I Have a Golden Crow

Du Yu had fully prepared himself mentally for how long the journey would be.

It was just that this southbound search was far more dangerous than he’d imagined.

Along the way, they ran into quite a few Youhan squads, and everyone could clearly sense that the Youhan Army was redeploying its forces.

Luckily, with Senior Brother Fu and Qing Yi and Hua Dan around, the group was able to detect the Youhan squads’ presence and movements in advance.

Du Yu and the others spent the whole way dodging left and right, avoiding the enemy’s edge, struggling forward toward the southern region.

With all the stopping and starting, they really did lose a lot of time.

Of course, if it kept them from drawing the enemy’s attention, then it was all worth it.

Very soon, mid‑February arrived, and Du Yu and his group finally reached the long‑awaited seashore.

”Splash...”

The waves surged, pounding endlessly against the sea cliffs, throwing up huge sprays of water.

The Cyan Sect crowd stood atop the high sea cliff, staring at the vast ocean, and at the canopy of gray mist that blanketed the sky.

From here, the so‑called ”meeting of sea and sky” was unusually clear: the sky’s gray and the sea’s deep blue were sharply divided.

”Whoosh!”

Another wave rolled in, tossing up a towering wall of water.

”That’s vicious.” Du Yu said, walking to the edge of the cliff and gazing into the distance.

”We’d better fly a bit higher later.” Li Mengnan came to stand beside him. Looking at the churning sea, she couldn’t shake the unease in her heart.

”Yeah.” Lin Shiwei also stepped forward a few paces. ”The demon beasts in the sea probably didn’t escape either.”

Gray mist was constantly drifting down from the sky, slowly falling onto the ocean, but it didn’t form a blanket on the surface—instead, it melded into the seawater.

Under those conditions, the creatures living in the sea should have turned into cold beasts as well.

Fu Jianzhou, standing a bit behind, had just recalled his beloved Wolf Lake Dog, then turned his head to look at the trio standing at the cliff’s edge.

”They really are a good match.” Suddenly, a pair of beautiful eyes appeared in front of him. Bai Lan’s voice was gentle, and her gaze brimmed with laughter.

”Yeah.” Fu Jianzhou looked at the three backs and couldn’t help wearing a smile too.

The funny thing was, the smiles on this man and woman were remarkably similar.

They both had that kind of ”auntie watching CP” grin?

Only, compared to Bai Lan’s pure appreciation, Fu Jianzhou’s feelings had a bit more weight to them.

In this dim, crisis‑ridden Ashen World, the presence of Du Yu and his companions was practically a ray of dawn.

Especially Li Mengnan—every frown or smile of hers was so bright and arresting, it really felt like she was radiating holy light.

Wherever she passed, the way the gray mist scattered looked as if she were purifying this filthy world.

”Let’s go, Senior Brother.” Du Yu called, summoning Bai Yujing with a casual motion.

Li Mengnan and Lin Shiwei also summoned Bai Lu and Yiren. Three rare, precious Beautiful Immortal Deer standing together made for an image that was so harmonious and lovely.

Seeing this, Fu Jianzhou couldn’t help a muted laugh.

Good grief~

You call them chubby and they really start wheezing?

You want me to silently chant ”a perfect match” ten thousand times in my heart or what?

”Let’s go.” Fu Jianzhou also summoned the Flying Steed, then leapt up and landed on its back.

Honestly speaking, a Flying Steed, with wings sprouting from its hooves and a pure white body, was also an extremely good‑looking mount.

But in front of the Dust Spirit Immortal Deer... yeah, it really did fall a bit short.

Fortunately, Jade Tiger Roar·Jing Chen galloped alongside. Also a white horse breed, the Flying Steed didn’t seem so lonely.

The whole group rode their various mounts straight into the sky.

”Neigh—!!” Jing Chen could finally cut loose!

Back on land it hadn’t dared to whinny, hadn’t dared to fly.

Now that they were crossing above the sea, everyone was a lot less constrained; they no longer had to worry about drawing the Cold Beast Army’s attention.

As long as they flew high enough, the cold beasts in the sea wouldn’t be able to touch them... at least, that was what Du Yu and the others thought.

