Water Pool Cave

The mountains were rugged, and the forest dense.

The medicinal power inside me was surging, leaving me unable to use the Purple Cloud Wings. I could only travel on foot through the Mountain Forest. Damn it, I had come out too late and hadn't seen which direction Yun Yun had flown. All I could do was search step by step around the Amethyst Winged Lion King's lair.

Fortunately, the battle between Yun Yun and the Amethyst Winged Lion King had been too terrifying. The nearby Magical Beasts had fled in swarms, leaving the area deserted and making things much safer for me.

Wearing Tier 4 Magical Beast Leather Armor and holding the Dragon Slayer Crossbow, I cautiously circled the area around the lair. After crossing mountains and ridges and searching for so long, I still hadn't found Yun Yun, and I was starting to grow anxious.

My stamina had been seriously depleted, and I was gradually losing control over the medicinal power within me. If I still couldn't find her, I would probably have no choice but to give up and refine the medicinal power instead...

"Whoosh..."

The sound of running water gradually rose beside my ears. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I looked in that direction. After some thought, I headed over anyway.

Water, water... Yun Yun was injured. Perhaps she would instinctively draw close to a water source? After all, in people's minds, water had always represented hope and life.

Raising the Dragon Slayer Crossbow, I carefully approached, only to discover that it did not even qualify as a stream. It was merely a mountain stream. I looked around, but saw no sign of Yun Yun and could not help feeling disappointed.

With a sigh, and since I had no destination anyway, I began walking downstream along the mountain stream. The banks were much easier to traverse than the Mountain Forest, and the view was far more open. Feeling more at ease, I took out some dried meat and ate as I walked, replenishing my strength.

After walking for a long time, the sound of the water beside me gradually grew louder, roaring and rushing. I frowned and looked ahead, only to see that the mountain stream had reached its end. That was—a waterfall?

Walking to the top of the waterfall, I looked down and saw the mountain stream rushing like a torrent, crashing thunderously into the pool below. The deafening roar shook the heavens, sending water mist billowing across the entire pool. It was hazy and indistinct, faintly resembling a fairyland.

"Water plunging three thousand feet from on high, like the Milky Way falling from the ninth heaven?"

Looking at the scene before me, I murmured the line, and my mood suddenly lightened considerably. With a soft laugh, I found myself seeing things more clearly. Turning around, I was about to find a cave to refine the medicinal power.

But suddenly, my gaze froze as I looked sharply toward one corner of the pool. A white figure was bobbing up and down there, drifting with the current.

That... seemed to be a person?

I frowned, crouching down to peer closely. But the waterfall was too high and the water mist too thick; I could not see clearly at all. I could only vaguely make out that it really did seem to be a person.

I looked to both sides, only to find steep cliffs everywhere, jagged rocks jutting out all around. There was simply no path leading down to the pool below. And if I took a detour, who knew how long it would take?

For a moment, I fell silent and raised a hand to touch my spine. Should I use the Purple Cloud Wings?

In my current condition, once I recklessly used a Dou Technique, the only possible result would be an imbalance between the medicinal power and Dou Qi within me. At best, I would be half dead; at worst, I would faint on the spot, perhaps even suffer lingering aftereffects that would hinder my cultivation. And this was the extremely dangerous Monster Mountain Range. If I fell into such a state, death would come all too easily!

But what if that figure was Yun Yun—my talent was poor. If my plan failed, I would have absolutely no hope of becoming a Dou Emperor or Dou Zong. Even reaching Dou Wang would be a struggle!

Then I would truly have no choice but to wait for Xiao Yan to make it big, then go kneel before him and shamelessly beg him to spare me some cultivation resources...

Beg others? Or rely on myself?

I cursed under my breath, put away the Dragon Slayer Crossbow, and walked to the edge of the waterfall, ready to jump. Yet I hesitated again. Was that figure below really Yun Yun? What if my eyes were playing tricks on me...

"Damn it, Xiao Yan, sooner or later I'll kill her!"

I shouted a curse, hardened my heart, stopped thinking about it, and jumped straight down.

Whoosh!

Carefully channeling Dou Qi into the eagle-wing pattern on my back, a pale purple radiance immediately shone through my robe. It gathered behind me into a foot-long pair of eagle wings that seemed almost tangible.

The wings were connected to the Dou Qi within me, and I could control them as easily as my own limbs. Unfortunately, my current condition did not allow me to waste even a trace more Dou Qi. I did my best to reduce the expenditure and did not dare fly, only gliding downward.

The wind swept past my ears. Passing through a burst of cool mist, I suddenly withdrew my Dou Qi and landed at the edge of the pool.

The roar of water beside the pool was far louder than it had been above the waterfall, booming like thunder. I approached the white figure, anxiety rising within me again as my heart began pounding faster and faster.

At first, I thought it was nervousness. Then my expression changed—the medicinal power was clearly beginning to stir. I had no time to think further and hurried over for a closer look, my heart jolting in shock!

What a beauty!

A woman floated near the edge of the pool, clad in a Moon White Robe. Her long black hair drifted loosely through the water, yet she remained breathtakingly beautiful. But her eyes were tightly shut, and her face was deathly pale. She was clearly Seriously Injured.

"Yun... Yun?"

I murmured her name, staring blankly at the unconscious woman soaking in the water. I had never seen Yun Yun before, but surely it could be no one else.

Just then, a beast's roar sounded in the distance, and I frowned. This place was far from the Amethyst Winged Lion King's lair. The earlier battle had not spread here, and many Magical Beasts still lived in this area.

I looked up at the waterfall, but unfortunately there was no cave behind its curtain of water. With a helpless sigh, I fished Yun Yun out of the pool.

