Departure

Bang! Xiao Yan looked at the closed door, somewhat helpless. He had not expected that the moment he mentioned his plans to go out and train, Xun'er would kick him out of the room.

"Xun'er, Brother Xiao Yan will be back soon," Xiao Yan said toward the room.

No one answered. Xiao Yan sighed and walked away.

The following night, when all things were silent.

"Teacher, let's set off."

Xiao Yan packed his things, opened the window, and left. He did not want to see his mother and Xun'er's sorrowful expressions when he departed, so instead of waiting until the next morning, he planned to leave that very night.

"Teacher, let's set off."

"Brother Xiao Yan."

In Xiao Xun'er's distant courtyard, Xiao Xun'er stood in the shadows, silently watching Xiao Yan's receding figure.

In the silent forest beneath the night sky, Xiao Yan leaned against a large tree, roasting the meat of a first-rank magical beast, a Roaring Rabbit, which he had just hunted. With his cultivation as a three-star Dou Zhe, killing a first-rank magical beast had been effortless.

Yao Lao's illusory figure hovered nearby as he looked at Xiao Yan. "How can you travel the continent without a handy weapon? I have a weapon to give you."

As he spoke, Yao Lao extended his spiritual sense into the Storage Ring.

With a bang, a huge black object suddenly shot out from the ancient ring and smashed heavily into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Oh, sorry. I took the wrong one. This is the Black Iron Heavy Ruler. Your body has not fully developed yet, so it is not suitable for you to use this."

Yao Lao spoke with a trace of apology, but the faint wicked smile at the corner of his mouth made it clear that he had done it on purpose.

Because Xiao Yan was still too young, he had taken a pill specially refined by Yao Lao to conceal the obvious flaws in his appearance and height. Thus, he looked like a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old youth.

He was now about as tall as the Black Iron Heavy Ruler, but an undeveloped body was still an undeveloped body. So what Yao Lao said was indeed true.

Xiao Yan's mouth twitched as he looked at the enormous Black Iron Heavy Ruler. He grumbled inwardly, Seeing it for myself truly is different from hearing about it. I knew the Black Iron Heavy Ruler was heavy, but I never expected it to be this heavy.

"Hehe, wrong one, wrong one. This sword is the one I meant."

Yao Lao put away the Black Iron Heavy Ruler and took out a slender, flexible longsword from the Storage Ring. Though Xiao Yan did not know its name, the faint glimmer reflected by the campfire and the frost-patterned sword markings on its blade showed that it was no ordinary weapon.

"For now, a sword suits you better."

As Yao Lao spoke, he took out a black scroll from the Storage Ring and handed both the longsword and the scroll to Xiao Yan.

"This sword and this Dou Technique have quite a story behind them."

"In the Central Plains, there was once a sect renowned for its swordsmanship. They called themselves the Sword Sect. This sword was the personal sword passed down by the Sword Sect's successive sect masters, while the scroll in your hand was the signature Dou Technique cultivated by its sect masters. When the sword force was unleashed, it produced a faint sound of wind. Each strike was faster than the last, and the wind it stirred grew ever stronger, making it extremely powerful. Thus, it was also called the Gale Swift Sword."

"After the last sect master of the Sword Sect died and the sect was exterminated, this sword and the Gale Swift Sword Dou Technique eventually found their way into my hands."

"Do not underestimate this technique. It is an Earth-Tier Low sword art with one hundred and eight forms. At its highest realm, it can rival a Heaven-Tier Dou Technique. The Sword Sect's successive sect masters were all Dou Zun experts, and with this sword and Dou Technique, they forged tremendous reputations throughout the Central Plains."

"An Earth-Tier Dou Technique, huh? All right. As for this sword, I'll call you Wind Chaser."

Xiao Yan accepted the longsword and scroll, his gaze blazing.

"So train hard, Yan boy," Yao Lao encouraged.

The next morning, Xiao Yan entered Green Mountain Town, a small town beside the Magical Beast Mountain Range, with a longsword strapped to his back.

"So this is Green Mountain Town. That means we're not far from the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

Xiao Yan sighed as he passed the boundary marker. He then entered the center of town and saw a pharmacy standing by the roadside: the Myriad Medicine Pavilion.

"The Myriad Medicine Pavilion is still the same Myriad Medicine Pavilion. I just wonder where that lovely girl has gone."

Xiao Yan pondered to himself.

"Where could Xiao Yi Xian be at this time? Looks like I'll have to put in some effort to find her."

After settling down in Green Mountain Town, Xiao Yan searched the town for two days but found no sign of a young Xiao Yi Xian. In the end, he decided to enter the mountain range first and search for the Blood Lotus Essence, Ice Spirit Flame Grass, and a fourth-rank ice-element magical core needed to refine the Blood Lotus Pill.

"To evolve the Flame Mantra and devour Heavenly Flames, I must use the Blood Lotus Pill to protect my body. So the Blood Lotus Pill is indispensable. I remember that the Ice Spirit Flame Grass is in a cave not far after entering the mountain range, and the Blood Lotus Essence should also be found in the herb-rich Magical Beast Mountain Range."

"As for the fourth-rank ice-element magical core, there are third-rank Snow Wolves in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The leader among the Snow Wolves, the Snow Wolf King, is a fourth-rank ice-element magical beast. However, Snow Wolves are pack-dwelling magical beasts. I'm afraid I can't handle them alone, so I'll still need Teacher to act."

As Xiao Yan thought, he hurried toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range without slowing his pace.

Xiao Yan followed a narrow trail often used by mercenaries into the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Towering ancient trees filled the mountains, and their vigorous life force was intoxicating to behold. Yet where there was life, danger also existed.

Bang!

With a cold expression, Xiao Yan flung the Dead Snake from his sword.

"Hmph, you still dared to sneak attack me."

After entering the mountain range, Xiao Yan began searching the area near the entrance methodically, looking for a suspicious cave beneath a nearby cliff.

Finally, on the morning of the third day, he found the suspicious cave from his memories. Standing at its entrance, Xiao Yan looked at the thick stone door and smiled. "This won't stump me."

After feeling around for a while, Xiao Yan gently pressed a small protrusion beneath the stone door. The door opened, and he slipped inside. After passing through a long, pitch-black narrow passage, he came upon a stone chamber. Looking at the three stone boxes piled in the center of the chamber, Xiao Yan smiled lightly. "Found them."

Xiao Yan stepped forward, took the key, opened the stone boxes, and removed the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and the Wings of the Eagle.

"Hehe, I finally have a Flight Dou Technique. I can finally fly. And this Seven-Colored Poison Scripture can be saved for Xiao Yi Xian. Right, let me see what exactly is inside the third stone box that was supposed to have been taken away."

Xiao Yan opened the stone box and discovered that a scroll was still lying inside.

"Huh? It's actually another Dou Technique."

Xiao Yan took out the scroll and opened it, releasing his soul force to sense the technique's information.

"Prajna Palm, said to be one of the Seventy-Two Unique Skills of the ancient Buddha Sect. A Xuan-Tier Advanced Dou Technique. Only with a tranquil state of mind while circulating one's Dou Qi can its wondrous ability to subdue enemies and demons be fully unleashed. Furthermore, this Dou Technique specifically harms an enemy's meridians and grows stronger over time. Once mastered, it can rival an Earth-Tier Intermediate Dou Technique."

"Phew, not bad. It's a palm technique, and I was just lacking one."

Xiao Yan nodded in satisfaction and put away the scroll.

P.S. It seems like hardly anyone has been reading. I hate playing solo—please leave comments and recommendations, qaq.