Fang Wangru and several forces confronted each other, with many forces and cultivators standing by, unwilling to intervene.
Jiang Yanzhou and Zhou Li stayed behind Fang Wangru, and Chichangye and Guyao didn't retreat either. Although they never liked the senior student Shi Yanyan, finding trouble twice in a row was annoying. However, she was still a student of Tianfu Academy, and their stance now was united.
Tian Feiyang felt anxious, worrying that the opposing forces might really act against Tianfu Academy. Tian Ru observed this and thought those people simply failed to obtain any treasures and were taking out their frustration on Shi Yanyan. Alternatively, they might believe she held some clue. She reassured Tian Feiyang, "Don't worry. Although Tianfu Academy's reputation isn't great, it's not an easy target."
As Tian Ru spoke, a sword light approached from above, and a voice echoed, "Who dares to harm people from our academy? Let me handle this."
The voice caused many to pale, but the Tianfu Academy members relaxed. Although Gu Yao and Chichangye hadn't seen this senior before, judging by his appearance, they guessed his identity – the mysterious dean of the academy, a rare Golden Core cultivator in the Tianlin Continent. With him present, Tianfu Academy stood unbeatable.
"Let's go!"
A crisis was effortlessly resolved. Fang Wangru sneered at it, glancing back at Shi Yanyan, who had a poisonous look in her eyes. Uncertain whether to pity the sole survivor of the Shi family, he sighed, "The cultivation world has always been survival of the fittest. The Stone City Merchant Guild adheres to this principle. Your father said he avenged the grudges of the Stone family. He only hopes you survive. Take care of yourself. Seeking revenge on your own? It's as difficult as reaching the sky."
While Tianfu Academy could protect Shi Yanyan temporarily, it couldn't ensure her safety for a lifetime. Internal discord existed within the academy, and Shi Yanyan's previous behavior had offended many. Facing hostility upon returning to the academy was common.
Shi Yanyan lowered her head, tears falling. The ground in front of her blurred. Now, she experienced a humility she had never known.
After the crisis was averted, the dean disappeared. The Tianfu Academy group was safe. Even the Qianxue Sect, in opposition to Tianfu Academy, didn't confront Fang Wangru. They left quickly with their disciples.
After tending to Shi Yanyan's injuries, Guyao and the others set out. During a rest, Chichangye, who had gone hunting, brought back a black kitten, casually giving it to Gu Yao to take care of. The kitten had eerie green eyes that unsettled those who looked at it. Jiang Yanzhou shook his head, and Zhou Li joked, surprised that Chichangye had such a compassionate side. It seemed like a recently born kitten, perhaps with some developmental issues. Taking care of it as a pet would be troublesome, let alone expecting it to be helpful as a spiritual beast in the future.
Gu Yao held the black kitten and smiled. In others' eyes, his innocent appearance matched well with the kitten.
However, when Gu Yao and the black kitten locked eyes for a moment, an evaluating look appeared in his eyes. Even if he didn't fully understand Chichangye, he could grasp some aspects. Big Brother Night wouldn't genuinely keep a regular kitten as a pet; the only possibility was that this kitten was extraordinary.
The black kitten seemed truly ordinary, but as Gu Yao shifted his gaze away, he caught a glimpse of mockery in its eyes. When he looked back, there was nothing. Was it a trick of the eye, or did he experience a hallucination?
Gu Yao's eyes lit up with extreme joy, displaying a fondness for the kitten. He reached out, touched the cat's claws, squeezed the soft flesh, and even rubbed its tender belly from head to tail. He didn't spare the tail either. This time, he was certain he saw a spark of anger in the kitten's eyes. Ha! It dared to challenge him? Ultimately, it was just a little cub, still tender!
During breaks along the way, Gu Yao would refine his pair of magical swords. Jiang Yanzhou and the others could tell that it was the harvest from the secret location in the Stone family. Sitting in a circle, they exchanged their unused gains. Chichangye traded a water-type magical sword for a piece of thunder-type ore with which he could enhance his sword's quality. This way, the journey wasn't without gains.
After integrating the thunder-type ore, Chichangye's sword upgraded from a middle-grade to a top-grade magical weapon.
Safely returning to Tianfu Academy, Gu Yao and Chichangye bid farewell to the others. Shi Yanyan was taken by Fang Wangru for other arrangements. At the very least, she needed a place to recuperate; they couldn't just leave her aside.
Tian Feiyong and Little Fatty were overjoyed to see them back, as they had heard many dangerous rumors about the journey. It was said that many well-known cultivators in the Tianlin Continent had fallen, and several had died.
