"Upgrade!"
The silent command was issued by Lord Pig's consciousness. A familiar wave of energy, equal parts raw spiritual power and accumulated experience, was immediately consumed.
"Consume 500 energy and experience points. Fuse the Heavenly Residual Kick with the Qilin Leg to upgrade it to the Qilin Kick!"
The upgrade was instantaneous. A strange, potent spiritual surge rushed through his newly expanded musculature, flooding his nerves with the new knowledge of the Qilin Kick. Lord Pig sensed the raw power—a technique incorporating the massive, earth-shaking force of the Water Qilin's spiritual legs—and felt a wave of profound satisfaction. It was a fair trade for the beating he'd just handed out.
He had achieved his objective: authority established, experience gained, and a powerful new skill secured. He had no further need to torment the dizzy, groaning Water Qilin. He swiftly retracted his colossal magical powers. The blinding, ten-foot-tall, golden figure shrunk in an instant, collapsing into a ray of pure golden light that zipped through the air.
Snap!
Lord Pig landed perfectly, once again transforming into the cute, furry, seemingly harmless golden ball, and settled deep into Shuiyue's soft, familiar embrace.
Shuiyue instinctively held him tight. Despite the cozy warmth of the plush fur, a deep chill ran down her spine. It was a chilling realization: she wasn't just holding a pet; she was holding a Taiqing Realm deity, a walking, magical bomb capable of rearranging the landscape on a whim. The guilt and fear were palpable.
"Xiao Yueyue, let's go. Lord Pig is starving!" Zhu Hao rolled around twice in her arms, his voice returning to its innocent, baby-like tone.
Shuiyue, seeing her Grandmaster Uncle back to his adorable, non-mountain-destroying self, relaxed slightly. She smiled sweetly, though a little nervously, and gently rubbed his small, golden head. "Of course, let's go eat!"
Before Shuiyue could turn to leave, a harsh, thunderous voice stopped her.
"Junior Sister Shuiyue!"
Cangsong Zhenren, the head of Longshou Peak and the sect's chief disciplinarian, stepped forward. His face was a mask of cold fury, solemn and stern. He looked directly at Shuiyue, completely ignoring the golden fluff nestled in her arms.
"This entire incident was instigated by you and your disciples! The Tongtian Peak defensive formation is severely damaged and requires immediate, costly repair. Lingzun himself has suffered serious, painful injuries and is now lying inert in his pond! Can you truly believe that you can simply leave without offering any explanation or accepting appropriate disciplinary action from Xiaozhu Peak?"
Cangsong was the supreme authority in matters of punishment across the sect. His Longshou Peak was second only to Daoxuan's lineage in influence. While the disciples respected Daoxuan, they truly feared the severe and unyielding Cangsong.
"Brother Cangsong, hold on!" Tian Buyi, the stout head of Dazhu Peak, stepped in quickly. He and Shuiyue were not friends, but his wife, Su Ru, and Shuiyue were spiritual sisters, and a failure to defend her would guarantee a long, painful night kneeling on an iron washboard at home.
"Brother Cangsong, what Bu Yi says is quite logical," Zeng Shuchang, the moderate head of Fenghui Peak, echoed the sentiment. "We can certainly band together to repair the Tongtian Peak formation. It is a minor inconvenience, not a major disaster. There is no need for such rigidity."
Cangsong's voice hardened, ringing with self-righteous certainty. "The Head Master Brother placed me in charge of discipline! I must distinguish clearly between merit and transgression! If we allow such widespread damage and disrespect to go unpunished, where, I ask you, will the laws and the dignity of the Qingyun Sect reside?"
Shuiyue, ever the proud Peak Lord, sighed. She knew the rules. "Thank you all for your kind defense. However, my Xiaozhu Peak does bear an undeniable responsibility in this matter. I am prepared to accept the appropriate punishment."
Before she could finish her sentence, Lord Pig wriggled free, hopped deftly onto her shoulder, and glared down at Cangsong with his large, innocent-looking eyes.
"Punishment? What punishment?" Lord Pig demanded, his baby voice carrying the terrifying weight of a thunderclap. "Lord Pig wanted to come to Tongtian Peak, and Lord Pig wanted to beat up this stupid Qilin! It has nothing whatsoever to do with Xiaozhu Peak!"
