Wang Xuan couldn't hold back his urge to retaliate; did they really think that extraordinary beings couldn't be killed? However, before taking any action, he wanted to confirm a few things. Was this old wolf in cahoots with the three extraordinary beings? Otherwise, how could it know about the short sword and be so targeted?
Moreover, he wondered if mentioning the white peacock would cause it to hesitate. Wang Xuan truly did not want to resort to his trump card unless absolutely necessary.
"We're just ordinary people. How could we possibly dare to provoke extraordinary beings in the depths of the Secret Realm? Someone must be misleading you," Zhao Qinghan spoke up.
She also informed the Black Horned Beast that they had encountered another extraordinary creature on their way, who was also an enforcer and had assured them of fair enforcement.
"That enforcer discovered that the three extraordinary beings had crossed the line and has gone to pursue them," Zhao Qinghan calmly stated.
Master Ma was skeptical; when had they encountered another enforcer? Soon, he realized that the beautiful female horseman was deceiving the Black Horned Beast.
Upon hearing this, the Black Horned Beast's pupils narrowed, but it remained composed, staring intently at Zhao Qinghan with a terrifying gaze that put immense pressure on her.
"We told it that we were pursued by the three extraordinary beings and barely escaped with our lives. That enforcer guaranteed that if we came to any harm, they would investigate thoroughly," Zhao Qinghan said steadily, showing no fear in the face of an extraordinary creature's scrutiny.
In this life-and-death situation, she remained calm, deceiving a demon was merely a means to ensure her safety and that of Wang Xuan and the white steed.
Wang Xuan did not speak; Zhao Qinghan had said everything that needed to be said. He stood ready, prepared to guard against any sudden attack from the old wolf.
The Black Horned Beast's gaze was icy as it asked, "What did the other enforcer look like?"
"A peacock, over five meters long, with a body as white as snow, surrounded by auspicious light," Zhao Qinghan informed.
She had indeed seen that peacock.
The Black Horned Beast's eyes turned cold as it focused on her, saying, "You are quite astute and composed, daring to threaten me with a powerful demon. That is indeed impressive. However, you do not understand that white peacock; it may act, but it will not provide any verbal guarantees."
It continued, "You see, your heart rate accelerated just now. Furthermore, you collected your thoughts, fearing that my powerful mental strength might perceive the details and capture your fragmented thoughts, realizing that you have not encountered the enforcer's true nature."
The old wolf was cunning, observing carefully, with a high level of vigilance, and had seen through the truth.
Zhao Qinghan wanted to say something, but Wang Xuan signaled for her to say no more and stepped in front of her. This Black Horned Beast was not a benign creature; it could turn hostile at any moment, and it was not easily fooled.
"I understand your stance. The short sword is indeed related to the celestial beings, but I don't quite understand why you are so biased in favor of those three," Wang Xuan spoke, having already deduced that the Black Horned Beast was instigated by the three extraordinary beings against him.
"Is there truly a celestial palace?" the old wolf's eyes flickered with a hint of greed. Its entire body was covered in black fur, over three meters long, sitting in a meditative posture like a human, yet its hostility was palpable.
"There is!" Wang Xuan replied, meeting its gaze. "Only I know about it; I stumbled upon and picked up this short sword by chance. If you want me to take you there, you must not harm anyone among us. Otherwise, I assure you that I won't reveal a single word. I'm quite resolute about that."
The old wolf pretended to think, lowering its dark claws. Just a moment ago, it had genuinely considered attacking them first to subdue them, preventing any complications.
Wang Xuan continued, "That place is very dangerous; I feel that one extraordinary being is insufficient to handle it. But if it's just you, I advise against going there."
"That's alright; I have a nephew who has also broken into the extraordinary realm. He can accompany me," the Black Horned Beast replied nonchalantly. As long as it found the celestial palace, it could take its time exploring.
Wang Xuan's heart raced; he was just testing the waters, and there really was a second extraordinary creature? Fortunately, he hadn't acted hastily.
The old wolf let out a low growl, and not long after, a roar from a beast echoed through the mountains.
Moments later, a wild boar, as large as an armored vehicle, entered the cave. Its black fur stood upright like steel needles, scratching the cave walls and leaving marks.
Master Ma looked at it with a strange expression; this was the wolf's nephew? It was clearly a pig!
"Let's go; lead the way!" the Black Horned Beast stood up, then as if recalling something, spoke bluntly, "First, let me see the short sword."
"Seeing" it was clearly a euphemism for confiscation; would it ever return it once it had it in its possession?
"Can you help me understand why you favor those three and insist on targeting me, an ordinary person? Aren't you afraid that the white peacock will cause you trouble?" Wang Xuan asked as he retrieved the short sword and displayed it for the beast.
"Why? Naturally, it's because I have a connection with their grandfather. You can only blame your bad luck," the old wolf said, unable to tear its gaze away from the short sword. "There are some things I can't see through; it is indeed an ancient artifact."
"As an enforcer, you do not restrain extraordinary beings from crossing boundaries and killing. Is it right to treat me, the victim, this way?" Wang Xuan asked coldly, stepping back and adjusting his angle.
"Whether it's right or wrong is for me to decide. You actively provoke extraordinary beings, creating trouble. As an enforcer, I can naturally correct your mistakes," the Black Horned Beast said with a laugh, turning the truth upside down with an indifferent demeanor.
Master Ma glared, wondering if there was any justice left. Did it want to cover the sky with one hand? As an enforcer, it was utterly dark, inciting his anger!
"So, if I take you to the celestial palace, you still won't spare us?" Wang Xuan moved again, choosing a very advantageous position. He felt it was about time; there was no need to prolong the encounter.
