Whoosh!
Qin Zi turned his head.
He saw a noble young girl in a snow-white palace dress, walking gracefully with a group of people surrounding her like stars encircling the moon.
"Princess Phantom Butterfly?" Qin Zi asked coldly.
The saying goes, 'hit the dog and watch for the owner.' He had just beaten up someone's cat, so naturally, they stood on opposing sides, which was why his attitude wasn't warm.
However, the girl was momentarily surprised, then covered her mouth and laughed. "You've mistaken me for someone else."
"Huh?!"
The cold and stern expression on Qin Zi's face instantly disappeared. His face stiffened, showing a big, awkward "Oops."
"May I ask who you are, then?" Qin Zi cleared his throat, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"My name is Jinghong," the girl said with a smile.
"Princess Jinghong!" Qin Zi was slightly surprised.
He had previously gathered information about the important figures in the Holy Academy, and Princess Jinghong was the only daughter of King Honghu.
What surprised him more was…
These beast clan kings, who had lived for tens of thousands of years without any children, suddenly began having offspring in recent decades. This was puzzling. Could it be they were all having children just to fit his timeline?
Of course, that was a narcissistic thought.
A more plausible reason could be to perfect their bloodlines. After all, as the strength of the parent increases, their bloodline evolves, making the talent of their offspring rise as well.
From a more conspiratorial perspective, it might be related to vying for the so-called "Golden Era," a struggle for the fortune of the times.
At that moment, Princess Jinghong smiled and said, "Young Master Qin, could I trouble you with a favor?"
"No," Qin Zi immediately refused. Even though she was beautiful, that had nothing to do with him.
Doing work for free, especially when you had to bring your own supplies, was something he wouldn't agree to. Unless, of course, he got paid.
"Oh? I haven't even told you what it is yet. Isn't it a bit too early to refuse?" Princess Jinghong laughed softly, covering her mouth.
"I'm not very strong and prefer to live a low-key life, avoiding risky endeavors. I hope you can understand, Princess," Qin Zi replied politely.
"When did I say I was asking you to take a risk?" Princess Jinghong playfully rolled her eyes at him, then pulled out a smooth, white handkerchief and handed it to him. "I heard you're quite close with Sister Bai Lu, and I'd like to trouble you to deliver something to her."
"Huh? That's all?" Qin Zi opened his mouth, feeling a slight twinge of disappointment for some reason.
"What else were you expecting?" Princess Jinghong teased, passing the handkerchief to him.
Qin Zi, half-reluctantly, accepted the handkerchief but still muttered, "Why didn't you just send one of your followers? You've got plenty of them, right?"
"Didn't Princess Phantom Butterfly send one of her followers to invite you? How's that person doing now?" Princess Jinghong said with a mischievous smile.
Qin Zi glanced down at the defeated figure lying at his feet, his face twitching slightly.
He couldn't deny that she had a point.
"Alright! I guess I'll take the loss today and help you out," Qin Zi sighed deeply, adding humbly, "But you don't need to be too formal. There's no need for any magical pills or rare treasures. I'm not that kind of person."
"I know," Princess Jinghong chuckled, covering her mouth.
This…
Qin Zi was left speechless. How could she not pick up on such an obvious hint? Was she missing a few brain cells?
But since she didn't catch on, he couldn't outright ask for anything. After all, he had some pride to maintain.
He could only admit defeat.
"Oh, what a coincidence, Jinghong is here too?"
Just then, a seductive voice rang out, accompanied by a fragrant breeze that seemed to melt bones.
Qin Zi turned to see.
A stunning young girl, surrounded by a nine-colored halo and exuding an enchanting aura, approached with a group of people.
"Princess Phantom Butterfly!"
The moment Qin Zi saw the girl, he immediately guessed her identity. She possessed an extravagant beauty—bold and flamboyant, like a butterfly spreading its wings, unabashed in its charm.
"You must be Qin Zi?" Phantom Butterfly asked, her gaze fixed on him.