He then swiveled his head, focusing his terrifying Taiqing-level gaze directly on Cangsong.
"Xiao Songzi," Zhu Hao declared, adopting a tone of utter contempt. "You wish to administer punishment, correct? Come right here and punish this Lord Pig!"
He slowly rubbed his two small paws together, causing tiny, ethereal cracks of energy to snap and sizzle, while his joints emitted loud, distinct cracks. His look of defiant, menacing pride was unmistakable.
"Look at Lord Pig's truly terrible temper," Zhu Hao threatened, his voice dropping to an ominous whisper. "Come on. Come and punish Lord Pig right now."
Cangsong's stern face turned a ghastly shade of white. His fury was completely paralyzed by terror. He could not, dare not, punish Zhu Hao. If he chased the Grandmaster away, Daoxuan would rightfully execute him. Furthermore, he had just witnessed Zhu Hao's Taiqing Realm strength. He was definitively not the Lord Pig's opponent.
If he dared to pronounce a punishment, Zhu Hao would leap from Shuiyue's shoulder and deliver the exact same, bone-shattering beating he had just inflicted on the Water Qilin. Cangsong had no doubt about this; he could see the eager, anticipatory gleam in Lord Pig's golden eyes. The Grandmaster was waiting for him to speak so he could legally beat him to a pulp for being "disrespectful."
"Brother Cangsong," Tian Buyi interjected, unable to hide his glee, a broad, mocking grin splitting his face. "Why don't you oblige Lord Pig and administer his requested punishment?"
Everyone present—the Peak Lords, the senior disciples, the recovering Water Qilin—knew the joke. They recognized that while the Water Qilin was a dignified, aloof relic, Lord Pig was a playful, lawless, and powerful tyrant who acted solely on his own capricious whims. He was their new master, ruling through intimidation and adorable, terrifying violence.
"That is enough! This matter is concluded right here!" Daoxuan bellowed, stepping in decisively before Zhu Hao could inflict further political or physical damage. He couldn't allow a fight between the Grandmaster and the chief disciplinarian.
"Yes, Master Brother!"
Daoxuan's rare anger was enough to silence both Tian Buyi and the humiliated Cangsong. They retreated instantly, bowing in respectful, though entirely unwilling, submission.
"Xiao Yueyue, let's go. From this day forward, Lord Pig is your personal shield. If any idiot dares to bully you, Lord Pig will beat him within an inch of his life!" Zhu Hao declared, patting her cheek with his small, soft paw.
Everyone's gaze involuntarily flickered to Cangsong. Under the weight of their silent judgment and mockery, Cangsong's face turned a dark, volcanic shade of gray. His fists were clenched so tight his veins bulged, but he could only endure.
"Thank you, Lord Pig!" Shuiyue genuinely smiled, rubbing Zhu Hao's soft head with gratitude. She gathered the Grandmaster and turned away.
Wen Min, Lu Xueqi, and the rest of the Xiaozhu Peak disciples were flushed with victory and excitement. They quickly followed their Master, leaving Tongtian Peak in a glorious, defiant procession.
"Mother, I have to go find Lord Pig!" Tian Ling'er whined, feeling a deep, possessive jealousy as Zhu Hao was carried away.
"I'm coming with you!" Su Ru said, pulling Tian Ling'er along. She hadn't seen Shuiyue in too long and wanted to catch up with her spiritual sister.
Meanwhile, a young man from the Fenghui Peak disciples, his eyes shining with pure, untainted awe, whispered to his friend, "Wow, Lord Pig is incredible! He is absolutely my new idol!" The legend of the gold, fighting pig had already spread across the entire sect.
The political crisis resolved, the party retreated to the lush, quiet backyard of Xiaozhu Peak.
Lord Pig made himself comfortable on a smooth, flat stone table, holding a perfectly roasted chicken leg in one small paw and a glistening pig's trotters in the other. He ate with ferocious relish, his small, fat face glistening with savory oil.
