"Hey, you ugly monster hiding in the corner, what are you doing?"
The voice echoed clearly in Du Jiuyou's ears.
Du Jiuyou looked around blankly, but upon realizing it was that brat speaking, he felt immensely ashamed.
How could his courage have dwindled so much since the Tongtian Peak incident, to the point of being frightened by a mere child's words?
No.
How could this little girl see him?
She must be talking nonsense.
"Uncle Ugly Monster, are you playing hide-and-seek?"
A'li tilted her small head, her gaze precisely fixed on Du Jiuyou's hiding spot.
Clearly, her words were directed at Du Jiuyou.
"I, a dignified Spirit Saint realm cultivator, can be seen through by a mere brat?"
Du Jiuyou refused to believe it. He immediately circulated his unique mental technique, his form turning into a dense mist as he shifted his position.
In an instant, he had moved to a corner ten meters away.
"You're so stupid. In hide-and-seek, you're supposed to hide where others can't see you. Do you think hiding in a dark corner means I can't see you?"
A'li's little face was filled with disdain.
She usually played hide-and-seek with Tianpeng, Xuan'ao, Ginseng King, and others, all of whom were as cunning as foxes, making her search for a long time.
Now, encountering an uncle who didn't seem very smart, she found it hard to muster any interest.
However, as the house had been quiet these past few days, the little girl felt a bit lonely and decided to humor this ugly uncle.
"You can see me?"
Du Jiuyou's figure finally reappeared. He was certain A'li could see him, so he stopped hiding and walked out openly.
Looking at A'li, he was somewhat surprised.
As expected of a descendant of the Human King Luo family, she indeed possessed some ability.
However, she was just a little girl of five or six. What was there to be afraid of!
"You're such a big person, and I'm not blind, of course I can see you."
A'li dropped the small mud figure she had just molded, her innocent eyes staring as she said, "Uncle Ugly Monster, why are you sneaking into our house?"
Ugly Monster?
Du Jiuyou's mouth twitched uncontrollably. "You hateful little brat, I'll spank your bottom into four pieces later."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his figure turned into an afterimage, and he reached out with a large hand to grab A'li.
Being called an ugly monster by a little girl so many times had filled him with rage. He would teach this imp a lesson once he caught her, to vent his frustration.
"Hey, Ugly Monster, come catch me!"
A'li's voice disappeared from her original spot, her figure already flashing six or seven meters away.
Du Jiuyou was utterly astonished; he had actually missed.
He lunged at A'li again.
But A'li was as smooth as a loach, always slipping out of his grasp, and he couldn't even touch the corner of her clothes.
"Spirit Saint realm! This is impossible."
A tempest raged in Du Jiuyou's heart. After multiple pursuits, he finally sensed the terrifying aura emanating from A'li.
This was simply too astonishing.
A little girl, no more than five or six years old, had actually reached the Spirit Saint realm, which was unbelievable.
Throughout the history of the Xuanling Realm, there had never been such a young Saint-level expert!
"This little girl must be hiding a great secret!"
Du Jiuyou's heart pounded wildly. If he could uncover A'li's secret, wouldn't that bring unimaginable benefits?
His thoughts raced, and he stopped pursuing.
He spoke, "Little girl A'li, don't run. Your aunt sent me to pick you up."
"Aunt sent you?"
A'li stopped in her tracks and muttered, "Aunt is too foolish, always hanging out with these bad people. I really can't trust her."
Du Jiuyou's forehead was covered in black lines. Had this brat become a spirit, so mature?
"Uncle isn't a bad person; he's here to save you."
Du Jiuyou said softly, seizing the opportunity to approach and unexpectedly grabbing for A'li's collar.
Hmph, little brat, you're still too young to play mind games with me.
He was immensely proud, seeing that he was about to grab A'li's collar, and was overjoyed.
However, the next second, his laughter abruptly ceased.
Du Jiuyou let out a scream as he was sent flying backward.
On his chest, a small muddy handprint appeared.
"I knew from the beginning you weren't a good person. Did you really think I was easy to bully just because I'm young?"
A'li clapped her hands, like a little divine beast descending the mountain, and pounced fiercely at Du Jiuyou, her aura fully unleashed.
"Human King bloodline, half-step Spirit Emperor!"
Du Jiuyou was almost scared out of his wits.
He had thought that reaching the Spirit Saint realm at such a young age was already astonishing, but he never expected A'li to have one foot already in the Emperor realm and to have fully awakened her Human King bloodline.
Such talent, unparalleled in the world. How could he covet such a peerless prodigy?
"Ah..."
Screams continued to erupt.
Du Jiuyou resisted desperately, but it was utterly futile. He couldn't even move a single strand of A'li's hair.
The incredibly defensive white jacket and the butterfly hairband flowing with spatial-temporal power filled him with despair.
Du Jiuyou was beaten and scurried about, his entire body covered in muddy fist and foot imprints.
Although not seriously injured, the humiliation was extreme.
Children's fights were nothing more than pulling hair, pinching ears, and kicking buttocks.
To think that a veteran Spirit Saint was being chased and had his ears pulled and buttocks kicked by a mere child was truly suffocating!
"A'li, what are you doing? Why do I hear someone screaming so miserably? You haven't eaten the Ginseng King alive, have you? Make sure not to eat it all, leave half to plant, so it can grow back next year."
Ji Mo heard the commotion and quickly came out of the house to check the situation.
The Ginseng King, who was cultivating under the Bodhi tree, heard these words and couldn't help but shed tears, his heart breaking.
What do you mean, don't eat it all and leave half to plant so it can grow back?
This was clearly treating him like leeks, thinking of harvesting him batch after batch.
Was this human speech? How could his heart be so hard?
"Brother Ji, a bad person broke into our house."
A'li quickly stopped her attack and stood far away, looking obedient.
Good children shouldn't let adults see them fighting.
"Bad person? A'li, quickly get out of the way, let me handle him."
Ji Mo immediately grabbed a broom and charged forward.
"Mortal?"
A strong survival instinct surged in Du Jiuyou's heart. Only by capturing this mortal as a hostage could he have a chance to live.
He had heard A'li call this mortal in front of him "brother," so he must be an important figure.
With this thought, anger flared up and malice arose. He turned and lunged at Ji Mo.
A mere mortal, wasn't he at his mercy?
But upon clearly seeing Ji Mo's appearance.
Du Jiuyou was filled with inexplicable horror. How could this person in front of him be so familiar, as if he had seen him before?
Then, a memory surged.
The Tongtian Mountain Range, the peak of Tongtian Peak, the heavenly tribulation descended, a man resembling a god and a demon, wielding a saber and pointing at the sky...
That man, like a nightmare, now stood alive before him, and he had actually intended to attack him. Wasn't this courting death?
"Esteemed sir, spare me!"
Du Jiuyou's legs went weak, and he immediately knelt down.