Two Choices, Deep Within the Lair!

The fire in the cave flickered, and Yun Yun's pale hands tightened around the hem of her newly changed moon-white palace robe.

A hint of anger colored her face.

The reason for her embarrassment and irritation was entirely due to Xiao Yan's lion's-mouth conditions:

"Sect Master Yun, since ancient times, a life-saving favor has been hard to repay!"

"Here, I'll give you two choices."

"First, find me seven sixth-tier medicinal herbs for restoring the soul."

"And fifteen fifth-tier herbs effective for the soul."

Xiao Yan held a bamboo skewer, flipping roasted meat as he casually spat out an exorbitant price.

"Impossible. Soul-restoring herbs are far too precious!"

"And seven sixth-tier ones at that!"

"Though a life-saving debt should be repaid with grass and rings..."

Yun Yun had just started speaking when she was cut off. Xiao Yan's figure suddenly closed in.

Yun Yun's breath caught, her pupils slightly widening.

The youth's fingertip hooked her hair strand as he smiled:

"Is the Misty Cloud Sect Master's life only worth grass and rings?"

"Is the Sect Master insulting this Yan Xiao?"

Staring into the youth's starry eyes, Yun Yun found herself momentarily speechless.

As the lofty Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, when had she ever been teased like this?

"Crack."

But the tense standoff between them lasted only two or three breaths.

Before it was broken by the sound of a porcelain bowl shattering.

Both turned their gaze.

It was Xiao Yi Xian's jade medicine bowl beside them, broken for some unknown reason.

She looked at the two, offering an apologetic smile:

"It's nothing. My hands slipped. Please continue."

For some reason, Xiao Yan sensed a chill in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes.

Yun Yun, snapping back to reality, blushed to her ears.

She shoved Xiao Yan away abruptly:

"Yan Xiao! You... you..."

Yun Yun's voice mixed with shame and anger. She thought for a moment.

But couldn't find the right word to describe Xiao Yan—truly lacking in her vocabulary of insults.

Yet Xiao Yan, directly across from her, wore an utterly unconcerned expression.

Suddenly, he produced two jade slips like a magician:

"Sect Master Yun, this ancient jade slip records some high-tier herbs that can restore the soul, making it easier for you to search."

"It can also enrich the Misty Cloud Sect's knowledge reserves."

"But if you insist on rejecting this Yan Xiao's first condition, you can consider the second choice."

"It requires no material payment at all!"

With that, Xiao Yan handed the other jade slip to Yun Yun!

Suppressing her earlier embarrassment, Yun Yun reached out and took it.

"Bang!"

She opened it but immediately snapped it shut, her earlobes red as cinnabar.

"You!"

Yun Yun's sword aura flared around her, but due to the Amethyst Seal, it retreated back into her body.

Her peripheral vision caught the crooked list of herbs on the first jade slip.

The handwriting was clearly just carved on the spot, with some spots even stained by barbecue sauce.

And on the other jade slip, only four words were engraved:

Offer oneself in marriage.

"What about me?"

"Could it be that the renowned Misty Cloud Sect Master intends to accept a favor without repaying it?"

Yun Yun silently clenched her fist, twisting the fabric of her robe.

Watching Xiao Yan's flippant demeanor, she finally let go of her hand:

How did she end up stuck with such a scoundrel?

"Sigh, I agree to the first condition."

"But I'll need to return to my sect first—how do you plan to collect it?"

Xiao Yan smiled:

"No need for Sect Master Yun to worry about that. I'll find you later."

"Since Sect Master Yun is so sincere, allow me to offer a small gift in return."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan flicked his sleeve, and crimson flames surged from his palm, burning silently.

The surrounding air twisted the moment Xiao Yan activated the Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame.

A brilliant purple light blazed from Yun Yun's body as purple spirit flames erupted.

They coiled and condensed into a miniature form of the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.

"This sealing technique is quite interesting."

With those words, Xiao Yan spread his hand and made a grasping motion.

The purple flames, as if meeting their sovereign, swarmed out of Yun Yun's body, converged into Xiao Yan's palm, and were completely devoured.

