In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Everything was peaceful and serene, especially for Yun Yun.
Though she might not have realized it, as the Misty Cloud Sect Master, she was naturally incapable of having simple relationships with most people.
The elders of the Misty Cloud Sect schemed against her, while the disciples revered her. Only with her own disciple, Nalan Yanran, could Yun Yun experience a little of the simple connection between people.
That was because Nalan Yanran's thoughts were just as simple. Although some of her actions weren't very appropriate, Yun Yun had always indulged her antics.
Even when they made the Three Year Agreement, Yun Yun hadn't scolded her. Instead, she'd given her her full support, even fighting the Amethyst Winged Lion King for her sake.
However, during the few days she'd spent with Xiao Lei and the others in the cave, Yun Yun had successfully felt that same simple connection with a second person.
Xiao Lei didn't put on any special airs because she was a Dou Emperor. He often teased her with all sorts of jokes, just to amuse himself.
Sometimes his teasing made Yun Yun embarrassed and annoyed, yet for some reason, it also warmed her heart. She felt as if she'd finally become a living, breathing person!
Instead of that Sect Master Yun perched atop the sect leader's seat!
Inside the cramped cave, the three of them were each busy with their own affairs. Only Yun Yun leaned bored against the cave wall, watching Xiao Lei and the others.
The aura around Xiao Yi Xian grew stronger and stronger, then she surged into the three-star Da Dou Shi realm.
Yun Yun merely glanced at her. After all these days, she'd gotten used to it.
As for Xiao Lei, he was refining pills. He'd been busy with that for the past few days.
Suddenly, an intensely rich medicinal fragrance rose through the cave. Then the scent condensed into a substantial pink haze, intent on streaming out of the cave.
"An unusual phenomenon—a Fifth-grade Pill!"
Well-traveled and knowledgeable, Yun Yun immediately recognized the strange sight and couldn't help exclaiming. But when she remembered Xiao Lei's strength as a Dou Emperor, it didn't seem so strange anymore.
After sitting cross-legged for a long time, Xiao Lei saw the scene and smiled in relief. As expected, he could improve his alchemy through his own experimentation. His skill wasn't stuck at whatever level he'd copied. After all, he was a Dou Emperor now, and his control over flames and his soul power had both grown much stronger.
Still, Xiao Lei was quite pleased to have refined a Fifth-grade Pill. He'd broken through by figuring it out himself.
As for the pill, it was a low-grade fifth-tier healing pill called the Bone-Flesh Recovery Pill, which Otto had prepared for his own advancement to fifth-tier alchemist.
Seeing that the medicinal fragrance was about to spill out of the cave, Xiao Lei hurriedly unleashed his Dou Qi. Purple flames surged forth, burning the fragrance away.
The scent was so rich that if it escaped, it might attract the Amethyst Winged Lion King. That would be bad news.
Only after taking care of everything did Xiao Lei dust off his sleeves, stand up, and stretch.
"The seal should be about to lift, right? So, are you still going to take that Purple Spirit Crystal?"
"Mm."
Yun Yun was taken aback. It took her a long moment to squeeze out a single "Mm."
There was no way Yun Yun would give up on the Purple Spirit Crystal. She'd come here for it, and she still hadn't gotten her hands on it. How could she possibly abandon it?
But after all these days, Yun Yun had calmed down and assessed the difference between her strength and the Amethyst Winged Lion King's. In the end, she realized that even though she knew about the other party's trump cards, she could at best fight it to a draw. She had no way to snatch the Purple Spirit Crystal.
But asking Xiao Lei...
Yun Yun couldn't help remembering the boast she'd made by accident a few days ago.
Now she was in an awkward spot!
Just as Yun Yun was feeling awkward, the purple mark on her chest, which had gradually faded over the past few days, suddenly vanished completely.
The Dou Qi that had disappeared from her body for days returned in full, and Yun Yun once again felt the sensation of power.
Yun Yun urged her Dou Qi and summoned a long sword into her hand. In an instant, an ethereal, celestial aura surrounded her.
