The small figure arrived at the edge of the cliff, gazing into the bottomless abyss. After a moment of stunned silence, she turned her gaze towards the distant sea of clouds.
The sea of clouds was pristine white, constantly shifting under the caress of the breeze, bathed in the faint golden light of the sun, an absolutely breathtaking sight.
A pair of wings on the little one's back twitched slightly, but ultimately, she did not spread them.
This was because her wings lacked feathers, appearing bare save for a few wisps of down.
With a dirt-streaked face and messy hair, her eyes stared blankly ahead, devoid of any joy or sorrow, like a puppet.
Liu Nanfeng couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy, wishing he could hold her close and offer her gentle comfort.
Just then, as if sensing something, the little figure suddenly turned her head in Liu Nanfeng's direction.
Then, she broke into a smile, a smile identical to the one Liu Nanfeng had seen in the illusion before. But this time, her smile was genuine, radiating from the depths of her heart, incredibly radiant.
Liu Nanfeng was not surprised, as any demon sealed within his painting would naturally develop a sense of closeness towards him.
However, her ability to sense his presence did surprise him, indicating that this little girl possessed incredibly sharp spiritual senses.
Thus, Liu Nanfeng manifested his physical form before her. It was not his actual body, which had not entered this realm, but here, in this world, he was akin to a deity. Aside from being unable to dispel the pervasive mist, he could achieve almost anything, and conjuring an ethereal body was simple.
The little girl stumbled forward to Liu Nanfeng, tilting her head back to look at him with a mixture of trepidation, surprise, affection, and fear.
Liu Nanfeng crouched down, presenting a wide, friendly smile.
"Hello, my name is Liu Nanfeng."
The little girl seemed momentarily stunned, taking a few moments to respond with two soft "gu gu" sounds.
Liu Nanfeng felt a hint of confusion, unsure if she was unable to speak or unwilling to.
"Well then, I'll call you Gu Gu from now on,"
Liu Nanfeng said with a smile, then opened his arms and gently embraced her, patting her lightly on the back.
Liu Nanfeng could clearly sense her rigid body and her disbelief mingled with fear.
"Don't be afraid, you have me now," Liu Nanfeng whispered into her ear.
Then, he released her and stood up.
Liu Nanfeng's words seemed to grant Gu Gu immense comfort and courage. She lifted her head, her eyes shining with a newfound light.
She felt warmth and no longer harbored fear.
Slightly different from the illusion, her shoulders now bore arms.
However, they were slender, stiff, and withered, appearing quite dreadful.
But Liu Nanfeng showed no disgust; instead, he smiled and extended his hand.
Gu Gu gazed at Liu Nanfeng's large palm, hesitating for a long moment before tentatively reaching out her own small hand.
She quickly retracted it, repeating this several times. With a deep breath, she finally placed her small hand within Liu Nanfeng's palm.
Her palm was cold, rough, and hard, utterly lacking the softness expected of a child's hand. It didn't resemble a human hand at all; calling it a bird's claw would have been more fitting.
"Let's go, I want to scout ahead," Liu Nanfeng said with a smile.
Gu Gu was drawn into the painting, appearing in a forest halfway up a mountainside. Besides the steep cliff before them, there were countless tall trees and thorns covering the entire mountain.
Liu Nanfeng waved his hand forward, and the trees and thorns quickly retreated, revealing a winding path.
Gu Gu watched this spectacle with a hint of surprise, then quietly mimicked Liu Nanfeng's gesture, waving her small hand. Naturally, nothing happened.
Afterward, she secretly glanced at Liu Nanfeng, who was holding her hand. Seeing that he didn't seem to have noticed her actions, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Just then, she suddenly realized that as she moved forward, the thorns lining the path rapidly vanished, replaced by colorful flowers.
She looked at everything around her with astonishment, then tentatively took a step forward with her small foot. Following her movement, a patch of thorns disappeared, transforming into clusters of vibrant flowers.
She quickly strode forward a few more steps, and the thorns similarly vanished at a rapid pace, replaced by a riot of colorful blooms.
Unconsciously, she let go of Liu Nanfeng's hand. When she finally realized it, she turned back and saw Liu Nanfeng following behind her, a smile on his face.
She secretly sighed with relief, then looked at Liu Nanfeng with an expression of pure astonishment and unconcealed joy in her eyes.
