"I find that no matter what it is, once it's connected to your Zhao family, things always go off course in the end!"

Upon leaving the Monument Forest, under the guidance of Zuo Xiaoluo, Zhao Yi and his group quickly located the restriction that trapped Miaoyin Zhenren.

Zhao Yi was initially prepared to directly break the restriction, but Miaoyin Zhenren said the timing wasn't right; the formation was best broken at the third quarter of noon.

So Zhao Yi and the others could only wait outside.

After hearing about Zhao Yi and the others' recent encounters, Miaoyin Zhenren saw the divine beast Taotie, acting like a goon of the landlord's house—standing improperly, sitting improperly, shouting orders—and his lips twitched violently before he uttered the above words.

The lunatics of the old Zhao family always have the ability to turn the originally serious atmosphere into something bizarre and strange.

Zhao Yi's expression didn't look good either.

This failed pet acquisition experience reminded him of some unpleasant memories.

It was not long ago, one evening, Zhao Yi went through a major life transition.

But throughout the process, Yao Qing had the upper hand.

In the end,

Zhao Yi couldn't even tell if he was the aggressor or the victim!

The divine beast before him was the same.

Looking at Taotie, Zhao Yi was speechless at heart.

Zhao Yi couldn't figure it out.

Was it he who tormented Taotie, or Taotie that disgusted him?

Miaoyin Zhenren was equally speechless.

After contemplating for a while, she said, "In the ancient texts within the temple, there's no record related to this encounter with Taotie's reincarnation. In previous records, Taotie mostly hatched from eggs, and some recorders of the ancient texts had even seen the birth of Taotie with their own eyes."

Zhao Yi asked, "So what's the current situation with this guy?"

Miaoyin Zhenren didn't answer immediately but asked, "You mentioned before that you sensed something inside the grand hall, but Zuo Xiaoluo said the door to the hall was fake and behind it was a mountain?"

Zhao Yi nodded, "That's right."

Zhao Yi grew up together with Miaoyin Zhenren, who was, in a way, the person he trusted the most.

When faced with a problem, the first person he thought of to seek help from was always Miaoyin Zhenren.

Miaoyin Zhenren pondered briefly and said, "As you used to say, our General Zuo Luo is nothing but a hopeless romantic. Her heart's practically tied to you; she definitely wouldn't lie. So, she likely really couldn't sense anything!"

After saying this, Miaoyin Zhenren asked Zhao Yi, "Are you sure you didn't sense it wrong?"

Zhao Yi said with certainty: "Absolutely not!"

Miaoyin Zhenren nodded in acknowledgment without saying more.

Zhao Yi's knack for finding money outside was something she'd observed since childhood. Having witnessed so many peculiar things, Miaoyin Zhenren was no longer surprised.

Since Zhao Yi said he sensed something in the hall, that something must be extraordinary!

Miaoyin Zhenren thought for a moment and suddenly exclaimed, "I have a bold hypothesis!"

"What?" Zhao Yi asked.

Miaoyin Zhenren explained: "According to you, Taotie's current method of nurturing is indeed odd. What was once merely a sacrificial ceremony to open the door has now been used by it as a tool for reincarnation."

Zhao Yi inquired, "What does that indicate?"

"It indicates that it encountered danger!" Miaoyin Zhenren spoke with fiery determination.

"All creatures have the instinct to seek fortune and avoid danger, and Taotie is no exception!"

"According to previous ancient texts, the best way for Taotie's reincarnation is to hatch from an egg."

"Yet now, it has abandoned the best conditions and instead chosen to transform directly during the sacrificial ceremony, and you all never even entered the grand hall throughout!"

"Hence, I speculate that Taotie's hall was occupied by something, and Taotie was driven out by it, ending up possessing the inscriptions on the door."

"When that girl Linglong orchestrated the sacrifice by that young monk to activate the inscriptions, Taotie's will was awakened and thus directly nurtured into reincarnation!"

After listening, Zhao Yi slightly nodded: "Your hypothesis, though bold, does make some sense. In this way, it also explains why I can sense the existence of something, while Zuo Xiaoluo only sensed a mountain."

At this point, Zhao Yi looked at Miaoyin Zhenren and said, "That something inside the hall has shielded itself from external perception. If I didn't have a special sense for treasures, I might not have discovered its existence."

Miaoyin Zhenren nodded: "You're right; that's what I thought too."

Suddenly, Zhao Yi looked toward the distance where Taotie was preparing to cut its own chest meat for a hotpot and asked Miaoyin Zhenren: "Should we ask Taotie, it might know the origin of that thing!"

Miaoyin Zhenren shook her head: "Asking it is useless! According to the ancient texts, each time Taotie reincarnates, it loses all its memories, retaining only some particularly deep memory fragments. If you ask it now, it surely won't be able to answer!"

Zhao Yi looked deep into his eyes at Taotie and whispered: "What should we do with that thing, just kill it?"

Kill it?

Miaoyin Zhenren was a bit surprised at Zhao Yi, asking in wonder: "Aren't you fond of collecting odd and bizarre things? Taotie is an Ancient Divine Beast; having one with you would be so magnificent when you go out!"