Shuiyue, Su Ru, Tian Ling'er, Wen Min, and the usually aloof Lu Xueqi sat around the table, mesmerized by the spectacle of the tiny, eating god. Disciples from Xiaozhu Peak continuously arrived, presenting various dishes of meat and fine wine.
"Xueqi, pour some more!" Zhu Hao grabbed a dark green jade wine glass with his tiny paws, drained it in one gulp, and placed it directly in front of Lu Xueqi.
The famously cold prodigy of Xiaozhu Peak immediately picked up the glass and refilled it for the Grandmaster, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on her lips.
"Lord Pig, come and eat this piece of delicate beef!" Tian Ling'er quickly picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and held it gently next to Zhu Hao's mouth. With her free hand, she began rubbing his back, her beautiful eyes fixed on him with expectant adoration. "Lord Pig, can we please go back to Dazhu Peak to play later? We have better sun spots for napping!"
"What's so fun about Dazhu Peak? I think Lord Pig prefers staying right here at Xiaozhu Peak," Wen Min smoothly countered, picking up an even larger piece of succulent pork belly. She gently moved Zhu Hao closer to her, interrupting Tian Ling'er's attempt, and spoke in a soft, persuasive voice.
Wen Min was deeply grateful. Lord Pig had stood up for them against the terrifying Cangsong! Plus, he was just so incredibly cute; she couldn't bear the thought of Tian Ling'er 'kidnapping' him.
Lu Xueqi, though silent, cast a sharp, watchful glare at Tian Ling'er. Her meaning was crystal clear: The Grandmaster is not to be taken away.
"Lord Pig loves me the most, right?" Tian Ling'er reached out to drag him back. However, Wen Min and Lu Xueqi immediately reached out, pinning Zhu Hao down on the table, preventing Tian Ling'er from winning the territorial dispute.
The result was a ludicrous, high-stakes tug-of-war. The three beautiful, high-level cultivators had split into two teams, gently pulling at Zhu Hao's neck and chubby calves.
"What in the nine heavens are you doing?! How am I supposed to eat like this? Let go of Lord Pig right now! Do you actually think you can have me whenever you want?" Zhu Hao managed to raise his little head, sweeping his big eyes over the three girls, his little fat face radiating pure, smug satisfaction.
Seeing him finally speak, the three women instantly retracted their hands, their eyes wide and expectant.
"Relax. Lord Pig is fair and will show favoritism to all of you, one by one!" Zhu Hao announced, sitting regally on the stone table, casually gnawing on his chicken leg.
"Pfft!"
Looking at Zhu Hao's utterly self-important demeanor, the women couldn't hold back their laughter. Even the usually distant Shuiyue and the perpetually icy Lu Xueqi broke into genuine, sweet smiles.
"Lord Pig, if one didn't know better, one would think you were the Emperor!" Wen Min chuckled, gently rubbing his back.
"Can an Emperor truly compare to Lord Pig?" Zhu Hao said, looking supremely disdainful.
"That's right, Lord Pig is the absolute best!" the women agreed, laughing freely now.
After the spectacular feast, Lord Pig followed his carefully calculated schedule. He waddled over to Su Ru's arms and promptly fell asleep, enjoying the high-level spiritual energy. He slept for half a day, gaining a healthy 300 experience points.
Afterward, Su Ru and Tian Ling'er departed for Dazhu Peak, disappointed but resigned. Lord Pig then instantly returned to Shuiyue's embrace and continued his nap.
At this stage, among the women of the Qingyun Sect, only Shuiyue and Su Ru were at the Shangqing Realm. Their high spiritual energies meant that the passive experience gain was the strongest and fastest when nestled in their arms. Lord Pig's sleeping schedule was ruthlessly optimized for cultivation efficiency.
While Lord Pig was busy being cute, demanding food, and sleeping strategically to ascend the ranks of celestial beings, the entire Qingyun Sect was buzzing with chaotic activity because of him.
Countless disciples were still arguing, debating, and marveling at the sheer, brutal spectacle of their new Grandmaster Uncle, Zhu Hao, who had single-handedly beaten the millennia-old Water Qilin into submission right on Tongtian Peak. The legend was sealed, and Lord Pig's lawless reign had officially begun.