Du Yu really liked playing with fire.

He led everyone weaving along just a few meters under the gray cloud‑sea, his posture downright swaggering.

”It’s awfully quiet in that gray mist.” Du Yu’s vision tinted with a pale red as he looked up at the rolling clouds.

”Junior Brother, you can’t just say stuff like that!” Fu Jianzhou said hurriedly.

Du Yu’s expression turned odd. ”What, worried I’ll jinx... ahem.”

He snapped awake mid‑sentence and cut himself off with two coughs.

”Heh.”

”Hehe~” Mengnan and Wei both chuckled softly. With the Burning Sun Golden Crow in his body, Du Yu really did need to watch what he said.

Du Yu’s gaze grew dark as he looked at Fu Jianzhou. ”There are always treacherous subjects trying to harm their emperor.”

Fu Jianzhou: ???

Previously, little junior liked to jokingly call himself ”this king,” and now he wasn’t even bothering to pretend anymore?

”Emperor,” seriously?

Du Yu blinked. ”What’s wrong?”

Fu Jianzhou turned his head away. Faced with this shameless junior brother, he really had nothing left to say.

If some dragon really bursts out of that gray cloud‑sea later, I’ll see how you handle it!

Bai Lan scolded lightly, ”Don’t talk nonsense. You’re the real jinx here!”

Fu Jianzhou: ”...”

I didn’t even say anything!

Also, junior’s already got Mengnan and Shiwei guarding him, and now you’re going to protect him too...

”Hehe~” Bai Lan laughed softly, her voice gentle. ”And you’re not going to protect him?”

Fu Jianzhou opened his mouth, but for a long moment he still couldn’t get any words out.

Of course, he didn’t really need to speak—everything in his heart was already laid bare in Bai Lan’s eyes.

As for Senior Brother Fu and Sister Bai Lan’s private little exchanges, Du Yu was naturally oblivious.

Likewise, no one else knew just how lively it was inside Du Yu’s head.

”Ah~~~” The sudden yawn startled Du Yu!

Right down in the Yongquan Acupoint under Du Yu’s foot, the Ancient Niuniu stretched with a vicious groan, as if finally waking up.

”Kid, where the hell are we now?” Kui Chou’s pair of copper-bell eyes floated before Du Yu’s sight, looking around curiously.

Du Yu answered properly, ”Kui Chou, the Supreme, we’ve reached the seaside and are searching toward the south.”

”Still going south?” Kui Chou cursed, ”Damn, where exactly are you trying to drag me to?”

”They say there’s a chain of islands in the south, we’re going over there to try our luck.” Du Yu replied in his mind.

”Mm.” Kui Chou smacked his lips. ”You better hurry up, kid. I’ve been away from the Mountain Realm for so long already.”

Du Yu curled his lips. I don’t see you being in any rush; didn’t you just sleep like a log?

”Hah?” Kui Chou’s bull-eyes bulged. ”What did you say?”

”I didn’t say... uh.” Du Yu rushed to confess, ”My bad, my bad, Kui Chou, please be magnanimous.”

”Hmph.” Kui Chou snorted, muttering under his breath, ”But I really did sleep damn well.”

Du Yu: ”...”

Kui Chou actually praised him for once: ”This little acupoint of yours is really nice. Cozy! Super cozy.”

”As long as Kui Chou slept well... that’s... good.” Du Yu cut himself off, his brows slightly knitting.

In his field of vision, in the extremely distant clouds at the horizon, a small dot appeared.

Du Yu narrowed his eyes, his pupils growing ever more bright and dazzling.

A few seconds later, Little Fen Yang suddenly popped out: ”Dumb Du Yu, still haven’t seen it clearly? That’s a White Jade Dragon~”

”Damn!” Du Yu carefully observed the thing; sure enough it was a White Jade Dragon, it’s just that the distance between them was so huge its figure looked tiny, tiny.

”What’s wrong, Du Yu?” Li Mengnan immediately asked with concern.

Du Yu pointed ahead. ”There, White Jade Dragon!”

”What?”

”Hm?” Nan and Wei both activated their pupil techniques, pouring all their eyesight to look toward the southern horizon.