"Do you like it?" Liu Nanfeng asked.
Gu Gu nodded softly.
Liu Nanfeng stepped forward and extended his hand once more.
This time, Gu Gu placed her small hand in his palm without any hesitation.
They walked together amidst myriad scenes, with flowers carpeting the roadside, finally reaching the end of the path.
The end was still choked with thorns and trees. Gu Gu looked up at Liu Nanfeng with a hint of confusion.
"Don't rush."
Liu Nanfeng smiled and waved his hand. The thorns and trees seemed imbued with life, swiftly moving backward, clearing a large open space.
A small mound on the clearing rose up, transforming into a tiny house, complete with a door and windows. It was small and low, like a cottage from a fairy tale.
However, it was a dull gray, appearing rather unsightly.
At that moment, green shoots quickly emerged from the ground, spreading outwards and climbing onto the roof and window frames, dyeing the entire world in shades of green.
The green shoots then rapidly produced flower buds, blossoming into various colorful flowers, turning the area into an ocean of blossoms.
Liu Nanfeng waved his hand around again.
All the thorns in this forest vanished, replaced by a carpet of wildflowers.
In cracks in the stones, tree hollows, and decaying logs, colorful flowers bloomed everywhere.
A gentle breeze swept through, carrying an intoxicating fragrance.
The tall trees surrounding them all transformed into fruit trees, laden with tempting fruits.
In this world, Liu Nanfeng was an absolute supreme deity, capable of altering everything without restraint.
Once everything was completed, Liu Nanfeng finally said to Gu Gu, who was staring blankly at everything nearby, "This will be your home from now on."
"Gu gu~"
Gu Gu let out a soft cry, her eyes brimming with joy, but she tightly clutched Liu Nanfeng's hand, unwilling to let go.
"Go and take a look," Liu Nanfeng said, gently patting her small hand.
Gu Gu then released Liu Nanfeng and began walking towards the house along the winding path.
It was evident that she was in high spirits, her excitement causing her wings to tremble slightly.
But after a few steps, she quickly turned back. Seeing Liu Nanfeng standing there, watching her with a smile, she let out a sigh of relief.
Then, she hurried back, actively took Liu Nanfeng's hand, and pulled him along, wanting him to see the cottage with her.
Liu Nanfeng did not refuse, leading her to the front of the cottage.
Pushing open the wooden door, the low interior came into view.
The room was not dim, as it had windows all around, and a skylight in the ceiling. Vines dangled from the skylight, bearing small white flowers, making it appear quite beautiful.
The only imperfection was that the interior seemed a bit monotonous.
But with a thought from Liu Nanfeng, a low bed and low tables and chairs made of stone appeared within the room.
"Go and see if you like it," Liu Nanfeng released her hand and gently nudged her back, ushering her inside.
Gu Gu cautiously entered the room, touching the low table and chairs, then looking up at the vines hanging directly above the table. The faint fragrance emanating from them reached her nostrils.
Excitedly, she flapped her wings a couple of times. This action seemed to remind her of her current unsightly appearance, and her excitement subsided once more.
"It's alright, you'll recover soon."
Liu Nanfeng, sensing her thoughts, comforted her in a low voice.
Gu Gu was the most special and powerful of all the experimental subjects.
This was because Liu Nanfeng could feel that the speed at which her body absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth was more than ten times that of the other subjects, like a massive black hole rapidly drawing spiritual energy into her body to heal her injuries.
The faint yellowish down on her wings had already begun to turn white, an astonishingly fast transformation.
"You can look around, but don't go too far. I'll come back to see you after some time," Liu Nanfeng instructed.
Gu Gu, who had been excitedly looking all around, froze at his words. She stared blankly at Liu Nanfeng, her eyes filled with sadness and reluctance, as if asking, "Are you leaving too?"
"Don't worry, I'll be back soon. You need to recover well," Liu Nanfeng said with a smile.
Then, he dissolved into a wisp of smoke and vanished. He still had other experimental subjects to attend to. They weren't entirely demons yet and couldn't fully subsist on spiritual energy like demons. They were all pitiable souls, and he couldn't favor one over another; they all needed to be settled.
Gu Gu stared blankly at the spot where Liu Nanfeng had disappeared for a long time. Then, she walked forward softly and reached out to touch the empty space.
"Gu gu~"
Her voice issued a mournful cry, like an abandoned bird.