Of course, Xiao Lei, who'd seen Yun Yun that night, wouldn't be fooled by that distant, otherworldly air.
"The Purple Spirit Crystal is extremely important to me. I absolutely have to get it, it's just..."
"Although I'm slightly stronger than the Amethyst Winged Lion King, this is its territory. If it rouses those three nearby fifth-rank magical beasts to attack together, I might not be able to spare a hand to take the Purple Spirit Crystal!"
Yes, exactly!
Yun Yun lifted her chin.
She really could beat the Amethyst Winged Lion King!
Xiao Lei couldn't help smiling. He held it in for Yun Yun's sake.
"So?" Xiao Lei continued to play dumb. Unless Yun Yun asked him for help herself, he wouldn't offer.
When someone hinted that you should help, it was already a game of playing dumb. What was wrong with playing dumb yourself?
"So I'd like to ask you to sneak into the Amethyst Winged Lion King's cave while I fight it and take the Purple Spirit Crystal. I can pay you!"
Seeing Xiao Lei play dumb, Yun Yun had no choice but to ask for his help directly. She blushed deeply, remembering the big boast she'd made a few days ago.
"Sure, but my services don't come cheap! Think carefully about what you'll offer as payment."
Xiao Lei said it as if he were joking.
There was no way he'd work for free!
"Then take this Dou Technique as payment!"
Xiao Lei casually took the Dou Technique, tossed it into his Storage Ring, and figured it was probably Explosive Step. He already had better Dou Techniques, so he had no use for this movement technique.
"Sigh, it's only a Dou Technique, but I suppose I'll reluctantly help you this once!"
Xiao Lei already had no shortage of Mystic-tier Dou Techniques. He had to thank his second copy of Yun Yun for that. Since the other options weren't suitable, he'd simply decided to copy her Dou Techniques.
Xiao Lei had thought he'd only be able to use some of them, the ones that didn't require wind attributes. In the end, he discovered that the system had forcibly intervened and improved the original wind-attribute Dou Techniques into fire-attribute versions.
Xiao Lei couldn't stop marveling at how awesome it was!
After all, as the Misty Cloud Sect Master, Yun Yun had cultivated an extremely comprehensive range of Dou Techniques.
"Hmph, don't act like you're doing me a favor after getting such a good deal. All I need you to do is take the Purple Spirit Crystal."
Yun Yun grumbled, though she was privately wondering whether she should leave Xiao Lei a gift after she left. After all, he had saved her life.
"Who said I was going to take the Purple Spirit Crystal?"
At that, Yun Yun's mind filled with questions. If he wasn't going to take the Purple Spirit Crystal, why had he accepted her Dou Technique?
"Xiao Yi Xian, come here a moment. And you, Qing Lin—call Xiao Xuan over."
Xiao Yi Xian could handle getting the Purple Spirit Crystal and the Born Amethyst Source. After all, she'd cultivated for so long without ever getting a chance to train in the field.
How could she get by without a fight?
Xiao Yi Xian had just broken through to three-star Da Dou Shi when she heard Xiao Lei call her over. She hurriedly bounced up to him.
"Take Xiao Xuan and go get the Purple Spirit Crystal."
As soon as he finished speaking, a transmission entered Xiao Yi Xian's mind.
"There's another wondrous object in the cave called the Born Amethyst Source. It's a huge crystal. Once you find the Purple Spirit Crystal, you can use it to break open the Born Amethyst Source."
After giving Xiao Yi Xian her instructions, Xiao Lei turned to Yun Yun. "Come on, let's go face the Amethyst Winged Lion King."
As he spoke, Xiao Lei touched the clear scar on his left arm.
With his alchemy skills, he could have removed the scar long ago.
But Xiao Lei was simply that vengeful. He wouldn't get rid of the scar until he'd killed the Amethyst Winged Lion King.
However, when Xiao Yi Xian heard him, she fell into thought again. She understood Xiao Lei less and less. Hadn't he been a Dou Ling before, and hadn't the Amethyst Winged Lion King injured him? How had he suddenly become strong enough to fight it as a Dou Emperor?
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