Return! Yun Xi Exposed!

"Found it!"

Xun'er's delighted voice came from afar. Clearly, she had discovered the Millennial Level stalactite over there.

Hearing Xun'er's voice, Yun Xi casually tossed aside the dull half-stalactite in his hand and drifted toward her.

"Yun Xi, Yun Xi, is it this one?" Xun'er raised her head slightly and pointed at the enormous stalactite above them.

Only then did Yun Xi notice the massive thing overhead.

A gigantic stalactite hung from the ceiling. At first glance, it appeared to be only several dozen meters long, but judging from the size of its tip, it had to be at least a hundred meters in length. The exposed portion was merely a small part of it.

A faint white mist curled around the enormous stalactite. As expected, this was Earth Core Mist.

"Yun Xi, is this the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk?" Xun'er paid no attention to the giant stalactite above her, her bright gaze fixed instead on the milky-white liquid in the hollow directly beneath it.

"No, no, no. The real Body Tempering Milk is here." With a wave of Yun Xi's hand, a small portion at the tip of the stalactite overhead separated from the main body and slowly floated into his palm.

"How did you know?"

"Take a guess."

"I won't. Forget it if you won't tell me. Now that we have it, we can leave, right?" Though delighted by the milky-white liquid held within the crystalline stalactite in Yun Xi's hand, Xun'er was still somewhat worried.

After all, if the Snow Devil Sky Ape returned after finishing its battle and discovered that the Body Tempering Milk it had guarded for so long had been taken by a little girl, wouldn't it go mad on the spot?

"Wait a moment." Yun Xi smiled. His finger moved slightly, and a small seal appeared on the stalactite to prevent it from suddenly spilling out or undergoing some strange reaction. Once he was done, he casually tossed it toward Xun'er.

Whoosh.

Under Xun'er's somewhat resentful gaze, the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk was stored in her storage ring.

She had long grown used to this fellow being able to manipulate her storage ring at will, but he was just as casual with a treasure like this! What if it fell? What if it broke?

"Alright, let's go." Ignoring Xun'er's aggrieved little look, Yun Xi took her small hand and spoke softly.

The moment his words fell, the two of them vanished from where they stood in an eerie manner.

The underground world returned to its former silence once more.

When Xun'er opened her eyes again, she was astonished to find herself back in the patch of grass where they had watched the two beasts fight.

"Roar?"

The Dark Gold Bear beside them was likewise shocked by their sudden appearance.

"Spatial teleportation?" Xun'er asked doubtfully.

"Instant movement," Yun Xi explained.

"They're the same, they're the same..."

"They aren't."

Xun'er had already become accustomed to Yun Xi casually displaying such methods. She no longer discussed it with him and instead turned her gaze toward the two fifth-tier magical beasts still fighting, saying teasingly, "Fight, fight. Once you're done, the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk will be gone too. Hehe."

If they discovered that the treasure had already been stolen while they were locked in an intense battle, their expressions would surely be quite spectacular.

"Yun Xi, use instant movement again. Let's go straight out," Xun'er said. Clearly, she had gotten a taste for it; after all, it was even faster than spatial teleportation.

"No," Yun Xi said flatly.

"Why?"

"My spiritual power has been consumed too heavily. Besides, I don't have the Bamboo House's coordinates, so I can't get there."

In truth, even without precise coordinates, Yun Xi could have directly teleported them outside the forest. He simply did not want Xun'er to develop a dependence on him and rely on him for everything.

"Ah? I see. Then forget it..." Hearing his explanation, Xun'er accepted it. She could not rely on Yun Xi for everything.

"Let's go, Little Gold." Turning around and grabbing the Dark Gold Bear's huge arm, Xun'er leaped onto its broad back.

Seeing this, Yun Xi's figure transformed into a streak of light and entered Xun'er's body once more.

"Roar~~"

No longer lingering in this place, the girl and bear began returning along their original route.

Gu Clan Back Mountain.

"Clan Chief, Miss Xun'er still hasn't returned. Should I take some men in to bring her back?" Ling Ying bent at the waist as he asked Gu Yuan, who stood ahead with his hands behind his back.

Several days had passed since Xun'er entered the Dark Forest. During that time, the distinguished guests from the various clans who had come to watch the Gu Clan's Clan Competition had already departed. The arrangements for the Seven Clans Gathering had also been finalized. Although the Soul Clan would not participate, someone would still relay the news to them afterward.

The Dark Forest behind Gu Saint Mountain had once been one of the places where the Gu Clan's younger generation trained. Visibility was poor there, and it was mainly used to train spiritual power. The magical beasts within varied widely in strength, ranging from third-tier Da Dou Shi to eighth-tier Dou Zun. Because the place was too dangerous, Gu Yuan had set up a barrier around it. Only when the younger generation of the clan wished to undergo training could they obtain a Gu Saint Token from the clan chief and enter.

Now that Xun'er had suddenly entered it, Ling Ying did not know how she had gotten inside, but he was still quite worried about her. After all, he had watched her grow up.

Gu Yuan waved his hand and laughed heartily. "No need to worry. That girl has an expert protecting her. Even I can't see through his strength."

Hearing Gu Yuan say such things again, Ling Ying was still utterly confused.

"Have they come out?"

Just as Ling Ying was about to ask for details, Gu Yuan, who stood ahead with his hands behind his back, suddenly smiled.

"Roar! Roar!"

"Faster, faster, faster!"

Not long after his words fell, beast roars rang out from the forest entrance, accompanied by a girl's voice.

"Miss Xun'er!"

Hearing the beast roars and Xun'er's voice, Ling Ying's heart tightened. Dark energy erupted from him as wings spread from his back, and after a few flashes, he shot toward the forest entrance.

"Ling Ying!"

A shout rang out, and Ling Ying's body was instantly bound in midair. Even his energy was sealed.

"Old Ling? What's wrong with you?" Xun'er asked in confusion.

As soon as Little Gold carried her out of the forest, she saw Ling Ying's energy surging all over his body before he froze in the air, completely motionless.

"Ling Ying, I'm not even worried. Why are you so anxious?" Gu Yuan slowly stepped forward and moved his hand slightly, releasing the restraints on him.

"Father? Did you come to pick me up?" Seeing Gu Yuan, Xun'er immediately rushed into his embrace, sounding somewhat delighted.

"Haha, Xun'er." Gu Yuan crouched slightly and caught Xun'er as she threw herself into his arms. Somewhat surprised, he said, "Xun'er is already at the peak of seven stars. Haha, it seems you gained quite a lot this time."

The moment he picked Xun'er up, Gu Yuan sensed the change in her strength. In only a few short days, she had reached the peak of seven stars. Letting her go out for a little training had indeed been rather beneficial.

"Oh, right." Xun'er seemed to suddenly remember something. Struggling free from Gu Yuan's embrace, she took the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk from her storage ring and said, "Father, look what this is."

"This is... Earth Core Body Tempering Milk?" With Gu Yuan's knowledge, he recognized it at a glance. He then asked teasingly, "This is guarded by a mature Snow Devil Sky Ape. How did you obtain it?"

"Hehe, Yun Xi took me there."