Watching Zhang Nian hurry away, Yao Ye smiled faintly. Her impression of this man, who had been a stranger to her, had completely changed. He seemed different from what she had imagined. There was none of the arrogance of a powerful expert about him, nor any of that cold disdain. Instead, he was much more down-to-earth.
"My master, huh... I'll come find you again."
It seemed that among his disciples, Yao Ye might be the most forward and enthusiastic. After all, on the way here, Jia Xingtian had told her that a man would never forget his first woman. Of course, Yao Ye might not be his first in the strictest sense, but if she was his first after he came to the Jia Ma Empire, the effect would be the same.
How could Yao Ye not understand what Jia Lao really meant? She had merely nodded and said she understood. A young girl's shyness made her reluctant to speak of such things, but the heavy burdens and responsibilities on her shoulders left her no choice but to face them.
After a few days, Yao Ye gradually adjusted to life at the mountain gate. She found that things there were quite different from what she had imagined. It seemed that her master's disciples really were just disciples. Nothing resembled the sordid scenes Jia Xingtian had described before she left. Everyone was modest and courteous. They were not especially close, but they got along peacefully.
She then sought out the only person she could really talk to for now, her senior sister Yun Yun. They both belonged to the Jia Ma Empire's top powers, and Yao Ye had heard a little about her. The first time she saw Yun Yun at the dinner table, she was astonished. If she remembered correctly, shouldn't Yun Yun be the next sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect?
The current sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect was certainly generous. Or was Yun Yun's purpose actually the same as the Imperial Family's? Though Yao Ye had her suspicions, Yun Yun's behavior didn't seem to support them. It was as if she had simply changed locations and continued training earnestly. Unfortunately, Yao Ye's aptitude was only average, and for now, she was the weakest person at the mountain gate.
Taking advantage of the time after dinner, Yao Ye went to Yun Yun's room.
"Creak."
She pushed open the door but didn't see Yun Yun. Somewhat puzzled, she asked Yun Yun's personal maid, Baojuan, "Where's senior sister?"
"My mistress never stays in her room after a meal. Just look up—the figure in the clouds on that mountain peak is where she is." Baojuan wore a helpless expression. It had been like this every day lately. As soon as Yun Yun woke up, she went up into the sky and didn't come down until just before she went to bed. Baojuan had wanted to use the tricks she had learned from Xiao Qing to mess with her mistress, but every time, she found herself unable to say a word.
"Uh..." Yao Ye gazed at the figure among the clouds and couldn't help thinking, She really is hardworking... She decided not to disturb her. After all, training required steady progress, and there was nothing more irritating than being interrupted by other people's voices at a crucial moment.
With that, she turned and went to Zhang Nian's room.
"Knock, knock."
At the sound of two muffled knocks, Zhang Nian put down the low-tier Heaven-ranked Dou Technique, Wind Extremity: Judgment. The space wavered, and the technique on the table vanished.
"Come in."
At his words, the door swung open.
"Creak."
Yao Ye, dressed in a pale yellow gown, entered slowly. When she reached him, she bowed. "Master."
The girl's faint, milky fragrance drifted through the air and surrounded Zhang Nian. He took a small sniff. The scent was alluring. His eyes wandered, and he glanced at the long, straight legs faintly visible beneath her skirt. Then he snapped out of it. One look is enough!
He composed himself and asked, "Yao Ye, are you planning to absorb the Purple Cloud Wings?"
"Yes, Master."
The girl nodded obediently, her eyes full of anticipation as she stared at him with a burning gaze. For a moment, he was at a loss. Why does this girl look at me with such... aggressive intent? Or is it...
"Mm. Go to my training room, take out the scroll, and sit cross-legged."
After giving her instructions, he watched her charming figure leave his sight. Her fragrance lingered, still swirling in his heart like a cat's paw gently teasing his nerves.
Flying through the sky was everyone's dream, and for Yao Ye, who was only a Nine-Star Dou Zhe, it was an especially irresistible temptation. Everyone knew that to fly—to transform Dou Qi into wings—one had to reach the Dou Wang level. How many Dou Wangs were there in the Jia Ma Empire? Only prodigies like senior sisters Yun Yun and Cailin could advance so quickly.
He unfurled the scroll, revealing a pair of dark wings that looked as though they had been painted onto it. But Zhang Nian knew they were just like his own Soaring Nine Heavens. The Purple Cloud Wings already contained the wings of a fifth-tier magical beast. The reason Zhang Nian had asked Miteer for them earlier was that he knew about Flying Dou Techniques. Not every Flying Dou Technique was as thoughtfully made as the Purple Cloud Wings by their creator, who had even found wings for those who came after.
"Looks like the wings I gave you won't be needed after all." He sighed and looked over the writing on the scroll. Even though he had read the original story, there was no way he could remember every detail, and the Purple Cloud Wings were one such case.
"What's wrong, Master?" Yao Ye blinked and asked in confusion.
"The Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle is a fifth-tier flying magical beast, said to possess a trace of the bloodline of the ancient phoenix. Its flying speed ranks among the fastest of all flying magical beasts. It's naturally cunning and savage, and extremely difficult to capture. It only lives in the Cloud of Mist Region in the southern part of the continent. The Wings of the Eagle originated from this beast. The person who created this Dou Technique already prepared the wings for you. Now you only need to calm your mind and withstand the indiscriminate assault of the remnant soul."
After hearing Zhang Nian's explanation, Yao Ye was still puzzled and continued, "Master, why is there still a remnant soul inside the eagle's wings after they've been made into a Dou Technique?"
"Heh." He laughed, secretly relieved. At least I remember this part. "It must be because of the secret method used to create this Flying Dou Technique. The beast's soul and wings were separated together, then sealed inside the scroll using a unique method. No wonder this technique was lost. It turns out that making it required knowledge of all sorts of strange things."
He continued talking to himself, then glanced at Yao Ye, who had sat cross-legged beside him. A faint light glimmered in her cool eyes. Zhang Nian quickly coughed and went on:
"Although practicing this Dou Technique has no side effects, the soul you sensed just now should belong to that Purple Cloud Eagle. After all these years, its intelligence has probably been reduced to pure animal instinct. Still, if your mind falters for even a moment, your soul could be harmed. Don't worry. I'll stay by your side, and if anything goes wrong, I'll step in."
Hearing her master's words, Yao Ye breathed a sigh of relief, and the worry in her heart finally lifted. All that remained was her anticipation of the sky...
Before you continue