Yun Shan, Yun Yun

"You just won't let up! You forced me to do this! Nine Tribulations Heavenly Flame Hand!"

A terrifying aura erupted from Xiao Li's body. His hands rapidly formed seals, then his right hand swung down. A gigantic purple flaming hand slammed toward the three Green Eyed Lions.

Roar!

The Male Green Eyed Lion and Female Green Eyed Lion naturally sensed the terror of Xiao Li's attack. To protect their child, they charged forward without hesitation.

"See you later!"

Xiao Li swallowed two Qi Returning Pills to rapidly restore his Dou Qi, then immediately fled. Although that strike could injure the Green Eyed Lions, it would not be fatal. Magical Beasts possessed incredibly powerful physical bodies.

Xiao Li had intended to use that move to make a quick escape. There were two Fourth Tier Magical Beasts, one of them even at the Peak Fourth Tier. Only an idiot would fight them to the death.

With the wind beneath his feet, Xiao Li swiftly fled into the distance.

After running for an unknown amount of time, Xiao Li made a large detour through the Magical Beast Mountain Range. After all, some Magical Beasts had exceptionally sharp senses of smell. Leaving behind more traces of his scent would help confuse them.

Since Xiao Li was training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he had naturally set up a Cave Dwelling. The area around it was sprinkled with plenty of Powdered Medicine that repelled Magical Beasts.

"Whew... I can finally rest for a while." Xiao Li dragged his exhausted body into the Cave Dwelling.

"Oh! Li'er, you're back? Why do you look so bedraggled?" A teasing voice that ruined the peace rang out. It was Old Wang, who was currently grilling fish.

"Heh, I don't feel like talking. Hm? And this senior is?" Only then did Xiao Li notice an old man seated beside Old Wang.

The old man wore an extremely plain White Robe. His long hair was Snow White, and he possessed the ethereal, unrestrained bearing of a reclusive master beyond the mortal world. He appeared slightly younger than Old Wang.

"Haha, Li'er, let Master introduce you. This is the Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Shan! Yun Shan is an old friend of mine. I happened to run into him today, so I dragged him over to keep this Old Man company for a chat."

Old Wang pointed at Yun Shan and spoke with a smile.

"Xiao Li greets Sect Leader Yun." Xiao Li cupped his hands toward Yun Shan, showing his respect.

"Mmm, Old Wang! This is your disciple? He is so young—how has his cultivation reached such a level? The younger generation is truly formidable."

Yun Shan looked Xiao Li over from head to toe. Once he saw through Xiao Li's cultivation, he was quite astonished. This boy looked only one or two years older than his own disciple, yet his cultivation was several Great Realms higher.

"Heh, this Old Man has poured his entire life's collection into Li'er. Just like that Girl of yours—haven't you devoted yourself wholeheartedly to her as well? She was only a Dou Practitioner, yet you already brought her to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to train."

Old Wang stroked his beard and smiled faintly.

Yun Shan had not expected Wang Ming to go to such lengths for this Little Fellow! The lifetime collection of a Rank 6 Alchemist—who knew how many treasures it contained?

"Little Fellow, since you are Old Wang's disciple, there is no need to be so formal. In private, don't call me Sect Leader Yun. Just call me Old Yun."

Yun Shan spoke with a genial smile, his words giving others the feeling of a spring breeze.

"Old Yun!" Xiao Li cupped his hands once more. As a Little Fellow, he had to be thorough in his etiquette. After all, he was merely at the lowest level among the three Great Realms—the Ant Realm.

He should pay respects wherever they were due. No one blamed a man for being overly polite. He was not like Xiao Yan, whose fate was as hard as steel. Keeping a low profile was good for a long life.

"Mmm, sit down, Little Fellow!" Yun Shan was quite pleased with Xiao Li. His cultivation was excellent, and his manners were impeccable. What elder would not like such a youngster?

Yun Shan looked toward Wang Ming. "Old Wang, since this Little Fellow is your disciple, I assume he is an alchemist as well. Let me guess—he is currently a Second-Rank Alchemist, correct?"

Old Wang stroked his beard and shook his head.

