Zhu Hao, now a humble-looking golden piglet once more, lay regally on Xiao Bai's massive head, enjoying the silent worship of the newly liberated sisterhood.
"Xiao Qing, what did you just pick up?" he inquired, his large eyes fixed on her movements.
He had watched Xiao Qing dart over to the Snake Mother's corpse and discreetly retrieve a twin to his own prize—a second Space Ring.
"Nothing... nothing!" Xiao Qing stammered, clenching her hand. She was instantly defensive and a little embarrassed to be caught trying to loot the dead.
"Give it to me," Zhu Hao ordered, his tone shifting from casual to commandingly serious. "It is Lord Pig's battle treasure, taken as spoils of war from the vanquished!"
"Hmph, you miser!" Xiao Qing muttered, but she quickly tossed the golden ring over. She was indeed intimidated by his newly displayed, terrifying power, but also knew, in fairness, that the ring was his by right of conquest.
"That's right! Captured spoils must be handed over, especially when they belong to Lord Pig!" Zhu Hao sniffed dismissively, then picked up the ring with his little paw. He immediately hopped over to Xiao Bai's head, balancing the new ring on her enormous snout.
"Xiao Bai, Grandpa Zhu already has one, so I'm gifting this to you. It must contain the Snake Mother's entire lifetime collection—I'm sure there are countless items you can use!"
"What? Give it to me?" Xiao Bai rumbled, genuinely astonished. The Space Ring was an immensely valuable treasure, representing endless resources and magical wealth.
"Of course! Lord Pig means what he says. If I gift it, I won't take it back. If you truly don't want it, I'll simply throw it into the nearest ravine!" Zhu Hao said grandly, as if tossing away a peak cultivator's life savings was a mundane affair.
"Of course, she wants it! I'll accept it on my sister's behalf! Thank you, Lord Pig!" Xiao Qing swooped in like a flash, grabbing the ring before Zhu Hao could reconsider. Her beautiful face instantly brightened with relief and gratitude.
"Yeah!" Zhu Hao acknowledged with a pleased nod. But before he could further expound upon his generosity, the sky above shattered.
The bright colors of the sky were replaced by a terrifying, boundless spiritual pressure that made the heart tremble and the very air feel like liquid gold.
"I'm going to die. This world truly is not a simple place," Zhu Hao thought with a dramatic internal sigh, his chubby face remaining perfectly expressionless.
He looked up and saw a peerless, stunning beauty sitting upon a lotus platform. She was holy, sacred, and serene, with a compassionate face that instantly inspired devotion. In her jade hand, she held a shimmering jade bottle, radiating an aura of sympathy and boundless mercy.
"Greetings to the compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea!"
Before Zhu Hao could even fully process the divine power, Xiao Bai and Xiao Qing had instantly bowed in profound, respectful awe, their forms low to the ground.
"No need to be so polite, little ones. Although you two manifest as demons, your nature is not inherently bad. The Buddha is merciful. I hope you will abide by your original intentions, accumulate good deeds, and achieve enlightenment soon!" Guanyin's voice was soft, yet it possessed an indescribable, calming magic that permeated the soul, compelling those who heard it to feel utterly convinced of her truth.
Zhu Hao, however, felt nothing but suspicion. This was a major player, a deity whose power could not be underestimated. His priority shifted immediately to strategy.
"Disciples will follow the Bodhisattva's teachings!" Xiao Bai and Xiao Qing chorused respectfully.
"Little pig," Guanyin said, her autumn-water eyes shifting from the pythons to Zhu Hao directly.
A sudden, crushing spiritual pressure descended. Zhu Hao felt the immense gravity of her attention.
"You're the pig!" he grumbled internally, fighting the urge to tell her exactly where to go.
I, Lord Pig, am truly charming, he reasoned, puffing out his chest internally. Even a top-tier deity like Guanyin can't resist a personal visit!
He decided to explore his escape options. "Light of the Pig God, can Lord Pig return to Douluo?"
"Returning to Douluo (travel to the designated world) will consume 1000 Energy and 1000 Experience points!"
"So expensive? I only have a little over a thousand of each now. It's like going back to the time before liberation!" Zhu Hao inwardly lamented the financial burden of escaping a goddess.
"What if you don't travel through a specific world?" he asked, testing the market.
"Travel to the nearest random world, consuming 500 Energy and 500 Experience points!"
"That's fantastic! This way, I won't be afraid of you anymore, Sister Guanyin!" Zhu Hao felt instantly confident. With a quick exit strategy secured, he could focus on being his most aggressively charming self.