"I'll judge based on your performance. If you show sincerity, I naturally won't harm you. Perhaps you are the chosen ones, and in the celestial palace, you might find great fortune," the Black Horned Beast smiled, not wishing to dash its prey's hopes just yet.
It had already made up its mind; once they arrived, it would simply smash the three of them to pieces with a single claw to prevent any unforeseen events.
"Let's make a deal!" Wang Xuan threw the short sword, feigning hope.
The old wolf caught the short sword in its claw, examining it carefully. The ancient sword body captivated its attention.
Wang Xuan acted swiftly; he activated the silver hairpin in his hand, unleashing a blinding beam of light that slashed forward.
The Black Horned Beast, enraged, tried to dodge but found it too late as the light reached its body. It fought back with all its might, roaring as dark energy surged around it.
However, the white light cleaved through its body, invulnerable, causing it to spray blood everywhere!
The white light did not slow down, piercing through the old wolf and then slicing towards the massive wild boar behind it!
Wang Xuan had deliberately chosen this position to ensure that all three were in a line, thinking that with a single use of the silver hairpin, he might be able to slay both extraordinary creatures.
Puff!
The enormous boar demon, the size of an armored vehicle, was struck and split in half, blood gushing everywhere.
"Roar!"
Though the black horned beast had been cleaved in two, it was not yet dead. A bright glow surged from its flesh as it lunged at Wang Xuan.
However, in an instant, a white energy surged between it and the boar's split body, accompanied by the roar of a tiger. A phantom of a white tiger roared, tearing them apart!
The black horned beast and the boar demon met a grisly end, leaving blood and chunks of flesh scattered everywhere.
Master Ma stared in shock, feeling it hard to believe. Was the horseman really this powerful? With a mere wave, he annihilated two transcendent monsters—how terrifying!
Zhao Qinghan covered her mouth in surprise; she couldn't believe how easily the two demons had been slain!
Wang Xuan sighed, looking down at the silver hairpin in his hand. He could only use it twice in total, and he had already squandered one use.
However, remembering that this hairpin had come from his foe, having been tricked from the hands of the White Tiger Demon Immortal, he felt quite pleased. Using his enemy's treasure to defeat them gave him a sense of accomplishment.
"Don't look at me; this is a killing tool sent by the white tiger nurtured by the red-clothed demon immortal," Wang Xuan said candidly, then urged, "Search for loot, and let's hurry and leave!"
After all, this was the lair of a demon; one could never tell when other transcendent creatures might come to visit.
"Hey, there's an ancient map here with many patterns. It looks like a monster is swallowing the essence of the sun and moon, and there's a visualization chart that seems to depict a different kind of cultivation method," Zhao Qinghan found an intriguing map.
Upon hearing this, Master Ma became excited and rushed over, eagerly peering at it.
"Let's leave first!" Wang Xuan picked up a piece of the boar leg and grabbed the two ruined hind legs of the black horned beast. It was not easy to leave behind some large chunks of flesh after the silver hairpin's massacre.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The trio vanished without a trace!
Soon, the stench of blood attracted various wild beasts, their roars filling the air as the blood-soaked remnants of the transcendent monsters triggered a fierce feeding frenzy among the creatures.
On a quiet peak, Zhao Qinghan was speechless. The old wolf that had just threatened them was now being skinned by Wang Xuan, its hide washed clean by the spring before being roasted!
"Here, eat while it's hot! This is transcendent flesh, a great supplement!" Wang Xuan wrapped a few pieces of prime meat in lotus leaves and handed them to Zhao Qinghan.
He then tossed a wolf leg to Master Ma and began to eat a piece of pig leg meat followed by a bite of wolf leg meat himself.
"The best way to honor our demon enemies is to bury them and digest them," Wang Xuan remarked, finding the transcendent meat incredibly delicious and filling him with appetite.
Zhao Qinghan was astonished, saying, "This flavor seems... truly exquisite. If we bring it back to the New Star and have a top chef cook it, as a transcendent ingredient, it would definitely become the most famous delicacy."
Meanwhile, deep within the Secret Realm, in the ruins of the Earth Immortal City, siblings Zhong Qing and Zhong Cheng were chewing on transcendent rat jerky. Although it tasted decent, they were grimacing as if they were at a punishment site, eyes closed as they ate.
Every time they thought about it being rat meat, they felt somewhat nauseous. However, recalling Old Zhong's admonition that it was a great supplement, they had no choice but to steel themselves and swallow it.
"Absolutely must not let anyone familiar see us!" the two muttered.
In the distance, the three transcendent beings, Xiong Kun and others, were all smiling, waiting for good news from the black horned beast.
"The black horned beast is powerful, and it has many subordinate beasts; it should have discovered and dealt with those two men and one woman by now. What a pity about that short sword."
"The mystical fog is even more precious; it can reshape one's roots and truly reverse fate. We must obtain it!"
They chatted casually, feeling quite relaxed.
Wang Xuan said his farewells, "You all take care and stay safe. I'm heading to the land of the dead, preparing to advance into the transcendent realm. When the time comes, I'll be able to go deeper into the Secret Realm."
Master Ma hurried after him, wagging its tail, mouth open, tongue out, wearing a silly horse-like grin.
Wang Xuan was taken aback, momentarily mistaking it for a husky.
It quickly dawned on him that Master Ma was reminding him not to forget to collect demon fruits; it wanted to become a transcendent horse!
"Alright, I'll remember to pick some for you. Take care of Qinghan!"
Master Ma nodded vigorously, grinning widely. It was looking forward to the horseman's return with the rarest demon fruits. It wanted to evolve and join the horseman in charging toward the depths of the Secret Realm, where it could trample transcendent beings!
"Be careful, safety first!" Zhao Qinghan reminded him, watching him leave.