In the frigid lands, after my exile, I began to slay demons and monsters.

Chapter 304 The Feeling of Loneliness

A silver curtain fell behind Ning Xiaoxi, covering her completely. A slender shape protruded from under the rounded cage.

Just as the curtain fell, the cargo hold door opened, and a head poked its way in to investigate. The entire cargo hold was dimly lit, but only three cages provided a clear view. After examining the area for a while and finding nothing unusual, the person closed the door and left.

Ning Xiaoxi lowered the finger that was raised to her lips and gave the Heavenly Feather Deer Demon a sweet smile.

Ning Xiaoxi's figure was reflected in the clear eyes of the Heavenly Feather Deer Demon. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she did not let her guard down.

Ning Xiaoxi stroked the railing under the curtain. It was made of black iron and engraved with intricate runes. It didn't look like a simple sealing formation; it seemed to be several formations interlocked together.

"It's a combined formation, a combination of confinement, sealing, and suppression." Tuanzi climbed onto Ning Xiaoxi's shoulder, tilting its head to look at the railing together. "This Heavenly Feather Deer Demon is the only species that possesses demon blood but will never form a core. Similar to the Illusionary Qilin Beast, its primary function is to record all things; its antlers are the most valuable part of its body. However, these antlers cannot be cut off. Once separated from the deer demon's body, the antlers become ordinary antlers and can no longer be used for research."

"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime." Ning Xiaoxi's fingers slid across the cold railing. The bone-chilling cold, carrying the spiritual energy within the array, occasionally pulsed, trying to repel her fingers. "Even without being triggered, there's such a strong fluctuation of spiritual energy; it's even stronger than my teleportation array set!"

[The spatial teleportation array is simply a superposition of the same array; although difficult, it is ultimately of the same origin. This, however, is a superposition of different arrays, not only doubling the spiritual energy used but also requiring a higher level of proficiency in each array.]

How can we destroy this formation silently?

You can't do it with your current abilities.

Since we've run into it, and it doesn't have the bloodline to become a demon, we can't just watch it get captured, can we?

【You could try putting the cage inside the cave as well.】

It is alive.

[That silver curtain is the Nether Moon Spirit Concealment Curtain, capable of blocking all spiritual energy-related probes and possessing an early warning function. The reason why no living creatures can be placed inside the cave is because the spiritual energy within is too concentrated; the two spiritual sources haven't yet properly balanced the internal spiritual energy ratio. The Spirit Concealment Curtain can block spiritual energy penetration, so it naturally won't harm the deer demon inside.]

Ning Xiaoxi turned her head and stared intently at Tuanzi, her deep gaze making Tuanzi shrink back in fear.

[Xiao Xi, what's wrong?]

When did you find out?

[Know what?]

Why can't my cave house contain living creatures?

I just found out; I only found out after the upgrade.

Ning Xiaoxi kept staring at Tuanzi. It felt like every time she leveled up, it was like she got a new Tuanzi. Apart from the appearance, everything else was different.

[Xiaoxi, I'm not lying to you. I really only found out right after I leveled up. Before, my level was much lower, and I couldn't investigate the root causes of many things.]

Ning Xiaoxi, having lost all interest in Tuanzi's words, stepped back, exiting the silver curtain's range, and placed her hand on the Spirit Concealment Curtain. The cage, shrouded by the Spirit Concealment Curtain, suddenly appeared at the edge of the cave. As soon as it landed, the light on the Spirit Concealment Curtain intensified, the light and shadow shifted, and the curtain shone brightly, accompanied by melodious bell sounds.

The dazzling light and melodious bells echoed each other, and the cage under the curtain began to tremble slightly. However, this time the deer demon inside did not make a sound. It did not cry out in unease, nor did it try to stand up or move, as if there were no living creatures inside.

"It...it's not dead, is it?"

No, it sensed the change in its environment but didn't perceive any malice, which is why it quietly accepted it.

Gradually, the radiance on the silver curtain began to fade, and the runes subsided. Slowly, the Spirit Concealment Curtain quieted down, returning to its initial stillness.

"YoYo!"

The soft calls of deer drifted over, serene and ethereal, echoing above the cave.

Jiuyu opened his eyes and looked in the direction the sound came from, a faint smile appearing on his lips. The little beast and Little Star didn't react at all, completely unconcerned about having a new neighbor. Perhaps it was because it was just an ordinary deer demon, not even qualifying as a demon beast!

Seeing that the Heavenly Feather Deer Demon was indeed unharmed, Ning Xiaoxi felt much better.

He turned to look at the other two cages in the cargo hold.

[On the open sea, if the cage is opened, the Flying Phoenix should be able to fly away. The Illusionary Qilin Beast is water-attribute, so diving into the deep sea wouldn't be a problem. Those Spirit Guards are only formidable on land; there's no room for them to operate on this vast ocean.]

They can run fast enough, but even if you become invisible, you'll still be tracked down during their raids.

Ning Xiaoxi smiled. "Then let's sink into the deep sea together!"

As dusk fell, a commotion suddenly arose from the large ship that was sailing peacefully on the sea.

"Bang!" The cargo hold deck shattered.

"Crack! Crack!" The cage bars, frozen solid by the low temperature, shattered.

"Whoosh!" The phoenix spread its wings and soared into the sky before the Spirit Guards could react, disappearing in an instant.

With a "splash," the Illusionary Qilin leaped into the air, streaking across the sky in a dazzling line of light before plunging into the sea and quickly disappearing into the depths.

The Spirit Guards only gathered at the cargo hold entrance at this moment, and their expressions changed when they saw the empty cargo hold filled with mess.

Ning Xiaoxi followed the Illusionary Qilin Beast into the sea. After entering the sea, the little mermaid carried her and swam quickly towards the shore, while the Illusionary Qilin Beast glanced at her and then dived into the deep sea.

The water quality of the East China Sea is excellent, and it is rare for the little mermaid to be able to enter such high-quality water. He carried Ning Xiaoxi and swam around happily, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

Ning Xiaoxi, being led by the little mermaid, curled up somewhat aggrievedly, sitting in a seated position. Night had fallen, the sea surface was pitch black, and the seabed was even darker, with no visibility whatsoever.

Although Ning Xiaoxi didn't experience breathing difficulties thanks to the little merman, and could even have the little merman move around while she simply sat, the invisible pressure in the deep sea gradually increased.

That boundless loneliness and profound darkness began to silently erode Ning Xiaoxi's mind, and a faint sadness rose in her heart, gradually spreading throughout her body.

On a starless and moonless night, I drifted alone on the sea, with nothing but the sound of the surging waves in my ears.

Ning Xiaoxi had never felt so lonely before; it was a boundless loneliness filled with deep despair!