"Could he be a Third Grade Alchemist? Or are you saying he is not an alchemist?" Wang Ming's response left Yun Shan baffled.

Old Wang chuckled. "My disciple is now a Peak Rank 4 Alchemist. He can refine Purple Heart Breaking Barrier Pills, and his success rate is around seventy percent."

Hiss—

Yun Shan sucked in a sharp breath. Setting aside the fact that he possessed the strength of a Nine Star Dou Grandmaster in his teens, he also had such talent in alchemy. Such heaven-defying aptitude—perhaps even Central Continent, where geniuses gathered, would struggle to produce a Little Fellow like him.

"Li'er, you must be hungry. Here, have some fish grilled by Master." Old Wang handed the cooked fish in his hand to Xiao Li.

Xiao Li took the grilled fish and began wolfing it down. Although someone at his level could go several days without eating, he still needed to satisfy his appetite.

After finishing the grilled fish, Xiao Li began regulating his breath. His hands formed the seals for cultivation, and he sat cross-legged, entering a cultivation state.

"This child is truly diligent. He has talent and works so hard—he will surely achieve great things in the future," Yun Shan said with emotion.

He was not an ignorant man and had seen quite a few geniuses, but there were very few as hardworking and diligent as Xiao Li. Mmm, his own disciple was diligent as well. Though her talent could not compare to this boy's, surpassing this old bag of bones in the future would be easy enough.

Tap, tap, tap—

Footsteps suddenly sounded from the entrance of the Cave Dwelling, and a young girl walked inside.

The girl wore a simple green dress and held a strange-looking longsword that emitted a green glow. Her black hair was arranged into a noble Phoenix Hair Ornament, and her beautiful, captivating face was calm and serene. Though she was still young, she carried a trace of grace and nobility.

"Teacher, Old Wang, I'm back!"

The girl was Yun Yun. She was fourteen this year and already a Five Star Dou Practitioner.

"Yun'er, you must be tired. Sit down!" Yun Shan's face was filled with kindness when he saw Yun Yun return. It had been several years since he had found her. The little girl had been pitiful, an orphan, and Yun Shan could not bear to see her starve or freeze to death, so he adopted her.

Later, Yun Yun displayed extraordinary talent, and Yun Shan decided to take her as his disciple and cultivate her into the Young Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect.

"Heh, not bad, little girl. You've advanced from a Four Star Dou Practitioner to a Five Star Dou Practitioner. In the future, you may even become more formidable than your teacher!" Wang Ming looked at Yun Yun with considerable satisfaction.

"Old Wang flatters me. Everything Yun Yun has is thanks to Teacher. By the way, who is this?"

The moment Yun Yun entered the Cave Dwelling, she noticed the Youngster cultivating against the wall. He appeared to be around her age, but the aura he gave off was comparable to that of the Elders in her sect.

"Him? He is my disciple, Xiao Li, the Young Master of the Imperial Capital Xiao Clan. He is currently cultivating under me and only returned today. You young people can interact with each other more."

Wang Ming said with a chuckle, and there seemed to be a hidden meaning in his words.

Yun Shan naturally caught the implication behind Wang Ming's words. As an old father, the sight of Xiao Li's face immediately displeased him.

However, considering Xiao Li's talent, especially his talent in alchemy, it seemed acceptable if he married Yun'er. He had already become a Peak Rank 4 Alchemist at Fifteen Years Old—wasn't becoming a Rank 6 Alchemist in the future practically a certainty?

Yun Shan was now a Seven Star Dou Emperor. Reaching the peak of the Dou Emperor realm in the future and breaking through into the Dou Zong realm would undoubtedly be exceedingly difficult. But if he could obtain a Breaking Ancestor Pill, Yun Shan believed his chances would be much greater.

Moreover, with an alchemist Husband, Yun'er would be able to go even further in the future.

"Xiao Li?" Yun Yun murmured softly, then watched the Youngster who was cultivating.

He is rather handsome. Why do I sense an Elder's aura from him? Could he be a Da Dou Shi? Forget it, forget it. Cultivate, cultivate.