Yun Yun

This voice...?!

Xiao Yan, hiding in the shadows, shuddered all over, feeling that the tone and cadence were incredibly familiar!

He jerked his head up, following the sound.

The ethereal figure of Yao Lao also stiffened slightly, a trace of shock and suspicion flashing in his eyes.

High above, a figure in green robes stood suspended in the air, back turned toward them, looking down at the Amethyst Winged Lion King below.

Though his face was hidden, the silhouette of his back and the posture of him standing with his hands behind his back...

"Is that... Brother Ning Chen?!"

Xiao Yan almost cried out, his heart pounding wildly.

Yao Lao's face twitched violently, and he groaned inwardly.

Although he had made a deal with Ning Chen, exchanging a promise for one favor, he had once been a Nine-Star Dou Zun. He knew clearly that experts at the level of a Dou Sheng had minds so deep they were unfathomable; one could never guess what they were thinking.

As the saying goes, accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger. Dealing with a Dou Sheng required extreme caution—careful, careful, and even more careful.

If he could, he would rather forfeit that promise than have had any entanglement with Ning Chen from the start.

In the center of the battlefield, Yun Yun, who had been preparing to flee, felt her body tremble, and her flight light came to a sudden halt.

She looked up in astonishment at the green-robed figure who had suddenly appeared.

The man stood in the air, no earth-shattering aura erupting from him, yet he possessed an inherent air of looking down upon all living things.

Who is this person? When did the Jia Ma Empire produce such a young expert? Judging by his aura... he seems to be only a Dou Wang?

But this presence... Yun Yun felt uncertain and dared not act rashly.

And the one who reacted most violently was none other than the Amethyst Winged Lion King!

The moment that voice rang out, its massive body seemed to be frozen by invisible ice.

Its monstrous, heaven-shaking aura withered instantly, and in its amethyst-like beast eyes, anger and killing intent were replaced by panic.

It's him!

...He actually came back?!

The Amethyst Winged Lion King would never forget the scene from a year ago.

A youth who appeared to be only a Dou Wang had blocked all of its attacks with just a single finger, then declared that the Magic Beast Mountain Range belonged to him.

It had been furious at the time, and in its rage... it had raged for a moment.

What else could it do but submit? Use its own life and the entire tribe to verify the fact that the "Magic Beast Mountain Range had changed owners"?

"M-Master!"

The Amethyst Winged Lion King's voice no longer held any of its previous ferocity; its eyes were filled with terror, and its massive head lowered involuntarily.

"Little Lion... Little Lion dared not! Little Lion had no such intention! It... it was this human woman who trespassed into the depths of the mountain range, demanded the Amethyst Crystal, and attacked first! Little Lion was only forced to retaliate! I beg Master to see the truth!"

It argued hurriedly, its massive claws pointing at the unstable Yun Yun, shifting the blame entirely in an instant.

Yun Yun's heart sank as she heard this.

She watched as the green-robed figure slowly turned his gaze, finally landing on her.

Those eyes were calm and waveless, yet they made her feel an unprecedented pressure in that instant.

"Sir..."

Yun Yun forced herself to stay calm, her red lips parting as she tried to explain the situation, but as the words reached her lips, she realized that while the Amethyst Winged Lion King's words were false, they weren't entirely fabricated.

For a moment, she didn't know how to argue and could only grip her sword hilt, staring back at him with vigilance and gravity.

"Oh?"

Ning Chen's gaze lingered for a moment on Yun Yun's pale yet stunningly beautiful face before he spoke in a faint tone.

"Trespassing on my place of cultivation, injuring the guardian under my command, and disturbing the peace of these mountains... The Sect Master of the Yunlan Sect certainly carries quite the air of authority."

Yun Yun's heart tightened; she knew that not only had he recognized her identity, but his attitude was clearly hostile.

She forced herself to gather her energy, suppressing the churning blood in her body and the increasingly heavy sealing power, her tone carrying a faint note of earnestness.

"Senior, please calm your anger. It is indeed Yun Yun's lack of consideration that has offended your peace. Yun Yun is willing to apologize to you on behalf of the Yunlan Sect for this disturbance and offer compensation, only hoping that Senior..."

Before Yun Yun could finish, the sealing rune on her right chest suddenly flashed with light.