As I carried her, one arm beneath her knees and the other under her shoulders, the coolness of the pool water and the warmth and softness of her jade-like body reached me, stirring my mind. A faint fragrance filled my nose, and my heart was filled with tender softness.

I quietly swallowed, suppressing those strange thoughts, and carried her away from the pool. After searching for a long time, I finally found a valley and a cave.

After killing the Magical Beast that occupied the cave, I carefully carried Yun Yun inside. Apart from a foul, fishy stench, there were no other problems within.

At last, I let out a long breath and laid Yun Yun down, placing a cushion beneath her. Only then did I finally have time to examine her closely. Looking down, I saw brows and eyes as delicate as a painting, skin like ice, and bones like jade.

More importantly, this sect leader who had dominated the Gamma Empire was seriously injured and unconscious, lying before me so helplessly and pitifully, without the slightest ability to resist...

My nose suddenly grew hot. Reaching up to touch it, I found a glaring smear of blood! Shocked, I hurriedly turned my Inner Vision inward, only to see utter chaos within my body. The medicinal power and Dou Qi had mixed together!

I could no longer spare any attention for Yun Yun. Hurriedly taking out the incense burner from my Ring of Holding, I lit incense that helped calm the mind and focus the spirit, dispersing the unpleasant stench in the air. Then I sat cross-legged and began refining the medicinal power again.

But it was already too late. The Dou Qi and medicinal power in my body had already mixed together. The impure, chaotic Dou Qi was extremely difficult to circulate, making me increasingly anxious and flustered.

And in my panic, something went wrong with the circulation of my Dou Qi! Two currents of Dou Qi collided within my Meridians like a carriage crash. A violent pain tore through my Meridians, and I spat out a mouthful of blood. My vision went black, and I fainted.

After an unknown amount of time, I woke up groggily. Half-conscious, I only felt unbearably hungry. I could not help cursing and shouted, "Someone! Bring your Young Master something to eat!"

After shouting, I felt exhausted all over and lay back down again, quietly waiting. Footsteps sounded from outside the door, accompanied by a faint fragrance. The food had finally arrived...

"Little fellow, you're awake?"

A calm voice, unfamiliar yet familiar, sounded by my ear. I frowned and opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was the rough, rugged ceiling of a cave. Then came a noble, elegant face that seemed somewhat familiar—I thought for a moment before realizing that she looked very much like Nalan Yanran.

Only then did I suddenly come to my senses. A flood of memories surfaced, and I abruptly tried to sit up. But the moment I did, pain shot through my body.

Gritting my teeth, I could not help letting out a miserable groan. At that moment, a jade-like hand rested on my shoulder, and that calm voice said, "Your cultivation went wrong and you were injured. You should not move around. Lie down properly."

I turned my head to glance at her. She still wore that noble, elegant expression, and somehow it made me feel annoyed.

But I did not dare get angry. I obediently lay back down as she said. Then a strip... or perhaps a stick? In any case, some unknown thing skewered on a stick—probably food—was brought to my mouth.

I turned my head to stare at it, smelling the unpleasant burnt odor. After a moment of silence, I asked, "Senior, what... is this?"

A faint blush quietly appeared on her face. Somewhat awkwardly, she said, "It is grilled fish. Didn't you say you were hungry? Hurry and eat it."

From what I had heard, and from what Nalan Yanran had said, she was not supposed to have a bad temper. I could not help asking cautiously, "Senior, can this really be eaten?"

Her face had already returned to its noble composure, without the slightest trace of embarrassment or blush. She nodded firmly, her expression extremely serious. "Yes. You must eat all of it."

Was she joking? I desperately shook my head and shifted backward, my gaze falling on her slender fingers and Ring of Holding. I asked sheepishly, "Senior, don't you have any dried rations in your Ring of Holding?"

When she shook her head, I could not help wondering, Are all Dou Emperors this domineering? Entering the Monster Mountain Range without even bringing dried rations?

I sighed helplessly and circulated my Dou Qi, intending to take some dried meat from my Ring of Holding. Then... I let out a loud cry of agony!

"Ah!"

The instant my Dou Qi circulated, my Meridians began to ache violently. Lying on the mat, my entire body convulsed uncontrollably! After struggling and groaning for a long while, the pain gradually subsided, and only then did I calm down.

"Didn't I tell you that you were injured?"

I panted heavily, wiped the sweat from my forehead, and looked up. She stood there in all her elegant dignity, looking down at me with a trace of pity in her eyes.

I gave a bitter smile. My Meridians were injured, and I could not even circulate Dou Qi—this time, I had truly suffered a huge loss. If such an injury was not treated properly, it could easily leave lasting aftereffects.

But that was a matter for later. The most important thing now was solving the problem of food and water. As for the so-called "grilled fish" in her hand, even if I starved to death or jumped from here, I would never take a single bite!

I took off my Ring of Holding and tossed it to her. "Senior, there is dried meat and Clear Water inside. Please help me take them out."

She raised a hand and caught it, glancing at me. She was probably puzzled by my actions, since Dou Zhes never casually allowed others to inspect their Rings of Holding.

But she said nothing more. Her soul force sank into the Ring of Holding, and then I saw her delicate brows furrow slightly as she turned to look at me again. She must have seen that thing inside my Ring of Holding.

Sure enough, after taking out the dried meat and Clear Water and handing them to me, she asked, "Little fellow, which family are you from?"

I accepted the dried meat and Clear Water, a bright and proud smile appearing on my face. "Senior, my name is Nalan Ye. I am a core member of the Nalan Family. And you?"

Upon hearing my words, she simply walked away, sat cross-legged on another rock, gently closed her eyes, and began cultivating. She said:

"Yun Lan Sect, Yun Yun."