However, their pupil techniques couldn’t compare to the Eye of Burning Sun. They couldn’t see it clearly, only make out that there was a small dot racing through the ash-grey mist.

The White Jade Dragon hadn’t discovered them, and it was also moving south.

Bai Lan blamed him, ”You and your jinxed mouth!”

Fu Jianzhou felt utterly miserable. Really is: what you fear is exactly what shows up, huh?

The problem was, this was way too coincidental.

There are plenty of types of Cold Beast; it didn’t have to be a dragon of all things.

”Go!” Du Yu patted Bai Yujing’s back. ”Let’s chase it down.”

Fu Jianzhou asked in confusion, ”Chase it down?”

”Of course!” Du Yu nodded as if it were only natural. ”Wouldn’t having an extra White Jade Dragon escorting us be great?”

Fu Jianzhou raised a brow slightly and turned to glance at the Three Holy Han at the rear of the group.

If it were anyone else running into a Cold Beast Demon Saint White Jade Dragon, they’d probably be scared half to death. People would bolt immediately, wishing their parents had given them two extra pairs of legs.

Unfortunately for it, the Demon Saint White Jade Dragon ran into Du Yu.

Demon Saint?

Top-tier battle power in this world?

Nothing more than a powerful servant.

Forget a Demon Saint— even if a Supreme showed up, the Three Holy Han could still be controlled, you know!

”Right.” Bai Lan seemed to snap out of her old mindset too; all this time, her ideas hadn’t really shifted.

Fu Jianzhou instantly perked up, laughing, ”So I don’t count as a jinx now, do I?”

”Hmph.” Bai Lan laughed and scolded, ”What are you so proud of? It’s all because Xiaoyu is here, isn’t it?”

Fu Jianzhou felt completely numb!

Lin Shiwei spoke softly, ”We’ve been traveling on land for so long, and we haven’t even seen a single Demon Saint.”

Du Yu: ”Cold Beasts that can become Saint Level should be relatively few, right?

The handful of Demon Saints that exist were probably already taken into the Youhan Army’s pocket; only the ocean regions have yet to be touched by the Youhan Corps.”

With everyone consciously steering clear of the Youhan Army, running into a wild Cold Beast Demon Saint really was extremely unlikely.

Li Mengnan’s lips curved up slightly. ”We haven’t even outfitted the Three Holy Han with a Holy Soldier yet, and we’re already getting him a Holy Pet.”

Du Yu nodded repeatedly, unable to keep a smile off his face.

The Three Holy Ministers of Han driving a White Dragon, urging a white steed, fighting south and north for everyone— how gorgeous would that scene be?

Next time they ran into some Youhan Army, they’d just open with a massive show-stopper!

And they really didn’t need to care if the White Jade Dragon lived or died; as long as it’s fun, that’s all that matters~

Li Mengnan: ”So now the Three Holy Han also has a place to cultivate?”

A Saint Level Cold Beast really was equivalent to a walking Demon Spirit Realm.

Of course the Three Holy Han could stay beside the White Jade Dragon, freely absorbing the Cold Qi it emitted and cultivating as he pleased.

Du Yu, however, sighed. ”It’s not that easy to handle. A pollution source this big is pretty much unsuitable anywhere.”

With a White Jade Dragon at his side, the Three Holy Han was happy, but the whole world would be in trouble.

Lin Shiwei suggested, ”Put it inside Master Qing’s Jade Gourd?”

Seems like only putting it in there would keep it from defiling the world.

”Whatever, let’s catch it first!” Du Yu shouted loudly, sounding rather high-spirited and heroic.

Within the Cold Beast group, the Rotten Wood Dragon Fish–White Jade Dragon line was an extremely powerful existence.

When evaluating a Demon Beast, you can’t only look at its Power Tier; you also have to look at its Demon Skill lineup.

The Rotten Wood Dragon Fish clan’s Demon Skill list includes offense, control, and even multiple support and healing skills!

This race is without a doubt a standout within the Beast Race!

If they could get this White Jade Dragon into their bag...

The boost it could provide to Du Yu’s overall battle strength might even surpass him subduing a Holy Soldier!