After emerging from the river of time, Lu Yang found himself on the back of the Nian Year Beast Tribe Chieftain. Around him were fiery red clouds, almost identical in color to the Nian Year Beasts.

Shrouded in those crimson clouds, the Nian Year Beasts traveled and played across the world, invisible to all.

“Immortal Fairy, did you see that scene just now?” Lu Yang’s heart jolted. At some point in the future, the box world will open. Does that mean the Five Ancient Immortals’ Dao Fruits had all been gathered, and the mastermind had been defeated? Or had the Great Qian faction collected all the Dao Fruits instead?

“Ah, ah? What did you say?” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy seemed half-asleep, her consciousness drifting.

“I asked whether you saw the scene just now.” Lu Yang didn’t think much of it. This wasn’t the first day the Everlasting Immortal Fairy behaved like this.

“The scene just now... Wait, what did you see?” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy suddenly recalled that the Epoch Immortal had once spoken of observing the future and that what each person saw might differ.

“The box world opened. What? Did we see two different things?”

“Same, of course it’s the same. The Epoch Immortal had explained this phenomenon to me. He said that if you fall into the river of time, you can see the past and the future. The past is fixed, but the future is uncertain. What we saw is just one possibility.”

“I see.”

The Nian Year Beast Tribe Chieftain carrying Lu Yang on its back chuckled. “Well, did you see the future?”

“I told you. Being able to see us Nian Year Beasts is a fortuitous opportunity that countless could only dream of.

“So, kid, what did you see? Did you see yourself become a great cultivator? Or did you see yourself surrounded by wives and concubines?” The chieftain asked with a laugh. It didn’t intend to pry. It simply found the topic interesting.

Lu Yang pondered for a bit. Although the chieftain looks terrifying, it seems like a good beast at heart. There’s no need to hide this from him.

“I saw the box world open.”

Right as the words left his mouth, Lu Yang felt the chieftain beneath him come to an abrupt halt. The momentum sent him flying forward. He tumbled a couple of times and landed in front of the chieftain.

“What did you say?!” The Nian Year Beast Tribe Chieftain stared at Lu Yang in shock. According to its past experience, what a person saw in the river of time was always closely related to themselves.

The other Nian Year Beasts also showed expressions of disbelief.

Although what Lu Yang had seen was only one possibility, it was still terrifying.

Could it be that the opening of the box world is inextricably linked to this kid?

What will this kid do in the future?

“The world opened. Is there a problem with that?” Lu Yang was perplexed, not understanding why the Nian Year Beasts were reacting so strongly.

“Immortal Fairy, do you know why?”

“No idea.” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy didn’t see the issue. Xiao Yangzi first resurrected me, then found the Heaven Mandate Immortal. Who knows who he may find in the future? Isn’t it perfectly normal for him to be connected to the opening of the box world through karma?

“Nothing, nothing.” The Nian Year Beast Tribe Chieftain realized that it had lost its composure.

The Nian Year Beast Tribe cherished freedom, and what they feared most was coming into contact with someone like Lu Yang, who carried great karma, and becoming entangled in those karmic ties.

“By the way, I forgot to ask earlier. Are you from the Dao-Seeking Sect?”

“Yes.”

“Then do you know the devil overlord—ah, I mean, do you know Yun Zhi?”

“Yes, I do. She’s my Big Senior Sister.”

“Hahaha, I see. Pardon the discourtesy. Mountains and waters cross paths; until we meet again!”

The chieftain no longer had any desire to give Lu Yang a tour. A person of great karma and the devil overlord’s junior brother at that. Best to keep far away from him!

The Nian Year Beast Tribe fled on their fiery clouds, leaving only Lu Yang behind.

“Wait, at least take me back first!” Lu Yang stepped onto the Sword-Cleansing Pond and gave chase. The chieftain had carried me for quite a while. Where has he brought me?

But even Yun Zhi had been unable to catch the Nian Year Beast Tribe as they traversed time. How could Lu Yang possibly succeed?

He pursued them for a short while, but soon lost sight of them and had to give up.

“Now then, where is this place?”

Lu Yang noticed a large city nearby. It was bustling with activity, and fireworks bloomed in a riot of colors: some shaped like swastikas, some like lotuses, and some like prayer beads. It was quite a beautiful sight. From where he stood, he could even hear the firecrackers going off within the city.

Surrounding the city was a boundless expanse of desert.

Lu Yang descended and approached the city. Looking up, he saw two large characters carved above the gate—Xitian.

~~~

“Oh no, the Second-in-Command was captured by a Nian Year Beast!” Yun Mengmeng immediately panicked. Seeing Lu Yang vanish before her eyes, she remembered he had claimed to be fighting a Nian Year Beast earlier.

“Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear—Right, when in trouble, find Little Zhi.”

With that, Yun Mengmeng flew out of the Dao-Seeking Sect like the wind, leaving behind a dumbfounded Li Haoran.

He still had no idea why Lu Yang had brought him here.

“Senior Brother Lu was captured by a Nian Year Beast... Is this some kind of New Year’s custom?”

~~~

Worried about Lu Yang, Yun Mengmeng headed straight for her hometown, the Peach Blossom Secret Domain. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

She flew to a lake, plunged into the water with a splash, and swam straight to the bottom.

The Peach Blossom Secret Domain sensed her arrival. A whirlpool formed at the lake’s bottom, sucking her inside.

Back in her hometown, Yun Mengmeng was greeted by the familiar scent of peach blossoms. The secret domain was warm and pleasant year-round, with vast groves of peach trees blossoming across the mountains, their fragrance filling the air.

Rivers forked like branches everywhere, their surfaces emitting a dense mist of spirit qi. The spirit qi level of the entire secret domain was on par with that of the Five Great Immortal Sects.

“Mengmeng.” The inhabitants of the secret domain smiled and waved at her. They were also celebrating the New Year, frolicking around.

“Sister Niao’er, where is Little Zhi?” Yun Mengmeng asked urgently.

“Little Zhi? She should be with Granny. Why are you in such a hurry to find her?”

“I’m in a hurry. I’ll explain later.”

When Yun Mengmeng found Yun Zhi, she was leisurely chatting with Granny, sharing amusing stories from the outside world.

“Mengmeng, you’re back? Come, sit by Granny.” Granny beckoned with a smile.

Although she was called “Granny,” she looked to be in her early twenties, and she carried herself with steady composure.

“Hmm? Mengmeng, what brings you here?” Yun Zhi set down her teacup, slightly puzzled.

“Happy New Year, Granny. It is an urgent matter, so I won’t sit.

“Little Zhi, this is a big crisis! The Second-in-Command was captured by a Nian Year Beast!”

“Something like that happened? Tell me the details.”

“So the Second-in-Command and I were watching the fireworks. Then suddenly, he dropped to the ground with a thud and started rolling around. Then with a whoosh, he pinned something down. He said it was a Nian Year Beast. Then, with a crack, he shot up to his feet and brought Li Haoran over with a whoosh, as if introducing him to someone. Finally, with a whoosh, the Second-in-Command was lifted as if something had picked him up in its mouth. Then he vanished.”

Yun Zhi set down her teacup, mentally filtering out the onomatopoeia in Yun Mengmeng’s account. She mused for a moment. “So that’s what happened. No matter. He’ll be fine.”