Zhao Yi shook his head gravely: "I have a premonition that this Taotie is a harbinger of misfortune. If I keep it by my side, it will surely backfire on me!"

"Is it that serious?" Miaoyin Zhenren looked confused.

"Although Taotie is a vicious beast, naturally greedy and cunning, in Shengjing City, it wouldn't dare act recklessly even with ten times the courage!"

"I believe Taotie's inherited fragments might carry the memory of how the previous Taotie died. Just reading about it in ancient texts makes me uncomfortable; I'm sure Taotie couldn't forget it."

"Unless it wants to experience that again, it wouldn't dare cause trouble in Shengjing City with ten times the courage!"

But Zhao Yi still shook his head.

He said solemnly, with earnest seriousness: "I'm not referring to safety concerns, but rather issues concerning my reputation!"

Zhao Yi watched from afar as the Taotie, a mythical creature, jumped directly into the pot, preparing to stew itself for hot pot, and his eyelids twitched violently.

"I have a bad feeling about this!"

"If that thing stays with me, I'll be ruined sooner or later!"

Zhao Yi finished speaking and looked hopefully at Miaoyin Zhenren: "Haven't you always wanted the exotic beasts I have? I'll give this Taotie to you, take it away!"

Miaoyin Zhenren's mouth twitched hard.

"Boundless Celestial Venerable!"

She uttered a spiritual title, looking solemnly dignified, "Crown Prince, please don't joke with me! Taotie is an Ancient Divine Beast, only those destined can possess it. As the legitimate royalty, shouldn't the Crown Prince enjoy this Divine Beast?"

"You guys still talk about legitimacy?" Zhao Yi nearly laughed in anger.

"Father hasn't even abdicated, yet you handed me the Crown Prince title and the succession edict."

"It had to be a huge rainy day when you forced the old chief of the Observatory to see the Ziwei Star Movement."

"The emperor isn't dead, yet the Ziwei Star moved first, and now you tell me about royal legitimacy?"

Miaoyin Zhenren maintained a composed face, holding a whisk in one hand, chanting incessantly, demonstrating the solemn aura of an enlightened master.

Doesn't Xuanzhen Temple fear being ruined by that Taotie?

Anyway, she was determined not to relent.

Zhao Yi rolled his eyes irritably.

He glanced around, then lowered his voice suddenly: "What do you think about dumping it halfway?"

"Boundless Celestial Venerable!"

Miaoyin Zhenren looked down at Zhao Yi, her tone full of compassion, "Crown Prince, absolutely not! This beast is ferocious, bloodthirsty, and eats humans! If we abandon it carelessly, it could cause disaster, please reconsider!"

Zhao Yi raised an eyebrow, looked at Miaoyin Zhenren, and made a throat-slitting gesture.

Miaoyin Zhenren ignored him this time.

No matter how unsuccessful that Taotie looks, it's still a legendary Divine Beast.

Such exotic beasts usually have fortune on their side.

Not to mention whether it can be killed and how much it costs to do so.

Simply to kill a beast with great fortune might cause a retribution that's unbearable for ordinary people!

Do you really think there are no divine punishments in this world?

Miaoyin Zhenren looked at Zhao Yi and solemnly reminded:

"Xuanzhen Temple and the Imperial Clan Court have studied for years, summarizing the keys to breaking through Tier Ten Void Realm. The most important is fortune and karma!"

"Fortune is elusive and indeterminate."

"As for karma, the simplest way is to commit fewer killings, avoid causal entanglements. Remember!"

Zhao Yi listened to Miaoyin Zhenren's serious speech and solemnly nodded.

"I'll remember!"

After he said this, he sighed again.

This hot potato can't be easily shaken off!

Looking at the Taotie, Zhao Yi suddenly started to miss Su Qianqian.

Su Qianqian, like Taotie, only brings trouble to him.

But Su Qianqian has one good point.

That is when Zhao Yi doesn't need her, she absolutely makes sure Zhao Yi cannot find her!

Unlike this Taotie in front of him.

Always making itself conspicuous.

Zhao Yi had never seen a creature with a stronger presence than this beast!

Zhao Yi reminisced about the times when he deliberately disgusted Su Qianqian.

He didn't expect the Taotie to repay him in kind for every moment.

Karma indeed!

As Zhao Yi was pondering, he saw the Taotie clutching a big bowl with its front claws, coming towards him.

The Taotie held up the bowl in front of Zhao Yi, like offering a treasure: "Master, try this hot pot soup I made, cooked with my body, the flavor is absolutely exquisite!!"

Zhao Yi looked at the dark soup and his mouth twitched violently.

Divine tasting soup made with its own body.

Isn't that just its bathwater?

Zhao Yi suspected the Taotie was deliberately making him sick, and he had evidence!

Zhao Yi took a deep breath, struggling to control his emotions.

He forced a smile, spoke sincerely: "Taotie brother, you're an Ancient Divine Beast, and I'm just an ordinary mortal. If you don't mind, let's treat each other as equals, don't call me master, I can't bear it!"

The Taotie seemed not to understand, dog-like, holding the dark soup with its paws, insisting Zhao Yi drink.

ps: Twenty thousand words in place! Please bookmark, continue reading!

pps: That's all for today, everyone rest early, good night.

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