If it were any other cultivation technique, such a feat would have been impossible. However, Xiao Zhitian's cultivation no longer belonged to this world.
With Xiao Zhitian's Dou Qi supporting her, the ethereal light erupting from Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils intensified once more. The light gradually condensed into tiny flower-shaped imprints, which slowly engraved themselves onto Bai Ya's enormous serpent head.
"Impossible! I am a Tier 6 Magical Beast! Aaaah—!"
Bai Ya's violent struggles weakened rapidly. In the end, its massive body trembled once before collapsing to the ground, completely motionless.
Moments later, Bai Ya opened its eyes again. The ferocity and madness that once filled its gaze when facing Qing Lin had completely vanished, replaced by obedience and docility.
Xiao Zhitian withdrew his Dou Qi.
At the same time, Qing Lin's body swayed before going limp, falling forward.
Xiao Zhitian reacted instantly, catching her in his arms before she hit the ground. He swiftly took out a pill and fed it to her.
"Qing Lin!"The Little Fairy Doctor hurried over, worry filling her eyes as she looked at Qing Lin, who was now being held in a princess carry.
"She's fine," Xiao Zhitian said calmly after checking her condition. "She just overexerted herself and fainted. She'll wake up soon."
Hearing this, the Little Fairy Doctor finally breathed a sigh of relief, the tension in her eyes fading away.
About a minute later, Qing Lin slowly opened her eyes. Her voice was weak, yet filled with excitement.
"Young Master… I succeeded. I didn't let you down."
"I always believed you could do it," Xiao Zhitian said gently. "You did perfectly. Young Master is proud of you."
Attempting to subdue a Tier 6 Magical Beast as a mere Dou Zhe required not only talent, but tremendous courage. Such praise was well deserved.
"Hehe~"
Qing Lin giggled foolishly as she nestled into Xiao Zhitian's arms.
Xiao Zhitian looked at her with indulgent affection. After all, she was his personal maid—no matter how silly she acted, he would continue to spoil her.
"Young Master, you can put me down now. I've recovered."
Xiao Zhitian gently set her down.
"Young Master, can Qing Lin have some medicine for him?" she asked softly.
Xiao Zhitian immediately understood her meaning. A jade bottle appeared in his hand.
"This is a Tier 4 pill, the Revival Pill. Give it to him, and he'll recover."
"Thank you, Young Master!"
Qing Lin happily hugged Xiao Zhitian's arm before turning toward the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor.
"Come here."
Bai Ya obediently slithered over.
Looking at the massive serpent, Qing Lin frowned slightly.
"Can you shrink a bit? You look too scary like this."
Bai Ya immediately reduced its size to around two meters. Its wings vanished, and its body coiled neatly, resembling a king cobra from the modern world.
Qing Lin opened the jade bottle and poured out the pill.
Bai Ya opened its mouth obediently, and Qing Lin tossed the pill inside.
Soon after, Bai Ya's wounds visibly healed. Broken serpent scales fell away, replaced by new, glossy ones.
Satisfied, Qing Lin waved her hand and directly stored the Eight-Winged Black Serpent Emperor into her pupil space.
So it really was male, Qing Lin thought quietly. No way I'm letting him coil around my arm like the Fire Spirit Snake. The Fire Spirit Snake is female. I only belong to Young Master—no other male things are allowed to touch me.
"Hehe~ Young Master, I'm done."
Qing Lin skipped back to Xiao Zhitian's side.
Xiao Zhitian smiled and nodded.
"Old Shui, wake her up."
Shui Ye lightly tapped Lü Man's neck with his finger.
"Where am I…? Am I dead…?"
Lü Man slowly opened her eyes, her consciousness hazy.
She tried to move, but intense pain surged through her body.
"Hiss… it hurts so much. I'm not dead? Bai Ya—where is Bai Ya?!"
"You should worry about yourself first."
Xiao Zhitian's calm voice entered her ears.
"You're still alive for now. Whether you remain alive depends on your choice."
Lü Man turned her head and finally noticed the five black-robed figures standing nearby. One of them clearly radiated the aura of a Dou Huang, yet the leader was the young man who had just spoken.
Her heart sank into despair.
She stopped struggling entirely and lay flat on the ground.
"Do whatever you want. Kill me, flay me—I can't escape anyway."
"I can give you a chance to live," Xiao Zhitian said indifferently. "Whether you take it is up to you."
He had no particular desire to kill this woman. In the original timeline, regardless of her motives, Lü Man had treated Qing Lin fairly well.
"If you want me as your subordinate, don't bother," Lü Man said coldly. "I can only ever belong to the Heavenly Serpent Mansion."
She closed her eyes, waiting quietly for death, though the slight trembling of her eyelashes betrayed her fear.
"You're admirable," Xiao Zhitian said. "I'll let you go—but you must do one thing for me. It will not harm the Heavenly Serpent Mansion."
Lü Man opened her eyes again.
"What is it?"
"My faction will soon establish itself in the Black-Corner Region. I need your Heavenly Serpent Mansion to provide internal information on the other factions there."
Lü Man fell silent, her eyes flickering as she carefully weighed the condition.
"I can agree," she finally said, "but I won't give you any information about the Heavenly Serpent Mansion itself."
"That's acceptable," Xiao Zhitian nodded. "However, for safety, I will place a mark on your soul. If you betray me, I will detonate it. If you complete your task, I will remove it."
"…Fine."
Lü Man did not resist. Compared to death, this condition was more than reasonable.
Xiao Zhitian used his soul power to wrap a strand of strange flame and spiritual lightning, sending it directly into Lü Man's sea of consciousness. A faint mark formed upon her soul before slowly vanishing.
This mark could only be detected by cultivators whose soul power had reached the Spirit Realm or above.
"Don't try to have anyone remove it," Xiao Zhitian said coldly. "The moment an external force touches it, it will explode."
"I understand."
Though Lü Man was curious about Bai Ya's fate, she didn't dare ask. From Xiao Zhitian's words, she could roughly guess that Bai Ya had not died.
Shui Ye released the restraints.
Lü Man stood up, swallowed a healing pill from her storage ring, then cupped her hands toward Xiao Zhitian and the others.
Without another word, she summoned her wings and flew away at full speed, as if something terrifying were chasing her.
After everything was settled, Shui Ye walked over to Xiao Zhitian.
"Hall Master," he asked calmly, "should we pay a visit to the Mo Family's treasure vault and scripture pavilion?"
A Note to My Readers – The Rise of Xiao Batian
Dear readers,
I have an exciting update to share! From this chapter onward, our beloved hero Xiao Zhitian will officially be known as Xiao Jietian, the Heaven Smiting. This change reflects his growth, his rising power, and the authority he now commands as he continues his journey.
The name "Xiao Jietian" carries meaning: "Ba" represents dominance and supremacy, while "Tian" signifies heaven itself. Together, the name embodies the strength, ambition, and unstoppable presence that our hero has cultivated throughout the story.
All previous chapters that mention Xiao Zhitian should now be read as referring to Xiao Jietian. His personality, his deeds, and the moments you've loved remain unchanged; only his title and name have been elevated to match his new status.
Thank you for following this journey with me. I hope you continue to enjoy the adventures, challenges, and triumphs of Xiao Jietian, the Heaven Smiting, as he rises even higher and carves his path through destiny.
— The Author DreamLotus