Chapter 286

Chapter 286: She Wants to Eat You

Because the Auction Pavilion made mistakes that almost put the disciples in danger, the pavilions gave up twenty percent when splitting the treasures. They set the split at a thirty to seventy ratio as compensation.

Since Linglong Pavilion decided to rebuild beside Ninghua Sect, all the treasures found were brought back to Ninghua Sect.

Even though everyone already knew how many treasures there were and how precious they looked, they still could not help drooling with envy when they watched the people of Ninghua Sect pack everything up and carry it away.

Elders from every branch held their heads high like proud geese at a village gate, and they even threw a few provocative glances toward Flying Cloud Sect.

Ye Huai and the others were stunned when they saw the treasures Shen Sang Ruo had found. Su Xi Yu looped her arm through Shen Sang Ruo’s and said with a smile: “Junior Sister, you are amazing. We cannot even catch up to a fraction of what you did.”

Bai Ruo An’s gaze fell on the delicate, cute little miss standing beside Shen Sang Ruo, and he asked with open curiosity: “Junior Sister, where did you pick up this little miss?”

He had wanted to ask the moment he came out, but never found the chance.

Song Wei Yan stared as well, then praised her from the heart: “Junior Sister, is she also a treasure you found? No wonder you are Junior Sister. Let me take a look. Just one glance at her hair and I can tell it is unusual. It can be used as medicine, right?”

Before Shen Sang Ruo could answer, he reached toward Little Shi, wanting to lift a strand of hair for a close look. Just as his fingers were about to touch the hair, a red blur snapped down on the back of his hand with a sharp smack, and in the same instant his cheek felt the very same sting.

He yanked his hand back, covered his face, and felt a bit of dampness: “What the heck!”

He stared at Little Shi on guard. She only gave him a harmless smile, looking sweet and innocent. He had already broken through to Late Golden Core, and he truly had not sensed Little Shi make any move at all. He scratched his head and muttered: “Did I imagine that?”

Ye Huai spoke calmly: “You did not hallucinate. I saw a red afterimage.”

Everyone else turned to look too.

Shen Sang Ruo rubbed Little Shi’s head and said with a laugh: “Alright, Little Shi, do not tease my Senior Brother. She is the Demonic Beast I just formed a Bonding Contract with on Starfield Plain. She is a Snake Demon.”

There was no time to marvel that she had gained another Contracted Beast. Song Wei Yan blinked, a bit dazed, and asked: “Snake Demon? Then what touched my hand and face just now was…”

The little girl’s voice came soft and sweet as she smiled with crescent eyes: “Hello, Elder Brother Song.”

If you ignored the forked snake tongue she was flicking from her mouth to greet him, it did sound very polite.

Bai Ruo An and Su Xi Yu burst into laughter.

Song Wei Yan looked miserable. Pointing at Little Shi with one hand and clutching his face with the other, he cried to Shen Sang Ruo: “She licked me!”

Little Shi pursed her lips and answered in a serious tone: “This is how our Serpent Tribe shows friendliness.”

“Really?” Song Wei Yan faltered. [Did I just hurt her feelings? She is only a little miss.]

Ji Zi Cang had wandered over without anyone noticing and said thoughtfully: “The Serpent Tribe’s way to show friendliness? That does not sound right. I remember Master taught us this is how the Serpent Tribe toys with its prey. She wants to eat you.”

“What?!” Song Wei Yan went pale all over again and appealed to Shen Sang Ruo: “Junior Sister, you have to keep her in line. She just met us and already wants to eat us. What will happen later then?”

Little Shi tugged weakly at Shen Sang Ruo’s skirt and sounded pitiful: “No. Little Shi is not that kind of snake, Elder Sister.”

Her act startled the others into silence. Only Shen Sang Ruo, who had seen Little Shi’s true form, stayed calm.

