Dou Zong Experts, Terrifying Indeed

As for Xiao Yan, the future ruler of the Endless Fire Domain and Flame Emperor of the Battle Through the Heavens world,

Lin Ran did not dislike him.

Though the kid had been somewhat cowardly in the early stages and had a bit of a lolicon streak, there was nothing to criticize about the way he conducted himself.

As the saying went, better to serve under Xiao Yan than be Tang San's brother. The Endless Fire Domain had Yao Lao, while the God Realm had no Yu Xiaogang. That was enough to explain everything.

However, his Cloud Rain Sect seemed to have some old grievances with Yao Lao.

He knew that the Scorpion Demon Three Ghosts had once beaten Yao Chen until he fled in a panic. In the original work, when the Scorpion Demon Three Ghosts encountered Yao Chen, Xiao Yan, and the others, Yao Chen and Xiao Yan killed them and seized their treasures, turning everything they had gained at great cost into someone else's wedding dress.

Even if there had been no treasure-snatching in the original work, the relationship between the two sides had long since become irreconcilable!

Since he was the Young Sect Master of the Cloud Rain Sect, he naturally could not avoid this karmic entanglement.

Since that was the case...

A cold glint surfaced in Lin Ran's eyes.

He was not some arrogant, brainless villain who would look down on someone merely because they were weak and insignificant.

Besides, Xiao Yan was hardly insignificant. As the protagonist of the Dou Qi Continent and the future Flame Emperor, Xiao Yan was a genuine super cockroach, and his growth rate was terrifyingly fast.

If he could not kill him outright, it would not be long before Xiao Yan caught up to him—or even killed him in return.

Though the bond between Xiao Yan and Yao Chen had not yet reached that level, it was already steadily deepening. The matter between the Cloud Rain Sect and Yao Chen would inevitably involve Xiao Yan in the future.

Lin Ran narrowed his eyes. In the original work, Yun Yun had met Xiao Yan in these mountains. Xiao Yan was nowhere to be seen now, so Yao Chen must have sensed his presence and avoided him.

But it did not matter. A monk could run, but the temple could not. With his foreknowledge, how could Xiao Yan escape his grasp?

"Though we're fellow townsmen, I still can't spare you."

"Danger must be nipped in the bud!"

The fleeting cold killing intent made Yun Yun, standing nearby, tremble inwardly. She thought that revealing Lin Ran's identity had angered him, and that he was now planning to kill her and destroy the evidence.

So be it. It was one thing for her body to be defiled, but if the Jia Ma Empire and the Misty Cloud Sect suffered losses in the future because of her, their reputations ruined beyond repair, then that would be a true disaster!

Yun Yun felt desolate, but her resolve was firm.

In her heart, the Misty Cloud Sect was far more important than herself. For the sake of the Misty Cloud Sect, what did it matter if she alone had to be sacrificed?

"Do it."

Yun Yun closed her eyes, and her tone instead became calm.

"???"

Lin Ran raised a brow, unable to understand what madness had come over this woman. The space around him rippled, and in the next moment, his figure became a black shadow and vanished from before Yun Yun.

Watching Lin Ran leave, Yun Yun's beautiful eyes suddenly widened. Her red lips trembled as shock filled her face.

"V-Void Walk... a Dou Zong expert?!"

In the blink of an eye, Lin Ran appeared above the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Standing atop empty air, he spread out his powerful soul force and instantly locked onto several auras.

Dou Zong experts could initially grasp the Power of Space and achieve Void Walk without relying on forces such as dou qi.

High-ranking Dou Zong experts could even create Space Locks. Their strength was extraordinarily formidable!

"So there really is only one Sixth-tier Monster Beast, the Amethyst Winged Lion King. Fine. For such a remote backwater to produce a Sixth-tier Monster Beast is already its limit."

Lin Ran felt slightly disappointed. The original work had indicated that the Monster Beast Mountain Range contained only one Sixth-tier Monster Beast, and after investigating it himself, he found that it was indeed true.

That only meant he would have to make a few more trips elsewhere.

Lin Ran shifted his gaze toward a cave dwelling below. With a step forward, he reappeared before its entrance.

Lin Ran did not conceal himself in the slightest, yet as he stood quietly outside the Purple Gold Winged Lion King's cave dwelling, not a single monster beast noticed him. He calmly walked straight into the cave.

Though it was called the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave dwelling, it was really just a cave.

Purple crystal chunks were embedded here and there in the walls. These crystal chunks were naturally produced by the cave, and in the human world, they were rather rare decorative items worth a great deal.

The deep and spacious cave was adorned with these amethyst crystals, making it quite splendid. But to Lin Ran, they were utterly meaningless.

With a single step, Lin Ran vanished instantly. When he appeared again, he was already in the core area of the cave.

The cave's interior was exceptionally spacious and empty. At its center, a massive monster beast seven or eight meters long lay curled up on the ground, sound asleep. Beside it, a smaller Amethyst Winged Lion King was curled up in its embrace, sleeping peacefully.

The two Amethyst Winged Lions huddled close together, raising the surrounding temperature by several degrees.

Besides the young Amethyst Winged Lion, there was also an Amethyst Stone over a meter tall in the Amethyst Winged Lion King's embrace. It was so enormous that it resembled a stone platform.

Atop the Amethyst Stone platform rested a purple spherical object as large as a basketball.

Without a doubt, this was the Companion Amethyst Source!

His arrival had caused Yao Chen to hurriedly take Xiao Yan away, making Xiao Yan miss out on the opportunity of the Companion Amethyst Source.

"Bear Blaze may not compare to Heavenly Flames, but it is still decent."

"My physique is pure yang and unyielding, but my blood qi is insufficient. That is why my cultivation has stagnated; even absorbing the dou qi from Flesh Cauldrons cannot allow me to break through. The Heavenly Spirit Blood Dragon Pill, refined from monster beast essence blood, can make up for this weakness."

"This beast fire and monster beast essence blood work in similar ways. If I can devour and absorb it, I might obtain some unexpected gains..."

After all, Dou Zong was a realm praised as 'terrifying indeed,' and its experts possessed immense strength.

To experts of this realm, even low-ranked Heavenly Flames could no longer pose a huge threat to them, let alone beast fire.

With a wave of his hand, Lin Ran directly stored the Companion Amethyst Source and the entire Amethyst Stone in his Storage Ring.

The Amethyst Stone was enormous and connected to the cave's amethyst crystal vein. Lin Ran directly storing it in his Storage Ring naturally caused quite a disturbance.

The sleeping Amethyst Winged Lion King abruptly opened its eyes. Finding an uninvited guest like Lin Ran inside its cave dwelling, it was immediately alarmed.

But then, it noticed the missing Amethyst Stone and Companion Amethyst Source.

Thinking of Yun Yun from not long ago, the Amethyst Winged Lion King felt the broken horn on its head faintly ache. Fury surged within it, and its enraged roar echoed throughout the cave.

"Good, good, good! Failing to seize my Purple Spirit Crystal, you've now come to steal from me! You lowly humans truly are shameless and cunning!"

"Die!"