"Eh! Isn't this Xiao Ruoxuan, the newly accepted disciple of Shenwei?"
Dao Yuanming only then recognized Chu Ruoxuan. He had also considered taking this kid as a disciple himself, but Shenwei had beaten him to it.
However, back then, he hadn't noticed this peculiar demon陀 residing within him.
"This is troublesome. Although the demon陀's power is not enough to be a threat to us, this kid is Shenwei's disciple. Killing the demon陀 is equivalent to killing this kid. How will I explain this to old man Shenwei then?"
Dao Yuanming found himself in a dilemma.
Seeing this, Mu Qingqing suddenly appeared behind Dao Yuanming and said with a sly smile, "Dean, I have a way to drive this demon陀 back into Chu Ruoxuan's body, but..."
Dao Yuanming looked at Mu Qingqing, who was occupying Xin Ci's body and wearing a cunning, mischievous smile. A bad premonition immediately struck him: "What are you plotting again, you little girl?"
"Nothing much, I just need your help to restrain this demon陀. I'll take care of the rest."
"Although I don't know what 'method' you're talking about, I have a feeling you're up to no good?" Dao Yuanming stared at Mu Qingqing suspiciously.
"How could I be up to no good? This is the perfect moment for you, Dean, to display your divine might and let your beloved students marvel at your incredible prowess," Mu Qingqing said, flattering him.
At these words, Dao Yuanming couldn't help but puff up with pride and laugh heartily, "You little girl, you certainly know how to talk more than Xin Ci. Now, let me show you my peerless demeanor!"
With that, Dao Yuanming leaped into the air and flew to mid-sky.
He extended his finger and traced strange runes in the void. As he finished tracing, the golden runes transformed into a massive cage, trapping the demon陀.
The demon陀, finding itself confined, furiously pounded against the golden cage.
But no matter how it attacked, the golden cage remained unyielding.
After all, this was a technique wielded by a Saint Emperor. Even if the demon陀 was strong, it couldn't break free without reaching the Saint Emperor realm.
Dao Yuanming looked down at Mu Qingqing on the ground and asked proudly, "How was that? Wasn't my technique cool?"
"Dean, you're so cool! But how long can your technique last?"
"As long as I want!"
Dao Yuanming replied with full confidence.
"Amazing, truly amazing, worthy of being the Dean."
Seeing Mu Qingqing applauding and praising him from below, Dao Yuanming suddenly realized something and frowned, "Hey, wait a minute. If it's just to control this demon陀, couldn't you have done it with your chains? Why did you need me? Are you treating me as a tool?"
Realizing he had been tricked by Mu Qingqing, Dao Yuanming glared at her angrily.
Mu Qingqing, however, replied with a cheeky grin, "Dean, you've been mooching off me for food and drinks all this way. Isn't it only right for you to do a little something for your dear student?"
"You little girl, you're so cunning. Xin Ci is still more obedient and well-behaved..." Dao Yuanming grumbled.
Mu Qingqing: "..."
You old gambler, you were just complaining about Xin Ci earlier. Is your face changing that fast?
Mu Qingqing had another purpose for asking Dao Yuanming to intervene.
She wanted to gauge the gap between Saint Emperors. Through her Star Wheel Eyes, Mu Qingqing observed that the technique Dao Yuanming had just used consumed almost no true essence.
Furthermore, his true essence reserves were terrifying, indicating a level of at least five-star Saint Emperor.
No wonder the Ming Emperor Shenwei, known as the closest to the Great Emperor, was friends with Dao Yuanming.
Even if she transformed into a female body and unleashed her one-star Saint Emperor power, she wouldn't be able to contend with Dao Yuanming.
No wonder Dao Yuanming had warned her not to cause trouble in Mingguang City. It seemed the Saint Emperors in Mingguang City were no less formidable than Dao Yuanming.
"Little girl, what was the method you mentioned? Why haven't you acted yet?" Dao Yuanming asked, looking at Mu Qingqing.
Mu Qingqing chuckled, "Don't rush, it'll be done soon."
Then, she suddenly took an iron collar from her spatial ring and approached Chu Ruoxuan, directly fastening it around his neck.
Under the influence of the spirit-sealing collar, Chu Ruoxuan's true essence was sealed.
The giant demon陀 behind him also began to shrink, affected by the spirit-sealing collar, but it didn't disappear entirely.
The demon陀 seemed to sense its power waning and let out an enraged roar.
Unexpectedly, Mu Qingqing suddenly appeared above its head and struck down with her palm.
"What are you roaring about! Get back in there!"
What happened next was bizarre: the giant demon陀 was actually absorbed into Mu Qingqing's palm.
Dao Yuanming, watching from above, was stunned by Mu Qingqing's technique.
Although this demon陀's existence was unusual, it was ultimately just a soul of a Nether God.
Mu Qingqing only needed to use the power of the Myriad Manifestations Star Wheel Scripture to absorb it into her palm and then re-inject it into Chu Ruoxuan's body to resolve the issue.
After this maneuver, the demon陀 on Chu Ruoxuan's body finally returned within him.
However, Chu Ruoxuan was now bleeding from all seven orifices, extremely severely injured.
Dao Yuanming returned to the ground and, seeing Chu Ruoxuan's condition, quickly took out a pill for him to consume, after which his injuries slowly began to heal.
Dao Yuanming looked at the unconscious Chu Ruoxuan and sighed helplessly, "Alas, I'm truly resigned. I, of all people, have to save the disciple of old Shenwei."
"Really? I thought you were planning to extort the Ming Emperor for a good price using this opportunity," Mu Qingqing revealed with a smile.
Cornered, Dao Yuanming feigned a cough.
"Ahem, you little girl, you really are... But I have to admit, you caught me, hehe."
"As expected of you, Dean."
The old man and the young girl exchanged a few teasing remarks.
Mu Qingqing glanced at Dao Yuanming and asked, "Dean, how much longer until we reach Mingguang City?"
"Once we're out of this misty forest, it won't be long. However, before that, we'll have to wait for this kid to wake up," Dao Yuanming replied.
Chu Ruoxuan slept for a night and finally woke up.
As he opened his eyes, he saw Mu Qingqing and Dao Yuanming sitting by the campfire, watching him.
He couldn't help but be startled and instinctively tried to get up, only to find his body immobile and his neck feeling incredibly heavy.
He looked down and saw that an iron collar had appeared around his neck.
Wasn't this a slave collar from the Jingchen Kingdom?
Did these two intend to sell me into slavery?!
Thinking this, Chu Ruoxuan cried out in alarm, "What are you doing? Let me go, I don't want to be a slave!"
Seeing Chu Ruoxuan wake up and utter nonsensical words, Dao Yuanming's face showed a strange smile. He couldn't resist teasing the kid and said with a mock-fierce laugh, "Little brother, you're truly unlucky to have met the two of us. You'll just have to resign yourself to fate, hahaha..."
"You'd better let me go! I'm the Ming Emperor's disciple!"
"The Ming Emperor's disciple, even better! That means you'll fetch a higher price! Hehe!"