Moments later, Liu Baijian returned, holding something in his hand.

Seeing him return, Gu Minglang lifted his head to look at him. The moment he recognised what Liu Baijian was holding, his mouth twitched uncontrollably. “That can’t possibly be for me, right?” he blurted out.

Liu Baijian shot him a “What are you talking about?” look and replied, “Of course it is! There are only the two of us here. Who else would it be for?” 

“…” Gu Minglang.

Hearing Liu Baijian’s matter-of-fact admission, Gu Minglang’s expression became even more indescribable. His gaze fixed on the item in Liu Baijian’s hand, the muscles on his handsome, cold face twitched rapidly before he said, “That thing… looks completely out of place with my style.”

“It is a bit out of place, but in times like this, don’t sweat the small stuff—as long as it works!” Seeing his distinctly unpleasant expression, Liu Baijian offered reassurance. “As long as it catches mice, who cares if it’s a black cat or a white cat? A real man doesn’t get hung up on trivialities!”

“…” Gu Minglang.

Even if I were a real man, I couldn’t help but care!

Gu Minglang’s eyes widened as he stared fixedly at the Red Duduo in Liu Baijian’s hands. His face was etched with utter resistance. He’d never wear that thing, not even if you killed him. Impossible! Out of the question!

Yes! That’s right!

What Liu Baijian had fetched was none other than a bright red baby belly band—the kind for three-year-olds. Exquisitely crafted, vividly colored, and downright fancy!

“Oh, are you complaining it’s too small?” Liu Baijian observed Gu Minglang standing rigid, his expression frozen in utter disbelief. Quickly reading his mood, he offered reassurance, “Don’t let the size fool you—it adapts to the wearer’s form. Rest assured, it’ll fit you perfectly.”

“…” Gu Minglang.

No, it’s not that I think it’s too small—I just think it’s disgusting!

Gu Minglang stared at him with utter repulsion, his refusal crystal clear.

“It’s merely a White Bone Demon Lord—no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut!” Gu Minglang suddenly surged with intensity, his entire being seeming to ignite with blazing flames. His expression turned solemn as he addressed Liu Baijian sternly, “No need to trouble yourself. I’ll be back shortly!”

With that, he immediately turned and strode purposefully toward the exit.

Though his words were bold and his stance fierce, his abrupt dash backward resembled someone fleeing from a hungry wolf—a rather pathetic retreat.

“Wait!”

Just as Gu Minglang turned to flee, Liu Baijian seized his wrist, his tone laced with confusion. “You’re not trying to run away, are you?”

“…” Gu Minglang.

Damn it!

He was caught!

Gu Minglang’s expression froze as Liu Baijian’s grip tightened on his wrist. “How could that be! Why would I run? I have no reason to run!” Gu Minglang denied it quickly.

Hearing this, Liu Baijian eyed him suspiciously.

“…”

Gu Minglang broke out in a cold sweat under that gaze, his face pale and flushed. The Chiyang Sword, which shared his consciousness, trembled slightly. As Liu Baijian’s eyes scanned his body, Gu Minglang grew increasingly tense, his expression unconsciously tightening.

After a long moment.

“Forget it.” Liu Baijian finally seemed to let him off, withdrawing his intense gaze as he spoke.

Hearing this, Gu Minglang instantly relaxed, silently breathing a sigh of relief.

Observing his expression, Liu Baijian said, “You’re an adult now—stop being so stubborn. You’re not a baby needing coddling. Put it on.”

As he spoke, Liu Baijian held out the Red Duduo toward Gu Minglang. Seeing this, his face stiffened further. Staring at him, he couldn’t help but think: Still not giving up, huh!

No way. I am not wearing it, I am dead set against it. He had his pride, after all. If he put it on, he’d be laughed at to death, becoming a black mark on his history he could never erase… With this thought, Gu Minglang’s tone turned firm and decisive. “I’m not a baby,” he declared flatly. “Naturally, I won’t wear this kind of baby duduo.”

Hearing this, Liu Baijian immediately retorted, “Don’t underestimate it just because it’s a duduo. This isn’t an ordinary duduo—it’s a genuine Divine Artifact.”

“…”

What!?

Gu Minglang was stunned. He stared in disbelief at the garishly colored (bright red) garment in Liu Baijian’s hands—clearly an infant’s duduo—and this was a Divine Artifact? You’ve got to be kidding me!

He snapped his head up, his gaze fixed on Liu Baijian before him, his expression saying it all.