"Sister Guanyin, what's the deal? Let me make it clear first, Lord Pig is not a casual person. I have dignity!" Zhu Hao lifted his head, held his little paws in front of him, and stared up with a fearless, fat little face.
"Sister Guanyin?" The Bodhisattva was genuinely startled. In her millennia of existence across countless dimensions, no one, ever, had referred to her as "Sister."
Xiao Bai and Xiao Qing were paralyzed with anxiety. Was Zhu Hao insane? Insulting the Bodhisattva was a fate worse than death!
"Naughty!" Guanyin scolded gently, though a trace of genuine amusement touched her serene expression. She found Zhu Hao far more mysterious than she imagined. Even with her transcendent power, she couldn't see through the source of his arrogance or his peculiar aura, which only intensified her curiosity.
"I have noted your excellent cultivation foundation and your commendable practice. Luojia Mountain is currently in need of a Dharma Protector. If you join my mountain, I can help you achieve enlightenment soon and provide a safe path for your power!" Guanyin offered, temporarily shelving her curiosity. She planned to study the strangely powerful beast later, once he was safely within her territory.
"Isn't this the job of that big black bear? She's actually coming to recruit Lord Pig!" Zhu Hao realized her true intention: she wanted a glamorous, powerful watchdog.
A watchdog? Impossible for Lord Pig! Not for the rest of my life!
However, going to a Buddhist mountain—especially her mountain—would be an unparalleled opportunity to loot treasures, eat rare herbs, and perhaps learn a few advanced techniques before making a strategic exit.
"Xiao Bai, go find a safe mountain range and practice hard. I'll come back and find you when I've achieved my destiny!" Zhu Hao gently advised, quickly handing her a final, small gift.
"I'll always wait for you to come to me, Uncle Zhu!" There was intense reluctance in Xiao Bai's eyes, but she knew the Bodhisattva's offer, and its implications, were not to be refused—especially since it seemed to be a spectacular opportunity for her savior.
"Well, don't worry!" Zhu Hao patted his chest, then jumped into Xiao Qing's waiting arms and rubbed his head against hers. "Xiao Qing, don't miss Lord Pig too much, and try to keep Xiao Bai out of trouble!"
"Who would miss you!" Xiao Qing playfully rolled her eyes, but she reached out and rubbed his head affectionately anyway.
"Grandpa Pig is off to conquer a mountain!" Zhu Hao declared, waving his claw dramatically, and then leaped onto Guanyin's radiant lotus platform.
"Sister Guanyin, let's go! I bet your mountain is just filled with fun opportunities!"
"You are so rude, little pig!" Guanyin sighed, half-amused, half-exasperated by his lack of protocol. He was both ignorant and strangely fearless, an unusual combination.
Swish!
An invisible, profound force emanated from the lotus platform. The space around them tore open, and the platform, with the divine Bodhisattva and the arrogant piglet, vanished without a trace.
Far away, the sacred Luojia Mountain stood in majestic glory.
Swish!
The noble, dignified lotus platform emerged from the void. Zhu Hao sat up and surveyed his new home. The air was thick with pure spiritual energy, the ground lush with countless rare Ganoderma lucidum and mystical herbs, and a dense, magnificent purple bamboo forest covered the peaks. It was, truly, a paradise for cultivation.
"Sister Guanyin, this place is so beautiful, I'm already hungry!" Zhu Hao licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with greedy appraisal. If I eat all that Ganoderma lucidum, my energy will explode into the heavens!
"Hmm?" Guanyin looked down with a silent, sharp glint in her beautiful eyes. The piglet wanted to destroy her most cherished spiritual herbs the moment he arrived. She mentally decided that he would require a golden hoop immediately.
"No, no, I meant I'm so hungry for knowledge and enlightenment! I'm completely mesmerized!" Zhu Hao instantly revised his statement, sensing the temperature drop. He immediately jumped into Guanyin's arms, nodding his head furiously, and looked up at her with his most innocent, guileless eyes. "However, even with this magnificent scenery, it is far inferior to the radiant beauty of Sister Guanyin!"
"Slippery mouth. Be honest, little one," Guanyin said, stretching out her fair jade hand, gently pinching his neck, and lifting him up to her eye level. The faint threat in her voice was still there, but her expression had softened.
"Not angry!" Zhu Hao chirped, overjoyed. Success! Flattery works on every woman, divine or otherwise!
"Sister Guanyin," he continued, instantly pivoting to the next priceless treasure, "what's in that lovely jade bottle you're holding? It smells absolutely delicious."
Zhu Hao stared longingly at the Pure Water bottle, licking his snout. If I could just get a single sip of that, my energy would jump by at least a few thousand, right?