"We met your brother, and this is what he gave you. We have a separate share as well." Gu Yao handed the portion meant for Little Fatty.
Tian Feiyong was excited, holding the storage bag. Regretfully, he couldn't meet his big brother, but considering his own situation, he felt it was better this way. With Auntie protecting his big brother, he would surely grow smoothly, and they would reunite in the future.
"Gu Yao, why did you bring back a kitten? And an all-black one, with those eerie green eyes that can scare people in the dark." Tian Feiyong temporarily set aside his emotions, captivated by the black kitten crouching nearby, arrogantly raising its small head.
Little Fatty also noticed and was about to reach out to touch the little fellow. Gu Yao lifted it up, pointing at Tian Feiyong and Little Fatty, introducing the kitten, "See, this is Second Brother Tian, and this is Little Fatty. You have to call him Big Brother Fatty. In the future, you can't be rude and scratch people randomly, understand? Otherwise, hehe!"
Gu Yao coldly laughed, threatening the kitten. Its fur bristled, and its tail stood up. Tian Feiyong chuckled, "Hey, this little kitten seems quite fierce. Alright, alright, I understand. Big Brother Fatty and I will go easy on you."
"Can we change the title?" Little Fatty protested.
"No, I think this title suits well." Tian Feiyong rejected.
"What's its name?" Little Fatty pointed to the black kitten. Although the little black cat looked weak and seemed like it could be easily pressed down with just a finger, having a pet in the courtyard was still excellent. The place was spacious, and it wouldn't cost much to maintain. Keeping a spiritual beast would be much more expensive.
"Big Brother Night, what should we call it?" Gu Yao looked up at Chichangye beside him. After all, Chichangye was the one who brought the kitten back, and it had been meowing throughout the journey.
Chichangye's eyes flashed with a smile. He said, "Let's just call it 'Kitten.'"
"Meow!" The kitten bristled, protesting vehemently. What kind of lousy name was that?
However, the kitten had no say. Gu Yao, Chichangye, and Tian Feiyong unanimously agreed on this name. Tian Feiyong even gave it a cute "Zaizai" nickname, making Gu Yao burst into laughter.
Carrying the seemingly lifeless kitten into the inner courtyard, Gu Yao looked at the dejected little fellow and asked, "Big Brother Night, can we talk about it now? Is this little guy possibly hatched from that black egg? What's the origin of that black egg?"
Chichangye then explained the unusual situation at that time and took out the torn storage bag from his body. "I have no idea when it hatched, maybe attracted by something in the secret place, it ran in. Later, I found several pieces of poisonous stones inside were also gone, probably absorbed by it. Regarding its origin, I'm skeptical but not sure."
"I suspect it, the Black Abyss, and the Pure Profound Mushroom are all from the Black Abyss. It might be a kind of exotic beast from the Black Abyss. I heard that in ancient times, there was a fierce beast called the Black Nightmare Beast. It had a fierce appearance, scales all over its body, stepped on dark flames, and as an adult, it could dominate an entire domain. It could devour flesh and blood, devour souls, and was adept at weaving dream illusions. It seemed invincible."
Chichangye described and observed the kitten. He noticed its two green eyes turning, seemingly showing a triumphant look, and continued, "The Black Nightmare Beast has long been extinct, only existing in legends. This little thing definitely has nothing to do with the Black Nightmare Beast. Perhaps it's just a beast with some special abilities and bloodline."
"Meow!" The kitten angrily raised its claws at Chichangye.
Chichangye flicked his finger, flipping it under the table. The kitten made a purring sound in frustration. After expending some effort, it climbed back onto the table. It hissed at Chichangye, showing its small sharp teeth, but it didn't challenge him again. Then, it softly meowed at Gu Yao a couple of times, and when Gu Yao affectionately pinched its little ears, the kitten cleverly lay in Gu Yao's hands, appearing harmless.
Gu Yao didn't know what to feed it, so he took out two spirit fruits and placed them in front of the kitten. "Eat these as a snack. We'll have a meal together later."
The kitten obediently climbed onto the table and started gnawing on the spirit fruits.
For an ordinary kitten, these spirit fruits would be too much, so from the beginning, when Chichangye brought it back, Gu Yao didn't treat it as a normal kitten. Moreover, when feeding, it would avoid people. Its appetite was much larger than its size.
Thousands of miles away from Tianfu Academy, Tian Feiyang opened the jade bottle his second brother gave him. When he saw what was inside, his heart pounded a few times. Inside was a top-grade Bihua Pill. Immediately after, an expression of ecstasy appeared on his face. With this top-grade Bihua Pill, as long as the spiritual power accumulated enough, he could definitely break through to the seventh layer of Qi Refining.