Fang Yu caught a key word and rushed over in a flash. He glared at Little Shi and snapped: “Who are you calling Elder Sister? That is my Sister Sang Ruo!”

No one was going to steal his place, not even a little miss who looked only a few years old.

Shen Sang Ruo could only smile and explain: “She does not eat people. She eats snakes. You can relax, Second Senior Brother.”

Ji Zi Cang eyed Little Shi with open envy: “This is your third Contracted Beast, right?” He himself still had only one Contracted Beast, Big Chunk.

Thinking of Little Koi, who was still recovering in her sea of consciousness, Shen Sang Ruo was not entirely sure. She said, tone honest: “I guess so. There is another one, but I do not know if it counts.”

She briefly told them about Little Koi. From not far away, Yuan Jin called back to confirm that Little Koi also counted as her Contracted Beast.

“Ah, that makes four. I am jealous,” Ji Zi Cang said in wonder.

Lin Qian Yin studied Little Shi and asked the key point: “Then what is her level?”

If Shen Sang Ruo chose to sign a Bonding Contract with her, the strength would not be low. Everyone quietly guessed at Nascent Soul Early Stage or at most the middle stage.

Little Shi lifted her chin and answered first: “Little Shi is a Nascent Soul Late Stage demon. I am about to break through to Divine Transformation.”

Not only the nearby group, but even the Elders turned to stare, especially Yuan Jin.

They looked to Shen Sang Ruo for confirmation. She nodded and said simply: “She is right.”

That set them buzzing. Daoist Wu Wei grinned so hard he could not close his mouth, and Immortal Lord Chang Li looked full of pride, as if he had personally formed the Bonding Contract with Little Shi.

Fang Yu, who had wanted to spar with the “little one,” lost his nerve at once: “This little one is about to break through to Divine Transformation?”

Shen Sang Ruo raised her brows at Little Shi. No wonder none of them had sensed any demonic aura on her, nor seen her move.

She added for Song Wei Yan’s benefit, tone mild: “So if Little Shi really wanted to eat Elder Brother Song, she would have done it long ago. She did not lie to you.”

Song Wei Yan fell silent. [It did not hurt much, but the insult was huge.]

[If not for that great catastrophe, the four of us would be no worse than this snake!] He took a steadying breath. Never mind how strong a Demonic Beast she was, she was still his Junior Sister’s Contracted Beast.

He straightened up and gave Shen Sang Ruo a thumbs up: “As expected of Junior Sister.”

After this, he had to train harder. Not even one of Shen Sang Ruo’s Contracted Beasts was below Nascent Soul. How could their Senior Brother and Senior Sister status not feel the pressure.

Little Shi leaned close and said obediently: “Elder Sister, I am going to find a place to prepare for Tribulation Crossing. After I break through to Divine Transformation, I will come find Elder Sister.” Through their Spirit Pact, she could always sense Shen Sang Ruo’s location.

Shen Sang Ruo understood. She yanked the snoring Kui Ox out of her sea of consciousness and said briskly: “Take him with you. He has a lightning attribute. He can help you share the heavenly thunder so your breakthrough is easier. Zap him more, and he will improve too.”

Through her, the two beasts were linked. They could not help Little Shi the way Shen Sang Ruo could, by taking a full heavenly bolt for her, but they could still help carry the scattered strikes.

The bewildered Kui Ox thought in a daze: [Moo? Human words?]

Little Shi turned into her true shape, a black snake. Without giving the Kui Ox any chance to refuse, she coiled around him and vanished as a streaking blur.

After Little Shi and the Kui Ox left, the group turned to their next topic. Su Xi Yu asked what everyone wanted to know: “Junior Sister, how did you Miniaturize those Spirit Vein ores?”

Shen Sang Ruo opened a cloth pouch and smiled: “These little ones helped me.” Several Giant Beetles poked their heads out and waved, greeting everyone present. The Giant Beetles and the Swift Snails could even pass straight through a Barrier Ward.