Reading the look of utter disbelief on his face, as if he’d been utterly devastated, Liu Baijian sighed helplessly. “Though I hate to admit it, this is indeed a genuine, authentic Divine Artifact. It was crafted by the renowned Yanhuo Zhenjun, the foremost Artifact Dao Master, who ascended to the upper realms to become an immortal.”

“…” Gu Minglang.

Seriously!?

Hearing Liu Baijian’s words, Gu Minglang’s face instantly betrayed shock. He gaped for a long moment before managing to ask, “Why would the Zhenjun Yanhuo forge… such a Divine Artifact?”

Could it be that the Zhenjun Yanhuo had some undisclosed peculiarity?!

“Well, to be perfectly honest…” Liu Baijian sighed, his voice growing sombre. “I wore this duduo until I was ten years old.”

“…” Gu Minglang.

And then, Liu Baijian proceeded to recount a deeply moving, heart-wrenching tale of his grandfather’s profound love.

The story went like this…

The Liu family had always been an only-son lineage. Liu Baijian’s father passed away early, leaving him as the sole heir. After his father’s death, Liu Yanzhen became overly protective of Liu Baijian, the last descendant of the ancient Liu clan. When Liu Baijian was still an infant, Liu Yanzhen personally crafted this garment for him—impervious to water and fire, impenetrable to blades and arrows, possessing unparalleled defensive capabilities. It could simultaneously ward off attacks targeting both the physical body and the soul. And soul attacks. No matter how powerful the assault, it would be weakened under the protection of this crimson duduo.

The most remarkable aspect of this crimson duduo was that it was a Growth Type Artifact. Its defensive capabilities would change according to the wearer’s cultivation level, advancing and growing as the wearer’s cultivation increased. This was likely born from Liu Yanzhen’s profound love for his grandson. He wished to protect Liu Baijian without overprotecting him, fearing excessive shielding might hinder his growth. To illustrate: if Liu Baijian, currently at the Qi Refining stage, wore it, the red duduo would function as a low-tier defensive artifact. Yet if Gu Minglang, at the Golden Core stage, donned it, it would become a mid-tier defensive artifact, proportionally weakening attacks against them.

This is precisely why it was classified as a Divine Artifact—a rare defensive item with growth attributes capable of countering both soul-level and physical attacks.

Incidentally, when Liu Yanzhen forged this defensive Divine Artifact, Liu Baijian was still an infant. Thus, Liu Yanzhen crafted it as a belly-covering garment tailored to Liu Baijian’s infant size. He deliberately chose the auspicious and appealing bright red colour suitable for babies, thoughtfully adding an adaptable attribute that would accommodate any wearer’s changing physique.

This ensured it would never become too small as Liu Baijian grew!

For Liu Baijian’s sake, Liu Yanzhen truly spared no effort.

After hearing Liu Baijian’s account.

“……” Gu Minglang.

Though this was a deeply moving tale of profound love, Gu Minglang still found it… incredibly hard to describe!

Just how idle and bored must one be to forge such a Divine Artifact? Lord Yanhuo, you’re clearly taking advantage of your status as a Artifact Dao Master to do as you please!

“So, while it looks like a simple duduo, it’s anything but ordinary. This is a growth-type Divine Artifact capable of defending against soul-level attacks! Wear it, and you won’t have to worry about the White Bone Demon Lord’s demonic spear!” Liu Baijian explained to Gu Minglang.

Hearing this, Gu Minglang stared at the bright red infant duduo in his hand, his expression turning grim. For a moment, he couldn’t decide whether to pity himself more or to pity this Divine Artifact—one that should have been majestic, rare, and precious—which had been cruelly mutilated and turned into such a childish red duduo.

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Outside the valley.

Trapped within the formation set by Liu Yanzhen, the White Bone Demon Lord couldn’t set foot inside the valley. As he schemed on how to lure Gu Minglang out, he suddenly sensed an icy killing intent impossible to ignore.

He lifted his head and looked ahead, only to see 

━━ 🐈‍⬛ ━━

Gu Minglang had appeared without warning. His gaze was icy as he stared at the White Bone Demon Lord, his face as cold as ice. Without a word, he charged forward, the Chiyang Sword raised.

“…” White Bone Demon Lord.

The White Bone Demon Lord, who had been about to spout his usual trash talk, was stunned into silence. Was he really that fast? Without even a word of warning!

Come to think of it, isn’t this kid’s expression even more sour and his aura even more terrifying than last time?

While counterattacking Gu Minglang, the White Bone Demon Lord murmured to himself in astonishment and doubt. What happened in that valley?

Nothing much, really. Just a brutal beating of my teammate, by Liu Baijian.