Above the border of the Jia Ma Empire.
The Wind Riding Boat sped through familiar mountains and rivers, its speed having slowed considerably.
The gloomy, eerie terrain of the Chu Yun Empire below gradually gave way to the comparatively brighter scenery of the Jia Ma Empire.
Xiao Yi Xian leaned against the side of the boat, silently watching the vaguely familiar mountain ranges pass beneath them. After a moment, she suddenly spoke in a soft voice,
"Ning Chen, are we going straight to the place you need to go next...?"
She paused, hesitated, then continued,
"If it's not too urgent, could we... go back to the Magic Beast Mountain Range first, to that little lakeside courtyard where we first met? I... I want to see it again."
She had a feeling that after leaving with Ning Chen for a broader world, she might... never have the chance to return to the forest and lakeside that held memories of her earliest transformation and the peace she had found there.
Hearing her, Ning Chen glanced at her.
In the breeze stirred up by their flight, the girl's profile looked serene and gentle.
His heart stirred faintly. After calculating their schedule and journey, he nodded,
"All right. There's no rush. We'll go back and have a look first, as you wish."
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes immediately lit up with joy.
The Wind Riding Boat changed course and sped toward the depths of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, toward the tranquil lake.
But just as they approached the familiar area, a fierce surge of energy, mixed with an angry beast's roar and the clear ring of a sword, came from somewhere in the mountains below, shattering the forest's quiet.
Ning Chen raised an eyebrow, guided the Wind Riding Boat a little higher, and looked toward the sounds.
In the sky above a relatively open valley below, a fierce battle was underway.
On one side was a majestic sixth-tier magical beast, its body wreathed in purple flames and a pair of wings growing from its back.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King!
It roared furiously as pillars of purple flame and razor-sharp crystal spikes repeatedly struck at its opponent.
Its opponent was a stunning woman with a graceful figure, dressed in an elegant moon-white gown.
Her features were as exquisite as a painting, and her bearing was dignified and noble, with a hint of coolness. In her hand, she held a long sword of archaic design.
As the sword flashed, azure wind blades howled through the air, blocking every one of the Amethyst Winged Lion King's attacks. Her movements were graceful and nimble. She was clearly a Dou Huang expert!
"Yun Yun?"
Ning Chen recognized her at a glance. She was Yun Yun, the Misty Cloud Sect Master.
He couldn't help but laugh to himself. What a coincidence—he'd barely returned, and he'd already stumbled across this scene. That meant Xiao Yan was probably hiding somewhere nearby, secretly watching the fight, too.
The two sides had clearly been fighting for a while. Yun Yun's aura was slightly unsteady, and the Amethyst Winged Lion King bore several sword wounds, though none were serious.
Clearly, Yun Yun had come for the Amethyst Crystal, while the Amethyst Winged Lion King refused to hand it over easily and wanted a Human Transformation Pill in exchange.
Ning Chen considered things briefly, and soon had a plan.
He turned to Xiao Yi Xian and said,
"Xian'er, there's a bit of trouble below. I'll go take a look. You can take the Wind Riding Boat to the lakeside courtyard and wait for me. I'll be right back."
Xiao Yi Xian had also noticed the battle below.
In particular, when her gaze swept over the woman in the moon-white gown, whose features were stunning and whose figure was so breathtakingly curvaceous.
She instinctively lowered her head and quickly glanced at her own still-developing chest.
An inexplicable emotion welled up inside her. She couldn't even tell whether she felt envious or annoyed.
She bit her lower lip, gave a soft huff, and turned away, her voice a little stiff,
"I know. You... hurry back!"
Without waiting for Ning Chen to respond, she guided the Wind Riding Boat into a streak of azure light and sped straight toward the lakeside she remembered, as if she couldn't bear to stay another moment.
Her sudden little outburst left Ning Chen momentarily stunned. Then he shook his head with a smile, not giving it much thought.
With a flicker, he silently drifted down from the fast-moving Wind Riding Boat like a feather, leisurely descending toward the fiercely contested valley below.
Meanwhile, in a secluded spot in the forest below.
Xiao Yan held his breath, using the dense foliage for cover as he stared unblinkingly at the astonishing battle between Dou Huang-level fighters in the distance. His heart was full of awe and longing.
Beside him, Yao Lao's soul hovered in the air, equally focused on the battle.
"Teacher, that woman is amazing. She can fight a sixth-tier magical beast to a standstill..."
Xiao Yan exclaimed quietly.
Yao Lao nodded slightly and was just about to offer a few comments when something caught his attention. His keen soul perception picked up a streak of azure light flashing past at tremendous speed, high overhead.
"Hm? That flying boat..."
Yao Lao narrowed his eyes. With his experience, he immediately recognized that the Wind Riding Boat was no ordinary means of transport. Its grade and speed were extremely rare across the Northwest Continent.
"The Magic Beast Mountain Range is certainly lively today. First a female Dou Huang, and now someone riding a flying boat like that..."
He muttered to himself, even considering whether to warn Xiao Yan to retreat to the cave for a while and avoid any trouble.
"Teacher, look!" Xiao Yan's exclamation interrupted Yao Lao's thoughts.
The situation on the distant battlefield had suddenly changed!
The Amethyst Winged Lion King seemed to have been thoroughly enraged. It threw back its head with a roar that shook the heavens, and the translucent horn on its forehead suddenly erupted in blinding purple light!
A condensed purple beam, brimming with terrifying power, shot toward Yun Yun as if it had crossed through space!
Yun Yun seemed to have made up her mind as well. Her long sword rang out, and immense azure Dou Qi surged into it.
"Extreme Wind! Meteor Kill!"
Light blazed from the sword as a dazzling azure sword aura took shape, seemingly capable of cleaving through space. It slashed viciously toward the Amethyst Winged Lion King's wounded neck!
"Boom!"
Two thunderous explosions rang out almost simultaneously!
The purple beam and the azure sword aura crossed paths!
The Amethyst Winged Lion King let out a pained howl. The scales around its neck shattered, and a deep wound opened up. Blood sprayed everywhere as its massive body staggered backward.
Although Yun Yun quickly turned to the side in an attempt to dodge the purple beam's core, she was still struck.
A strange purple light flashed over the left shoulder of her moon-white gown, rapidly forming a complex purple rune that then vanished into her body.
She grunted. Her pretty face turned deathly pale, and her aura plummeted!
"This is bad!"
Knowing she was in trouble, Yun Yun forced herself to gather what remained of her Dou Qi and prepared to flee into the distance.
"Trying to leave? Human woman, you're staying right here!"
Though badly wounded, the Amethyst Winged Lion King's ferocity remained undiminished. It roared and prepared to give chase.
At this critical moment, a calm voice descended as if from the heavens, instantly filling the entire uproarious valley,
"Amethyst Winged Lion King..."
The voice wasn't loud, yet it strangely overpowered the beast's roar and the howling wind, freezing both combatants in place.
"I've been gone for barely a year, and you already think the Magic Beast Mountain Range... has no master?"
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