spirits lifted entirely by the tempting sight and the creature's charming, inappropriate humor.
A few miles away, down the mountain and into the vast world, the humble herbalist Xu Xuan had finally reached the bustling city of Yuzhou City.
"It's truly a sight to behold! So much life, so much potential!" Xu Xuan thought, admiring the sheer scale of the mortal metropolis. He was on a singular mission: to find an immortal master, learn the ways of Taoism, and achieve the power necessary to take revenge on the Pig Demon and reclaim his destined love.
As he walked past a busy posting board, his eyes landed on a newly affixed proclamation. His breath hitched.
"Hey, isn't that the beautiful lady in white who fainted at the waterfall?"
The portrait on the wanted poster, though crudely drawn by mortal standards, was undeniably Xiao Bai's exquisite face. The poster was issued under the direct, highest authority: "By order of the esteemed National Master."
Hmm? A cunning idea sparked in Xu Xuan's mind. I am a simple mortal and can't fight a demon, but the court and the National Master possess untold power!
If the National Master was hunting this beautiful woman, there was a vast, governmental machine that could be aimed squarely at the Pig Demon who had stolen her.
I can use the power of the state to handle the pig, freeing me to focus entirely on cultivating supreme magical powers!
Xu Xuan's determination hardened. He saw his path clearly: Step One: Inform the authorities and set the trap. Step Two: Immediately seek out an immortal master and ascend. Step Three: Achieve supreme power and acquire all the beauty and glory he desired. Who would dare challenge a man who had cultivated supernatural power and vanquished demons?
With a newfound, zealous fervor, Xu Xuan sprinted toward the government office, his heart pounding not just with fear, but with the burning, dramatic ambition of a mortal who had tasted powerlessness and vowed never to feel it again. He would have his revenge, and he would have his immortality.