"That's me," Qin Zi responded calmly.
Princess Phantom Butterfly glanced at the fallen Lightning Cat Xuanming on the ground and said coldly, "I sent someone to invite you, and you trampled him into the ground. Don't you think that's a bit inappropriate?"
"That's because your way of inviting people is wrong," Qin Zi responded calmly.
"I don't know what instructions you gave him, but the way he acted in front of me wasn't exactly an invitation."
"Perhaps he was a bit arrogant and disrespectful, but regardless, you shouldn't have humiliated him in public!" Phantom Butterfly's tone grew more forceful.
"Oh, 'regardless,' you say?"
Qin Zi let out a sneer and looked at her mockingly.
"Do you think the whole world revolves around you? That others should swallow their pride and endure humiliation, that their dignity doesn't matter, but only your face does? Princess, you sure know how to flaunt your authority!"
His words were sharp, ringing loud and clear.
Princess Phantom Butterfly was initially stunned, her face showing a trace of embarrassment. She took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "You dare defy me?"
"Defy you?"
Qin Zi chuckled mockingly.
"Who do you think you are? You're nothing more than a spoiled brat living off your father's reputation. And you think you can boss me around?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Zi paused for a moment. Those words sounded oddly familiar. Hadn't he just heard them recently?
"You insolent fool!!"
Princess Phantom Butterfly shouted furiously, "You, a mere ant, dare insult me? I won't let you live today!"
Boom!
She extended her snow-white finger toward Qin Zi. Instantly, the air in front of her exploded, and nine-colored light converged into a beam that shot toward him with unstoppable force!
"Damn!"
Qin Zi roared, and brilliant light erupted around him, transforming him into a blazing sun. His aura burned fiercely, solid as iron.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed, with flames erupting like the end of the world, sending shockwaves in all directions.
Crack, crack, crack.
The ground beneath Qin Zi cracked, then shattered as his feet sank into the earth.
Yet, he didn't retreat a single step.
"Hmph!"
At that moment, Princess Phantom Butterfly snorted coldly. Her eyes glowed with nine-colored light, and in an instant, Qin Zi felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
Whoosh!
In that moment, he felt as if the entire world flipped upside down. His consciousness suddenly appeared in a transparent space.
Beneath his feet was what seemed like a lake, though it was incredibly solid, and above his head hung two enormous, nine-colored eyes.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The massive nine-colored eyes descended, as if the sky were collapsing. Under the pressure of their gaze, Qin Zi felt sharp pain in his mind, and his consciousness nearly shattered.
"Dammit, I underestimated her," Qin Zi thought in frustration, realizing now that her cultivation was far beyond his.
He was only at the Four-Tribulation Emperor level, but she was at least a Six-Tribulation Emperor.
On top of that, as the daughter of a Beast Clan King, she not only had a powerful bloodline but had also received the best cultivation resources, making her a peerless prodigy.
In other words, his combat power was at six thousand, but hers was easily above ten thousand!
"Should I use my divine body and Dao bone powers? But if I expose them now, it could create even bigger problems," Qin Zi worried, growing increasingly anxious.
At that moment, he felt incredibly restrained. Here in the Beast Clan's territory, he couldn't use his soul force, nor could he easily reveal his trump cards. Even calling on his master for help wasn't an option.
"Caw!"
Suddenly, a clear cry echoed through the space.
In the transparent void, a massive snow-white bird appeared. With a flap of its wings, the surrounding space shattered like paper, and it opened its mouth, swallowing the illusory space and the gigantic nine-colored eyes.
The Honghu Devours the Heavens!
In the next instant, Qin Zi's consciousness returned to his body, and Princess Jinghong stood between him and Princess Phantom Butterfly, her back to him.
"Sister Phantom Butterfly, Young Master Qin just helped me with a favor. Could you let this matter slide, for my sake?"
Sometimes, the most fantastical stories can still have moments where common sense prevails. I'll occasionally point them out.