Watching Xiao Yan break the Sixth Tier Magical Beast's seal with a mere flick of his hand, Yun Yun was inwardly shaken, not even bothering to stabilize her newly unsealed cultivation.

This Amethyst Seal was originally a fire-attribute seal forged from the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's own essence.

In the hands of Xiao Yan, who possessed the Master of Fire talent along with Strange Fire and Purple Fire, it was utterly useless!

As for the risk of Yun Yun turning the tables on him with her restored cultivation after the seal broke?

A joke—did she think the Emperor Tier battle skill, Ghost Possession, was for show?

He never acted based on impressions of these characters from the original story.

He only moved when he had absolute certainty, trusting nothing but power!

After finishing all this, Xiao Yan rose and walked toward the cave entrance:

"I'll trouble Sect Master Yun to look after Xiao Yi Xian while you stabilize your cultivation here."

"I'm off to the lion's den."

"Mm."

Yun Yun acknowledged. When he was gravely wounded and unconscious, Xiao Yi Xian had been the one caring for him.

Now that her cultivation was restored, she wouldn't stand idly by if danger arose.

As the youth's figure reached the cave mouth, it was Xiao Yi Xian who grew worried:

"Xiao... Yan Xiao, be careful."

Xiao Yan nodded softly, spread his crimson wings, and transformed into a streak of fire, shooting straight into the sky.

Deep within the Monster Beast Mountain Range, before the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's cave:

"Roar!"

The Fourth Tier Purple Lightning Mad Tiger's roar shook boulders from the cliffs!

Xiao Yan kicked off the ground and leaped into the air, sweeping the Heavy Black Ruler horizontally as fire waves coalesced into the Eight Desolate Fire Dragon:

"Wave Splitting Flame Ruler: Nine Dragons Facing the Origin!"

The energy tide from the Earth Tier battle skill, infused with Strange Fire, uprooted plants and trees for a hundred zhang in every direction!

Fierce crimson flames turned into solid waves of fire, sweeping outward violently!

The Purple Tiger opened its maw and spat a thunderball, but the moment it touched the crimson flames, it was eerily reversed and sent hurtling back.

The Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame ignited deep within his pupils!

"Boom!!!"

The violent explosion and shockwave hurled the Fourth Tier Finger Tiger hundreds of meters away.

Seizing the opening, Xiao Yan closed in with an Instant Step, nine afterimages roaring in unison:

"Eight Extremes Collapse!"

"Boom, boom, boom—!"

Eight layers of hidden force, laced with Strange Fire, pierced into the tiger's body. The Purple Tiger's scales cracked inch by inch, blood spilling from its mouth.

Yet it still raged with savage ferocity!

Xiao Yan's wings spread to their fullest extent behind him.

The gale kicked up by its wings snapped two ancient trees that would take three men to encircle.

"To force me to use this move at the fourth tier, you can die without regrets."

"Flame Wings, Heaven Slash: Twin Moon Burial!"

Crimson flame erupted and swelled, twin blood-red moons crossing to slice through the purple tiger's midsection.

The entire giant tiger's body split apart in an instant, rubble bursting, ground trembling.

Two hundred-meter ravines gouged the earth, crimson fire blazing within them.

The magical beast crashed to the ground, its four claws still twitching faintly.

Xiao Yan approached with a blank expression, thrust his fingers into its crown, and ripped out the core.

The lightning-wreathed demonic core flickered in his palm like a candle flame.

Inside the cave, a third-tier Purple Crystal Winged Lion King cub trembled as it watched the scene outside.

But Xiao Yan suddenly turned and met its eyes, the corners of his lips curling into a nuclear-friendly smile.

Cub: !!!

Before it could react, Xiao Yan used Instant Step, crossing into the cave in a flash.

A single thump knocked it unconscious.

Alone, he walked deeper into the cave, purple light gradually filling his vision.

After stowing the Companion Purple Crystal Source into his Storage Ring.

He was about to turn and leave, but his steps suddenly halted.

He turned...