Departure

"Bang!" Xiao Yan looked at the closing door, feeling somewhat helpless. He hadn't expected that the moment he mentioned his plan to head out for training, Xiao Xun'er would kick him out of the room.

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

There was no reply, so Xiao Yan sighed and walked away.

The next evening, when all things had fallen into silence.

"Teacher, let's set off."

Xiao Yan packed his things, opened the window, and left. Because he didn't want to see the sorrowful expressions of his mother and Xiao Xun'er when he departed, he decided to leave tonight rather than wait for tomorrow morning.

"Teacher, let's set off."

"Brother Xiao Yan."

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

In the dark of night, in a silent little grove, Xiao Yan leaned against a large tree, roasting the meat of a Roaring Rabbit—a Rank 1 magical beast he had just hunted. With his cultivation as a 3-star Dou Practitioner, hunting a Rank 1 magical beast was a simple task.

Yao Lao's ethereal figure hovered to the side, looking at Xiao Yan as he said, "How can you head out to roam the continent without a handy weapon? This teacher has a weapon to gift you."

As he spoke, Yao Lao began to probe his consciousness into his Storage Ring.

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

"Oh, oh, sorry, Teacher grabbed the wrong one. This is the Black Iron Heavy Ruler; your frame hasn't fully developed yet, so it's not quite suitable for you to use this."

Yao Lao spoke with a hint of apology, though the mischievous smirk at the corner of his mouth betrayed that he had done it on purpose.

Because Xiao Yan was still young, he had taken a pill specially refined by Yao Lao to mask his appearance and height, making him look like a youth of fourteen or fifteen.

His current height was about the same as the Black Iron Heavy Ruler, but his body had indeed not fully developed, so what Yao Lao said was technically true.

Xiao Yan looked at the massive Black Iron Heavy Ruler, his mouth twitching as he muttered to himself, "Truly, hearing of it isn't as shocking as seeing it. I knew this Black Iron Heavy Ruler was heavy, but I didn't expect it to be this heavy."

"Hehe, grabbed the wrong one, grabbed the wrong one. Actually, it's this sword."

Yao Lao put away the Black Iron Heavy Ruler and pulled a slender, supple longsword from the Storage Ring. Although he didn't know its name, the faint, ghostly light reflected from the nearby campfire and the frost-patterned engravings on the blade clearly indicated it was no ordinary item.

"For now, a sword is more suitable for you."

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

"There is quite a story behind this sword and this Dou Technique."

"In the Central Plains, a long time ago, there was a sect famous for its swordsmanship that called itself the Sword Sect. This was the personal sword of the Sword Sect's successive leaders, and the famous Dou Technique practiced by the Sect Leader is the scroll in your hand. Because the sword's momentum emits a faint whistling wind, and each strike is faster than the last, the wind it stirs up grows increasingly powerful. Its might is extraordinary, which is why it is known as the 'Gale Swift Sword'."

"Since the death of the last Sect Leader and the destruction of the Sword Sect, this sword and the 'Gale Swift Sword' technique have passed through many hands before ending up with me."

"Do not underestimate this technique; it is a Low-Tier Earth-level sword art. It has one hundred and eight forms, and when practiced to the highest realm, it rivals Heaven-level Dou Techniques. The successive leaders of the Sword Sect were all Dou Zun powerhouses, and they carved out great reputations in the Central Plains relying on this sword and this technique."

"An Earth-level Dou Technique, is it? Alright, as for this sword, I shall call you 'Wind Chaser'."

Xiao Yan took the longsword and the scroll, his gaze burning with intensity.

"So, train hard, kid," Yao Lao encouraged.

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

"So this is Green Mountain Town. In that case, we aren't far from the Magical Beast Mountain Range now."

Xiao Yan sighed as he passed the boundary marker, then walked into the center of the town, where he saw a pharmacy standing by the roadside called the "Myriad Medicine Pavilion."

"The Myriad Medicine Pavilion is still the same Myriad Medicine Pavilion, but I wonder where she has gone," Xiao Yan mused.

"Where could Xiao Yi Xian be at this time? It seems I will have to put in some effort to find her."

After settling down in Green Mountain Town, Xiao Yan spent two days searching the town but could not find anyone resembling the young Xiao Yi Xian. In the end, Xiao Yan decided to head into the mountain range first to search for the Blood Lotus Essence, Ice Spirit Flame Grass, and a Rank 4 Ice-attribute magical core needed to refine the Blood Lotus Pill.

"To evolve the Flame Mantra and swallow the Heavenly Flame, I must use the Blood Lotus Pill to protect my body, so this pill is essential. I remember the Ice Spirit Flame Grass is in a cave not far into the mountain range, and the Blood Lotus Essence should be found within the resource-rich Magical Beast Mountain Range."

"As for that Rank 4 Ice-attribute magical core, there are Rank 3 Snow Wolves in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and their leader, the Snow Wolf King, is a Rank 4 Ice-attribute magical beast. However, Snow Wolves are pack animals; I'm afraid I can't handle them alone and will have to rely on Teacher."

As Xiao Yan thought this, he quickened his pace toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Xiao Yan followed the path frequently used by mercenaries to slowly enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The towering ancient trees were everywhere, and the vibrant vitality was intoxicating. However, this vitality also meant that danger lurked within.

"Bang!"

Xiao Yan coldly flicked the dead snake off his sword.

"Hmph, trying to ambush me."

After entering the mountain range, Xiao Yan began a carpet-style search not far from the entrance, looking for any suspicious caves beneath the nearby cliffs.

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

After some fumbling, Xiao Yan pressed a small protrusion beneath the stone door, and it slid open. Xiao Yan slipped inside. After walking through a long, dark, narrow passage, he reached a stone chamber. Looking at the three stone boxes piled in the center, Xiao Yan smiled softly, "Found it."

Xiao Yan went up, took the key, opened the stone boxes, and retrieved the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and the Wings of the Eagle.

"Hehe, I've finally obtained a flight-type Dou Technique; I can finally fly. And this Seven-Colored Poison Scripture can be saved for Xiao Yi Xian. Right, let me see what is actually inside the third stone box that was supposed to be stolen."

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

"Huh, it's actually another Dou Technique."

Xiao Yan took out the scroll and unfurled it, releasing his soul power to perceive the information within the cultivation technique.

"Prajna Palm, legendary as one of the seventy-two ultimate techniques of the ancient Buddha Sect, is a Xuan-tier high-grade Dou Technique. Only when the heart is at peace during its execution can one unleash its miraculous power to subdue demons and stabilize the mind. Furthermore, this Dou Technique specifically damages an enemy's meridians and belongs to the type that grows stronger the longer the fight lasts; when cultivated to great success, it can rival a Di-tier mid-grade Dou Technique."

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

Xiao Yan nodded in satisfaction and put the scroll away.