"This mortal really is a bit odd," the Nian Beast said playfully. Being naturally curious and lively Demon Beasts, they wouldn’t otherwise mix in with the crowds and play every year.

With a roar, the Nian Beast lunged at Lu Yang, who swung his arm in a full circle and smashed it down. Since his physical body had improved, he found close combat quite amusing.

"I’m not afraid of you!"

The two wrestled together, with the Nian Beast overpowering Lu Yang and roaring in his face, dousing him with saliva.

"Three Flavored True Fire, ptui!"

Lu Yang had initially learned the Three Flavored True Fire to release it through his mouth and catch his enemy off guard, but he had never expected to use it on a Nian Beast.

The Nian Beast was singed by the Three Flavored True Fire, its mane shriveled and curled into tiny black dots. Seeing this, Lu Yang flipped over and gained the upper hand.

The fierce battle between man and beast was unpredictable, and the complex politics involved were truly astonishing.

That is, if you could see the Nian Beast.

"Second-in-command, why did you suddenly start rolling?" Yun Mengmeng asked in confusion. She heard that New Year’s Money also serves as Money to Suppress Evil Spirits, so could it be that Second-in-command didn’t get enough and got cursed?

"I’m fighting a Nian Beast; you can’t see it," Lu Yang replied, before being pinned down by the Nian Beast again.

"You’re supposed to be the legendary Nian Beast; can’t you use some other attack methods!" Lu Yang yelled angrily, feeling as primitive as a caveman.

"Lose the battle, not the war. You use a different method, and then I’ll use another!"

"Ptui!"

"Ptui!"

Neither wanted to admit being outmatched in close combat, resolutely refusing to use any other methods, simply competing in physical strength, power, and melee skills.

Seeing Lu Yang like this, Yun Mengmeng actually believed he wasn’t just fantasizing; he really was fighting an invisible enemy.

She tried to touch the Nian Beast by feeling, but her hand passed right through it, touching nothing.

Yun Mengmeng didn’t know that the Nian Beast, cultivated from the Time Dao Fruit, was inherently related to time, having completed a life transition to an entirely different level of existence.

"Second-in-command, do you need my help?"

"No need, I refuse to believe I can’t beat it!" Lu Yang’s veins bulged as he was determined to overpower the Nian Beast.

Immortal Fairy was hopping up and down in the Spiritual Space, providing Lu Yang with spiritual support, as fighting the Nian Beast had become a traditional New Year’s custom.

As Lu Yang and the Nian Beast were locked in a stalemate, suddenly, a line of fiery clouds appeared on the horizon, rapidly approaching the direction of the Seek Dao Sect.

As the fiery clouds came closer, Lu Yang realized that these were not clouds at all, but a flock of Nian Beasts!

The leader of the Nian Beasts was as large as a small hill, exuding a terrifying pressure as the Clan Leader of the Nian Beasts.

Facing the sight of the younger Nian Beast here, the Clan Leader’s expression drastically changed: "Chujie, what are you doing? Didn’t I tell you never to come to the Seek Dao Sect, our clan’s forbidden zone, because of the terrifying major demon!"

"Beware the major demon might suddenly appear and capture you!"

Seeing the Clan Leader leading the clan members, the younger Nian Beast no longer dared to frolic with Lu Yang, pushing him away reluctantly, "Clan Leader, I’m not a child anymore. Don’t think I don’t know, all this major demon stuff is a hoax—I’ve been here so long and haven’t seen any major demon!"

"Foolish!" the Nian Beast Clan Leader roared in anger. "I nearly didn’t escape when I encountered the major demon. Do you think you’d still be jumping around if you had seen her?"

The Nian Beast Clan Leader then bit the neck of the younger Nian Beast and flung it onto his back.

For some reason, though the Clan Leader didn’t specify, Lu Yang instinctively felt that the "major demon" he mentioned was the Eldest Senior Sister.

It was infuriating that he dared to slander the Eldest Senior Sister right in front of him.

Eldest Senior Sister was such a good person, teaching her own cultivation methods, and even rushing to help when facing danger. How could such a person be a major demon?

"Hm, you can see us?"

Only then did the Clan Leader of the Nian Beast notice Lu Yang’s presence. It lay on the ground, its huge brown pupils reflecting Lu Yang’s tiny figure.

"Interesting boy, could it be that you have been blessed by an Immortal?" The Clan Leader, having seen much, realized that indeed there were such mortals who could sense their presence—each one undoubtedly lucky, cherished by the Immortals.

"Is that a wooden plaque from our lord that you are wearing around your neck?" The Clan Leader felt a familiar power emanating from Lu Yang’s chest.

"Are you referring to this? It was given to me by someone from the Five Elements Sect." Lu Yang took out a wooden plaque, which was a part from the Firmament Tree.

"Our lord’s Immortal Corpse..." The Clan Leader looked at the wooden plaque, lost in thought.

It had learned from the previous Clan Leader where the Immortal Corpse of their lord was buried.

"Wait a moment, let me call someone over." Seeing that the Clan Leader had never seen the Time Immortal but felt something for a wooden plaque, Lu Yang directly brought over a confused Li Haoran.

"Look at him, do you feel anything familiar?"

The Clan Leader frowned, unsure why Lu Yang had brought this person over.

"What feeling could I possibly have? This person can’t even see us."

Lu Yang frowned. The Clan Leader felt absolutely nothing towards Li Haoran?

"Ah well, since you can see us and possess our lord’s wooden plaque, it seems it’s also fate. It’s rare for creatures to detect our presence, so let us take you for a ride!"

The Clan Leader stopped thinking about the Time Immortal. It wasn’t in their joyous Tnature as beings of the Nian species. Due to being on a different plane of existence, they couldn’t communicate with other beings. Meeting someone like Lu Yang, a fortunate soul, naturally meant they should treat him well.

"This..."

"Come now, this is a chance many people would envy."

Without allowing Lu Yang any objections, the Clan Leader bit Lu Yang’s collar and, in the same manner as it handled a little Nian Beast, tossed him onto its back.

The Nian Beast species, having basically never encountered a creature that could talk to them, were all very excited, crowding around and chattering endlessly.

"Brother, which Immortal did you encounter?"

"In what way did the Immortal take notice of you?"

"Did you see us last year?"

"How did you end up fighting with New Year’s Day, and who won?"

"Enough, enough, shut up, I’m going to start flying now!" the Clan Leader shouted, its form turning ethereal.

Lu Yang entered a mysterious state, facing an endless stream of water blowing against him, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.

He struggled to open one eye and realized he was in the midst of the stream of time, where the experiences of his past appeared like slides on either side—from joining the Seek Dao Sect, slaying the Tiger Demon during his Foundation Establishment Stage, infiltrating the Eternity Sect, reviving the Immortal Fairy, founding the Heavenly Court... up until tonight’s New Year’s Eve.

Just when Lu Yang thought it was going to end, more images continued to appear on both sides!

The images were extremely blurry, but Lu Yang could only make out one.

In the image, the world of the box slowly unfolded, revealing a boundless, shimmering starry sky.

Boom!

The Clan Leader carried Lu Yang as they burst out of the time stream, the surrounding images collapsing.