At the edge of the forbidden zone, rear mountain of Qingxu Temple, outside the secret chamber Xiaoqi chose for secluded cultivation.
Moonlight like water, quietly flowing between mountains and forests, stretching the shadows of rocks and ancient trees long and thin. The daytime noise of sect reconstruction had long since faded here. Only the chirping of night insects and the gurgling of mountain streams wove together into a serene nocturnal melody.
The secret chamber's stone door tightly closed, talismanic patterns flowing on its surface, sealing inside from outside. Seven full days had passed since Xiaoqi entered with the reforged "Universe Pot." Within, aura sometimes deep and still as an abyss, sometimes with traces of blazing sword intent and warm cyan light leaking out, clearly in a crucial period of consolidating cultivation and digesting these gains.
Just outside this closed stone door, on a cyan stone illuminated by moonlight, a fluffy snow-white figure was curled up.
It was precisely that rabbit spirit with an extraordinary bond to Xiaoqi.
It was nothoping lively as usual nor curiously looking around with ruby-like eyes. At this moment, it only quietly lay there, but its two long ears like the most vigilant sentinels stood tall, slightly turning, catching any unusual sounds around. In those red eyes, the usual clever liveliness was gone, replaced by an almost devout focus and worry.
It remembered very clearly. Remembering that youth whose body carried an aura making it feel comfortable and secure, how he was found among Xulan Manor's ruins. Remembering how clumsily he used that black pot to make delicious food for it. Remembering their chasing and playing in Qingxu Temple's kitchen (though most of the time it was stealing spiritual plants). Remembering in the secret realm how he saved its beloved "grassie" with that warm light and helped teach lessons to the bullies who picked on it. And more clearly remembering that terrifying battle not long ago - the youth covered in blood, yet eyes like burning fire, standing in front of everyone and it.
It didn't understand great Dao struggles, didn't understand sect grievances. It only knew this youth called Xiaoqi was a "partner" it had decided was very, very important. Now its partner was inside, seemed to be working very hard, it wanted to guard here.
Suddenly, the rabbit spirit's ears twitched violently. Its red eyes warily looked toward the left shrubbery. A very faint "rustling" sound came from there, accompanied by a barely perceptible fishy stench.
An Azure Scale Demon Python lurking nearby, attracted by the occasionally escaping pure spiritual energy, was approaching. It sensed the alluring aura coming from within the secret chamber and also saw that seemingly weak and harmless "food" beside the stone door.
A flash of greed in the Azure Scale Demon Python's eyes. Its body arching, like an arrow from a bow shooting out violently, its gaping mouth directly lunging at the rabbit spirit.
At normal times, the rabbit spirit would certainly instantly dodge using its speed far exceeding ordinary rabbits. But at this moment, it glanced back at the closed stone door. A flash of resolve in its red eyes. It did not dodge.
Just as the demon python was about to bite it, the rabbit spirit's seemingly soft fur suddenly stood on end, taking on a barely perceptible jade-colored sheen. It did not attack, only curling its body tighter, as if transforming into a piece of hard jade.
The demon python's fangs struck the rabbit spirit yet actually produced a dull sound like metal striking stone! A rebound force came, dazing the demon python. It stared in disbelief at this ridiculously hard rabbit.
The rabbit spirit was also knocked rolling twice on the cyan stone by this force. Its snow-white fur stained with some dust, but it immediately struggled back up, once again standing before the stone door, baring its two not-very-sharp front teeth at the demon python, making low "whimpering" sounds, trying to scare off this uninvited guest.
It perhaps couldn't defeat this big snake, but it absolutely would not let it disturb the person inside!
The Azure Scale Demon Python was enraged, attacking again. The rabbit spirit no longer stood firm, beginning to rely on its small form and nimble steps to maneuver in the small space before the stone door with the python. It didn't dare leave the stone door too far, fearing other things might slip in while it was away. Its attacks could barely harm the thick-skinned python, could only rely on occasionally hitting its weak points like the seventh vertebra or eyes to interfere.
This vastly unequal guardianship battle, silent yet fierce. Rabbit shadow and snake shadow crossing in the moonlight, claws scraping against scales making harsh sounds. On the rabbit spirit's snow-white fur, blood streaks began appearing. But it never retreated a single step. In those red eyes, the light of determination burned brighter.
Not knowing how long passed, perhaps from prolonged unsuccessful attacks or perhaps from wariness about this place being near Qingxu Temple's core area, the Azure Scale Demon Python finally let out an unwilling hiss, dragging its somewhat weary body, reluctantly retreating into the dark jungle.
The rabbit spirit did not relax until confirming that fishy stench had completely faded. It finally loosened up, collapsing on the cyan stone, breathing heavily. Several wounds on its body burned with pain. It stuck out its pink little tongue, carefully licking its wounds, yet its gaze still on the stone door.
In the following days, similar situations occurred two or three more times. There were poisonous insects attracted by spiritual energy and nocturnal beasts trying to approach. The rabbit spirit relied on its own methods, either standing firm or maneuvering, or using familiarity with the terrain to lead them away, time after time blocking potential threats outside the stone door. Small injuries on its body accumulated one after another. Its snow-white fur also became somewhat gray and dirty, but its guarding posture never changed.
In the gaps between repelling threats, it wasn't idle either. Its innate perception ability, extremely sensitive to natural spiritual things, was exerted to the extreme at this moment.
It quietly left for a while, slipping into the deeper jungle, cliff crevices, even into certain unknown secret spots that perhaps even Qingxu Temple disciples had never discovered.
After a while, it laboriously dragged back a plant with crystal-like leaves, emanating a faint cold aura - Calming Grass - carefully placing it beside the stone door. After another while, in its mouth it held several vermillion, dragon eye-sized Blood Jade Goji Berries, excellent for replenishing qi and blood, gently placing beside the Calming Grass. It also found a piece of warm as jade, warm-to-the-touch Warm Sun Jade, which could dispel cold and stabilize the mind, and several drops gathered on a particular stalactite Stone Marrow Spirit Milk, able to quickly restore spiritual energy.
It gathered these "treasures" it normally couldn't bear to eat and had carefully hidden away, finding them one by one, silently piling them outside Xiaoqi's secluded cultivation stone door. It didn't know exactly how useful these things were, but it could sense these things contained an aura making the body comfortable. It felt the partner inside should be able to use them.
It was like an tireless little guardian spirit, on one side alert to external dangers, on the other silently collecting the best gifts it could find, looking forward to that moment when the stone door would open.
Tonight, the moonlight was especially bright. The rabbit spirit still lay on the cyan stone, wounded, fur stained with dust, but beside it neatly arranged were various spiritual herbs, fruits, and strange stones it had gathered these days. Its ruby-like eyes, unblinking, gazing at that closed stone door, filled with anticipation and a barely perceptible exhaustion.
It used its own clumsy yet sincere way to guard the partner it considered most important.
Night wind blew, bringing coolness from distant mountains, yet could not disperse that silently flowing warmth and perseverance in this small space.