She let out a muffled groan, feeling her entire body's Dou Qi instantly locked away, and even the power supporting her flight vanished abruptly!

At the same time, the hidden injuries from resisting the Lion King's attack and unleashing her ultimate move erupted all at once!

"Ugh..."

Everything went black before Yun Yun's eyes. A wave of intense dizziness and weakness washed over her, and her body went limp. Unable to maintain her flight, she plummeted straight toward the valley below!

Ning Chen's brows lifted slightly. Seeing Yun Yun fall like a butterfly with broken wings, he moved.

In the next instant, he appeared beside Yun Yun like a ghost, reached out an arm, and caught her soft body firmly in his embrace.

The touch was warm and soft, carrying a faint fragrance mingled with a trace of blood.

Yun Yun had already fallen unconscious, her stunningly beautiful face as pale as paper, her eyes tightly shut.

Seeing this, the Amethyst Winged Lion King felt a fierce glint flash in its eyes and hurriedly pledged its loyalty, "My lord! This human woman is incredibly bold, daring to feign unconsciousness in front of you to avoid questioning! Why not let me dispose of her for you? It can serve as an apology for today's events!"

As it spoke, purple light faintly gathered on its claws.

Ning Chen, holding the unconscious Yun Yun, glanced at it upon hearing this. The look was indifferent, yet it caused the purple light the Amethyst Winged Lion King had gathered to dissipate instantly, and its massive body shrank back even further.

"Dispose of her?"

"When did I say I wanted to dispose of her? There is nothing left for you here. Get back to your cave. Without my permission, you are not to engage in conflict with anyone or disturb the surroundings again."

"...Yes! Yes! This little lion understands! This little lion will get lost at once! I'm leaving right now!"

The Amethyst Winged Lion King felt as if it had been granted a pardon, not daring to ask another question.

It hurriedly nodded and bowed, then slunk away toward its lair, disappearing behind the mountains in the blink of an eye.

Ning Chen looked down at the unconscious Yun Yun in his arms, then raised his eyes to look in the direction where Little Fairy Doctor had departed.

After a brief moment of contemplation, he did not linger. With a flap of his wings, he transformed into a streak of crimson light, carrying Yun Yun as he flew leisurely toward the tranquil lake in his memory.

In a hidden spot within the mountain forest, Xiao Yan had been nervously monitoring the development of the situation.

Seeing Ning Chen suddenly appear to take control of the scene, and then seeing Yun Yun fall unconscious only to be caught and carried away by him, he felt a sense of relief, but at the same time, a strong sense of curiosity welled up within him.

"Teacher, Brother Ning Chen took that woman away! Should we... follow them to take a look? And catch up with Brother Ning Chen?"

Xiao Yan looked at Yao Lao and suggested.

"Follow them? What is there to look at?"

Yao Lao's ethereal figure drifted in front of Xiao Yan and glared at him irritably, though a playful expression of "you're still too young, kid" appeared on his face as he lowered his voice.

"You brat, didn't you see it? Your Brother Ning Chen never had any intention of actually doing anything to that young woman from the very beginning!"

"Ah?" Xiao Yan was stunned.

"Ah what, 'ah'?"

Yao Lao stroked his beard, adopting the posture of someone who had seen it all.

"His posturing was meant to intimidate the Lion King, and it was also meant to give that young woman from the Yunlan Sect a warning, but his true purpose... hehe, I'm afraid the second half of the show is only just beginning!"

He pointed in the direction Ning Chen had left and chuckled, a smile filled with a meaning that all men understood.

"A hero saves a beauty, the beauty is unconscious, a lone man and a lone woman... ahem, kid, if you go barging in at a time like this, are you trying to ruin his good fortune, or do you think your life is too long and you want to see if he'll slap you into dust?"

Xiao Yan was startled at first, then realized what he meant. His face heated up slightly, and he spat out in a low voice, "You old lecher... Brother Ning Chen shouldn't be that kind of person, right?"

Even so, he felt in his heart that Yao Lao's analysis was not without reason; after all, men understood men best.

"Whether he is that kind of person or not is not for you or me to decide."

Yao Lao put away his joking expression and said seriously, "In any case, don't go disturbing them now; just wait and see what happens. Let's go. While that Lion King has just retreated, we should seize the time to take care of your business."

With that, he urged Xiao Yan to leave this place of trouble without further discussion.